Deviant King: Royal Elite Book One

by Kent, Rina

  Whatever this is.

  My fingers are numb. No, not numb. They’re too simulated that they feel numb.

  Standing on wobbly feet, I quickly put on my clothes, trying to ignore the potent smell of sex in the air.

  And his smell.

  Damn his smell.

  I feel like I’d be a ninety-year-old lady and will still remember the way he smells.

  Aiden returns when I’m pulling my hair into a ponytail.

  He narrows his eyes on my clothed body. “You’re lucky we’re done for today.”

  We… are?

  “Is your cousin taking you?” I ask, fighting the sense of disappointment hitting me out of nowhere.

  “My cousin?”

  “Levi King. I saw him earlier.”

  “You saw him earlier,” he repeats with clear menace.

  “Yeah. He said he’s here to get you.”

  “Lev says lots of shit.” He raises an eyebrow. “Do you honestly think he can tell me what to do?”

  No. It was stupid to even consider it.

  Also, he calls him Lev. That’s the only time I hear him give someone a nickname. Hell, it’s rare to even hear him call anyone by their given names. Even his friends are last names to him.

  “If it’s not Levi, then what is it?”

  He narrows his eyes before he schools his expression. “Kimberly passed out.”

  Aiden drives us and Xander sits in the passenger seat, staring at us through the rearview mirror now and again.

  I cradle Kim’s head on my lap while she snores softly.

  If it weren’t for the suffocating silence, it would’ve been funny that her snoring is the only sound in the car.

  I have no idea how to dissipate the silence — or tension — between Aiden and Xander, so I just focus on stroking Kim’s hair out of her face.

  She swats my hand away as if I’m a fly. The smell of tequila permeates the air. She’s so going to regret the hangover come tomorrow.

  Ronan’s house is only a ten minute drive from Kim’s and I’m so thankful for the short distance. Aiden parks in Kim’s driveway.

  “I could’ve driven,” Xander says in a bored tone. “I live here anyway.”

  Aiden’s expression is stoic. “You’re not allowed near her when I’m not around.”

  I’m not sure which ‘her’ Aiden means, and something twists in my chest at the thought that he could mean Kim.

  They were childhood friends and practically raised together. Same schools. Same hobbies. Even their parents belong to the same circle. Maybe Aiden has a bond with her. He did hug her while she cried.

  “You mean my girlfriend?” Xander turns around and winks at me. “You want me to drive you home, babe?”

  Aiden grips the steering wheel so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t crush to pieces.

  When he smiles at Xander, it’s almost manic. “Do you have a fucking death wish, Knight?”

  “Do you, King?” Xander’s expression hardens until his jaw ticks.

  I swallow past the lump in my throat. Despite the bruises from last week, they still look like they’re on the verge of cutting each other from limb to limb.

  There’s no football team to stop them from killing each other this time.

  “Hey,” I try to sound nonchalant as I open the backseat’s door. “Can one of you help me get Kim out of the car?”

  Xander breaks the murderous war of glares and steps out of the car. He pulls her from my lap with ease. I catch a whiff of alcohol from him, but it’s not as strong as the tequila on Kim.

  He lifts her in his arms bridal-style with so much ease like she’s a rag doll.

  Her eyes crack open the slightest bit and she groans, head falling against his chest. Then, seeming a bit awake, she checks him out and pulls at his hair.

  “You!” She slurs. “All because of you!”

  “Kim.” I follow them.

  “Elliiie.” She grins, and it’s surprisingly charming considering that she’s drunk. “Let’s commit muuurder!”

  I smile. “Not a good idea, Kim.”

  “Noope! Best ideaaa,” she slurs as her fingers lazily plunge in Xander’s hair, almost… stroking it? “Xaaan, am I pretty?”

  “No.” He doesn’t even hesitate.

  Her eyes shine with tears. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”

  “No.”

  “Fuuuuck. Youuu.”

