Royal Secrets

Avery Free
 Copyright Avery Free
Royal Secrets
Avery Free 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this book can be used without written
permission from the author. The characters and events in this book are
completely fictitious. Any similarities to characters, places, events, or
companies are purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Table of Contents
Title Page

Copyright Page

Author’s Note

Episodes Explained

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Books by Avery Free

About the Author

 Author’s Note

R oyal Monsters is a bully academy reverse harem romance. As a bully

romance, the guys are sometimes assholes to the heroine, but they’re
always redeemable. This is also a reverse harem, meaning the heroine will
have more than one sexy guy interested in her, and she won’t have to choose
between her studs at the end of the book.
 Episodes Explained

A n episode for books is like an episode on television. Many things will

get resolved each episode, but not the entire plot. These stories will be
shorter, and typically end on a cliffhanger, but the next episode will come
soon after, so you won’t be left hanging for too long.
So, in other words, if you’re looking for something hot and exciting to
read, but don’t want to get caught up reading for hours, you might enjoy these
episodes!
 Chapter One

C at
Dark clouds fill the sky above our head, covering the moon, and
whispering a promise of rain that hasn’t yet fallen. I stand on the top of the
building next to Eric, watching the quiet campus and trying to conceal the
nervous energy that flows through me.
Every so often, I look to Eric, wondering what he’s thinking, but the
necromancer’s eyes are closed. His expression unreadable. Like we aren’t
both standing here waiting for something that could change my life forever.
As I look from the silent campus back to him, I see his eyes have
scrunched closed, and his expression has changed. He looks... miserable. In
pain. The shadows beneath his eyes are darker than usual, and his expression
is tortured.
He’s not relaxing. It isn’t that he doesn’t care. He’s just trying to hide
his suffering from me.
“You should’ve told me,” I whisper.
His eyes flash open, and his hazel eyes lock onto me. “Told you what?”
I try to smile, but fail. “The ghosts are bothering you.”
He looks surprised. “They’re always bothering me.”
“But they don’t have to be.”
Cautiously, I close the space between us. In all honestly, I don’t know if I
can push the ghosts away. I don’t know how I did it in the first place. But, I’d
be willing to try almost anything to give him a break from his pain.
Reaching up, I touch the sides of his face as he stares at me with such
longing that it breaks my heart. Almost the second I touch his skin, the
shouting voices of the ghosts come from all around me. I almost push away
from him in shock, but I force myself to remain still. To not be overwhelmed
by the ghosts. The sounds filter through my momentary panic. The crying,
demanding voices tear at my heart, terrifying and frightening all at once.
“Stop!” I shout, trying to sound as commanding as I did the last time.
The voices stop so abruptly that I would’ve staggered if Eric hadn’t
caught me in his arms.
Opening my eyes, I stare. All around us are the ghostly shapes of the
dead. The ones that seek out necromancers, because they know they can be
heard by them. And I can feel them staring at me. Waiting.
 “Leave him alone,” I say, forcing the words to come out, even though they
sound shaky.
In an instant, the shapes fade away, and then it’s just Eric and I on the
roof.
A shudder moves through his body, like every muscle in his body is
relaxing for the first time in too long. Leaning down, he captures my lips in
an earth-shattering kiss.
My hands move up to wrap around his neck. My fingers weave into his
dark strands. Pulling him closer, tilting him so that his tongue sweeps into my
mouth. The air around us warms, and his hands on my hips feel steady and
possessive.
When he pulls back, he’s panting. His eyes open slowly and lock onto
mine. “Cat, I—“
I stare back, waiting. Sensing he wants to say something important.
Something I really want to hear.
“Thank you for pushing them away.”
A flicker of disappointment comes and goes. Even though I shouldn’t be
disappointed. I can’t imagine how horrible it is to be tortured by ghosts every
waking hour of his life. Getting a break from them is probably all he can
think about right now, not our kiss, not the tension between us that feels
significant.
“Any time, Eric.”
A slight smile tugs the corners of his lips. “You really are one-of-a-kind.”
“So you tell me.” I touch his arm softly. “You look nice when you smile.”
His eyes take on a mischievous light, even in the dark night. “Are you
going to tell me to do it more?”
I laugh, glad to see this side of him. “Never.”
Feeling strangely vulnerable, I look away from him and lean against the
short wall at the top of the building. To my surprise, he wraps his arms
around me from behind, the heat of his body chasing away the chill of the
night.
My gaze goes back to the massive gates of the school. My stomach
tightens, and I struggle to escape my worries.
“Are they sure he’s coming tonight?”
Eric stiffens. “My sources are usually pretty accurate.”
I’m about to say more, when I see the gates of Savage Magic Academy
open. Heart in my throat, I watch as a dozen people slowly enter the campus.
Leaning slightly forward, I watch the group slowly head down the long
sidewalk and toward us.
My gaze scans the people for a head of messy brown hair.
As they draw closer, stepping beneath the lamp lights, my heart stops.
Leading the group is the person I’ve been searching for. The person I was
scared I’d never see again.
My brother. Simon.
Only, now he calls himself Colin. And now instead of me running to him,
hoping to free him from this place, I have to hold myself back. Because until
I’m sure who he is and what he wants, it’s possible that he’s here to hurt me.
At least that’s what my guys think.
Even though I know in my heart they’re wrong.
I watch until they go down the path that leads to a solitary house on one
side of campus, tucked away from the other buildings. A house that I’m told
was built specifically to accommodate the Chosen and his followers.
And that’s the first time I take a ragged breath.
“We need to tell the others,” Eric says, holding me tighter.
I turn slowly in his arms and look up at him. “And what then?”
Gone is any gentleness or merriment from his face. “If he tries to hurt
you, we make him regret it.”
 Chapter Two

