A King's Weakness (Book 1)

Chapter 16

EITHER I HAVE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST IDIOT FOR AN UNCLE or I'm just incredibly believable. It doesn't hit me until I arrive at my first period class that my backpack is sitting right where I left it before I fell into bed last night: on the floor in my room.

For Kage to realize I'm gone, he must have gone into my room. And if he went into my room, he undoubtedly saw the backpack in question. The backpack that I am currently supposed to have, because, you know, school.

I spend the entire day looking like an absolute freeloader. I have to borrow a pen and paper from someone in every single class like the jackass I am. Several teachers look at me like I've lost my mind—though, to be fair, it certainly feels that way.

Jade catches my eye during a break between classes, and I mouth "thank you" to her as I gesture at the clothes. She ducks her head and smiles, pleased with herself. If she keeps being this nice to me, I might have to break the no friends trend I have so carefully cultivated over the years.

As a kid, it didn't take me long to realize that leaving people behind fucking sucks. And I was doing it every couple of months. It was hardest during elementary school, but it got easier when I transitioned to middle school. High school is when I found the fun in recreating the illustrious Calla King every time we moved. It was also the time when I finally understood that it's ten times easier to leave if you don't make any real connections with people.

Somehow I don't think that it's going to be as easy this time.

By the time lunch rolls around, I'm starving and my muscles are preparing to lead a rebellion that is sure to be as epic as the American Revolution.

I'm barely out of the classroom before Ryder nearly jumps me, looking for all the world like a half mad lunatic trying to kidnap a girl and take her to his dungeon.

I curse loudly, earning a sharp look from my teacher.

"Ready?" Ryder says, grinning at me as though he didn't just scare me shitless.

I glare at him. "For what?"

"Lunch. You're eating with us today." He rolls his eyes as if to say "duh".

My brain is still stuck halfway between physics and this conversation. "Us?" I repeat, sounding exactly like the idiot I am.

The wolf nods. "The pack."

Well, shit.

I instantly bristle, muscles tensing painfully.

It's not that I'm not grateful to him and Jade for their help last night. It's not even related to Lyra trying to fucking kill me.

No, my unease stems from the fact that the last time I was around another member from Ryder's pack, I literally exploded. I'm talking about magic racing through my veins, burning me as it tried to find a way out. I don't know how to control it, and I'm not about to unleash that particularly brand of hell on anyone.

With Lyra being the single exception, of course.

My hesitation—and impending refusal—must show, because Ryder throws his arm around my shoulders and begins to steer me towards the seventh circle of hell, also known as a high school cafeteria.

"They don't bite," he chuckles in my ear, his warm breath moving a few strands of my hair so that they tickle my neck.

Maybe his pack doesn't bite, but he certainly does. And I can't say that I don't want to be on the receiving end one day.

I banish the thought with a shake of my head. This is exactly what I don't need to be thinking about right now. The feel of his lips on my neck, his teeth grazing my ear. His tongue tracing—