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

Lies—they hurt people, destroy relationships, destroy people’s lives . . . But what if you were lying to protect yourself, to have something good come out of it? Would that lie still be wrong?

It seems understandable that everyone lies to protect themselves in a sense. A cheating husband lies to protect himself from having his infidelity discovered, from a divorce, or from destroying his image in society. A killer lies to save his horrid ass. A mother lies to protect her daughter from everything she did wrong when she was young, like dating the wrong guy or smoking . . . And falling for her English teacher?

A girl lies to herself every night when she looks in the mirror and tells herself that she isn’t good enough, that she isn’t beautiful. A guy lies when he thinks acting manly will make people respect him more.

Lies—they hurt and destroy lives.

So why couldn’t I feel guilty about lying to everyone around me, by not telling them that I could remember?

Was it because, at the end of the day, it would do a lot of people good?

Was it because I didn’t even know who it could be anymore?

Was it because I was rightfully scared?

A sigh left my lips.

The afternoon air, crisp and cold, cut me as I made my way out of the Rover and pushed the door closed.

My grasp on my books tightened as I immediately began walking towards the school.

There was no time to feel guilty. I had nearly died. This had to stop.

“You forgot to lock it.”

I stilled, then glanced sheepishly at a grinning Marley before locking it.

“Good morning.” I smiled brightly at her as I hooked my arm into hers, then proceeded towards the door.

My smile faltered a bit when I sensed someone else’s gaze on me. I quickly whipped my head towards where I was sensing it from. I felt my feelings dampen as I tried to search for the stare amid the many people that were currently crowding me while walking towards their own destinations.

I sighed as I told myself that I was doing exactly what Bryce had warned me not to do. It was true, I was on edge, and by the concerned look on Marley’s face, I was making it very, very obvious.

Yes, I needed to lie.

My mind faltered back to this morning. Waking up in Bryce’s arms, I had realized, was the best feeling in the world—from what I had experienced so far anyway. Well, it was the best . . . until he tried to transform himself into a tightly wrapped cocoon, with me as the caterpillar.

“You okay, Thi?” Marley asked, concerned, as she turned to look at me, her hand resting comfortingly on my shoulder.

My eyes widened for a second when I realized I wanted to tell her that I remembered, but instead, I calmed myself and smiled.

Be calm, Anderson. Be calm.

“What? Yeah, everything’s fine! Why wouldn’t everything be fine?” Lie harder, Anderson! She still looks unconvinced! “I just . . . feel like I’m missing something. Marley . . . was there something in my past that I don’t h-have now?” I mumbled, looking down at the blues of my sandals. Would she tell?

Marley paled.

She looked around us, then at me, her eyes still a bit glazed. I watched curiously as she opened her mouth, then shut it before shaking her head. “N-no! Everything is the same! Maybe you’re feeling tired . . . Do you want to go home and rest?”

I shook my head, feeling slightly disappointed that she, of all people, had denied me the truth.

Lies—they hurt.

“I’m fine, Ley. Let’s just get to class,” I mumbled back as I managed to get a smile to reoccupy its recently abandoned spot.

Reaching our math class seemed to take a lot more time today than it usually did, but once we’d entered, both Marley and I took no time in settling in our usual spots in the far right corner of the room.

I sat near the middle of the column, while she sat in the seat behind me. Keith, like the loyal mate he was, sat beside her.

“You look gloomy.” My head shot up, and I instantly felt myself relax—Matthew.

Quickly grasping his jacket, I pulled him down and towards me.

“I feel like it’s eating me up, not telling Marley,” I whispered as lowly as I possibly could. Keith was sitting right behind me.

Matthew stilled for a second, then he leaned closer. “We need to be careful, Thi. The fewer people that know about it, the better.”

I nodded.

How it was possible for him to speak so lowly was beyond me, but after straining my ears to hear every word he was saying, I was just glad I had at least understood him.

I guessed I wouldn’t tell Marley . . . at least for now.

“Good morning, guys! I’m sorry for not being able to make it yesterday, although I’m sure you all spent the class productively answering the problems on page 487 like I had asked you all to.”