E ric
I stare between the two angry people, ready to bring some logic into
this emotionally-charged fight. Even though I know it’s pointless. If we
weren’t in our private clubhouse on campus, I’m pretty sure we’d have our
entire dorms awake, wondering what all the shouting was about.
“You saw him,” Carter grates out, for what feels like the thousandth time.
“We should get you out of here.”
Cat’s hands are on her hips. “That’s not enough! I’m not going to run! Not
when I’ve finally found my brother!”
“Fuck!” The shifter shouts throwing his hands in the air. “You are
unbearable!”
She glares at him. “And you’re an idiot if you think I’m just going to
abandon my family.”
He advances on her, the massive man towering over the tiny woman. Any
other person would back down, but not Cat, if anything she stands up taller.
“All logic says your bastard brother is here to kill you.”
She opens her mouth, then closes it. I recognize the calculating look in
her eyes. “Is that what shifters do? Abandon their family?”
His entire face stills, his green eyes wide. “We never abandon our pack.”
“Then you should understand why I’m doing this.”
“He isn’t your pack.” Some of the edge has left his voice.
“He’s the only family I have.”
He sighs, loudly. Then surprises us all by pulling her into his arms and
holding her tightly.
“Is it done then?” Zach asks, the vampire looking bored as hell reclining
in his chair, a barely touched drink in his hands.
Aaron grins. “God, I hope not. Usually you need a good fucking after a
fight like that.”
Cat pulls back from him, and raises a brow. “Do incubuses only think
about sex?”
His dark eyes twinkle with a challenge. “Not always. Just when you’re
around.”
Cat’s cheeks turn red.
 “Speaking of which...” Aaron glances my way. “You haven’t tried her out
yet, have you?”
“I’m not a carnival ride!” Cat exclaims.
“No, but you are one hell of a ride.”
Zach sighs, standing. “I think Carter and I should go visit the Chosen and
find out what we can.”
Carter’s nose wrinkles. “I’d rather rip his damn head off!”
Cat turns to him, and a strangely vulnerable expression comes over her
face. “You promised not to hurt him.”
I expect Carter to argue. Instead, he reaches out and strokes her cheek
lightly. “I remember.”
“So, we visit the bastard,” Zach says, his tone light.
After a long moment of Carter staring at Cat like she’s the only person in
the room, he nods. “I’ll tolerate that self-absorbed asshole. For her.”
The two men head for the door, but Zach pauses when his hand touches
the handle, and he turns back to look at us. “But for the love of everything
holy, make sure Eric gets a turn on her ride.”
I stiffen. Did Zach actually make a joke?
Aaron laughs. “Will do!”
And then I process what they’re saying and feel my own cheeks heat. It’s
not like I’m a damned virgin or anything. But when my gaze goes to Cat, even
I have to admit how badly I want her. I just don’t have a damned clue how to
make something happen between us. Alphas don’t exactly have to work hard
to get a woman in their beds.
Carter and Zach slip out, leaving me with the beautiful woman and the
horny incubus.
I look away from them, snag my drink, and take a long sip. The alcohol
burns as it slides down my throat, but it also calms some of my nerves. If we
were smart, we would be focused solely on the Chosen’s arrival and how to
help Cat.
But in reality, most of my thoughts are currently occupied by our kiss.
“We have some time to kill,” Aaron says, and I can feel his sexual energy
charging the room.
Cat pours herself a drink, then sits on the couch between us. Is she as
nervous as I am?
“The guys were joking,” I tell her. “We don’t have to do anything.”
 She sips her drink. “Actually... I wouldn’t mind having something to keep
me busy right now. Or else I’m just going to keep worrying.”
I swear my brain freezes. “Uh, do you mean—?”
A shy smile plays at the corners of her lips. “Come on, necromancer,
don’t tell me you’re afraid.”
I’m never afraid, so why is my heart pounding so hard?
 Chapter Three

C at
I don’t know why I’m teasing Eric. I guess it’s just because I have
this nervous energy humming under my skin that I don’t want to think about.
My brother is so close I could run to him in minutes, and yet I’m sitting here,
holding back.
And by staying here, I’m almost saying that there’s a reason to worry
about my brother. Even though my heart says otherwise.
“You just teasing him, princess, or you actually going to put Eric out of
his misery?”
My gaze swings to Aaron. He looks fucking hot. Reclining in his chair,
his light brown hair messy, and his dark eyes clinging to me. He wears a
weird hoodie that opens in a deep-v to reveal every inch of his chest and a
little of his smooth belly.
It actually takes me a minute to respond to him, which I hate, because
Aaron has to know how distractingly handsome he is. “I don’t think Eric
looks miserable.”
Aaron’s gaze moves to Eric. “He’s got a hard-on the size of a bat.”
I look to Eric, expecting to find nothing at all. But his cheeks heat, and he
shifts, trying desperately to hide his erection. For some reason, his shyness is
a massive turn-on. The tight black shirt he wears hugs his muscles, and my
gaze goes up to his neat black hair and hazel eyes. Yes, Eric is leaner than the
other guys, but he’s tempting to touch.
I wonder if he lets loose in bed? The thought makes me feel flustered,
but now all I can think about is what he’s like in bed.
“Do I turn you on?” I ask him.
He looks irritated. “You know you fucking do.”
“How would I know? You don’t exactly show it.”
He raises a brow. “I’ve been pretty obvious.”
“Not to me.”
He folds his arms over his chest, and now his erection is all I can see.
“Just because I’m not Carter, grabbing women and throwing them against
walls for sex, doesn’t mean I’m bad at this.”
I can’t help myself. “Bad at showing you’re into me, or bad at sex?”
 His gaze catches mine, and I’m surprised by the challenge there.
“Actually, I’m pretty damn good in bed.”
“Have women actually told you that? Or are you like the other alphas and
just assume it?”
Aaron laughs. “I think she’s challenging you.”
“Is that what you’re doing?” And his voice is low and husky.
I feel my nipples harden, and I feel breathless. “Maybe.”
“Then you should know I’m not like these guys.”
“Oh?” The word comes out breathy.
“I like to be in control in bed.”
Aaron’s voice holdings a taunting note. “Big surprise there.”
“And what does that mean?” I ask, ignoring Aaron.
“I like women who can do what I say. I like women who know how to
obey.”
Obey? I’m not exactly known for obeying. “I can give it a shot.”
“I don’t think she can,” Aaron says, and now his voice holds an aroused
challenge.
Glancing at him, I tilt my chin up. “I can.”
Aaron looks at Eric. “See if she can handle it. But don’t think I won’t be
joining the fun.”
Eric’s demeanor seems to change. A minute ago he was serious, now he’s
a predator hunting his prey. “Come stroke my cock.”
My jaw drops open. “Seriously?’
He raises a brow. “Apparently, you’re not quite as good at obeying as
you thought.”
I frown, not wanting to prove them right. If he wants me to stroke his
cock, I’m going to, and I’m going to leave him wanting to obey me.
Instead of simply turning and unzipping his pants, I sink to my knees and
push his legs further apart. I can feel both men watching me closely as I undo
his pants, tug his jeans apart, and yank his boxers down.
When his cock springs free, I freeze in shock. Oh, hell. He’s bigger than I
expected. A lot bigger than I expected, and just the sight of him makes my
mouth water.
I don’t know what these damned alphas have done to me, but I’ve never
wanted a cock more in my life.
Looking up, I lock eyes with the necromancer. Then, very slowly, I reach
forward and grasp his length. His eyes widen as I tighten my fingers around
him, and then I start to stroke.
A groan tears from his lips, and his eyes close as his head rolls back.
I work him slowly, enjoying the heat radiating off his length. Loving the
little sounds of pleasure he makes as I let my hand glide along him.
When moisture beads at his tip, I can’t help myself. I lean forward and
lick him.
“Fuck!” Aaron exclaims beside us.
I turn to see he’s pulled out his own dick, and he’s stroking it while
watching my every move.
Eric’s voice is breathless as he speaks. “I don’t remember telling you to
lick me.”
“But you liked it,” I say, knowing I’m right.
“Take off your shirt,” he orders, “and your bra.”
I hesitate. It feels strangely vulnerable to simply strip for these two men.
“Second-guessing your decision?” Aaron asks, and there’s no teasing
note to his voice now. Instead, his voice is deep and husky.
Holding his gaze, unwilling to back down from the challenge, I strip off
my shirt. Both their eyes move downwards, focusing on my breasts. I reach
forward and unsnap my bra, letting my breasts come free.
I swear the air in the room changes.
“Fucking hell,” Aaron says, stroking himself harder.
But Eric says nothing, he simply reaches forward and grasps my nipples,
pulling me toward him. I slide closer, my hands on his thighs, and watch as if
memorized as he places his cock between my breasts.
“Your sweet breasts are going to wrap around my cock, and I’m going to
come all over them. Do you understand?” He says, his voice that of an alpha.
I nod, not able to say more.
Aaron rises from the couch, and moves behind me. For a minute I’m not
sure what he’s doing, all I can feel is his cock pressing into my ass. And then,
he undoes my pants and underwear, pulling them down to my knees.
I barely have a chance to comprehend what he’s doing when the tip of his
cock presses into my ass. I gasp and my grip tightens on Eric’s thighs. I’m
still deciding what the hell to do when Aaron reaches around and slides his
fingers into the lips of my pussy.
I moan as Eric grasps my breasts tighter, presses them around his length,
and starts sliding himself in and out of my cleavage. All I can feel is the way
Aaron slips his fingers delicately in my wet body, stroking every nerve, just
barely brushing my clit.
But the faster his fingers move inside of me, the faster Eric slides me
around his cock. And, inch by inch behind me, Aaron presses his hard length
into my ass.
I’m bouncing between them, moaning their names, when Aaron comes to
his hilt in my ass.
For a second we all pant, and then the men begin to move faster. Aaron
works my clit like a man on a mission, and I can feel the waves of pleasure
washing off the incubus as he plunges in and out of me from behind.
Eric shoves my head down, and before I realize it, the tip of his cock is
pressing between my lips each time his cock comes out between my breasts.
Eagerly, I lean forward and suck him each time he comes close enough.
I’m no longer thinking. No longer doing anything but enjoying the feeling
of these two men between me. My orgasm so close I can almost touch it.
When Aaron groans behind me and fills my ass with his warm come, I
finally explode over the edge, thrusting down hard on the dick in my ass, and
pressing against the fingers buried in my pussy.
When Eric presses my head down hard, and my lips hold him tightly, he
suddenly comes, filling my mouth with his pleasure. I drink him like my
favorite treat, then lick him clean, panting with my own pleasure. Slowly
coming down from my orgasm.
“Fucking hell,” Aaron finally groans.
Eric strokes my hair. “Time for a shower.”
I look up at him, and his gaze holds mine.
This man doesn’t look like he wants to get cleaned. He looks like he
wants to get very, very dirty.
 Chapter Four

