Page 184 of House of Lilith

“No,” she cuts me off, so serious, it hurts. “I don't want to hear another word about it. I’m sick and tired of you all. I just want to be left alone.”

And I just can’t believe I lost my chance the second after I thought I got it, but she’s moving to walk away and, right now, there’s nothing more important than the way I part with her.

“I’m sorry,” I rush to say as I block her, again, “I’ll stop. And I’ll get out of your hair, I promise.” I pause to get just a little closer.

And I drop my voice a little, all of a sudden feeling all the pain of never getting to look into her eyes again.

“Just do me this one little thing, it’s all I ask,” I urge her. “When you think of me, don’tthink of the past month, I beg of you.” And I sense her tense up a little, and I put all my tenderness into the words I nearly whisper, “Just know there’s someone out there who will forever be on your side, hoping with all his heart you get everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

And now I can tell by the look in her eyes that I’ve made her uncomfortable, and I’m not havingthatas her last reaction to me.

So I pull away a little and I say, in a louder, more upbeat voice, “And congratulations on the win once again, Romanov.” I have to grit my teeth to do it, but I do it. “I wish you a long and happy life.”

Her eyes soften a little, making it all worth it. “Thank you, Howe. I wish a long and happy life to you, too.”

Do you really, I think to myself. Give me a chance then.

But I don’t say anything. I just give her a smile and keep standing there, watching her open the door and get out, feeling as if she’s taking my heart away with her, raw and exposed and forever aching.

And for the first time in what seems like an eternity, I sense my fox stirring within me.

He doesn’t say anything.

Still, I feel him there.

My eyebrows pull down when I see that fucking asshole walk up to her to pester her again.

And I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. She did just tell me she won’t have anything with me regardless of fucking Aalders. Still, I fail to stop myself from getting close enough to hear what he’s telling her.

“I was in shock, cupcake,” he urges. And she’s not throwing him a single glance, instead moving for the girl waiting for her, but he's not giving up, making me grit my teeth. “Come on,” he keeps saying in a fervent voice, “if you agree to forget about this, I’ll do whatever you want.”

She stops to shoot him a nasty look.

The very next moment, she moves to walk away again, but he blocks her way. “Want a diamond tree? You’ll get one. Want an entire year in the tundra? You’ll get it. Bloody hell,” he keeps going, “if you want your own country, I’ll find a way to give it to you.”

“And what if I want you to take me seriously? You know, when I say I don’t want to talk to you ever again.”

That renders him speechless for a second. But then he leans to say something to her again and I snap when I see the way she slinks away.

I stalk over to them, I fix my eyes on him and I say through gritted teeth, “Why don’t you leave her the fuck alone?”

It makes both their heads snap to me.

But the next thing I know, there’s this tug behind my navel. I frown, meaning to glance around, but then, just like that, I feel this pull zap me out of the Arena.

*

I find myself in some hallway, my mind struggling to process what’s going on. There’s the three of us there — me, her and fucking Aalders, positioned exactly as we were a second ago, only in a different place altogether.

It takes me a second to realize it’s that same hallway I found myself in on my first night at the Academy.

But what really confuses me are the two figures standing a little farther down.

Ricky and Nikolay, my friend’s narrowed eyes glancing from Romanov to fucking Aalders.

It makes this dread seep into my bones, when I see he’s wearing the Guardian’s robes, complete with the pendant. And in his hands, he’s holding the Box itself.

It’s practically at the same moment that the three of us all get a move on, starting to close the distance between us and the mysterious duo.

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