Yeah, that was totally code for horny. But what the hell? Alex was fucking gorgeous and seemed—I think—interested in me?
"Okay well..." I shifted my feet, feeling a bit awkward that I didn't get the joke. "I should find my room. It was nice meeting you, Alex."
I started to turn away, even as some of the other boys started calling out to him to hurry up, but he caught the sleeve of my borrowed jacket to halt me.
"Hold up, Violet." He totally ignored the yells of his friends and focused his attention fully on me. On all of me. His blue gaze ran up and down my body in a way that was definitely not friendly-stranger level, then he beamed a shiny, white-toothed grin. "There's a bit of a party happening tonight. You should come."
I blinked at him a couple of times, but when he didn't elaborate, I smiled awkwardly. "A party on a Monday night? You rich kids really don't have any rules, huh?"
He laughed, but the humor didn't touch his eyes and I immediately regretted my comment.
"So, will you come? I'd like to get to know you better." He pushed for an answer, and I bit the edge of my lip, nervous. What if this was a new kid hazing thing? Trick me into leaving school grounds then call the Dean? But then again, this was a university not high school, and these were royals not orphans. Maybe different rules really did apply? There had been no mention of a curfew in the intro pack I'd been given.
"I guess," I replied when the silence stretched into uncomfortable and I had no better response. "Where and when?"
Alex flashed me another blinding smile. "Don't even worry about it, Violet. I'll come to your room."
"Alex!" The angry, stunning, dark-haired guy roared, stalking across the synthetic grass toward us. He—and the other boys—were clearly sick of standing around waiting for our conversation to finish.
"I should go," I said quickly, giving Alex an apologetic look.
He rolled his eyes at the other guy, who'd almost reached us, then shot me a small nod. "See you later, Violet."
I started making my way back out of the sports center, but the other guy didn't even bother to lower his voice as he made his feelings about the school’s charity case perfectly clear.
"That's seriously scraping the barrel, Alex," he sneered to the beautiful blond boy. "Then again, we shouldn't expect anything less from you."
"She was already wearing a man's coat," someone else added with a nasty snicker, "so she clearly puts out. Five hundred says Alex gets his dick sucked tonight."
More laughter joined in, and my whole face burned with embarrassment as I stalked away. I refused to walk any faster, though. Refused to let them see they'd gotten to me.
"Double it and I'll take that bet," the first, gorgeously angry one replied. "She looks frigid as fuck."
For some reason, hearing them betting on whether I'd put out or not boiled my anger just a little too far, and I paused, my head whipping around to glare. No one was watching me, though, as Alex slammed his fist straight into the brunet guy's face.
He'd hit him totally without warning, and the guy staggered back—mostly in shock, from what I could tell. He was huge, muscled and strong, and Alex clearly had no idea how to throw a punch.
Still, it didn’t matter when the intent to hurt was there.
“Shut your filthy mouth, Rafe,” Alex spat at him, pointing with a threatening finger. “That’s my future wife you’re trashing.”
The taller guy—Rafe—didn’t seem to give two fucks about Alex’s words, though. His face twisted in murderous rage, and he flew at the blond boy with frightening violence. A split second later, they were surrounded by jeering guys, all sweaty and dirty from the game that I'd interrupted. Meanwhile I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.
"Don't even stress it," someone said from nearby, and I was startled to see the same girl from the bathroom. Mattie. "Those two will fight over who'd breathe more air if they could." She gave me a shrug, then made her way around the brawl to where all the other shiny girls were basically drooling over the action.
Stunned, I just shook my head and exited the arena.
Quietly, though, Alex's words after he'd thrown that punch warmed me all the way through. He'd been joking, obviously, but it still gave me butterflies to imagine what my life might be like if I were dating a guy like him.
Chapter 4
By the time I’d finally found my room—after a quick detour to the kitchens for some lunch—I was wrecked. My whole life had been uprooted; I'd stuffed everything I owned into one crappy little bag, been flown half way across the world, and arrived at my new home in an honest-to-god castle. My brain was officially short-circuiting.
On the upside, I had a private room and bathroom. Scratch that, I had a freaking suite.
Apparently nothing was too good for the children of our world leaders, and I benefited from their expensive tastes.
The enormous bed against one wall was big enough to sleep about six kids from my group home, and the whole room could have held twenty of the narrow cots we'd slept in. My investigation revealed an attached bathroom with a toilet, shower, and bathtub, as well as a huge walk-in closet fully stocked with clothing in my size.
"This is..." I stood in the middle of the cushy carpet and looked around me with awe. "Insane."
Since I'd already missed half the day's classes, I wrote off the rest of the day and went to explore that bathtub that screamed my name.
As it turned out, the scented bubbles I poured in were more relaxing than anticipated, and when I woke up some time later, the water was cool and my skin was all wrinkly.
"Gross," I muttered to myself, yawning then climbing out with a shiver. I hated the feeling of pruned-up fingers. They reminded me of the nights I'd slept on the streets, my clothes soaked by rain and being too cold to take the sopping fabric off.
A quick hot shower warmed me up and gave me a chance to wash my hair properly. Maybe if I had enough time before Alex arrived, I could straighten it or something. Not that I'd ever attempted it myself—because I was poor as shit—but I'd seen the appliance under the vanity and knew all about it from old movies.
For the first time ever, I had time and the equipment to be a normal young adult. Hair and makeup. Picking out clothes to wear rather than just grabbing whatever ragged items were cleanest that day.
Fuck, if this first day was any indication, even with classes and homework, I would have a ton more free time than usual. Back home we had work and chores and school, and I had a few other extracurricular activities I liked to participate in. Activities I seriously doubted I’d be able to continue now. It sucked that I’d have to put that part of my life on hold for the next few years, but it would be worth it if Arbon Academy changed my circumstances. And not by marrying a fucking prince.
Towel wrapped tightly around me, I hurried to the paperwork I’d left there, wondering if there was any indication of who the crown royals were. I needed to know and avoid them at all costs. Royals in general were assholes, a universally accepted truth, and crown royals even worse. They knew one day they would rule the world, or at least their corner of it, and from this, pure arrogance bloomed.