Chapter Eighteen
1110 Words
EIRA’S POV
I’d been slapped before.
By enemies, rivals and people who hated me.
But never once in my life had I expected that Kellen would lay his hands on me, especially after the bond we felt last night.
Even minutes later, I could still feel the hot sting of his palm on my cheeks, as if the burning pain had been branded into my skin. My face throbbed, humiliation and anger drowning me.
The hallway was in a state of shock, as everyone stared at me like I deserved it, like they all expected it. Aria especially. My eyes traveled to her and I watched as Lucien held her. Her eyes were filled with forced tears, her fingers delicately pressed against her cheeks like she was the victim, like she hadn’t provoked every ounce of the explosion that had happened.
My jaw clenched as I replayed how the altercation had started.
Aria started it, just like she always did.
I had only wanted to get some items out of my locker. I was minding my business as usual, but Aria decided to make my day a living hell. She was propped by my locker like she owned it and the moment she spotted me, her lips curled into a mocking smile, one I knew all too well.
“Well, if it isn’t the desperate little reject. I missed seeing your repulsive face.”
I forced myself to stay calm. I promised myself to not let her words get to me. I stepped forward and reached for my locker handle, but she blocked it with her arm.
“Aw, come on,” she cooed, “Don’t pretend you don’t hear me. Or are you still embarrassed Ares dropped you like rotten fruit?”
Bringing up Ares now? Was she running out of things to say?
I inhaled slowly. “Move.”
“Or what?” She taunted. “You’ll cry? Run to Kellen and Lucien like the pathetic charity case you are?”
I felt anger flare up within me, but I swallowed it down. “Move,” I repeated.
She laughed, a triumphant laughter that pricked my skin.
“Make me.”
I scoffed, pushing her hand away just enough to open my locker. But the moment my fingers just as much as grazed her wrist, she gasped dramatically and stumbled backwards.
I watched, my eyes growing wide as she threw herself to the ground.
She actually threw herself onto the ground.
“Eira!” She shrieked, holding her cheek. “Why would you hit me?!”
My jaw dropped open. “But I didn’t even...“
But it was too late. Students turned and began to gather at the scene.
Now, I was left with the aftermath of her petty manipulation.
My eyes burned with anger as my hand stayed on my cheek, my gaze on Kellen, who was still vibrating with anger.
“You f*****g hit me?” I spat at him.
His jaw flexed. “You shouldn’t have hit her.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“I just said I didn’t. Why is it so hard to believe...“
“Enough,” he bellowed.
His word felt like a final blow.
I swallowed hard, fighting the large lump forming in my throat. I couldn’t cry even if I wanted to.
Teachers began to rush in as students whispered frantically. But their voices were muffled underneath the buzzing in my ears.
I didn’t spare either of them a single glance as I turned and walked away. The air was suffocating, and I needed some sort of relief.
I walked outside the school building, the air sharp and cool against the stinging on my cheek. My skin still burned where he had hit me, but I tried to ignore it. I took long strides, eager to find a quiet place to calm the anger that was sizzling within me.
I began to walk towards the courtyard, when a hand snagged my wrist.
I gasped, breath catching in my throat. I found myself being dragged into a shadowed hallway of an empty storage corridor. The door slammed shut before I could comprehend what was happening.
The darkness swallowed us, except for the thin strip of light from the high window. My pulse quickened.
“Let go!” I barked, yanking at my wrist.
I could barely make out their silhouette, but their grip tightened.
“Eira.”
My heart almost stopped.
Ares
He walked forward, the light revealing the scowl on his lips.
“What the f**k am I hearing? You’re the Princes mate now?”
I furrowed my eyebrows, folding my arms. “And what’s it to you?”
He took a step forward, gripping the phone in his hand tighter. I took a step back, my heart dropping as everything began to click.
Ares' jaw tightened with a mocking smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “I haven’t seen you for a few days,” he said, his voice low and dripping with venom. “And you’re whoring yourself out to them?”
I shrugged. “It’s not my fault they turned out to be my mate, now is it?”
He scoffed. “Did they f**k you? Huh? Did it feel good?”
“They didn’t,” I lied. My p***y still throbbed from how much they had f****d me last night.
Ares jaw clenched, his eyes trailing down to my breasts. He held up the phone in his hand and all the blood drained from my face. I thought being the princes mate would at least save me from this bastard, but it seemed like I was wrong.
“I have mates now, you don’t have a say in my life anymore,” I said, my voice shaking a bit.
Area laughed, a short humorless sound. “I have every say.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Oh?” He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper that crawled under my skin. “Are you sure about that baby?”
My heart dropped as he showed the thumbnail of the video. My mouth went dry.
“You think Kellen and Lucien would still walk around with you as their precious mate if this video leaks?” He asked softly. “If the whole school sees the slutty things you did for me?”
I couldn’t respond, I didn’t know what to say. Ares placed a hand on my shoulder, leaning in to whisper into my ear.
“I just wanted to remind you who really owns you. Not Kellen, not Lucien, but me. Keep that in mind kitten.”
- Writer
