Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(81)
Khaos’ cousins are already sitting, and away from us.
The obnoxious sound of Xander’s chair scraping across the floor jolts me from my thoughts, but it
doesn’t pull my gaze, it only makes hers involuntarily shift our way, and that’s all I need.
Raising my hand I crook my finger, beckoning her near, and I see the hesitation clear on her face.
Her mouth twists to the side as she glances from her table to ours repeatedly, her steps slowing.
I don’t look at the others, I don’t even blink, offering her my full attention as she debates her
options, challenging her. I’m sure she’s about to flick her hair over her shoulder and dismiss me
without a backward glance, but to my utter surprise, Harmonia whispers something in her ear, and a
moment later she’s confidently heading our way.
It shouldn’t be seductive, the way she subtly moves her hips as she puts one foot in front of the
other, but it’s fucking mesmerizing. As she gets within hearing range, I relax back in my seat, finally
lowering my hand to the table as I offer her a casual smile.
“Choose a seat, Rhea,” I murmur, dragging my tongue over my bottom lip as I continue to assess
her. I expect her to glare at me or use that smart mouth to put me in my place, but yet again she
surprises me when she drops her satchel from her shoulder, and slowly makes her way to the seat
between Xander and me.
But what stuns me more than anything, is the way her gaze doesn’t leave mine. She’s clearly
intrigued, willing to play my little game, and I have no idea why, but I can’t deny the fact that the way
she is looking at me now has me fascinated.
Rhea’s arm grazes mine as she takes a seat, dropping her bag by the chair as she runs her tongue
over her teeth, finally pulling her gaze from mine as she looks around at each of us.
I watch how every one of my brothers eye her too, desperate to see what truly lies beneath the
surface of the girl before us. The mystery of her red eyes and all.
Red eyes are only ever connected with vampires, but Khaos is adamant she isn’t one, and the
crazy shit that seems to happen sporadically when her power seems to bloom inside of her, only
makes us more confused as to what she is. Nothing is adding up or making sense when it comes to
trying to identify what Rhea might be.
“How are you?” she finally asks, turning to Xander at her other side, who offers her a soft smile
in response. It blows my mind how tall she sits in her seat between us, unfazed, and completely
blowing our usual seating strategy out of the water. She is not intimidated at all.
“I’m fine. You?” Xander responds gruffly, swiping a hand over his mouth as he traces his eyes
over every inch of her face, and she nods in response.
Silence descends over the table for the moment, so much uncertainty and questions in the air
around us, none of which we can answer. Not that we could ask here out in the open anyway.
As if sensing the same, Khaos rises, offering us his back as he whistles loud and sharp, gaining
the attention of everyone here, including his cousins and Harmonia. One swift swipe of his hand in
their direction has the three of them rising from their seats and heading in our direction in no time.
Thalia and Cassandra drop down on the other side of Khaos, while Harmonia tentatively takes the
seat across from them next to Xander. “Whistle at me like I’m a dog again and I’ll rip every tooth
from your mouth and shove them so far up your ass—”
Thalia’s words are cut off as Cassandra dramatically claps a hand over her mouth, making the rest
of the table chuckle except Khaos, who seems to shiver with the thought of her threat.
The way Rhea chuckles behind her hand, trying not to laugh so openly at his pain, she looks
almost carefree; it’s a strange sight to see. All I’ve observed of her since she arrived is trouble,
confusion, and anger. The walls that surround her are hard to penetrate, and there’s clearly a reason
for that. I just don’t know if I care enough to find out what’s behind them, or if I’m happy to live in
blissful ignorance.
We all have walls, every single one of us, they’re just made out of different materials, and
purposeful for different reasons. The thought of my own has me shaking my head and focusing on the
conversation that’s taken over the table.
“The supreme bitch is glaring so hard at the side of my face right now it might explode. Does she
know we’re related, Khaos, or does she think I’m trying to get in your pants?” Cassandra asks with a
quirk of her eyebrow, followed by a scrunch of her nose in disgust and Rhea tenses beside me.
One glance to the left, and I instantly piece together who the supreme bitch is, and scoff at their
choice of nickname for Selene. It’s far too fitting yet doesn’t do her personality justice.
Before I even realize it, my hand is reaching over to Rhea’s thigh, grazing the soft skin above her
knee as I squeeze in comfort. The move is foreign, even to myself, but I roll with it when she doesn’t
immediately jerk away, instead turning her full attention to me with her eyebrow quirked, matching