C at
I wake up the next morning sandwiched between Aaron and Eric in
their clubhouse bed. Everything from the night before comes back to me, and
I feel myself blushing in the darkness. I want to blame Aaron for using his
incubus abilities to turn me into some horny woman with a hunger for dicks,
but I’m pretty sure I only have myself to blame.
Not that I’d tell them that.
Untangling myself from their limbs, I go to the bathroom, then pull on my
clothes. It’s Saturday, so I don’t have class, but without the guys to distract
me my mind is going crazy.
My brother Simon is on campus.
My brother.
What the hell do I do now? What did Zach and Carter figure out last
night?
It feels weird, like I’m waiting for permission from the alphas to see my
own brother, and that idea irks me. But at the same time, they seem pretty
damn certain my brother is some power hungry asshole. I want to just dismiss
what they have to say. I remember who Simon is, and that’s not him.
But I also can’t ignore the facts. I haven’t seen him in a long time. He’s
been fine all these years. And he hasn’t come back for me.
So waiting a little longer to see him is smart.
Even if it’s killing me.
Looking at Aaron and Eric in bed, I smile. Yes, I can wait a little longer.
Even if the guys drive me a little crazy.
My smile fades. But I can’t stay here any longer.
Tiptoeing out of the room, I escape into the crisp morning air. I know the
guys wanted me to stay with one of them at all times, but that was one thing I
refused to listen to them about. There was no way I was going to escape my
abuse foster parents and then step into another situation where I was
controlled.
No way in hell.
Moving through campus, I ignore the knowing looks of a few early rising
students who no doubt see my messy hair and wrinkled clothes and can
imagine pretty clearly why I’m rushing back to my dorm. Not making eye
contact with them, I don’t slow until I reach my dorm.
When I enter my room in the attic of Null Hall, I close the door behind
me and lock it, then strip off my clothes, grab new ones, and head for a nice
shower. It’s just what I need to clear my head. And when I do, I decide one
thing. I’m going to go somewhere I can see my brother, even if he can’t see
me, and even if I can’t talk to him yet. I just... need to.
When the water runs cold, I sigh, get out, and change, then head out into
my room. But freeze.
A man is looking out my window, and as he turns slowly, I’m suddenly
face-to-face with someone I know as well as I know my heart. My brother.
He’s aged. He’s no longer a boy, but a man the same age as me. Instead of
a head of messy brown hair, his hair has been left a little long, but it’s styled.
His brown eyes still have little crinkles at the edges, but his face has lost its
youthful roundness. This Simon is tall and stone. My twin. And yet, a stranger
to me.
“Simon,” I whisper.
And time stands still.
 Chapter Five

