Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 54

“You’re hurting,” he said quietly, no judgment in his tone. “Take what you need, Ally.”

My throat tightened at the way he said it, like it wasn’t a burden, like it wasn’t a crime. Like I wasn’t.

“I don’t want to take too much,” I murmured, staring at my hands. “Not from you.”

His smile was small, but it reached his eyes. “Then take enough.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, the faintest glow of his dragon flickering under his skin. “I’m not going anywhere.”

My heart gave a stupid little stutter. I reached out, hesitant, my fingers trembling as they hovered near his wrist. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” he said simply. “Feed.”

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12:48 Tue, Dec 30

I Need To Feed…And It’s Not Food.

The word hummed through me like permission. Like trust. And it made my whole body ache with want.

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It was ridiculous, really. In all my years of scraping and clawing, of pulling power from anyone and anything I could just to survive, I’d never once hesitated. I’d never once felt bad about it. It was survival. It was what I was. But now, with Evander, I froze. My fingers dug into the cushion instead of reaching for him. My heart raced against my ribs. I’d already taken from him today, more than I ever should have more than I’d ever dared from anyone. He wasn’t letting me hide behind that, though.

“Come here,” he murmured, voice low and certain.

Before I could argue, he pulled me onto his lap, gentle but unyielding until I was straddling him. The movement stole my breath. My palms landed against his chest, and the warmth that met me there made me gasp, a living furnace, fire under skin.

“Take. What. You. Need,” he said slowly, each word deliberate, his mouth brushing the shell of my ear. Then his lips found the curve of my neck. Soft. Unhurried. A simple, devastating kiss that made my eyes flutter shut and my head tip back all on its own. The dragon’s heat pulsed under my palms, a slow, steady rhythm calling to the emptiness inside me. It wasn’t just power; it was alive, it wanted me

back.

I sucked in a shaky breath. “Evander…”

His hands settled on my hips, not pushing, just anchoring. “It’s okay,” he whispered against my skin. “Feed, Ally.”

The words shivered down my spine like a promise, and for the first time in my life, siphoning didn’t feel like taking. It felt like being

given.

The moment I opened myself to the pull, it was like a door unlocking inside my chest. Magic flooded through me in slow, molten waves, thick, powerful, scorching. It wasn’t violent like it usually was, not a desperate rip from someone who didn’t want to lose what I took. This was different. Evander’s power came willingly. It poured from his skin to mine, curling beneath the surface like liquid sunlight, feeding every hollow, every ache. My body shuddered against him, muscles tensing, then softening as warmth spread through me. I could feel his pulse in my veins, steady, grounding, alive. A low sound escaped him, a deep rumble from somewhere in his chest. It wasn’t pain. It was… pleasure, maybe? Connection. His dragon stirred just beneath his skin, and for a second, I could almost hear it-mine-echoing through the bond. The room hummed with the energy between us, invisible sparks across my fingertips where they pressed against his chest. I could feel my reserves climbing, power swirling in vibrant, electric ribbons through my body. I pulled back before it became too much, before the rush turned to greed. My breathing came out uneven, and I realised his was too.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He shook his head, eyes still molten gold, dragon bright. “You couldn’t if you tried.” His thumb brushed along my jaw, slow, reverent. “If that’s what feeding you looks like, you can have it whenever you need.”

The sincerity in his tone made my throat tighten. No one had ever offered me that before. Not out of kindness. Not without fear.

“Thank you,” I managed, still straddling his lap, feeling both too close and not close enough.

He smiled faintly, head resting against the back of the couch. “Get used to it, little siphon. I told you, we’re in this together.”

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12:48 Tue, Dec 30

I Need To Feed…And It’s Not Food.

Evander chuckled softly, still tracing lazy circles against my hip. “I should’ve realised you needed to feed earlier, especially when Cage was being a complete dick downstairs. Could’ve saved us both the headache.”

I smiled faintly, the warmth of his touch still humming through me. “Oh, don’t worry too much about him,” I said, leaning back just enough to meet his eyes. “He’s already getting what he deserves.”

One of his brows arched, amused. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I murmured, my lips curling into a wicked grin. “Can I show you something?”

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12:48 Tue, Dec 30

Thornhill Academy.

Not A Delicate Flower.

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She asks if she can show me something, and honestly, she could show me anything in this world, and I’d follow without question. What I don’t expect is for her to climb off my lap, tug at my hand, and guide me toward the far wall of her room. There’s a faint mischievous glint in her eyes that immediately has my dragon’s attention; he hums beneath my skin, curious. She drops to her knees and peels back a section of the carpet, revealing what appears to be a narrow metal vent. I blink, crouching beside her. “Do these…” I trail off, leaning

closer. “Do these lead down to the men’s dorms?”

She nods, and I let out a low whistle. “So, what…you’ve been a peeping Tom, Ally?” I half-tease, the corner of my mouth curling.

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