Calmed myself by punching John.
Finally, Arabella emerged from the bathroom with a bored expression on her face. Like she was completely apathetic to having almost died. Like she didn’t care that she’d touched another man.
It made me homicidal.
She walked by and Orion’s scent filled my nose. My lips curled upward, and satisfaction warmed my blood. She was wearing my Revered’s sweatshirt.
For some unfathomable reason, I liked that she was wearing his clothes. I really liked it. Unacceptable. She’s a disgrace.
I forced my lips downward.
Scowled.
Focused on my anger. The emotion grew as I followed her and John down the hall.
Students stared up at our table. Tongues moved, heads bent close, and fingers pointed. They gawked at us.
She looked terrible, and everyone was whispering about it.
Even the other legions abandoned the pretense of eating and gawked at her.
The large man from the angel legion with two different colored eyes glowered like he had a personal grudge against our slave.
He hadn’t earned the right to hate her. But I had.
The room’s buzz faded into the background as Arabella embraced Sadie and John.
Eerie silence prevailed.
The nothingness of our missing mating song was becoming more prevalent. The silence felt cold.
Dust particles drifted.
Goose bumps prickled across my arms as the phantom chill enveloped me.
The gnarled shadows from the sacred tree drifted back and forth as if the branches were in tune with the quiet. I raked my hand across my shaved head and tried to physically dislodge my ridiculous thoughts.
Was I cracking under the pressure? Maybe they were right and I was too young to be the leader of the kings.
My Revered squeezed my shoulder, and his touch grounded me. My Protector dug his nails into the nape of my neck, and I leaned back into the pain.
I needed to focus on the problem: Arabella.
Instead of sitting down and eating like every other competitor, she hugged John and Sadie.
Why couldn’t she keep her hands to herself for five fucking seconds?
The plan was to go to the dining hall and eat a meal. How difficult was that to follow? For one sun-god-damned minute, it would be nice if everyone just obeyed me.
I was the captain.
I was supposed to be the one calling the shots.
Yet once again Arabella defied me.
John’s wide body completely dwarfed the women as the three of them basically mounted one another in public. They were all over one another.
Only pathetic children hugged like this.
It was embarrassing.
John’s chin rested on top of blue hair, and for a split second, he stopped making pathetic eyes down at our slave and glanced at me.
Hooded dark eyes narrowed.
Slowly, the corner of John’s mouth pulled up in a smirk as he made a show of nuzzling his chin against her curls.
I saw red.
It wasn’t from the eclipse.
He pulled Arabella tighter against his chest, and his lips moved as he whispered something only she could hear. His eyes didn’t leave mine.
John was staking his claim.
My top lip curled up with disgust because he could have her. She was nothing to us. Nothing.
Arabella let him haul her closer and melted against his chest.
My flames shot higher.
Scratch that. John could have her when I gave her away.
I’m in control, I repeated as I took a deep breath.
It was a lie, and I knew it. The slave brand controlled me.
John tilted his body to the side, and Arabella smiled up at him as he spoke. She looked at him reverently.
It was obvious what was happening.
The House of Malum was bound to a slut.
Scorpius stiffened next to me, and his breath caught as his expression became glacial like he’d heard something upsetting.
“What did John just say?” As I asked, my chest tightened because I didn’t want to know the answer.
Scorpius gritted his teeth. “He told her he loves her.”
The pressure in my chest became an avalanche.
Love. A made-up word that males used to manipulate women. A childish delusion. A joke.
It meant nothing.
Loyalty and devotion were tangible actions that could be shown. Soul bonds were real.
Love was not.
It was just a word.
I stomped over and snarled at them, “Stop humping each other. You’re causing a scene.”
They pulled apart, and I pulled out my chair roughly, the wood creaking as I threw myself down.
The rest of my team followed my lead and sat down.
I pulled out Orion’s seat for him and concentrated on fussing over my Revered. His usual golden skin was pale as he stared at where John still had his arm hanging over Arabella’s shoulder. He was probably saying more meaningless words.
I cleared my throat loudly.
Finally, John and Sadie pulled away.
When Arabella settled into her seat across from Scorpius, the ache in my muscles didn’t relax.
The tension mounted.
Because every few seconds, Arabella flashed John a wide, toothy grin.
She practically radiated bliss. Laughed. Smiled.
Like she didn’t have a care in the world.
Like she hadn’t been in mangled pieces two days ago.
And since today the universe was conspiring to test my patience, three male students approached our table.
From their green clothes, they were pathetic commoners.
And because the universe was conspiring to make me lose control and go on a murdering rampage, the three men stopped in front of our slave.
Orion made a sound of disgust and leaned over to describe them to Scorpius. “Three men just approached her. All of them have their hair dyed blue. They are wearing caps on their ears like they want to be fae. From their pathetic statures, they’re a minor species from the Olympus realm.”
Scorpius scoffed.
In a turn of events no one saw coming, the three fae wannabes fell to their knees and bowed before Arabella. “Your Highness, we wanted to welcome you formally to the academy. Where we are from, we worship the fae.”
The royal students, whose table was closest to our table, turned to stare at the spectacle.
Arabella turned bright red. The color clashed horribly with the green-and-blue bruises covering her face.
“Um, thanks, guys,” she said awkwardly.
Next to her, John put his hand over his mouth and shook with laughter.
The fake fae idiots smiled at her words like she was a goddess.
They spoke in unison and said, “We give you our service. The throne of death has turned black for you for the first time in centuries. You are even more powerful and ruthless than your mother and are the only ruler we will accept.”
Arabella blanched.
“Well, th-th-that’s good,” she stuttered and stared down at her plate like she was desperate to be anywhere but talking to them.
They smiled like puppies.
One man grabbed Arabella’s hand and pressed his lips aggressively to her still-healing fingers.
John stopped laughing and glared at him.
I made a mental note to remove the man’s lips.
“Get your filthy mouth off her,” I snarled, and Orion nodded. Scorpius bared his teeth as he realized what was going on.
The fake fae idiot didn’t move. He just stared at Arabella like I hadn’t even spoken.
I released a little pressure.
His lips lit on fire.
I smirked as he yelped and stumbled backward while slapping his face.