Page 2 of Royal
A silhouette appears about twenty feet from me, and my eyes lock on whoever it is.Please, no.Panic races through me even though the figure hasn’t moved since they made their presence known. And that’s when I spot another person watching me on my left. This one’s about the same distance away, and, like the first, doesn’t make any move toward me, simply stands there. Ominous. Dangerous. Fucking terrifying.
A sudden rush of anger fills me. “Are you trying to scare me? Is that the point of this?” I let out a shuddered breath that I hope they can’t hear. The pounding of my heart intensifies, but I’m not going to let these two assholes get the upper hand here. They don’t get to mess with me like this. I raise my voice, infusing it with all the strength I can muster. “I don’t care if this is some sick fucking frat thing you’re required to do. I don’t want any part of it.”
And with that, I push away from the tree and begin to run back in the direction I came from. My breath tears painfully from my lungs, and my leg muscles burn as I push myself to move faster. I can’t hear the crackle of the bonfire or the whoops of drunken laughter anymore.Shit.My eyes rapidly track through the dark void of trees surrounding me. I’m lost.
A moment later, out of nowhere, muscular arms band around my midsection, tight like a vice, lifting me straight off my feet.What the fuck?“Get your hands off me!” I frantically shriek and twist in his arms, digging at his skin through his hoodie as I struggle to free myself.
“Is that any way to greet the person you gifted your virgin pussy to, princess?”
TWO
ECHO
The deep toneof voice makes me jerk to a stop, the words deadly soft as they drift into the humid night air. Hot breath caresses my ear, sending tingles through my body from head to toe.No.I jerk in his arms, thrashing. Because now I know I was right to be unnerved earlier.He’s been watching me all evening.“Let me go, Royal.”
“So, you do remember me.” His voice is huskier than it was when I knew him. Deeper. Different. This is not the boy I had once lost myself in so completely. This is a man, a criminal—and a prison-hardened one at that.
My throat feels thick as I try to think of what to say, but I come up with nothing, my mind reeling as memories of the night that changed everything crash through my head.
“Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time to talk, princess, you and me.” He easily handles my flailing body, like I’m no more than a tantruming toddler. “You should be terrified of the things I’m capable of. Younevershould have fucking come here. And you won’t tell a goddamn soul about this little encounter. Understood?”
Before I can take in everything he’s said, footsteps sound near us, followed by the distinct sound of people deep in conversation. Royal’s lips brush my cheek. “Go. Maybe they’ll save you.” He chuckles darkly. “But I suggest you fuckingrun.”
Then all at once, his arms are no longer around me, and I stumble, falling to my knees on the hard forest floor amid the leaves and debris. It’s so jarring, I’m dumbstruck for several seconds before I realize I’m free. With my heart hammering in my throat, I scramble to my feet and hurry blindly toward the voices.
As I move, I realize I must have sent myself in circles earlier.Fuck.So stupid. Swiping my fingers under my eyes, I give a furtive glance over my shoulder, but don’t see Royal behind me. He hasn’t followed. Thank fuck.
Where are the people we heard a minute ago?My head swings back around, and my ears are met with a whole different array of sounds. A soft moan. A grunt. The rustle of clothing. And a moment later, I stumble upon a couple making out against a tree. My eyes practically bug out of my head, as it’s two guys. Both muscular as hell, one is dark and tattooed, while the other has wavy blond hair. They’re mauling each other with lips and teeth and tongues. And hands. Fuck, their hands are everywhere. I swallow hard, momentarily stunned by my discovery.
The make-out session is scorching hot, and I feel badly for interrupting them because they’re obviously out here in the woods to get some privacy. As is my luck, a twig chooses that moment to snap beneath my foot, and the breath whooshes from my lungs. Embarrassed to think they’ll assume I was peeping on them, I freeze in place, my eyes going even wider than before. This was not on my agenda for the evening, no more than running into—and away from—a nightmare from my past.
My heart thumps hard behind my rib cage as the dark-haired dude releases the front of the other guy’s shirt and turns toward the noise I’ve made. As my eyes land on the second of the two men—the one who’d been pinned against the tree—my mouth drops open. He’s almost too pretty. Just a really fucking attractive man.
The first guy’s hands go to his hips as he assesses me, and the blond steps up beside him, cocking his head to the side. Even in the dark, I can tell they’re breathing heavily, and their lips are swollen from the kisses I’d interrupted. I hold my hands up in front of me, palms out as I shake my head. “I’m sorry. I was trying to find my way—”
I begin to sidestep, ready to edge around them and flee, when the good-looking blond smiles, his brow furrowing a bit. He raises a hand to stop me. “Wait. Are you okay?” His eyes travel my body from head to toe, and I can only imagine what he’s seeing. I’m disheveled at best. Sweaty. Bits of dirt and leaves in my hair. Mud on my knees and covered in scratches. Red-faced. Hands shaking. And one hundred percent freaked out by my encounter with Royal.
I glance hesitantly over my shoulder. “Um”—my head swivels back to find two pairs of eyes watching me, one a sinful brown, the other a brilliant blue—“I’m fine.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He couldn’t be closer to the truth if he tried. The chiseled cut of the dark-haired guy’s jaw catches my attention as the muscle twitches and jumps. He studies me curiously, almost as if he doesn’t believe a fucking word I’m saying.
I grimace, rubbing my hands over my face. “I really need to get back to my sorority house.” But I’ve lost track of Freya. I peek past the guys, beyond the trees, realizing after all my running, I’d come very close to escaping the woods.
Chaos ensues around the bonfire, the night’s festivities still in full swing.Shit.I sigh deeply, shaking my head.
The blond nudges his friend. “You good to drive?” The blue-eyed god pauses to turn toward me with a raised brow. “Sorry, I’m Benneti, and this is Emory. You’re…?” They’re both looking at me in a kind way that makes me feel mostly safe in their presence. Even so, I don’t trust easily anymore, especially now that it’s just me and my siblings. This is not the time to dwell on that, though.
Trying not to bring attention to the tracks of tears drying on my face, I swipe my fingers over my cheeks, making it look like I’m brushing my hair out of my eyes. “Echo. My name is Echo. I should find my big sister. She brought me.”Ugh.My hands begin to shake. I’m never going to fucking find her in this mayhem. And what if Royal comes after me again? My knees quake at the thought, and I press my lips together, eyeing the two of them. I suck in a breath, then words rush out of my mouth before I have a chance to consider what I’m saying. “You know what? I actually would appreciate a ride. It’s been a weird night. I-I just want to get home.”
Emory narrows his eyes, but nods, then jerks his head toward a grass field where a bunch of vehicles are parked. “My truck is that way.”
Benneti gestures that I should follow as they both turn to exit the woods. He waits for me, and once I catch up, he casually slings an arm around my shoulders. I hope he didn’t notice the way I flinched at his touch. He clears his throat, gazing down at me. “It’ll be far easier to grab a ride with us than to find your friend in the pandemonium over there. Where do you live?”
“TZE.”
“Oh.” His brows draw together ever so slightly. “Cool. I was guessing you were on campus. You’re a freshman, right?”
“Yeah.” I give them both a tentative smile, then tuck my shaking hands behind my back. “But my mom was a TZE sister here at KU. I guess the whole legacy thing means I have some advantages. I’m, um, not super clear how it all works.”
