King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(63)

We stopped dead in our tracks seeing that.

Spring green eyes on us, he showed no emotion, but those handcuffs had to hurt.

My wolf growled quietly.

Pearl’s skin started to glow.

“Why is he cuffed?” Jack asked, his voice very quiet. Not really a good sign.

King Kincaid and King Venclaire stormed into the room, almost slamming into us since we had stopped right inside the doorway, but managed to swing around us.

King Venclaire immediately went to Ezra, cupping his face, his blue eyes glowing as he stared at my silent best friend, then his Vampire growled as he swung around, appearing ready to rip Mrs. Jonas’s throat out.

I wouldn’t have stopped him, but King Kincaid stepped in front of my biological dad, asking what Jack had only a minute before, “Why is he cuffed?”

“They need to leave.” Mrs. Jonas jerked her head at us. “This is none of their affair.”

“The hell it’s not,” I said with a definite bite to my tone, thinking quick. “We know you’re threatening expulsion. If that happens, our vessel training will be shot to hell. Come Awakening time, not only will we, and the Kings, be embarrassed if we can’t pull it off, the school will also be for its mediocre training.” A direct hit. “We’re staying to see our fate.” And get Ezra the hell out of this.

Mrs. Jonas’s face had blanked and I knew I had her, so I slammed the door shut and twisted the knob so hard it made the wood groan as I embedded it back together. I smiled, halfway enjoying her face paling at my show of strength.

King Kincaid gave me a covert glance, but spoke to Mrs. Jonas, “They’re staying. Now, what is the issue that caused you to silver him?”

King Venclaire’s Vampire hadn’t stopped its quiet, menacing growl, which would scare just about anyone.

It didn’t appear Mrs. Jonas was any different. She tried for posturing, but failed miserably as the sweat beaded on her forehead. Her voice croaked until she cleared it, saying, “Mr. Zeller was caught drinking illegally.”

My friends and I didn’t even bother glancing at Ezra. The charge was serious. It was expulsion worthy, not to mention that it would include jail time, but we didn’t believe it. He had so many donors more than willing at King Hall that the charge was ludicrous. Nevertheless, even if he had done it, we wouldn’t give a flying monkey’s ass.

King Venclaire appeared cross-eyed for a moment, the charge was so stupid.

King Kincaid had to clear his throat, covering a chuckle.

Everyone in the room knew it was bogus. So, why didn’t Mrs. Jonas?

Into the silence, Pearl asked, “Why do you believe this?”

Mrs. Jonas sputtered, “He was drinking from Rebecca and Viper at the same time, working back and forth between their necks. A witness came upon the act, and said that after Mr. Zeller was through with his mind hold, Rebecca started screaming for help.” She paused. “Viper says she, herself, was willing, but doesn’t remember,” she scowled at Viper, “what happened because she was too light-headed afterward.”

My lips thinned.

I wasn’t stupid enough to not understand this, nor had I missed the covert glances Ezra had been aiming at my throat for the past two weeks. The one, and only, time he had drank off me he had called my blood unique. Ezra never drank off Shifters if he could help it, always Vampires, but what did mixing a Shifter and Vampire’s blood make? Me. He hadn’t wanted to ask me for some reason, and had gone and bit a damn Shifter who was all about appearances.

My wolf growling low, I stalked forward, peering at King Kincaid. “Mind if I handle this?” With him here, he had precedence, but I wanted to show Rebecca what she had to look forward to if she lied again under my rule.

King Kincaid placed his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks, rocking back on his heels. “Go right ahead. I’d like to see how you would handle this.”

I muttered, “A simple tactic really, for what she’s accusing a future King of.” I stood directly in front of her, glaring down to her eyes where she sat. “Get up.”

She was a wolf Shifter. Strong. It ticked me off even more that Ezra had picked her. Hell, her hair was even auburn. Glaring, her wolf growled, but she stood, towering over me.

Focusing, I let her have it, my power hitting her brutally. Probably, too violently, really. I didn’t hold much back, I was so furious.

She choked, immediately falling to the ground at my feet. Hard.

The room’s occupants jerked and then stilled, feeling the aftershocks.

Quickly tamping my power down to a simmer, I squatted. I knew my eyes were glowing fierce blue as I lay my hand on her auburn head of hair. When I spoke, my wolf vibrated through my voice, demanding quietly, “The truth.” None too gently, I thrust the command directly into my palm on her head, and she jerked. “Now.”

Instantly, she started rambling, “I consented. I lied to Mrs. Jonas. I saw my friends coming and didn’t want them to know.” Truth.

Debating my choices, it wasn’t too hard to pick.

I slammed her face against the ground.

Shifters are different than any of the other Mys groups in our forms of punishment since we’re animalistic in nature. I could have turned the charges around on her and sent her lying butt to prison, which would do me no good since I wanted her to tell the tale of how powerful I was, a little fear never hurting anyone. Or, I had the option to physically punish her, which relieved a bit of my tension. Only a bit.