Oh crap.

My eyes widened in alarm when I couldn’t find my math book. Had I left it at home?

“Ms. Anderson?”

I’m dead—dead as a duck in a restaurant!

My alarmed eyes met Mr. Phelps’ quizzical ones, and I immediately sank lower in my seat.

“I suppose you had other, more important situations to handle, too, Ms. Anderson?”

I looked around to see almost all of the class having the same alarmed expression I wore.

Saved by the majority! Let us fall to our dooms together, brothers!

Upon looking back at Mr. Phelps, I tried not to flinch at his serious expression. “Sorry, sir. Yes, sir.”

Mr. Phelps nodded. “Very well. Will you all please spend today’s class completing your important but quite obviously neglected assignments? Yes? Thank you!”

I could swear I heard everyone let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Phelps was an amazing teacher and all, but honestly, his temper skyrocketed quite quickly, and it was explosive—very explosive.

Reaching for the ruler, I stopped as my fingers collided with Matthew’s. Looking at him, I grinned. He was reaching for the ruler too.

That only meant one thing: a stare-off.

“Ms. Anderson, can I have a word?”

I immediately let go of the ruler.

Oh God . . .

I narrowed my eyes at the ruler, which was now grasped by only Matthew.

The ruler had chosen its master, and I kind of felt cheated.

“Ms. Anderson?”

I glanced up at the slightly amused Mr. Phelps and nodded when he motioned to the door, then proceeded to follow him out.

He turned to me as he closed the door behind us. The hallway looked very calming and clean without the crowd of students.

“You are aware, I’m sure, that due to your . . . accident . . . you have missed quite a lot?” Mr. Phelps mumbled, coughing to clear his throat when he reached “accident.”

I nodded. “Yes, sir”

He nodded back. “Yes, well, Principal Williams has suggested putting you up with a study mate. But since you’re one of the two brightest students in class and Emigen—being the other—already has a student to tutor, I am going to help you catch up. With this being your final year, grades definitely matter, Theia.”

Hoooly . . .

“Mr. Phelps, I assure you—”

“I’m afraid, before you try to refuse, I should let you know this is not an offer; it’s a requirement. Here is the letter from Principal Williams explaining so.”

I stared at the letter for a second or two before taking it. I looked up at Mr. Phelps. “Where are we required to study, sir?”

A smile made its way onto his face, and he leaned against the door. “Wherever you are most comfortable, Ms. Anderson.”

I nodded. “May I let you know tomorrow?”

Mr. Phelps nodded, then stopped to think quickly before grasping my hand and writing down his digits.

“This is purely for educational purposes, Ms. Anderson. Please do refrain from sending me a drunk text or something.”

I almost laughed at that—almost.

“Sure, sir. I don’t drink anyways,” I replied as we made our way back into the classroom.

Everyone stilled as we entered. Frowning in confusion, I continued to my seat.

I leaned towards Matt. “Why is nearly everyone here acting weird?”

“Alpha Alexander nearly lost his socks when he found out you were outside of the class without anyone from the pack there with you.”

“What! Who told him?”

He shook his head in regret. “Sorry, Theia—I did. I have a sworn duty to tell him everything about you.”

Possessive Alpha Mate mode activated.

“I feel like the president.”

Matthew let out a low laugh as he picked up the ruler again.

“You’re our queen, Theia. You’re kind of more important here.”

Holy smackers . . .

***

“And the Presidential Award for Best Killjoy goes to . . .”

Beside me, Connor did his best drum impression.

“Roman Naight!”

Rome gave me a thankful smile for a second before he growled again. I knew better than to call him Romanov in public; he despised that name.

“Mr. Phelps tutoring you seems pointless, to be honest; that’s all I’m saying. And nothing is wrong with thinking prom is pointless!”

“Prom is the only time I get to wear a fancy dress and see the idiots here in tuxes. So just staaahp, okay?” Marley jumped into the conversation as she plopped another french fry into her mouth. She then let out a happy moan. “These are some good french fries.”

Keith immediately growled beside her. My eyes widened.

