Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(50)

but with everything else going on, I’ve had to put my needs to the back of my mind.

The doors to the dining hall are thankfully open, and when I step into the room, a grin spreads

across my face that there’s no one else here, and classic Christmas songs play in the background. A

cute christmas tree is decorated in the opposite corner of the room, but otherwise nothing else is

different.

Making my way to my usual table in the corner, sans Harmonia and the twins, my steps slow a

little when I realize which song is playing, and the memory that comes with it.

Last Christmas Eve I met Dante, which feels like a lifetime ago, a very far off distant memory. It’s

strange how there’s no worthy emotion inside me when I think of him now, not even anger, just relief.

The sex was decent enough, but everything else was… a disaster. Even without the cheating and the

lies he apparently told.

Everything happens for a reason, and my life began to change the day I slashed his tires. I’d do it

again in a heartbeat. The memory of flinging my arm out with force, blade in hand, reminds me of the

strength and power I wield in my soul so I need to channel that feeling now.

It instantly makes me question why I haven’t retaliated for the attack because it’s out of character

for me to wait, but I have to remind myself that I’m living in a new world, where people have fucking

powers. I am completely out of my element and that makes the playing field a little uneven, at least for

now.

I opt to take Harmonia’s usual seat which has a view of the dining hall and the tree, as opposed to

giving my back to the room like I usually do. The tablet immediately appears before me as I sit, and I

quickly opt for a soda and a chicken supreme pizza.

As the tablet disappears before me, I freeze in place, hearing the sound of someone laughing

drifting in from outside the room.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I’m not alone.

That’s not an issue though, it’s the fact I fucking know who that laugh belongs to.

As if sensing my internal panic, the Elites step into the hall, eyes searching me out right away

before the laughter and conversation they were having fades away.

Silence descends over the room, each of their facial expressions becoming more stoic as they

meet my gaze.

I try to swallow past the lump forming in my throat, watching as they take one predatory step after

another. I’m about to release the breath I’ve been holding as they approach their table, anxiety waiting

to be released with the exhale, only for them to continue moving directly toward me.

Fuck.

I’m so screwed.

What are they even doing here? They should be off campus doing whatever it is the Elite families

do for the holidays, not interrupting my peace and quiet. The very least they could do is sit at their

own table.

With the width of the aisles between tables, they walk two in front and two slightly behind.

Adonis is, of course, up front, in a pair of black painted on jeans and a white polo top. His circular

glasses are perched on the bridge of his nose, with his blond hair swept back off his face, making him

look hot as hell with his piercing blue eyes shining with mischief.

Xander is beside him, his wide shoulders covered in a plain navy tee with a pair of worn-in jeans

covering his thick thighs. He moves with purpose, silently observing and calculating as his eyes

travel over me from head to toe. My thighs clench together, imagining what it would be like to be

wrapped in his arms. He has the ability to make you look and feel petite beside him, and it’s

intriguing and desirable as fuck.

Glancing behind him, my eyes fall to Zen, with his blond hair longer than it was when I first

arrived, curling behind his ear, wearing an off-white button down henley shirt, the top three buttons

undone and the sleeves rolled back revealing his forearms, with a pair of chino pants. His hazel eyes

are enticing, like he’s full of wisdom and joy, while also calming your soul like a balm, the feeling

seeping into your very being. He’s poetic.

That leaves Khaos. Just thinking his name makes me desperate to lift my hand and stroke over my

neck where he teased me, but I manage to refrain. I don’t need to encourage his alphaness or give me

any more unnecessary attention. His black hair falls over his stunning green eyes as his facial

expression remains stoic. In a leather jacket, with a black tee underneath and matching pants, he looks

every inch the villain, just like he’s going for. And fuck me if I don’t care. A villain has never looked

more enticing.

Before they reach me, I glance down at myself, only to realize I opted for a girly outfit since I

thought I would be here alone. Gone are my usual oversized pants and shirts, and in their place is a

floral, strappy dress that floats around my thighs and offers a glimpse of my slim figure.

I don’t miss Adonis swiping his tongue over his bottom lip before dropping down into the seat

directly across from me. Zen takes the spot beside him, Khaos following, while Xander slowly walks

around the table and takes the seat next to me.