“Does he mean that much to you?” Hawke asked.
He sounded genuinely angry.Yes. I kept that answer to myself and instead leaned back against him. “I don’t think you should kill just because I left with someone. It’s not a big deal.”
“You didn’t come back home all weekend,” Luxious pointed out.
“Fucking stalkers.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Luxious face gives nothing away, but his voice dipped slightly on the word boyfriend, giving me enough to know he’s annoyed.
“Why? Jealous?” I taunted.
“Like you were at the party Friday?” Lux shot back.
Motherfucker.
Hawke pressed his face against my shoulder. “Fine, I won’t kill him, but the moment he touches you, I get to cut off his fingers.”
Why did I have to end up with a bunch of psychos?
* * *
The intercom clicked on,and the usual announcements began. I drowned them out and read over some notes. It was like reading a foreign language, but I was pretty sure I was getting the hang of math and biochem.I think.
“Keegan Quell is officially the property of the kings. She has been declared their pet.”
My head jerked up, and I was out of my seat before I could even fathom what the fuck she’d said. “I what?”
All the students around me started laughing, and some even whispered as they pointed at me. I grabbed my shit and stormed out of the class.What the fuck are those idiots thinking?
I ran smack dead into Harry. The only reason I knew his name was because of Mac. He was some rich guy’s son, but apparently, he was important. I didn’t care. I wanted him out of my way. I had a different set of rich assholes to deal with. “Oh, sorry there, poochie.”
Fuck this.What did I ever do to deserve this?
I sidestepped him, but he blocked my way. “You know, if you don’t like rolling over for the kings, I’m sure I can provide a better collar for you.” Harry reached for my neck, and I reacted instinctively by punching him in the face.
My knuckles scraped teeth and blood beaded on my skin. Harry tumbled back a few steps, his hand to his mouth. Anger simmered in his dark blue eyes before it disappeared.
“It must be nice having everything handed to you,” Harry said. He rubbed the drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. “I’ll just send them the bill. After all, they’ve been taking care of everything anyway.” He walked away, leaving me standing there with that huge as fuck bomb of information.
Anger, fear, confusion, and doubt swam in the pit of my stomach. My chest was so tight it was impossible to get a full breath.
Do I owe someone else? How much?I had nothing left to give. I was tapped out. How much more of myself did I have to cut off to be free? Tears burned the back of my eyes, but they didn’t fall.
Hands grabbed my wrist. I reacted first. My fist cut through the air and crashed into Hawke’s hand just as I brought my knee up and jammed it into his abdomen. He grunted but didn’t let me go. Air sawed in and out of my lungs as fire licked up my spine, making everything around me hazier by the second.
“Corpse.” Hawke’s voice sounded far away, and I realized I was having a stupid panic attack.
I was moved around, and knowing it was Hawke, I stopped fighting. It was as if my body instinctually trusted him. I heard a door open and close, and the next thing I knew, Hawke kissed me. My eyes widened, and I opened my mouth. His tongue dove in, and I bit down until I tasted the unmistakable tang of blood. Hawke groaned and pulled me closer.
The panic subsided, and the anger and frustration came back tenfold. They’d declared I was their fucking pet like I wasn’t even human. I punched Hawke in the shoulder and wrenched my mouth free.
“What the fuck, Hawke?”
He smiled, the blood making his pink lips redder. Why was he so tempting? He pulled us close, and my hands slipped as our lips crashed together once more.
“Fuck.” I ground against Hawke, my body begging for him as my mind tried to grab control. However, it was a lost fucking cause, one I was willingly giving into. I’d be a liar if I said I hadn’t dreamt of fucking Hawke since the moment his annoying ass saved me.
Great, now I’m changing history.He kept those jerks from having their way with me but also put me in a cage. He was only marginally better.