Dominic growled, Where are you? They’re pairing everyone up!
Coming, I replied, running down the empty green hallway. I stayed late going over the reading list with Mr. Jarvis.
Dominic mentally sighed. You’re gonna get stuck with someone you don’t want. They’re going in alphabetical order. I’ve already been called and so has Elly.
Wonderful. I was going to get my butt kicked before lunch.
I ran into the girls locker room and jammed everything inside my locker before quickly stripping down to change into the black sports bra and black shorts we had to wear for these classes. I grabbed a ponytail holder then slammed my locker closed and raced out of the room and down the back hallway to the gym I had been in merely an hour ago. The bleachers were pulled back. Instead of an audience and press, my classmates were situated throughout the gym, paired off, standing on round blue mats.
I scanned the room and saw Dominic sigh in exasperation as he stared at my feet. I glanced down and realized I had forgotten to put socks and tennis shoes on. My black-painted toenails gleamed under the hideous lighting. I groaned, and started to turn around, but was stopped by a loud voice. “Ms. Ruckler! It’s so nice of you to join us!” It was Mr. Bertrand, my teacher for this hour of torture. “Get over here!”
Sighing in resignation, I jogged his way. “I need to get my shoes.”
Mr. Bertrand glanced at my bare feet and chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ll be fine without them. I don’t imagine they would help you much this time.” He gestured to his right. “Mr. Zeller is going to be your partner.”
I gaped, turning my attention to where he pointed.
Ezra Zeller was leaning against the closed bleachers with his huge arms crossed over his equally massive chest. He wore only black-knit pants, cut off below the knee like every student who was male, so I got a close up view of my impending death with all that bare flesh. He was enormous. It would be like taking on Dominic. Ezra shoved off the bleachers, gradually examining me from head to toe.
In unison, we muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Mr. Bertrand shook his head. “That’s what you get for being late, Ms. Ruckler.” He smiled like the evil teacher he was. “In the future, be on time to my class.”
“I will seriously hurt a Com,” Ezra stated bluntly, striding to stand directly beside me, glaring at Mr. Bertrand. “Pair me with someone who’s not a Mys wannabe.”
I choked, scowling. “I’m not a Com!”
He snorted, looking me over again. “Yes, sweetheart. You are.”
“Actually, she’s not,” King Venclaire countered, breaking away from where he and King Kincaid were talking quietly. Each King stayed with their Prodigy the first day, going to their classes to get an idea of what their Prodigy’s day consisted of. “She’s a Shifter.”
Ezra’s arched eyebrows lowered and he turned from the King to me, again giving me a once over, but this time with the gentlest brush of his power. It was dark and seductive, probing, feeling my Shifter magic in verification before he pulled it back. “Shift.” It was a command.
I snorted this time. Flipped him off. He wasn’t my “to be” King.
Mr. Bertrand’s jaw gaped.
King Venclaire only smiled. “You remind me of someone, Ms. Ruckler.”
I bit my lip. It wasn’t wise to attract the attention of the Kings. Not that I hadn’t already a month ago, when all four had been dressed in their eerie, hooded robes for this year’s Awakenings. Mine had taken over ten minutes. A normal Awakening only takes a few seconds. I rolled my shoulders, shaking my head. “That’s surprising.” Truth.
He nodded absently, his head cocking in his quiet perusal.
“What do you shift into?” Ezra asked suspiciously, closely watching the King’s interaction with me…and his almond eyes weren’t merely green. They were more a spring green, light and piercing, vivid against his mocha coloring. The simpering women here would fall at his feet.
“A wolf,” I grumbled in irritation, then turned back to Mr. Bertrand. “Seriously. I can’t fight him.” I waved a hand up and down Ezra’s frame, even poking his bicep — hurt my freaking finger. “He will murder me.”
Mr. Bertrand actually laughed. “The mat in the corner’s free. Good luck.”
I gawked as he and King Venclaire meandered in King Kincaid’s direction. Slowly, I pivoted, warily regarding Ezra. My assessment of being dead before lunch wasn’t too far off base.
Irritably, Ezra shook his head, stalking toward “our” mat. “What kind of training have you had?”
I gulped, and hurried to catch up. “Uh, none.”
“Perfect,” he muttered, facing me on the mat. “Try not to bleed too much.” A small curve of his wide lips. “Or do. Either way, I won’t mind.”
