by River Ramsey
“No,” Ella cried, nearly falling down the hillside in her haste to reach them. Bishop was going in for the kill, there was no doubt in her mind. As much as she didn’t want to believe he was capable of such a thing, she could see it in those gleaming eyes.
Before he could tear into the tiger’s neck, a great silver blur barreled down the hillside, clearing all the space that was left between Ella and the fighting cats in a single leap.
A white lion. There was no mistaking the glorious mane of silvery fur that adorned the proud beast’s head. It was absolutely huge, and though Ella had never seen a lion in person before, she knew he had to be exemplary even among his own kind.
The lion landed just in front of Axel, and Bishop barely managed to change his trajectory before they collided. The larger beast opened his massive jaws and let out a roar that made the ground quake beneath Ella’s feet. It made every hair on her body stand on end, and it at once terrified her and entranced her.
There was something about him that was so…familiar.
The jaguar roared back in agitation, but the sound wasn’t quite as intimidating. Bishop had been jolted back to reality enough to at least realize what the consequences of his narrowly interrupted actions would’ve been.
The shock of watching Axel come so close to dying in front of her helped Ella overcome her instinctive fear of the newly arrived beast. She reminded herself that he was the reason Axel was alive in the first place.
For the moment, she wasn’t focused on Bishop or the lion. She dropped to her knees in front of the tiger, who was already attempting to get back to his feet. He was obviously dazed, but the sting of humiliation burned in his eyes, and Ella realized he was not done fighting.
“Please, stop,” she cried, pulling her arms around his muscular neck. She held on as tightly as she could, but even in his weakened state, he was more than strong enough to throw her off if he wanted to.
Instead, he gave a half-hearted growl that vibrated through her.
Ella took the opportunity to examine the wound on his side. This time, his snarl was fierce and sharp with pain, but somehow, she wasn’t afraid. Maybe she had spent so long being terrified of how she felt for him that she just couldn’t feel that emotion where he was concerned anymore.
I’m fine, he growled, pulling away from her. He successfully got to his feet this time, casting a spiteful glance over Ella’s shoulder at his opponent. Bishop’s gaze was hard and remorseless.
This wasn’t over for either of them. Ella just feared that next time, no one would be there to stop it.
She watched helplessly as Axel took off into the woods, fighting the urge to shift and run after him. She knew it would only make him run further.
Axel wasn’t used to losing. In fact, Ella very much doubted he ever had to anyone outside his family. He wasn’t going to get over this anytime soon. The fact that Bishop hadn’t exactly won fairly wouldn’t make any difference.
Ella turned back to Bishop and the lion, able to think clearly enough to figure out why he was so familiar. She took a step closer, instinctively reaching out to brush her fingertips against the beast’s silver forehead.
“Mr. Bryant?” she asked in disbelief.
His gray eyes softened in acknowledgment, and to her surprise, he pushed his snout into her hand. He was even bigger up close, and all she could do was stand in awe of him. At least he liked her in this form.
By the time Ella looked back in Bishop’s direction, he had already shifted into his human form and gotten half dressed to stalk off.
Ella was torn over whether she should go after him or not. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be around him right now. She only realized her hand was trembling when she felt the comparison to the lion’s sturdy presence.
The students who gathered at the top of the hill were still watching in disbelief. Sterling let out another warning growl and they quickly dissipated.
“So you’re the king of the hallways and the jungle,” she muttered, her arms folded against the chill.
The beast gave a snort of amusement. Somehow, despite his intimidating form, he was the most human out of all of them.
Are you alright? he asked telepathically. He was probably much too sophisticated to change back in a state of undress.
“I’m okay, just a little shaken,” she admitted. “To think about what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up…”
His gaze was sympathetic and so expressive she didn’t even need to hear him to be able to understand him. The trauma of the night had pushed any thoughts of awkwardness to the back burner, but now that they were alone, they were starting to creep back in. “Thank you,” Ella said softly.
That’s my job, he answered in a dismissive tone. I’m just sorry I didn’t get here sooner--and that you had to see any of that.
He sounded sincere. How could he be so cruel one moment and so thoughtful the next? It was all the more reason to steel her heart against him. Axel and Bishop were both reckless in their own right, but Sterling was the one she truly had to fear.
“I’m just glad it’s over.”
For now, he said, echoing her fear.
“Why do they hate each other so much?” Ella asked. She had known Axel most of her life, but he might as well have been a stranger living across the hall. Save for his conquests, she knew little about his other relationships. Hell, she wasn’t even sure how he really felt about his parents.
Sterling didn’t answer right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and troubled. It’s complicated, and it goes back further than either of them do.
“You mean the Hills and the Meyers?” Ella asked. She didn’t know everything about the rivalry between their families, but could it really be that bad?
Sterling nodded. I’ll walk you back to the dorm.
“That’s okay. I’ll be fine, and you’ve done enough,” Ella insisted. The truth was, she wanted the time to think. Not that the short walk back would be nearly enough time to sort out everything she was feeling. How could a single heart be pulled in so many directions at once?
