Mated to the Alpha King (A Royal’s Tale Book 1)

The sight of my dusky home seemed welcoming and warm as I slid out of Alex’s jeep before turning around to shut the door. I leaned against the open window and smiled. “Thanks for the ride, Blonds. I appreciate it.”

A pout settled on Alex’s face when I spoke the “Blonds” part, but he grinned only a minute later and, after giving me a mock salute and a hearty “Anything for you, Thi,” shifted the gear into reverse before turning towards his driveway and driving in.

The wind picked up speed just as I turned back to my home, a golden leaf flying and colliding with my cheek. I merely smiled as I brushed it away gently and moved towards the door, unable to wait another second.

After fishing out the keys from my bag, I quickly pushed one into the keyhole and twisted the door open.

Everything was the same. A broken smile flashed on my lips as I slowly passed the living room and made my way towards the kitchen, where I could hear my mom cooking, her famous lasagna’s aroma wafting through my senses, my mouth salivating from the lack in the consumptions section today.

As I turned the corner, a gasp escaped my lips when a hand grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me back.

“Miss! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the castle? His Highness will be so very angry! Oh no, miss, you must go back! I thought Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were supposed to spend the weekend at the castle?”

I frowned at Agnus and shook my head. “Change of plans. I refuse to go back there if Bryce is going to be cowardly and run away from a stupid misunderstanding! I feel like I’m the twenty-four-year-old one here, Agnus!”

A small giggle left Agnus’ lips, and she shook her head with humor. “Oh yes, that does sound like Alexander. He loses his calm, cool-headed self whenever you are mentioned. Oh, you should have seen him the very first time he smelled you.”

Smelled me?

My nose scrunched up in an awkward way as I looked at Agnus in confusion. “Smelled me? Like . . . a . . . ? Okay, sorry.”

“No, dear.” Agnus shook her head, almost rippling in laughter. “His Highness, or Master Alexander as we the maids call him, smelled your scent—his mate—like the lycan he is, from the castle the day you moved into this house. Broke into a sprint mid-sentence, he did! Almost broke Romanov’s arms when he tried to stop Master Wilhem for a chat! And afterwards, he was fuming thinking you had a boyfriend. It was a sight to see!”

I cried because it was so funny. The tears squeezed out by the intense laughter slipped down my cheeks, and I noticed Agnus had her own set of pearls running down her face while she continued to laugh uncontrollably.

***

It took us a while to calm down, but we got there, and when we did, Agnus continued to coax me into returning, her fear of her king greater than her understanding of my need for peace. I suppose she couldn’t help it; she knew his anger, and if she wished not to be at the receiving end of it and because she was a housekeeper at my home, it was only fair that I not blame her for trying to coax me into going back.

But in the end, although she had tried her best, I relented. After all, what was the purpose of going back to the castle when Bryce had fled? All matters considered, it only seemed fitting that I left if he had left, too. I mean, it wasn’t like it was permanent; I just needed to stay at home for a few weeks, maybe even have Casey over, before I’d leave again for the castle. What harm could a week or two do, right?

Well, after the little chat with Agnus, I had merrily marched into the kitchen, leaving the slightly scared and understanding woman behind, when I was instantly engulfed into a strong bear hug. I’d missed my father standing by the door, watching Mom cook.

Mom, like always, had her iPod plugged in as she cooked, her little head bobbing up and down to the beat, her eyes occasionally closing as she pretended to waltz with an invisible partner. It took her a while to notice me, so Dad and I had found ourselves suddenly preoccupied with recording a secret video of her. Teasing Mom was always fun.

When all was said and done, and the fun had ended, well, things took a turn for the awkward.

After being interrogated about whether Bryce had hurt me while being pulled and pushed into hugs by both my parents, I finally managed to convincingly lie that Bryce and I were great, that he just had some work to do in Italy, and that I was here while he was gone because I’d missed home.

Well, it wasn’t entirely a lie; I really was missing home. But the truth still stood that Bryce and I were not great, and I had no idea where he had so cowardly disappeared to.

Thankfully, though, Dad and Mom believed me, and after an amazing dinner, here I was now in my room, lying on my bed, trying to ignore my phone as Roman’s ID flashed on the screen.

