Page 56 of Iris
But Mari is. She tries to hide staring at the outfit. And I think Reece sees because he moves close to distract her by taking the small bag she’s carrying from the art store.
Alicia’s eyes light up. “More scandal?”
The blonde clicks her fingers and immediately two girls I vaguely recognize from school and last year’s Season hurry over, along with the Alpha who’d called on me. Who I insulted.
He takes the bags sitting at Alicia’s feet, including a dress box, and he avoids looking at me.
Which is good, because I’ve forgotten his name.
“You dating my rejects?” I ask. “That kind of scandal?”
“I think I decided you were too nasty to date or think about making my mate,” he says, voice a sneer.
The two girls whisper to each other and one takes out her phone, snapping photos.
But they’re not taking photos of me.
It’s Reece and Mari.
Fuck.
I step between my sister and Reece and hand him my bag.
“No,” Alicia says, “that scandal. Then again, why on earth would I think your freak sister could do better than a servant.”
The girls titter and the Alpha laughs, though he does keep his eyes averted, like a coward.
“I’m not the one out without a chaperone,” I state before Mari can say a word.
Alicia smirks as she comes up to me. “I can’t wait to hear what society has to say about this. I mean, I guess he’s cute. For a serving boy.” She tilts her head as the blood throbs hard in my temples and throat. “Couldn’t you get one? There must be someone, like maybe a garbage boy?”
I want to hit her. Drag her to the fountain in the square and dunk her face first in it.
But the back of my neck buzzes and I become aware of the reason why my sister’s silent, why Reece has taken on the stance of a good servant, standing behind us with the bags.
People are looking and whispers are going around.
Alicia wants me to break, to do something to humiliate not just myself but my family.
“You really hate it that Violet and Stephan fell in love, don’t you? Not only that,” I say, “But she was Luxe and you came out of the Season unmated. Is this your what? Third Season?”
“You ugly little bi?—”
“Alicia,” the nameless one says. He has a name, but I’ve forgotten it. “We should go.”
But then he looks at me.
Lust. Animosity. Those things burn in his eyes. Along with humiliation and his mouth twists up. “And you’re not all that. Your sister really needs to watch it, playing with the riffraff. You won’t make it this Season, but she’s got one, and she’s pretty…”
His words trail off as my skin prickles everywhere and I smell leather, spice and smoke.
A lot of smoke.
He’s silent when he moves, silent for a big man, and that olive skin, the long black jacket and big boots are all a breath stealing sight.
The shaven head and the stubble on his face add a menacing dash of excitement.
Xavier’s wildly exotic, insanely good looking, and utterly dangerous.
