~MARCUS~

The cold water slammed against me, the ice droplets unable to soothe my heated tingling skin or hardness below. I groaned, slamming my hand against the yellow glossy tiles, needing to vent a bit of my sexual frustration.

I allowed my hand to rove downward to my cock, my hand wrapping around it firmly. Slowly, my hand slid up and down, in a sensual movement, my mind drifting to the image of the blue-eyed brunette whose body made me quake with desire every training session for the past rotation. She was so hot, her attractiveness only escalating when she trained. The sweat that drenched those thin tops of hers, revealing the outlines of her bra and curves. Oh, how I craved to remove her shirt and bra, to greedily suck her nipples.

I moaned and the sound reverberated off the walls of the shower, as I continually stroked myself. My cock grew harder, as my desire to pin Mako to the ground and hear my name escape those plump, red lips grew. Her voice echoed in my mind and the tightly wound coil inside of me released; I came fast and hard as a loud groan escaped me.

I pressed my forehead against the tiles, the cold water beating against me as I tried to catch my breath. How many times had I masturbated lately? I never needed to please myself so often, maybe a quick one if I saw an attractive shifter who piqued my curiosity. But ever since we rescued Makoto that day in Realm One, I couldn’t stop my body from wanting her.

She was so fragile, finding out after those torturous cycles in King Aspen’s clutches that the facility was a small puzzle piece in this massive universe that surrounded her. I knew exactly how she felt, the overwhelming emotion of feeling lost in a new environment.

I remember those days in the orphanage for abandoned shifters down on Realm Six. The owner of the orphanage took us in and hid us from the human race who would surely have killed or used us for their own experimental purposes.  I vaguely remembered the cramped housing complex, filled with only boy shifters.

I was still recovering, trying my best to cope with the memories that haunted me, after being rescued from the hellhole.

Everyday at the facility was living hell, the experiments never ending and the demands for better performance only increasing day by day. My dragon and I struggled to maintain control, the constant ridicule and forced tactics to get me to shift at the age of seven had taken its toll on me, both physically and mentally.

I turned the faucet off, allowing the remaining specs of water to roll down my naked body. I opened my eyes, grabbing the blue towel on the hanger outside the shower to wrap around my lower waist. I walked past the mirror, unable to continue on without stopping to assess my bulky appearance.

The large tribal markings across my chest, the black and blue swirls and bold detailing always reminded me of my struggles. I wasn’t blessed with much power. I worked my ass off to be the powerful dragon shifter I am today. These markings were a reminder of such hardships, being forced to train continuously for long strenuous hours a day, to please the upper people. Who would have thought King Aspen of Realm One was pulling the strings?

I unconsciously moved towards the mirror, my reflection growing. I stood face to face, pressing my hand against it. I could still see the scrawny little boy in torn bloody clothes.

We weren’t bound to our master like Mako, but they would kill you before you reached the exit if you attempted to escape. I witnessed enough escape attempts in my three cycles. I accepted the fact that I was trapped in that place, removing such thoughts from my mind. My left hand trembled slightly as the memories flowed through my mind. I took a deep breath, attempting to balance my mood.

 “You’re Marcus Hunt now, not the boy from back then.”

A strong dominant voice, flowed into my mind. I took another breath, nodding silently to my dragon. He always had to come and remind me that I was living my new life, the old me a mere memory. My eyes caught a glance of the scars flowing down my arms, light enough to not be noticed from afar. Scars from that evil place.

Who was I; a broken shifter with an emotionally triggered dragon spirit.

Any slight change in my emotions could cause me to shift fully. The facility I was trapped in, praised my out breaks, beating me vigorously to induce my shifts so they could analyze and tamper with my dragon.

The cycles spent there were the hardest, testing my limits and making me question if the Starlight gods even existed. Some days, the evenings where I laid on the floor, unable to move from the heavy amount of pain, I would cry to them. I would beg them to help me out of this prison, such captivity being far too much for the child me. I guess this mission designated to me and the others was a way for me to start anew.

