Kingmaker (Ace of Queens #5)

Pt. 27 Red as a Riding Hood

Chapter 27

Maksim and Ella arrived at school the next day to an audience of jealous glares and adoring eyes. Everyone in the school parking lot stopped doing whatever they were to stare at the couple as Maksim held the car door for Ella.

"The cats out of the bag," Cleo said as she climbed out of the back seat.

Ella turned to her with a small smile as they all walked towards the school building. She wished she could hide somehow behind Maksim or even Cleo. As every eye watched her, Ella suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands or where to look. She felt as if she was under a giant microscope with the brightest spotlight following her.

"Are you okay?" Maksim asked as he took her hand into his.

Ella nodded her head as she moved closer to him. In her mind, she had thought being inside the school building would feel less exposing, but there was no change. Ella stared at her open locker, forgetting what she needed as she was hyper aware of people staring at her.

For the first time in his life, Maksim felt agitated with being a public figure. Usually he was unbothered by the stares and the spectators. But as he looked at the world through Ella's eyes, he realized just how uncomfortable it could be. He watched his mate hesitate at her lockers for a while before he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and shielded her from everyone.

Ella lifted her gaze slowly and smiled, "Thank you."

"You will get used to it baby," Maksim said as he bent down and kissed the top of her head. He was about to lift her face and plant a kiss on her lips when someone cleared their throat behind him. Maksim took a step aside to reveal Gwen.

"You two are just so cute," she said with her hands over her heart. "I got so emotional watching the announcement yesterday. Ella, you looked beautiful and Max, ugh, you always look perfect."

"Thanks," Maksim said as he put his arm around Ella's waist and pulled her closer. "And it's Maksim, by the way."

"Oh right!" Gwen playfully smacked her forehead. "Silly me. Anyways, Ella are you free this weekend? My friends and I are going skiing and we would love for you to come. Of course, Maksim is invited to."

"Skiing?" Ella scrunched up her nose. "I'm sorry, I can't ski."

"You can still come. It'll be so much fun. There's horseback riding, ice fishing, ice climbing."

"Thank you, Gwen but I don't think I can," Ella declined politely. "We have plans."

"Oh," Gwen frowned. "That's okay. Maybe next time."

"Sure."

"Okay, see you in class guys."

Ella released the breaths he was holding as Gwen bounced away to her group of friends waiting by the end of the hallway. She leaned into Maksim as he rubbed her back.

"I think that was the most she ever spoke to me," Ella said. "We barely spike in the three years that I have been here and now she wanted to invite me to go skiing with her?"

"Like Cleo said, the cat is out of the bag. Don't be too surprised by the whole school suddenly pretending to be your best friend," Maksim laughed.

"Eh," Ella shrugged. "Maybe she thought since she was so close to you I would be part of the deal too."

"I'm not close to her," Maksim said in confusion.

Ella gave him a deadpan stare before she started to pull her books out of her locker.