Z ach
I spit blood onto the concrete floor and struggle for the thousandth
time against the ties that bind me to the chair. The man who stands above me
grabs my hair and yanks on it, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“Had enough yet?”
I smile at him, even though it makes my swollen face ache. “I thought that
was just foreplay.”
His fist slams into my face again, and for an instant I see stars.
“Your turn,” I hear him say. “My fucking knuckles hurt.”
Asshole number two stomps closer. “We asked you where she is. Why the
fuck do you have to make this so damn hard?”
I force my head up and try to take shallow breaths, even though every
breath makes my broken ribs scream in pain. “You know you can’t kill you.
And you have to know what will happen when I’m released.”
Asshole number two, a blond giant of a shifter, turns a shade paler. “The
Chosen will protect us.”
I smile. “No one will be able to protect you from me.”
Someone knocks on the prison door.
Asshole number one goes and slides the bar open. “What?”
Another man steps into the room. He lowers his voice, but my superior
vampire hearing picks up every word. “This is getting us nowhere. If he’s
going to destroy her, it’s going to be without help from the alphas.”
My entire body stiffens. I knew that bastard brother of hers wanted to hurt
her, but now I had proof. I just needed to get out of here and get her to safety.
Then kill him.
“What should we do with him?” Asshole number one asks, glancing back
at me.
The guy at the door shrugs. “Keep him here and out of the way.”
“Just fucking release me!” I shout at them, heart pounding. “I’ve told you
I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I just came for some fun.”
The guys exchange a look.
Asshole number two speaks up. “He’s an alpha...”
“And our Chosen gave us orders,” Asshole number one says. “The
vampire stays.”
 I shout after them, but the three men head out of the room, sealing me in
behind them.
My head spins. I’ve lost a lot of blood. I can feel that I have more broken
bones than I’ve ever had in my life. These guys were given orders to hurt me.
To put me out of commission, and they succeeded.
At any other time in my life, I think I’d just accept my fate.
But Cat’s life is in danger, so I have to fight. And fighting isn’t what I do.
At least not like this.
I close my eyes, angry at them and at myself. Being a vampire alpha
means being smart, being clever, always staying one step ahead of my
enemies. It’s about knowing when an alliance will get me killed, and
knowing when making the wrong deal will make me in debt in a way that
could cost my people everything. One wrong move, at any time, and hundreds
of thousands of vampires suffer.
Unfortunately, it’s rare I have to escape bindings and beat the shit out of
idiots.
Rare. But it happens.
Just usually it’s my life at risk. Not that of a woman I’ve grown to... care
for.
My mind swirls like water flowing down a river as I struggle against my
bindings. Memories I’d thought long repressed come back to me. Of the
housekeeper’s daughter. A human girl who had been the only true friend I’d
had in my cold castle.
Yes, every vampire child acted like they wanted me as their friend, but
that was about connections. About games and manipulation. About what I
could do for them.
But not with Sosha.
Sosha was simply... my friend.
We played together. We laughed together. And somewhere deep in my
innocent heart I’d believed I would marry her one day.
On my eighteenth birthday my father gifted me with her head. Even as I’d
collapsed, hurling, he’d told me that she was my weakness. And that no alpha
could have a weakness.
I hated my father for what he’d done. I’d hated him for seeing my
humanity as a weakness.
Even while I knew he was right. Killing Sosha had felt like the sun’s light
had been quenched from my life. I wasn’t in love with her, but I’d loved her.
A friend who I could trust to care about me, even if I couldn’t care about
myself. And the one person I always knew would tell me the truth.
And when she was gone, I was again left in darkness. Not a person. Just a
shell. A creature born to rule alone and die alone.
A being with hundreds of years of nothingness before him.
I continued with my tasks and responsibilities then, but it always felt as if
someone else was running my life. Like the person I was deep inside was
just a flicker within me that lived only to bring me pain, to remind me that my
existence was a joyless one.
But that was the past. Sosha is dead. And I must live forever knowing I
couldn’t save her.
My eyes sting, and I squeeze them closed even tighter, commanding
myself not to feel. An alpha to the vampire clan doesn’t feel. Nor does he
allow himself to whimper and whine over ghosts from his past.
Especially when I have someone else to worry about who’s still alive...
I’d known Cat for such a short period of time. And yet, she made me feel
almost the way I had with Sosha. Like the sun had been restored to my life.
Only, Cat wasn’t the sun. She was like the moon. Equally beautiful, and yet, I
felt differently for her.
She was a woman I might be able to love one day.
If I can ever love again.
A sound outside my room, makes my head swing back to face the door.
When it opens, an unconscious form is tossed onto the floor. A massive
unconscious form.
Carter.
The door slides closed behind him.
“Carter?” I mumble.
No answer.
Fuck. The two of us are Cat’s best chances at staying safe, and we’re in
here completely useless.
All I can hope is that she was smart enough to stay with Aaron and Eric.
And yet, I doubt it.
She’s too damn stubborn for that...
 Chapter Six

