Year Three (Kingmakers, #3)

by Sophie Lark

“I know what you did . . . “I saw you . . . “I won’t tell. But understand this . . . I own you now. When we come back to school, you’re mine. My servant. My slave. For as long as I want you . . .”

“Good girl,” Dean says softly. His low purr sends a thrill through my body.

I hope he chokes on these fucking grapes. I’d like to ram them right down his throat.

This time, his tongue slides against the ball of my thumb as he takes it from my fingers. That instant of wet, hot friction sends a flushing warmth through my whole body. I know my face is bright red, I know I’m squirming in my seat. I don’t understand how my body can betray me like this when I fucking hate Dean!

Dean seizes me by the back of the neck and kisses me hard. I taste the blood on his lip, like salt and iron.

“We don’t have to fight, little kitten,” he says. His voice is smoother than melted butter. “If you’re an obedient pet, I could be a very kind master . . .”

He has everything I should have had—parents that love him. A safe and happy childhood in Chicago. A network of uncles, aunts, and cousins, and now a baby sister too. And Anna, the only girl I ever admired, wildly in love with him.

A strip of leather with a single metal ring in the center. A collar. “I want you willing,” he says softly. “I want you obedient. And I want you completely under my control. For one month. From now until Christmas.”

“Good girl,” he growls.

I need you. No one has ever said that to me before.

“Me encanta tu fragrancia,” she moans, as she starts to cum. I’ve never heard Cat lapse into her native language. Her English is perfect and unaccented. That’s how I know she’s lost all control. And so have I. Her voice echoes in my head. Me encanta tu fragrancia. I need you. I need you. I need you.

“MOVE!” I roar, shoving my way through the mass of students around me. Despite how close we were to finishing our own tower, I can hear Leo and Ares likewise dropping their work, dashing along after me. I don’t care if they’re following. I’m shoving everyone out of my way, sprinting to the place where I saw Cat fall.

“Yes?” I reply. “Did you catch me?”

“No.” I shake my head. “But I did dig you out.” “Maybe next time . . . try to catch me,” Cat says.

“You could catch me . . .” Cat says, her eyes half closed.

Her hand is no longer cold and limp inside of mine. Instead, she intertwines our fingers.

It’s so lonely wearing this mask.

“You don’t care about her?” Snow says, turning his head to fix me with that cool stare. It’s impossible to lie to him. He sees everything, from my smallest mistakes to the rebellious thoughts in my head. “Maybe I do,” I admit. “A little bit.” “That’s good,” Snow repeats. “Love is not weakness.” “I don’t love her.” “Love is not just for a wife,” Snow

No one could fuck her like I do. No one could make her feel like this.

“I just . . . I just realized that no one would do that for me,” I tell her quietly. “Ozzy’s mother laid down her life for him. My mother left, and she didn’t even take me with her.”

Dean was completely alone. My heart aches for him.

I can tease the pleasure out of him at my will. He’s shaking beneath me, kissing me ferociously, utterly obsessed with me in this moment.

“Good girl,” Dean says.

“Good,” Dean breathes. “Because the way you look in that dress—I couldn’t stand to see you dance with anyone else.”

“Cat,” Dean says seriously. “There’s no one more beautiful than you.”

Is Dean . . . bragging about me?

We’ve kissed a thousand times in sex. But never once like this, out in the open . . . as two people, falling in love.

“Hey,” Leo says. “Merry Christmas.” “Merry Christmas,” I reply politely.

As the banter bounces back and forth across the table, Cat and I lock eyes. She smiles at me in a way that lets me know I’m more than welcome here.

“I’m jealous,” I say, seizing her arm and pulling her close. “Any time anyone looks at you, or speaks to you, I’m jealous. I want all your minutes, and all your words. I want all of you, all the time.”

“When you become a man worthy of love, you will receive love,” he tells me. I search his battered face, trying to understand. “I was alone,” Snow says. “No parents, no family. They called me Snow because I fought so cold. But I had anger inside me, too. An old boxer took me in. His name was Meyer. He was hard on me, and he was good to me, too. He showed me friendship. Love came later when I met Sasha. I saw her for what she was: a treasure to be protected at all costs. To have her, I had to become the man she deserved.” “I don’t know how to do that,” I admit. “It’s always a step into the dark,” Snow says. “No one knows the path they haven’t walked before.”

“What’s going on?” she says, pulling back just a little to look up into my face. “Something happened today. I had to come tell you.” “Tell me what?” She says. “That I love you, Cat. I fucking love you.” “What!” Cat squeaks, sounding as terrified as the very first time we spoke. I laugh and then I kiss her, harder than I ever have before.

“With Sasha . . . how did you know you were really in love?” Snow answers without hesitation. “I knew when I was willing to do anything for her. Give anything. Risk anything.”

I miss Dean. I miss him badly.

“Yes you do,” I growl. “You miss me, and I miss you. Stop torturing us both.”

“I can’t just walk away from you. I need you, Cat. I love you.”

“Then tell me what you need! Tell me what to do, how to make it up to you! What will it take for you to forgive me?”

I never realized she was such a little sadist. It only makes me like her more.

I’ve never loved someone more than my own ambition. It’s terrifying.

“If you say one fucking word, I’ll never forgive you.”

If his anger is a furnace, then his love for me is the sun, burning bright enough to light the universe.

“It terrifies me how much I love you,” I tell him, holding him as tight as I can without hurting him more.

As she tilts her head to smile at me, I see a glint of scarlet in the hollow of her throat. The necklace I gave her—restored to its rightful place. My heart burns as bright as that stone.

“Why not? What are they gonna do, shave my head too? Saves me going to the barber.”

Lmaooo

“Cat, those drawings are what put the heart in me for everything that came after. The ones you drew of me . . . I saw them and I thought you must love me. Then I knew I could endure anything.”

“Why can’t you see that I love you? I fucking love you! I don’t care what you do to me, I don’t care what you say to me. I don’t care if you lie or scream or try to run away. I don’t care if you’re filthy or soaked in bleach or set on fucking fire! Why can’t you understand I love you! Without limit or reason.”

I believe her. I fucking believe her. She loves me. She loves me the way I love her.

“Cat,” I say. “You don’t know what a monster I can be, but I’ll be your monster. Everything I do will be for you. To protect you. To help you. To love you every day of my life. I’ll burn this whole fucking world down for you if that’s what you want.” She presses her forehead against mine. “I know exactly who you are, Dean. And I fucking love you.”

It doesn’t matter. Nothing can dampen Dean’s fire for me, not heartbreak, or time apart, or even a whipping.

“Thank you.” I pause, wanting to say this right. “Thank you for everything, Snow. You helped me, when I didn’t want it or ask for it. When I wasn’t grateful or even deserving.” “You were deserving,” Snow says, his eyes as clear and piercing as ever. “I saw that from the start.”