Page 46 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

I scowl and grip the tree in front of me.

“I’m not having fun,” she says.

“You would if you danced with me.”

She tips her head back and laughs. “A dance, a date. You are so demanding, Sebastian. It’s no wonder you get all the ladies. They call you a wild child, don’t they? And this is the best you have?”

He steps even closer, and my blood boils. It takes every ounce of willpower to remain where I am. But at the same time, I can’t imagine being anywhere else—on the other side of the clearing, or back at my apartment pretending this isn’t happening. Any other scenario seems impossible.

“Lucy. This is just the beginning. I was going tame for your sake, not mine. What would you prefer? Skydiving? Or we could skip straight to the bedroom, if that’s—”

She chucks her untouched drink in his face.

“Insulting me is not going to make me like you,” she snaps. “Tell Ruby I’m leaving.”

And then, the best possible thing: she marches into the woods. Straight at me.

I step aside, behind the tree, and keep my attention on Sebastian. If he tries to follow her, I’ll play interference. But he doesn’t. He just wipes his dripping face with his t-shirt and laughs, then heads back into the crowd.

So I follow Lux.

She locates the path rather quickly, but she doesn’t take the route back to LBU West. She instead heads in the direction of the small pond. This clearing—this route, actually—is owned by Lenox Bluff University. It abuts the conservation area that I imagine Lux has seen from her building. We’re well on our way to leaving school grounds.

Her pace is quick, and she marches along confidently under the moonlight. Her light footsteps aren’t the easiest to track, but she keeps murmuring under her breath.

And then she freezes.

“Come out,” she demands. “I know you’re there.”

I hesitate.

She whirls around and immediately finds me, a frown pulling the corners of her lips down. “Stalker.”

I step onto the pale moonlit path and hold my hands out at my sides.

“Did you see everything?”

I nod once, analyzing her stricken expression.

“You want me to date him? When he makes innuendos—”

“I want you to—” I groan and turn away, covering my mouth. The fucking cocksuckers have me by the balls. I can’t tell her why I’m letting Sebastian drool over her. Why I’m not killing him myself.

“You want me,” she says, touching my arm. “Right?”

I stiffen and pivot back toward her, grabbing her upper arms. I shove her against a tree, ignoring her wince. Her fucking spine probably still has bruises from the last asshole to do this to her. His fingers are in the shape of bruises on her neck.

“Stop,” I order. “Stop reading into this.”

“You—”

“I promised you nothing. Your delusions have made it easy for you to think I care about you. But I don’t give a shit, Lucy.” Hurt her and pay for it later. “You and I had a conversation as fucked-up children. It doesn’t make what we’re doing to each other now right.”

She bares her teeth at me like a feral dog. The tendons stand out in her neck. If I were any closer, she might try to bite off my nose, or my ear.

I slam her back into the tree again, furious with myself for letting this happen. With her—for letting Sebastian and Hale discover my weakness so easily.

“Don’t look at me. Don’t think about me. Because I don’t think about you.” I release her suddenly, backing away. “This is the last time you’ll see me.”

---