Romanov Calling . . .

I glanced at my phone slightly but immediately looked away as his ID continued to flash.

The slight trepidation in my chest made me feel like I was hiding in Marley’s home again and like Bryce was going to get me any minute now, only this time I didn’t know who would get me—only this time I really wasn’t hiding. This was my home after all!

I sighed as I saw the lights go off on my cell out of the corner of my eye, and after quickly grabbing the phone, I jumped to Notifications.

4 Messages Received

20 Missed Calls

A slight shiver ran down my back when I tapped on the Missed Calls tab.

Bryce (15)

Romanov (3)

Matthew (2)

I left the messages untouched.

A sigh slipped from my lips as I switched back to looking at my faintly lit room. And when the slight tinge of sweat caught my sense, I quickly got up and marched towards the bathroom. A bath was in order, and a much-needed one at that.

***

I walked back into my room wearing Bryce’s deep-blue T-shirt and a pair of white boy shorts, my hair pulled up in a loose french braid. Glancing at the softly rattling window, I padded towards it and pushed it open, breathing in the cool night breeze. An owl hooted somewhere deep in the forest, and I could smile at how loud it sounded in the quiet darkness.

The moon seemed almost full, slightly fuller than a crescent, and I couldn’t help but let a shiver pass me while watching it. As if looking at it connected me to Bryce, pain slowly settled into my chest. I missed him. I missed the Bryce that was mine, not the one who drove me away.

I let out a dejected breath as I turned to the bed and stilled. The screen was alight again—another notification.

I found myself padding towards my bed quite furiously but only stilled again when I saw the screen.

Bryce Calling . . .

My chest tightened as I slumped down into bed and pulled my iPhone towards me—a rash decision purely made by the tightening sensation in my chest.

The feel of my heart beating a mile a second, loud enough to be heard throughout my otherwise-silent room, left me even more nervous.

If you can hear your frigging heart beat, he will too!

My eyes widened in alarm, and turning to the left, I quickly unlocked my laptop and tapped on the first music file I encountered. Turning back to the quietly blaring phone, I tapped on the Accept button.

“Your fingertips across my skin / the palm trees swaying in the wind / images . . .”

My eyes widened as the song started to play. My free hand moved straight towards my forehead and smacked it in an “I’ve lost all hope” manner. It just had to be a sad song!

It was just then I realized no one was speaking from the other end of the line. I frowned and brought the phone closer.

“Hello?”

It sounded more like a question than a greeting, but I suppose it had to do. I missed him, and although I knew he was going to be mad, I also knew he was too far away to do anything, so I was slightly less scared of the possibility of partial abduction—partial because no matter how reluctant I might be about him turning beast mode, throwing me over his shoulder, then jumping off a two-story building, I could never really not want to go with him.

The silence on the other side broke. A controlled growl sounded through my cell, and I moved closer to my headboard, tugging the sheets above my knees. “Go back home, Theia.”

Despite myself, I couldn’t help but let a slightly amused smile shine through. Now leaning against the headboard, I eased up. “I am home, Bryce.”

“Our home, dammit!”

The pure lividness in his tone made me freeze for a second. The next second, however, brought back the knowledge that he was in fact too far away to do anything. I relaxed a little, the grin flashing again on my face.

“We are yet to buy a home together, babe,” I replied, sounding as sweet and innocent as I could. It wasn’t hard to grasp that he was referring to the castle as our home, but although it made my heart tingle, home was where my parents were or where he was, and he wasn’t at the castle; my parents, however, were here.

I listened as Bryce let out a growl, and the sound of something crashing and breaking in the background followed. He had taken a deep breath, as if to control himself, before he spoke again, “The castle—go back to the fucking castle, Theia!”

My smile disappeared, and I found myself blank-faced when I muttered my reply, the anger from the previous hours rushing back with such force that I suddenly felt like sobbing. “No. I’m staying here. Since you’ve so kindly run off somewhere because you refuse to acknowledge what I am agreeing to, I have decided to postpone my castle stay until two weeks into the break. My best friend and her s—brother—want to visit, and I think I’m going to invite them over! You know I-I love you, but I won’t let you toy with me like this. I have feelings, too, you know, and I can decide what they are for myself. I don’t want you doing that for me, then pretending that staying away from me is the best thing, because let’s get real, you know as much as I do that it hurts; being away hurts. I just— Good night, Bryce. I think I need some sleep, and you do too.”

