by James Tate
The cold slammed into me as I dashed into the long walkway that led to the indoor sports center. Shivering, I hoisted my heavy bag higher on my back, wishing for a split second that I had a palm reader like the other students. They could record the lessons, do their homework and submit it to teachers, and keep all their notes in nice, neat files.
Maybe I needed to ask the dean if there was any chance I could work one off or something. It would help immensely in not falling behind.
Entering via the double doors, I shivered for a few seconds until the heat kicked in. It wasn’t exactly hot inside, because that would probably kill those guys out on the field, but the climate control took some of the icy edge off.
The soccer field was surrounded on all sides by massive stadium seating. Like, they must get fifty thousand people to their games to fill this shit up. The lower levels were packed with primping, giggling chicks, all of whom shot dirty looks my way when I climbed up to sit on one of the benches near the field.
I should have been worried about the dark looks getting thrown my way, but honestly, I could see nothing but the fucking gods on the field.
I loved sports—any sort of physical activity—but soccer had always been a rich person or royals’ game. So I’d never really paid too much attention to it. Holy god damn.
I couldn’t tell exactly how many players were on the field, but it looked like nineteen or twenty. One side wore white shirts, which stretched across broad shoulders, and their long legs were graceful as they maneuvered the ball between players.
The other side had white shirts too, but they had bright orange tags on their front and back to indicate the other team. How many people were on the Arbon team if they had enough to actually play a full game against each other?
“It’s the first and second division,” Mattie said, dropping into the chair next to me. “That’s why there’re so many players on the field.”
I blinked at her. “How the hell did you know I was thinking that?”
She smirked. “You were counting them; I could see your lips moving.”
Oh, right.
One of the orange players got the ball then, and I was completely mesmerized as he moved with a skill I’d never seen before. From any player. He took that ball from near his goal, all the way through the center, and passed it off to a striker at the last second, scoring them a goal.
A long sigh escaped my lips as I pressed my hands together.
“Oh yeah,” Mattie said. I could feel her gaze boring into the side of my face. “Rafe is truly spectacular to watch. They say he’s the best player in a hundred years. Shame he’ll never be able to take it professional.”
Rafe. That savant who had sidestepped and controlled the ball like he’d been born with one at his feet was Rafe? Of course it freakin’ was.
I could see it now. The way he was just a little taller and broader than the rest of his teammates, fucking giant of a dude that he was. The way the others hovered around him like he was just a touch more important than anyone else out there.
I recognized Jordan after that when he slapped his friend on the back and the pair exchanged smiles and laughter. Seemed I was still the only one Rafe hated, and I still had no idea why.
“Stop looking, trash,” a nasally voice said from behind me. “You’re a passing interest that will soon be gone.”
I spun in my seat to find Claudette right behind us standing with a couple of other chicks who had the same haughty look.
“I’m just watching the game,” I told them, not lowering myself to their level. “Nothing more than that.”
Not caring to hear anything else they had to say, I just spun back around on the bench, ignoring them the best I could.
It looked like the practice was slowing down as their coach was out on the field chatting to them, then he clapped his hands together and they were dismissed. I finally found Alex; he was on the white-shirts side, his head down as he headed toward his bag. Another guy I hadn’t met before was at his side, and I nudged Mattie.
“Who is that walking with Alex?” I asked.
Mattie took a second to find Alex in the crowd, and then she cleared her throat. “That’s Drake, crown heir of Denmark & surrounds. He’s the one who throws the parties around here, and while he’s a bit of a dick, he’s basically harmless.”
Drake and Alex looked very comfortable together, both of them talking now, their bags slung over their backs. Mattie stood then, ready to head down and meet her brother, and I followed suit. I noticed that most of the chicks were up on their feet now, and I wondered if it was going to be a stampede to get there first and claim your prince.
Stupid games that I’d promised myself I would not get involved with. Honestly, it was all bullshit, and I knew I’d never marry into a royal family. I had no idea why I was indulging this Alex thing.
It was just so hard to say no to his gorgeous face and blue eyes.
Apparently, I was a shallow bitch too.
Just as I was about to take the last set of steps down to the ground level, I felt a hard shove from behind, and it was only through my quick reflexes that I managed to catch myself before I tumbled down the stairs. My shoulder felt a little wrenched from where I’d reached out and grabbed the railing, but that was small compared to what might have happened.
I expected that Claudette had pushed me, but when I got my feet back under me and turned, there was a familiar but unexpected face there.
Brandon.
“Wow, really sorry, Vivian. I didn’t see you there,” he said, his eyes cold as he ran his leering gaze down my body. I was wearing a school uniform, same as everyone else here, but the way he looked at me made me feel naked.
“You should probably get your eyes checked then, Bertie,” I replied in a snap. “I’m hardly so small that you would have missed an entire person in front of you.”
His teeth clenched as he bared them at me in a very strange expression. “My name is Brandon Morgan, future dean of this school. You will show me some respect.”
I snorted, and then did the one thing I knew would piss him off more than anything. I turned my back and dismissed him.
Arrogant and insane as he might be, Brandon didn’t scare me.