“That’s it,” he muttered as he quickly grabbed Marley by the hand and pulled her out of the cafeteria.

“What’s wrong with him?” I spoke, and all the boys at our table turned to look at me in alarm.

“Frisky love,” Connor sang after a minute of silence—and in a quite offbeat way too.

I wished I hadn’t asked . . .

After shaking my head, with my cheeks burning from the embarrassment, I quickly looked down at my tray, just in time to catch Matthew stealing my burger.

“Hey!” I swatted his hand away, halting both him and my precious burger. Immediately, he left the burger and turned to the fries, popping four into his mouth.

“What am I going to do with you?” I muttered tiredly as I shook my head before taking a bite of heaven—well, as much of heaven as the cafeteria could provide, that is.

***

“Alexander might not be over tonight, okay? But our defenders will be.”

I turned to Roman and nodded slowly. “He’s changed, hasn’t he?”

His gaze met mine. “What do you mean?”

I shook my head as I looked back down at my lunch tray.

“More aggressive, more possessive, more emotional towards me . . .”

Roman smiled as he took a sip from his juice box.

“He was a complete wreck when you were in a coma, Thi. He destroyed his whole wing of the castle. Everyone was very scared of him—still is. But sometimes he would let his walls slip, and the whole pack would feel his pain—I think the whole kingdom, the UK packs included. I found myself withering on the floor at the intensity of it all too many times, Thi. It felt like hell.” Roman shuddered as he leaned forward.

The table stood empty except for Rome and me at the moment. The rest of the boys had left early because they had a football meeting, while Roman and I opted to finish our lunch in peace.

“I never want to feel that way again. So I understand why he’s changed and why he is like he is. I don’t blame him, Theia. That feeling—it’s not something someone can just go through unaffected.”

“I understand,” I mumbled slowly. Even just imagining Bryce feeling that way made my heart constrict in the most violent of ways.

Roman looked up and met my eyes. His would never falter from them.

“I’m not scared of many things, Thi, but I’m scared of that feeling. That pain—it scares me.”

I felt my eyes water.

Oh, Roman . . .

***

There would be a storm today.

I watched the thick saturated, dark clouds hanging above us all, slowly—very slowly—swaying in a certain direction, as if too heavy to move.

It was 3 o’clock, but it seemed like it was already twilight. On normal occasions, that wasn’t meant to happen till hours later.

Another loud thunder boomed around us just a second after the sky had gone bright, then dulled again. I shook my head when I heard a dozen girls scream in fear around me, and the boys yelled out in shock before laughing—mocking the lightning and thunder, mocking Mother Nature, mocking each other.

Yes, there would be a storm today.

“Hey, do you . . . ? Do you suppose you could drop me home today?” Marley mumbled beside me as we made our way towards my Rover.

Smiling at her, I nodded. “Sure! Let’s go!”

As we settled into the Rover, a loud ding resonated around the car, and I immediately reached into my bag for my cellphone.

Missed me? I didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise. I just wanted you all for myself.

I’m going to call you. But let’s get home like a good girl first, alright?

Hurry! Hurry!

— S

Till that very instant, I had only just heard and read about “blood running cold.” Upon reading that message, I had a firsthand experience of that as well.

I felt a chill run down my spine, then my blood freeze in my veins. Everything stopped. Beside me, Marley seemed to be talking on the phone with Keith, obliviously telling him that I was going to drop her home in a few. I, on the other hand, could hear nothing clearly but . . . another ding.

Drive, Theia.

Fuck!

I found myself turning in my seat like a maniac, trying to spot at least one person who seemed suspicious—at least one person who was looking at me, at least one person whom I could picture doing me harm.

My eyes moved and settled on a smiling Lionel. His gaze landed on me and stayed. I watched, frozen, as he waved at me while Mr. Phelps hurriedly made his way towards the teachers’ lot behind him. I pulled up a hand of my own and waved back at Lionel for a second before turning on the car and driving out of the parking lot, passing a slightly fidgeting Jeff, his phone in his hand, a dark hoodie hiding almost all of his face.

Why is this happening to me?