C at
“It’s really you,” I say, my voice shaking.
My brother smiles. “Yes, and it’s really you.”
Time seems to stand still, but I don’t know what to say or do. I’d imagine
our reunion too many times to count, but it was never like this.
And I never expected to feel this... underlying uncertainty.
Yet, I’ve finally found my brother. That’s all that should matter. Not
everything else. Because it’s Simon, after all this time.
Tears fill my eyes. “I never stopped searching for you. Never.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” he whispers.
Completely overcome with emotion, I cross the distance between us and
pull him into a tight hug.
At first he holds himself stiffly in my arms, but after a moment, he slowly
hugs me back. Awkwardly. With a few pats on the back.
I pull away from him, gazing up into his familiar face. “Were you hurt?”
He stares down at me for a long minute. “No.”
“Then, why didn’t you come back for me?” I question falls from my lips
before I can stop it.
“Fuck,” he mutters.
Turning away from me, he seats himself on the edge of my bed. For a
second he looks like he doesn’t know what to do, and then he buries his
hands in his hair.
Damn it. Whatever he’s been through, it must have been bad.
“It’s okay, Simon,” I tell him, but I can’t stop staring, waiting for his
answer.
Finally, his deep brown eyes meet mine. “You don’t know what it was
like, Cat. At first, I didn’t know anything about this world. I didn’t know
what they wanted from me. I just tried not to screw up. It was scary. But then,
I realized I was safe... as long as I pretended to be what they wanted.”
Some of the doubts that had lingered in the back of my mind start to fade
away. “I can’t imagine what that was like.”
He shakes his head. “It was probably a hell of a lot better than what you
went through.”
 I think of my time on the streets. “I’m sure we both had our own
struggles.”
Why does this feel so awkward?
His gaze holds mine. “But, here’s the thing, with you here now, they’re
going to figure out that I lied, and they’re going to kill me.”
My throat squeezes. This is what the guys warned me about.
“We can just not tell anyone.”
“It’s too late,” he says. “The rumors are already circling. It won’t be
much longer before they put two-and-two together, and when they test your
blood, they’ll have no doubt that I’m not what I’ve claimed to be.”
I hate that he’s right. “What should we do?”
He stands and takes my hands. “We run, Cat. We leave this world behind,
and we live the lives we were meant to live. Together. As a team. The team
we should’ve always been.”
“I—“
This is what I wanted. Right? So why does the idea of leaving the guys
and this school suddenly make me feel so hesitant.
“I get it, Cat. This world is so exciting and new. But there’s a dark
underbelly here. One you haven’t seen yet. If we stay, we risk everything.”
His voice is soft, pleading.
“The alphas,” I begin, trying to find the words.
Something dark and angry comes over his face. “Those power hungry
bastards are dangerous, Cat. If they’re being kind to you, it’s because they
want something from you.”
“No,” I say.
“Trust me,” his hands squeeze mine tightly, almost painfully tightly.
“You’re nothing to them, and you never will be.”
I don’t know what to say. What he’s telling me feels wrong.
“They warned me about you.”
“Oh,” he says, drawing out the word.
It’s now or never.
“They said that you were dangerous to me. That my existence threatened
your privileged life, and that you’d do anything to keep that life.”
He laughs. “Cat, you know me better than anyone. Does that sound like
me? Would I ever hurt you?”
“No,” I tell him, even though I feel uncertain.
 “Understand me, I’m still your brother. I’m still the person you grew up
with... your best friend.” His smile fades. “Can you honestly tell me you
know anything about the alphas? Yes, they’re good-looking and powerful, but
do you actually know them and trust them?”
I hesitate.
“And have they shown themselves to be kind or empathetic?”
I think of the way they were when we first met. They definitely weren’t
kind to me or empathetic, but I’d also seen another side of them since then.
And yet, blood is stronger than any friendship. Right?
“Let’s escape. Together.” He presses.
I take a deep breath. This is what I always wanted. I can’t throw that
away for four men I barely know. Not if it could cost my brother his life.
“Okay.”
He smiles, a dazzling smile. “Tonight, slip out just before the gates close.
Do you know where the catacombs are?”
I shake my head. “I know where the lake is and the dark woods.”
“The catacombs are on the other side of the gate. About as far from the
school as the lake is. You’ll spot them easily. Then, I’ll walk you to a little
road where I’ll have a car waiting... and we’ll get out of here, and never look
back.”
I stare at him. I found him, my brother, and now we had a plan to escape
with both our lives.
“Okay,” I say again.
He takes one of my hands. “Listen, I know what you’re giving up for me.
If you stayed, you’d be in the same gilded cage that I was in as their Chosen.
But you just have to remember, I’d be dead. These people will not forgive
my lies. By staying, you’d be killing me. The instant they knew what you
were, you’d be signing my death certificate. Do you understand?”
I nod. He’s right.
“After tonight we’re free,” he says.
“Yes.”
Then, he leans closer. “But this has to remain a secret between us, okay?
No one can know. Especially not the alphas.”
“I understand.”
He pulls me into a tight hug, then turns and heads for my door.
When his hand reaches the handle, the words I wanted to speak come
tumbling out. “I love you, Simon.”
 He freezes, then after a quiet moment responds. “I love you too.”
When he leaves, I sink onto the edge of my bed. I know this is the right
thing to do. Simon is my brother. It’s my job to keep him safe, and he’ll never
be safe here now.
So why do I feel like I’m losing something precious all over again?
 Chapter Seven

S imon
I reach the bottom of the steps leading up to Null Hall and step off
the sidewalk. I wind past the trees and don’t stop until I come to the massive
wall surrounding campus. There, I sink down, pressing my back to the brick.
The plan went exactly according to plan. We wouldn’t have to kidnap
Cat, or drag her off of campus. She was leaving willingly, and we knew how
to ensure she’d never be a problem for me again.
So, why did I feel so awful?
I deserve this life. I earned this life. Cat might believe she was the only
one who suffered with the fosters, but I did too. I hated being in that home. I
hated sitting in the hall listening to them torture Cat down in their lab.
And I hated the sick little ways they’d punish me. Or make me feel
insignificant.
Becoming the Chosen was the best thing that ever happened to me, and
I’d be damned if I ever let anyone take it away from me. Even Cat.
But, fuck, I wish it wasn’t Cat.
Anyone but her.
She’s been through enough, a tiny voice whispers in the back of my
mind.
Angrily, I push the thought away. I’ve been through enough. And besides,
all Cat has ever done our whole lives is protect me. Why should she stop
now?
I stand, even though my stomach turns. It’s time to push aside the strange
emotions that Cat had somehow awakened inside of me. It’s time to go see
my men’s handiwork and decide if Carter and Zach have learned their lesson
about messing with something that’s important to me.
And then I need to fuck as many of these campus hotties before tonight.
Because tonight I was going to destroy my sister.
And the only way I’ll be able to do that is if I become Collin, the Chosen
who looks out for only himself. It was a role I’d played for so long that it felt
more real than who I was before. Collin was strong and powerful and took
what he wanted, without hesitation.
Simon was a scared little boy.
And I’d be damned if I ever became Simon again.
 Chapter Eight

A aron
I rush up the stairs leading to Cat’s room and resist banging the hell
out of her door. Instead, I tap lightly, heart in my throat, and pray she
answers.
That she’s okay.
A minute later, her door opens, and she stands looking at me with big,
curious eyes.
I can’t help but sweep her into my arms. She makes a little sound of
surprise, but I don’t care.
“You fucking left without telling us!” I say into her hair, trying not to let
her know just how scared I was.
“Sorry,” she whispers.
I squeeze her tighter, then let go. “Are you okay? Did anyone approach
you?”
She looks away from me. “No, I’m fine.”
A rush of air leaves my lungs. “Good, because—“
I stop myself. She doesn’t need to know. It’s just going to scare her. But
then again, it might make her realize just how dangerous Collin is.
“What is it?” she asks, seeing right through me.
I take a deep breath. “Carter and Zach haven’t come back from the
Chosen’s house.”
Her brows rise. “What does that mean?”
“Honestly,” I run a hand nervously through my hair. “Probably that
they’re in his basement...”
I frown. “Basement?”
He nods. “Where Colin likes to torture people who piss him off.”
“Simon wouldn’t do that!” she says, so sincerely that I hate Collin just a
little more.
“Trust me, sweetheart, he’s done it. A lot.”
“I don’t believe it,” she says, folding her arms over her chest.
“Well, now that we know you’re safe, we’re going to go look for them.”
She launches into action, grabbing a pair of boots and starting to pull
them on. “Great, give me just a minute.”
I laugh. “By ‘we’ I meant Eric and I. You’re not fucking coming with us.”
 She looks up, glaring. “Yes I am.”
“We’re trying to keep you away from that twisted bastard. What part of
that don’t you understand?”
She stands, boots firmly in place. “You have to know I’m not going to
believe a word you guys say unless I see it with my own eyes.”
I picture her in Collin’s cells, and something comes over me. Moving
closer to her, I cup her chin and force her to look at me. “I don’t give a fuck if
you think we’re liars, we’re going to keep you safe.”
“Why?” she says, and there’s a challenge in her voice.
“Why?” I repeat. “Why the fuck do you think?”
“I don’t have a clue!” she shouts. “A few days ago you guys were treating
me like shit, and now I’m supposed to just accept your word over my
brother’s? I’m supposed to believe the one person I love and could always
count on is the bad guys? And you’re, what, the heroes?”
I laugh, but it’s an angry laugh. “Yeah, that’s exactly it.”
She jerks away from me. “Why?”
The question irritates me. “Because... it’s you. And you need us... and
we... we...”
What am I supposed to say? That we need her? That sounds stupid. She’s
right that we haven’t known each other long. She’s right that this protective
instinct inside of us to protect her at all costs makes no sense, but fuck if I
know why.
“Great answer,” she says after a minute.
I close my eyes. “You’re going to stay in this room, and we’re going to
save Carter and Zach. And when we’re done, we’re going to talk. And clear
a lot of this shit up.”
“Sure.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.
I snap. “You understand whatever hell that fucking bastard puts Carter
and Zach through was for you right! The least you could do is trust us!”
“Trust strangers?” she throws back at me.
“We’re not fucking strangers!”
“Well, I never asked for any of this!”
I stare at her, my teeth clenching together. “Sorry to disappoint you,
sweetheart, but we’re sticking around, whether you like it or not.”
“Like every family that promised to give us a home?” she asks, her voice
breaking. “Like every friend we met? Every teacher? Every person we ever
grew close to?”
 “Fuck, Cat,” I say, reaching for her.
She evades my touch.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t be.” Her voice is filled with unshed tears. “Just figure out why
you’re so committed to helping me.”
“I—“
“Please go,” she says.
“Cat...”
“Please.”
I stare at her. A beautiful woman who’s been through so much, trying
desperately to hold herself together when faced with the possibility that her
brother is a psychopath that wants her dead.
She needs space and time to think, even if that’s the last thing I want to
give her.
“Okay, just stay here. We’ll be back with Carter and Zach.”
She says nothing as I leave, closing the door behind me, but I feel a little
better when I hear the lock click into place. We need to find our friends and
get back to this woman as fast as possible.
If only to show her we’re four people who have no intention of
abandoning her.
 Chapter Nine

