Page 55 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

And I should’ve known. Because the next day at school, the rumors started.

Theo’s little whore.

The tainted girl.

A slut.

Just another way for him to try to knock me down. But the words don’t bother me. The name-calling and side-eyes don’t, either. I go from quiet nobody to hated outcast, and I don’t change. I can’t. To change would be to give in… and I don’t have that in me.

But he’s certainly proving to be a worthy adversary.

17

Theo

Eleven days.

My plan has taken eleven days to perfect, but it’s finally ready. A loose thread of a plan through some truly crazy moves, but it’s the end result that I stay focused on.

Anyone who threatens me cannot be allowed to continue.

Sebastian and Hale’s forced bet hangs over my head. It’s an invisible guillotine.

I step out of the shadows and track Sebastian into the movie theater. Lux is pulling some shit, because she and Ruby are both with him. She seems ready for bed in an oversized hoodie, her hair up, while Ruby seems extra ready for a date. Either way, Sebastian navigates between them with ease.

I stay back until they’ve purchased their tickets, then snacks, and disappeared down the hall toward the theaters. I have a hunch, but I can’t get too close. But after a few moments, I stride in and past the ticketers. No one stops me. No one even blinks twice, because there are so many people milling around that I could be anyone.

Also, no one ever stops the confident man. It’s something my brother taught me. He would say, “Even if you know you don’t belong, you can’t show it. Just keep your chin up and plow through. You’ll get further than you expect.”

And I do. It takes me a few tries to find the right room, but I finally spot Lux in the dim lighting. I slip into a seat a couple rows back and move my hood up. Sometimes we’re like magnets, and she can feel my presence. It’s the weirdest, most satisfying mind trick.

Lux and Ruby sit on either side of Sebastian, but she’s barely there a moment when she springs up. She makes an excuse I can’t hear and rushes up the aisle to the exit.

I watch her go, eyes narrowed. They couldn’t see the devious expression, but I catch a glimpse of it. What are you planning, Lux?

Sebastian and Ruby stare at each other.

“What now?” she asks.

He shrugs. “Now we enjoy the previews, I suppose.”

“Seb. Hale—”

Ah. I lean forward.

“He won’t find out about this,” Sebastian says. “Relax.”

Interesting. Another layer—deception on top of deception. When they look at each other, their profiles clear, I raise my phone and snap a picture.

The lights plunge lower, and I get out of there before I witness anything worse. Hale’s sister is all dolled up. I don’t think it would take much to convince him that his best friend is sleeping with her.

But that will just be the final straw. A tiny piece of the puzzle I’m crafting.

I drive back to my apartment, but I don’t go inside. A thin boy with glasses waits for me on the sidewalk, and he shrinks back as I stalk up to him.

Part of me feels bad.

Most of me doesn’t give a shit that he’s a terrified boy. I mean, yes, he grew enough balls to actually show up. That counts for very little. But he’s cowering, and it immediately gets on my nerves.

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