Kneeling for Desire

Kaelen led me from the small conference room to his office, his hand hovering at the small of my back without actually touching me. The hallways were mercifully empty—everyone must have been in class or at dinner. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Silas trailed behind us, his presence oddly comforting in the charged atmosphere. When we reached Kaelen's office door, he unlocked it with a wave of his hand, the magical locks disengaging with soft clicks.

"Come in," he said, his voice low and controlled.

The three of us stepped inside, and Kaelen shut the door firmly behind us. His office looked the same as always—imposing desk, wall of books, that leather chair where he'd interrogated me what felt like a lifetime ago.

Silas cleared his throat. "I should probably go."

I shot him a panicked look, silently begging him to stay. Having him there felt like a buffer, a shield against the intensity radiating from Kaelen.

"No, you don't have to—" I started.

"Yes, he does," Kaelen interrupted, his blue eyes flashing. "This conversation needs to happen between us, Hazel."

Silas looked between us, concern written across his face. "Are you okay with this?" he asked me directly.

I swallowed hard and nodded. Whatever was about to happen, I couldn't keep running from it. "I'll be fine."

"I'll be right outside if you need me," Silas said, squeezing my hand briefly before slipping out the door.

And then we were alone.

Kaelen moved to stand behind his desk, putting the massive piece of furniture between us like a barrier. I remained near the door, my back pressed against the solid wood.

"You wanted to talk," I said, breaking the silence. "So talk."

He ran a hand through his dark hair, a rare show of agitation. "It's not that simple."

"Why not? Just tell me the truth for once."

"The truth?" His laugh was humorless. "The truth is dangerous, Hazel."

I crossed my arms. "I'm tired of cryptic warnings. Either tell me what's going on or let me leave."

His eyes darkened. "You feel it, don't you? This... pull between us."

My breath caught in my throat. I hadn't expected him to be so direct.

"Yes," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kaelen circled his desk slowly, moving closer to me with deliberate steps. "And what do you think it means?"

I lifted my chin, refusing to back down. "I think you're my bond. My sixth bond. And you've been lying about it."

He flinched slightly, confirming my suspicion more clearly than words could have.

"I haven't lied," he said carefully. "I've... omitted."

"That's the same thing!"

"It's not." He was close enough now that I could smell his scent—pine and something distinctly male. "There are reasons, Hazel. Compelling reasons why this can't happen."

"What reasons?" My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. "Is it because you don't want me?"

His eyes flashed blue. "Don't be absurd."

"Then what?" I demanded, frustration building. "Because I feel like I'm going crazy. Every time you're near me, my wolf goes nuts. When that woman touched you outside, I wanted to—"

"I know," he cut me off. "I felt your reaction."

I blinked in surprise. "You felt it?"

Kaelen sighed, moving away slightly as if needing distance. "There's a connection between us, yes. I've been... aware of it since you arrived."

"So I am right." Vindication surged through me. "You're my bond."

"It's complicated."

"That's not an answer!" I pushed off from the door, taking a step toward him. "Just admit it!"

"Fine!" he growled, his control slipping. "Yes, there's a bond. Are you satisfied?"

I should have felt triumphant. Instead, I felt hollow. "Then why fight it? Why push me away?"

Kaelen turned away, his shoulders rigid with tension. "Because I'm the headmaster. Because you're barely eighteen. Because there are rules—"

"Rules?" I scoffed. "Since when do you care about rules?"

"Since breaking them could destroy everything!" He whirled back to face me, eyes blazing. "Do you have any idea what would happen if the Council found out? If word got out that I'd claimed a student?"

"I'm not just any student," I argued. "I'm your bond."

"That makes it worse, not better." He raked a hand through his hair again. "You're part of a rare Spark bond group. You're already pregnant with Jaxon's child. And there's a war brewing that I need to focus on without... without this distraction."

The word 'distraction' stung. "Is that what I am to you?"

He stepped forward suddenly, closing the distance between us. One hand gripped my chin, tilting my face up to his. "You know that's not true," he said softly.

My breath hitched at the contact, my skin warming beneath his touch. "Then what am I to you?"

His eyes searched mine. "A complication. A temptation. A..." he trailed off, his thumb brushing against my lower lip. "A connection I shouldn't want but can't deny."

"Then don't deny it," I whispered. "Not anymore."

Kaelen's expression softened. "It's not the right time, Hazel."

"When will it be the right time? After I'm dead? After Magnus has taken everything from us?"

"That's not going to happen," he said fiercely.

"You don't know that. None of us knows what's coming." I reached up, covering his hand with mine. "All I know is I'm tired of fighting this. Aren't you?"

A war played out across his features. "I need you to trust me," he said finally. "Just a little longer. Until the right moment."

"Trust you?" I gave a disbelieving laugh. "You've been lying to me from the start."

"Not lying. Protecting."

"I don't need your protection. I need your honesty."

He released my chin with a sigh. "What do you want from me, Hazel?"

I considered the question carefully. What did I want? An admission? A promise? His surrender?

My eyes landed on his tie—deep blue silk against his white shirt. An idea formed, bold and daring.

"This," I said, reaching forward to tug at his tie. "I want this."

Confusion crossed his face. "My tie?"

I nodded, slowly unknotting it from his collar. "Consider it collateral. A guarantee that you'll keep your word about telling me everything when the 'right moment' comes."

His lips twitched. "You're holding my tie hostage?"

