Grasping

DELLA

I’m jolted out of my vision by a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Sorin, his face etched with worry.

“Are you okay?” he whispers.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a vision,” I admit quietly.

His brow furrows before he walks over to the professor. He comes back and motions for me to follow him. “We’re going to the nurse. You look really pale, babe,” he says loud enough for a few people to overhear.

I nod and follow him out of class and into an empty classroom nearby.

“Are you actually okay?” he asks, cupping my face in his hands.

“He’s not using Kade anymore. He asked someone else. I didn’t see who. Whoever it is knows I have divination now. So he’s probably waiting for me.” I slump forward into his arms, and he holds me close—holding me together until I can do it myself.

“It’s okay. We’ll handle this. We’ll keep you safe. Do you know what this guy was?” he asks.

“Either a Nephilim or an angel. He had pearly white wings,” I say with a shrug.

He stiffens against me. “Like white and gleaming or like white with light colors mixed in?” he asks.

“Light colors mixed in. Why?” I ask.

“It’s a cupid,” he says, shocked.

“Like Caleb?” I ask. Why would a cupid be told to kill someone? From what I understood, they were the least likely to be violent. Even the other Nephilim thought less of them.

“Caleb is a slimeball, but he’s not a murderer. Plus, Raziel can’t stand him. It’s got to be someone else,” he says firmly. “But yes, a cupid like him.” We stay in the classroom until class lets out before heading to the cafeteria. I see Kade and Micha in the hall before we arrive. I just want to make them all happy. They seemed happier before we got together. They always look worried when they look at me lately.

I get a terrible idea. I meet their eyes and flick my eyes toward an empty classroom before walking in, dragging Sorin in with me.

I hear Sorin chuckle behind me as I pull him down for a deep kiss, trying to show him how much he means to me. I feel Kade and Micha enter after us but continue kissing Sorin. I feel Micha come up behind me and grip my hips while he kisses up my neck.

“What are you up to, sweetness?” Micha murmurs against my skin. I reach behind me to stroke his length up and down, making him make more of his delicious noises.

I make eye contact with Kade over Sorin’s shoulder and smile playfully. He shakes his head at me but smiles back, his dark eyes full of hunger making my panties moist.

“She likes teasing Kade,” Sorin tells Micha. “Don’t you, my little handful?” he asks, cupping me under my skirt and softly trailing his fingers along my seam, making me whimper.

“Is that why you were hiding from him before?” Micha asks. I nod as he massages my breasts.

“She drove me crazy for a day and a half, and even then, I only caught her because of Sorin.” Kade chuckles deeply as he rubs himself through his slacks.

I bite at Sorin’s lips and grip Micha behind me before removing myself from that sexy sandwich and sliding between Kade’s knees. I trail my hands up his thighs, making him breathe heavily. The fact that I can do that to this giant man makes me feel so powerful and sexy. I can’t help myself as I lick a line up his throat and nip a bite at his lips.

“Damn. I could get behind this teasing thing,” Micha mutters.

“I could get behind her,” Sorin growls.

“That too,” Micha says with a chuckle.

Kade looks into my eyes, his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asks. I should have known he would see what I was trying to push away.

“~That’s~ what caused ~this~.” Sorin laughs, sitting beside Kade.

“It’s not like that. I just—”

“You just wanted to make sure we were okay and happy,” Sorin says with a gentle smile. I nod. “She had a vision in class. Raziel asked someone else to take care of her. Kade’s off the hook. He promised her dad that he wouldn’t use you.”

“He asked a cupid. The one in the vision was mad at me. The only cupid I can think of is Caleb, but Sorin says it’s probably not him.” I shrug. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You need to deal with things too. Plus, I’m always up for ~this~ kind of stuff anyway. Tease away, babe.” Kade chuckles as I’m wrapped in Micha’s warm arms.

“We’ll take care of you, sweetness,” he says against my hair. “Let’s get some lunch for now. We can all spend the night at your place after your date.”

“I’d like that.” I smile.

“You’ll probably sleep better too.”

“She didn’t sleep last night?” Kade asks, looking worried.

“Just nightmares. It’s okay,” I say, patting his chest.

He doesn’t look soothed as we head to the cafeteria and grab some food.

Oz is waiting for us with a cute vampire sitting beside him. Their auras are pink, but the vampire’s aura has a bit of black in it. I’m guessing it’s from hurting my new best friend. I might be a bit biased, though.

“Hey, guys. This is Hayes,” Oz introduces. “This is my best friend and hussy, Della. These are her men, Sorin, Micha, and Kade.” He beams at me until I smack him upside the head. I lied. He’s not my best friend anymore, and I’m not biased.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I say, shaking Hayes’s hand and taking those black wisps off him.

“Uh, hi.” He chuckles.

“So, what’s a nice guy like you doing with this jerk?” Sorin chuckles, throwing his arm around my shoulders.

Hayes laughs again.

“He likes me for my stellar personality,” Oz boasts as Hayes cracks up further.

“Sure, that’s what got my attention,” Hayes quips.

“Oh!” Micha laughs.

We chat and laugh and eat and just generally forget about the awful threat looming over my head for a bit. It’s nice, but some things you can’t forget for long, no matter what. Eventually, reality comes back full force.

“Hey, Della, did that guy find you at the nurse’s office?” a girl from divination class asks, coming up to the table.

“What guy?” I ask.

“Oh, I didn’t get his name. Tall, blonde, blue eyes. He was a Nephilim.” She shrugs. That certainly sounds like Caleb, but there are some other cupids at school who match that description.

“That’s okay. Thank you, I’ll see if I can catch up to him later,” I say with a smile.

“Okay. See you later, Della.” She smiles. “Bye, Micha,” she says in a breathy voice, and I have to take a deep breath to sort out the feelings boiling up from that.

Micha holds my hand and lays a gentle kiss on my knuckles before replying distractedly, “Yeah, bye.” Well, that was a nice clear message. “Come on, sweetness, let’s get to class,” he says to me.

“Nice to meet you, Hayes. Oz, behave.” I point to him, then my eyes, and back to him.

“I will if you will.” Oz beams, making me laugh.