  Xander halts and I do, too, to avoid slamming into his back. Some staring contest erupts between him and Kim. Her eyes fill with unshed tears while his darken under the garden’s dim light.

  A strong hand wraps around my arm and pulls me back, closing my connection with whatever is going on between those two.

  Kim falls limp again and Xander punches in the code to their house.

  Wait. He knows the code?

  “It’s the last room on the second floor,” I tell him.

  “I know that,” he says over his shoulder.

  Okay. That’s not weird at all.

  I’m sure Kim’s mother won’t come out from her workshop or even if she does, she wouldn’t care much. She’s very… open.

  Once Xander disappears inside, I meet Aiden’s narrowed gaze. His posture is rigid at best. What is he angry at me for?

  “What?”

  “Close your doors and windows. All of it.”

  “Uh, the house has an alarm system. We’ll be fine.”

  “All of it,” he grits out. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  The hot and cold is giving me whiplash.

  Even if he’s pissed off at Xander, he has no right to unleash his anger on me when I haven’t done anything wrong.

  I hate it when people use a weaker opponent as the punching bag of their emotions.

  A whip comes down my back and another and another. I scream so loud, my ears pop.

  I flinch at the random vision. What in the ever living hell was that all about?

  “Elsa?”

  My gaze flicks to Aiden who’s clutching me by the shoulders as I almost topple over.

  Wait. Did I just… lose time?

  Aiden’s inquisitive eyes search into my soul. “What happened just now?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I don’t lie to you so give me the same respect in return and don’t fucking lie to me.”

  “The same respect?” I wiggle free. “You and the word respect shouldn’t even be in the same sentence.”

  “What happened to you just now?”

  “I don’t want to tell you.”

  How dare he demand that when he freaking triggered that vision?

  “Either tell me or I’ll extract it out of you.” He grips my jaw. “I’ll find out anyway, the method is up to you.”

  Screw him and his mind games.

  All I want is to curl into a ball in a dark, small corner.

  Just when I’m about to give him a piece of my mind, the front door opens and Xander comes out with a deep frown etched between his brows.

  I take Aiden’s momentary distraction, run inside the house, and lock it.

  I remain behind the door and peek through the lounge area’s tall windows. Xander has crossed over to his house. Aiden remains where I left him, staring at the door.

  Ten seconds pass.

  Twenty.

  Thirty.

  Sixty.

  His poker face is on as he follows Xander.

  My phone vibrates in my back pocket and I jump.

  Aiden: A queen or a pawn.

  Aiden: You don’t want me to make the move for you.

  With a groan, I power off my phone and tuck it back in my pocket.

  Screw him and his mindfuckery.

  My eyes flutter closed and then open when that vision assaults me.

  Only, it wasn’t a vision, was it? It was a memory.

  Something that happened in my life.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Remind me to never drink again.” Kim groans from behind the wheel of her car.
<
br />   She cursed me all ways to Sunday when I woke her up this morning. She only appears a bit human because I gave her Advil and Kirian helped me in preparing her hot soup for breakfast.

  If it weren’t for Kir’s school, she might’ve never left the house.

  Her hair is in a messy bun atop her head and her uniform is barely in order.

  I’m not in any better shape either.

  Sleep has eluded me most of the night — I chased it away by drinking a gallon of coffee.

  The thought of a nightmare terrified me. I don’t sleep after visions as Dr Khan calls them.

  Visions.

  As if I’m psychic or something.

  They were memories, not visions.

  To chase them away, I studied, re-read the Art of War by Sun Tzu and I might have spied on Xander’s house from Kim’s balcony.

  Aiden spent the night there — since his car remained in the driveway. I hoped Xander’s parents were home to prevent any murder plots between Elites’ strikers.

  I dozed off after dawn, and when I woke up, Aiden’s car wasn’t there.

  “I look like shit, don’t I?” Kim asks.

  “Not worse than me.” I sigh, then face her. “What actually happened last night?”

