Page 11 of Defiant Princess

“Yeah, of course,” Beck says, holding my gaze as he backs toward the door. “Always happy to meet like-minded people.”

He doesn’t say “and happy to beat the shit out of those who disagree until they learn to keep their mouths shut,” but it hangs silently in the air between us, making me think Beck isn’t as sold on me as he’s letting the rest of his posse believe.

Either way, I’ll be watching my back with every single one of those guys, as well as the men and women smiling at me in approval as I move toward the cinnamon buns.

Sadly, the Wolves First contingency seems to make up a good seventy percent of the people gathered in the room, and the people who aren’t thrilled with my easy entry into the Alpha-approved club keep their eyes down. It could be that the open-minded people are simply avoiding this part of the dorm and leaving the cinnamon buns to the Alpha-holes, but I doubt it. If there’s one thing all wolves have in common, it’s a hearty appetite.

We go where the food is, no matter who we have to put up with to get it.

As if to prove my point, I spot Alexander in a window seat not far away, watching me with a jaded smirk as I fill my coffee cup.

He’s alone and the chairs at the card table closest to him are empty, as is a cushy-looking armchair with a killer view of the quad. Maybe there’s a reason aside from his sister’s Variant status that people are avoiding him. Maybe he’s a dick or took a bath in skunk juice this morning, but I doubt it.

Looks like he and Catherine were telling the truth, and Natalie is either deeply deluded about the reality of life here. Or she was lying to us the entire time.

Snagging a cinnamon bun in a napkin, I decide to forget the coffee and go find out. Right now.

five

JULIET

We spreadLayla’s blanket out on the edge of the lawn, under a massive oak tree with leaves that shush in the sea breeze blowing over the university walls. Layla has brought chocolate croissants, bananas, and a whole pineapple she liberated from the dining hall this morning. I’ve brought myself, my new water bottle from the school supply stash on my desk, and a promise to help refill the food stash at dinner.

If there’s one thing, I’m good at, it’s liberating food without getting caught. If I weren’t, there’s a good chance I would have starved to death long before Ford showed up at the circus.

“Do owls not eat bananas? Or pineapple?” I ask as Layla unpacks the snacks and Diana backs away, as if repulsed.

She shrugs. “Not sure. Diana just prefers small, skittery things. But she only hunts in the back part of the forest, where there’s no risk of her snatching up a rat that isn’t just a rat, if you know what I mean. There are only a few shifters small enough to be mistaken for an owl snack, but better safe than a murderer.”

Diana hoots her agreement and scratches the air twice, in a sign Layla seems to understand.

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Layla says. “We’ll save the good gossip until you get back.”

With a warble low in her throat, Diana takes to the sky, zooming off toward a part of campus I haven’t seen yet. “The forest is back that way?” I ask, tipping my head.

Layla nods. “Yeah. She went hunting last night, but she says first day of school nerves make her snacky. Can’t really blame her for being nervous. She’s not only a Variant, she’s also the only bird student on campus—until you learn to shift, at least—and the only shifter not currently in her original form. Diana’s actually a wolf. Or she was, before all the shit went down with the Parallel and her brothers.”

My brows shoot up. “That’s the second time someone’s mentioned the Parallel. So that was a big deal, huh?”

Layla snorts as she tears off a piece of croissant. “Um, yeah, girl. A little bit. As in, it changed the entire shifter world forever. You been living under a rock or something?”

I chew a bite of banana and swallow. “Something like that.”

Layla waits to see if I’m going to say more but doesn’t push when I don’t. “So yeah, it was a big deal.” She glances around our isolated corner before leaning closer and adding in a softer voice, “A lot of people are still pretty pissed about it, and her brothers were the two who brought everything crashing down.”

“What?” I blink. “Her brother is…” Fuck, what was that guy’s name? Thankfully it comes to me a beat later. “Maxim? Right? Maxim Thorn?”

The one my father wants to kill…

“Yeah,” Layla says, checking our surroundings again. “But don’t spread it around. The faculty and Diana want that kept as quiet as possible. She’s already going to stand out like a sore thumb. No need to put a target on her back by letting everyone know her big brother is basically the shifter president. But she wanted us to know, you and me. She’s going to need a place to relax and be herself, you know? And no better place for that than the privacy of her own dorm room.”

I nod. “Absolutely. I don’t intend to share your or Diana’s personal business with anyone.”Except maybe, Ford, I silently add, but only if it’s something he needs to know to keep us safe here.

Or if it’s something we can use to take down Hammer.

Surely, Diana would be okay with that, however, considering eliminating my father eliminates a serious threat to her brother.

“Same,” Layla says with a pointed look. “So, you can share if you want. When you feel like it. I know it’s kind of corny, but the school therapists are right. Talking about the bad shit with other people who have been through bad shit, makes it easier to carry.”

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