Damn, she had gotten to me, just like I hope she wouldn’t.
Shaking my head, I walked to my car, briefly considering going to look for her and invite her back over. She could stay, for all I cared, but I knew she wouldn’t.
I was still the enemy, no matter how much I told her otherwise.
Growling, I threw my bag into my car and climbed in, resting my head on the headrest. One thing was for sure. I had done things, seen a side of Anna that good old Art had not. He might have had her first, but I had the best part of her.
I had seen the laughter on her face as we spent time together. I had been there when she had found her father’s will.
I was the one who had contacts out everywhere trying to track down the whereabouts on her mother so that she could learn more about her.
Most of all, I was actually helping her. I was the only one helping her, not hindering her.
Yet she saw me as what I was; a king.
“Bloody hell,” I whispered, hitting my palm on the steering wheel. There was nothing I could do about that. I was who I was, and I couldn’t change it.
Even though Anna made me think I could be someone else whenever I was around her.
Chapter 14
Anna
I saw the first king the next day after my confrontation with Isauros. Arthur caught up with me as I was leaving one of my classes, his hand briefly touching my arm. “Hey, Anna.”
I stopped and stared at him, knowing that he could see the lack of sleep in my eyes, the withdrawn look on my face. “Arthur. What can I do for you?”
He eyed me. “Are you all right?”
“No, not really,” I answered, pushing my hair out of my face. “But it doesn’t matter. Did you need something?”
His eyes filled with concern. “Something’s not right. What’s going on?”
“I had a run-in with Isauros, all right?” I forced out. “And I learned nothing from her! Do you know how that feels? Do you know how much I want to know who I am? And every time I turn around, I get nothing!”
“Anna, please,” Arthur said, pulling me close. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
I shook out of his touch, not really wanting any of the kings to help right now. “Nothing, Arthur. You can’t do anything all right? Just leave me alone.”
He didn’t try to stop me as I walked away, moving from class to class without even comprehending what they were saying.
It wasn’t until the end of the day that I encountered my second king. Royce pulled me into one of the alcoves as I walked down the hall, his hand on my arm immediately doing things to my stomach. I hadn’t seen him since I walked out of his door that morning after our sexcapade, wishing that I could just turn right back into his arms. “Royce.”
“Pauper,” he answered, reaching out to touch my face before pulling back. “It’s good to see you.”
“What do you want?” I asked tiredly, really just wanting to curl up in my bed and take a long nap.
“That’s no way to greet me, pauper,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. “What’s wrong?”
“Why does everyone think something’s wrong with me?”
“Because I can see it all over your damn face,” he answered roughly. “What’s going on, Anna?”
I didn’t really want to explain myself again to another king who really didn’t give a shit. “Nothing. I just had that talk with Isauros, that’s all.”
“And?” he prodded, looking worried now. “What did she say? Dammit, Anna, talk to me!”
I bit my lower lip, forcing back the tears. “I really can’t talk about this right now, Royce.”
He swore and pulled me against him, his arms oddly comforting. I breathed in his scent, wanting to hold onto him and never let go. “Tell me, Anna,” he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. “I can help.”
I forced myself to pull out of his arms, knowing that no good could come from that. “There’s nothing you can do, Royce. Nothing. I really have to go.”
His hand shot out and stopped me. “Anna, I’m not your enemy.”
I looked back at his devastatingly handsome face. “But you are, Royce. You’ve always been.”
His mouth tightened and I pulled away, walking out before I did something stupid.
Again.
The third king found me as the sun was setting. I was curled up in one of the window seats at the back of the academy, one that allowed me to look out over the lake. It was my favorite time of the day, watching the sun set over the water and thinking about home.
Not this home, but the home where I was just Anna Komita, a recent high school graduate on her way to UCLA, the school she had always dreamed of attending.
Now that dream seemed like a distant memory.
“Anna.”
I growled as I heard that voice, turning to see the third king standing not too far away from me, his hands in his pockets. “Max. Let me guess, you want to know what’s wrong with me too?”
He chuckled. “Not so much. I figured if you wanted me to know, you would tell me.”
True. “Everyone seems to want to know so I thought you would as well.”
“I’m not everyone,” he stated, gesturing to the other side of the window seat. “Can I sit?”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
He hopped up and sat, drawing one knee up to rest his forearm on it. “So, I hear you confronted the headmistress.”
Of course he knew about that. “So?”
“That was dangerous, Anna,” he said in a low voice. “She has
