Page 85 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

LILLY

I emerge from our Calculus exam, blurry-eyed yet full of relief and excitement.

Autumn term, or as the guys say, fall semester, is finally over!

Calculus was our last exam, on the final day, and as I look around at Loki, Jax, and Ash, I see similar expressions on their faces.

Kai should have finished his much harder college level exam around about now too.

“Fuck yeah!” Loki suddenly shouts, jumping up and pulling Jax into a headlock, ruffling his hair and making his man bun even messier. He lets go and darts to my side before Jax can react, laughing, and slinging an arm across my shoulders.

“Fucker,” Jax rumbles with a smile, untying and retying his bun.

“You ready to go, Pretty Girl?” Loki asks me, pulling me closer and placing a kiss on my cheek.

We'd packed our bags last night, loading them into his car first thing this morning, so that we could be ready to leave straight away.

“Yep,” I say.

A pang of sadness runs through me at the thought of being separated from the rest of the guys over the break, as Kai joins us from his exam, and we head to the student lot.

Loads of other students are heading to the lot too, and I can hear excited whoops and chatter all around me.

They give us a wide berth, not getting too close to our group.

I've noticed that more than once about the guys.

The other students look in awe of them, not daring to approach, as if they, we, are royalty.

We walk towards the entrance, the boys have spaces right next to the road that comes in and out, and I hesitate next to the cars.

Turning around in Loki's grip, I notice that the mood has turned sombre.

Jax's brows are furrowed, Kai looks a little nervous, and Ash has a scowl marring his beautiful face.

Even Loki is unusually silent next to me.

I step out from under his arm, going up to Jax, and use my thumb to smooth out his frown.

“Hey, big guy, I'll see you in a couple of weeks, okay?” I ask softly, trying to capture his gaze. He nods, then wraps a big hand around my throat, pulling my mouth to his, devouring my lips in a blistering kiss that leaves me panting and needy.

He pulls away, a small tilt lifting one side of his mouth, in an almost grin. Cocky bastard .

He steps back, releasing me. I turn to Kai next, who gives me a sweet smile, and opens his arms for me to step into.

I'm surrounded by his fresh woodsy scent as he hugs me tightly and breathes me in, kissing the top of my head, my hands fisted into the front of his shirt.

I look up, offering him my lips which he takes in one of his melting kisses.

It's so different from the possession of Jax's, but it's no less devastating to my heart.

It's full of calmness, an acceptance, yet also a desperate need, a wish, and I kiss him back just as achingly.

I hate that he's going back to his uncle, that he'll be all alone there, after everything that he suffered at his uncle’s hands.

I know it won't be long, we all agreed to meet up on Boxing Day, December twenty-sixth. And if Jax is up for it, we will fly out to spend the rest of the break with him. But the days ahead of us until we meet up again are going to feel like a lifetime apart.

Tears spring to my eyes as he ends the kiss and drops his arms, giving me a sad smile.

I take a steadying breath and face Ash, knowing that in a way, this will be the hardest goodbye.

I feel like I'm signing his death warrant, sending him back to his abhorrent father. Especially after the story of Luc’s death.

He’s been reserved since that day, but surprisingly he hasn’t withdrawn like he did after I told them about finding Mum.

I can see him shutting down now though, his grey eyes going hard and unyielding, like he’s preparing himself for the ordeal ahead.

I reach up, stroking the side of his face tenderly.

A tear slips out of my eye, trailing down my cheek unbidden.

His gaze softens, and he catches it on the tip of his finger, bringing it up to his mouth.

“Rubber duck?” he asks with a slight smile, bringing a watery one to my own lips.

“Any time, day or night,” I vow in a whisper, stepping closer.

His hands come up into my hair, pulling me so close, there’s not an inch of space between our bodies.

The rest of the students, the sounds of cars, all fade away as we stare at each other, before he lowers his lips down to mine.

I gladly open for him, his tongue teasing my own and tasting me until I’m not sure whose air is whose anymore.

It’s a kiss to merge two souls until they become one entity, emerging stronger than before.

A small sob leaves me as he breaks away, steel eyes still locked onto my own.

“I love you, Ash,” I breathe. A fierce look takes over his face, his grip tightening in my hair.