Once I was able to escape Realm Six, I hadn’t expected that my conquest would reward me with finding my true parents. The shock that consumed me when the DNA test returned positive; I was no longer a lost orphan but another victim of King Aspen’s facility conquest. If it wasn’t for Elias supporting me at the time, making sure to stay with me as I waited anxiously to meet my parents, the King and Queen of Realm Seven, Distala, I don’t know if I could have handled such levels of anxiety. 

I may have portrayed myself as the guy who laughs at anything remotely amusing, giving off the façade of not having a care in the world, but my dragon and the boys knew better. They knew my inner battles and daily struggles with control. They offered comfort through our bond, when I startled awake, my nightmares still haunting me. Having someone who experienced what I had in my life, her perky, feisty self trying her best to adapt to this new world, was like breathing fresh air.

I wasn’t alone; my struggles were real and understandable. No one could judge me for my flaws because there was now someone else who dealt with the same demons, like me. At least this time, she wasn’t alone. She had all of us, just like how I had Elias and the others back then.

My thoughts flowed back to the morning we escorted Mako to the enrollment office, her openly viewing of me as I was stretching. The way her eyes roamed my body made me feel attractive; the knowledge of her liking what she saw made me want to return the favour. Having her acknowledgement, my worries melted away, my issues with my body image pushed to the back of my mind.

I never would have thought of myself falling for any shifter, even close to liking one in a romantic way. I never had any real interacted with girls, so I assumed I’d never fall in love. My lovely Firefly proved me wrong, igniting such feelings within me, feelings I thought died long ago with the old me.

I knew the others were attracted to her too, our Princess with a heart of gold. I never would have expected the Starlight gods to bless me with such an opportunity; to serve her as a knight. If it wasn’t for that faithful day, the constant pull that nagged at me every second of the day to leave the orphanage and miraculously enter Heila on a transportation ship, having no clue as to why I had aimlessly chosen to venture to another realm. I never would have found out who I truly was or my purpose in this galaxy.

Little did I know, I would meet Ryder and the others, being instructed by that fortune teller of our new purpose in life and current mission to locate the stolen princess of Heila.

I remember my feelings of rage surging to life when we were told of the princess’s kidnapping; the search team was unable to find her throughout the galaxy after a full rotation of searching. Even with the top knights searching far and wide, she had vanished; as if she never existed.

Ryder was receiving therapy from Karen, Daniel providing his assistance. Myself and Elias were still new and unfamiliar with the realm and our partnered knights. I knew Elias had his own problems from his outburst of anger and his numerous attempts to distance himself whenever he got the chance, but such pent-up anger is what help us bond.

We both were dealing with internal struggles, my issues with coping from the torture I received during my facility days versus Elias’ issues back at home in Realm Nine. When you had a family, who worried more about their position of power than their own child, it made me grateful that I didn’t have a close relationship with my parents to begin with. At least I didn’t have the constant reminder and ridicule of how incompetent I was. Elias on the other hand, had to endure it. Everyday having to be reminded of his flaws and inability to be a respectable heir, due to his soft side.

Regardless of our past, we bonded quickly as we focused on our quest to search for Rosalina.

I walked towards my locker, pulling on a pair of grey sweat pants and a black tank top, before striding out of the room, my training bag over my shoulder. I spent way too much time in the shower. Mako had probably reached the house by now. I recalled the red eyed rat familiar that intruded on our moment. Why the hell was Amanda’s familiar there?

“You should put that female shifter in her place. She should realize I wouldn’t allow you to date someone of such low class. It would be a disgrace.” My dragon suggested, insulting the female for being a nuisance.

I let out a sigh as I exited the training centre, heading straight to our home. I speed walk my way there, taking longer strides to get to my destination. If only I could partially shift and fly there.

Of course, that would be too eye catching. We already had to deal with being the only gold ranks, not to mention Mako’s enrollment and association with us only increased our popularity three-folds.

