Secrets and Seduction: A Dark Boarding School Romance (Preston Academy Book 1)

Is this what an out-of-body experience felt like?

I couldn’t think clearly, only saw Avery’s tortured face in front of me. She was violently scratching his forearms, kicking and twisting, but it was as if she was fighting a wall. Flavian’s eyes were full of murderous rage, thirsty for her blood.

“I already knew something was wrong when I smelled you on her but you fucking your students is new to me,” he said with amusement. A growl came over my lips. “Or is there more?”

I had tried with all my might to hide my feelings for her, to protect her from the monsters that lurked in this academy. Apparently I had failed, if even this sadist had noticed my love for her.

“I don’t give a shit about her,” I said, praying she wouldn’t believe me. A mix of anger and disappointment lit up in her eyes and I hated myself for the words I had to speak next. “She was only good for a fuck. Her blood was a bonus, even though I’d tasted better.”

Flavian snorted, and I saw tears gathering in Avery’s eyes. No matter how much I would have wanted to, I couldn’t take off the mask of cold indifference.

“Did you hear that? Our professor just took advantage of you.” He brushed a curl out of her face, and I almost sprinted to him to break his fingers.

“Let her go and we’ll settle this like men.” He grinned, and demonstratively grabbed her harder.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

It took only a fraction of his strength to kill her. I couldn’t watch it happen again, had to watch her die too many times already.

The first time was when my parents found out that I had secretly married her. They had tortured Avery and when I finally found her, her injuries were too severe. She died in my arms.

Had I not been bound by my parents’ will, I would have slaughtered my entire lineage. They were the first ones who had taken away my little spark of hope.

In her second life, she already had been married and had children when I had found her, more beautiful than ever.

We had only talked, and she had told me about her journeys and adventures with her husband. A picture perfect life…without me. Each of her smiles broke something new in me and healed something old.

She couldn’t remember our past. But why would she? Only I was doomed to long for her every minute of my life.

Afraid my parents would find her in this life too, I left her behind, let her continue her normal life.

But one day my heart could no longer bear the separation and I had visited her. Her children and husband had died of the pox not long after I had left her.

And when I returned, she was taking her last breaths—tuberculosis. I wanted to heal her, but it was too late. She had died in my arms.

It was almost as if her soul had been waiting, knowing that I would come to see her one last time.

In her supposed third life I had traveled half the world but hadn’t found her. I had even searched for her in nunneries—to no avail. As if my Avery would voluntarily become a nun. I had waited, maybe she would find me instead, but I wasn’t so lucky.

A lifetime later, I had met her at one of her concerts. She was a musician, had played the piano like a goddess. If I had not already loved her, I would have fallen in love with her all over again.

I went to every one of her concerts, never missed a single one, was always the one who clapped first and loudest. That was my girl, talented and beautiful as she is now.

For months I didn’t dare to approach her, for fear my parents would find out, but one night, on our wedding day, we started talking and I accompanied her home.

Then it became a habit. For years I carried her bag while we walked along the dark alleys, until it started to show that I was not aging, so I had to leave her behind.

Yet she had never stopped waiting for me every night before she went off on her own.

There were times when I had watched from afar to make sure she got home safely. At least I had used that as an excuse to admire her, veiled in the shadows.

Avery had never married, never had children. I was the only person who mourned at her deathbed, and in her last breaths she remembered me, our time together. That had broken my heart.

In the fifth life she had found me, here of all places where danger was omnipresent.

I almost fell to my knees when I saw her again in my class a few weeks ago, her face the same as in every life.

My heart burned for her. She wasn’t supposed to be here, and I wanted her out, even if it destroyed me.

But I had failed miserably, had allowed myself to feel a glimpse of happiness, and now here we were in this damn wood, a psychopath’s hand around her throat.

‘Hunting you was more fun than Olivia,’ he whispered into her ear, and she trembled, seeing death before her eyes.

‘Let her go, or I’ll skin you alive,’ I said calmly. Only the veins of rage around my eyes showed him I was serious.

‘We can share like brothers.’ Penelope’s brother gave me a challenging look, wanting to test me.

“I don’t want her.” A silent plea stuck to Avery’s quivering lips, and my mind went blank.

He was about to bury his fangs into her when I sprinted towards him with a battle cry, faster than I’ve ever been. The bastard raised his eyes and smiled.

Then he broke her neck.