C arter
I awake, head pounding. Where the hell am I? My entire body
aches as I roll to my side and open my eyes. Around me is an empty cell. And
in the center, Zach, bleeding and tied to a chair.
And he looks the way I feel.
“They fucked you up good,” I mutter, my words slurred.
He grins, his face a swollen, bloody mess. “Because you look so hot.”
I press one palm to the metal ground and force myself up with effort.
Yeah, they’d broken some bones and left me a pile of bruises, but already my
shifter body was knitting itself back together.
If they thought I was going to lie down and give up, they had another thing
coming.
Struggling to my feet, I limp across the room, kneel down and manage to
snap the ropes that bind Zach.
He makes a pleased sound and draws his hands in front of him, rubbing
the spots where the rope cut into his flesh. “Thank you.”
“Always,” I mutter, then sink back down to lean against the wall.
“Now what?” he asks.
“Now...” I look at the door. “We wait for Collin.”
“And then?”
“We do whatever we have to do to get out of here.”
He’s quiet for a long minute. “They’re planning to kill her.”
I laugh. “They’re in for a rude awakening.”
Zach doesn’t smile. “There’s a hell of a lot they could do to her to get rid
of her that doesn’t mean dying, and since Collin knows about her ability, I bet
he has a plan in place.”
His words make something hard and cold settle in my belly. “Maybe we
should just kill him.”
Zach drops his hands and looks at me, his expression unreadable. “She’d
never forgive us.”
“But she’d be alive,” I argue.
His expression grows distant. “I can do what we must.”
I think of her hating us. Of never touching us again. I imagine a world
without her in it, and my chest aches. “Maybe we should try to do this
without killing him first.”
Zach shrugs. “It’s up to you.”
I’m about to say more, when we hear something outside the door. A
second later, the sound of the bar sliding away echoes through our room, and
the door opens. Collin enters, flanked by four massive men.
“Zach! Carter!” He greets, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and
enthusiasm. “How good of you to join us!”
I smirk. “Tell me, Collin, why does the great Chosen have to have thugs
do his dirty work?”
Collin smiles. “I only have them handle that which is beneath me.”
Typical Collin answer. The prick.
Zach raises a brow. “Are we done with this nonsense then?”
“Not yet.”
Zach sigh, sounding every bit the arrogant alpha he’s known as. “I grow
tired of this game.”
Anger flashes across Collin’s face. “And I grow tired of the two of you
involving yourselves where you don’t belong.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zach says.
“Cat,” he says her name, drawing it out.
A growl slips from my lips. “Don’t say her name.”
Collin looks between us, then his expression changes to one of interest. “I
thought this was just about you two complicating my life, but you actually
like her, don’t you?”
We say nothing.
Collin shakes his head. “You’re fools to care for her. To care for anyone,
but I hope you’re not dumb enough to side with the wrong person on this.”
“You—!”
Zach cuts me off before I no doubt say something stupid. “What the hell
did you expect? We found a pretty girl to fuck who started asking about you.
The last thing we wanted was to lose some good ass because another woman
is distracted by your title.”
I force myself to stay quiet and let Zach run this. Because as much as it
wounds my pride, Zach handles these kinds of things better than I ever could.
And this is too important to screw up.
If Collin realizes just how much we know, I doubt we’ll ever leave this
room alive. Alphas or not. Because as much as I hate to admit it, he’s the one
person powerful enough to do such a thing and live to talk about it. But only
because of what people believe him to be... the one person created with the
abilities of all four houses.
When Collin simply raises a brow and says nothing, Zach keeps talking.
“We told her that she’d be disappointed with you.”
“But also that I was dangerous and couldn’t be trusted?” he asks, his
voice dripping with anger.
Zach answers without hesitation. “Do you really think we haven’t heard
about how many of your little trysts end in violence?”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Oh, yes, an unfortunate reality sometimes.”
“So do you blame us for not wanting our latest play-thing involved with
you?”
He smiles. “I guess not.”
Some of the tension eases from the room, and Collin’s expression is far
too pleased. He turns and one of his thugs opens the door for him.
“So we’re free to go?” Zach calls after him.
He pauses and looks back at us. “When they’re done with you.”
I look to the four assholes that remain in the room as the door closes
behind him. And it dawns on me, Collin believes he’s untouchable. Above
even the punishment of our powerful families, regardless of the fact that he
now believes we don’t know his secret. Just coming to his house, and
speaking negatively about him to a woman, is enough for him to inflict this
type of damage on us. To anger all four of our houses, and our parents.
It’s a good thing he isn’t the real Chosen, or else the future of all of our
kinds would be bleak. Someone drunk on power could destroy the delicate
balance of our world far too easily.
The men in the room move closer to us, and I tense. I’ll have to consider
all of this later. For now, I’m going to have to kill these assholes, before I
blackout from my pain.
Which I can already tell is going to be too soon.
 Chapter Ten

