Deviant King (Royal Elite, #1)

by Rina Kent

“Because you have a big mouth?” Cole says. “No, I don’t.” “Yeah, you do.” Everyone at the table agrees.

Ronan launches into a long argument about all the secrets he kept for th...

“No wonder she’s the best friend.”

“I mean, you’re the one he called adorable.” “He… did?” the goalkeeper asks.

“I swear to God, I’m not shitting you. I still have the creeps, for real!” Ronan says. “Come on, Ellie. Record it for us next time.”

“The cafeteria doesn’t have this type of food.” “They do now.”

Being on Aiden King’s good side is heaven. His bad side is complete hell. It’s time to choose on which side to fall.

“Ellie, you’re my best friend and I love you, but you’re too… safe.”

“You’ve always lived by the rules. He doesn’t. He’s free in ways you aren’t. Maybe that’s why you’re attracted to him.”

“Souls are attracted to each other.”

Ronan wrote, You better be sorry for stealing my show that night, King.

Unable to resist, I check Instagram again. I scroll down to Silver’s comment, but it isn’t there anymore. Not sure if she deleted it or if he did.

I’m scared of going to sleep sometimes.

I don’t like to sleep either.

Remember that ghost I told you about? It visits me often when I sleep.

Seriously? *facepalm emoji* we’re playing this game?

Nothing. Fuck. Now, I want to be the rabbit PJs.

“You’ll never escape me, Elsa.” “You’re my masterpiece, Elsa.”

“Can you see me behind them monsters?” I ask in my head. “I do.”

I don’t think he does, but I hold on to that glimmer of a voice. It’s soothing. So soothing. Maybe them monsters are invisible to him. He sees me like no one did before. He sees ME.

“It’s okay.” He strokes my back in tiny circles. “You’re not alone. I’m here.”

two years ago right after my first day in RES, Aunt and Uncle freaked. And I mean, they literally freaked. I thought Aunt was with the monster and I hit her. I screamed and cursed at her. I didn’t stop until Uncle locked her out of the room.

Aunt wouldn’t stop asking me what I saw. She had a horrified sick look on her face like she was going to throw up. In the morning, they took me to Dr Khan and I had therapy sessions for almost six months.

Still gripping his T-shirt, I stare up at him. His brows are drawn together over the stormiest colour I’ve ever seen his eyes. His features are closed with deep concern.

“Did I trigger that by coming through the balcony?” he asks carefully. “I already had the nightmare when you came so I was triggered before.” “By what?”

“Candles. Basements. Dim, red light. Deep water such as pools, beaches, and lakes. Sleeping in the dark.”

“You climb onto people’s balconies a lot?” “Just yours. I usually prefer doors”

“Sleeping,” he says ever so casually. “You… you can’t sleep here.” “Sure can.”

I curl my fingers into his shirt and place my ear over his soothing heartbeat — a normal heartbeat. I close my eyes and surrender to the pull of sleep. Safe.

One of his arms surrounds my waist, his hand resting in the middle of my back. The other lies limp because I’m using his bicep as a pillow.

His arm with the tattoo rests on the pillow as if I were still sleeping on it and his other arm is slumped on the bed as I left it.

Seems like he’s a heavy sleeper.

I tiptoe, lift Aiden’s arm and snuggle in the crook of his warm body. My head rests on his bicep. I’m becoming too addicted too fast to how it feels to be in his embrace.

“You better be awake and well aware of what you’re doing, sweetheart.”

“Morning.” “Screw mornings.” I laugh. “Not a morning person?”

“Don’t laugh in front of other people. Don’t even smile in front of them.”

“Your smiles and laughs belong to me. I don’t like it when others look at what’s mine.”

“What’s next? You’ll lock me up in your cave and put a do...

“Can you handle it?” “Handle what?” “Me putting a doz...

“We should sta...

“Sex isn’t my endgame. And I’ve been patient to communicate that. You should know by now that I’m not a patient person, so don’t push me.”

“I’m really trying to be fucking nice here, but if you keep hiding in that ice castle, I’ll have no choice but to conquer.” My fingers dig into his

“You always have a choice with me. A queen or a pawn.”

“Either I become the most important piece or the most insignificant one. How… poetic.”

“Those who don’t play think that the king is the most important piece because the game is over when he dies. They don’t know that the king is useless without his queen.”

“We can play?” I ask tentatively. I’d take any option to dissipate the tension and get him off me. “We have to take care of you first.” Of course, he wouldn’t fall for that. Dickhead.

“Are you, Elsa? Because I was never supposed to like you this much. Hell. I wasn’t supposed to think about you more than I think of myself.”

let my hand travel up from his chest to the rippling tendons of his collarbone. Aiden grabs my hand in his stronger one. He shakes his head once. “Not so fast.”

“This time, I want you to wrap your arms around my neck and kiss me first, Elsa.”

Now that he’s bending his arms, the arrow tattoos seem to be pointing straight at his heart. Or mine.