Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite 3)

Not sure if Aiden likes it, but the two of them don’t seem to care.

“How was my weed?” Ronan points at him with a triumphant expression. “I told you you’d see three girls as six.”

Xander nods in our direction.

“Mesdemoiselles.” Ronan searches around us. “Where’s my Kimmy?”

That earns him a slap upside the head from Xander. Ronan elbows him in the side. “As I was saying, where’s my Kimmy?”

“She had to drive her brother to school,” I tell him.

“I see.” He holds my hand. “I missed you during the weekend, Ellie. Why didn’t you come to my party? You should’ve seen my ace performance at the drinking competition. I won, by the way, not to be boastful or anything.”

“You know I’m not big on parties,” I say.

He waggles his eyebrows. “Unless King is there and you’re making babies with him.”

My cheeks heat. Ronan won’t let me live down that time when he nearly walked in on us.

“Do all your conversations have to revolve around sex and alcohol?” Teal asks with genuine curiosity.

“And weed.” He grins, showing his pearly white teeth. “That’s the most important part, ma belle.”

She rolls her eyes and strolls in the opposite direction.

Teal does that a lot — walking away without so much as an excuse — but she does it more often when Ronan is around.

“That’s a record, Astor.” Xander hits his shoulder, laughing. “Never thought there will be a day where a girl will leave because of you.”

“Right? I think so, too.” Ronan scratches his jaw. “She must be an alien. No offence, Van Doren.”

“Being an alien is cool, mate.” Knox grins, but something sinister lurks underneath. “But go near her and I’ll cut you, human style.”

“Go near her?” Xander laughs. “She’ll hang his balls on a stick before you even interfere.”

“That’s actually true.” Knox appears like he just thought about that. “Even my balls aren’t safe from her.”

“Ellie,” Ronan leans in to whisper. “Are they really aliens? Do they do weird twin alien shit at home? Do I have to save you? I have my white horse waiting just outside.”

I burst out laughing. He’s such a weirdo, but a great one at that.

“Finally.” Ronan flings an arm over my shoulder. “I missed that laugh.”

The four of us walk to class together, jesting and talking about the Premier League. Knox is the only one amongst us who supports Chelsea. Needless to say, Xander and Ronan give him hell for it.

Their verbal bickering extends to class with everyone watching them as if they’re world wonders.

Kim comes in last-minute, grumbling about the traffic and how she barely got Kirian to school on time.

For no reason at all, she glares at Xander before she settles in her seat. He barely glances in her direction, though.

Weird.

Class starts, but neither Aiden nor Cole show up. That’s bizarre. They don’t skip classes. Ever.

Especially Cole.

I retrieve my phone and check the text Aiden sent me first thing in the morning.