Lucky Strike (Super Harem #1) - Catherine Banks Page 0,12

demanding a ransom,” he whispered.

I sucked in a breath. “I was sort of thinking the same.”

“Maybe he’s a neutral,” Austin mused.

“A what?” I asked.

“Someone who is neither good nor evil.”

That did sound like Transistor.

And also...me.

Chapter Eight

Austin slept on his couch despite my protests.

I woke up before him, so I took a shower and put my catsuit on, carrying the sweats and shirt he’d let me borrow to sleep in out to the room with me.

The clothes slipped from my hands when I walked out to Austin, shirtless, stretching his arms up over his head. His pants dipped down, giving me a perfect view of his Adonis muscles and silver happy trail.

Before he caught me drooling, I squatted down and picked up the dropped clothes.

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked.

I nodded and held out the clothes. “Thanks for letting me borrow these.”

He took them and put on the shirt. “No problem.”

I slid my shoes on, and we walked side by side to the dining hall.

People rushed me, asking if I was okay and telling me how awesome my powers were.

I didn’t know what to make of it.

Cobalt stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind him.

Alura tackle-hugged me. “Lucy!”

I hugged her back. “I’m okay. Promise.”

After finally untangling myself from her grip, we got into line for food.

“Your aura is different,” she whispered and tilted her head as she looked at me. “You sure nothing bad happened?” she asked. “Or...good?”

“Tonight, we should paint our nails,” I said with a smile.

That was our code phrase for important girl talk.

Her eyes widened. “Okay.”

There weren’t any empty tables, but surprisingly, several people waved us over to join them.

I leaned close to Austin and whispered, “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in situations like this.”

He leaned his head closer to mine and said, “You’d better get used to it, Hero.”

With a chuckle, I nudged him and forced him to lead.

He smirked and walked to the table with Powerline, Vortex, and Hurricane, three well-known and very powerful heroes.

Austin bumped fists with each before sitting in one of the four empty chairs.

I sat with an awkward smile. “Hi.”

They smiled back.

“How are you feeling?” Vortex, a weather controller with a short-fuse asked. He had soft gray eyes and pitch-black hair, I’d had a crush on him for a few years, but had never found an opportunity to talk to him.

“Honestly, a little overwhelmed,” I admitted as I stabbed a few eggs.

Hurricane nodded. “I’d tell you it gets better, but after your first few interviews, your schedule is going to be even more hectic.” His dark blue eyes shone with warmth, and I felt like I could fall into them and float in peace for days. His square jaw had a dark line of stubble and the desire to scratch my cheek on it was almost overwhelming.

I swallowed and looked down at my plate, letting out a soft laugh. “Thanks for the warning.”

Alura nudged me. “Let’s go paint our nails. The Director might snatch you away from me at any moment.”

“My food,” I whispered. I hadn’t even eaten a single bite.

“Bring it with us,” she said and stood.

I looked at Austin. We didn’t know if her room was safe.

He motioned at Alura while I stood and smiled at Vortex, Hurricane, and Powerline “Sorry to cut our meeting short, but she’s been pestering me to paint her nails for weeks now.”

Powerline chuckled. “I have three older sisters. I’ve learned never to get between a woman and her nail polish.” Of the three, he was the more feminine in appearance. His high cheekbones and pouty lips were normally only achieved through surgery. Yet, his deep voice and ridiculously muscular body helped offset that.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said and picked up my tray.

“Likewise,” Vortex said with a wink.

“See you around,” Hurricane said.

Powerline waved.

I waved to Austin who’d sat back down and hurried to the exit where Alura waited.

Alura and I made our way to Austin’s room. Once inside, I shut and locked the door and set my tray of food on his table.

“What is going on?” she asked in a shaky voice.

I sat on the bed and patted the spot beside me. “I have some things to tell you that may be hard to accept. So, please just listen and let me get it all out before you ask questions or doubt me.”

She sat with a nod and folded her hands in her lap.

“Also, I’m going to tell you things I can’t have you repeating to Austin. Okay?”

She