Page 34 of Black Ledger

“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Redfield, Xen won’t tell a soul, will you, Xeniya?” He raised a highly amused eyebrow.

He loved to use his eyebrows as weapons.

“All of Severin’s secrets are safe with me.” The words came out harsher than I meant them to. “I was just coming to turn in my essay.”

I held up the paper, and it wobbled with the movement.

“For which she will get an A-plus,” Severin said as he handed Miss Redfield a tissue to clean between her legs.

“I don’t need you threatening anyone to get me good grades.” I walked over to the desk, not caring that my teacher was still half-dressed and disheveled. I set my essay down and turned on my heel to leave.

It was best to exit quickly, my dignity intact.

“Of course you don’t.” Severin strolled after me, his stride even and steady without a care in the world. But given that he had grown into a redwood tree, he caught up to me quickly in the hallway.

He didn’t let up on his pace, and soon he was up half a step in front of me.

“I am pretty sure that was illegal,” I said, crossing my arms.

He shrugged. “And what’s new? Most of what I do is illegal, Zaya. I wanted to fuck the teacher, so I fucked the teacher.”

I pinched my eyes shut. Not the bunny again. He had come up with the nickname when we were babies, and he had never let go of it.

“I’m not judging.” I bit my lip. “But you should wear a condom. No need for babies or STIs.”

“Oh, thank you, doctor.”

I shook my head. “You’re welcome.”

“So you’re a voyeur.” His voice was playful and far, far too amused.

Was I? I bit the inside of my cheek. Maybe I was. I didn’t hate it. In fact, I liked watching. That was perhaps the most disturbing part.

“I guess I am.”

He gave a low chuckle. “I never would have guessed you were so kinky.”

“Apparently, I am.”

“And you’re still a virgin.”

Pressure built behind my ribs, and my face went still.

It wasn’t said as a question. It was said as a fact. So I didn’t respond. What was there to say?

He stopped in front of me, forcing me to halt before running into him. He turned, his body inches from mine. “I could fix that problem.”

My heart jolted into my throat, and I stepped backward, my spine hitting a locker, the lock digging into my shirt.

“I wouldn’t want that,” I breathed as he stepped forward, hovering over me. He was so fucking tall.

“Oh?”

My throat went dry as the desert, and my face started to sting. This whole conversation was imbalanced and unfair. But I said the words I shouldn’t have said anyway. “I’d want it to matter.”

The vein in his jaw ticked as he braced against the lockers above me. Caging me in.

“You should get on birth control.”