Deviant King (Royal Elite 1)

“Morning, Reed.” Aiden offers her a smile that somehow reaches his smokey eyes.

My chest squeezes in an uncomfortable, almost painful way.

“Morning, King.” Kim smiles back.

“You were amazing in the last game. We need more fans like you.”

“Go Elites!” Kim grins. “We’re so getting the championship this year.”

“Hell yeah, Kimmy!” Ronan cheers from behind us, draping an arm around Kim’s shoulder and leading her inside.

I hurry after them when a large-as-life presence pushes me back against the wall.

The students’ chatter disappears and my back snaps upright as I stare up at Aiden’s soulless eyes.

All the smiles he offered Kim disappear, leaving the actual demon Aiden is.

Looking up at him, I can’t help recalling his skin against mine. His finger sliding inside me. His lips biting my neck —

Nope. He’s not getting under my skin.

“Are you going to be mine?” he asks so low that the tenor of his voice vibrates on my skin.

Every day since that damned breakfast, he corners me somewhere and asks that same question.

I jut my chin out and give him the same answer I tell him every day, “No.”

“Hmm.” His fingers dig at the back of my scalp beneath my hair as he grips my nape and pins me in place.

There’s no escaping him even if I tried.

He’s freaking everywhere like the asphyxiating smoke in his eyes.

If I want to protect my sanity, I need to play my cards smartly.

If this were a football game, this is that time when the team is losing and the coach has to make decisive choices. He can lunge for offence and leave a void at the back that will cost him dearly in case of a counter-attack. Or he can hold his formation, draw in the adversary, and then attack when the other party least expects it.

I always preferred the second option.

Since I met Aiden, I had been the team that accepted defeat before the game even started. It’s like in the world cup when all English people have no hopes for the national team to go anywhere before it even started.

The forfeiting strategy was fine when Aiden just claimed his victory and moved along. Now that he’s pushing me, it’s time for a change of tactics.

Since the beginning of this school year, I used the all in attack, which obviously doesn’t work on Aiden. Not only is he a stronger, bigger — and a meaner — opponent, but he also gets off on my useless struggle. It’s time I go for the second option.

Lure. Wait. Attack.

Gah. I’m beginning to think like him.

But then again, one needs to be a monster to stop a monster.

He leans closer so his breath tickles along my lower lip. My breath catches. He’s always so close enough to kiss me, but he never does.

“Careful, sweetheart.” He pulls at a fistful of my hair. “You’re pushing me.”

“You pushed me first,” I grit out. “At least now you know how it feels to be pushed.”

“That’s nothing.” His lips hover over my ear before he darts his tongue and licks the shell. “I promise you won’t like it when I push back.”