James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Thirty-Three

NOAH

"Are you pregnant, Claire?" I asked her. She leaned in, stuffing the last of her books into her locker. She practically reeked of pregnancy, which wasn't bad at all. It smelled pretty nice to supers. But the realization that James hadn't caught on to it yet scared me deeply.

"Noah—" She hesitated momentarily before turning around to face me.

"Remember, I can read minds," I reminded her, and she scowled, avoiding eye contact.

"I-I don't know, Noah, but James can't know about it, okay?" She said, a saddened look in her eyes as she returned her focus to her locker. I couldn't believe it. James may have messed up and got her pregnant. He's going to be furious.

"He would never hurt you," I reassured her, but she didn't seem convinced. She closed her locker, trying to avoid me, but I blocked her path, pressing my palm against the locker next to her.

"Claire!" I scolded her, and she sighed, knowing I wouldn't leave until she gave me an answer. "James is a superhero. He can keep you safe."

"I... I don't doubt James can protect me. It's just..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes wandered to Max, Mia, and the jocks in the distance. Sebastian was nowhere to be found. I quickly moved past her and gently pushed her back against the lockers.

"Noah, what are you doing?" she screeched, trying to move past me, but I blocked her from every angle.

"You need to tell him the truth, Claire. James has been through a lot. I don't understand why it's so difficult," I urged her.

"James!" she suddenly shouted, drawing attention from students in the hallway. "James!" she screamed again.

James rushed around the corner towards us, avoiding Max and Mia, as he locked eyes with me. He threw me off Claire and pinned me against the lockers. "What the fuck, Noah?" James yelled, looking furious. He let go of me, and Claire collapsed into his arms. He held her while glaring at me, clearly angry and deceived.

"It's not what it looked like, mate," I tried to explain, but James didn't seem convinced. Mia and the cheerleaders passed by, and Mia laughed, making a snide comment.

"What a baby," she sneered. Mia had always been someone we despised, and this moment was no exception.

"Shut up, bitch," I snapped at her. Mia taunted James, trying to manipulate him.

"Can I have a piece of you too, James," Mia provocatively slid her fingertips against his shoulder, leaning in as her hot breath tickled James's earlobe, barely licking him.

Claire couldn't hold back any longer and forcefully shoved Mia into the adjacent lockers. Mia flew back hard enough that it left a dent in the metal. Shocked, James and my eyes widened. What the hell was in James's sperm that could make Claire do that?

"Ooh, she's strong," Mia wiped blood from her lips.

"Leave James alone, or I'll do it again," Claire warned fiercely.

"Again? How amusing," Mia muttered, rolling her eyes and spitting more blood.

"Come on, Mia," Kasey, her cheer friend, called her name. Mia smiled, flipping Claire and James the bird before skipping off down the hall, trading places with Sarah, who snuck up on me while I wasn't looking.

"Hey, Hercules," Sarah surprised me, wrapping her arms around my chest. I turned around, meeting her gaze, and noticed her cute freckles before lifting her in my arms.

"Hey, Sarah," I greeted her. She shrieked and giggled as I carried her. Sarah and I had become closer, both emotionally and physically, ever since middle school. Plus, I didn't have to worry about her father, who was on a business trip.

"You're still the same annoyingly sexy guy I hooked up with in middle school."

"And you're still the incredibly hot nerd," I remarked, studying her momentarily. She had developed a curvaceous figure and was undeniably attractive. "Well, I guess you're not much of a nerd..." I started to say, but she interrupted me by pressing her fingers against my lips.

"Shhh, Noah. Don't be rude," she muttered. Her fingers trailed down my chest as she pressed herself against the lockers behind me, and our lips met.

"Whoa," James exclaimed. "Did I miss something?"

"She knows, genius," I snapped at him. Claire smirked at Sarah, raising an eyebrow.

"About our powers?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sarah confirmed. "I've known about Noah's powers since eighth grade when we, you know, did it."

"You had sex with her?" James's eyes widened, trying to suppress his laughter.

"Yeah, but at least I didn't—" I glanced at Claire, realizing I was about to reveal her secret to James. Thankfully, Sarah intervened, protecting Claire by kissing me again. It was messed up, and it tempted me to tell James, but girls were scarier than hell.

∆∆∆

JAMES

"Son of a bitch," I growled as a light illuminated the tips of my fingers, converging at the center and shooting out as twinkling sparks that set my mother's chair on fire. The guys and I sat on the couch, amused by the spectacle.

"I've got it," Mark groaned, quickly extinguishing the fire with a flick of his wrist. I examined my hand, flipping it over repeatedly, trying to comprehend this new ability.

"A new superpower?" Jaxton guessed.

"Yes," Derek answered for me, barely looking up from his phone. As Mark put out the fire, purple flames flickered up my arm, engulfing my hands. Everyone stared at me, waiting for something more to happen, but I managed to extinguish the fire.

"Hmm, I've been waiting for him to combust for years," Mark commented snarkily. He flicked my biceps with his fiery fingers, causing my clothes to briefly catch fire before vanishing with a thought.

"I... I have to go to work," Jaxton stammered, hastily leaving the room. "See you later, Derek."

"See you, bro," Derek replied, clapping hands with Jaxton before he departed.

"Wait until he shoots heat from his eyes," Bryce grumbled, getting comfortable with Mark as Mark settled on top of him.

"Wait! Can you do that?" Mark asked, confused.

"Yeah, can't you?" Bryce inquired, wrapping his arms around Mark.

"He has no control," Derek chimed in. "Go find Sam and tell him," Derek ordered.

"He's got this. He's been dealing with it for ten years straight," Noah remarked.

"That's until he sets his mom's chair on fire again," Mark grumbled in my head. Did I imagine it?

"Shut up, Mark," I growled.

"I didn't say anything," Mark shrugged, disentangling himself from Bryce's embrace. Bryce sighed, settling deeper into the cushions as Mark left the room.

"Did you just read his mind?" Noah asked. "Try me." Thump-thump. Thump-thump. My head throbbed as I sifted through thoughts, immediately hitting upon Noah's.

"Just focus on me as if you were sending a message," he advised. I nodded, closing my eyes and concentrating, unaware of the amused looks exchanged between Noah and Bryce. It felt like being a kid in a candy store. "I'm going to mess with you for the next twenty-four hours until you gain control," Noah's thoughts invaded mine, accompanied by a mischievous grin. Great. Just great.

"I'm going to kill you, Noah. Get out of my head," I growled at him. Bryce shrugged from a distance.

"You have it coming, Noah. I won't hold James back, just saying," Bryce declared aloud.

Noah rolled his eyes. "Bite me, Bryce."

"Gladly," Bryce retorted, rolling his eyes back at his brother.