Glancing gingerly over my shoulder, I sigh with relief at the sight of Sasha lying there.
It’s not Cade.
I’m not in Cade’s room. Thank God.
I can’t quite remember how I got here, but I’ll take it over waking up in Cade’s bed any day.
“Ugh, what time is?” Sasha croaks, squinting up at me.
“Uh, it’s,” I turn to check the clock on the nightstand, “a little after nine.”
“I need water… and headache pills. And maybe some pancakes.”
I chuckle. “Some night, huh?” The words make me bristle as I remember watching Cade and his friends beat the crap out of Bexley. When they dragged him and Alex away, the two of them a bloody, barely conscious mess, I’d tried to go after them, but Sasha and Channing had marched me to the nearest keg and made me drink. One drink turned into two, and two turned into three, and before I knew it, the pit in my stomach had gone, replaced by a warm buzz.
Flipping onto my back, shoulder to shoulder with Sasha, I let out a small sigh. “What was that last night?”
“Caedes?”
“Yeah…”
“You really haven’t heard of it?”
“I’ve heard stuff… but I’ve never heard of Cade and Ashton almost beating a guy to death.” Anguish snakes through me as I wonder how Bexley is this morning.
“They didn’t…” She stops herself. “Bexley will live. He’s going to have to survive a whole lot more than that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Bexley wasn’t supposed to exist, Mia. He’s an Easton heir.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “Easton was always the dominant bloodline until Marcus’ son died. Bexley’s existence changes everything.”
“I’m still not sure why it matters?”
“Why?” Sasha scoffs. “Because Cade doesn’t like outsiders, and Bexley didn’t grow up in Gravestone. He doesn’t know of our ways. Cade sees him as a threat.”
“Wait—you knew, didn’t you? All along, you knew who he was?”
It makes sense now, the strange animosity between Cade and Bexley. I thought it was about me, but it wasn’t. At least, not for Cade. I’m not sure Bexley knew any of this until yesterday. If he did, he sure did a good job of hiding it.
“Yeah, Q told us about Bexley and Alex over the summer. But we were under strict instructions not to say anything.”
“And Alex is Harrison Rexford’s son?”
“Yep.”
“Wow. So… he’s Hadley Rexford’s brother.” Hadley left Gravestone three years ago under mysterious circumstances. Rumors at the time were that she got into some trouble with an older guy, so her parents sent her away.
Sasha grows stiff beside me, and I ask, “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“You mean you can’t tell me?”
“It’s nothing, I promise. I’m sorry last night went down the way it did, but I—”
“I get it, Cade’s in control. What he says goes.”
“Yeah, something like that,” Sasha grumbles.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” She nods. “You and Channing—”
Her hand slaps over my mouth, and she shakes her head. “Don’t.” I frown, and she quickly adds, “There’s nothing going on with me and Channing, got it?”
I nod slowly, my eyes wide with confusion.
“Sorry,” Sasha removes her hand, “if the guys overhear you asking that, they’ll freak. Electi aren’t free to choose who they date, and they definitely can’t date each other’s siblings.”
“But… Channing isn’t technically the Rexford heir now, is he?”
“As far as Q is concerned, he isn’t. But Cade is a whole other story.”
“Just exactly who is in control here?”
“Quinctus control the town, they always have. But Gravestone U is the Electi’s domain. Crap, I probably shouldn’t be telling you all this.” Sasha sits up and runs a hand through her hair.
“I’ll find out one way or another.” I shuffle up, pressing my back against the headboard.
“Yeah, I guess.”
I toy with my Electi pendant. “Cade is determined to see this thing through. Why?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that Cade Kingsley doesn’t do anything without a motive. Watch your back, yeah?” She climbs out of bed and stretches. "And never let your guard down. Not for a second.”
I nod, my throat too thick to reply.
"Get cleaned up and then come down to the kitchen. Cade will expect to see you there."
My stomach drops. The last thing I want to do is eat breakfast with the Electi and pretend everything is okay. But I’m starting to realize that I don’t have a choice.
I’m Cade Kingsley’s prosapia, and for some unknown reason, he’s determined to make me his.
After washing my face and finger-brushing my teeth with some toothpaste I found in Sasha’s small bathroom, I slip on the Gravestone U hoodie she left out for me and make my way downstairs. Male laughter drifts down the hall, making the hairs along my neck stand on edge.
They’re all in there. Cade and his minions, eating breakfast, acting like they didn’t beat Bexley and Alex to a bloody pulp.
What is this life?
I hesitate, contemplating making a run for it. But Sasha is right: the last thing I want to do is give Cade more ammunition. Steeling my spine, I inhale a shuddering breath before entering the kitchen. The room falls silent.
“Sleep well, babe?” Cade gets up and stalks toward me, a wolfish grin on his lips.
“It was fine,” I say, trying to disguise the tremor to my voice. Channing catches my eye over Cade’s shoulder and something crosses his expression, but then Cade is there, demanding my full attention.
He slides his finger under my jaw and lifts my face to meet his. “I missed you this morning. I had a little… actually, a very big problem you could have helped me out with.”
Ashton snickers, and I shoot him a harsh look.
“Kitty’s got claws,” he says. “You’d better watch this one, Cade. Something tells me she won’t come easily… if you get—”
“Ash!” Cade barks, his eyes not leaving
