by B C Morgan
“This is crazy, who needs a corridor this gaudy?”
“Wait until you see their rooms, if you ever get an invitation that is,” He replies mysteriously and I grip his arm forcing him to come to a stop.
“So, you’re only taking me into the Prince’s room… why?” If I sound suspicious, it’s because I am. I have more fear when it comes to Shane than the elusive Emmet, show me his bat cave so I can be more prepared. Leave the poor Prince alone. Shit, do I feel sorry for him? The guy who comes with all the warnings.
“Emmet left his key behind so it could be cleaned, hence why I have it. I can’t get into any of the other rooms,” he sounds disappointed and I stroke his arm trying to be reassuring.
He grips my hand in his and leads me further down the corridor, until we come to the last door and he stands in my way. I guess to unlock it, before he pushes it open and quietly ushers me into the darkened space.
He closes the door behind us and flicks the light on, thankfully seeing as I couldn’t see anything with the drapes drawn, his walls are painted black. Why would you have black walls? It’s crazy!
I take in the four poster bed with black silk dangling from each of the posts, the mirror on the ceiling above the bed and the sturdy dining table with thick oak legs. His seating area comprises of one chair, a table and an area for a laptop to sit but no tv or space for anyone to join him. I mean sure it’s lonely, but it doesn’t make me fear him, I just feel bad.
“I don’t see the point in this Liam, this doesn’t make me fear Emmet,” I hear his intake of breath and I spin on my heels, my heart is in my throat as I fear that we’ve been discovered sneaking around.
“You called him by his name, no one does that Luna. Make sure it doesn’t happen around the Harkwrights, they wouldn’t want you to humanize the guy now.”
He captures my hand once more before leading me over to a painting on the wall, it’s of a forest on fire and right in the center is a figure and I can’t tell if he’s on fire as well or made from the flames themselves.
“Look at this room Luna, he’s a solitary person and he’s been quoted to say that he painted this room to match his soul. A mirror above the bed, silk ties around the posts… are you really not seeing it yet?”
“No, I’m not seeing anything. Liam it’s just a room and who am I to judge if he likes to watch himself while he’s… doing it,” my cheeks can’t heat anymore than they are right now.
“No girl who draws his attention ever makes it to the end, this room is soundproof Luna. He’s also been quoted as saying ‘scream proof’. How the fuck would he know that?” His grip is getting hard as he squeezes my shoulders, imploring me with his eyes to see where he’s coming from.
“I’m not going to judge him Liam, I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me. I doubt I’ll even make it on his radar,” I say, even though I know it’s a lie.
“Believe me Luna, I don’t think anyone could look at you and not want you,” his eyes fill with a heat that I can’t let burn me as I pull away.
I run until I’m almost at the door to get free of Emmet’s room when Liam grabs my arm and spins me around to face him, the force sending me crashing into him.
“Girls who get close to the Prince get destroyed, is that what you want for yourself?” He shouts the question at me and I flinch at his words.
He storms over to the Prince’s bed and pulls open a drawer before taking something out and slapping it across my chest. I look down and see a Manila envelope.
“What is it?” I ask, nibbling on my bottom lip and I don’t dare look inside.
“I found it the other day when I was cleaning, it’s an entire file about you. Photos of you, your mom and I’m guessing your sister. He noticed you long before you set foot through the Academy doors Luna, you are well and truly on his radar.”
Why is he telling me all of this, is he trying to scare me? The envelope falls to the floor and my hand springs open, I just let it go.
In turn Liam steps closer, his head lining up with mine and he captures my gaze. “Do you see now Luna? This is why they tell you to stay off his radar. Once the Prince has you, he will consume every part of you, he will use you and then once he’s done he’ll throw you away. I know you Luna and I know he will obliterate everything you are,” I can see and hear his fear, but is it for me?
“No, I don’t see it and I don’t understand why you would say any of this to me or show me any of it. You’re not a friend, now let me go,” I pull out of his grasp and I run and I don’t stop until I make it back to my room. And I let out a sigh of relief that no one saw me on the way.
Girls who get close to the Prince get destroyed.
Destroyed how? What he throws them away and they become depressed, he fucks with their head, kills them, what?
I’ve been asking myself this for the past week, ever since he took me to the black room with no life to be seen within. I get up from my bed and look at the cereal but I can’t bring myself to eat it. My appetite has been shot for a couple of days now but as I step forward, a pain begins in my stomach. It’s so intense I crumble and fall to the floor, lying in the fetal position and I can’t move.
I have no way of calling anyone and I can’t even make it to the door to call for help, why can’t I have a roommate, the one time I actually need on?.
I cry out as a fresh wave of pain passes through me and I pick up the nearest object to me - my Doc Marten boot - and throw it at the door. If it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention, at least I can say I tried.
I hear my door open and a set of feet running across the floor before Caitlyn’s face swims in front of my eyes.
“Oh god Luna, I’ll get help,” she sounds frantic as she rushes back out but it isn’t long before she’s back with a bunch of nurses and I’m being led to the Harkwright medical center that they have on the property.
I can’t keep my head straight, all I know is that Caitlyn is by my side as the nurses chatter filter in and out.
