Page 12 of House of Lilith

He hands me a glass filled to the brim. Feeling my fox settle down again, I take it, thirstily downing the beer.

“Nothing,” I say with a shake of my head, seeing him relax.

“Still keeping it casual?” he asks, motioning to where the girl disappeared.

I quirk an eyebrow at him. But it’s in a teasing voice that I ask, “Still sniffing around things that are none of your business?”

He shrugs, but he’s being a little suspicious. “I just thought the change of scenery might result in a change in some of your attitudes.”

And I immediately catch onto what he’s doing, but I choose to ignore it. I let my eyes sweep over the people around me, lingering on the women. “They aresomething, these Grimm girls,” I say with a grin and then turn back to Ricky. “But I don’t see them changing anything. I only see them having a lot more fun this year than they did last.”

And I give him a wink.

He looks as if he’s fighting not to roll his eyes at me. “You’re a senior, Boss. That’s around the time they expect you to start expecting you to put down roots.”

I let out a sigh, the smile sliding off my face. “Look, Ricky,” I tell him, deciding we won’t be getting into it again, not tonight. “Being an alpha isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about respect and leadership.” I pause for effect. “If I’m not the type of guy to get attached that way, I’mnotand that’s the end of the story. They need the best version of me, not some idea you can’t find in real life.”

And it looks as if I’ve hurt his feeling a bit, so I throw the smile back on and I say, “But listen to this, Ricky.”

He quirks his eyebrow at me.

“I left to go to the bathroom, yeah?” I tell him with a mysterious smile. “But it took me ages to even get inside the castle.”

“Really?”

“It wouldn’t let me in,” I keep going, growing excited. “I stood there, trying to summon the fucking Elevator for like half an hour, I swear to Lycan himself, but it kept hiding from me.” I let out a laugh, amused at the very thought of what other tricks it has up its sleeve, this underground castle.

Ricky’s mouth cracks into an excited grin. “Next time, if you’re sure you’re in the right spot,” he tells me, “prick your finger or do something else to draw blood.”

I frown. “Why the hell would I dothat?”

My friend clears his throat the way he does when he’s about to go all nerdy on me. He turns to gesture at the spot where the Elevator is hiding, right at the edge of the round cobblestone square we’re standing in.

I let my eyes follow, listening to his soft-spoken, scrawny little self say, “The Academy was founded in 1847, the same year the first Games were held, yeah?”

I nod. “But the castle, the underground part at least, was built centuries earlier,” I add.

“Exactly. And back then, it was a secret shelter for Originals who had nowhere else to turn. And it was made to only reveal itself to those in need.”

I keep staring at the spot for a second, mulling it over. Then I turn to my friend and say, amazed, “Where do you get all this stuff, Ricky? I read like a bunch of books to prepare, but none of them mentioned anything likethat.”

“There are things that Grimm Academy would prefer to stay unknown.” He throws me a sly smile. “But I have my ways.”

“Look at you,” I say as I give him another pat on the shoulder. “Who would’ve thought you’d be so cunning?”

“Know your enemy,” he recites with a proud grin.

“Enemy being the Academy you’re obsessed with? How convenient,” I drawl teasingly, though the concern is starting to seep back into my mind.

And the next thing I know, my fox is letting out a low growl. My head snaps to that same spot I lingered on a moment ago, though the crowd is still making it impossible to see what’s going on.Ifthere’s something going on. My ears prick up and my muscles clench, but the more I stare, the less I think there is.

This is getting tiresome, my wolf’s voice booms again.Let’s pack all the pups up and leave.

“Wecan’t,” I reply through gritted teeth. “It would be rude to leave this early.” But itisgetting tiresome and I’m wondering if it’ll really be easy, doing what Brogan asked me to do.

“Ricky?” I ask even before I turn to him.

“Yes, oh esteemed alpha?” he mocks me.

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