There was nothing, just pure silence—so much of it that I think I could hear distant traffic sounds coming from his end of the line.

“G-good night then,” I mumbled—almost whispered—into my cellphone. Bryce obviously didn’t want to talk about anything more, so I suppose it was time to call it a night.

“I’m coming, and you better be ready for what you’ve asked for, Theia. Good night.”

The line went dead.

I could only stare at the screen as it went dark.

“I’m coming . . .”

He’s coming? Back? From where? Didn’t he leave? What the fuck!

The cell went off again, and my hand shot to grasp it, accepting the call without even looking at the screen. I was hoping it was Bryce; I needed to know where he was.

“Open your damn window!”

“Rome?”

“The window, Theia!”

My heart pounding in my ears, I quickly made my way towards the larger window and slid it open. Almost instantly, a fierce-looking Roman jumped into my room, his eyes between bronze and golden. In the next minute, he pounced on me, pushing me onto the floor under him. He then quickly started turning me over as if checking for an injury.

When he found none, he relaxed a bit and moved back, seating himself on the floor, against my bed.

“He is coming.”

I sighed and got up to sit beside him, rubbing a sore ankle as I did. “He didn’t leave?”

Roman frowned, then shook his head. “Oh, he left—New York. He’s coming.”

“Well then, I’ll see him tomorrow or the day after, I suppose.”

Roman stilled for a second, his gaze hazy and locked on my rug. I continued to watch him as he came back, his gaze brightening considerably. He blinked—once, twice—then turned to me. “Tomorrow morning. He’s taking a private jet here.”

I frowned, then shook my head. Oh, right, multibillionaire heir plus self-made businessman.

“I’m still not coming back to Dovelore. I want to stay here for a week or two. My best friend and her br—”

Rome growled suddenly, baring his teeth at me.

Shocked, I moved back but continued, “B-brother are c-coming over for the h-holidays, and I want to spend some t-time with them.”

“Sorry—that growling bit was Bryce. I didn’t know the connection was still open,” Roman muttered, pressing the bridge of his nose as if trying to get rid of a headache.

This is all so confusing. What the hell is he talking about?

“W-what?”

Rome’s eyes shot to mine, the steely gaze melting into something warmer and more comforting. I stilled as he seemed to move forward until his hand slid along my shoulder, and he pulled me towards him. “All packs have a connection—royals have a connection, too—where we can communicate mentally. Bryce, being the king, can communicate with anyone he wants to as long as the connection is strong and personal. A connection is like a mirror, or a sieve. He can hear what’s going on around me because I think about it; that is, if I keep the connection open. It’s complicated.”

I blinked myself out of the haze and nodded slowly. I suppose that made sense—well, sort of.

“Can you hear what he is thinking right now?”

Roman’s expression tightened, and he nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose again. “I’d rather not say.”

My eyes widened. “Tell me?”

Rome shook his head and got up, dusting himself off as if out of habit. He reached out with his hand, grasped mine, and slowly pulled me up.

“Please,” I said as he led me towards the bed, then he pushed my shoulders gently so that I slumped onto it. Afterwards, he got on his knees in front of me.

“I punched the walls because I was angry. Alex behaves like he is saving you, but he is hurting you instead. Sometimes . . . Sometimes I wish you were my mate instead, Thi. I know I’m difficult and short-tempered, but I would treat you right. I’m sorry my cousin is such a mutt. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I let him hurt you. But I know, if someone can fix him . . . it’s you.”

Leaning in, Rome placed a ghost of a kiss on my forehead, then before I could reply, moved towards the window and leaped out.

“I know, if someone can fix him . . . it’s you.”

I stared at the window, the smell of him lingering in the room—something spicy, something fresh.

“Sometimes I wish you were my mate, Thi . . .”

A sigh left my lips as I leaned against the headboard before going further down. Sinking into bed, I pulled the covers over me.

