Page 81 of Hate Me

King of the City Denounces Sex Tape Scandal: Insight into the Twisted Truth.

Behind Skylar Bennett: An Up-and-Coming Talent in the World of Video Game Design.

Caspian King Endorses Seblyar Ship.

City Princess Heroics: Brings Down Arsonist.

Loss of His Warrior Princess Sends City Prince into Downward Spiral.

Love at Luxe: Relationship Timeline of Seblyar.

Caspian had rewoven the narrative concerning me with the release of that fucking sex tape. Completely reworked it to an amazing degree. He hadn’t just nullified the damage it had done to my reputation, he’d made me into a positive force and a hero—a warrior princess.

“Unbelievable,” I breathed.

It was clearly a message. He was telling me that I was welcome in Rossun, that it wasn’t like what I thought, what I remembered. More than welcome actually, wanted.

I shoved my hand through my hair, trying to reconcile all of this.

Noticing the two drawers in the desk were open slightly, I stepped forward and pulled them both open. More sweet surprises awaited me when I found sketchbooks in the top one, then some top-of-the-line pencils and pens in the bottom one.

I started pacing the room, trying to determine how to react to all of this.

That pacing ended up taking me well beyond the bounds of the bedroom and, before I knew it, I was letting instinct lead the way, and heading downstairs.

As soon as I reached the first floor, noise reached me, the quiet from earlier long gone.

I followed the sounds all the way to the den.

Carefully, I peered around the open door and inside to see the boys chilling and watching TV.

Bastian was the farthest from me at one end of the couch adjacent to one of the Barcaloungers. He was in what passed for pajamas with him, a pair of his navy lounge pants and a gray tank that put a lot of those sexy black rose tattoos on display. Caspian was sitting beside him clad in his fancy black silk pajamas. His left arm was slung over Bastian’s shoulder and his other was draped over Caleb stroking his stubbly jaw as he laid across the couch, his head in Caspian’s lap, shirtless and wearing just a pair of gray sweats.

The were each wearing their special necklaces too. The silver chain with an edgy heart pendant surrounded by angel wings with a gem at the center of the heart. Bastian had the blue gem for the calm and reining in aspect he brought to them. Caleb had the red for his passion. And Caspian had the purple for his whole royal and commanding air. It was something that I hadn’t seen them sporting when I’d first come back here. Something must have happened then, they must have restored their brotherhood after everything that had gone down.

As strange and as trying as things were for me right now when it came to them, I couldn’t help smiling at that.

Caleb tilted his head back a little to look at Caspian. “Good compromise, right? Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Yeah, it’s got sitcom vibes, but it’s also got a kind of mystery element that you like with them being detectives and all that.”

“You’re kind of stretching it there, Cal,” Bastian teased.

“Cas?” Caleb pushed, pouting his lips at him.

“I like it. It’s an intriguing show. Peralta reminds me of you in some aspects.”

“I’m getting Caspian King vibes from Captain Holt,” Bastian told him.

“I’ll take that as a mighty compliment. He’s a fantastic character.”

“Wow, you and Cal actually like the same show. First time ever, isn’t it?”

They all chuckled, then I watched Caspian brush his fingers over Caleb’s lips and tell him, “Watch these pouting lips. You know it makes me think about fucking them.”

“Really? Now?” Bastian groused.

Caleb grinned. “What’s the matter, turning you on B?”

Bastian shifted his weight. “Yeah, all right? Talking about throat-fucking does turn me on. Who the hell would be immune to that?”

---