Page 22 of His To Claim

“We need to talk to her. She might know something. Or if she doesn’t, she can find out,” I say as Alek and Beck come walking in. They walk over to the bar where we stand and grab the bottle of tequila next to Bass. However, before they can pour themselves a shot, I interject giving them an order.

“Stella Silver. Bring her here now,” I say, spinning to them and they nod and turn back leaving without questioning me. Bass joins behind them. We are the kings of the Servite Academy. The Four Horsemen nicknamed that for our ruthless ways and powerful triumphs. We are practically gods, kings to the teens of Servite Academy, but to my boys, I’m their king. Their alpha. They don’t question me, don’t doubt me. What I say goes. Their loyalty shows no bounds and in return they are my family. I’d die for them if need be as they would kill for me. We are a team, a family, the four riders of the apocalypse that is to come.

Let’s just hope she doesn’t stand in my way and try to ruin it, or worse, try to save it

Seven

SCARLETT

They’re all so fucked up. Wasted to the point of no return.

Kai and Jade are slurring their words, barely even able to stand straight. They’re splashing around in the water, hands all over one another trying to keep each other steady, looking like a flirty couple if anyone around them was watching. He has his arms wrapped around her waist, his head falling against her shoulder as she’s tugging against him trying to break free. Jax and Ruby are nowhere to be found, again. They took off as soon as we got here and are probably hooking up somewhere along the beach.

And well, beside me, Drake hasn’t put his drink down since I came back from meeting with Ace. He’s pissed, jealous, and moody. Glaring at me with hooded, dominating green eyes full of deep desire. He can’t stay mad at me and he knows it, which is why he’s drinking away his rage, swallowing it down with the whiskey in his cup.

Which leaves Stella who’s been passed out for about an hournow. I took my flannel off from around my waist and created a pillow for her as I laid her out on the bench beside us.

“Looks like Silver can’t hang with the big kids,” Drake, laughing at Stella, passed out on the bench.

“Leave her alone, Dragon. She’s cool. Yeah, at first, I thought she was just another spoiled trust fund brat trying to befriend the poor kids from the slums to entertain herself and ‘rebel’. But I think she’s just like us. She was thrust into a place she doesn’t belong and has nobody she can turn to. No family she can confide in. She’s alone in the world like we all once were. However, we now have each other but she’s still alone. The only thing we can do is make her feel like she fits in with us,” I say, turning to her. She’s sleeping peacefully oblivious to what’s going on around her.

“Since when do you take in strays?” he asks, and it pisses me off.

“Stella is not a pet project, Dragon, and you sound just like those snobby bitches calling her that. She’s sweet and kind. She didn’t judge us like everyone else around here and it’s shitty of you to be judging her when you know nothing about her,” I shout, and Drake runs a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Scar. I just meant you rarely open up to the idea of new faces joining our family. I’m just wondering what it is about her that makes you want to bring her in?”

“She needs us, Drake. I see myself in her, the old me. Always wanting to see the best in others, in my mother, when I was only hurting myself. She tries to justify these people’s actions, her own cousin’s actions, but she shouldn’t. And she needs my help in order to realize that.” I turn to her and she slowly shifts her body, almost rolling off the bench. I look around the beach and see the party slowly dying down as drunken teens retreat to their corresponding houses.

“We should get out of here. It’s getting late, and the last thing we need is to be late on our first day of school.” Drake waves Kai and Jade over and they stumble toward us laughing at each other. Iwalk over to Stella to wake her, trying not to startle her, but she jumps up as I place my hand softly on her shoulder.

“Hey there, lightweight,” I say as she sits up gradually and grabs her head.

“Ugh, everything is spinning.”

I can’t help but laugh a little.

“We’ll walk you guys back to the house,” Drake says as he walks over to us.

I stand Stella up and place my flannel on her shoulders, grabbing her arm. I drape it across my back trying to steady her. Drake walks over to her other side and grabs her other arm when we hear a loud whistle and turn to find Bass, Alek and Beck heading toward us.

“Get your fucking dirty hands off of her,” Bass demands as he stomps up to us. He’s pissed, almost fuming as he stops before us, his hands fisted at his side.

“Back off, dude, she’s drunk and we’re taking her back to her room,” Drake says, ignoring Bass’s demand.

“You back off, dude, she’s my cousin and if anyone’s taking her back to her room it’s me, not your punk ass,” he says, getting in Drake’s face and fuck if it wasn’t the wrong move. Drake’s a fighter. He enjoys the thrill of shoving his fist into another body, another face. Chalk it up to another way his dear mom fucked him up. A devilish smirk appears across Drake’s face as he looks to Bass and I know what’s coming. Only Stella jumps just in time.

“Fuck off, Sebastian,” she yells, causing Bass to step back slightly, and the look on his face at her response is priceless. “Suddenly we’re family when I was pretty invisible to you before. Especially when your little girlfriend was being a total bitch to me,” she squeals.

Well shit, drunk Stella has balls.

“We’re her roommates.” I motion to Jade. She comes over and Drake steps back as Jade grabs Stella’s other arm draping it on hershoulder. “We’re taking her so back off, Bass,” as I push through him.

He turns and grabs hold of my arm. If another person grabs my fucking arm today, I might just snap.

“Get your hands off me!” I glare at him, warning him to back off.

“You’re treading on dangerous territory, Little Red,” he says, calling me by the stupid name Ace did.

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