“I couldn’t keep my promise . . .”

“Fuck my life,” I mumbled sadly, watching the dark ceiling above me, the reflection of the string lights making it glow in certain places.

“It’s you.”

“It’s you.”

“You.”

***

“Theia! Come downstairs, will you, please?”

Oh God, no! Not this early! I don’t want to go shopping!

The thoughts of the last time Mom had taken me shopping so early, at nine in the morning, ran through my mind, and I shuddered at the recollection of the lingerie in a dozen different colors that I had been forced to bring back home. “Coming, Mom!”

I quickly walked out of the bathroom, freshly brushed but still in Bryce’s shirt and my boy shorts. It didn’t seem like much of a task to just go downstairs, and so the need to dress up didn’t seem important. A sigh left my lips as I watched myself in the mirror, her brown, almost-black locks looking wavier than her normal light waves, even though they were pulled up in a messy bun.

“Theiaaa!” Mom’s voice drifted into the room in a singsong tune, and I almost scoffed at her habit of pretending to be an opera singer. I think it’s important to put out the fact that my mother doesn’t know the M to music.

“Coming!” I yelled back, pushing away a rebellious lock of hair, as I turned to the door.

Sleep visited me almost instantly after Rome had left last night. I suppose it had been a long and tiring day. And although I had gone to sleep almost immediately after his departure, I rose earlier than I was used to as well, maybe because of the gnawing in my tummy. Bryce could be here at any time today, but I knew I would continue with my plan: I would call Casey up and invite her over anyway, then spend time with her and Angelo.

With a last glance at my cellphone, I padded barefoot out of my room and downstairs.

“Oh, darling, there you are! Could you please help me get the table ready? Your dad must be getting up any minute now, and I really want to surprise him with a good, hearty breakfast. Lord knows he will miss it when I’m gone all of next week. Business in Cali is booming!” Mom rushed to say as she placed another amazing-smelling pancake on a plate before quickly pouring another perfect circle of batter on the pan.

“Sure, Mom,” I said with a smile and immediately started moving around the kitchen, working on preparing the breakfast table.

I was getting cereal when the doorbell went off, and my heart skipped a beat before quickening, now beating at a maddening pace. I stared, wide-eyed, at the front door, a nervous look etched on my face, the milk carton almost on its way to slipping from my suddenly sweaty palms.

“Theia, darling, could you please get the door?” Mom said as she turned and bent towards the oven to pull out what smelled like apple pie.

“Sure, Mom,” I breathed, my feet already making their way towards the door. I stopped only when I held the crystal knob in my hand.

“I’m coming, and you better be ready for what you’ve asked for, Theia . . .”

I gulped back a nervous breath, then without much thought, turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Well, that’s strange, I thought as I looked around the empty driveway. It was a fact that the doorbell had rung. How could there be no one here?

A frown etching itself on my face again, I moved slowly into the driveway, and I almost jumped when a foreign voice spoke behind me, “Remember me?”

The voice seemed deep—deeper than what I would imagine normal seventeen-year-old guys to have. His Romanian accent reminded me of someone, but that could hardly be possible since I had yet to call them over! I turned to the man in question sharply and almost fell back at his unearthly beauty. He had platinum-blond hair that was shaved on his right side, lips as red as a cherry, and a lip ring that shone through the luscious red, but what really caught my attention were the stormy grayish-blue eyes. I froze, suddenly realizing who the tall man in front of me was.

No . . . fucking . . . way.

“Angelo?”

“That’s right! We’re here! Let us rejoice!” another happy voice called out from behind me, and I only had moments to turn around before tumbling down onto the pavers, my boy shorts—I’m sure—visible for the world to see.

“Casey! Too tight! Can’t breathe!” I managed to choke out as the blonde held me in a tight grip, her thick locks partly covering my face.

“Let her go, Cass.” Angelo’s now-manly voice drifted through the air, mixing with his distinct Romanian accent—courtesy of the boarding school—which made him sound anything but the girl whom I had known during my childhood. An accidental glance at the slight tent in his jeans also notified me that there was more to him now than when he had been a “girl.”