"Exactly." I slid it free from his collar, feeling a small thrill at my own audacity. "When you're ready to tell me everything—the whole truth—you can have it back."

Kaelen's eyes darkened as he watched me fold the silk and tuck it into my pocket. "You're a temptress, do you know that?"

I laughed. "Hardly. If I were truly tempting, you wouldn't be able to resist me."

Something shifted in his expression then, a dangerous heat igniting in his eyes. "Is that what you think? That I can resist you?"

The air between us charged with electricity. My wolf stirred, sensing a challenge.

"You've done a pretty good job so far," I said, trying to keep my voice light despite the sudden hammering of my heart.

In a move so swift I barely registered it, Kaelen dropped to his knees before me.

I blinked down at him in shock. "What are you doing?"

"Proving a point," he said, his voice rough. He reached for his phone without breaking eye contact, pressing a button. "Jaxon, come to my office. Now."

My eyes widened. "Why are you calling Jaxon?"

Kaelen's hands settled on my hips, holding me in place. "Because I don't trust myself alone with you right now."

Heat pooled low in my belly at his words. This powerful man, on his knees before me, admitting he couldn't control himself? It was intoxicating.

"Let me taste you," he said, his fingers digging into my hips. "Let me show you just how fucking tempting you are."

My breath caught in my throat. "Here? Now?"

"Yes," he growled. "Unless you're afraid."

The challenge in his voice stoked something primal in me. "I'm not afraid."

The door opened, and Jaxon stepped in, freezing at the sight before him. "What the—"

"Close the door," Kaelen commanded, not taking his eyes off me.

Jaxon complied, his expression a mix of confusion and growing heat as he assessed the situation. "What's happening here?"

"Our little Hazel doesn't think she's tempting," Kaelen said, his thumbs now stroking circles on my hipbones through my leggings. "I intend to prove her wrong."

Understanding dawned in Jaxon's eyes, followed by a dark hunger that matched Kaelen's. "And you need me because...?"

"Because I might not stop if I'm alone with her," Kaelen admitted bluntly. "And we're not ready for that. Not yet."

A thrill shot through me at his words, at the raw desire evident in both men's expressions.

"Take off your leggings," Kaelen instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument. "And sit on my desk."

I hesitated only briefly before hooking my thumbs into my leggings and sliding them down my legs, stepping out of them carefully. The cool air hit my bare skin, making me shiver—or maybe it was the intensity of their gazes.

Jaxon moved behind me, his hands steadying me as I backed up to the desk and perched on its edge. Kaelen remained on his knees, his eyes fixed on the apex of my thighs, barely covered by my oversized t-shirt.

"Spread your legs," he commanded softly.

I obeyed, heart thundering in my chest as Jaxon's hands came to rest on my shoulders from behind.

Kaelen leaned forward, pushing my shirt up to expose my underwear—simple black cotton, nothing fancy. His gaze darkened at the sight.

"Already wet for me," he murmured, running a finger along the damp fabric. "So responsive."

I gasped at the contact, my hips jerking involuntarily.

"Hold her," Kaelen instructed Jaxon. "She's going to need it."

Jaxon's strong arms wrapped around me from behind, one hand splayed across my stomach, the other coming up to cover my mouth.

"We can't have you screaming," he whispered in my ear. "Someone might hear."

The realization that we were doing this in Kaelen's office—that someone could walk by, that this was completely forbidden—only heightened my arousal.

Kaelen hooked his fingers in my underwear and dragged it down my legs, leaving me exposed to his hungry gaze. He settled between my thighs, his broad shoulders pushing them wider apart.

"Beautiful," he breathed, his warm breath fanning across my sensitive skin.

And then his mouth was on me, and I lost all capacity for coherent thought.

His tongue swept through my folds with devastating precision, as if he'd mapped me a thousand times before. My back arched, a cry muffled by Jaxon's hand over my mouth. Kaelen groaned against me, the vibration sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.

Jaxon's grip tightened, his lips at my ear whispering encouragement. "That's it, let go for him. Show him what he's been missing."

Kaelen's tongue circled my clit before sucking it between his lips, and stars exploded behind my eyelids. My thighs trembled, trying to close around his head, but he held them firmly open, refusing to let me escape the onslaught of pleasure.

Two fingers slid inside me, curling upward to find that spot that made me see stars. I bucked against his mouth, my scream fully captured by Jaxon's palm.

"She's close," Jaxon observed, his voice strained. "I can feel her shaking."

Kaelen doubled his efforts, his tongue flicking rapidly against my clit as his fingers worked inside me. The pleasure built to an unbearable crescendo, my entire body tensing on the edge of release.

"Come for us," Jaxon commanded in my ear. "Come for your headmaster."

The words pushed me over. I shattered, my body convulsing as waves of ecstasy crashed over me. Jaxon's hand barely muffled my cries as Kaelen continued his relentless assault, drawing out my orgasm until I was limp and gasping in Jaxon's arms.

Through the haze of pleasure, I was dimly aware of Kaelen rising to his feet, his mouth glistening with evidence of my release. His eyes burned blue, his chest heaving with each breath.

"Still think you're not tempting enough?" he asked, his voice rough with restrained desire.

I couldn't answer, couldn't form words as Jaxon's hand slipped from my mouth. All I could do was stare at Kaelen, at the naked hunger in his eyes that matched the inferno burning inside me.

This was only the beginning.