C at
I pack a bag and search my room, ensuring I’ve grabbed everything
of importance. My gaze lingers on my books. It hurts like hell to leave them
behind, but I won’t get far with them weighing me down. And I have a feeling
Simon and I are going to have to move fast if we’re going to get him some
place safe, where no one can find him.
My heart aches, but I’ve made my decision. I’m going to go watch ‘The
Chosen’s house’ and see that everything the guys said about my brother is a
lie, and then I’m going to leave this place behind. I’ll push away even the
lingering doubts about my brother, and prove that the alphas were lying. That
they just hated my brother.
Even if I think they might have cared for me.
I’d considered leaving a note, but when I’d pulled out a blank piece of
paper, I hadn’t been able to write a single word. So now, I had to go. I had to
leave all of this behind.
But just like when we were little, there was no price too high to pay to
protect Simon.
Turning, I open my door. And come face-to-face with Liam.
“Hi!” I say, the word coming before my brain can catch up.
He frowns and runs his fingers awkwardly through his messy hair. “I
haven’t seen you much lately.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’ve been... busy.”
“With the alphas?”
I nod.
He sighs and looks away from me. “Look, I know it’s none of my
business, but could we talk about the alphas?”
I have time. “Sure.”
“Want to get some fresh air?”
“Okay,” I say.
His gaze goes to my bag. “And then I’m guessing you’re heading for a
long night of studying at the library?”
“Something like that.”
He leads me out of Null Hall and outside. We’re walking for a little
while before we come to a bench in an area of the school I haven’t been to. I
frown and look around, realizing we can just barely see the Chosen’s house
from here.
Oh, hell. I wonder if the guys are close?
“You want to sit,” he asks, sitting on the bench and gesturing for me to
join him.
I sit down, putting my bag by my feet. “What’s up, Liam?”
He looks strangely nervous. “I don’t think it’s a good idea that you’re
hanging out with them.”
“Why?” I ask.
“I think you’re forgetting your place.”
I raise a brow. “My place?”
He pulls off his glasses and starts to clean them on his shirt. “Look, no
matter who we are or what we can do, the alphas will one day rule their
houses. That’s just the way it is. And the only way things will ever change is
when the Chosen takes over.”
“What?” I say, confused.
He puts back on his glasses and lowers his voice. “The alphas will
always rule their houses, but what if the Chosen rules them?”
I stare, still confused.
“The Chosen is the first person who is powerful enough to change things.
And he wants to allow Nulls more powerful positions. He also wants to
make it harder for the magical to hurt us. He’s the first chance we have at
things changing, but he and the alphas hate each other. With the Chosen on
campus, the last thing you want is for him to think you’ve aligned yourself
with his enemies.”
Suddenly, I see my guys come out from some basement stairs. I leap to my
feet in shock. Eric and Aaron are dragging Carter and Zach, and they look
awful. Hurt. Beyond hurt.
Tears sting my eyes, and I start toward them.
“Don’t,” Liam says, pulling me back behind a tree.
“They’re hurt,” I say. “They were telling the truth that Simo—that the
Chosen is dangerous.”
“They tried to kill him, Cat. What did you think he’d have to do to teach
them a lesson?”
“No,” I shake my head. “They promised they wouldn’t hurt him.”
Liam looks at me like I’m stupid. “If they promised, then it must be true.”
 An instinct builds inside of me to go and help them, but I feel torn. If they
tried to kill my brother, then they lied. I shouldn’t go with them, or I might
never be able to meet my brother in time.
“Grab your stuff,” Liam says. “I need to show you something. Something
important. It’ll clear all of this up for you.”
That’s exactly what I need. Real answers.
I take my bag and follow him as he leads me through the school. When
we start out of the gates, I stop. “Where are we going?”
“I need to show you something.”
I shake my head and take a step away from him. “I can’t leave. Not yet.”
His gaze locks with mine. “I know the rumors about you. The rumors
about what you can do.”
A lump forms in my throat. “They’re just rumors.”
“If I don’t show you this now, The Chosen is going to get hurt, Cat. Do
you understand? Everything is going to fall apart.”
I don’t want to get sidetracked when dusk will be falling soon, but if my
brother’s in danger, I have to help him.
He leads me in the opposite direction from the lake and the dark woods.
When we open the gate into a cemetery and then head for the catacombs, I
stop.
“Liam, what’s going on?”
He freezes and looks back at me. “I like you, Cat. I liked you the first
time I met you. Probably because you remind me a bit of my little sister. But
here’s the thing, when I heard the rumors about what you could do, I called
the Chosen. I knew that if someone else like him existed, it’d destroy the
uprising.”
“Uprising?”
He nods. “We’re going to destroy the four houses and make The Chosen
the leader of us all. The alphas will still have a place, but more as
figureheads.”
My jaw drops open. “And what’s to say he won’t become corrupt?
Giving one person that much power is dangerous.”
“You don’t understand,” he says. “But you need to be sure. You need to
know that the Chosen is the right person to lead us. It’s important.”
“Liam, you don’t understand. The Chosen isn’t just this powerful person
to me. He’s more than that. I want to keep him safe. I want to protect him, but
I’m not planning to help destroy a system I don’t even understand.”
 He opens his mouth to respond.
Suddenly, shapes separate from behind headstones. Three shapes. The
bitches of the school. Three women who I’d tried to avoid since my first run-
in.
The leader, a dark-haired woman with red rings around her pupils,
smiles at me. “Cat, how good of you to join us.”
This isn’t good. Not good at all.
“What’s going on?” I ask Liam.
He looks down at his feet.
The leader goes to him and lifts his face to look at her. “Be proud, my
little Null, you’ve help our cause tremendously.”
“Thank you, Bianca.”
I look between them for a minute, and realization dawns. “You’re her
whipping boy!”
He blushes.
Something’s wrong. All of this is wrong.
I turn, realizing that two of the vampires have closed in behind me. “What
is this about?”
Bianca answers. “We were asked to do a favor.”
“A favor? For who? What kind of favor?”
She smiles, and her smile sends shivers running down my spine. “He
wants you dead, and so you shall be.”
Liam looks at her sharply. “But we don’t actually know if the rumors are
true. We don’t actually—“
“Quiet!” Bianca snaps, and Liam silences in an instant.
Panic uncurls within me. “But... you guys care about the Chosen, right?
He needs me. We have a plan.”
“No,” she says. “We have a plan.”
“He wants me here later.”
Her smile widens. “He decided it might be best if someone else does the
dirty work for him.”
My heart races, and I search around myself, looking for an escape, but
there is none. I’m surrounded. And they’re vampires who could easily catch
me, no matter how fast I ran.
This can’t really be happening. My brother knows I can’t die. And he
was the one who wanted us to run away together, he was the one...
He lied, an angry voice hisses from the back of my mind.
 A hand closes around the back of my neck, and I stiffen. “You can’t really
kill me.”
They won’t really kill me. Here, for no reason, in the daylight. Right?
She smiles. “You’re already dead.”
Liam says my name, but the sound gets cut off as a flash of pain, like a
horrible tearing, jerks my entire neck.
And then, I’m gone.
Dead.
 Chapter Eleven

