I freeze mid-step. He’s holding out his hand, and before I can even think, I slide my fingers into his. It’s absurd. I can feel the weight of everyone else’s eyes — including the schemers at my table — enjoying every second of this little charade.
“Arwen,” Tabby whispers from across the cafeteria, barely concealing her smirk, “you’re grinning like an idiot.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, though I can’t help smiling.
Brix winks at me. “Ignore them. Let’s enjoy our breakfast.”
I glance down at my tray. My mind keeps drifting back to the night that I caught him. Atticus had knocked on my door, hesitant in a way I’d never seen before, desperation filling his voice as he repeatedly asked to talk.
Holly and I hadn’t said a word; we just sat there, silent, until he left. Nothing else. No explanation, no apology—just that flicker of raw emotion before he vanished.
Since then, he hasn’t dared approach me in public. His flawless image would never survive it. But I still feel it, his bond thrashing against mine like a storm whenever we’re near. All that unspoken anger, guilt, curiosity… and something darker that I can’t name.
“Hey!” Holly nudges my elbow. “What’s with the dazed look?”
I shake myself and look up just in time to see a couple of younger students from Greed walk up to our table, holding a small, wrapped package.
“For you,” one of them says, sliding it onto my tray.
Brix narrows his eyes, a low rumble escaping his throat. “Who the hell sent that?” He mutters under his breath. Even though we’re pretending, his protective edge is sharp.
I pick up the package and tear the paper away. Inside is a plastic tiara, and instead of a diamond in the center… there’s a little plastic fish. I burst into genuine laughter. Holly clasps a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh along, while Cleo rolls her eyes but smirks.
I pull out the tiny card tucked inside.
“Arwen, this tiara is a subtle nod to your impeccable taste and unparalleled aquatic affinity. Also, I’m expecting your presence tonight. Don’t disappoint me. — Ryker,”
“Well… I guess the universe just scheduled me for a date with a self-proclaimed tiara expert. Lucky me?”
Tabby leans forward, eyes sparkling. “Plans? Ryker plans? Wait, are we talking friends or… a date?”
I can feel the tension tighten in the air, the ghost of Atticus pressing on me even though he is sitting far away. His bond is a flurry, emotions slashing in every direction. Anger. Guilt. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Curiosity. Resentment. Attraction. But underneath it all, unmistakable pride.
The emotional effects of the bond seem to get worse the more we interact or find ourselves in close proximity.
Brix smirks at me, letting go of my hand but keeping close enough that the proximity is deliberate.
“Well,” he says, voice low, “it looks like someone booked your night. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get back to continue Willshire’s torture.”
I roll my eyes at him, but the warmth spreading in my chest is undeniable. I glance down at the plastic tiara and the little fish gleaming in the cafeteria light, and I can’t stop myself from laughing again.
Even as the teasing and warmth of my friends surrounds me, I know the storm of Atticus’s gaze is still there, invisible but suffocating.
***
I’m brushing out my hair, humming a little to myself, trying not to think too much about Ryker. I’ve got my outfit laid out—the one I spent way too long picking with Holly while we raided her closet. Cozy, cute, just enough sass to keep him on his toes. And no fucking skirt.
And then I hear it: a soft thump from the other side of my room.
I freeze. The window’s closed. My door… still locked.
“Stormcloud.”
I spin around to find my missing bond sitting on my bed. Relaxed, like he belongs here. His blue eyes fixed on me, sharp, piercing, and that wolfish grin spread across his face.
Maylo.
Maylo Villanox is sitting in my room. On my bed.
