Page 30 of His To Claim

Ace Servite brings out the worst in me.

I’m usually more of a keep out of the limelight kind of girl. I stay out of everyone’s business and that ensures they keep out of mine. Ever since I stepped foot in this place, I keep putting all the attention on myself. He eyes me curiously, the anger in his eyes slowly fading away.

Not sure if it’s just around me but Ace seems to always be on edge, yet somehow stays in control. It’s baffling, and not something I’m used to. You see us poor kids from the slums; we have loads of issues. We’re used to losing our temper, losing control. It’s why we constantly crave it. But Ace, he has this dominating magnetism. It only makes me want to find out what’s underneath that cloak of self-control.

Possibly even make him lose it.

“My place is beside Ace, looking down on dirty whores like you,” Carrington coos, reminding me she’s still here hiding behind Ace.

I laugh at the panic I see in her eyes. Her talk is tough, but her actions reveal the coward she really is.

“Oh, sweetie, didn’t anybody tell you. There’s no room for a queen at a king’s side. She stands behind him, beneath him, at his feet ready and willing to come only when he deems her necessary.” I step around Drake, moving to meet her head on.

“And let me guess, you stand beneath your Dragon King?” she sneers, and I laugh harder at her remark as I step into her, ignoring Ace, who’s scowling beside her.

“Haven’t you heard… a real queen doesn’t need a king to become queen.” It’s my turn to look at Ace now as I move toward him. My eyes meet his and I immediately regret getting so close to him, but I can’t lose focus now. I must prove that I am not to be toyed with. “But a king, well he needs a queen to be crowned king.”

Ace’s eyes darken, an almost unnoticeable twitch of his lip giving away his small amused smirk. His body stiffens as I feel Drake’s body behind me. Ace’s glare meets Drake’s and I see a pang of what I can only assume is jealousy glaze over his eyes. His knuckles fist at his sides as he watches us, Drake’s hands moving to grip my waist, in an obvious show of power. But just as quickly, the jealousy fades, and a wide grin takes over his scowl. He finds us amusing.

Well, I’m not here for your entertainment, Horseman.

I turn away from him and push Drake back signaling it is time for us to leave. He turns and glares at Ace as he drapes his arm around my neck, grinning before turning back around. Jade, Stella and Kai are quick to follow, but Jax stays back taunting the girls a bit more.

However, Ruby is quick to pull him away and they both follow us away from the courtyard. Ruby and I haven’t always been the best of friends. Sometimes I don’t even know if she’d even consider me a friend, yet somehow, we’re family. We have the Graysons and the boys in common, and we’d both do anything to protect them. So even though we can hardly stand each other I know she would rather stand by my side, then with those snobby bitches.

Ten

SCARLETT

Thankfully, for my final two classes of the day, study hall and gym class with Professor Montgomery, I have Jade, Stella, and Kai to keep me company. Although Ace is in these classes as well, he doesn’t move to sit beside me, nor look my way. I must have hit a nerve insulting the legitimacy of his title, and the queen at his side.

The final bell rings and we all head back to our respective houses making plans to meet up at the dining hall for dinner around six. Curfew during the week is 10 p.m., but the dining hall stays open till nine. Thankfully, we have little homework today other than some light reading, because the day’s events have exhausted me.

Back at our room, Stella offers to set up our new phones but we soon realize they’re already activated. Instead, she puts our numbers in each other’s contacts adding hers in as well. According to Jade, the guys also received their own complementary phones, so I’ll have to ask them for their numbers tonight at dinner.

The moment I arrived in my room, I took off my uniform, feeling like I was suffocating in it. The heat today is excruciating, so after turning up the air conditioning, I lay in my room in a pair of black shorts and a black hoodie I stole from Drake the first time we hooked up.

I pull out my phone and start going through some apps on it. I’ve never had a phone before and it isn’t really necessary now, but at least it’s something to keep me entertained.

After a few hours of lying in bed doing nothing, I get up and grab a snack from Stella’s snack bar in the kitchen.

“You coming down with us, Scar?” Jade asks as they head to the door.

“No, you guys go. I think I’m gonna just stay in, not really in the mood for another run-in with the Horsemen or worse, their queens.” I grab a bag of chips and a soda can out of the refrigerator and head back to my room, falling back on my bed and pulling the pillow beside me.

I hear a ding come from the phone on my nightstand and I reach over to answer it, noticing I’ve received a message from an unknown number.

9147776453: So, you're hiding out now? Since when does Scarlett Steele back down?

I smile, realizing it’s Drake and send a quick text back adding his number to my contacts under Dragon Man.

Me: It’s not hiding out, it's called self-preservation.

Dragon Man: Come down for me Scar. I need to see you.

Me: Not tonight lover boy. It was a shitty day.

Dragon Man: Let me make you feel better.

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