I ignored the Vampire’s comment while he stretched. My hands shaking only slightly, I quickly put my hair up in a ponytail. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms, glancing to Dominic, who had been paired with someone his own size. Being on time had merit.
Once Ezra and I were finished warming up, he gave no warning.
He lunged, using his Vampire speed.
“Ugh!” I grunted as my back hit the mat, my breath damn near knocked out of me.
“Get up,” he rumbled, still on his feet, his back muscles flexing with his rolling steps.
Gritting my teeth, I twisted, careful to not use my own miniscule Vampire speed. With a small portion of my Shifter strength, I dove. I didn’t care if his back was turned. It was probably the only way I could get a hit on him.
He turned at the last second, more than likely hearing me with his senses, but I still plowed into him. I wasn’t as agile as him to stay standing, so we both went down. He grunted this time when he landed on his back, and even though my forehead smacked against his shoulder, lying flat on top of him I still grinned with mischievous delight.
Until I was flipped. My shoulders slammed back on the mat. With a very heavy Ezra on top of me, I kept the grunt at bay, glaring up at him.
Spring green eyes glowered. “Good. You can’t beat me in a proper fight, so get dirty.” His nostrils flared, and he added, “You’re not scared anymore. You’re angry. That’s good, too, but don’t let it cloud your judgment.”
My glare didn’t disappear. “Shut up, and get off me.” He was like a freaking boulder.
Suddenly, his fangs lengthened. His voice was a mere whisper. “Get out of my hold.”
I freaked. This guy could seriously bite me. There was no way to get out of this. Panting hard from instant fear, I shoved anyway. The action got me nowhere. Trying to twist out from under him, heart pounding, I shouted, “Get off!”
He shook his head. “Calm down. Think.” Nice words, but his fangs were still out.
A deep wolf’s growl erupted next to us. “Get off my mate.”
Ezra blinked and tilted his face toward Dominic, who stood next to us, meeting my mate’s deadly gaze. Another blink. His eyes slid to Dominic’s neck, where my mate mark was, then to my neck, where Dominic’s mate mark was. Instantly, he was on his side of the mat and wearing a cool, blank expression. Like, one second he was a massive weight on top of me, and the next beat he instantly stood five feet away.
Dominic quickly lifted me to my feet, glaring, a definite growl in his tone. “When she tells you to get off her, then fucking do it.”
The two Kings had edged closer, but weren’t interrupting.
Ezra’s jaw seesawed back and forth, probably remembering all the rude comments he had already said to me, unknowingly offending the Prodigy Shifter’s mate. He surprised me, though; instead of apologizing, he stated bluntly, “She needs to learn to defend herself. That wasn’t a difficult position to escape from.” No fangs showed.
Dominic’s grip on me tightened, fairly vibrating.
All eyes inside the gym were now on the three of us, and I knew Dominic was on the verge of going after the Prodigy Vampire, so I held Ezra’s spring green eyes steadily, stating quickly and quietly, “Just keep your fangs away, and you can teach me, or whatever it was you were doing.”
Calm down, I told Dominic silently, I just wigged out.
Dominic’s gaze met mine, his dark eyes glowing, his hair falling around his cheeks. You told him to get off. He didn’t. The prick hasn’t even apologized.
I don’t think he’s going to, I replied calmly, I don’t think that’s his style.
Dominic snorted, his hands skimming down my back softly. You sure you’re okay?
Yeah. I’m good.
He lifted a finger and brushed it over my lips. Stared, as I gazed at his lips, but I remembered Ezra was still standing there. I peered away from Dominic’s perfect mouth to Ezra’s hooded gaze. “No fangs. We clear?”
Slowly, Ezra nodded, watching.
I nodded in return, agreement made, then smiled at my mate. You can go back to your partner and I’ll continue getting my butt kicked. My lips twitched. Maybe you can give me a massage during lunch?
Dominic grinned leisurely, making me feel all warm inside as a tiny, rumbling growl resonated from deep inside his chest. I can do more than that.
I laughed, pushing him back. “Get going.”
“Yes, my sweet and innocent love.” He bowed, but when he straightened, walking backward to his mat, his gaze slammed into Ezra’s, glowing harshly. “Don’t hurt her.”
Ezra cracked his neck. “No more than necessary.”
