Torn Ivy (Thornfield Supernatural Academy #2)

46. Torin

46

TORIN

“Where do you think your mother fits into all this?” Tate asks quietly as we hang out in Ivy’s room, waiting for her to wake up. Bram crashed as well after the spell he performed, which, quite frankly, was beyond anything I thought I would witness in my lifetime. He is no longer simply a Dark Fae Prince. He is more now. Even if he doesn’t realise it. He opened up that can of worms… uhm, snakes , and now he has to deal with the fallout.

I roll my eyes at Tate’s question. “Fuck only knows. I’m guessing she is Life’s lackey. I mean, in a way, it makes sense. She is a vampire, yes, powerful and old and semi-immortal. There are things that can still kill vamps. She is paranoid and obsessed with eternity. Perhaps, she struck a bargain with Life to become a true immortal? It’s a guess.”

“Pretty good one,” he says with a twist of his lips. “I wish we knew what was going to happen next.”

“Same.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all this, it’s that we can’t predict a damn thing when it comes to cosmic forces and chaos incarnate.”

Tate nods, his gaze drifting to Ivy’s sleeping form. “Do you think she’s okay? Really okay? She lived a thousand lives, she said it herself. This body seems too small for her now.”

I consider Tate’s question carefully. “Honestly? I’m not sure. Ivy’s been through more than we can comprehend. She may seem okay on the surface, but who knows what’s going on beneath?”

“Should we be worried?” Tate asks, his brow furrowed with concern.

I sigh. “We should always be worried when it comes to Ivy. But she’s strong. If anyone can handle this, it’s her.” I sound more confident than I feel, but he seems to buy it.

We lapse into silence, both lost in our own thoughts. The weight of everything that’s happened—the ritual, the fractured reality, rewinding time itself—feels oppressive.

“What do you think Life’s next move is?” Tate asks after a while.

I shake my head. “No idea. But whatever it is, I doubt it’s good for any of us. We need to be prepared for anything and everything.”

“How do we prepare for a cosmic force that wants to reset reality?”

“By sticking together,” I say firmly. “We’re stronger as a unit. That’s what got us through this far.”

Tate nods, then yawns widely. “Maybe we should get some rest, too. Who knows when we’ll get another chance?”

I agree, settling into a comfortable chair while Tate curls up next to Ivy on the bed. But I can’t sleep. I’m still wired from the reverse ritual. It was some whacked-out shit, but it left me restless with questions that are enormous and difficult to understand.

I sit in the darkened room, watching over Ivy, Tate, and Bram as they sleep. My mind is racing, and I am unable to find peace after everything we’ve been through. The weight of cosmic forces and impending doom presses down on me.

A soft noise draws my attention. Ivy stirs, her eyes fluttering open. She blinks groggily, taking in her surroundings.

“Hey,” I say softly. “How are you feeling?”

She sits up carefully, trying not to disturb Tate and Bram. “Like I’ve been hit by the world. Several worlds, really.” Her voice is rough with sleep. “How long was I out?”

“About six hours,” I reply. “Not nearly long enough, if you ask me.”

Ivy runs a hand through her tangled hair. “Any sign of Life or other cosmic fuckery while I was sleeping?”

I shake my head. “All quiet on the celestial front. For now.”

She nods, then fixes me with a penetrating stare. “You look like shit, Torin. Have you slept at all?”

“No,” I admit. “Too wired. Too many questions.”

Ivy crawls to the bottom of the bed and pats the space beside her. “Come here. Talk to me.”

I hesitate for a moment, then join her on the bed. Ivy leans against me, her warmth comforting.

“What’s on your mind?” Ivy asks softly.

I sigh, trying to organise my swirling thoughts. “Everything. Nothing. I keep replaying it all in my head. It feels impossible that we’re sitting here now, relatively unscathed.”

Ivy nods. “I know what you mean. Part of me still feels scattered across dimensions.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, studying her face. “Inside? Are you okay inside?”

She’s quiet for a moment, considering. “I’m not sure,” she admits finally. “How do I reconcile all of that with this?” She gestures to herself, to the room around us.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “One day at a time, I suppose. We’re here for you, Ivy. Whatever you need.”

She leans her head against my shoulder. “I know, and I’m grateful. I’m not the same person I was before all this.”

“None of us are,” I point out. “We’ve all been changed by what we’ve been through. Bram especially.”

She glances at him with a worried expression. “Yeah, he is not the same.”

“Do you still love him? Love us?” I blurt out, knowing this is a big part of my unease.

Ivy is quiet for a long moment, considering my question. I hold my breath, afraid of what her answer might be.