“Thi . . . I need to tell you something,” Marley murmured as I drove into her driveway, then I stopped. She turned to face me in her seat.

My mind was still on the text message I had received. It was obvious that person went to Rosenberg High. But who was it? And why was he terrorizing me?

I shook my head to clear myself of the thoughts before turning to the nervous-looking Marley. “Has something happened, Ley?”

She shook her head and reached out to grasp my hand between hers.

“Remember . . . in the morning you told me that you felt like you were missing something?”

I nodded, my heart now racing for an entirely different reason.

“Alexander Bryce Wilhem, your . . . soul mate.”

I smiled slightly and reached for the collar of my blazer before pulling it down and showing her the mark.

She nodded solemnly.

“We didn’t tell you because the doctor said that it—”

“I know.”

Marley froze. Her expression hardened but then softened immediately. “You know?”

I nodded. “Everything”

Her mouth fell ajar. “But . . . how?’

“Bryce finally paid me a visit,” I replied, my fingers caressing my neck in a soft, loving manner.

“So . . . you just . . . remember . . . everything?”

“Not exactly. I don’t remember . . . that day. You can’t tell Keith this; he can’t exactly—”

“Keep his mouth shut? Trust me, I won’t.”

A giggle left my lips as I pulled Marley in for a hug. “I can’t believe how happy I am now that I have him, Ley. The past week felt like . . . death. I don’t want to experience it again—ever.”

Marley patted my back as she hugged me back. “I’m glad you’re back, Thi. We can have lots of fun now! Did you tell Mr. and Mrs. A?”

A sigh left my lips as I shook my head. “No. I’d rather not tell them right now, though. I don’t know how to process them not allowing Bryce to see me. He could have just been a friend or something, but they didn’t even allow him near our home.”

Marley smiled at me sadly as she patted me on my shoulder. “It’s all better now. Don’t worry. Hey, I should go. Do you wanna come? We can have a Charmed marathon.”

“I’ll call you. But let’s get home like a good girl first, alright?”

“I’m sorry, Ley. But how about this weekend? I have to get home today and discuss this Mr. Phelps thing with my folks.”

“Sure, sure, tell your parents our hot Mr. Andrew is tutoring you; see how they react,” Marley said with a giggle after she’d gotten out of the car, leaning on the window.

I rolled my eyes at her before sending her a wave and driving out of her driveway.

The drive to mine seemed longer than it usually was. By now, the storm winds were dancing their waltz, occasionally making wailing sounds, the thunder and lightning their companions.

I walked up the stairs and into my room with slow steps. As much as I wanted to yell at the stalker to leave me alone, I was afraid that his voice would resemble someone else’s and that everything I’d known so far would shatter.

I sighed as I closed the door behind me. The flimsy white curtains danced in the air as the chilly breeze twirled it around in its arms, their union hitting me in my cheeks as a thousand goose bumps sprouted all over me.

The loud sound of my iPhone ringing jolted me from momentarily getting lost in thought, and I quickly plunged my hand into my front pocket and dug it out before accepting the call from an unknown number without much consideration.

“Hello!”

I got silence.

What the hell?

“Hello! You call me and not even speak to me? What do you even want?”

I still got nothing.

“Speak, dammit! What do you want from me?”

“I thought that was very clear by now, Theia. I want you.”

Now I got chills.

I shifted on my bed, as if getting away from something invisible.

His baritone voice sounded like the epitome of evil. It even sounded inhuman. It was almost like how Bryce had sounded when his lycan took over . . . but evil—pure evil.

So . . . was I dealing with a werewolf—a beast?

“Well, I don’t want you! Please, just . . . leave me alone!”

Laughter—the person on the other end of the line let out a laugh, as if he had just heard the funniest joke on the planet.

His laughter stopped suddenly.

“No.”

I felt myself tremble, my vision already getting blurry, at the mere frustration over not being able to do anything about this.

“Why?” My voice came out in a whisper, cracking under the weight of my helplessness in this situation.

There had been a period of silence before the man finally broke it.

“You’re my mate.”