I looked away, blushing, when Angelo had finally had enough, ripped Casey away from me, and pulled me up, his arms sliding around my waist.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t even sure how to react anymore. It had been a common occurrence when I thought of him as a girl, when I didn’t pay much attention to his cuddling. But now that he held the whole male package, what was even considered appropriate anymore?

After a second or two of debating, I only shrugged and let his arms rest where they were, but I also made way for Casey’s when she decided to hug me again.

“Missed me?” Angelo whispered into my ear, his cold lip ring causing shivers to run down my arm as it touched my warm earlobe.

Don’t know about you, but no matter how much of a hunk he has transformed into, Bryce is still the man, the little voice in my head spoke, and I almost grinned at her remark. Even my conscience had lost its mental heart to Bryce.

“I missed you both.” I smiled, pulling both of them closer. It was safe to say that I had noticed the change in Angelo’s height. He had grown six inches taller and was now well beyond one and a half heads taller than I was.

“Babe?”

I froze.

Oh shit, no, not now! Shoot me! Just shoot me, someone!

Slowly, almost too slowly, I managed to move out of the two’s embrace and turn to the source of the voice.

The knowledge that the voice seemed like the definition of controlled didn’t pass by me, my eyes locked on Bryce’s bright blue ones. I could already detect specks of gold twirling in those ocean-blue irises.

“Bryce, these are my childhood best friends, Cassandria and Angelo. Guys, this is Bryce, my—”

“Her boyfriend.” Bryce smiled as he reached me and pulled me smoothly into his embrace with his spare hand, while the other was extended smugly towards Angelo.

I watched, sighing, as Angelo’s smile shriveled up into a bleak expression when he grasped Bryce’s hand, giving it a firm shake.

I suppose he saw, too, how obviously pointless trying to pick a fight with Bryce would be. No matter how masculine Angelo looked to be now, the truth still stood that Bryce would always be larger.

Casey, on the other hand, stood frozen in sheer awe of Bryce. She only broke free from the haze when Bryce waved an awkward hand in front of her face.

I leaned into Bryce’s hug, suddenly feeling really possessive of him. I felt guilty because that was my best friend, and I should never feel any need to be cautious of her, but I couldn’t help it. I suppose it was just primal instinct with this bond-between-mates thing.

Bryce’s arms tightened around my waist while he was standing behind me. As I stood snuggly in front of him, he extended a hand to Casey, and she gleefully accepted. I couldn’t help but frown at that, but I grinned when she turned to me discreetly and wiggled her eyebrows cheekily.

“Theia? Oh, dear Lord, if that Bryce has whisked her away to that castle of his again, I’m going to literally ground him!”

I turned to Bryce with wide eyes and flushed cheeks as Mom rushed out of the front door, muttering to herself and looking slightly alarmed. She stopped when she saw us, her mouth slightly agape. Well, that was for a minute, then she unleashed herself on Casey and Angelo, pulling them into the house with her, worrying over how they must be hungry and how long a flight that must have been, and expressing how she was glad they were here.

Bryce and I remained standing on the driveway, me still in his arms. The knowledge of not having any audience anymore was slightly agitating because the anger and pain all came rushing back. Frowning suddenly at how at ease I felt in his arms, I tried to move away.

“Don’t,” Bryce growled slowly, pulling me flush against him again. I shivered as he dipped down and nuzzled his nose against my neck. “You’re so tempting when you’re possessive—especially while wearing my shirt. Tell me, are you nude beneath it?”

“Perv,” I breathed, my hand grasping his just as it reached the edge of my shirt. When did he start talking like this?

Bryce chuckled against my neck, his warm breath fanning my sensitive skin. I almost did a double take when he suddenly nipped at it before running his warm tongue over it. He repeated this action twice, then he tugged at the skin somewhat aggressively—biting, sucking, licking—till he seemed satisfied and pulled back to view his masterpiece. Meanwhile, I was a puddle against him; I could barely feel my legs.

“There, now he’ll know who you belong to. You need to get out of these, too. As much as this turns me on, babe, I could have murdered the boy,” Bryce growled, and I shivered as he tugged at the collar of my shirt.

“You’re not even wearing a bra,” he groaned shakily, nipping at my shoulder.

“Why are you so horny?”

Oh shit.

