Page 21 of The King's Maiden
His brow furrowed, and his lips twitched like I’d said something funny. “It’s an open bar, sweetheart.”
“Sweet.” I shrugged and turned around, taking another sip and nearly spitting it out.
Sitting straight across the room—on a fucking throne, no less—the stranger with the spellbinding eyes surveyed the scene before him. And it didn’t matter that I hadn’t thought to ask his name because I already knew it.
Kingston D’Arthur, the King of Camelot Court, was right in front of me.
But the part that shocked me?
Hewasn’tthe guy who covered the cost of my prescription. The one I’d credited with saving my ass and probably my life.
If I wanted to be dramatic about it.
No, that guy stood to the King’s left.
His right-hand man—Landon Scott—the asshole from Gia’s class, and my amber-eyed, breathtakingly beautiful savior from the pharmacy were all one and the same.
And he was staring right at me.
“Holy shit.”
I came here planning to lose my virginity, but it turned out I might be totally fucked.
Max Dread
Quinn Everly.
Her name had been imprinted on my brain since the moment I read her file.
Of course, I found a way to get my hands on it.
It held the application our lawful ruler had pointedly set aside. The prize our benevolent King had claimed for himself. The winner our aimless leader had chosen before the games even began.
Kingston played favorites when rank wasn’t supposed to exist. He allowed frivolity when the Knights needed discipline. And he picked the girl he wanted to win while demanding the rest of us jump through his hoops.
Playing a game we only stood to lose.
Her picture had been removed from the folder, but at the time, I figured it didn’t matter. What she looked like hadn’t been important. Who she was hadn’t been the point.
But now?
“Where have you been?”
A voice I despised pulled me from my glaring contest with Kingston’s back. Since leaving Quinn by the door, I had beendeeply engrossed in it. And I hated being interrupted, especially when I already knew what this was about.
“Vivian is looking for you.”
I swiveled my gaze to the perpetual thorn in my side, failing to keep my tone level. “I’ll see her tonight. Delayed gratification only heightens anticipation. Vivian should learn this if she wants to survive the next thirty days as my Maiden.”
Nails dug into the muscle of my neck.
I winced at the sting—the familiarity of it, the intent behind it. It didn’t hurt the way it used to, but the memory of razor-sharp claws digging into my softer flesh caused a deeper burn. It couldn’t control me physically anymore, but it kept me in line.
“I’ll find her.”
“Good boy.”
I growled as my keeper departed, striding across the room to survey the festivities. Always watching. I couldn’t take a breath without feeling eyes on my back.
