Page 14 of Kings
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In the days that elapsed since the mark, Axel proved himself capable of new heights of insufferability. He already strutted the halls like he owned the place, but now, it was clear to everyone that Ella was on the long list of his possessions. He insisted on walking her to class, his arm draped proudly over her shoulder, and it should have irritated her. The fact that it had the opposite effect was just proof that he was right and she really had lost her mind after all.
She’d feared that the revelation would spark even more conflict between Bishop and Axel, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect. In fact, she had seen them around each other more than they ever had been, without tearing into each other’s throats. She knew the truce was only because they were both too possessive to allow the other any time alone with her, but it was still a nice change of pace.
Ella had gone from dreading the judgmental glances she’d get from the other queens when they realized she was already marked by not one but two males to enjoying it to finding them amusing. The last time she’d made it clear by staring down one of Marissa’s gossiping cronies as she sat pressed between the two huge males in a cafe booth was the last time anyone had dared to be so open about it.
She might not be the Empress yet, but for the first time, Ella was actually starting to feel like aqueen. She had even patched things up with Avery, more or less, and her days had settled into a quiet, pleasant rhythm. Life at the Academy was...
Good.
Better than good. It was almost perfect, or at least as close to it as she’d ever dared to imagine.
The only thing keeping it from perfection was the fact that every day, she went to class and pretended like she was strangers with a man her heart was convinced belonged to her.
No amount of telling herself she needed to get over it would help. She still found herself coming up with potential excuses for getting close to him. For staying after class, passing his office, anything that might give her another second in his presence.
During the few moments she got alone, it was almost impossible to resist, but she had other things to distract herself with. Namely, scouring every book in the school library for any reference to the word “feral.” So far, everything she’d found was just outmoded slang for strays and other unruly outcasts from feline society.
If Axel and Bishop were united on one thing, it was not telling her anything she wanted to know. She’d tried working on them separately, even playing them against each other, to no avail.
Eventually, she decided the only way she was going to get the answers she needed was to find out the results of that blood test herself. Getting into the school lab would pose more difficulties, but it was easier than getting anything out of her suitors.
That afternoon, Ella had some breathing room since Bishop was at soccer practice and Axel was off doing what he would only specify as “stuff.”
She finally had the chance to do some real investigation on her own, but her body seemed to have other ideas. Her stomach had been bothering her on and off all week, and even though she’d slept a full eight hours the night before, she felt like the walking dead.
Nonetheless, she’d agreed to meet up with Avery at the cafe. Their friendship was still in the fragile reparation stage, and she didn’t want her getting the wrong idea if she said no.
“I can’t believe I finally got you alone,” Avery teased. “Where are your guard dogs?”
“Busy, fortunately,” Ella muttered. “I love them, but they’re kind of intense.”
She paused with her danish halfway to her mouth when she realized Avery was gaping at her. She played back the words she’d just said and her face grew warm.
“Figuratively, I mean.”
“Sure,” Avery said with a knowing smile. “But I can’t say I feel sorry for you. Must be so hard to have the two hottest, richest toms in school fawning over you.”
Ella rolled her eyes. If Avery had any idea she was still lusting after Sterling, she never would have forgiven her. “I’m not complaining, but it’s a little hard to breathe.”
“They’re mated toms, cut them some slack,” Avery said with a laugh. “There’s a reason we’re supposed to wait until graduation to form a mating bond, y’know.”
“Tell me about it,” Ella muttered. “It’s not like I planned it, it just sort of happened.”
“Twice?” Avery teased. “Not that I can blame you. I probably would’ve done the same thing.”
Ella snorted. “What about you? Have any toms asked you to the end-of-semester formal?”
“A few, but no one I could stand for three hours,” Avery muttered. “I swear, all the good ones are either gay or... well, yours.”
“Oh, come on, you make it sound like I’m the Whore of Babylon,” Ella huffed. She caught sight of Marissa across the room, and judging from the icy glare the other Queen shot her before walking off, things were far from settled between them. “Speaking of which...”
Avery glanced over her shoulder. “Is she still giving you a hard time?”
“Not overtly, but I think that’s only because of Axel and Bishop,” Ella admitted. She knew that being publicly claimed by the both of them had artificially inflated her social status, and she would have preferred anonymity. No, she didn’t like being the target of everyone’s wrath, but she wasn’t crazy about people trying to cozy up to her only because of the twin marks on her neck.
“Well, you should probably get used to it. Empress Natalia gets all kinds of shade and I can’t imagine she’s ever done anything to piss someone off.”