Dominic took a deep breath. Nodded once.
I tried not to gawk.
Dominic’s brows rose. “You have to learn. It won’t be easy.”
I gulped, staring wide-eyed. Alright, I got that. Slowly, I peeked at the Vampire who was going to bring the hurt on. This so wasn’t my favorite class.
As everyone’s attention quickly went back to their own business, Mr. Bertrand stated loudly and cheerfully, “Get used to your partner, everyone. The person across from you will be your sparring buddy for the next month.”
Closing my eyes in resignation, I sighed heavily…right before my back hit the mat, taken unaware and unprepared by a tormenting Vampire.
Where are you? Dominic growled inside my head, bringing on a round of déjà vu. Everyone’s already seated.
I’m almost there, I hissed, running inside the administration building. I wasn’t about to tell him I had been ganged up on in the locker room. I had known it would come sometime today. The Shifter women weren’t at all pleased I had mated with Dominic. I had barely made it out of there without bleeding all over the place. There had been five of them. My face stung from the few bruises on my face, which were hopefully disappearing as I dashed down the hallway to Mrs. Jonas’s office where we were supposed to have lunch with her, the Kings, and the Prodigies.
Plowing into her office a few seconds later, I stopped dead, catching my breath. All eyes turned toward me. I quickly flipped my hair over my own right eye — the bruised one — and hurried to the empty seat next to Dominic. “I’m sorry I’m late. I got lost in the halls.” Truth. I had run down the wrong hall twice and went to an entirely incorrect building afterward, not used to the new section of King Hall I was now in.
Dominic stood, kissing my cheek before pulling out my chair for me.
I dropped my book bag under the table and sat, keeping my gaze down.
King Venclaire asked calmly, “Did you also run into a fist while getting here?”
Dominic stilled on his chair.
I closed my eyes, thinking very unkind thoughts about the King Vampire. “No, definitely didn’t run into any fists.” I had dodged most of them.
“Your right eye,” Ezra, directly across from me, stated bluntly. “It’s bruised and I didn’t put it there during sparring.” Their damn Vampire sight was annoying.
Dominic jerked my chin up, leaving me blinking. I could see him just fine now from both eyes, which meant…he objected, “There’s nothing wrong with her eye.”
I kept the sigh of relief at bay, smiling at King Venclaire and Ezra. “See? Nothing’s wrong.” Truth.
Ezra raised a black brow and King Venclaire kept quiet. At least they weren’t going to blab or call me a liar. I would rather Dominic not know about me being bullied. He already worried enough.
I popped my neck, placing my napkin on my lap as a server brought a salad for me from the cart like everyone else had in front of them, and Dominic’s hand instantly moved to the back of my neck, massaging softly.
Across the table to my right, Pearl asked, “You’re Dominic’s mate? Lily Ruckler?”
“Yes,” I mumbled, trying not to groan as Dominic’s fingers worked their magic on my sore muscles. “And you’re Pearl Cooper.” I studied the guy sitting next to her. A Mage. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name. Are you Pearl’s mate?”
He nodded, smiling. He was the masculine equivalence to her feminine beauty. They fit. “I’m Gideon Brooks, and yes, I’m Pearl’s mate.” He stared at my hair curiously. “You’re a Shifter, but I’ve never met anyone like you before. Excuse me if it’s impolite, but I’d love to know what you shift into.” His accent was just as cool as Pearl’s. English accents rocked.
“A wolf,” King Kincaid stated, answering for me.
“Really?” Jack Collins asked. “In your shifted form, are you red, like your hair?”
“She’s beautiful in her shifted form,” Dominic specified bluntly, also not letting me speak. “A perfect red wolf.”
Pearl smiled, understanding what I already knew. He really did find me beautiful. Tiny and all. “What’s your mate gift? Ours is empathy.” She grinned with a twinkle in her eye. “We’ve found its uses entertaining.”
I almost choked on my drink, knowing full well what she was talking about. We had also been afforded empathy. We weren’t supposed to have two gifts, another oddity of my hybrid nature, so we kept the empathy strictly to the bedroom.
“Telepathy,” Ezra answered quietly. “They have telepathy.”
I knew he wasn’t unintelligent. Didn’t miss much.
“What’s it like?” Jack asked as he placed his fork aside, done with his salad, reminding me that I needed to eat my own quickly before the server took it away.
