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I grin at Axel, my face a picture of pure joy. And smugness. He looks like his head is going to explode. Zie is flabbergasted, and Kaiden seems impressed. I throw him a cheeky wink. “Thanks for the ride.”
“H-how?” Zie stammers. I snigger.
I could throw Kaiden under the bus right now and announce that he fell asleep, but for some reason I don’t. Maybe because his cryptic clues around our childhood in the woods gave me enough of a heads-up to prepare for the challenge and win. Maybe I feel like I owe him.
I change the subject instead. “I’m guessing I won? If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off to enjoy my entire week of peace without you arseholes breathing down my neck all the time.”
I manage half a step before Axel’s arm flies out and his vice-like grip circles my wrist and halts me in my tracks. I try to pull free but his grip becomes bruising. I grunt but that’s the only satisfaction I’ll give him at causing me pain.
“Not so fast, little doe.”
“Let me go,” I snarl at him. “I played your bullshit game and I won. I’m entitled to my prize.”
“Guys, go back to the flat. The Doe and I are going to have a little chat before her reward begins.”
Zie doesn’t look happy at being dismissed, but Kaiden’s eyes are flicking back and forth between Axel and me, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. He is so barking up the wrong fucking tree there. I can read his thoughts so clearly and he’s so far off base it’s not even funny.
“What about your phone?” Zie calls as Axel begins to drag me off in the direction of my dorm.
“Keep it. I won’t be needing it this week,” I call back over my shoulder.
Axel doesn’t say a word the entire walk, nor does he loosen his grip or ease up on his pace. He literally drags me across campus and then astounds me by letting himself into my flat.
“How the fuck did you get a key to my flat?” I demand, trying to pull from his grip once again. It doesn’t work.
“It’s a master.”
“The fuck? Does that let you into bedrooms too?”
“No.”
I don’t believe him. I’m going to start bolting the door when I’m in the room. Then again, it’s kind of pointless if I keep the window open. Can’t see Lord Almighty Axel Abbot climbing through a window anytime soon though.
He taps his foot impatiently as we stand outside my bedroom door.
“Well?” he hisses when I don’t move.
“Your key really doesn’t open my room?”
“If it did, we’d be inside already.”
“Well, I’m gonna need both my hands if you want me to get my key out.”
He lets me go and I resist the urge to rub my wrist in front of him. That’s going to bruise. I dig my key out of the front of my backpack and the second he sees it, Axel snatches it from my hand, opens the door and drags me inside.
“What the fuck was that?” Axel seethes the second my door slams shut. I whirl on him and fold my arms defensively over my heaving chest.
“What?”
“Don’t give me that shit, princess. How the fuck did you evade capture for the entire duration of that challenge? Some of those guys are literally hunters. You can’t have escaped them. They were trained to hunt you.”
“You think I don’t know what all those childhood ‘games’ were all about?” I counter.
I turn away from him but manage to take one step before his hand fists into my hair and he yanks me back, slamming me against the wooden door hard enough to force the air from my lungs. He cages me in, bringing his hands up on either side of my head, preventing me from escaping. His scent invades my senses and overwhelms me to the point of dizziness.
“What?” He blinks and I know I’ve thrown him. I take the opportunity to snatch my key back from him and to duck out from under his arm. Is it petty? Yes it is. Do I give a fuck? No, I do not. Because everything about him is just too much. My palms are slick and my heart is racing, and I don’t even want to consider what’s happening between my thighs.
“You prepared me for this,” I accuse when there’s some safety space between us. “You can’t act surprised that I know how to play your games when you raised me on them.”
