Fate of a Royal (Lords of Rathe, #1)(55)

I follow her down the path, unease sliding into my veins. I don’t know who this girl is and she could be taking me anywhere. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and open a text to Jus.

Me: Where r u? I’m with your friend.



It doesn’t take long before he answers.



Jus: I’m at work. What friend?



My heart trips in my chest as I realize I’ve most likely got myself into some bullshit, and now I need to dig my way out.

“Hey, so I think I’m going to head back.”

“Don’t be silly.” She stops, holding my stare. “You want to come with me.” Her tone is forceful, her pupils dilating. I blink back slowly as everything around me turns to slo-mo.

I shake my head out of my daze. “No, I’m good. Nice meeting you!” I don’t bother to watch as she blinks past her shock. I turn and pick up the pace back to Jus. Holy fuck, what is happening this morning?

I think of going to see Jus, at the least to ask who the fuck that chick was, but instead, turn the other direction to make my way home. I shouldn’t have left this morning. That’s where I went wrong, and now I kind of just want my best friend.

My phone vibrates in my hand, and without looking, I swipe to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lo.” At the sound of his voice, all of my muscles relax and I blow out a deep breath. Everything that’s been going on around me lately, I almost forgot about him. Not likely.

“Hey, Unc!” I don’t bother looking over my shoulder to see if the weird girl is following me. Cocooned in the safety of my uncle, I know I’m good here.

Happy.

Safe.

Protected.

“Just checking in on you, baby girl. How’s college treating you? You find a major yet?”

I sigh, pushing the elevator button to take me to my level.

“Not yet. I hope so soon. How is everything back home?”

“Eh.” I can imagine him shrugging his big shoulders. “Same old. Mr. Kent finally lost his license. The old fuck running too many red lights in town.”

I giggle, stepping into the elevator and pushing our level. “Well, I guess that’ll save a few lives.” He goes off about work and how many people are moving away from Sunshine Valley. It’s a small town nestled away in the mountains, and despite the name, it’s always doom and gloom.

“What about you?” he asks, and I toss my handbag onto the kitchen counter, changing ears.

“Uneventful. Ben has been keeping me busy.”

“So you’ve been partying?” he asks, and I smirk into my bottle of water.

“Something like that.”

“Alright, well, I better let you go. Don’t leave it too long this time, Lon.”

“I promise.” I hang up my phone and place it onto the counter. Breathe in. Breathe out. My uncle is my safe space and has been since my parents passed.

When people find out my mom and dad are dead, they pity me, assuming I didn’t have all I needed as a girl, but they’re wrong. Nobody needs parents. What they need is someone in their corner, always and no matter what. I had that. I have that.

My uncle Marcus has been there my whole life and he was more than enough. He loved me with the same volume any child would have with both of their parents. I never asked questions. I guess I didn’t want him to think that he wasn’t enough. I figured he would tell me more about my mom and dad eventually, when he was ready. All he had said about my parents’ death was it was tragic, and that one word was enough for me not to want to know more. I mean, for what? So I could think of all the ways it could have been avoided, if there are any?

Who does that help?

“You okay?” Ben asks, rounding the kitchen with nothing but a pair of briefs on. Tight enough to see the outline of his dick. That I have seen often.

“Like, can you stop walking around like a slut?” I gesture around his body.

He flashes me a full-tooth smile. “No?”

The sight of his smile, or maybe the sight of him in general, has parts of me relaxing when I feel anything but calm. The problem is, I have no idea what to say.

I can’t exactly pop off with, “Hey, so Knight broke into our dorm room, fucked me into a frenzy where I may or may not have seen literal stars exploding all around us, left, and then I woke up with him on top of me again, only to find out, it wasn’t actually him, but a twin brother I didn’t even know he had…who I may or may not have been screwing around with this entire time, who also may not be his twin at all, but some weird freaky magical doppelg?nger shit like in The Vampire Diaries when that brunette bitch pops out of nowhere and ruins everything. Oh, and speaking of good old TVD, I’m pretty sure I saw some sharp ass teeth come out to play , and I definitely saw a giant fucking glowing circle they just…walked on through!”

Oh my fucking god, I am crazy. Actually fucking crazy.

Technically, I could say all of that to Ben. He wouldn’t fault me for it and he would never judge. Check my temperature and ask what I’m on, yes, but not judge.

And unless one of the Knights kissed me with some sort of acid on their tongues, I’m painfully sober and some freaky shit is going on here.

“Lon?”

I blink. “Hmm?”

Ben cocks his head. “I said you sure you’re good? I was about to head to the shower, but I can stay.”