C arter
I tear through Collin’s house, looking for any sign as to where he
and his thugs have disappeared to, but it’s like they vanished into thin air.
“Fuck!” I shout.
Aaron’s suddenly hoisting me under one arm. Steadying me before I fall
again. I want to push him away. I want to be too damn proud for his help, but
I need it. I need someone to help me keep searching, no matter how much
pain echoes through every inch of my body.
“We need to keep going.”
“Why don’t you rest and I—?”
“No,” I say, my response leaving no room for arguments.
The truth is that I know I need food and rest, but I’ll have neither until
she’s found. Even though she could be anywhere by now. Even somewhere
far from here.
Somewhere they could be hurting her.
“Is there any place we haven’t checked?” Aaron asks. “Any lead we
haven’t followed?”
My head throbs. “No, we’ve checked—“ I freeze. “What about her little
human friend?”
“Liam?” he scoffs. “I doubt he knows anything.”
“But it couldn’t hurt to ask,” I press. “Right?”
After a minute Aaron sighs. “I guess anything is better than going home
without her.”
He helps me across campus, making a beeline for Null Hall. The autumn
night is cool and crisp, calling to the wolf within me. My beast paces inside
of me, eager to be let out. Or perhaps, angry about his female being gone.
And that’s when I realize it. He is angry she’s gone.
Damn it, that can’t be good. My wolf being out of control always means
trouble.
We slowly make our way up the Null Hall stairs, and Aaron grabs a man
and asks him which room is Liam’s. He looks scared out of his mind, but
tells us, and then we keep going.
Rapping on the door, my wolf crawls out of my skin with each second
that ticks by.
 At last, Liam opens the door. He looks... pale and frightened.
“We’re looking for Cat.”
He pales even further.
Fuck, he does know something.
“I haven’t seen her.”
“Yes, you have,” I growl.
We press into his room, and he recoils from us until he falls back onto his
bed. Aaron clicks the locks into place behind us.
“Tell us where she is and what he did with her.”
He’s shaking. “I can’t. He’ll kill me.”
“Maybe,” I say, my voice low and threatening. “But if you don’t tell us,
we’ll definitely kill you now.”
He’s shaking. “They said they’d keep her safe. That they’d just take her
some place that wouldn’t interfere with their plans.”
“Where is she?”
He hesitates.
“WHERE?” I shout.
“It’s too late,” and his voice cracks. “They killed her.”
My stomach turns. “Where?”
 Chapter Twelve

C at
I come back to life, coughing and shaking. My memories scattered
and confusing. Opening my eyes, I reach out and feel glass. Close to my face.
Panic makes me tremble and I shift and move, but I can’t move much.
After I minute, the truth dawns on me, I’m in something... something like a
coffin with a glass top. In a strange, dark room, with a solitary torch nearby,
my only light source.
“Hello?” I call.
I hear movement and then I see him. “Simon?”
He stares down at me. “No, I’m not Simon anymore. I’m Collin. Collin
the Chosen. The most powerful individual on earth.”
His face shows no emotion, and there’s something about him now that
truly makes him feel like a stranger. Like someone to fear.
My stomach turns. Maybe there really is nothing left of the brother I
knew inside this person.
“I don’t understand,” I say, struggling against the glass, feeling agitated.
I don’t understand how he’s changed so much. Or how the boy I knew
could ever betray me.
He reaches out and touches the glass, pressing his palm to it. “I know you
can’t die, sister, but you also can’t live. It endangers everything I have.”
What does that mean? My gaze moves around the room, and a chill runs
through my blood. Oh, hell, we’re in the catacombs. We’re... oh my god, I’m
in a casket. He can’t plan to... he can’t actually mean to...
“No,” I say, an edge of hysteria to my voice. They can’t be right. He can’t
actually be planning to do this to me. There has to be something left inside of
him of the boy I knew. There has to be.
“You’re the only person I love.” I say, each word high and frightened.
“The only person I trust. You’re my twin. My other half.”
He shakes his head. “We were created to hold the powers of all four
houses, but I ended up with nothing, and you ended up with everything. That’s
hardly fair, is it? But despite all your powers, you’ve done nothing with your
life. You’ve neither learned how to use them, nor carved a place for yourself
in this world. But I, with nothing, have brought all four houses to their knees
before me. You don’t deserve to rule, I do. And I will.”
 “You can rule,” I say, feeling tears slip down my face. “I don’t care about
that. I only care about you.”
He looks away. “I do care about you, Cat. Just not as much as I care
about myself. I’m sorry. I really am. But this must be done.”
“Simon, please!” I shout, banging my hands against the glass.
He steps back and begins to turn a handle. The prison of glass jerks and
slowly begins to lower, away from the torch light and the room, and down
below the earth.
He’s burying me alive.
“Simon!” I’m screaming. And soon, that’s all I can do. Scream his name
over and over again.
But I continue to lower deeper and deeper underground until I hit the
earth. High above me is the only light. Tears stream down my face, and I’m
sobbing. Sobbing out of fear of being buried in these catacombs in the dark.
And sobbing because my brother betrayed me.
The one person I would’ve died for.
Above me, he leans over the opening, a silhouette of a man. “That’s
always been your flaw. Your weakness for others. But don’t worry, that’s
another way we differ.”
He moves away from the top of the hole and a loud sound comes above
me as I scream and plead. But in seconds, darkness swallows me and my
escape vanishes, covered by something large and heavy.
For hours I throw myself against the glass. I scratch the surface, but to no
avail.
I’m trapped.
In the dark. In the ground.
Forever.
If only I’d listened to my alphas.
~ Want to preorder the next exciting part of this series? Then pick up
Royal Rules.~
Books by Avery Free
Savage Magic Academy
Episode One: Royal Monsters
Episode Two: Royal Villains
Episode Three: Royal Alphas
Episode Four: Royal Rivals
Episode Five: Royal Secrets
Episode Six: Royal Rules
Savage Magic Academy: Box Set
Royal Bullies
 About the Author

A very Free had a plan. She wanted to graduate, move to Hawaii, and
write in the most beautiful place in the world.
And she did.
Packing up and leaving everything she knew behind was a risk, but Avery
has never looked back. Between the beaches, the hot surfers, and being free,
she's found her own personal paradise.
Want to contact Avery? You can email her at
[email protected].