Fate of a Royal (Lords of Rathe, #1)(5)

She’s the one for tonight. Mine.

For tonight.

Sin starts to back her up, leading her toward the fence, and I take a single step forward.

Cool liquid splashes over my arm, soaking through my hoodie, and I growl, whipping around to glare at the stupid fuck who spilled it on me.

“Watch your-fucking-self,” I snap.

The Giftless prick lifts his hands, the now empty cup still in one. “Whoa, bro, you bumped into me.”

I dart toward him, my blood thrashing within my body, adrenaline peaked as a swift shadow of anger falls over me.

My hand flies out before I realize it, eyes trained on the weak fucker’s throat, and I know I’m about to put him out, but suddenly Creed is between us, his fingers tight around my wrist as his eyes lock with mine.

My muscles in my neck stretch, my limbs shaking, but then I blink.

Creed’s grip eases, his chin lowering as he studies me. “What the fuck is with you tonight?”

I yank from his hold, shrugging. “I’m good. Grab the girl and go—”

My words cut off when I look back, Sinner headed this way with a smirk, the girl nowhere to be found.

He reaches us, opening his mouth to speak.

“Where is she?”

Sin narrows. “Who?”

“The girl whose face you were eating.”

“Oh, her.” He grins, popping a single shoulder. “Running from some dude.”

My frown builds, but he smacks me on the shoulder. “It’s all good, brother. I got us one.”

As if on cue, a girl in a short blue dress slides up wearing a shy smile. I can smell her desperation from here. Her hair is as brown as her eyes.

She’s too tall. Too basic.

But she’ll do.

Swallowing my annoyance, I step in front of her, pressing my knuckles beneath her chin and tipping her eyes up to mine. Her pupils dilate as I say, “You took shrooms tonight. The trip is going to be hard, but you’ll only do what you want to do.”

Slowly, she nods, taking Sin’s hand when he offers it to her, and then we’re cutting out on this poor excuse of a party, headed back toward Rathe U for a real one.





Three





Knight



I don’t give enough fucks to ask for her name. I don’t know if it’s because the white-haired Giftless burned through my mind like a fucking fiery tornado, turning everything I thought I wanted to ash, or because everything in this world is tasteless. Fucking dull. It leaves me bored. The Giftless parties are always shit. Chasing what we play with on a daily basis by consuming alcohol until we eventually give up.

I mean, it’s cute. Until it’s boring.

“Where are we going?” the girl asks, bouncing on top of my lap. I hold her still by squeezing her sharp hips, shifting her weight to Sin. “Is this another party?” Fuck, I can’t be bothered with her. Every time she touches me, I want to cut her hands off. I mean, I could…

“Yeah, babe…” Sin plays with her, dragging his teeth over her shoulder blade. He flashes me a wicked smirk, one that I know says thanks for the snack. “I guess you could call it a party.”

Creed pulls the G-Wagon up to the curb. The quiet suburban street is just like any other here. Mansions side-by-side, television lights flickering through the windows, a woman walking her little dog across the street, and a man dressed in a suit, only just arriving home in his Tesla, straightening his tie as he makes his way up to his front door. I wonder if he’s taken the time to check if there’s lipstick still smudged on his cock before he got home. Whatever. I never did understand the Giftless and their pointless effort to keep their partner from fucking anyone else. Where I come from, we fuck who we want, when we want, and then we pass her on to the next looking to play. No harm, no foul, not enough fucks to give. That one pussy or one cock limitation shit? That’s saved for when you find your mate, only then are the goods not to be handed out to any-fucking-one else. The way our kind tells it, you don’t mind when that happens.

Pretty sure I’m gonna fucking mind.

“Knight!” someone calls out from across the road, and I slam the door closed, narrowing my eyes at the shadow on the field.

“Oh my god…this doesn’t look like a fun time at all…” the little toy murmurs from beside me, her lower lip drooping. She has a point. To the mundane eye, it looks about as simple as its neighbor. Twin pillars, a picturesque swing on the porch, and a garden so fresh it almost looks like it came straight out of a Home & Garden magazine.

Her little hand grabs onto my arm. I don’t bother to shake her off, desperate to get the fuck inside. As we step across the transparent threshold, the barrier splits open with a zap of electricity as trestles of purple, pink, and blue ignite through the air. The girl’s grip around my arm loosens as she steps back slightly.

“Will she be a runner?” I turn toward Sin, smirking at him.

“I don’t know…” Legend circles her like a lion would a lamb. “Kind of hope she is .”

“She’s not!” Her brown eyes come to mine. “Whatever—this is. Did you guys drug me?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, because we would waste a good vile of Fae dust on you.” My hand finds her chin as I hold her stare. “The shrooms.”