Page 7 of Queen
Good thing, because Axel wasn’t in the mood, and he wanted to save all his energy for Bishop.
He stalked the hall outside Bishop’s class, not wanting to take the chance of missing him. As soon as the bell rang and students started pouring out the door, he pounced. Shouldering his way through the crowd, he caught sight of Bishop and pinned him against the wall by his throat, ignoring all the looks he was getting.
“We’re not done talking, you son of a bitch,” Axel growled.
Bishop’s eyes narrowed, but it was more emotion than he’d shown in that creepy performance in front of Ella. “I wasn’t aware I was talking to you at all,” Bishop said, shoving him off. He straightened his tie and adjusted his collar.
“Good to see you care more about messing up your pretty clothes than your own fucking mate,” Axel seethed. He swore, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ella was five months pregnant, he would grab Bishop’s throat again and this time, he’d put him through the wall. Maybe that would fix whatever had gotten into his thick skull.
Bishop just looked on boredly rather than visibly reacting. Always had to play it cool. Well, Axel knew the truth underneath that routine. Yeah, he had been frustrated that Ella couldn’t see it, but he didn’t want her to find out like this. Not when she was already inexplicably attached, and marked by the fucker.
“Is there a point to this tantrum?” asked Bishop.
Axel clenched his fist so he wouldn’t put it through Bishop’s skull. “My point is, you’re a fucking asshole. Do you have any idea what you did to her these past two months? How many nights she spent tossing in her sleep over you?”
Bishop looked away, and Axel wasn’t sure if it was to hide his guilt, or the lack of it. The latter was far more disturbing. “I said I made a mistake.”
“A mistake?” he scoffed. “Telling her blue’s not her color is a mistake. What you did is fucking unforgivable.”
“And you’re one to talk,” Bishop said in that smug tone of his that made Axel want to start a fire. He didn’t even care what he burned, really, as long as it was a raging, burning fire.
“At least I know I’m an asshole,” Axel shot back. “Hell, I own it. I take responsibility for my shit, but you… You just walk around pretending like you’re some perfect, virtuous guy who only has everyone else’s best interest at heart. You lie and manipulate her, telling her everything she wants to hear until she falls head over heels, and then you do this?”
“I really don’t owe you any explanation,” said Bishop.
“You’re right. You don’t,” Axel said in a calm tone that belied the fury underneath. “You oweher. Thereisno excuse for your shitty fucking behavior, but Ella is five months pregnant and for whatever reason, she still wants you around. So you’re going to get your shit together, paste a convincing smile on that blank serial killer face of yours, and muster whatever decency you have to get down on your knees and apologize to her.”
Bishop didn’t respond at first. He finally raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”
“Yeah. You are,” Axel said, stepping forward to prove it when someone came up behind them.
Of course it was Sterling. He was the only teacher who had the balls to interrupt Axel when he was in the middle of a confrontation. And of course,hewas off-limits, too.
It was one thing to share a queen with other males, but did she have to pick ones that drove them absolutely insane?
“Mr. Meyer,” Sterling said in a tone so frigid Axel was sure the air temperature in the hallway dropped a few degrees. “I see you decided to return to school.”
“Yeah, you can save the lecture, Axel’s already covered all the bases,” Bishop said flatly.
Sterling and Axel exchanged a look. They were probably the only two people on the same page about Bishop’s true nature, but neither of them was used to him being so overt about it. What the hell had happened in those two months?
“I’m sure you could bear hearing it again, considering how obvious it is you didn’t even give a single thought to the consequences of your actions while you were out there,” Sterling said, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the other tom. “I know everyone has been going easy on you because of your mother’s disappearance, but if she had any idea how you were behaving, she would be absolutely appalled.”
That actually got a reaction out of him. Anger blazed in Bishop’s ice cold eyes, and for a second, Axel thought he was going to attack the teacher. Axel had assumed Sterling was there to break up their fight, and he wasn’t used to fighting on the same team, but he would back him up if he had to. And he’d enjoy getting in a few hits in the process.
Instead, Bishop just squared his shoulders and stared the other man down. “I don’t think you’re really in a place to judge me. If I were you, I’d worry more about my own indiscretions. With the coronation so close, Ella can’t afford to have any more private scandals leaked, can she? Especially not one involving such a close confidant of the Empress. And an educator, no less… ”
Sterling’s head tilted ever so slightly. He didn’t reply right away. Axel had never realized just how scary silence could be, but it seemed Sterling finally possessed a skill Axel would actually like to be taught. Axel was waiting for another sarcastic barb, since the teacher obviously liked fighting with his wit more than his claws, but when Sterling grabbed Bishop and shoved him hard into the wall, he realized otherwise.
Maybe he’d underestimated the guy after all.
Even Bishop seemed shocked by the sudden violence, and as Sterling leaned in, his gaze on the other tom was so intense and furious that Axel wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do. He was contemplating whether he would intervene or not when Sterling finally spoke.
“Listen, you spoiled brat,” Sterling said in the voice that was smooth as silk with murder in his eyes. “You may threaten me all you like, but if you ever, and I meanevermake a threat involving Ella again, I don’t care if you did mark her. I don’t care if you’re the Empress’s son. I will fucking end you. Do I make myself clear?”
Rage was still blazing behind Bishop’s eyes, and for a few tense moments, not a word passed between them. Axel knew he was trying to decide whether he could get away with fighting one of the school faculty in the hall, but eventually, his tightly coiled stance relaxed, even if it was only a little. “Perfectly.”
“Good,” Sterling said, his voice gentling in a way that was no less menacing. He smoothed his hand down Bishop’s rumpled tie and straightened it out before stepping back. “Clean yourself up. A royal should look the part.”
