House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(77)

With one last hug for Emma, she was gone in a flash. I laughed. “I like her. She’s much nicer than most of the chicks in my old school.”

Emma pressed her lips together, eyes still watery. “I can’t believe Laous almost murdered an entire town. Those Gonzo were bad news, and he just left everyone with them, knowing he never planned on coming back with the stone.”

Five people had died in the hostage situation. Emma hadn’t known any of them personally, but that didn’t make it any better. Not to mention there had been more than one rape reported as well. “Cara never got….” I trailed off, but she knew what I meant.

“No, thankfully. Her father got them into their underground bunker. He’s a bit paranoid, monitoring police radio and stuff like that.”

Paranoid or not, it had paid off if it kept his family safe. I was probably going to be one of those crazy mothers … if I was ever blessed with children. Just the thought of little Xanders running around had my heart pretty much a puddle of mush in my chest. Kids were not in my short-term plans, but I really did want to start a family. I was the only one among the girls who did, though. Emma, Callie, and Maya were all about being irresponsible humans for as long as they could.

A hush washed over the hall. I thought maybe it was because the second and last bell was about to ring and everyone was in class. I turned to double-check and realized that nope, it was nothing to do with the bell at all.

“It’s almost too much.” Emma sighed, stepping forward. “Seeing the four of them together.”

It was too much. The overlords stepped in through the main entrance, the four of them wearing the uniform in an attempt to fit in with the humans. No ties for them though; they had open collars, their dress shirts fitted across broad shoulders and muscled chests. They also had about half a foot or more height on most of the school. So yeah, they really didn’t fit in at all.

I wiped at my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling.

“We owe fate some flowers,” Maya said seriously. “Like bunches of flowers.”

“And chocolate,” Emma added.

“Wine!” Callie and I said together.

Despite the crowd starting to gather around them, the guys found us immediately. As they started to move toward us, the students parted, hushed whispers following them.

“They’re back….”

“Holy shit, they’re all together.”

“… died and gone to orgasm heaven.”

I chuckled at the last one. That girl had not even bothered to whisper as she gushed to her friends. As Xander stepped closer, I forgot about the noise and students. I didn’t hear any of the words or murmurs. All I saw was him. His blond hair was a little longer than usual, falling in a mess of waves across his forehead. His eyes were intense, devouring me as he prowled toward me. He was lethal and sexy, and his appeal only increased every moment I was with him.

When he reached my side, he swept his arms around me. “I missed you,” I said, and the air fled my lungs as his lips pressed to mine.

By the time he let me go, teachers had arrived to usher everyone to class and I was completely disoriented. “I missed you too,” Xander said, still holding me close. “And I just realized something.”

“What’s that?” I said breathlessly.

His smile was tender. “I’ve never loved you more than I do right in this moment. My love for you … it grows every single day.”

Perfect. He’s perfect.

“Do you think it will ever stop growing?” I whispered, pressing closer. “How many years before you reach maximum love?”

Xander shook his head, wearing the smallest of smiles. “There is no end point, Avalon. Love has no limit. I for one can’t wait to see what a thousand years of love feels like.”

I felt exactly the same as Xander did. I loved him more with every second he was in my life. I loved him more in this moment than I had yesterday. And the day before.

“Love has no limits,” I repeated, burying my face in his chest. “And I can’t wait either.”

Love. Family. Home.

Forever.





Bonus Scene





Callie





School was still the same: stressful. But I no longer felt like I might have heart palpitations if the teacher called on me to answer a question. I was actually finding that despite my difficulties in reading, I was pretty well-educated. Plus, it was almost the end of the year and the teachers were past giving a shit.

So that made school stressful and … fun. Who would have thought it?

“Hey.”

His low voice had every muscle in my stomach clenching. As I turned to find those soulful eyes on me, I had to touch him. “Hey, Overlord,” I said with a wink. “Fancy meeting you here.”

I was at the bottom of the stairs that led up to our eating area. It would be empty up there. Most Daelighter students were gone now, back to Overworld or off to their next adventure. But Emma and Maya wanted to finish out their high school journeys, and we all stuck together. It was kind of nice to have the entire space to ourselves.

I still wasn’t used to the intense scrutiny we were under. The humans in this place were fascinated with the overlord kings of the school. If only they knew they were an alien race with powers that could decimate them in seconds. Who was I kidding, they wouldn’t care. That would only make the guys hotter.