Chapter 14
Ella
It had been three days since the disastrous ball and Ella felt only partially recovered. Physically, she was fine, save for a few scrapes on her knees after falling in the grass, but emotionally, she had never been more confused.
For once, it was Bishop who was texting and calling her nonstop, while Axel hadn’t even responded to her texts asking if he was all right.
Logically she knew he was, but she couldn’t help but worry, even though that would only push him further away. He was nothing if not prideful, and once that pride was wounded…
Ella knew that a wounded animal was more dangerous than any other.
At least one thing was going right. She’d gone to the school doctor for her promised checkup and based on her lack of troubling symptoms, she had been granted permission to go on a trip for her history course.
Normally, visiting an old house in the middle of nowhere wouldn’t have been her cup of tea, no matter how important its original occupant was to the colony. The idea of getting away from the Academy for a few days to clear her head without having to return to the Hill house, however, was too much to pass up.
If there was any benefit to the depressive funk she’d fallen into after the ball, it seemed to be that her formerly overactive libido was now in check. The doctor had seemed bewildered as to why it had taken her this long to “solve the problem,” but he’d agreed that as long as she continued taking the suppressants, the trip shouldn’t be an issue.
Ella couldn’t entirely blame him for the assumption. After all, she’d imagined her “problem” would be solved the night Bishop had taken her out, but nothing was ever that simple.
As the trip approached, Ella knew that all she had to do was keep from lingering in the hallways long enough to run into Bishop or Axel and she’d hopefully be able to get away without either of them noticing. It helped that she’d a
ctually made a friend in history class, which was as much of a shock to her as anyone.
Avery was one of the few girls who hadn’t joined in on Marissa’s merciless bullying during Ella’s early days at the Academy, but Ella was still surprised she had bothered striking up a conversation in class. As it turned out, Avery was another common feline shifter and she’d had her share of trouble at the Academy for it, even though she wasn’t a stray.
That afternoon in class, Ella found her thoughts drifting until Avery leaned over.
“You okay?”
Ella gave her an apologetic smile. “Yeah, just thinking about the trip,” she whispered.
The professor was so enthusiastic about the topic he was lecturing on that he rarely noticed when students had their own discussions going on, as long as they were quiet about it. There was even a guy who’d fallen asleep on his desk to Ella’s left.
“It’s gonna be amazing,” Avery said excitedly. “I heard the ski lodge has a hot tub, and all the rooms have private balconies.”
“And there’s the historical site, too,” Ella reminded her.
Avery grimaced. “Yeah, that. Hey, you wanna room together?”
Ella blinked in surprise at the invitation. She was so used to other students torturing her, ignoring her, or at most being forced to tolerate her presence when a teacher forced her on their group. Avery actually seemed to like spending time with her, and while she had no shortage of toms who wanted that lately, it was nice to be around someone with no ulterior motives.
“Yeah, that’d be great.”
Avery smiled and turned back to her notes. Ella decided to do the same. As boring as this particular lesson block was, it had become her favorite class if only because it was a ticket out of the Academy.
Chapter 15
Sterling
It was the day of the history class trip, and when Sterling arrived in the office to deliver his quarterly report to the Headmaster, he found the man’s secretary mid-meltdown. She was on the phone while typing frantically on her computer.
“Are you sure you can’t make it?” she asked in a strained voice. She glanced up for barely a second to acknowledge Sterling and immediately became reabsorbed in what she was doing. “I know, but they have casts for that kind of thing. Well, yes, I can see how a broken ankle would put a hindrance on chaperoning a ski trip, but…”
Sterling wandered over to the desk, his curiosity piqued. He’d found out about the trip too late to sign up as one of the chaperones, but the opportunity to get away from the Academy was infinitely appealing. He’d considered taking a sabbatical just to clear his head, considering that being around Ella got harder rather than easier with each day that passed.
Especially knowing every block headed tom in the Academy wanted to stake a claim his lion was convinced belonged to him.
And that was the most irrational of all. It didn’t matter how her existence had struck him like a freight train, or that she’d become all he could think or dream of ever since. It didn’t matter that not taking her into his arms the moment he’d realized her need and showing her the way an actual man treated a queen was the hardest thing he’d ever done—or rather, not done.
It was entirely, wholly inappropriate for a myriad of reasons, and the fact that he was her teacher was not even the chief among them. She was the future Empress. As prestigious as his line was, she belonged with a male from one of the royal families. Tradition demanded it and their laws all but did.
He had to get her out of his head, and when he’d realized that was impossible, the next best thing was getting himself out of the state.
“Excuse me?” he called, stepping up to the desk.
The harried secretary looked up, still clutching the phone with the indignant professor ranting on the other end. “Yes, Mr. Bryant?”
“I couldn’t help but overhear. You’re in need of a chaperone for the school trip?”
“That’s right,” she said, hanging up with the other man still on the line. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested?”
