Maybe I don't need Darcy right now.
I dropped back onto the bed, leaning up to scratch my head as something tickled me. Pushing the sensation away, I focused on Alice's large breasts as she straddled me, leaning up to brush my tongue across her peaked nipple. She released a hungry moan but I lost my concentration as my neck began to itch. I pawed at the back of my head, but as I moved toward Alice again, my skin started to crawl like tiny feet were running up and down me.
“Argh.” I shoved Alice off of me and she flopped onto the bed. I scratched at my ear, my back, my head again. “Shit's sake.”
“What's going on with you?” Alice grimaced and a flare of embarrassment coursed through me.
I'm her Alpha, she can't look at me like that!
“Nothing,” I snapped, dropping onto her and pushing my mouth against hers to distract her. While her eyes were closed, I reached around to scratch the back of my thigh as a fiery itch starting up there too.
What the fuck is happening? Did the damn cleaning lady use cheap laundry power again? How many times do I have to tell her? Premium wash, once a day.
Latisha ran a hand down my back and I leaned into her sharp nails, hoping she might deliver me from this itchy evil.
“Ah! Flea flea!” Latisha screeched and I jumped upright in alarm.
“Where?” I gazed down at Alice and she pointed back at me. “There!” She rolled away, throwing herself off the bed and the rest of my pack started backing away from me.
I shook my head, but that awful itching started up again and I balled my fists, refusing to scratch. Everyone started pulling on their clothes and a whine escaped my throat. “Hey, wait-”
“I love you Alpha but I can't get fleas just before my mid-terms!” Frank called, racing toward the door.
“I don't have fleas!” I shouted as more of my pack sped after him.
The itching in my scalp became too much and I lifted a hand, raking my nails across my head with a groan of relief.
“See! Get away!” Latisha pulled on a shirt, already halfway across the room.
“It's not true!” I roared. “I'm your Alpha!” I couldn't stop scratching as the itching burrowed deeper and I clawed at myself, scoring red stripes across my skin.
The rest of my pack vacated the room and I released a growl, tearing at my body as the itching became maddening.
“Come back,” I said weakly, a whimper leaving my throat as they abandoned me. A hollowness filled my chest as the quiet rang out and the door swung slowly shut.
I can't be alone. I hate being alone.
I threw my head back and howled, the mournful sound filling up my room and reaching out into Aer Tower. But not a single one of my pack replied.
Because Darius had decided to collect me and Darcy at six for the party from hell, I’d had no choice but to head straight from my Saturday afternoon run to my room to get myself ready with zero time to grab dinner at The Orb. Missing a meal was a pretty touchy subject for me after scraping by in the mortal world and I’d already considered sending Darius a message to make sure we’d be getting fed at this thing. In the end I’d decided against it. I’d promised to play nice tonight and I was going to try and stick to my word. Rich people had to eat too so I was sure I wouldn’t be going hungry.
One thing I would not be doing, however, was wearing the dress he’d had delivered for me.
A ridiculously fancy black box tied with a navy ribbon and inlaid with silver stars lay unopened on my bed containing whatever dresses he’d decided upon for Darcy and I to wear. We’d agreed wholeheartedly that that would not be happening. I hadn’t even looked beneath the lid. Though I had to admit curiosity was gnawing at me a bit every time I glanced at it. But I wasn’t going to budge on this. I’d be showing up at this party as myself and I wasn’t going to be dressed up and paraded about like anything else.
Besides, I had my own money and a dress which I didn’t mind admitting looked pretty damn good on me. It was midnight blue and clung to my figure in all the right places before falling to the floor. It came up to my neck but was completely backless all the way down to the base of my spine. The four inch stilettos I’d paired with it pushed me close to six foot which meant the Heirs wouldn’t be looking down on me quite so much tonight, though short of wearing platforms I’d never actually be able to match their towering heights.
I’d shadowed my eyes and ringed them in black eyeliner and coupled the look with a dark red lipstick. The Celestial Council weren't going to meet a pair of innocent girls who they could push around tonight. I was dressed for war and I was prepared to hold my own.
Keep telling yourself that and maybe it will become true.
I grabbed my Atlas and tapped out a message to Darcy. She was running late and Darius was supposed to be here any minute. She messaged back to say she was on her way and I tossed my Atlas into my clutch as I waited.
A knock came at the door and I stiffened, getting to my feet so that I could open it.
Darius stood outside wearing a black tux which looked like it had been made specifically for him. It fit perfectly and my mouth dried up as my gaze roamed over him. His dark hair was slicked back and the rough stubble lining his jaw ached for me to brush my fingers over it.
No, no, no. Bad Tory.
“Darcy’s not here yet,” I said in place of a greeting.
“I can see that,” he replied.
Before I could lose myself to the spell of his unfairly good looks, I turned away from him, heading back to the mirror which hung on the wall as I applied another coat of lipstick which wasn’t in any way necessary.
He stayed by the door, leaning against the frame as he watched me. “You’re not wearing the dress I sent you.”
“This might be a good time for you to realise, I don’t tend to do as I’m told,” I said dismissively.
“I think I like this one better anyway.”
