Page 13 of Distant Heart

“Xa’us,” he chided him sternly, his expression mirroring the tone when it caused Rexton to jolt in surprise. “Well? What’s it going to be? Surrender? Or are we still playing after all?”

Despite all his complaining, Rexton snatched his shirt off the table and immediately made a beeline for the door.

“Right leads straight back to the party,” Illya called out.

His prey turned left and disappeared out of sight.

For now.

Chapter 5:

There were two buildings of equal distance from the great hall where the main part of Cor Night was being held. Rexton’s feet hesitated as soon as he stepped out into the chill night. Did he head for the sports building, or to the dorms? Neither choice was good.

Chances were, the sports building would be empty, which was like inviting Illya to continue what he’d started in the game room. But the dorms…

Which dorm building was it, anyway?

Rexton didn’t know the layout of the university and most of the stone buildings—especially in the dark—looked the same. He only knew the sports building because he’d seen photos sent from his cousin, who was on the swim team.

Fuck.

His ass stung, his dick was leaking all over his boxers, and he was freezing. He’d stupidly left his jacket slung over one of the leather couches in the game room, having taken it off earlier due to the warmth inside. He regretted that now. Regretted a lot of things…

He shook his head sternly.

Running would not be one of them.

No matter what, he’d teach Illya a lesson. He’d teach Illya that people like him—people like Flix Fulmini, that damned Devil back on Vitality—couldn’t always get exactly what they wanted exactly how they wanted it. The Black Harts and the Devils of Vitality were stupid.

Cor Night was stupid.

Rexton headed toward the dorm building, figuring he could probably find somewhere better once he was there since the building had more lights on. Even if he couldn’t get off campus, there had to be somewhere he could hide. All he had to do was make it until morning and then—

His multi-slate started to ring and when he checked the caller ID he almost didn’t answer.

“What?” not bothering to hide his mood, Rexton left the device on speaker as he trudged through the snow, more than a bit annoyed that no one had bothered to pave the pathways. Almost as though they wanted to make it more difficult for people to move about…

Shit.

They probably did.

Sick motherfuckers.

“Why am I just hearing that you’re off planet?” Aneski’s voice echoed around him.

“Probably because you’ve been too busy with your boyfriend for me to tell you anything.”

There was a moment of silence and then, “Seriously, Rex?”

He sighed and came to a stop beneath the entrance of the dorm. The sign over the stone awning was covered in ice so he couldn’t even make out the name of the building and he moved up onto the porch. “Sorry. I’m just feeling…weird. I needed some time away to collect my thoughts.”

Logically, he understood that was all it was. That he couldn’t really blame Aneski for falling in love or moving on to bigger and better things. Especially when Rexton had firsthand knowledge of the trauma his best friend had been enduring all these years. It was a good thing that Flix and he were together.

But that didn’t change the fact Rexton also felt like he was losing him.

“Let’s take a weekend trip when you get back,” Aneski suggested. “Remember that cabin in Hu’Ottel? That place was cool.”

“Yeah.” They hadn’t been there in ages. “We—”

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