He followed me down, rough hands grabbing at my arms, and stopped me before I could reach Mattie. My friend hadn’t noticed anything yet; she was too busy reaming her brother a new one just on the edge of the pristine grass. It seemed their fight at lunch was finally coming to a head.
“Get your fucking hands off me,” I said, keeping my voice low. If I had to free myself from his grasp, I would, but I really didn’t want to draw too much attention.
His grip was tight enough to hurt, but I had a high pain threshold.
“I won’t ask you again,” I said, resisting his strength as he tried to yank me closer.
I was stronger than I looked, and Brandon was about to find out exactly how much he’d underestimated me. When his fingers dug painfully into the skin of my arms as he held me tight, I snapped.
Reaching out, I grabbed a solid handful of his balls and squeezed.
It was such a quick, unexpected move that Brandon had no time to yell. Instead, all that escaped his throat was a high pitched yelp while his whole body froze.
“I said,” I repeated slowly, because clearly I was dealing with someone who didn’t possess full mental capabilities, “get your fucking hands off me. You have three seconds, and then I rip these pathetic marbles clean off you and stuff them down your throat. Three...”
Brandon swallowed loud enough for me to hear, and I smiled a cruel smile. “You wouldn’t,” he squeaked, his voice tight with pain… and fear.
“Why not?” I replied, keeping my voice quiet and low, not drawing any attention. Yet. “You think I don’t have the balls to do it? Two...” I tightened my grip and gave a little tug just to really drive my point home.
“Okay, okay!” Brandon’s hands released my arms like I was made of lava. “Crazy bitch.”<
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I held onto his crown jewels just a beat longer, reminding him who was in charge, then released him to wipe my hand off on my skirt. Safe to say Brandon wasn’t going to be winning any girls over with what he was packing downstairs.
“Morgan,” Alex snapped, jogging up those last few steps toward us. He was still sweaty and dirty with his sports bag slung over his shoulder, but his frown was of deep concern. For me.
It shouldn’t have made my insides go as mushy as it did—me being an independent and self-reliant woman and all—but damn. Alex really was Prince Charming.
Brandon cleared his throat, still standing behind me. “Hey, Alex. Good game, man.”
“Shut up,” Alex snarled back. “Why were your hands just on my girl?”
“Your girl?” Brandon repeated, sounding surprised. “I guess I missed the memo. Sorry bro, won’t happen again.”
Alex’s glare was edging on fury. “I’m not your bro,” he spat, “and it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
Seeing a need to de-escalate before we drew the attention of too many people—Rafe included—I stepped closer to Alex and away from Brandon. “Don’t worry, Alex. I had things well in hand. Right, Brenton?” I shot a sickly sweet smile in the direction of the dean’s lecherous son, and he just glared back at me.
“You sure did, Victoria.” His tone was cold, and the accompanying sneer promised retribution.
I was pretty happy to leave it at that, having made my point pretty fucking clear, but Alex wasn’t having it.
“Her name is Violet.”
Brandon froze halfway past us on the stairs. “What?”
Alex’s hand found mine, threading our fingers together like we were already a legitimate couple. “I said, her name is Violet. You called her Victoria.”
The look on Brandon’s face said he could barely believe what he was hearing, but clearly he wasn’t interested in pissing Alex off any further.
“My mistake,” he lied, turning a frigid smile to me. “See you around, Violet. Hopefully you don’t end up like Alex’s last girlfriend. That’d be a shame.”
Alex’s grip on my hand tightened to the point of painful, but Brandon hurried away like he was legitimately scared of what the Australasian prince would do next.
Maybe I’d spoken too soon about him not wanting to piss Alex off…
“What was that all about?” I asked softly when it was just the two of us left on the stairs. Almost everyone else was heading toward either the locker rooms or the exit, but Mattie and Nolan waited near the railing, watching us with concerned frowns.
Alex shook his head and, thankfully, eased up on my hand. “Nothing. That punk thinks he’s untouchable, and one of these days he’ll find out how wrong he is.”
I snorted. “No shit. But what was up with you? You basically implied I was your girlfriend, and Brandon seems like the gossipy type.”
Alex had the grace to look a little apologetic and didn’t object when I freed my hand from his. “I’m sorry about that, Violet. I just saw him touching you, and I could tell you weren’t happy about it.” He shrugged. “It was just the first thing that came to my mind. If people think we’re together, they’ll treat you better.”
I frowned. His intent sounded kind, but it gave me a bit of an ick feeling.
“I don’t care if everyone in this whole school treats me like trash. I don’t want to be noticed at all, remember? Just get my Arbon degree and disappear into the sunset. That’s my only goal.” I started moving down the steps toward Mattie and Nolan, and Alex walked with me.
“But what if I don’t want you to disappear, Violet?” His question was quiet, but it made me look at him sharply. Why did he even care? “Look, I know you’re not actually my girl, but letting Brandon think that will keep him from harassing you too much.”
I sighed, silently admitting that it would be nice not to have an enemy like Brandon lurking around every corner. Maybe Claudette would back off too, if she thought I was taken and therefore not interested in Rafe. Which I wasn’t. But some chicks were next level territorial.