You know that feeling when you’re quite an oblivious child, you watch The Conjuring, then you find out it is based on a real story?

Everything on your whole plane . . . just shifts off its axis.

You start to wonder, Is this real? Do they exist? How can they? But do they?

Everything you know . . . comes into question, then is scrambled up like an egg. You view things differently, and you wonder if the wildly crazy house next door has skeletons of its own.

You try to tell yourself that it can’t possibly exist because, heck, you’ve never experienced it. But this lingering voice in the back of your mind keeps whispering, “What if . . . ?”

What if—that one phrase had turned my world from zero to 180 and had left me at a loss for words. How the hell was this possible?

No, this was a lie. I was Bryce’s mate. There could be no one else.

Another chuckle rang through the phone just as the window in front of me slid open, and Bryce slipped through.

I froze.

Fuck.

“Funny, I would have thought you would have more to comment on this revelation. Have I rendered you speechless, love?”

Bryce’s eyes, currently on mine, hardened as he quite obviously heard every word the man was saying very humorously.

I watched, still in shock, as Bryce quickly but quietly made his way to my bed and leaned on it. His glare now very bluntly directed itself from my phone’s screen to me.

“Is someone there, Theia?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Say no,” Bryce mouthed as he neared me from across the bed.

“No, I’m just shocked. You are obviously mistaken. I’m not your mate!”

I couldn’t move—couldn’t move an inch—because I didn’t know what to expect if I did. Everything was happening so fast. What was I supposed to think—to believe? And why me?

Bryce, however, continued to move across the bed, ignoring completely the conversation that was occurring right now.

Sliding his arms behind my legs and back, he quietly picked me up and perched me on his lap, his nose immediately finding solace in the crook of my neck.

I sighed in his warm embrace. At least he didn’t seem mad at me.

“If one thing stands solid in this world, Theia, it is that you’re my mate. I have known since you were ten. This love . . . years of manifestation. Isn’t that proof enough?”

Bryce’s hold on me tightened for a moment and then he placed his own iPhone before my eyes.

Talk to him. Mates just don’t throw each other out of a window.

My eyes widened as I read the message, and I turned a little to look back at Bryce. His hard eyes met mine and softened. “I love you,” he mouthed assuringly before he leaned in and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

“Mates don’t just throw their mates out of a bloody window,” I muttered into the phone, my grasp on the device so tight that it was beginning to hurt.

The man growled, “I didn’t do it. I tried to save you. But that fucking Matthew took you before I could. I took care of it, though. Yes. Yes, I did.” He let out a chuckle, then went silent. I pressed my ears further into the iPhone and frowned when I heard the all too normal sound of city traffic—chaotic.

He was in the city?

“I may call you later, Theia. As you can hear, the traffic is very . . . aggravating.”

The sinking feeling in my chest must have been very, very obvious on the outside because Bryce pulled me back into his arms, quickly wrapping them around me.

When had I moved away?

“Won’t you say goodbye?” the man mumbled sadly from the other end of the line.

“Forever,” I spat out. Everything was getting so suffocating, I just wanted to break away. Why was this happening to me?

He let out a bark of a laugh.

“Oh, and Theia?”

“What?” I snapped, trying to let my anger be known, trying to ignore the soothing circles Bryce was now drawing on my sides.

Why was he even doing that? Did he want to distract me?

“Say goodbye to Alexander for me, will you?”

The hell . . .

The man chuckled again, sounding very amused, and before I could even reply, disconnected the phone call.

I let my phone drop onto the bed before, without even thinking, turning in Bryce’s lap and crushing myself against him.

“He knew . . . that you were here. Bryce . . . I’m so scared,” I whispered, the burns from the trailing tears already making themselves known.

When had I started crying?

Bryce moved me back a little, stopping when I was at arm’s length from him. “Look at me.”

“No,” I mumbled back, my voice cracking slightly.

“Theia . . .”

Slowly, I lifted my gaze and stopped when it met his sharp, bright blues.

“You are my mate. You are mine, no one else’s—mine. Do you understand me?”

Sobbing a little, I nodded, then looked back down at my hands.