“Actually, I–” Before he could finish, she had a stack of forms and a pen in front of him.
“It would be a lifesaver,” she said in a rush of breath. “Mr. Collins slipped on some ice in the parking lot and broke his ankle. Guess cheetahs aren’t as agile as they say,” she added with an eye roll. “I can’t get anyone to sub in on such short notice.”
“I’d be happy to help,” he said, filling out the top form.
“What about your classes?”
“It’s not a problem,” he said, ignoring her look of confusion. It wasn’t a problem. Not in comparison to the one that would form if he stuck around while his resolve was dwindling more each day. Especially after the pathetic scene the two toms who were playing at courting Ella had made the other night.
He should have known better than to think a few coaching sessions in civility would be enough to get Axel Hill into shape. What was going on with Bishop was another matter entirely, but he was just as worrisome when he was fully in control of his instincts.
Perhaps even more so.
Not that Sterling could talk. The more time that elapsed, the more certain he grew of the fear that had plagued him from the moment he’d first laid eyes on Ella. It was all the more reason he had to leave.
“Here’s the itinerary,” the secretary said, once he’d finished filling out the forms. She dropped another stack of files in front of him. “And here are the injury waivers, the room assignments, and of course, the class roster. Do you want to have a look at everything before you commit?”
“That won’t be necessary,” he answered, taking the stack of files. It didn’t matter if it was a trip to hell itself. It would be better than sticking around.
Chapter 16
Ella
When Ella heard they were all traveling to the ski lodge by bus, she’d pictured the big yellow variety, not the two-story RV that looked like a mid-tier rock band’s tour bus.
“This is insane,” Ella muttered.
“Isn’t it?” Avery echoed, nudging her on her way up the stairs. The excesses of the Academy seemed infinitely charming to her, so Ella decided not to be a buzzkill.
They found a seat in the back of the top level and Ella was relieved that she didn’t see Marissa among the bus’s occupants. Or Bishop, for that matter. She had made it a point to keep her plan to go on the trip under wraps, since the main reason she wanted to get away was him, but she’d feared he would find out somehow.
How much things had changed from her longing to get every spare moment she could with him. She just couldn’t get that fight with Axel out of her head, or the fact that he’d come so close to killing the other tom.
It would have been one thing if it was Axel. Ella already knew to expect the worst from him, but Bishop? Combined with Sterling’s ominous warning, she just wasn’t sure what to make of him anymore.
“Cheer up. We’re going on vacation, not to a funeral,” Avery teased.
Ella gave her a half-hearted smile. “Technically, it’s a school trip.”
“Whatever,” Avery snorted.
Before long, even the top level was full. The bus took off and Ella settled in for the ride, determined to at least try to enjoy herself. The view leading away from the Academy was gorgeous, and the further they drove, the more at ease she became.
At least until she heard a familiar voice. Her head shot up as she realized Sterling had just walked onto the top level and was presently speaking with the students in the first two rows as he held a clipboard in his hand.
Ella’s heart pounded in her chest. How was that possible? She’d checked the trip roster beforehand. The only chaperones on the list were the history teacher and the women’s dorm mother.
Before Ella could sink into her seat and buy herself some time to think, Sterling’s eyes met hers. Their cold gray depths immediately echoed the dismay she felt a thousandfold. In that moment, she knew she wasn’t the only one who’d been surp
rised, and the frown on his face made it clear it was far from a pleasant one.
“What’s wrong?” Avery asked, following her gaze. “Oh… Professor Yummy’s chaperoning. How fun.”
Ella quickly looked away, turning her attention to the window. “I wasn’t aware.”
She could feel Avery watching her curiously, but the other queen said nothing. Ella could hear Sterling continuing down the rows, taking attendance of everyone on his roster, and by the time he made it to them, she was surprised he hadn’t leapt off the bus with the way he’d looked at her, like her presence was a plague.
Somehow, she’d thought—hoped, really—that what had happened at the ball would have changed things between them. That his compassion then meant he didn’t really hate her as she’d feared.
“Ms. Grant,” Sterling said, nodding to Avery.
“Hi, Mr. Bryant,” she said with the same fawning gaze the other queens had whenever they interacted with him. Ella couldn’t blame her. She knew firsthand just how powerful his charm was, and how cutting it could be to find herself on the other side of it. “Here’s my form.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking the waiver from her hands before he turned to Ella and nodded. “Ms. Doe.”
“Here,” Ella said, slipping him the form she’d long since pulled from her bag, just to minimize the interaction between them. She looked back out the window and felt his gaze lingering along with his silence. She wouldn’t let herself give in and look back at him. Her ability to survive this trip would depend on pretending like he didn’t exist, and that was obviously what he wanted as well.
He finally left and Ella allowed herself to relax when he returned to the first level of the bus.
“What was that about?” Avery asked in a whisper.
“Nothing,” Ella murmured, closing her eyes. It was a long drive, and she figured she might as well get some sleep while she could. Something told her the rest of the trip was going to be far from the refreshing respite she’d hoped for.