King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(33)
“What’s our reward if we help?” Felix purred softly behind me. His face went to my neck, against my skin, whispering, “Will you share a tent with me tonight instead of them?”
“Sorry,” I apologized, turning to face him. “You guys know we’ve got business to discuss later.” That was the story we were giving all of our subjects. Really, I was pretty sure our business was drinking games, since Jack had brought enough alcohol to inebriate all campers here.
Felix stepped forward, once more invading my space, and tilted my chin up with his gloved finger to stare me in the eyes. His gaze held mine, which was pretty impressive; everyone normally looked away from my gaze quickly. He was new, arriving at King Hall only a week ago. A transfer. I hadn’t really had a chance to talk with him fully, only having a few chats passing in the hallways.
His hair was black, eyes golden, and his skin tan. He was delectable. And, he was still staring me in the eyes, which meant he was alpha strong, powerful. Finger still lightly under my chin, he said bluntly, “I get that.” He bent, those golden eyes coming closer. “What about the hours before?” Shy, he wasn’t. Friendly, he was. No build up, just straight to what he wanted. Not a bad thing.
I debated, even as I heard Brock picking up more poles behind me. Again, looking him over, I stated just as bluntly, “Felix, I’m not looking for anything serious, and you seem like the serious type.” And, the oh-my-God tasty type.
His lips twitched. “Not that serious. Only in the work I do.” His mouth curved. “Be it professional or pleasurable. Anything outside of that, I’m not looking for permanence.” His eyes held the truth, not just his words. Honesty and sorrow.
I believed him. “Alright.” I took a small step back. “I’ll see you later.” Oh yes, I would.
He held my gaze, his golden eyes glowing the tiniest bit in assumed anticipation, before nodding and moving to help Brock.
The four of us stood next to each other, watching as they expertly assembled our tent.
Jack elbowed me, asking, “Have a play date set with the panther?” He was smirking.
Shrugging, watching as Felix bent over, I elbowed Jack back. “I couldn’t let you guys have all the fun.” My head cocking, I ogled Felix’s ass. “Do you guys know anything about him? He’s strong. Held my gaze longer than any Shifter at King Hall.”
Pearl was texting Gideon, but said, “King Nelson said Antonio asked him to transfer. He’s from California.”
I stilled. “Antonio asked him to come here?” Odd didn’t even begin to describe that.
Ezra nodded, also watching him. Just not the part of his anatomy I was eyeing. “That’s what I heard. King Venclaire said he was the power at his old school.” Spring green eyes met mine, and his eyebrows rose. “Any clue why Antonio would ask him here?”
I shook my head, turning my attention back to Felix.
“I heard Antonio’s been transversing,” Jack meant disappearing out of thin air, “everywhere. King Fergus said there may be a few more transfers to King Hall.” Jack hesitated. “The King’s actually a little worried,” he confided, rubbing his chin with the back of his glove. “He said if Antonio’s permanently come out of hiding, it’s probably a bad sign.”
King Kincaid hadn’t discussed any of those thoughts with me, keeping our dialogues strictly to teaching since I was far behind on what it took to be a Queen.
The four of us glanced to where Antonio was speaking with a lone bodyguard, though there were many more guards here. Barely seen through the trees, the other guards were posted throughout the forested area, the students being in the middle of their protective circle. Mrs. Jonas, along with a few other teachers, was here with us, too, but we had even more guards than normally present watching over everyone. We had dropped to a threat Level 4, but the guards had only increased. It hadn’t slipped our notice.
I murmured, “He never says until he chooses. In time, he’ll tell us what this is all about.”
Slipping inside our tent many hours later, I was sated and relaxed, which was somewhat surprising. Each Prodigy had taken our own subjects to four different points, speaking with them, getting to know them better. That, in itself, had been stressful and nerve-racking, but then, when all four groups came back to camp, we’d had to persuade them to mingle.
Peacefully.
It was required. We had pulled a few Mys individuals from our own groups into the other Mys factions that we had thought they would get along with. It had been a trial and error sort of event. United, yes, in the Mys community, but on a dark winter’s night in the middle of a forest, they had become more than a little distrustful of one another.
That hadn’t been so much fun. The enjoyments had come afterward, once they had loosened up and food was cooked over the fire. At that point, I had taken the opportunity to slip away — so had Jack and Ezra, who had snuck off like the many others I saw in my trek — and met up with Felix in his tent. And my, my…I was definitely relaxed now.
“Took you long enough,” Pearl griped, her irritability showing. I didn’t hold it against her. The longer you went without your mate — while they were living — the crabbier you became. After that stage came depression. Gideon wouldn’t be gone long enough for that to hit Pearl, but she was still becoming prickly. She tossed her phone down, crossing her arms. “You were supposed to be here a half-hour ago.” Yeah, we had decided to be there by midnight.