Why was this happening to me? I didn’t want anyone else. I wanted Bryce—just Bryce.

“Give me a kiss,” I mumbled against his shirt as I tucked my head under his chin.

I heard Bryce sigh against me before he flipped us over. One second I was straddling him, and the next he was hovering over me.

Propping himself up on one arm, he gently wiped my tears, one by one, then gave me a soft small smile as he leaned down towards me and captured my lips with his.

Breaking the kiss, he moved back and sighed, caressing my cheeks.

“You’re mine, Thi. You’re mine when you wake up in the morning; you’re mine when you get out of the shower; you’re mine when you’re crying, with puffy face and eyes; you’re mine when you’re smiling, the sun shining through your eyes; you’re mine every second you’re breathing; and hell, when we’re both old and wrinkly and taking our last breaths together, you’ll still be mine then. Don’t you see, Theia? It’s just us—you and me, no one in between.”

I couldn’t do anything but look up at the warm-looking Bryce. He dragged his thumb across my chin before leaning in and placing a kiss on my forehead.

“Okay?”

I nodded, fresh tears slipping down my cheeks.

“Okay.”

***

Everyone in my room seemed tense. I watched as the three tense males went on verbally battering each other as they so diligently continued to wear down the wooden floors.

If the situation didn’t seem too fragile and deadly, I would have probably remarked on how they were showing such military demeanors—shoulders broad and stiff, backs straight, heads up, each man completely alert.

“Theia, darling, are you feeling okay? Dinner is ready, sweetie. Why don’t you come down and help with the table.”

Mom’s voice seemed like a surprise bomb attack because, in an instant, all three—Matthew, Rome, and Bryce—froze on their spots, fully prepared to bolt if she so much as decided to enter my room.

I met Bryce’s eyes and nodded. I would have to go downstairs.

“Coming, Mom,” I called out, trying my best to sound as sick as I could. I wasn’t taking any chances; if I didn’t feel like going to school tomorrow, faking a sickness tonight would help build my case for then.

Yes, lies hurt. But how could keeping my parents away from this whole affair—keeping them safe from potential danger—hurt?

“Okay, darling, be down soon,” Mom replied instantly, the relief in her tone clear, even through the thickness of the walls between us.

A sigh left my lips as I moved out of bed and towards my closet, feeling only one pair of footsteps following my trail.

The door closed behind me a second after I had entered the closet, and immediately, a pair of arms slipped around my waist, pulling my back into a hard chest.

“Want me to get something for you and the guys?” I mumbled softly as I tried to fix my hair, making it look windswept and as though I’d just tumbled out of bed as best I could. My cheeks were already flushed because of today’s occurrences, and all the crying that had followed helped me pass for being ill—I hoped.

Bryce let out a sigh as he turned me around and, holding me by the shoulders, began pushing me back.

The cold feel of a concrete wall touched me suddenly, catching me by surprise. I moved forward, waiting to slam nose-first into Bryce’s chest.

That, however, didn’t happen. Just when I’d expected a forward collision, I felt myself being hoisted up and pushed against the wall again. Out of reflex, my legs immediately wrapped around Bryce.

“Would you mind if I kissed you, Theia?” Bryce whispered airily as he caressed my face with his nose before planting tiny kisses on random spots on his way down.

I shook my head.

Bryce chuckled and he nestled his nose on the base of my neck, his mark on me tingling only millimeters away from his lips.

I almost felt like inching in and gracing my neck with his lips, but as if he knew what I craved, he leaned in himself and placed an open-mouthed kiss right on his mark.

My whole world went white.

What sounded like half a cuss and half a moan ripped through my lips as I felt myself arch against him.

My whole body felt as if it were on fire, every nerve raw and incredibly sensitive.

Is this happening because of the mark? Oh my God . . . Is my body going to be an eternal puddle of sensitivity for Bryce now?

“The boys are still outside,” Bryce whispered against my ear after he had chuckled seductively.

Oh my gosh!

I quickly turned my heated face away before holding him by his shoulders and trying to push him away. If he wanted to play dirty, then so be it; he could. I, on the other hand, was escaping this!