Finally, she speaks softly. “I do love you. All of you. But it’s different now. Deeper in some ways and more complicated in others. I’ve lived lifetimes and seen things beyond imagination. It’s changed me, changed how I see everything, including love.”

I nod, trying to process her words. “I can understand that. We can’t expect you to be exactly the same after all you’ve been through.”

She turns to look at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But I’m afraid, Torin. I’m afraid that I’m too different now. That I won’t fit into this life anymore. I suppose the bigger question is: do you still love me?”

Frowning at her, I blink, surprised by her question.

“Of course I still love you,” I say firmly, cupping her face in my hands. “Ivy, nothing could change that. Not alternate realities, not cosmic forces, not anything.”

She leans into my touch, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Even if I’m not the same person you fell in love with?”

“You’re still you,” I insist. “The core of who you are—your strength, your compassion, your fiery spirit—that hasn’t changed. And that’s what I fell in love with.”

She nods, then surprises me by leaning in and kissing me softly. It’s a bittersweet kiss, tinged with relief and lingering fear. When she pulls back, there’s a spark of her old mischief in her eyes.

“You know,” she says, “I seem to remember a pretty hot encounter in that fractured reality. Care for a replay?”

I grin, feeling some of the tension ease. “Always. But what about sleeping beauty and the dark prince over there?”

Ivy glances at Tate and Bram, still sound asleep. “They’ll join us when they wake up. For now, it’s just you and me.”

I pull Ivy close, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She responds eagerly, her fingers tangling in my hair as she presses her body against mine. The kiss deepens, growing more heated by the second.

I trail kisses down her neck, relishing the soft moan she lets out. My hands slip under her shirt, caressing the warm skin of her back.

“Torin,” she breathes, arching into my touch. “I need you.”

Those words ignite a fire in me. I quickly strip off her clothes, then mine, not wanting to waste another moment. Ivy’s eyes roam over my body hungrily, and it makes my cock bounce in response.

She pulls me down on top of her, wrapping her legs around my waist. I enter her slowly, savouring the feeling of her tight pussy enveloping me. We both groan at the sensation.

I set a steady rhythm. Ivy matches me thrust for thrust, her nails scraping down my back. The pleasure builds rapidly, intensified by the emotional connection between us.

“Fuck, Ivy,” I pant. “You feel amazing.”

She responds by clenching around me, making me see stars. I pick up the pace, driving into her harder and faster. Ivy’s moans grow louder, waking the other guys, as I pound into her.

Tate stirs beside us, his eyes widening as he takes in the scene. “Starting without us?” he says with a sleepy grin, already undoing his pants.

I don’t slow my pace as I thrust into Ivy. “You snooze, you lose,” I pant.

Ivy reaches out and pulls Tate closer, kissing him deeply. Her hand snakes down to wrap around his rapidly hardening cock.

Bram groans from the other side of the bed. “Fuck, that’s hot,” he mutters and quickly loses his clothes.

“Oh, fuck,” Ivy moans. Her pussy clamps down around me rhythmically as her first orgasm washes over her.

The sight and feel of her coming undoes me. With a guttural groan, I bury myself balls deep inside her and let go, filling her with my release.

As we catch our breath, Tate and Bram move in closer, their eyes dark with lust. Ivy looks between them, like the cat that got the cream.

I reluctantly pull out of Ivy, rolling to the side to make room for the others. Tate immediately takes my place, sliding into Ivy’s wet heat with a groan of pleasure. Seeing his cock pushing through my cum makes mine jerk to attention again.

“Such a dirty girl,” I murmur, moving in next to her and tweaking her nipples.

She yelps and squirms as Bram positions himself near Ivy’s head, his cock hard and ready. She turns to take him in her mouth, moaning around his length as Tate thrusts deep inside her.

The room fills with the sounds and scents of sex. Ivy’s body writhes between Tate and Bram, lost in ecstasy.

Tate’s pace quickens. “Need you,” he grunts.

Bram tangles his fingers in Ivy’s hair, guiding her movements as she sucks him. “Come all over his cock,” he rasps.

Ivy’s muffled cries grow louder as she nears another peak. Her hand reaches out, grasping mine tightly as waves of pleasure crash over her.

Ivy’s climax triggers Tate’s release. He groans deeply, his hips jerking as he empties himself inside her. Bram follows soon after, spilling down Ivy’s throat with a strangled cry. She swallows every drop greedily, and I’m ready to go again.

We collapse in a tangle of sweaty limbs, all panting heavily. Ivy lies in the middle of us, a satisfied smile on her face.

But reality has a way of intruding. A cold breeze sweeps through the room, making us all shiver, even me.

“Did someone leave a window open?” Tate asks, frowning.

I sit up, scanning the room. “No, all the windows are closed.”