“You know who I am! You threw me out and tossed my panties to the wind!” She holds up a wad of fabrics.
Panties.
Hmm. I knew her satchel seemed light, but I assumed it was more than just underwear...
I pause just long enough for someone else to step in: my sweet sister.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, but you need to take your,” her big eyes glance to the panties, “take your stuff and go find your own room. This is a privately assigned room selected by King Leavon himself.”
My brows lower fast. The king personally selected Ivy.Thatis not good. Not good at all.
“This is my room!” the lunatic shouts at us, angry fists shaking around a rainbow of muddy undergarments.
Ivy’s palms plant on her hips, and I’m actually impressed with the confidence this place has given her. I’ve never seen her like this.
“Is there a problem in here?” a smooth voice like violence wrapped in velvet asks tensely.
“Yes!” Bethory booms as she spins on her heels.
And comes face-to-face with Synder Steel.
Why? Why is this man always two steps away from crawling up my ass and setting up a nice little bed-and-breakfast for himself to stay in for the rest of our miserable lives?
“This is my room. They’re forcing me out ofmyroom!”
“This is Ivy’s room. Her name’s on the door, personally selected by the king.” Synder glances my way from over pale, disheveled blonde hair but draws his attention back when a hard stomping of Bethory’s foot meets the floorboards.
“Ahhh! It’s my fucking room! She lied, and she’s lying right now, and that’s my bed, and my new best friend, and this is mine, and I’m not leaving!”
A big hand clasps over Bethory’s face. He snatches up her entire face and forces her to look at him. Synder stares down on her with unblinking, starry eyes. “Listen to me, girl. As the Brotherhood, I’m commanding you to vacate not only this room but the Kingdom of Carnal. You were ill selected. A mistake. And I won’t tolerate your screaming for another bloody second.” His mouth twitches oddly, morphing almost, but it seems to halt when his teeth grind tightly together.
I watch in awe of his power as the protests from Ivy’s previous roommate halt entirely. She nods her head emptily. The girl steps back robotically. She doesn’t make a sound. She doesn’t look our way at all. And then she walks right out the door.
Damn. I should have handled all of this like that.
A boy, much younger than Synder, steps into the doorway and peers around. It’s the boy who gave me his coat. His eyes are snake-like, an intense green that no human could ever possess. He glides in that way too. His gait feels slithering with a swaying carefulness to his every step.
“Thank you,” Ivy says quietly, looking to Synder with kindness I don’t like one bit.
“You’re lucky,” the boy behind Synder cuts in, drawing Ivy’s attention to him in an instant. The split of his tongue catches against his words, but his tone is soft. Kind. “You’re lucky you’re neighbors with a future Brotherhood like me.”
Synder rolls his eyes so hard, I swear he’s mentally placing a curse on the kid. Meanwhile, Ivy’s soft laughter is an alluring sound, it seems. Because the boy steps past Synder and offers her his hand.
“Benton Steel,” the young boy says with bedroom eyes focused intently on my little sister.
I make note of his interest, a double underlined note to look into his name and background.
Honestly, his attention is better than Synder’s, and that’s all that matters in this moment. He’s her age. Which doesn’t make him any less dangerous, but it does make me feel better for some reason.
“You’re his mentor?” I ask with a smirk clinging to my lips. “They really do have to stop putting you in leadership roles, Syn.” Synder’s galaxy-like eyes flash with lightening, and the image of his mouth kissing down my sex is fresh in my mind. Only Benton seems to find my joke amusing.
Synder’s lip curls hard, but he holds my gaze.
“You didn’t tell me Her Thighness was so funny.” Benton sends his elbow in to meet Synder’s ribs, and the literal jab only pisses him off even more.
Her Thighness. I like it. I shall reign over men for all of time. Long Live her Thighness.
“Right. Benton will be next door to the left. Try not to attract any more psychopaths,” Synder advises as if he himself isn’t a total fucking psychopath.