Sauter (Ironside Academy, #3)(11)

Kilian was the only one who didn’t do anything weird.

He strode over to her and captured her into a tight hug that pulled her feet from the ground. When he set her down again, he suddenly whirled on Theodore, snatching his wrist and pulling Theodore’s hand up between them.

“Wash your hands before you eat,” he said silkily, his tone hiding an undercurrent of sharpness.

Isobel went white, finally realising what everyone was reacting to, but as mortified as she was, the comfortable feeling of her blood singing happily through her veins pushed her to shrug off their stares and sit down. Kilian immediately claimed the seat beside her, tucking her beneath his arm, his nose brushing her hair.

“You smell happy to see us,” he said.

“Shut the hell up.” She elbowed him.

He chuckled, dragging her closer. The others stared at the two of them like they were speaking a foreign language.

“Well.” Easton cleared his throat, glaring at Theodore for several awkward and prolonged seconds before pulling out a seat opposite Isobel. “It’s good to see you awake.”

“So awake,” Cian drawled, flashing her a wry grin. “Super switched on.”

“You can also shut the hell up.” She glared at him, before shyly flicking her eyes to Easton’s tie. “And um, thank you, Professor.”

There was a light scoffing sound from the other side of the table. She wasn’t sure who it came from, because the others were still moving around. Niko and Moses brought over half a dozen dishes from the kitchen before Moses picked up Theodore’s chair, dragging it—and Theodore—away from Isobel. He inserted a chair between them and sank into it, shaking his head at his brother.

Theodore wasn’t even paying attention. He was loading his plate up with food like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Easton continued, ignoring the Kane twins.

“What happened to them?” The question almost exploded out of her. She had been waiting to ask it since she opened her eyes in the hospital.

“Them?” Kalen demanded. The whole table stilled. Moses dropped something else. More glass shattered.

“Someone else was there?” Sato snarled. “Nobody else entered the house. We were watching. Eve didn’t mention a second person in her confession and her confession was enough to get her ki—” He paused, his eyes flicking to the side, almost like he was seeking out one of the cameras. “Enough to get her into trouble,” he revised. “So we assumed she wasn’t lying.”

Isobel curled her fingers around her fork, her stomach suddenly churning as she gazed at the food laid out before her. “There was a boy. I can’t remember his name. He was leaving the house when I came in, then he must have looped around and entered through the back.”

“I remember him,” Cian said. “Tall, dark hair, had a look on his face like he was smarter than everyone else. Wore an old motorcycle jacket—”

“Aron,” Kilian croaked.

Another glass exploded, Easton cursing as he shook out his hand.

“Aron?” Cian’s voice was heavy with dread. “As in—”

“Yes.” Kilian swallowed, all of the animation suddenly seeping out of him, his eyes taking on a vacant look. “My ex.”

“He’s not even a student …” Moses trailed off as Kalen stood from the table, pulling out his phone and searching for a number before raising it to his ear and walking away.

“And now he’s as good as dead,” Kilian said, still staring blankly at the table.

“Eve already confessed.” Moses frowned over at Kilian. “Why was Aron even there?”

Isobel swallowed, peeking at Kilian. He didn’t just look emotionless. She couldn’t feel anything from him. Nothing at all. Somehow, that seemed worse than feeling a terrible, heavy pressure against her chest.

“They were both convinced that Kilian was my mate,” she said carefully.

“Why would they think that?” Niko asked, his eyes razor-focussed on her. She had never seen them so clear, the earthy green and rich brown hue blending together, binding her attention so well that she forgot to blink, tears springing up at the strain it took to hold his gaze.

I told her. I broke my promise. This is all my fault.

“I … messed up. I thought she was my friend.”

Niko leaned forward, drawing her further into that forest-green oasis, his power wrapping around her so subtly that she barely realised he was exerting his influence until it draped her like a second skin. “Why would she think that Kilian is your mate?” he repeated, his voice soft.

It would be too easy to lie. To claim that she had nothing to do with it. She could even use the cameras as an excuse.

But they were the liars. Not her.

“Because I told her everything,” she said evenly. She let that hang in the air for a moment before she warped the rest of the story for the cameras. “Everything I wanted to believe, anyway. I told her Kilian was my mate because I wished he was. I don’t want my real mate. I don’t know who he is. But Kilian is nice to me. He cares about me. And he probably wouldn’t ever make me complete the bond because he isn’t into girls.”

She sagged back against her chair, dropping her fork and crossing her arms. They were quiet. Kilian didn’t even act like he had heard her. He was still staring at the same spot on the table.