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Dropping his arm, Cato got something out of his pocket and presented it to me. My eyes bugged out of my head and rolled down the hallway.
“Cato,” I breathed.
A diamond choker necklace glittered on his palm. Rows on rows of diamonds meeting in the center and cradled a teardrop-shaped emerald pendant.
“Oh my gosh— How can that be for me?”
“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. It’s for you.”
I flushed down to my toes. “You Dumont boys are versed in flattery.”
He grinned, worsening my dizziness. “Take it.”
My fingers twitched for it. “No, I can’t. It’s too expensive.”
“Wasn’t expensive.”
“Cato, those are real diamonds and that emerald is bigger than my nose. This must have cost you thousands.”
“No,” he said simply.
Opening my hand, he handed over the necklace. My jaw went slack as I got a closer look.
Is that...?
Strands of blonde hair tangled in the clasp. There was a spot of color on one of the diamonds. It looked like... blood.
“Cato,” I said slowly. “Where did you get this necklace?”
“Found it.”
“Did you happen to find it around someone’s neck?”
He said nothing.
“It concerns me that you’re not answering.”
Cato laughed—a deep, smoky sound that had a powerful effect when paired with his hand still holding mine.
“It belongs to you,” he said, closing my hand over the gift. “Take it.”
“Morning, all.” Rafael came out of his room, dressed in nothing but boxers slung low on his hips. The sight distracted me, swiveling my head around and following him until he disappeared down the stairs. When I turned back, the door was closing on Cato’s room.
I tucked the suspicious necklace in my drawer, then went to intercept Rafael. I plucked the pan from his hand. “Ah ah. I’m making breakfast this morning. As a thank-you.”
“Nice of you, but you’d only be making it for me and Cato. Lucien’s on a special diet and Wilder doesn’t eat anything he hasn’t made himself.”
“Course not,” I muttered. “But wait, I’ve seen him in the café.”
“He has a theory the cafeteria ladies spike the coffee with various mood- and brain-altering serums. It’s why no one’s normal around here,” he said. “Every now and then he pops in to try and catch them in the act.”
There was nothing to say to that, so I didn’t try. Steering him back, I made Rafael sit and began breakfast domination. “Eggs, toast, and oatmeal okay?”
“Oh, yes. Vast improvement over the French toast, maple bacon, and veggie omelets I was about to make.”
I gave him a look. “That sounds like sass, sir.”
Rafael popped his foot on the stool, stretching over the table and resting on his elbow. The effortless pose of a bare-chested supermodel, I was half certain he wasn’t aware of the sharp tightening that struck my core. “I’m all sass in the morning, darling.
“And all sex at night.”
The pan almost slipped out of my hand. Recovering quickly, I cleared my throat, forcing myself to turn my back on him under the pretense of getting the eggs.
I forced my voice to remain even. “What are you in the afternoon?”
“All mischief.”
“So, how does Mr. Sex, Sass, and Mischief end up friends with a vampire and government conspiracy theorist?”
“Same way most people do. We sat down at the same table in the cafeteria, and figured if we’re going to watch each other eat, might as well be friends.”
“You said you went to the same school.” Our conversation washed over me while I prepared our food.
“Middle and high with Wilder. Lucien transferred in junior year of high school. My vamp boy’s fight skills are sick. We got into it one day after school and he nearly put me on my ass.”
“Brotherhood forged in violence. It’d hurt less if you guys did it like girls do it, and bonded over the mutual hatred of the same person.”
He laughed. “We all despise the Royals, so you could say we did. Plus, Wilder figured out how to hack the school’s database from day one. We had five extra early-release days, pick of our teachers, access to all the school’s cameras, and the answers to every exam. Fools didn’t know a thing.”
“Um, that’s terrible.”
Rafael let out a gusty sigh. “I’m a bad boy, Cloud Girl. I hope you can accept me for who I am.”
Why does everything he says sound like a come-on? It’s that voice. It has to be.
“I’m still learning who you are. Katie said you’re not Royals, but you’re not Dregs either. Were you always apart from this weird-ass caste system, or did they give you another title when they learned you weren’t people to mess with?”
“Are you asking if we have the money, status, and influence to be Royals if we wanted?”
I shrugged, whisking the bowl. “I guess I am.”
“No, Luna. That weird-ass caste system wasn’t made for us. There’s a reason we’re in a category all our own. Our legacies are formidable in ways that have nothing to do with money. Though, we have a lot of that, if you were also wondering.”