“It’s,” Dominic paused to chew a bite of his salad, taking his hand away from my neck to dab at his mouth with his napkin, “very helpful.” He left it at that.
I stuffed my mouth so as not to blab about how helpful it had been — many times — with my fearless wolf causing a ruckus during the month after my first shift.
“You know,” King Venclaire murmured, his lips twitching, “I heard the oddest conversation the other day.” He watched King Kincaid. “There was a fox seen taking on a mountain lion near your lands. Did you hear anything about that?”
My eye twitched.
Dominic choked on his water.
Christ. My shifted wolf form was as small as a fox, another twist, which all four Kings knew specifically from my Awakening. Yesterday, I had wandered off from the group and met with a mountain lion Shifter who was traveling in shifted form to the King’s house. I hadn’t known the person and had acted instinctively to protect.
I hadn’t told King Kincaid and Dominic about that, and after we had shifted, bloody and tired, I had made the mountain lion Shifter promise not to say anything. And, yeah, we had been off Kincaid’s property. Out in the open. Unwise. King Venclaire obviously had spies around the place now that he was in town.
King Kincaid cleared his throat, not glancing my way, stating, “Yes. I did hear that. We’ve been having a few incidences with an errant fox.” Lie. His wolf growled quietly. “We plan to take care of any issues such as that better in the future.” Truth.
I started to sweat. King Kincaid really didn’t sound happy. If he only knew half the “incidences” I had gotten myself into, I would probably be booted from the house.
King Venclaire snickered. “Sounds like a willful animal. Good luck taming it.”
I breathed slowly, but quickly inhaled my salad until I felt Dominic’s eyes on me. I rested further on my chair, glancing up. My smile was a smidge sheepish when everyone started talking again.
Dominic sighed heavily, bent toward me as he whispered against my ear, “Seriously? The mountain lion?” He nuzzled my neck, sniffing. “And tell me, babe, was it fun watching me fumble over my words at the press release?” His lips curved against my skin. “If cameras really turn you on, I’ve got one we can—”
I elbowed him, cutting him off, and felt my cheeks flush. I mentally stated, Vampires have even better hearing than your dad, who’s right next to us, remember? I stole a look across the table, and sure enough, both Vampires were staring, and I could have sworn King Venclaire was holding back a laugh.
I know they can hear me, Dominic purred. I’m going to get payback on you tonight.
Instantly, my gaze hooded so no one would see the reaction he always had on me.
“Are you two doing it right now?” Pearl asked, her voice airy, golden eyes only dimly glowing. “I feel something,” she paused slightly. “It’s magic.”
As Dominic straightened, I watched her closely. She was definitely a very powerful Mage and I answered honestly. “Yes. We were.” I cocked my head. “You’re muting your power right now.” Even as she used it, her power was hardly noticeable in the air, a true talent, one I had actually been trying to master the past month. “Would you mind…” I left it unsaid. I wanted to see how much she glowed.
She blinked, coming back to herself, smiling softly. “Actually, I think that would be fun. A little demonstration to show our powers.” She glanced at all the Prodigies. “Are you all okay with that? A magical get-to-know-you?”
Jack shrugged.
Dominic sat back on his chair, merely watching, not agreeing just yet.
Ezra’s lips curved. “I would need a volunteer. Are you offering?”
She shook her head immediately. “Can’t you do something that doesn’t require blood?”
He relaxed further on his chair, his grin turning wicked. “I can do many things that don’t require blood, but I don’t think your mate would appreciate them.”
I snorted, then quickly coughed to cover it. This man was something else.
Gideon glared, and started to argue, but Pearl stopped him by scolding Ezra, “Don’t be crude.” Ezra only grinned wider and she cleared her throat, pressing on. “Can’t you do something,” a wave of her hand, “else?”
Gradually, he nodded.
Pearl beamed, glancing to Dominic. “Are you in?”
Dominic eyed her, eventually murmuring, “Sure, if you guys can handle it.” His dark gaze caught mine. “You’ll need to leave.”
I stared. “Why?”
“You don’t appreciate being made to do something by force.”
I still stared. “What are you going to make them do?”
“Stand from their chair. Nothing bad.”
Blinking slowly, I muttered dryly, “I think I can handle that.”
“Sure?”
I smirked. “Yeah. I can handle the big, bad wolf.”
