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“H ansley,” I grind out between gritted teeth, the double syllables scorching my tongue like acid as it tumbles past my lips. Revulsion coils deep in my gut at the mere sight of the older woman, her hawk-like stare piercing as she assesses me over the sharp blades of her cheekbones.

Forcing myself upwards from my defensive posture on the folding chair, I rise stiffly to my feet. Every fibre of my being screams protest at offering even this minuscule concession, this bare acknowledgement of Hansley’s perceived authority. But Arius’ solid presence beside me steadies my raging defiance enough to comply, however grudgingly.

The barest twitch ghosts across Hansley’s thin lips, a fleeting smirk of triumph that sets my hackles rising. Gritting my teeth, I shift my weight until my hip brushes Arius’ side, chin tilting in silent challenge. His fingers skim my lower back in the subtlest caress, a silent reminder of the thorny path we currently tread. For now, I’ll play along with this wretched farce on his terms.

“Was there something you required, Headmistress?” Arius’ deep tone slices through the fraught silence, his words clipped yet urbane.

At last, those piercing eyes flick away from me to focus squarely on Arius. “I was starting to worry you’d gotten… lost,” Hansley drawls, dragging out the syllables in a silky purr that makes my skin crawl. “When you failed to show for your scheduled meeting with Elder Kavanagh.”

Beside me, I catch the faintest darkening of Arius’ irises, that infinitesimal spark of irritation he tries so hard to conceal. His free hand smooths along the crisp fabric of his shirt before adjusting his tie, those long fingers working the knot with concise motions. “Forgive me, I wasn’t aware that meaningless social posturing was now considered a mandatory obligation,” he rumbles, tone dripping with indolent disdain. “Besides, I was under the impression that this was a Trial for , not a meet-and-greet.”

Hansley’s jaw clenches, exasperation tightening her features as she steps closer, crowding so far into Arius’ personal space that her breasts brush featherlight against his chest. Almost involuntarily, my hackles rise further as possessive instinct spikes through me like a bolt of lightning—a wolf that’s just scented a rival.

Sensing the subtle shift in my body language, Arius grazes my hip in a silent demand to give him room. Reluctantly, I inch to the side, eyes narrowing as I watch him lean in towards Hansley until his mouth is a mere breath from her ear.

Whatever muttered words precipitate from his lips remain indiscernible, but the effect is instantaneous. Hansley shuffles backwards, the faintest retreat, as her gaze snaps towards me for the briefest instant. In that split second, I catch a glimpse of unguarded loathing blazing in those turbulent depths, a visceral revulsion so searing that my lips instinctively curl into a disdainful sneer.

Before I have a chance to act on the venomous barb balanced on my tongue, Arius’ hand circles my waist, tugging me firmly against his side. “If you’ll excuse us,” he murmurs, already steering us away from Hansley and guiding me down the hallway towards the emergency exit. I barely manage to keep pace with his ground-eating strides, sparing a final glance over my shoulder at the woman frozen behind us.

One hand lifts slowly to press against the high collar of her dress, skin flushed crimson beneath angry fingers as they rub along her collarbone. The pure, unadulterated disgust twisting those pinched features as she glares daggers at my retreating back is a sight I’ll treasure forever.

I trail along in Arius’ wake, his long strides forcing me to half-jog to keep pace. Without breaking momentum, he shoves through the heavy steel door, letting it bang against the wall beside us. The dimly lit car park stretches out ahead, a few scattered vehicles dotting the spaces closest to the exit.

Arius digs into his pocket, retrieving a keyfob and hitting the unlock button. Somewhere across the lot, headlights blink on a sleek black Range Rover, the muted chirp echoing softly in the dim twilight. Wrinkling my nose, I shoot Arius a pointed look as we stride towards the gaudy SUV.

“You know this monstrosity is like the peak edgelord, hedge fund baby neon sign, right?” I grumble, eyeing the gleaming chrome accents and oversized rims with distaste. Sure, the muscular outline cuts an imposing figure, but something about it still screams ‘excessive.’

“Hey,” Arius rumbles, “you can’t take money to the grave.” He sends me a tight smirk. “Spend it while you can, right?”

I manage a snort of disagreement as we round the hood to the passenger door. Before I can grasp the handle, Arius’ palm lands atop mine, gently guiding my hand away so he can yank it open himself. With an exaggerated roll of my eyes, I slide up onto the plush leather seat, wriggling to get comfortable as Arius leans in after me.

Without a word, he grasps the hem of my silk gown, carefully tugging it inwards so no errant fabric gets snagged on the door frame. His shoulder brushes against my chest, the barest whisper of contact but I can still feel the warmth of his body radiating through my skin. Arius straightens up, seeming to not have noticed the contact or choosing to ignore it, and closes the door with a gentle thud.

Seconds later, his towering frame appears on the other side of the windscreen, rounding the front of the vehicle to reach the driver’s side, pulling the door latch with ease to swing it open. Folding himself into the driver’s seat, Arius’ adjusts into the leather before reaching up for the starter. Before Arius can punch the ignition button, the words come spilling from my lips in a breathless rush.

“So what was it you said to get Lady Minger so flustered?” I demand, raising my brows expectantly. “I’m dying to know what crawled up her arse in such an epic way.”

A rich chuckle rumbles up from Arius’ chest as he leans back, head tipping to regard me. Without shifting focus from my face, his thick finger resumes its journey to press the ignition, the beastly engine roaring to life around us. That wicked glint flares in the depths of his gaze, lips curling into a haughty smirk.

“Hansley seems convinced the only reason I’ve been ignoring her summons is because you’ve been distracting me. Keeping me satisfied and unwilling to properly attend to her… needs.” His eyebrow arches eloquently, the unspoken implication hanging heavily in the air. “So I politely informed her that I was well aware of her little power play, goading me so she can blow off steam. She likes a good rage fuck.”

My jaw actually drops at his crude admission, eyelids blinking slowly—dumbly—as I struggle to process those vulgar words. An incredulous bubble of laughter escapes before I can bite it back, doubling over as hysterics overtake my composure. Clutching my stomach, I shake my head wildly, the soft chuckles of uninhibited mirth misting the glass before me.

When at last I manage to gulp down a ragged breath, I swipe the back of one hand over my eyes, catching a stray tear. “You know what’s fucked?” I rasp out, locking gazes with the man beside me. “What you just said might be the least fucked up revelation of this entire night so far.”

That rich chuckle fills the confines once more, Arius shaking his head in wry amusement. “What I didn’t say is that she’s not entirely wrong.” His body leans towards me, bulk stretching across the narrow gap between our seats as he reaches for the seatbelt at my shoulder. Thick fingers curl around the webbing, pulling it across my lap to click it into place, giving a firm tug to cinch the restraint tight before dropping it with a barely audible thwap.

For several charged seconds, his face hovers mere inches from mine, stare boring into the depths of my eyes with intense scrutiny. Then, as abruptly as he leaned in, Arius retreats back to his side, sinking into the plush seat and settling his hands on the wheel. Arius hums noncommittally, shifting into gear as we peel out of the parking space and out to the main road. The curve of his smirk remains frustratingly enigmatic as always, that self-satisfied smugness radiating off him in waves.