Page 104 of Crown of Thorns
Possession.
Louis Deveraux is the love of my life. But if his father finds out about what I've done, or if Louis decides to change his mind, I'll be thrown back in the bin. I'll be a lost cause again.
"I had such a good time," Louis hums against my throat. Goosebumps scatter over my skin.
"Me too."
He pulls back, watching me with those startling black and golden eyes. They look sleepy now, and a slow smile curls his lips.
"I'm glad." He settles back against me with a satisfied growl. In less than a minute, I hear his breathing even out.
His breath flutters against my chest, steady and warm. A tiny crease forms between his brows as he dreams. Even asleep, he looks like he's bracing for impact.
Then his phone buzzes—once, twice, a dozen times—sharp bursts of reality that pierce the cocoon we've wrapped around ourselves. The illusion of peace evaporates. Realization crashes down, swift and merciless. A hot jealousy sparks low in my gut. Of course the entire world wonders where he is. Of course he can’t vanish, not even for a weekend. Not even for me.
Louis Deveraux is a king in his world. The guy you want at your party. The one whose party you want to be at. The account you want to follow on social media.
Yet his face is hidden in my throat. His soft puffs blew against my cheek. His arm possessively curled around my waist. I press a kiss on his head and brush his thick, raven strands out of his face. So handsome. So smooth. My heart clenches at the sight of him, my walking sin.
Guilt gnaws at me. What he did—this whole trip—was for me. To understand who I truly am. What kind of life I've lived. Why the Alpha Fraternarii, his brotherhood, might want me erased.
And still, I know they're watching.
My little devil.
And now, I've fallen for him, utterly, irreversibly. There’s no walking it back. No pretending this is just fun or temporary.
I'll never tell him, but I think he saved my life. Not once. Every day. With every smile, every challenge, every reckless gesture of love.
And still...I sleep with one ear open, one eye on the shadows. Because danger doesn’t knock twice. It lingers. And I swear it’s already chosen its next move.
29
LOUIS
Best. Time. Of. My. Life.
I wake up in the middle of the night, breath caught somewhere between dream and disquiet. Monterrey is wrapped in silence. It’s too still, too empty. I don’t know what stirred me, but something did. A shift in the air. A feeling.
My body remembers before my mind catches up. I was so tired I passed out in the helicopter last night. I have a vague recollection of Noah helping me up the stairs, his arm strong around my waist, his voice soft in my ear. I barely remember reaching the bed. But I remember the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t watching. Like I was something breakable. Like I mattered.
Now the sheets are twisted around my naked skin. I reach for my phone, which is overflowing with messages. The castle is abandoned. Most students have already left for the early summer break while waiting for their final results. It’s my birthday, which is probably the only reason I’ve been left alone this long, but Deverauxs don’t do well with silence. If I’m unreachable, someone starts pacing. If I don’t check in, someone starts pacing. And if I disappear entirely? Dad starts calling infavors, even though the staff left yesterday with my brothers and cousin.
Arthur's been texting me throughout the night. And nosy Gael. He knew where I took Noah. He'd better not have blabbed. I needed the space. Needed to take Noah somewhere meaningful. It's what I told Dad as well, together with my request to look into a few Brotherhood files, stuff on Noah’s grandfather, loose ends that don’t add up. He said he’d look into it, but I could feel his suspicion. I haven’t replied since.
I hover over the keyboard, thumb poised to type something—anything—but I don’t. I can’t. Not yet. The messages blink like a warning light, but I’m not ready to leave this quiet. This intimacy. Not when he’s sleeping beside me like he trusts me with everything he is.
Let them wait. Just a little longer.
And I’ve got no clue what time it is. I want this moment to melt into eternity, tangled in linen and sweat, with his scent clinging to my skin like a brand. Most students have already left for the early summer break while waiting for their final results.
I brush my fingers through Noah’s strawberry-blond curls. They’ve grown since he last cut them for Christmas, just like I ordered him to. They’ve got a unique, rich glow that makes them almost copper. A perfect match to his skin, flushed from the warmth as he lingers in his dreams.
It’s weird to call this place home, but I guess it kind of is. Filled with already-built memories. Stuff I bought him. The coffee machine he didn’t want. The mini fridge, always stocked with fruit and champagne, with the cheeses he enjoys so much, with yoghurts. The paintings Melody made for him are reminders of a past that was taken from him and a future that hasn’t yet knocked on his door.
His presence lingers in the air.
“Noah?” My lips trace every single bit of skin they can find. With every brush, they stir the fire that’s building in the pit of my stomach. Last night, I fell asleep in the helicopter, and I can barely remember how we got into our dorm, but now I’m ravenous, desperate in my hunger for him. “Baby.”Lick. “Wake.”Kiss. “Up.”Nip.