Bryce, however, seemed to have a different idea as, instead of moving back, he pushed back against me and placed an open-mouthed kiss on his mark again as he rolled his hips deliciously into mine.

Another moan ripped out of me, but I quickly bit Bryce’s shoulder, muffling it halfway. Bryce let out a loud groan of his own as my teeth sank into his shoulder.

“The boys are still outside,” I breathed against his neck. It seemed like the only sentence I could formulate in my head at the moment as I hung there, clinging to him.

“Mm-hmm . . . And you have to go downstairs,” Bryce hummed against me as he slipped his hand underneath my sweatshirt, his deep, baritone voice causing goosebumps to pop on the sides of my neck.

I quivered in his arms as his fingers caressed the lace of my bra strap, teasing me cheekily. “Will you stop that! I want to actually be able to walk downstairs, okay?”

“Only if you give me a kiss.”

I rolled my eyes as I giggled at his adorably expectant expression. “That’s so cheesy, you know?”

Bryce narrowed his eyes and moved closer until his nose touched mine. “A kiss, Luna.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. Upon seeing the corners of Bryce’s lips tilt up, I knew he had probably noticed too.

I bit back the blush stemming from my neck, and thinking of the most effective thing I could do to wipe the smug look off Bryce’s face, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him towards me, meeting him halfway.

Nibbling on his bottom lip, I smirked as I felt him beginning to respond, but I pulled away almost instantly and, grinning at him, loosened my legs, letting them drop to the floor.

“Don’t want me going downstairs looking freshly kissed when I’m supposed to be alone in my room now, do we?”

A growl sounded from behind me as soon as I managed to open the door and move out into the bedroom, but I only grinned as I continued towards the bedroom door, then after pulling it open, I walked as calmly as I could downstairs.

***

“Ummm, hunny . . .”

I looked up from the table to catch my mom eyeing my neck with a weird expression on her face.

I shuffled on my feet awkwardly.

“Er . . . Yes, Mom?”

Her gaze faltered from my neck and met my eyes. She moved closer slightly, and my frown deepened.

“Hunny, what’s that on your neck?”

What the hell! Where?

My hand flew to my neck immediately, and I rushed to grab a silver tablespoon, angling it just right so that the undeniably obvious reddening bruise that stood near Bryce’s mark would shine proudly at me.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God . . . Fuck.

“Well, hunny . . . Are you . . . ? Is it a . . . ? Do you have a . . . boyfriend?” Mom stuttered hesitantly, clearly sounding disapproving of the idea.

“Who has a boyfriend?”

Oh great, he just had to come right now! I’ll just go and bang my head against the wall now!

“No one, Dad! Apparently, Mom is mistaking a bugbite for a boyfriend,” I mumbled hurriedly as I quickly brought my hair to the front and hid the area I knew the love bite was on.

I turned to Mom. “I fell asleep on the rocking chair by the window last night. The window was open.”

“Now, Theia, darling, I thought we’d told you to stay away from the window,” Dad spoke sternly.

I sighed as we all settled in our seats. “Dad, I’m eighteen. And I know it may not be twenty-three and I may not be that old, but I’m old enough to have a little bit of common sense, hence the rocking chair instead of the window bench.”

My mom scoffed as she cut into her steak. “Still left the window open, dear. And now, look, the big, bad ‘bug’ made a love bite on your neck.”

Fook my life.

My mother laughed as I gave her the stink eye, and Dad coughed awkwardly. The doorman didn’t know how to participate in a conversation which involved such aspects as his daughter and love bites. I almost smiled at his obviously awkward state.

“Mom, I think you meant ‘bugbite.’ Please don’t tell me you’re reading those books again.”

This time it was I who chuckled while Mom gave me the stink eye.

“Theia, you’re grounded, for an hour, and you’re doing the dishes.”

I grinned at her cheekily before digging into my own steak.

***

“You sure you don’t have a boyfriend?”

I looked up to see Dad leaning against the counter awkwardly.

I shrugged. “Would it be so bad if I did?”