I smacked my mouth with my palm as soon as I blurted out that question. Bryce had only stilled before he rolled his hips into my back, his arousal obvious.

I blushed when he replied, “I’m always horny when you’re around me; I just don’t make it obvious.”

“So you’re not running away anymore? We’re mating?”

Bryce moved away, coughing to clear his throat. I almost sobbed at the loss.

“I don’t want your pity sex, Theia. I’ll deal with it.”

What . . . the . . . fuck. Kick him to the curb, Thi! Mate or not, he’s gone douche mode! Douches always get kicked to the curb! Do it, I say!

“Fine, deal with it. Goodbye,” I muttered, shrugging, as I started to move towards the door, not even trying to hold in the tears or hide the bruise on my neck. It was breaking my heart to say goodbye. Even though I knew that he was it—my soul mate—I just needed a break. All these whirlpools of emotions were really overwhelming me, and I didn’t like it. I needed to get away for a second.

I didn’t even freeze when a growl rang around the driveway or when I got roughly pulled against a hard chest.

“Fine, babe, you can have it your way.”

Then he was gone. I almost thought I’d heard a whispered “for now,” but the hurt from him actually agreeing was too much for me to actually ponder whether I truly had.

It must have been the wind.

How many minutes I lost standing there glaring at my bare creamy feet, which contrasted with the reds of the pavers, I do not know, but it felt like hours, and the whole time I stood there, I fought myself trying not to cry.

The concept of crying suddenly disgusted me because that seemed like the only thing I kept doing nowadays. I was tired of feeling sad, tired of crying, and tired of the brain-wrecking headaches that followed.

“Chubby?”

I glanced up to see a concerned-looking Angelo standing, holding the front door open. His navy-blue sweater over his white button-up shirt only made him look more mystical. He made a move to walk over to me but stopped when his eyes landed on something. I blushed, knowing exactly what it was.

The anger on his face came and went just in a few seconds. I noticed that his fists were still clenched as he started to walk over again. Upon reaching me, he pulled open my messy bun, making my hair waver over my shoulders. I could only watch, dumbfounded, as he then slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into the house.

“We need to get you fed,” he muttered softly as he inched towards the kitchen. I found myself wondering once again, just as I had done on numerous other occasions, just how easy it seemed for Angelo to memorize things—and so fast.

We walked into the room to find an enthusiastic Casey ripping into a pancake. My dad raised an eyebrow at me in question, and I only shook my head in reply. I knew he was wondering what was up, but that was the last thing I felt like talking about. Mom, however, quickly pulled me out of Angelo’s grip and pushed me onto an empty chair between her and Casey. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she only sheepishly shrugged back.

“So I heard Bryce lives in a castle. Is it true?” Casey suddenly chirped, biting into her pancake.

I suddenly felt awkward, but I nodded and, smiling softly, answered, “Yes, it is.”

“That is so cool. Does he have any brothers?” she replied, her eyes sparkling, as she continued to feed herself.

A giggle slipped through my lips upon seeing Dad’s expression. But I shook my head. “He is an only child, but he does have a cousin, Roman.”

“Oh my God, you must introduce us!” Casey immediately jumped on her seat, giggling.

“Sure. But what about Leo?” I mumbled back, amused by her enthusiasm.

“Oh, we broke up. Figures since he cheated on me,” Casey muttered bitterly, her lips trembling slightly.

“You can’t be sure about that, Cass! For all you know, Kira could be lying,” Angelo suddenly snapped.

My gaze went to him. He, on the other hand, was quite busy glaring at his sister.

“That’s right, dear; I think you should talk to Leo,” Mom chirped after. Dad and I, however, continued to stuff our faces with pie while nodding awkwardly.

Cass looked at me expectantly, but I shook my head. “They’re right; you should talk to him.”

Knowing she had lost, she finally nodded her head in defeat and moved on to the next topic: “Brian can’t stop talking about you, you know; I think he’s become a little obsessed.”

“I did accept his request on Facebook, though,” I muttered, stuffing more pie in my mouth. Mom patted my back, noticing my unhealthy amount of consumption.

“Yeah, we know. Actually, I think the whole school knows,” Casey replied.