  “Aside from drinking?” She hits her head. “I don’t remember much.”

  “When Xander carried you last night, you apologised and asked for his forgiveness. What is that supposed to mean?”

  She throws me a terrified look. “X-Xander carried me?”

  “All the way to your room.”

  “And you let him?”

  “To my defence, I couldn’t carry you inside.”

  “Shit.” Her eyes almost bulge as she glances at me. “What else did I do?”

  I hold up my fingers and count. “You pulled Xander’s hair, asked him if you were pretty, then you asked if he forgives you, then you cursed him.”

  She groans, head bowing. “Someone kill me. Let’s go home. I can’t physically be at school today. I’ll stuff you with ice cream and not tell a word about it to your aunt. ”

  “I don’t think it was that bad.” I laugh. “At least you didn’t get kissed in front of the whole school.”

  Kim hits the brakes so hard, I would’ve tumbled forward if I hadn’t the seatbelt on.

  “Kim!”

  “You…” She swallows, giving me a frantic look. “Y-you were kissed by Xander?”

  “Xander? No. Aiden.”

  “Aiden?”

  I lift a shoulder, feeling subconscious.

  Her eyes widen, but it’s not in a judgemental way. “Wow… I don’t know how to comment on that.”

  “I’m still not wrapping my head around it either.” And all the things we did in private.

  I climaxed. Twice.

  I hide my head in my hands, groaning. “It was in front of the whole school, Kim. I don’t know what the hell am I going to do about that.”

  “Do you… like him?” she asks almost hesitantly.

  Do I?

  Aiden destabilizes me. From the beginning, he has never looked at my surface. He dug his nails deeper and brought out sides of me I didn’t even know existed. He toys at forbidden lines that rattle me to the bones.

  I crave his sickness. I’m becoming attuned to his darkness and intensity.

  But do I like him?

  It takes a level of trust to like a person, and I can safely say that I don’t trust Aiden.

  Or maybe I don’t trust myself around him.

  “No.” I groan. “I don’t know.”

  Kim makes an affirmative sound as if she knows what that means. “But you liked the kiss?”

  “I… don’t know. Maybe? I was kissed in my previous school but it wasn’t all that consuming, you know?” I pause, peeking at her through my lashes. “You’re not going to judge me?”

  “Hell to the no.” She faces me and leans over to half-hug me. “I’m always on your side, Ellie. You need some adventure in your life and consuming kisses sound like one hell of a start.”

  I didn’t know I needed her approval until she voiced it. I squeeze her arm, silently telling her how grateful I am.

  “Just…” Kim’s features sober up. “Be careful, okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just don’t want you to see you hurt.”

  Her words douse her earlier enthusiasm. I nod because she just told me the truth I needed to hear. That’s why Kim is my best friend. She can be both happy for me and see the negative side of things, too.

  When we arrive at the school’s car park, we’re stopped by the bitch queen and her minions.

  Seriously. Silver is the last person I need today.

  “Isn’t it Frozen and her fat friend?” One of Silver’s minions says. Her name is Veronica if I remember correctly. Her uniform is so tight, she almost combusts in it.

  I attempt to sidestep them, but the other minion, Summer, clutches my arm. “We’re talking to you, Teacher Slut.”

  “And I’m not.” I wiggle free. Kim remains on my other side, and I’m proud of the way she lifts her chin.

  Silver finally steps in front of me. She’s a few inches taller and she uses every inch to look down on me with that condescending air.

  “Stay away from King, you little bitch.”

  I plaster a smile on my face. “Why don’t you ask him to stay away from me? He’s the one who’s been chasing me.”

  I had expected that to shut her off and wipe that smug look from her face, but it only deepens.

  “You’re nothing but a fling, Frozen. Do you know why?” She pauses after asking her rhetorical question. “King has always been mine. There’s nothing you can do that’ll change it.”

  My blood boils despite the calm façade I keep. My hand fists by my side, and Kim clutches my arm.