He chuckled quietly, kissing my forehead.
“Who wants to go first?” Pearl asked happily.
“I will,” Jack hummed, sitting forward casually. “I won’t do anything too awful, like, drown or freeze you, but you’ll get wet.”
Pushing away the harsh thoughts after he said the word drown — my mom having died that way — I watched as he sucked in a small breath, his brown eyes glowing abruptly. He raised one finger off the table where it rested and I felt a rush of water Elemental power run like an electrical current around the table. His finger dropped sharply. A blue ring of water appeared from nowhere above everyone’s heads. It dropped.
I gasped as cold water drenched me, hearing shrieks or grunts from one and all, except for King Fergus, who was quiet and bone-dry, with a slightly glowing gaze. Sputtering, I wiped frigid water out of my eyes, blinking repeatedly across the table into Ezra’s spring green gaze; his black lashes were stuck together like miniature spears and his spiked hair was now flat on his head, blue water dripping down his chin. His eyes lowered, his gaze immediately hooded.
My teeth started chattering, my frame disturbed with shivers. The water was freezing. My eyes lowering slightly, I saw Ezra’s white t-shirt plastered to him like he was in a wet t-shirt contest. It was then that realization hit. My head dropped as I peered to my own white t-shirt.
Ah, shit. In my haste to get away from the Shifters in the locker room, I hadn’t even attempted to put my bra back on. The damn thing was currently in my book bag under the table. Yanking my suctioned t-shirt away from my skin, I glowered at the Vampire.
Jack flicked the same finger not ten seconds after we had been drenched, and instantaneously, the water was gone. As if it had never been. Everyone’s everything back in place. Perfect.
I let go of my, now, dry t-shirt and leaned against Dominic, still glaring.
Ezra’s lips curled softly.
“Impressive,” Dominic murmured, wrapping his arm around me, keeping me close.
Jack inclined his head. “Thank you.” Now we knew that he could kill us if he wanted.
“I’ll go next,” Pearl offered. Instantly, she glowed such a bright gold that it verged on hurting my eyes. She began murmuring under her breath and our spoons flew into the air, hovering directly in front of our faces. All except King Nelson’s spoon. His lowered to the table when his eyes glowed.
The rest of the spoons didn’t stay in place either. They darted in a clockwise motion in front of our faces. Kept going. Faster…faster. The rotation was so rapid that they blurred, appearing like one solid ring of shining grey in front of our faces.
They stopped abruptly, our own spoon precisely in front of us, and lowered to the table, still once more.
A bit dizzy after watching them, I cleared my throat.
Jack chuckled quietly. “That was illuminating.”
I peered down at the knife on the table. Yeah, illuminating. I wouldn’t want her trying that with a sharp weapon. Hell, even spoons at that speed were dangerous if they hit a person at the right spot.
Dominic was also eyeing his knife, but he quickly lifted his gaze, saying, “My turn, I guess.” His eyes instantly glowed dark black, his power hitting me like a semitrailer. I gasped while everyone at the table jerked hard; his demand was quiet, his wolf growling low. “Stand.” My body vibrated; I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to stand. I fought it just as it appeared everyone else was doing, but Dominic sucked in another breath and whispered, “Stand.”
His power hit even harder.
I bowed, grabbing the table while hearing chairs being knocked over in the occupant’s haste to do as Dominic bid; my own Shifter power flared in defiance, my eyes glowing bright blue and my butt still firmly planted on my seat, just like King Kincaid’s was. My face began to glisten with sweat, but I was still sitting. I groaned low, panting. Every muscle in my body was pushing me to obey, the pressure hurting like wild fire to stay in place, my body burning from the inside out.
“Dom,” his dad stated harshly, eyes glowing identically with a King’s command.
“Stop.”
A beat later, Dominic’s power cut off, delicious relief touching the heinous sparks inside me. I gulped air, slumping against him. He caught me, holding me against his chest and rubbing his hand soothingly up and down my back. I could tell the others were awed, but really, after that, I just wanted to lie down and take a nap.
“Ms. Ruckler held out,” Mrs. Jonas murmured. “It must be because they’re mates.”
I groaned under my breath, realizing my mistake too late, now grasping for a non-answer. “It wasn’t easy.” It wasn’t because we were mates. It was because, though I usually allowed them to believe otherwise, I wasn’t weak in my own Shifter power. Surprise was a wonderful defense if ever needed — the main reason why I continued to try to master masking my power.