Dad mimicked my actions, shrugging casually as well. “Maybe. I mean . . . I think you should wait for the right guy, Thi. These boys at school . . .”

“Dad.”

He looked at me with a concerned look.

“I’m not dating anyone at school, okay?”

I watched as his expression lightened, and he nodded happily, a sense of relief clearly flowing through his features.

Nodding again, as if to himself this time, he gave me a soft pat on the back before turning around and walking out of the kitchen.

I returned to the sink, my gloved hands half invisible in the foamy water, one clutching a plate, the other a sponge.

Smiling slowly, I resumed what I had been doing before Dad intruded—washing the damn dishes.

I felt somewhat guilty about lying to my parents, because lying always brought about pain, but at least I hadn’t lied completely about not dating. I mean, I really was not dating anyone at school; Bryce was not at school.

That was clearly not a lie, right? If anything, it was just a simple manipulation of the truth. Surely, that’s not as bad a deed . . . right?

I shook my head in agitation and began scrubbing the dishes faster.

The boys must still be waiting upstairs.

***

Walking up the stairs, then attempting to open the door with a large bottle of milk and two large packs of Oreos and Chips Ahoys was clearly not a great idea.

It took me a minute or two of diligently trying to turn the doorknob with my face before I gave up and just banged my head against the door a few times.

Apparently, the boys knew I needed help and opened the door just wide enough for me to move in, and I shut it with my back.

I scowled at the smug grins on Matthew’s and Roman’s faces as they marched towards me and took hold of the goodies. Bryce, on the other hand, opted to remain seated on the window bench, half a scowl and half a smirk on his face.

“So we have a theory,” Matthew blurted out as he munched on a cookie.

“And what’s that?” I asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, as I made my way to my bed and slumped down on it.

Bryce followed a moment later.

“We think that the fu—stalker—was throwing a hook in the dark when he mentioned Alexander before; he was just trying to determine whether you had your memories back or not, whether you remembered Alexander or not,” Roman spoke seriously as he moved forward and took over Bryce’s seat on the window bench.

“Pretty smart, actually. We have to give him credit for that!” Matthew nodded as he plopped another cookie into his mouth and continued to rock back and forth in the rocking chair.

“Whoever he is, he knows you from your life back in California,” Bryce muttered, moving to lean against the headboard. He grasped my arm and pulled on it, motioning me to join him.

I rolled my eyes when I noticed Matthew smirking at me. He had noticed that.

“Do you think you remember someone from back there who could have had a serious obsession with you?” Bryce added, seeming unfazed, after he’d leaned forward, picked me up, and brought me to rest beside him.

I sighed in his arms, again ignoring the teasing grins that the guys were throwing us.

I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, I know Angelo, but he wouldn’t just throw me out of the window. I-I don’t really know who it could be.”

“You trust that man a little too much,” Roman muttered darkly before reaching out to grab a handful of Oreos for himself.

I sighed as I slumped against Bryce. “I can’t just say that it’s Angelo. I mean, the man is supposed to be here, at our school. He’s . . . everywhere. Meanwhile, Angelo is stuck in a dorm in Romania!”

“Something you cannot be sure of, Theia,” Matthew chimed in, waving a cookie at me.

I shrugged.

I noticed how Bryce wasn’t giving his input, but I didn’t push him to. I’d rather let the topic of Angelo being a potential stalker not continue. Our childhood was enough. We both had grown into who we really were. We both had grown to be more mature. The Angelo I knew now would never throw me out the window, I was sure—or I hoped.

The room went silent for a minute, though Roman and Matthew continued to munch on the munchies, occasionally passing some to Bryce. Meanwhile, I began skimming my math textbook, going over everything I knew I would be tutored on.

I felt my heart jolt when I realized I hadn’t told Bryce about the tutoring I had been involuntarily signed up for.

Damnation! Everything just seemed so messed up.

I shook my head but prematurely stopped. My heart sank in my chest. I felt every male in the room straighten up at the tension, all their attention now solely directed at the iPhone resting on the bedside table.

I tried to calm my erratically beating heart as I finally turned to my phone too.

My heart sank deeper.

Private Number Calling . . .