Page 8 of Revenant

I blink, surprised. “What did you say?”

“Has anyone seen Koen?” Pryce interjects, changing the subject.

Surprisingly, Eryx is the one to answer. “Not since class. He probably had to go stick his dick into something. You know how arguing turns him on better than anyone, don’t you?” My face slackens with shock, and Pryce’s cheeks heat, along with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy watching the show,” Pryce fires back, and the entire table erupts in laughter. On cue, the guy who was sitting next to me in class slides into the seat next to Eryx, looking around at everyone with a curious look on his face. Except he skips me like I’m nothing more than a part of the furniture.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

“Speak of the devil,” Bastian chimes, and I’m beginning to wonder why I agreed to lunch in the first place. I didn’t even get a sandwich! Bastian leaves without saying another word; meanwhile, Pryce is trying to calm down enough to answer.

“We were just discussing Eryx’s favorite T.V. show.” Understanding dawns on the other guy’s face, and his cheeks begin to match the color of Pryce’s. “Koen, this is Alicent. She was—”

“Oh, we’ve met,” Koen interrupts, finally looking at me and not through me. But his stare isn’t warm, it’s full of disgust, like my mere presence offends him. Bastian appears out of nowhere, claiming his seat once again, but before he sits, he slides a plate in front of me. A BLT, apple, and an oatmeal cream cookie. He doesn’t say anything; instead, just falls back into conversation with the guys like the gesture was nothing.

Pryce eyes him curiously, but ultimately leaves it at that.

Just as I pick up my sandwich, a feminine voice rings too close for comfort. “Bastian! There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and I have to use all my restraint from recoiling.

“Naomi. How…not surprising,” he drawls, lips curling with irritation and irony. Pryce clears his throat, drawing her attention my way. Instantly, her demeanor changes. One second she’s wearing a megawatt smile, the next, a mixture of repulsion and distaste.

“Who’s this?”

“I’m Alice–”

“I wasn’t asking you,” she all but spits, interrupting my introduction and scolding Bastian as if he’s a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Like she was saying, this is Alicent. She’s new.”

“And why, pray tell, is she sitting here?”

“Ma che cazzo. I invited her,” Pryce speaks up, lazily putting his arm around the back of my chair. Casual, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. To anyone looking, it would seem like just an adjustment, but this close I can feel his body tighten just a hair, protective and dominant. “Is that a problem?”

Naomi must hear the same subtle warning I do, because she immediately changes her tune. “No, not all. Just interesting that—”

“Who are you to question us?” Eryx speaks up, cocking his head to the side in a challenge. “Why don’t you stop panting on Bastian for one last taste of his cock, it’s pathetic, Naomi. Now scurry off and go find Lacey. She’s the only one tripping over herself to tell you how wonderful you are.” Her mouth falls open, scoffing as if she can’t believe he would speak to her like that. I’ve only known him for ten minutes and even I’m not surprised. “A little wider; I’m not sure he can fit.”

Bastian and Pryce attempt to hide their snickers, but it’s pointless. Eryx doesn’t back down; meanwhile, Koen is acting like this is a normal occurrence. Naomi’s cheeks flush with embarrassment, looking toward Bastian for some kind of defense.

But there’s no one coming to her rescue.

She turns on her heels, keeping her head down as she hightails toward the exit.

I take a wary bite of the BLT, grateful for the distraction. But the moment the bacon hits my tongue, I can’t help it—a soft, guilty moan slips past my lips and my eyes widen. I haven’t had a semblance of actual food since my first flight, let alone something that makes my mouth think it’s in heaven.

That sound, however innocent, is apparently a crime. In an instant, four sets of eyes are on me, burning straight through my skull. My heart hammers, and I swallow quickly, trying to look normal as my gaze darts from one guy to the next. They’re all watching me. My stomach twists, and I cover my mouth with one hand, chewing faster than necessary.

“What?” I manage, my voice muddled by my hand covering my mouth as I finish, desperate to reclaim some dignity.

Eryx doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he plants both hands on the table, pushes back his chair, and storms off like my very act of eating is a personal offense. Koen tilts his head, jaw tight as he hooks a thumb in Eryx’s retreating direction. “I should go.”

I glance at Pryce, silently begging him to explain, but Bastian answers first, voice calm, like he’s already ten steps ahead of me. “He’s in a mood. Don’t waste your energy.”

I stare at him as he too stands, flashing a wink that makes my chest tighten in a way that’s decidedly unfair. “Eat,” he says, leaning over just slightly. “You’ll need the strength, spawn.”

As he walks away, I barely have time to register his words before Pryce’s arm snakes around the back of my chair, pulling me closer before I can protest. My stomach lurches, heat blooming as the scent of vanilla and amber fills my senses. “About time we got some privacy,” he says teasingly. “And now, lucky me, I get to be the one to drag you to the registrar before someone else thinks to claim you.”

I squint at him. “Claim me? I don’t belong to anyone and you clearly overestimate yourself.”