“Okay, well I guess I should say thank you, then?” I offered Alex a small smile, and his whole face lit up.
“No need to thank me, Violet. I just want the chance to know you better.” His shoulder brushed mine as we walked slowly down the stairs, but it was a friendly gesture. “And who knows, maybe you’ll decide you want to be my girl after all.”
I spluttered a laugh, admiring his tenacity. “One step at a time, Prince Charming.”
Alex beamed, knowing he’d charmed me. “How about dinner?”
“Now?” My gaze flickered to Mattie and Nolan, then back to Alex.
He shrugged, his attention firmly on me like he hadn’t even seen my new friends there. “Not right now, it’s a bit early. I thought maybe we could hang out a bit, then grab something to eat in town. You know, away from all the prying eyes.”
I bit the edge of my lip, indecision playing within me.
“Come on, Violet,” Alex coaxed, “Matisse and Nolan got you at lunch time.” The pout and puppy dog eyes almost won me over. Almost.
“I have so much classwork to catch up on,” I admitted with a groan.
Alex’s smile hit mega-wattage, and I wondered what in that statement made him so happy.
“Did I ever tell you that I topped my freshman year?” he started, and I understood his joy. “How about we make a deal?”
Crossing my arms across my chest in a useless protective gesture, I tried not to let my interest in this deal show. “I’m listening.”
Alex stepped closer, his chest almost pressing into my forearms. “I’ll work with you and help you get on track with all your classes, if you agree to four dates a week.”
My jaw dropped. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected him to say, but four dates a week…
Why was he so interested? It didn’t make any sense, and when things didn’t make sense, it made me wary.
Still … was I really in a position to turn this offer down? My first day at Arbon had already demonstrated that I was way behind, my previous education not preparing me at all for this level of intense learning.
“One date a week,” I replied, unable to refuse him outright. Fucker was charming, and he knew it.
“Three,” he countered.
“Two, and that’s my final offer.”
Those perfect white teeth about blinded me, and despite the sweat-and-grass smell he was rocking right now, his attractiveness had me in its thrall.
“A minimum of two,” Alex finally said, nodding his head. “But I’m allowed to try and convince you of more.”
A low rumble of laughter escaped me. “Okay, deal.”
Good luck, buddy. I was going to be like fucking Fort Knox in my attempts at keeping him out of my pants. The two dates each week I’d use as information gathering sessions on this world and my classmates.
Survival of the smartest and all that.
Alex held his hand out, and I stared at it for a beat before I placed mine into it. He didn’t shake as I expected, instead pulling me forward and pressing a kiss to my cheek, like that was a regular way to seal a deal.
My heart fluttered at the warmth of his body, and it took me far longer than it should have to place my free hand on his chest and attempt to push him away.
Thankfully, he stepped back without a fight, and when he released my hand, I tried not to dwell on how much I’d liked him holding it.
“Let’s get on that homework,” Alex said, “and if we get it done tonight, then maybe we’ll have our first date of this week.”
I’d made the deal and now I had to stick with it, so I didn’t argue as he gently nudged me forward. “I’m going to get cleaned up first, but I’ll meet you at the library.”
“Okay,” I replied, wishing my voice wasn’t quite so goddamn breathless. What was he doing to me? I mean, it couldn’t just be the prince thing, right? I never thought I’d be that girl; if anything, the prince par
t should be the largest turnoff. Especially a crown prince.
I didn’t want that life, one of service and rules. I wanted at least a facade of freedom, like most commoners.
“See you soon, Violet,” Alex said, and I forced myself to casually wave before stumbling back out of the sports center. It was empty of almost all students now, Alex and I having lingered longer than I’d thought, and I couldn’t see Mattie or Nolan anywhere.
Thankfully, there was also no Rafe because in my currently rattled state of mind, I’d probably do something really stupid.
Like punch him.
Chapter 10
The library was packed now. A low hum of conversation could be heard, and I guessed that maybe the section I’d been in before had been one that wasn’t quite as strict on the silence thing. I couldn’t see any unoccupied desks, so I wound my way through the rest of the twenty-foot shelves, trying to find a place to study.
Alex found me before I’d found us a table.
“It’s packed in here,” I whispered.
He looked around like he hadn’t even noticed. “Oh, right. Well, that’s easily fixed.”
He walked back to the main seating area and stopped by a table occupied by a young guy. He looked about sixteen, so he was either a prodigy going here early, or he just had one of those baby faces that would haunt him until he was forty and then he’d be happy.
“Move, I need this table,” Alex said abruptly, and the guy’s deep brown skin almost looked green for a split second when he realized who was standing beside him. Without a word he started to gather up some papers, his palm reader, and these intricate-looking science or math instruments that he must have been using for calculations.
“Wait a second,” I said, my brain finally catching up to what Alex was doing. “No, seriously. We’re not kicking anyone out to take their seat.”
Confusion marred the golden prince’s face. “Uh, why not? He doesn’t mind, right?”
He turned back to the boy, who was already standing. “Nope. Not at all, Prince Alex. I was done anyway. Table is all yours.”