I stood in front of the door, pressing my hand against its bark like surface, summoning my magic. I couldn’t help but stare at the marking on my left hand, the reminder of being a star knight of Makoto’s caused me to smile.

I heard a click noise, indicating I was allowed entry. I opened the door, closing it softly behind me as I laid my training bag in the corner next to the lined-up shoes. I slipped my Nike’s off, placing them neatly next to Daniel’s classic brown shoes and Elias’ black runners. I notice Ryder’s shoes were missing, but that didn’t concern me. He was probably out discussing knight business with Matthew and Karen.

I strolled into the living room, Daniel relaxed on his yellow stool, sipping on a hot cup of green tea, the aroma flowing around the vast space. He smiled as he nodded his head towards me, acknowledging my presence. I took a moment to look around, noticing a missing brunette.

“Where’s Mako?” I questioned, a wave of anxiety started to creep within me. Sure, she was independent and knew the campus in and out, knowing exactly how to get back to the house on her own, but such reasoning didn’t stop my worries, only escalated them.

Daniel must have noticed my change in emotions, placing his cup of tea down to slide off his stool and walk towards me. He placed his hand gently on my shoulder.

“Relax. Maybe she’s taking her time walking back. You know how distracted she gets. She could see a butterfly and start chasing it for hours.” Daniel reassured me, amusement oozing from his smooth angelic voice.

He did have a point. Mako’s distraction level was unheard of. We all could be in a serious discussion and the slight change in topic would distract her, completely kicking her out of focus. I had to admit, the only time she didn’t get distracted was when she trained. Though, you couldn’t be distracted back at the facility, unless you wanted to get beaten vigorously.

A click noise sounded off from the door, causing us to turn our heads to see a frustrated looking Eli walk through the door. I raised my eyebrow at her, noticing her messy blonde ponytail, her drenched black tank top and black shorts. She kicked her black runners off her feet, before walking towards us.

“I swear to Starlight, I’m going to kill those three bitches and hide their bodies in the fucking mountains. No, I’ll just allow the ground to swallow them whole, use their bodies as fertilizer.” She snarled, grabbing a glass from the cupboard, slamming it onto the island.

I glanced at Daniel, meeting his frowned, worried expression. EliaseAnne never got mad to the point of planning a murder. If she did, there was a serious problem going on.

“What’s wrong Eli?” I questioned, watching her open the fridge to grab a carton of milk, pouring only a small amount in her glass, before placing it back in the milk designated area.

Everyone was well aware of Mako’s milk addiction, making sure to leave enough for her to drink if she started one of her usual sleep walking adventures to the kitchen. I personally thought it was cute, the others had agreed when we discussed her nightly routine.

“Bitch ass Brittany and her two sluts are the fucking problem. Why are females so envious of one another? Why can’t girls on this campus be like Mako? Just mind their own bloody business. I swear, if I hear one more fucking rumour, I’ll blow this whole fucking place up.” She yelled, gulping her glass as if it was a shot, slamming it back down, causing the poor glass to crack.

“Eli…no breaking our glasses. Elias’ going to get angry.” Daniel suggested softly.

“Well he can suck it up. Next time I see Mako, I have to tell her to stay away from those hoes. I overheard them planning to jump her the next time they got a chance. You know they were yelling in the forest during my jog, angry at the fact Mako hangs with all of us! That Amanda girl was crying her eyes out like her parents had died or something! Over the fact Mako gets to train with your dragon ass every morning and how “close” you guys are lately.” She raged, crossing her arms to lean against the counter top behind her. Shit, so her familiar was spying.

I glanced at Daniel, noticing his body go rigid as his eyes glowed for a quick moment.

“Daniel? What’s wrong?” Eli questioned, noticing the sudden change.

I didn’t like the way his expression went from calm to upset. Daniel was a peace maker ninety-five percent of the time, but if he suddenly became upset, it wasn’t going to end well.

