Page 39 of Underworld
I frowned at her. “You could say that,” I agreed. My story wasn’t one I’d be sharing with her anytime soon.
She shifted her weight, clearly displeased with my response. I hadn’t missed how the panthers kept a wide berth around her. While Logan was the Alpha, I suspected she ran a close second when it came to the Panthers. Aaron was officially in charge, but as a panther lunged a second time at the offending wolf, he was too busy helping Logan restrain the shifters from killing each other while Petunia moved closer to me.
“Where are you staying?” she asked, forcing me to back away as she ventured closer. “We don’t have any, uh,angeldorms, as far as I’m aware.”
“I’m staying with Olivia and Yuri,” I supplied, not realizing that would be juicy information to the panther. My back hit a tree, my feathers painfully crunching at the impact, and I flinched.
Her jaw dropped as she crowded me against the trunk. “You’re already in the Elite suites? Seriously?” She scoffed. “The Dean is just going to give you special treatment because she wants your mom’s support. That’s so lame.”
I glared at her. “Or it’s because without me, Calamity is going to rip you guys a new asshole.”
She laughed. “Not if Lucifer doesn’t get to us first.”
“He’s Calamity’s Conduit. That’s the same thing,” I countered.
She waved my comments away as if they were irrelevant. “It’s all so complicated. Anyway, I have some other speculations about your special treatment. Want to hear them? You were already a bit of a slut at the old Academy, and I bet Kaito just wants to get back in your pants so he’s priming you with pillows and room service. Am I far off?”
“Petunia!” Aaron snapped, finally taking notice that the panther had cornered me against the clearing while shifters prowled all around us.
She paled at the deep, sharp command and started to back away but it wasn’t quick enough.
Aaron, the leader of the panthers—andheralpha—strode forward and caught her shoulder before she turned away.
“I’m pretty sure nobody gave you any authority over room assignments,” he said, voice hard. “Unless I missed that announcement. Did I?”
“No, Aaron,” she said softly.
“Then don’t let me hear this shit again.”
A different shifter stepped in, supporting Petunia’s argument. “It’s notreallyfair, though, is it?” she asked as she looped her arm through Petunia’s.
Aaron glared at her, but based on Petunia’s smug expression, this female wasn’t a panther.
And therefore not under his command.
Aaron glanced at Logan, but he was still laying into the wolf who’d managed to bite the panther.
“Starling,” Aaron growled.
“Hey, gorgeous,” she said, blowing him a kiss before looking back at me.
She raked me over with a bright sapphire gaze, eyes lingering on my wings, then skimming over the rest of me without much interest. “You’re Lily, then. I’ve heard of you.”
“I can’t say the same,” I said.
Her eyes tightened at the corners. “Petunia’s right, you know. Even if you are tight with the Light Mage and all, you have toearnyour right to a tower suite.” She grinned, showing teeth. “We’ll test your meddle on that front today.”
Seriously, why was everyone out to get me?
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, beaming at her. “If you have a problem with my room placement, you file a report with your Alpha. Ifhesees a problem, he can escalate it up the chain of a command.”
Starling rolled her eyes. “So, I’m just supposed to ignore the fact that you and my Alpha are fuck—”
“Starling,” Logan snapped as he marched over to us, finally having dealt with the unruly pup. “Is there a problem here?”
“Nope,” she said with a sweet smile.
I crossed my arms. “She thinks I need to earn the suite I’m sharing with Olivia.” Sure, maybe I was being a snitch, but I didn’t have time for BS.