King Kincaid lifted his arms above his head, arching in a massive stretch. “She’s not kidding.” He smiled at his son as everyone righted their chairs. “Nicely done.”
I grunted, even as Dominic nodded his head. The hell with that. Next time, I was leaving the room when he pulled that crap. He tilted my chin up, kissing my lips lightly, and whispered, “You okay?”
I nodded, wiping sweat off my forehead. Everyone else was just as pristine as they were before. If I hadn’t fought so hard, I would be too. His lips brushed mine again, lingering, and only pulled away when the wild card Vampire spoke.
Sounding bored, Ezra muttered, “My turn.” Leaning back on his chair, slouching, he peered directly at King Kincaid. His eyes flashed a bright green. “What was the best part of your evening last night?”
Instant. “Having sex with my mate in the laundry room.” The King’s mouth slammed shut.
Dominic groaned, dropping his head on top of mine, while I tried not to laugh, watching King Kincaid’s cheeks pink as he glanced awkwardly at his son.
Ezra’s eyes flashed again, this time toward King Venclaire. “What was your last sexual position?”
Instant. “Don’t even try that on me.” He glared, his own blue eyes flashing. Guess it didn’t work on him. Like all the other Kings, King Venclaire had protected himself against his Prodigy.
Ezra merely smirked, then repeated his power on everyone, peering straight into their eyes with a single flash of spring green, then asking whatever he wanted and getting an instant, honest answer.
I learned King Fergus hadn’t gotten laid in two years. King Nelson was gay and mated. Jack had a thing for late night porn. Pearl’s favorite place to have sex was in the hot tub. Gideon’s favorite was in the shower. Dominic enjoyed me being on top the best.
Seriously, I couldn’t think it enough: this guy was something else.
I kept my gaze down, not wanting to get flashed.
He chuckled deeply. “What’s the matter? Afraid of what you’ll say about your mate?”
My eyebrows slammed together, and instinctively my eyes raked up, glaring.
His eyes flashed.
I felt a slamming inside my head. A deep presence urged me to say I was a hybrid. My vision was gone, only a spring green void in front of me. My sanity hadn’t disappeared, though. My teeth gritting, I pushed back at the foreign presence.
I gasped, blinking through the surprise of release. My eyesight was back and in focus. I allowed myself a quiet sigh of relief, knowing that I hadn’t blabbed.
Ezra’s eyebrows lowered.
Flash.
All I saw was an abyss of spring green. I was floating in it, warm. Safe.
“Tell me your deepest secret,” a voice purred, surrounding my mind, all the hidden places, an invading fog pouring into every crevasse. “Lily,” the voice hummed. “Tell me.”
My mouth was open, my vocal chords pulling me to shout my hidden nature. Grunting, my teeth instantly ground against each other. I didn’t trust that voice. Only Dominic’s did I trust, and that wasn’t his purr.
My wolf growled and I heaved against the pressure, hissing, “Screw you.” Trembling, I gasped, the room once more coming back into focus.
Dominic still had me wrapped in his arms. “What the hell kind of question was that?”
Ezra was studying me, silent.
King Venclaire rumbled, “One which shouldn’t have been asked in this game, a damn good reason why I protected her.” A foot moved away from mine under the table, and King Venclaire flicked his Prodigy a chastising glance, which Ezra didn’t see…because he was still staring.
I flipped him off. That had been hard as hell to resist, even with King Venclaire’s help.
“How?” Mrs. Jonas asked.
“His foot. Under the table,” I murmured absently, still glaring and, also, a tad freaked. Ezra had a lot of power. He had kicked my butt both physically and mentally today. Time for a little false boasting. “Maybe I’ll visit you in my wolf form.” I grinned. I would happily rip into his leg with my teeth. He would heal quickly enough. I growled a little, letting my wolf take voice.
“Lily…” King Kincaid admonished quietly.
I sighed and stopped snarling at Ezra, who had reclined calmly on his chair, crossing his arms over his chest like I hadn’t just growled and, possibly, threatened him.
He grinned.
While I was tapping my fingers on the table, the server set another course in front of me, but I held Ezra’s gaze straight on.
As thirty seconds turned into a minute, my eyes began to water.
