Page 96 of Veiled

He laughs softly, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And, you didn’t answer my questions,” I say, smirking.

We turn the corner toward the castle entrance and pause. Lucas is leaning up against the wall with one foot kicked up behind him as his friends circle him, hanging on his every word. If I didn’t know smoking is prohibited, I would think they were out here taking a cigarette break.

My spine stiffens, but I keep walking. Ignore. Don’t engage.

The second he sees me and Aiden walking side by side, a smirk stretches across his face.

“Well, well, well,” Lucas drawls as he steps toward us, looking smug as hell. “So that’s who you were doing all weekend; I’m surprised you’d want that a second time.”

I try to keep walking, but Aiden’s abrupt stop jerks me back.

“Come on! He’s not worth it,” I whisper, only loud enough for Aiden to hear me as I try to get him walking again.

Not noticing the tension rolling off of Aiden, he must think his ‘friend’ stopped to join him in whatever humiliation he has planned, and continues, “Shit, man. I didn’t know you liked it rough like that, but at least you got her again before she’s too loose.”

Aiden releases my hand and decks him.

It’s not a wild punch. Not sloppy or explosive. It’s perfect. One clean hit to his cheek, knocking Lucas back against the wall with a sharp exhale and a stunned look, like he genuinely can’t believe Aiden isn’t laughing with him. His friends grab him before he can fall, their mouths gaping at the fourth member of their group.

“Aiden,” I say sharply, stepping between them, my palm pressed against his chest, feeling his heart pounding under my hand.

He doesn’t take his eyes off Lucas. “Keep her name out of your mouth, you fucking piece of shit.”

Lucas spits blood on the floor, glaring. “One weekend of her sucking your dick and you’re already pussy whipped, she must have gotten better.”

Aiden tries to step towards him again, but I don’t move, “Please, Ace.”

He relaxes slightly at my plea, and I look straight at Lucas, my voice turning sickeningly sweet, “He’s just jealous you made it further with me over and over this weekend than he has in the last six years.”

The little moan I let slip in there seems to hit as hard as I hoped it would.

“I’d never lower myself to fucking you,” Lucas scoffs, holding his face

“Of course you wouldn’t,” I laugh, “you couldn’t even last long enough to even get your dick out of your pants.”

His cheeks instantly darken, his emotions battling between embarrassment and rage. “Whatever. He’ll be done with you soon enough, the same as everyone else.”

“Can’t be as fast as I was done with you,” I say before turning back to Aiden, begging him with my eyes to walk away.

He lets out a deep breath through his nose and then gives a slight nod.

“You know that’s going to get you written up if someone reports it,” I whisper up to him.

“Worth it.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re ruthless,” he counters, a grin pulling at his mouth. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

“You’ll be top of my hit list if I don’t eat soon,” I say, bumping his arm as we start walking again.

He laughs, rubbing the knuckles that made contact. “Fed wife, happy life.”

“Not your wife,” I sing back to his absurd nickname, and he dares to say, ‘Yet,’ under his breath as we push through the doors toward the dining hall.

We’re both still a little tense, but we fall back into the routine that we seem to have fallen into over the weekend.