I turned to look at him in surprise as his gaze slid over me in a way that made heat rise along my skin.
“Nice to know you can admit when you’re wrong,” I said. “So you’re actually going to stick to your word about being nice?”
Darius flashed me a smile which transformed his face in a way I’d never seen before. “I am. Just try not to fall in love with me though, it could make things awkward when we go back to fighting with each other tomorrow.”
I scoffed at that and tossed my lipstick into my clutch just as my Atlas pinged.
Darcy:
I bumped into Orion by The Orb. He says he’s coming with us and that you should meet us here...
I raised an eyebrow in surprise and tapped out a quick response.
Tory:
Okay, I’ll be there to rescue you from his grumpy face ASAP x
“Darcy says she’s going to meet us at The Orb. She ran into your bestie and he told her he can’t bear to spend the evening away from you so he’s tagging along. I just hope that this party isn’t going to be dull, because inviting a teacher has really lowered my expectations for debauchery,” I said as I moved out of my room and locked up behind me.
“In all honesty, Lance is more likely to add to the debauchery than detract from it,” Darius said, offering me his arm.
“Ooo Lance has a first name. Will he want me using that or is it a special right only given to those who get a tattoo in his honour?” I asked, touching my fingers to Darius’s forearm where I knew the Libra brand sat on his skin beneath the fancy suit. I didn’t take his arm though and started walking down the corridor unassisted.
“What makes you think that tattoo is for him?” Darius asked, falling into step with me easily despite the fast pace I set.
“Oh is it a secret? I thought everyone knew he was your Guardian and you’ve got that little soul bond thing going on.”
“Who told you that?” Darius demanded, his voice dropping an octave.
“You just did.” I flashed him a smile and he scowled at me. “Done playing nice so soon?”
He released
a long breath as we reached the common room but didn’t reply. A lot of eyes turned our way. I guessed the sight of the two of us suddenly hanging out was pretty weird.
To the left of us, I noticed Milton Hubert sporting a flashy new gold watch which I’d had delivered to him anonymously. The stipend had taken a hefty hit for that but I’d figured it would be worth the pay off if my plan came together. Besides, I had a whole heap of treasure buried in The Wailing Wood if I ever ran low on cash.
As we passed Milton’s table, Darius’s little gang all looked up, bobbing their heads like a bunch of meerkats as their leader approached.
“Hey man,” Milton said, smiling widely at Darius.
More of the group perked up with greetings, wishing him a fun evening and casting an interested eye over me. I didn’t say much as I waited for Darius to finish up with his fan club but I did smile to myself as he noticed the watch. I was counting on him to recognise the value of it instantly and the way his eyebrows drew together made me think he had. Milton was totally oblivious as he sported his flashy new trinket for the whole world to see.
I faked a yawn not so subtly and Darius pulled his attention from his fan club back to me again.
“Sorry,” he said. “Shall we go?”
I almost choked on my own tongue at the sound of him apologising and could only raise my eyebrows in response as he guided me towards the door by placing a hand on the bare skin at the base of my spine.
At that exact moment, Marguerite came into the room flanked by three of her friends and her face fell into a mask of absolute horror as she spotted her former boyfriend and me on our way out together.
“What the hell is this?” she demanded, tossing her red hair over her shoulder so violently that it whipped her friend in the eye.
Darius cast a lazy glance in her direction without replying before increasing the pressure of his hand on my back to get me moving. I stepped forward so that he was no longer touching me and began to head for the door despite the livid mean girl blocking our way out.
Marguerite looked like she wanted to set me alight, her hand half raised like she was genuinely considering it. Darius noticed the action and threw an arm around my shoulders which I instantly shrugged back off.
“I’m not your date, dude,” I reminded him, not bothering to lower my voice.
“If people see us together acting like a couple they’ll give you an easier time,” he said, staying close enough to me that I could feel the heat of his body a heartbeat away from mine.
“I’m not a damsel in distress either,” I added. Not that he was the Prince Charming type any other day of the week so I really wasn’t sure why he was taking this act so far.
Marguerite seemed to think better of attacking while the Heir clearly had me marked as his but the look in her eyes told me the next time she saw me alone I’d be in for some serious shit from her. I threw her a taunting smirk as we passed because, what the hell? She was clearly gunning for me anyway so why not let her bring it on?
“Besides, you’ll be back to your usual self tomorrow, encouraging them all to hate me so what’s the point of pretending?” I asked.
That remark didn’t get an answer and we headed downstairs to the exit in silence. To my surprise, Darius stepped forward and opened the door for me. Apparently the asshole could turn on the charm when he wanted to. That just left me wondering which version of him was the act though. Did he do all of the horrible things he did to maintain his position and keep up appearances for the sake of proving his power? Or could he just pour on the sweetness when it suited him to get his own way? He was so hard to read that I had no idea which version was the real him. But I guessed for one night I could indulge in the fantasy that he actually had a few scraps of decency about him.
“No doubt you won’t take my advice,” he said slowly. “But I would encourage you not to speak to my father the way you speak to me.”
“Pfft, what’s he gonna do?” I asked. “Try and drown me? No one’s that twisted, right?”