“The girls were jogging this morning right. Doesn’t that mean they went to the change room to shower?” Daniel pointed out, his voice low with a hint of anger seeping through his flowing voice. I felt my eyes grow wide at the realization. Mako wasn’t back yet.

“Well, of course. They always go to the lockers and shower after their little stalking sessions. Why do you guys look so pale. Isn’t Mako showering downstairs?” Eli questioned, her eyes bouncing off the both of us as we stood there.

“Locker room. Now.” I ordered, spinning around to grab my shoes, slipping them on and darting out the door.

“For Starlight sakes. I’ll go get Elias.” Eli announced as she jogged ahead of me, heading towards the forest, her figure disappearing amongst the trees. Daniel caught up to my stride, removing his glasses as we ran.

“Are you going to tell Ryder, or should I?” He questioned, his voice wary. Uh, fuck. I knew Ryder was probably in a meeting or meditation session.

“You realize he can sense all of you guys emotions, even from such a distance. It’s only a matter of time before he notices something is wrong. I don’t want to deal with pissed off demon, thanks.” My dragon acknowledged, his frustrated voice filled my head, the pounding starting up.

I took a deep breathe, calming myself. Me shifting wasn’t going to help Mako. I knew she was strong and could battle one or two knights but three…I wasn’t sure.

“I’ll tell him now.” I announced, praying to the Starlight gods we wouldn’t get lectured later.

Ryder. We got a problem and it involves Mako.

I felt a wave of power surge in my head, causing me and Daniel to flinch as we ran. I could sense Elias join the mental conversation, feelings of panic surging through my head.

“Where. Is. She.” A sinister voice demanded, causing me to stop in my tracks as my heart pounded against my chest in fear. I glanced up to see Daniel’s eyes, wide with a hint of fear. Fuck, Demon Ryder.

“Locker room! The trio bitches were discussing in the forest about jumping Mako if they got the opportunity. I didn’t know Mako wasn’t with Marcus.” Elias frantic voice huffed. He must have gotten the 411 from Eli.

“Mako always shower at home but we worked up more sweat than usual so she opted in to showering there. We’re headed there now.” I explained, starting up our sprint towards the main campus.

I felt my nerves increase at the silence that followed. Silence was never good during our mental conversations, indicating only two options; we either all fell asleep or one of us was pissed to the point of losing control. In this case, option two seemed damn obvious.

“I’ll be there.” He stated, leaving our minds. I groaned as I took another breathe to stabilize the annoying pounding in my head. Shit is about to go down. Mako, we’re coming.

 

***

Thank goodness for spare bras. I don’t think I could handle walking around in this thin piece of fabric with my nipples on display.

I heard my spirits laugh in my head, amused with my current satisfaction.

I took a long cold shower; the icy frigid fluid that hammered my feverish skin being enough to calm down my hyperactive hormones. They seriously needed to go on a vacation or something. Though, seeing as I never been attracted to anyone in my twenty-two cycles till now, I bet they had secretly plotted revenge. Don’t let me be attracted to one person, nope. Here, have four sexy beasts for you to lavish over. Curse it all.

I put on the pink laced bra, slipping on a plain white V-neck top. I was wearing black yoga pants and a pair of neon pink shoes from some brand called Nike.

Marcus had gone on a quick shopping spree down in Realm Six last weekend, buying me the new pair of neon pink runners. I thought it was amusing to brand a shoe, Nike, with their symbol being some curved check mark.

He explained that their motto was Just Do It. It was such a weird slogan to have, because lets be realistic; what if you didn’t want to do anything? Would you be banned from wearing them? Weird.

I was closing my locker, using a small amount of magic to secure the lock when a click rang through the air. I ignored it, walking to the mirror on my side to tie my wet long hair. I didn’t see the point of styling it; Daniel would work his magic hands through it after breakfast.

“Who does she think she is! Trying to kiss MY man!” A voice shrieked.

