Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
“Oh.” I injected as much casual into that single syllable as I could. “How new is this?”
“About two months in,” he answered, completely unaware of the emotional detour my thoughts had taken.
“I was holding off saying anything because it’s still early, but we vibe.” He held up his hand with two crossed fingers like a promise.
So, definitely overlapping timelines and wires being tangled. My lips pressed together, my mind spinning.
What was I supposed to do with this news? I couldn’t tell him my best friend was seeing her too. That wasn’t the right word to begin with. Rook didn’t see people; he wrecked them, and they came back wanting more. Maybe Sophie Wolfe thought she was the exception. I’d need to talk to Rook before I said something that made a mess out of things. I just hoped Kellan would never find out I had even the smallest inkling and kept my mouth shut.
I wasn’t as close to him as I was with Rook. Aiden was my cinnamon roll, mine in a fierce, brotherly way. I’d defend him to the grave, no matter what. So even if he did something that wasn’t exactly praiseworthy, I’d still find a way to explain it, spin, and justify it in my head to everyone else. Then I would tell him what I truly thought behind closed doors. My loyalty to my family didn’t come with conditions.
But still…
I trusted Kellan. He’d proven I could count on him. He was the guy who spotted my fall before it started and always showed up when I needed to land. Literally. I trusted this man to catch me midair and toss me halfway to God.
He bumped my shoulder with his, giving me a grin. “Aren’t you going to say you’re happy for me?”
I forced a small smile. “Of course I’m happy for you.” Then added quickly, “I’m thinking about how we might both be Marked by multiple people.”
His grin dipped. “Yeah. This isn’t exactly a dream scenario.”
We stepped into the main building, leaving the chill behind. The heavy door thunked shut behind us, and the air warmed with that faint scent of polished wood, old stone, and something institutional.
“You know what, Sanj?” he said after a minute, voice low and serious. “We don’t need to worry about this.”
“And why is that?”
“Because whoever comes for us is out of their rabbit-ass minds if they think we’re gonna lose this game.”
I laughed. “I said more or less the same thing to the girls last night.”
“They Marked too?”
I winced. “Oh, yeah. I should’ve led with that earlier.”
“That only makes our chances better.”
I shot him a skeptical look. “How do you figure?”
He slung his arm casually over my shoulder. “If the Huntsmen can team up, why wouldn’t we? Winning in numbers, Sanj.”
I wasn’t sure numbers would matter much when we were dealing with personalized stalkers, but a little optimism wouldn’t kill me, right?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SANJANA
The professor was speaking about how cultural systems masked control under the guise of tradition, and it hit a little too close to home. I took a few notes, my handwriting losing consistency the longer I stared at the page. Words like submission, fear-based compliance, and generational sacrifice jumped out at me. I needed to stop freaking myself out.
I placed my pencil down, shifting in my chair to get more comfortable. It was midafternoon now, and I was more convinced than ever that the guys knew we’d been Marked. Yet, there were still crickets on the topic. If they were waiting for us to admit it first, Roxxi would make sure they waited until the death of the universe. I wanted to know if they were part of it too, but I refused to be the first to get this conversation rolling. Though the more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. I wouldn’t just need to stomach the Hunt, then. I’d have to pray the boys we trusted learned the damn rules and tried to abide by them.
I could vividly remember the absolute chaos those five and a few of their more unhinged friends I barely knew caused back in high school. They always got away with it. Their surnames and status bought freedom, and nearly half the town adored them. I could see them being thrilled to join The Hunt. They’d turn the entire tradition on its head with the same twisted confidence they always carried. I couldn’t imagine all those Huntsmen who paid for the privilege just bowing to them, though. This had all the makings of blood and lacquer warfare.
Because of that, I was honestly glad I didn’t know who had been behind the wheel of that black sedan yesterday.
Since no cars had gone up in flames near campus, I could only assume that particular Huntsman was keeping a low profile. They were still a complete dick for coming at me and Layla with a whole ass car. The classroom door creaked open, and half the heads in the room turned to look, including mine. A delivery guy stepped inside wearing a plain blue polo, holding a round glass vase filled with flowers. At the front of the room, Professor Prescott paused her speech, one brow lifting with polite curiosity.