“Well, I’m done. Thanks for the breakfast, Mom,” I declared with a smile and, after gathering my plate and glass, moved over to the kitchen sink.

As quickly as I could, I washed my dishes and turned around to find both Cass and Angelo having finished and coming to join me at the sink.

When they were done with their dishes, all three of us moved towards my room, dragging their luggage upstairs.

“Sweetie, Angelo and Cass can have the rooms beside yours,” Mom called out as we made our way upstairs.

“Alright. Thanks, Mom!”

“Yeah, thanks, Mrs. A!”

***

“Woah! That’s some view!” Casey gasped as she took in the view being presented by the open large glass windows.

I smiled as I took the view in too. “Yeah, it is, isn’t it?”

“Is that his castle?” Angelo drawled almost snidely as he slumped down on the bed.

I felt a pang in my chest at the mention of Bryce again, but I quickly avoided it as I took a seat on the bed myself.

“Yes, that’s his castle.”

Angelo scoffed as he let himself fall flat against the bed, “Caught yourself your very first boyfriend, and he just had to be a millionaire. I always knew you were special, Theia.”

“You’re being mean, Angelo. Stop being jealous,” Casey blurted out, rolling her eyes, and she, too, took a seat on the bed.

Once again, I ignored the bitter taste of his words, and after taking a deep breath, I changed the topic.

“So, guys, what’s the plan?” I chirped, thankful that my voice sounded happier than I felt.

“Shopping, sightseeing, movies—the whole shebang! But for now, let’s stay in; I’m kind of tired.” Casey giggled as she turned to Angelo and me, now lying on her side.

“Alright, alright.” I giggled back and eased into the bed, lying flat beside Angelo.

The sound of the doorbell caught my attention, but I pushed myself to continue to lay down, my eyes closed. It seemed peaceful.

“Theia! Roman’s here, dear!”

Rome?

“ ‘Roman’? Oh, it’s my lucky day!” Casey almost shouted, excitedly, as she shot out of bed, leaving me behind.

“She’s . . . crazy,” I managed to say, still looking at the open door with wide eyes.

“I’ve always told you,” Angelo murmured beside me.

I glanced at him, swiftly looking away.

“I should, you know . . . go,” I quickly breathed as I shot out of bed myself, then rushed out the door and down the stairs.

I hadn’t even stepped on the last stair when a worried-looking Rome started walking towards me.

An awestruck Casey, who stood frozen beside me, watched as Roman stopped in front of me.

“Hey, Rome, this is my best friend, Casey.” I grinned, knowing he was fully aware of the stunned girl beside me. I then turned to Casey, my grin widening at the blushing girl. “Casey, this is one of my best guy friends, Rome.”

“Hi,” Casey murmured dreamily, and I almost let out a bark of laughter when Roman stilled, then sniffed the air and directed his gaze at Casey.

“Nice to meet you,” he muttered back and managed to produce a small smile before pulling me into a hug. “I’m so hot, your friend’s horny just looking at me. I don’t know if I should be flattered or shocked.”

This time I did let out a bark of laughter but then almost instantly frowned and smacked Roman in the arm.

One glance at Casey showed that she was still oblivious to everything and was just as awestruck as she had been a minute ago.

“Shut up,” I scolded Rome.

He, however, threw me one of his rare grins.

“So he came?” he asked a moment later.

I tensed up. “Yes.”

“Had a tiff?”

“Yes.”

“Strange.”

My eyes shot to Rome’s. “Strange?”

“How so?”

Rome shrugged, his brows still furrowed. “He seemed pretty happy, grinning and smirking.”

I ignored the pang in my chest and shrugged. “I dunno.”

Rome watched me curiously, and when I didn’t falter in my expression, he nodded and pulled me into a hug before turning to the door. “Call me if you need anything, okay? I don’t know what he’s up to, but if I find out, I’ll let you know.”

Turning to Casey, he showed an amused smile. “Goodbye. Have a nice stay here at Piedmont.”

I could barely stifle my giggles as Casey continued to let out dreamy sighs while Roman walked towards and out the front door.

***

“Christian’s hotter!”

“No, his brother!”

“Christian!”