  Silver throws me one last glance. “A king needs a queen, peasant.”

  Her minions snicker before they push past me and Kim to the entrance. It takes everything in me not to pull them back by their hair and drag them to the floor.

  But I’m not that person, am I?

  I don’t fantasise about hurting others.

  So why do I feel like demons are swirling all around me?

  “Never mind her.” Kim strokes my arm. “She’s just being a usual bitch.”

  My lips curl in what I hope looks like a reassuring smile as we walk into the school.

  “They’re staring,” Kim whispers.

  That’s when I notice that everyone is ogling me. Some even take a sneaky picture here and another one there. When I make eye contact, they pretend to be occupied with their phones.

  I don’t have to wonder for long. The more Kim and I walk down the hall, the louder the whispers become.

  “Is she really King’s girlfriend?”

  “Wasn’t she with Knight the other day?”

  “Really? King has a girlfriend?”

  “Have you seen Instagram?”

  “I’ve seen it live at the party.”

  “Girlfriend…

  “... girlfriend…”

  Reality hits me like one of my unwanted visions.

  Aiden did it on purpose.

  The arsehole kissed me in front of the entire school to stake a claim that Xander didn’t.

  Aiden must’ve known that everyone would be talking about it the next day.

  Hell. He planned for everyone to talk about it.

  I’m going to kill him.

  Kim nudges me while we round a quieter corner. Her eyes are almost bulging out of their sockets. “Oh my gosh, Ellie.”

  “What now?” My voice is filled with dread.

  She shows me her phone. More specifically, Aiden’s Instagram profile and his last post.

  Someone took a picture of us at an optimal angle while Aiden sat me on the table and ravaged my mouth. My legs and arms are wrapped around him and his body is moulded into mine.

  The caption: Mine.

  “No, he didn’t,” I whisper,
not knowing if I’m mortified or just plain shocked.

  “Oh yes, he did.” Kim grins and fans herself. “Consuming is the understatement of the century, Ellie. He looks like he was eating you alive.”

  “We’ll be late for class.” I cut off her stupid grin and head in the direction of our first hour.

  Kim falls in step with me. “No wonder Bitch Queen felt threatened and showed her claws. King never had a girlfriend and he sure as hell never posted a picture kissing someone.”

  Huh. That feels… good.

  In your face, Silver.

  As soon as we enter the class, I halt. The chatter of the four horsemen ripples in the air. Of course. They’re all here.

  Aiden leans back against his chair, his legs crossed in front of him and his fingers interlace across his abs. His entire attention is on me as if he’s been waiting for my entrance. The clouds of his eyes are gleaming with both triumph and a darkness so pitch black, it knots my stomach.

  He got what he wanted.

  The whole school thinks I’m his girlfriend. Once again, he took the decision from me, and this time, I’m freaking pissed off.

  It might also have to do with what Silver said. The confident way she said it with grates on my nerves.

  And because it hurts, I need to inflict it back.

  I walk to Aiden with wide steps. Ronan grins like an idiot. Xander looks through the window, appearing lost somewhere. Cole who’s been talking to Aiden stops speaking when I stand in front of Aiden’s desk.

  I plant my palm on it and lower myself to meet him point-blank. He arches an eyebrow as if challenging me.

  Game on, dickhead.

  I say in a clear voice for the whole class to hear, “I’m not yours.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When I told Aiden I’m not his, I expected anger.

  Hell, I expected his mean side.

  Because that’s what bullies do, don’t they? When pushed, they push back.

  Instead of letting go and showing his true self, his lips curve into a mocking smile. “That’s not what you were saying when you came all over my face. Twice.”

  My jaw nearly hits the floor.

  No.

  He didn’t just say that.

  Kim gasps from beside me and murmurs break all over the class. No one has the audacity to speak up in front of Aiden.

  Ronan is the only one who laughs, nodding, “I second that. I heard the screams.”