Page 19 of The Reign of Blood

“You’re welcome.” She preens, making me snicker, when a knock echoes from my door.

I glare at it before turning my stare back to her.

“Why is it, whenever you call, someone knocks on my door? Are you drawing people toward your awesomeness without even being here?” I quiz her, despite the uncertainty I feel. I’m not all that keen on opening the door right now.

She giggles. “I just can’t help myself.”

I stand, swallowing down the concern in my throat. “Of course you can’t. Talk soon?”

She nods. “Talk soon. I love you.”

Those three words from her fill my heart with so much love I can’t even find a strong enough word to describe it.

“I love you too.”

She disconnects the call and I slip my cell phone back into my drawer as another knock sounds from the door.

Why is there no patience in this place?

With a heavy sigh, I place a palm on my door, trying to read who is on the other side. I can’t seem to decipher their thoughts. Reluctantly, I grab the door handle and pull it open.

Ah, fuck.

9

ADRIANNA

My hand flexes on the edge of the door, my fingers eager to slam it shut again, but the anger brewing in the gaze across from me has me locked in place, helpless to his rage.

“Let me in.” His voice is gravelly, his jaw clenched so tight I’m sure it’s going to snap. His hair is ruffled and unkept and his clothes are the same ones he was wearing last night.

It looks like we’ve both had a fun time. At least I’m not the only one.

Slowly shaking my head, I keep my gaze fixed on him, watching as he bares his teeth.

“Let me in, Addi, or I swear?—”

“You swear what, Cassian? You. Swear. What?” I snap, refusing to let him show up here and give me hell without pushing back. Any frustrations he has can be taken out elsewhere because I’m not dealing with it.

His head droops, his gaze locking on the wooden floor at our feet as his arms stretch out and his fingers wrap around the edge of my door frame.

He looks defeated, exhausted, and as lost as I feel. But when he looks up through his lashes at me, I know we’re far from done.

“We can have this conversation out here where anyone can hear how you lied, or we can take it somewhere private.” He raises his voice, encouraging others to listen, and right on cue, the door next to mine swings open, revealing Flora’s bright red hair.

“Is everything okay?” She peers at me with wide eyes, which narrow on the wolf filling the hallway.

I muster the worst smile, but it’s the best I’ve got. “I’m good, Flora. Thank you, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” My smile might be fake, but my words aren’t.

Before I can think better of it, I grab his arm and haul his ass into my room. He kicks the door shut behind him, and as soon as it’s just the two of us in my personal space, I regret it. I think I’d rather have Flora know everything than deal with this asshole in my space again.

He consumes it, sucking the oxygen from my very lungs.

Besides, if these fuckers know, Flora deserves to know too. Hopefully, she won’t react like this.

Folding my arms across my chest, I take a step to the side. “What do you want, Cassian?”

My attempt to put space between us is obliterated by him turning to face me head-on. I instinctively take a step back to feel the wall right behind me a moment later.

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