“Right! Haven’t you noticed how all of them take turns holding her hand! What is she possibly giving them? I can get any male shifter, I want, yet Daniel won't even look my way. I thought it was an angel thing with their morals and shit, but he just as goo-goo eyed over her.” A high pitch voice pointed out.

“Who cares about hand holding!! She’s been kissing MY Ryder!!! I’ve been letting my familiar stalk them around ever since she arrived and ever since the second week, she’s been plastered all over him! Two days ago, they were making out in one of the empty classrooms, full out tonguing and everything. Ugh!!! I can’t wait to put that slut in her place!” A third voice snarled before a loud crashed noise echoed the walls.

“Well, this doesn’t sound like it’s going to end well. Want me to handle it?” Rose voice surged to life.

I sighed, finishing up my hair, pulling out a small bottle of pink gloss Eli had bought me, taking my time to apply the sparkling liquid across my lips. No need. I’ll handle it. Time to enter badass bitch mode. I took a deep breathe as I stared at my reflection.

My eyes were bright, my cheeks still flushed from the previous event. With my hair neatly tied back and the pink sparkled gloss bringing out my red lips, I looked rather good.

My white shirt, stuck right to my body, emphasizing my small waist and curves. The pink laced neon bra underneath peaked through the thin fabric, though my cleavage would catch more attention thanks to the low V- neck. With my black pants and neon pink shoes, I pulled off the impression of being fashionable. My PINK magenta coloured training bag assisting with my fitness model appearance. I smirked at my reflection, confidence flowing out of facial expression. Let’s teach these wenches a lesson, shall we?

“If you’re trying to secretly talk shit about someone, why don’t you make sure they aren’t in the same room as you? It honestly defeats the purpose.” My dull voice loud and clear.

I turned around to lean against the counter, my stone hard blank expression on full blast. I heard a flow of footsteps coming my direction, followed by three stunned faces meeting my gaze. I was so tempted to laugh, feeling their confusion and fear leak off them. They truly didn’t know who they were dealing with.

“What the hell are you doing here? You shouldn’t be spying on us.” Brittany accused, pointing a finger at me.

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me as I stared at the blonde whose face was red with rage.

“Spy on you? I didn’t know the locker room was dedicated to Knightwood’s gossip trio. Besides, I do a better job at unintentionally hiding myself from you three than you do during my morning runs with Marcus. I don’t know whether Marcus feels bad or utterly exhausted with your stalking attempts. If you’re not even going to put a tiny bit of effort in hiding yourselves, please, do us all a favour and stand right out in the open. It’s less pathetic.” I explained, hoping my voice emphasized how painful it was to watch their numerous ineffective efforts. Yup, definitely the first to die in a game of Hide and Seek. I’ll bet my soul on that one.

“I can actually agree with you on that.” Rose confirmed. I could picture her nod her head in approval. That made the situation even more hilarious.

“You – you SLUT!” Amanda roared, her tangled hair made me frown.

You’d think she would have checked the mirror. Red hair was such a gorgeous hair colour to have, yet she couldn’t even tame those out of control curls. Just because you were working out, didn’t mean you had to look horrendous.

I clapped my hands lightly, the need to take a moment to applaud their creativity, running through me. Hope’s power rushed through my mind, my eyes probably taking its gold glow effect as I took a second to analyze the trio, their dark secrets flowing into me, making me smile menacingly. The joys of finding out dirt on people, especially when they have no bloody idea. Hope, this skill should be considered a sin.

“Hehe, I should make a secret reveal service. We’d make some major cash.” Hope encouraged, her voice chirpy with the happiness of being praised for her skills.

“Is that all you have to say. Slut this, slut that. Funny how I’m the only virgin standing in this room, and here, I have three female shifters who would jump at any opportunity to ride on some male shifter’s penis. Oh, except for you Courtney. I know you are currently dealing with some identity crisis. I don’t hate female on female action. Hmm…can’t deny it’s hot in a sense.” I confessed slowly, unable to stop the giggles that escaped my throat as I watched all three of their faces pale like a sheet of white paper. Courtney with her black messy bob looked like she would pass out any second, her face turning red as a tomato.

