Page 24 of Buried Secret 295

My hand shakes with the minor panic attack that threatens to come to the surface. With a deep breath, I steady myself and shake that feeling off. I put on my fake cocky smile, acting like I don’t have a care in the world. I need that attitude when I see Atticus snort slightly at the sight of me. A secret can hardly get by without him knowing about it. The man lives off secrets. That’s how his particular brand of incubus feeds. Collecting secrets from the veil and spinning them into his web of secrets, just like a spider feeds off of them. People might not know they are stuck on his web, yet somehow, they know someone knows their secret. That paranoia and panic fed him even more. Atticus’s long, wavy, dark brown hair rests on his shoulders. He cocks his eyebrow up at me as he points his finger to his nose. “Got a little blood lingering there,” Atticus smirks at me and I shake my head.

“Fuck you.” I roll my eyes and sit down. My hands are going to unwrap my sandwich but stop as Knox’s hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist. A growl sounds out from his throat. His almost burgundy-colored eyes seem to darken. “What the fuck, man?” I question him as he smells my bloody hand.

“Who did you touch?” He practically growls out. Knox still holds my hand in his grasp. I wonder what his Hell Hound is smelling in her blood.

My eyes roll as I try to play this off like Salem didn’t just kick my ass. “I am sure that big mouth over there has filled you in. But her name is Salem. Damn, I have never seen someone move like she did.”

Knox throws my hand back at me, almost as if the smell has offended him. His jaw clenched and unclenched. “What the fuck is she?”

“Why are you asking me?” My head gestures toward Atticus, whose dark green eyes narrow. “Ask the secret keeper over there.” I bite my sandwich, trying to act like the whole thing doesn’t bother me.

Atticus shakes his head and looks slightly frustrated. “I am finding out things… slowly. Lulu Tempest is her sister, who basically has put out a hit on her.”

“What?” I practically choke out as my sandwich bite feels like it turns sideways in my throat. My fist pounds into my chest as I try to dislodge the bite. Lulu is such a bitch. She is stunning, and I remember the first time I met her in our second year here. Lulu loves fucking high-powered men. It seems like a daddy-issue thing, for sure. Knox wasn’t about to let me become one of the rotating men she fucks. Somehow, guys get stuck in her web, and she leads them around by their dicks.

“Yeah, it’s been all anyone can talk about. Apparently, she pointed her out and told everyone that if they wanted to stay on her and her father’s good side, they would stay away from her. I followed Lulu around in the veil today.” I knew about the video, but I didn’t expect the relationship between them. His eyes roll, and he lets out a sigh. “How that girl has friends is beyond me. However, Salem ran away from home. Been claiming her father gave her to an anti-fae group that imprisoned her.” He lets out a small snort and shakes his head. “Can you imagine Marcus Tempest walking up to an anti-fae moment and handing over a teenage girl? Take my daughter. I prefer the other one.”

“Seriously?” I ask, but think about how she moved and fought. Wherever she has been, they have taught her some serious moves. “Maybe she is a ninja because, holy shit.”

The corner of Knox’s mouth curls up in a smile. “Maybe you have been fighting too many trust-fund kids.”

I give Knox an unimpressed look as he brushes his dark hair out of his face. Knox’s family operates quite an interesting combination of things. They own a massive casino called Hell’s Gate with a hotel attached. Legitimate gambling is above ground, and the more nefarious and less legitimate business is underneath. That place is called the Underworld. Illegal fights, illegal betting, and high-stakes card games were a few things we offered. Plus, if you need any type of shady deals done, you can usually find someone to take that on. Knox has made a name for himself, not only as the owner’s son. “She would give you a run for your money.”

“Maybe. What’s she look like?” Knox cracks his knuckles as he looks at me intently, waiting for me to answer.

“Tattooed, fit, some crazy eyes and dark hair.” I shrug, acting like she didn’t affect me on a deeper level. “Pretty.” Even though that word doesn’t accurately describe her, pretty is too tame for the woman.

“Weird that she is in her first year at 19, either way.” Atticus looks to be thinking deeply about that.

I say nothing as I eat my sandwich and ponder that same thing.

Chapter seventeen

Since arriving yesterday, myhound has been at the edge of my mind. He is so close to the surface, trying to find the source of the scent. The thought of his mate being this close makes him crazy, which is making me crazy, since I have to be the rational one. He wants to take over, so he can run around basking in her smell, signaling our presence. Every fiber of us knows that whoever that smell belongs to is our mate. He wants to track her down and claim her. We want everyone to know that she is ours.

When Gage sat down, her scent covered him. Her blood is still on his knuckles. I barely held myself back. I felt practically feral. For the rest of lunch, I force myself to breathe through my mouth to stop smelling her. I am trying to act normal, but my whole body is tense, and I can’t calm it down. I don’t want to say anything yet. The first person who should know I am her mateis Salem. Saying her name even in my head has a shiver pass through me.

As much as I want to force a meeting between us, I know the gods or stars will allow us to meet when the time is right. I have to be patient and hope she feels it as strongly as I do. Why does that very thought fill me with dread? I dread the thought of her not feeling this mate bond.

My parents made me attend this Academy before giving me my inheritance. Atticus, Gage and I want to create a nightclub bar that attaches to the Hell’s Gate casino. That was the plan before I purchased the land across the street from the casino. I couldn’t let the land pass by or somehow get picked up by someone else. It pretty well cleaned out my bank account, which was funded by the Underworld fights. It was worth every penny and gave me something to look forward to. My parents wanted to repay me for the purchase, but I refused. I am trying to show my seriousness about this dream. My parents promise to help fund the construction costs.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I see it’s my mother. My jaw ticks with annoyance. It’s not that I don’t love my mother because I do. With my hound being this close to the surface, it has left me with little patience. My mood is foul, and I don’t want to take it out on my mother accidentally. Part of me wants to push the ignore button, but my dad would kick my ass for it unless I had a good excuse. As I lay on my dorm couch, I have no legitimate reason, and a shitty mood doesn’t count. “Hi, Mom.”

“Knox, are you and Atticus settling in, okay?” I close my eyes and run my hand through my hair. I attempt to relax before I speak. The woman knows I hate small talk, yet she does it anyway.

“Yes, Mom. It’s not our first year.” I tell her, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

“Yeah, as much as I love to see you both at the Academy making memories, I am glad it’s your last year. I am getting too old for this work.” She sounds tired. “When the first break happens, I need you and Atticus home for it. I know it’s your last year, but the fucking Ministry is breathing down our necks again.”

That has me sitting up. I have too much of my dad in me, wanting to take over and fight her problems for her. As much as I don’t like to admit it, I am a bit of a mama’s boy. When Atticus and I are home, we rarely leave the casino grounds. “Do I need to come home this weekend?”

“No.” She hesitates; something about her tone puts me on edge. “Stay alert, though. Going to have some extra ears added in Underworld. Those beautiful degenerates are the biggest gossips in the world.” She says with affection in her tone. Those are her people. They would do anything for her. She provides a haven for people, along with a spot to help with their nefarious business dealings.

I shake my head and laugh. “And you are basically a mama bear to all of them.” It’s true. Mom has a way with the deviant members of the Underworld. She and my dad started with fighting rings. It has grown into something much more. They are both completely self-made. The two of them came from nothing, and they still remember their roots. My mom is a badass, and she owns it. “Not having any issues, right?”

“None that your father and I can’t handle. Just stay out of trouble, and that goes double for Atticus.” She laughs at the last part, knowing Atticus makes it his job to find trouble. After all, that’s where the best secrets come from.

“Just say the word, and he can come watch from the veil.”

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