Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
More laughter from the dickhead. Everything in me wanted to rain more projectiles on him—like the entire fucking wardrobe—but he’d just blast it away with his powers. Worse, if it hit him, I’d be smacked upside the head with the pain too.
“This ends when you say it does, Volana.” Edric kicked back, sipping his beer. “Give me my money, then turn yourself in and get out of my life. I promise you, I’ll let you sleep in peace down in your pit.”
Fury set my eyebrows alight. I took it back. I took it all back. There’s no way this prick was my soulmate. Even if we were on good terms, I wouldn’t have made it a week with him without strangling him!
I inhaled a deep breath and held it. Calm down and think, Daze. You’re not spending any more nights cuddling in the dirt with a squirrel. It’s only the cover of being alone in your room that lets you move about freely, and because of him chasing you out every night, you’re way behind on the plan.
This has to stop. You have to make him stop—for good.
My internal scolding did nothing for me. Of course I knew I had to make him stop. The question was how.
I gazed down at him, eyes narrowing. “Hmm... maybe...”
“What’s that, Volana?” The shitbrick was enjoying himself immensely. “Did you forget Sunella’s number? No worries. I know it by heart. It’s nine three—”
“No,” I sliced in. “I was actually thinking that you better leave now, or I’ll have no choice but to make you.”
Edric paused with his beer pressed to his plump, kissable lips. “Make me?” He laughed out loud. “How do you think you’re going to do that?”
“Easily. I have ways of making you do what I want.” His mocking laughter only got louder. “I’ve held back until now because I wanted to save you the humiliation of realizing you’re nothing but a puppet to my whims, but honestly, my goodwill’s all dried up now.”
Edric fell over guffawing. “Luame help you, woman. You’ve done it. You’ve finally lost your mind. There’s nothing you can do that—”
I yanked my top over my head and flung my bra across the room after it.
Edric cut himself off so fast, he choked.
“Oooh, Edric, yes, baby,” I moaned, wining and rubbing my hands down my body. “Ah, touch me there.”
“Wha— Wha— What are you doing?” he croaked, shooting up on his hands and feet as if preparing to run. “Stop that.”
“I’ll stop if you don’t, baby.” Fingers skating up over my stomach, I cupped my breasts and smooshed them together, jiggling them over the windowsill.
Sweat beaded on his brow, as stark as the impressively thick bulge straining to get free of his pants.
“Touch me, Edric. Make me yours. Make me c—”
Edric beat it across the lawn so fast, he crushed his beer bottle underfoot, cut himself, and left a trail of bloody footprints to mark the coward’s retreat.
I smirked at the heavy door slam in the distance. “Wow. That was easy. Sleep-deprivation really has made me stupider. I should’ve done that a week ago.”
It had occurred to me while in the middle of considering all of my violent options that Edric didn’t want to mate with me as much as I didn’t want to mate with him. If I was running from Paxton to ensure I didn’t give in to temptation, then Edric would run from me.
“And you proved me right, dickhead.”
Ducking back inside, I reboarded my window with the nails and hammer Paxton left behind, then got cozy on my bed with a stolen book.
Edric and his winds didn’t bother me again for the rest of the night.
THE NEXT DAY, I BOUNCED on the balls of my toes, doing my dance with the practice dummy.
I was feeling good that morning. I had gotten a good night’s sleep, and since the Tweedles had to stay posted outside of my room, I got that sleep without their eyes crawling all over me through the night. The best part was I woke up that morning to scrambled eggs with ham and cheese resting on my nightstand, and the smell of Paxton in the air.
He’d gotten up early just to make sure I got something to eat, which had the added benefit of taking away my reason to go into the mess hall. Now the staff didn’t get the satisfaction of refusing to feed me, and the blessed students didn’t get to insult me to my face while the presence of the Tweedles stopped me from punching them in their mouths.
It’s a shame I couldn’t have anything to do with Paxton other than his food delivery. It’s been a while since anyone took care of me. I kicked the dummy harder than I needed to. Exactly one year.
“You almost had it, Nia, but this time, you need to open your hips, pivot on the balls of your feet, and strike with your instep. Not your toes,” I said. “Because that’s how you break them.”