“Rupture.” “Operation.” “Steven…”
My eyes open to Aeron smirking down at me, I’m so relieved that the pain has gone. No idea what happened there.
“What are you doing back so soon?” I ask softly, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip and I inhale hard as he uses his thumb to free it.
“Oh Little Zero, I never left,” it comes out as a growl before his mouth crashes down on mine and his hands instantly go to my breasts.
My nipples harden at the contact and I arch my back, pushing my chest into him more. I feel him chuckle against me as he brushes my top up and lowers his mouth to my aching nipples, pulling one into his mouth while pinching the other.
I groan loud and deep as my hands run down the planes of his stomach but he grabs my hands and holds both my wrists in one hand.
“No touching, just feeling,” he whispers across my skin as he lowers his head even further, using his free hand to grip the waistband of my jeans and starts pulling them down. His face following the movement as his warm breath fans over my clit through the fabric and then he closes it over me and…
I open my eyes to Caitlyn staring down at me with worry in her eyes and it hurts to move. Although all I can think about is the dream that I just woke from, I can’t believe that happened. I’ve never had a dirty dream in my life, I’m mortified.
“Oh honey, I’m so glad you’re okay. You scared the life out of me,” she strokes my hair off my face and I wince as I try to move.
“Honey, you had an operation, you need to stay still,” her words aren’t making any sense, why would I have had an operation?
“The Doctor can explain it better than I can, I’m going to head to your room and grab you a few things, I’ll be back soon okay?”
I nod my head, brain utterly fried by the confusion I’m feeling. I still don’t understand what happened.
“By the way, the doctor is gorgeous,” she whispers against my ear before leaving the room, and I lie here staring at the ceiling until the d
oor opens once more.
“Luna, what are you doing here?” His voice isn’t registering at first, but then Cole’s face comes into focus and I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
“I’m a Harkwright girl,” is my stupid ass reply and a look of grief seems to pass over him before he’s perching on the side of my bed and taking my hand in his.
“If I’d known this was the college you were speaking of, I never would have left that night,” he mutters as he squeezes his eyes shut before opening them and returns his fierce gaze to me.
“What would you have done?” I ask, suddenly feeling nervous and I’m not sure why.
“This,” is all he says before his face comes closer, his eyes searching mine for something and then his mouth is on mine and his tongue is brushing against the seam of my lips.
I don’t react, I guess I’m in shock or something but when he pulls away, I don’t think. My hand goes to the back of his head and I hold him in place, parting my lips and giving him the access he sought.
It’s gentle but all consuming, his thumbs brush across my cheeks repeatedly as his lips connect with mine over and over again. Our tongues sweep across each other and I feel the loss when he pulls away but his face remains over mine and we share a smile. It’s bittersweet and filled with regret and loss. Regret that we waited this long and the loss for what we can never have now. It doesn’t matter what happens once I leave things won’t be the same. I won’t be the same and how could I hope for Cole to look at me and not be filled with questions over the guys I may or not have been with. Constantly wondering what we did with one another. That and how can I expect him to wait for me when I can’t promise him the same thing.
I’m getting ahead of myself here, it’s just one kiss but I’ve been crushing on this man for a long ass fucking time. Of course, my mind is going to run rampant and I feel my chest heat with the intensity of my blush as he continues to look at me.
“Cole w-what are y-you doing here?”
“I work here when I’m not at the hospital, your turn,” he replies, and it’s kind of getting my back up, I don’t owe him anything.
“I applied and I got in, that’s all there is to say. Besides, what would it have mattered if I did tell you, you think you would have kissed me and everything would have changed?” Yay to me, I didn’t stutter, maybe I’m getting better at this. A month in the presence of the Harkwrights, it’s been good practice.
“Of course it would have, one kiss would have changed everything,” he grinds out through gritted teeth.
“How?” I whisper, his next words may hold the true power of destroying me, watch out Emmet you may have some competition on your hands.
“Because if I kissed you even once, I wouldn’t have stopped. You would have owned me, you already did,” his eyes scream sincerity but I’m finding it hard to believe what he’s saying.
“Then why didn’t you say anything? You already said that age is just a number so clearly the difference between us was never an issue,” I point out and a slight smile tugs at the corners of his lips.
“I’m your sister’s doctor Luna, I worried that I would have been taken off her case. Although it would be dishonest of me to claim that was the main reason, honestly it was because I didn’t know how you would react,” he drags his hand through his hair hard and I’m itching to copy his movement, only I’d enjoy it and I wouldn’t be as rough. “Sometimes you look at me as though I hung the moon in the sky for your enjoyment, as though you want me to grab you by the hips and kiss you senseless. Other times you look at me as though I terrify you and you can’t even speak to me. So yeah, I didn’t think kissing you would have gone down as well as I’d hoped.”
“And now that you have?”
“Now I’m going to want to keep on doing it knowing that I can’t, knowing that you belong to these sadistic bastards for the next three years who will own you. They will get to have you in a way I never will,” he jumps to his feet before spinning around and trapping me in his stare. “I don’t think I can let you go Luna Carter, but I don’t know how I can keep you as long as you are here,” his words build me up and then shatter me repeatedly.
