Page 15 of Knot What She Seems
With a sigh, I shut my laptop and move toward my bed. I don’t bother to undress as I throw myself onto the covers and bury my face in the pillow dramatically.
Because I’m going to not only have to sit through classes but somehow manage to get through some sort of night routine with another guy in the same space and then sneak out.
Teddie’s skeptical face appears in my head, and I want to mentally flip him off for being right.
I only have one weekend to prepare myself.
One weekend before I’ll pull off what just might be the greatest con in recent history. Desperation makes my lungs rise and fall in short bursts as I issue a prayer to the universe.
Please don’t let me fail.
Please, please don’t let me fail.
I can’t let Teddie down.
Please don’t let me fail.
That mantra plays on a loop in my head as sleep finally claims me.
6
KYLIAN
The others are lookingat this stint at the academy as some sort of punishment, but not me. What my packmates fail to realize is that this is actually a miracle in disguise.
We’re not the scrawny alphas who started Eros Academy years ago and were pushed into the dirt.
We’re now the asshole professors who are able to push the scrawny alphas into the dirt.
Am I the only one who can see the fun in that?
I whistle merrily as I walk the perimeter of the campus. Headmaster Anal Licker believes that I’m merely getting familiar with the lay of the land, and that’s true…mostly. But that’s not the only reason I’m out and about so goddamn early in the morning.
I mean, it’s only nine.Nine. I should still be in bed, dammit, wrapped around my pillow like some sort of human-hybrid-koala creature. If the sun is not fully in the center of the sky, then it’s too early to be up and about. I don’t have a lot of rules, but one is that no one, not even my brothers, can wake me up before noon.
Not even if they’re bleeding to death—which actually happened during our last station. I told Luka to put a bandage over that nasty head wound of his and come back in three hours. Typically, out of our group, I’m in the best mood most of the time. So long as that time is after noon.
Up ahead, I spot a herd of second-years doing jumping jacks while Alpha Jameson screams at them to “PICK UP THE DAMN PACE OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL STAB YOUR EYEBALL OUT!”
I’ve always liked Alpha Jameson.
I know the third-years will be in one of the classrooms at this time of morning, while the fourth-years will be participating in Scenario. I can’t help but wonder what evil, malicious activity my packmates dreamt up for them this time around. Technically, I’m supposed to teach that class with them, but Ridge told me to “walk the perimeter.” His exact words. I don’t know what he wants me to look for, but it’s whatever. At least I get to experience fresh air that isn’t tainted by the blood of younger alphas.
As I pass the second-years, Alpha Jameson nods his head once, his grizzly face twisted into a customary scowl. I smile and salute him before turning to the sweaty men now moving on to burpees. Ugh. Burpees. The bane of my existence.
I step forward to clap Jameson on the shoulder good-naturedly.
“Isn’t that enough burpees for today?” I ask my old instructor with a cheerful grin. One of his gray eyebrows arches.
A few of the second-years send me relieved smiles, and I have to hold back my snicker.
Most people see my cheery disposition and believe I’m some sort of knight in shining armor. Ha. Only a few things truly amuse me—blood, death, guts, and my favorite handgun.
Is it psychotic that the pain of others brings a smile to my face? Probably.
Do I care? Not even a little bit.
“Why don’t you have them do burpee tuck jumps instead?” I wink at the students, and suddenly, their expressions of admiration turn to ones of hatred and betrayal. That only causes my smile to broaden.