“Now, I know we have our differences, but I don’t have time to play with you three today. I’m famished and have a three-course breakfast waiting for me to devour. I need to eat properly to grow big and strong. So, if you will excuse me.” I announced, pushing myself off the counter to walk past the three stunned girls, still in their transfixed state.

I stopped before the pale pink door, reaching out for the black, magic infused doorknob when ice appeared out of nowhere, freezing the knob shut.

I raised an eyebrow at the now frozen knob, wondering whether I should turn around to face these three idiots or burn the damn door down. Hmm, the door looks expensive though…I don’t want the boys to pay for it on my behalf.

I sighed, coming to my resolve. My level of patience was withering away, being replaced with a slow build of anger.

I never had to deal with females back at the facility. Throughout my teenage cycles, I kept to myself. I didn’t see the point of interacting with them. They wouldn’t be at the facility for long, too fragile to survive many experimental trials and were perfect for keeping the bear guards entertained. Their purpose; to seduce the guards in order to keep themselves alive a bit longer. If only they realized the decision wasn’t up to the guards. The Owner decided your fate.

I didn’t need to deal with these girls who had some vendetta against me. They had their chance to seduce my boys. They should focus on their own reputations and maybe try to commit to one guy in a week instead of the multiple male students they were sleeping with. Plus, I had enough on my plate with my own crazy hormones.

Ryder was the only one who been very forthcoming with his interest in me. Besides from Marcus’ recent confession, I didn’t know how the others felt about me or if Ryder would even be okay with the idea of sharing me. He was the leader, so whatever he says goes.

“You think you can ridicule us and walk away?” Amanda snarled, her eyes glowing red, the bloody colour was identical to that stalking rat. Birds of a feather stick together. I can’t believe I’m about to do this.

“Actually, yes, I do, but seeing as you all want to play, I guess I can spare two minutes. Give me a moment to set a timer.” I responded, pulling out the blue and gold stop watch I kidnapped from Marcus. He kept emphasizing how I needed to waste less time powering up and more time being ready to attack my opponent. Would this count as training?

“We’re going to wipe that smirk off your lips, you boyfriend stealer.” Brittany roared, her brown eyes bleeding into black, the temperature dropping slightly. A demon huh. Pathetic. Can’t even drop the temperature past five degrees.

“Can I burn something?” Lily asked, excitement flowing through my mind. I chuckled softly as I shook my head. You always want to burn something or someone.

“Aww C’mon. I never get to do anything. Let me play too.” Lexi complained, her voice sounding upset. Hmm, you have to admit, Lexi doesn’t get to burn anyone with her dragon breath, you guys need to be fair.

“You have a point.” Rose admitted, the other two agreeing in the background.

“Excellent. Can we begin, I’m hungry.” Lexi whispered slowly, the menacing voice that echoed the walls of my mind made me want to cringe in fear, even for me.

I honestly forgot, how lethal Lexi was compared to the rest of my spirits. She was calm like Hope, but if you underestimated a dragon’s anger, you might as well buy your own urn, dig up a spot in the cemetery and pay for your upcoming funeral. Though, knowing Lexi’s raging outburst, it would be difficult to find their ashes.

“Once we’re done, you’ll know to never mess with us, ever again.”  Courtney swore as a ball of light started to form in her right hand, her eyes emitted a light blue glow. I could see the small snowflakes swirl around the ball, progressing into a snowball.  I looked back at the stop watch in my hand, setting it up for exactly two minutes, my thumb ready to press the button.

“Funny. You took the words right out of my mouth.” I said slowly, Lexi’s power poured into me, my free hand begins to tremble lightly as my hidden markings on my left arm surfaced.

I smiled wickedly as I watched their once confident enraged expressions fall, fear and uncertainty taking its place.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” I purred, my thumb pressing on the timer.