“Cole, I won’t leave, not until my time comes to an end. I wish I could have been yours,” it falls out with very little thought, because it’s the truth.
“So do I, but the thing you never realized Luna is that I am yours,” his mouth is back on mine and it’s all consuming, but it ends sooner than I’d like and Caitlyn returns not long after.
I don’t know where this leaves us but we both know we can’t take this any further, I can’t give myself to him when I don’t own the rights to that choice. I’m owned and no sense of longing will change that.
Three days later and I can finally leave the medical center, but Caitlyn is being rather strict with me and not allowing me to move around too much. I had my appendix out, it could have been a lot worse.
“That Doctor was so dreamy, I wonder if I can have my appendix out?” She says as I throw my pillow at her.
It’s nice to see a more carefree side of Caitlyn, she seems to be coming into her own since the guys left and we’re no longer competing. Although, in reality we’ll always be competing. Everyone wants a higher number and so many girls are vying for the top spot. I’m content with my number Thirty-Four, but that doesn’t mean they’ll allow me to disappear into the sidelines.
“Careful my friend, you can’t have eyes for anyone else. You know the rules,” I reply and she flinches before dropping down on the side of the bed.
“I know, I keep trying to pretend that this is a normal college but I don’t think it’s helping me. The minute they return everything is going to get worse, Daria said the first couple of months in the school year are the hardest.”
“You’ve been speaking to Daria, how? I thought the higher numbers stick together,” color me surprised.
“I saw her in the mess hall the other day, I guess a few of the other girls weren’t happy that she bypassed them and became claimed early on. She didn’t really speak to me, she just told me to watch my back and I’m paying the favor up,” she pats me on my knee before standing up and leaving my room.
About time too, I’ve had more than my fill of company and awkward silences to last me a lifetime. It wasn’t so bad with Cole as long as we were strictly patient and doctor, but anything more and things became tense. I feel guilty that I never asked how Poppy was doing but he never offered the information up either.
Why did he have to kiss me? Did he want to confuse me? Because it worked. I wish I hadn’t enjoyed it and now it’s all I can think about. It was easier when I had him locked in a compartment in the back of my mind but he’s destroyed that now. I don’t think I will be able to be near a Harkwright without seeing Cole’s face and wishing he was the one I was with. Although, Cole wasn’t the one featuring in my sex dream, oh no Aeron well and truly stole the spotlight with that one. It’s a shame I didn’t get to experience the best part.
I throw my covers off and pad over to my armchair, folding my legs beneath me. I just sit here staring at whatever book I have to hand but not taking a single thing in.
Five minutes pass or maybe ten, it isn’t like I’m clock watching as a knock sounds on my door.
“Come in,” I say on a sigh, why can’t I just be left alone?
Liam walks in with an awkward smile on his face before coming to a crouch in front of me.
“Hey, I heard on the grapevine what happened. Are you okay? I would have come sooner, but I had to make sure everything was prepared for the guys return tomorrow.”
“I’m fine, a little tender but it’s getting better. Besides you don’t have to apologize, I never expected to see you,” I say despondently and his eyes flicker before he strokes his hand down and over his face.
“I am sorry Luna, I shouldn’t have taken you to his room and shown you the file he had created on you. I thought I was doing it to be a friend, but all I was doing was fueling the fire
and giving you one less person to count on. I appreciate your friendship and I’m sorry I fucked it up, I won’t bother you again,” he gets to his feet and makes his way back over to the door.
“You… y-you can bother me a little, if you want,” I sound unsure to my ears but either he can’t hear it or he’s ignoring it as he comes back and makes himself comfortable on the loveseat.
He’s only here for just over four months, I’d rather enjoy his company while I still can. Life is too short to hold grudges, Millie’s experience taught me that.
“S-so tomorrow. A-are they all back then?” Just the nicer ones please, I can go a little longer without running into Shane and Scott.
“Yeah, I don’t know about the Prince though. He’s usually here for when the classes start so he’s got a couple of weeks left,” his words stir a curiosity in me. I think I may want to meet this Prince, just so I can see what all the fuss is about for myself.
“Fair enough, I think I may do some baking tonight then. Caitlyn seems to be relenting on her constant supervision, finally,” I throw my head back, being overly dramatic and I don’t miss his soft chuckle.
“Do you want some company?” He asks rather sheepishly and I roll my eyes.
“Seriously, my appendix isn’t going to grow back and then rupture all over again. I am fine to go about things as normal, I’ll be fine,” I smile wide at him and he returns it.
I can’t pretend that I don’t notice how easily it feels to be with him. I feel like I’m the version I was with Poppy before she ended up in hospital, the one very few people ever get to see. Because they couldn’t get past the anxiety and nerves, they didn’t want to wait to see how I could be when I finally let myself go.
I make some breakfast muffins so I’m not constantly eating cereal and despite the odd twinge from my side, I feel as good as new. I’m humming along to a tune stuck in my head, not that I have a clue what it’s called and will no doubt be bugged by it and I know it’s out of tune but I don’t care. That’s how good my mood is right now.
