Page 22 of O Holy Spite

His grumpy growl echoes in the hallway as I skip to my room with my pack of presents gripped in my hand.

When I emerge from changing and cleaning up, the heat is turned up, and I hear the guys talking in the main room. Their tones are low and I can feel the atmosphere in our home has changed. I don’t know what has happened in the half hour I was gone, but it feels serious.

Why can’t we have this cozy time to ourselves? Who dares to ruin my snowed-in romance with their bullshit?

My expression hardens as I stalk to the living room with Jinx tucked in the crook of my arm. Someone is going to die for this, I guarantee it.

As promised, my men are gathered in our sunken couch with drinks and food piled high in the raised table in the middle. The TV is on, but it’s not showing the screensaver for one of our streaming services. No, it’s playing some sort of news channel with the sound off and a banner crawling across the bottom of the screen.

They turn to look at me, eyes full of concern, and I squint until I can see the words moving over the TV:

Council announces all shifter academies will resume classes after freak storm ends. Student bodies will be redistributed to accommodate space lost at Apex and rising numbers of families choosing private tutors for children within elite families.

“Say something, Angel,” Chessie says softly.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I let out the breath I was holding slowly, working to control the anger coursing through me. “If she tries to separate us, my mother is going to die much sooner than we planned. That’s not a threat; it’s a promise.”

Fitz breaks out in a crazy grin, whooping as he jumps up and runs over to me. Tossing me over his shoulder despite my protests, he climbs back over the back of the couch and drops me in the middle of my guys. “That’s our girl. Long live The Queen!”

I smile as they surround me. Funneling all my fury into a tight ball, I let the men who changed my world comfort me as the snow continues to fall outside. My mother may have outmaneuvered me this time, but the new year is coming and I’m making a promise to myself.

They call me their Queen, so if people don’t quit messing with us, I’ll start taking their heads.

It seems fitting, if you ask me.

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