“Ladies, ladies! Let’s admit it: I’m hotter!”

Casey and I glared at the grinning Angelo.

“Shut up!” we both shouted at the same time.

Angelo put up his hands in defeat yet continued to grin. “Alright, alright! Don’t get your panties in a twist, eh?”

“Christian’s hotter!” I declared with finality as I quickly got out of the bed and switched the TV off. Yawning tiredly, I then marched towards the bathroom to brush.

The day had been filled with awkward conversations about Roman and Bryce, swimming and just lazing around, and checking each other’s Facebook out after Rome left.

Naturally getting a tan here didn’t seem like a thing, so we were getting into the pool. And the sooner we got in, the sooner we could get out. It was barely summer, and that meant that it was chilly all day round on “bad days.” Today was such a day.

I could still hear Angelo and Casey continue to bicker with each other. I, on the other hand, only shook my head and gargled all the foam out before scrubbing and washing my face.

Finally fresh-faced and minty-breathed, I had marched right back into the bedroom and bounced in between the two siblings, leaning more to Casey, before I finally let the comfort of my bed seep into my bones.

The breeze from the open windows only calmed me more, though I couldn’t help but miss the heavy weight of a certain arm on my waist. I sighed as I turned and chucked away thoughts of him for the fiftieth time today.

“Truth or dare?” Angelo suddenly murmured beside me. Both Casey and I turned our heads to him, and he repeated himself.

“Truth,” Casey replied, slightly amused but all the more excited.

“What were you hiding under your bed last Wednesday?”

Casey groaned and muttered something like “I knew it was going to be that question” before answering, “It was Leo. We, er . . . Yeah, well, we were making out. Okay, truth or dare, Theia?”

“Truth.” I giggled, still not being able to get the image of Casey hiding a guy under her bed out of my head.

“Have you and Bryce had sex yet?”

My breath hitched, and I’m sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights. “No,” I murmured back slowly, and I could almost swear I heard a relieved-sounding sigh slip from beside me.

I turned to Angelo. “Truth or dare?”

“The truth.”

“Every time you had those bloodied knuckles when you used to be over for the holidays—how’d you get them? Were you participating in illegal fights?”

“No,” Angelo answered with a chuckle, bringing his head closer to mine. He then looked me directly in the eye when he added, “I wasn’t participating in fight clubs because I was too busy giving every guy who dared have a crush on you a free plastic surgery.”

“What the hell, why?” Casey almost burst beside me.

Angelo, still looking into my eyes—while I could only gawk at him—replied, “Oh, I think you know exactly why; I think you’ve known exactly why for ages.”

***

A groan left my lips as I tried to smack away the persistent hands working on pulling me. I just wanted to sleep, and all this pushing and pulling wasn’t helping!

A strong pair of arms shot to my waist again and hoisted me up in a quick motion. The impression that the owner of the hands was trying to be stealthy only entered my head as consciousness began to resurface.

As I felt myself being moved, I peeked and almost squeaked when the sight of a lit castle in the distance met my gaze. The chilly night breeze smacked my face as it passed me and danced into the room, where both my friends were still sleeping.

I don’t really know when sleep had taken over, but I was sure it had been sometime between Truth or Dare, and Five Questions—five because we already knew each other so well.

The strong arms around me tightened, and I looked up just in time to see a determined-looking Bryce looking straight ahead.

What the hell is he doing here?

As if deciding how to act, Bryce took a forward step all of a sudden, and a squeak escaped my lips. His eyes immediately met my wide ones.

“So you’re awake,” he drawled, a small grin surfacing on his lips. I don’t know if it was the haziness from the sleep, or the lack of illumination, but somehow the grin seemed bitter.

“What the hell are you doing sneaking me out while I’m unconscious? I thought you agreed to goodbye!” I hissed, smacking the bulge of his bicep.

Bryce only seemed to grin wider as he lowered his face beside mine before replying, “No, I believe I told you, you could have it your way. I never said I would too. Right now, though, babe, I’m having it my way, and that’s to have you in my bed, in my arms, not his.”

The next second seemed like a flash as Bryce’s grip on me tightened further, and with me still in tow, he jumped off my second-story window into the dark woods.