Our staring contest continued.
Only when Dominic mentally growled to not start trouble did I sigh, looking away.
There would be plenty of other opportunities.
With everyone else still inside the office chatting, Dominic and I stood directly outside the front entrance of the administrative building. A moment away from the others, just for us. I brushed my lips over his, readying myself to rush to my poetry class. “I’ll see you later.”
He nodded, but glanced up when his dad and King Venclaire walked out the door, almost running in to us as they spoke quietly. Dominic quickly tugged me aside, the door swinging wide and almost hitting me in the head. Wrapping his arms around me, he glared. “Can’t we get a moment of privacy?”
King Kincaid chuckled quietly. “King Venclaire, do you know this word privacy my son is speaking of?”
“Never heard of it,” King Venclaire murmured absently, bending low so that he was right in front of my face. Again his eyes darted across my face, but this time he smiled. “Angela Springs was your mother. Your face is the spitting image of her. Your hair threw me because hers was dark brown, and her eyes were brown whereas yours are blue. But there’s no denying it.” His gaze skimmed down my face again unhurriedly. “You’re her daughter.”
My heart jumping to my throat, I pressed harder against Dominic. I knew what my real last name had been when I was born — before it was changed to Ruckler — but my mom had always told me that, if anyone ever knew who she was, I was to get the hell out of town. I scanned the lawn, looking for hiding exits, seeing only open space.
King Venclaire grabbed my chin, swiftly turning my attention toward him. His eyebrows were together, his features etched with worry. “From what King Kincaid’s said, I understand you lost her. It must be hard, but try not to panic. I didn’t mean to make you overwrought.” He seemed…sincere.
I gulped. The area was quiet; I realized that there was nowhere to run, with a King to my left and another in front of me, so I had to get my act together. I nodded swiftly, playing a part: breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth to even my heartbeat and stating, “She only died a little over a year ago. It’s still very raw.” Anybody could hear that in my tone.
King Venclaire smiled delicately, his words just as gentle. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” His eyes unfocused and his expression softened further, his tone a whisper. “I knew her. She and I were,” he hesitated, “friends, long ago.” His sigh was quiet, sounding weary. “I would have liked to have kept in touch with her, but I imagine Mr. Ruckler was who she ran off with?” He straightened when I stayed silent, his eyes dancing across my features again, his tone still whisper-soft. “She was quite beautiful. As are you, Lily.”
I blinked, knowing full well that I had started trembling as comprehension dawned.
Oh. My. God!
No one in our tiny group moved or said a word, or even breathed, for a long moment.
Eventually, controlling the possibly explosive situation, I cleared my throat and handled it like a trooper, stating as honestly as I could, “I didn’t know my biological dad. He was out of my life before I was born.” That, and bam, he was now standing right in front of me. Dominic wasn’t an idiot, either. He was rigid against me, staring at King Venclaire much like I probably was. A little shocked, a lot awed, I really took in his features.
I had his blue eyes, really their shape, too, since mine were wide and slightly slanted like his. He had more red streaks in his hair than black. That was where I had inherited it, perhaps minus the black because of my nature. Although, he was tall, as my mom had been, so I was guessing the hybrid part made me smaller, the two combined sets of genes whacked.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” King Venclaire murmured, his head cocking as he glanced with a scowl at the closed door, but I could tell his words were heartfelt, even if he did appear distracted. The four of us shuffled to the side when King Fergus and Jack exited the building. We watched them begin to cross the lawn but, before the door swung shut, King Nelson called loudly and irritably for King Venclaire from deep inside the building. King Venclaire grabbed the door, holding it open. Glancing inside, he replied loudly, “I’m sure Ezra meant no offense, King Nelson. Just give me a moment and I’ll be back there.”
I memorized everything about my biological dad. His profile, his straight hair, the way he held himself with such dignity. No wonder Mom had gone after him. He would have been — hell, he still was — a prime catch. He peered back toward me and touched my forehead with a single finger.
Suddenly, I felt less scared. Less depressed. Joy and happiness filled me in small sips until I was no longer shaking and I was left feeling relaxed and content.
King Venclaire lowered his hand, stating quietly, “It really is a pleasure to have met you, Lily.” He stepped inside the building, the door shutting behind him. He was gone from view. Only his earth-shattering news remained, a whisper inside my soul.