Darius caught my hand suddenly and pulled me around to face him. My heart slammed into my ribs and I tried to pull my hand back but he didn’t let go. The Orb was just ahead of us but he held me still instead of letting me carry on to meet with Darcy.
“Who do you think wanted me to do that?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. “I’m warning you, don’t push him. He’s one of the most powerful Fae in the whole of Solaria and he always gets what he wants. Just nod when it’s appropriate to nod, say please and thank you and don’t let your smart mouth run away with you. I’m not telling you this for my benefit.”
I looked into his dark eyes for a long moment, sensing that he was being genuine in this but I couldn’t for the life of me understand why. What difference did it make to him if his father decided to lay into me? Surely that would be what he’d want anyway?
I shrugged like I didn’t much care either way. “I’ll behave if he does.”
Darius’s shoulders sagged a fraction with what I could have sworn was relief and he guided me on again. I extracted my hand from his when he didn’t release me right away. I didn’t like this new, possibly nice Darius. If I wasn’t careful I might just fall for his act.
“What you just said was wrong though,” I added as we approached The Orb and I spotted Darcy. She waved as she saw me too and moved away from Orion to join me. Her blood-red dress was held in place with a halter strap and swept to her feet making her look like she was either ready to take on a red carpet or a firing squad of Celestial Heirs and their questionable parents.
“Which part?” Darius asked.
“The bit about him being one of the most powerful Fae in Solaria. Because he’s not anymore, is he?” I smirked knowingly and stepped away from him to join Darcy.
“Everything okay?” she asked me, casting a look in Darius’s direction.
“Remind me again why we agreed to this,” I asked as Seth, Caleb and Max approached us.
They were all wearing tuxedos too and I suddenly felt like I was really out of my depth. This wasn’t me. Fancy parties and champagne cocktails were a million miles away from boosting engines and dancing in backwater bars. These guys looked like they were just as comfortable as they did any day of the week. They were the kings of the world and anyone who looked at them knew it. But what did that make us? We were about to step into their world and I really didn’t think it had a place for us.
“Still time to make a run for it,” Darcy joked and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Good evening ladies,” Max said with a wide smile like we were old friends.
“Hi,” I replied, not bothering to sound friendly. Darcy didn’t even give him that much.
I glanced at Seth, expecting him to crack a joke about the fact that he’d pissed on me the other day but he only offered a pleasant smile before moving to brush his hand along Darius’s arm in greeting. He followed it up with a hug, nuzzling against Darius’s neck for a fleeting moment while I watched the interaction with amusement. Darius took it in his stride, clapping Seth on the back as they parted and offering him a warm smile. I didn’t miss the fact that Seth was scratching himself rather a lot and I exchanged a knowing smile with Darcy.
Caleb was the only one to actually approach us. Darcy stilled as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and he turned to me to offer the same. As he kissed me, his mouth brushed against the corner of mine and I bit my lip to hide my surprised smile. Before he pulled back, he dropped his mouth to my neck and I froze, expecting him to bite me but he only touched his lips to my skin, causing a prickle of energy to run along my spine.
“You’re looking delicious tonight, sweetheart,” he murmured as he drew back, smiling like we were sharing some great secret.
I could feel the other Heirs watching us and I swallowed the lump in my throat without looking their way. My gaze fell on Orion who looked back at me with a flat stare which made me feel like he’d heard the hitch in my pulse as Caleb had touched me. He looked weirdly at h
ome in his own tux, his youth more apparent beside the Heirs now that they were all dressed the same. I was used to seeing him in a suit while we all wore our uniforms but he didn’t even look out of place in our group. It was weird to think of him as a normal guy. I turned my attention from him, glancing at Caleb again as he pushed a hand into his curls.
I stepped toward Darcy as he moved away and she raised an accusatory eyebrow at me.
Damn she can read me like a book. Especially when I’m falling into predictably bad routines.
I shrugged innocently and she rolled her eyes at me.
Point taken. I won’t get myself mixed up with the pretty asshole tonight... Probably.
“Is everyone ready to go?” Orion asked, pulling a silk pouch from his pocket and retrieving a handful of stardust from it.
I nodded, eyeing the glittering stardust with interest as we grouped closer together.
The Heirs closed in around us and I was forced to wonder if we were insane to be going along with this. Once we left campus we’d be surrounded by our enemies and trusting them with our fates. The look in Darcy’s eyes told me she was thinking the same thing but before we could change our minds, Orion threw the stardust over us.
My gut lurched, the world spun and I was given the distinct impression that I’d just left my stomach contents behind on the ground outside The Orb. Stars sprang to life all around us and it was like we were floating in the cosmos, somewhere and nowhere all at once. As suddenly as they had appeared, the stars winked out of existence and the cool night air brushed my skin as the ground materialised beneath my feet once more.
I stumbled forward a step in my stilettos and Darius caught my arm to steady me.
My hand landed on his bicep which flexed beneath my grip and I bit my lip as I glanced up at him, thanking him before I could stop myself.
“No problem,” he said, still holding onto me even though I didn’t need him to anymore.
Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts) Page 30