Page 58 of His To Claim

“Not to worry, Miss Steele. I’ll write you a note, so Hastings doesn’t bother you.” He stands and walks toward the side of the desk leaning against it, my paper in his hand. “I think there may have been some confusion while turning in your paper. You see I was perplexed while listening to your monologue when I couldn’t follow along.”

“I will rewrite it tonight and turn it in on Monday if I may. I had a last-minute change of heart and realized the monologue I recited was better suited for the circumstances.”

“I see, and might I say it was. Well, of course then, I expect to see it on my desk first thing Monday morning.” He scribbles something on a piece of paper and hands it to me. I reach out to grab it, but he doesn’t instantly let go. “You must be careful, Miss Steele. Was I anyone else, I may have confused your monologue to be a response to Mr. Servite’s,” he says, a smug grin on his face.

“It wasn’t,” I reply angrily.

“Yes, well for your sake I hope that’s true.”

“Is there something you’d like to say to me, Professor Macallan, because quite frankly I believe you do.” I’m irritated by his insinuations.

“No, of course not. I just mean Wallace Servite has quite a reputation. The boy means trouble. Wouldn’t like a sweet girl like you to get mixed into that.”

“Well, thanks for looking out, Professor Macallan, but I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”

“Of course, Miss Steele, my apologies. I can see that now.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” I say, rushing out the door.

At lunch I catch up with Kai and Jax in the courtyard before heading together into the dining hall. We grab our lunches, this time I went with grilled chicken tacos from the Mexican food section, and head over to the table where Jade, Ruby, and Stella are already seated and eating. As we sit down, I turn to Stella wholooks at me with a nervous look on her face. I raise a brow asking her what’s wrong, but she looks around the table before leaning into me.

“I heard about your little monologue war with Ace,” she whispers to me.

How the hell could she have already heard about that?I look at her questioningly and she shrugs.

“Leigh texted me.”

Ahh, I had forgotten Leighton, i.e., the gossip queen, is in our homeroom class. I shrug my shoulders at her, playing off what really happened.

“He wrote a monologue, I wrote a monologue, we recited them in class. It’s no big deal.”

“Leigh said his monologue was about you and well…”

I interrupt her before she finishes. “And you’re going to believe Leighton the liar when I’m telling you it was no big deal?” I say a little too loudly causing the rest of the table to turn to us.

“No, of course not. I’m sorry. Leigh just looks for drama in everything.”

We turn back to eat, and nobody questions what we’re talking about, instead we argue about whether we’re going to be attending week two of the Halloween festivities.

Stella and Jade argue we must because why wouldn’t we go to a party. Jade also mentions it’s going to be her first actual date with Liam, the quarterback, and she needs us there as backup in case she needs an escape. She’s sweet on him but it looks like Liam Walker, bonafide player, has turned out to be a clinger.

As we are debating if it’s worth another run-in with the Horsemen and their queens, we’re interrupted by none other than the kings themselves.

“Speak of the devil and he doth appear,” I say, not bothering to turn around as I feel them scowling behind me.

“You’d be lucky if it were just the devil, but darling, we aremuch worse,” Bass says, and I see Jade’s body suddenly tense as she scowls up at him.

I turn and notice it’s only Bass, Alek, and Beck who are before us. Standing up I face them, meeting Bass’s angry glare.

“To what do I owe this displeasure,” I say mockingly.

“Just a warning, you all better be at the party tomorrow night.”

“And why would we want to attend?” Jade asks.

“Trust me, Wolfe, you wouldn’t want to miss it.”

At that, Bass turns around and heads back to their table at the end of the courtyard, Alek and Beck following closely behind him.

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