He holds me for a moment, staring into my eyes, like he would set fire to the world in my name.

“Come on, Pretty Girl,” Loki whines, breaking the tension between us. “Let’s hit the road like a donkey cock,” he jokes, ruining the moment entirely, and Ash reluctantly lets go of my hair, allowing me to turn around.

I roll my eyes as I walk towards Loki’s car, taking one last look behind me, before stepping into the passenger side. My breath catches at the sight of the three beautiful, broken boys I’m leaving behind.

A tremble of premonition passes over me, and I have to shake off the feeling that things are changing, and won’t be the same after the break.

Don’t be a twat, Lilly!

My phone pings as we drive off, and I look down to see a message flashing on the screen.

Ash: I love you too, Lilly Darling x

L oki and I spend the first week chilling out watching movies, swimming, and hanging out with his sisters. Loki seems to have a burning desire to have sex in every room in the house. He tells me it’s his goal for the rest of the year, so we end up in all sorts of positions all over the mansion.

We don't see Clarissa much, apparently, she takes most of the holidays off, but whenever she is around, Loki clams up, and I’ve never seen him quite so...scathingly cold towards someone before.

There’s a story there that I’m determined to uncover one day, but I don’t want to ruin our little bubble of happiness so I keep quiet for now. Clarissa gives me the creeps, she looks at me with such loathing, like Loki is somehow hers, and I’m the other woman. Ewww!

We spend one evening talking about Christmas traditions.

It’s mostly me talking, as it turns out Loki’s parents are often away over the holidays, and so Loki doesn’t really have many things that he does every year.

I tell him about always making a Christmas cake with my mum, and about the time when I was ten, that I misread the instructions and put in one pound of salt instead of a pinch.

When I ask what he does for Christmas lunch, he replies that his parents get it sent in by some fancy restaurant.

I’m determined to make him and his sisters a homemade English roast this year, and I make a list of all of the things I need, ordering it online to be delivered a few days before the twenty-fifth.

I tell Loki to let his parents know that lunch is taken care of this year.

The next day waking up, I realise that I’m alone in Loki’s bed.

I look over to the clock and notice that it’s mid-morning.

Loki kept me up way too late last night, insatiable bastard.

I grin to myself, stretching and feeling every delicious ache.

Getting out of bed and grabbing one of Loki’s band t-shirts from the floor, I head to the bathroom to take care of business.

I emerge with still no sign of Loki, so I decide to go downstairs and grab something to eat. Approaching the kitchen, I hear White Winter Hymnal by Pentatonix playing, which makes me smile, knowing that he’s put it on for me as it’s one of my favourites.

Walking into the room, I stop when I see Loki leaning against the counter, with his panty melting grin firmly in place.

He’s wearing an apron that reads ‘Redheads, setting your world alight’, and I would laugh because it’s just so Loki, except that it looks like that’s all he’s got on.

He confirms my theory when he stands up and slowly turns around, flashing his peachy arse.

“Loki!” I admonish him with a laugh. “What will your sisters say?”

“They’re at a friend’s for the day, Pretty Girl,” he purrs, sauntering towards me, and I swallow at the heat in his eyes. “It’s just you and me today.”

When he reaches me, he grabs me around my waist and pulls me close, growling with approval when he realises that I’m only wearing his t-shirt and silk knickers.

“That will have to wait,” he muses, his hand caressing my arse, sending tingles racing over me.

“Wait?” I question, brows lowered in confusion. Loki never waits to get in between my thighs.

He takes a step back, indicating the worktop, which is covered in packets, and a very expensive looking mixer.

“We've got a Christmas cake to make, baby,” he grins.

I throw myself at him with a squeal, wrapping my arms and legs around him, his hands gripping my arse, as I pepper his face with kisses.

“I fucking love you, Loki Thorn,” I enthuse, a deep chuckle vibrating over my body, as he walks us across the floor.

“I fucking love you back, Lilly Darling,” he tells me, his voice full of warmth, as he deposits me on the counter to stand in between my spread legs.

I can feel him growing hard, pressing against my core, heat flashing through me at the contact.

“Fuck waiting. You drive me fucking wild, Lilly,” he growls, bringing his hands against my bare skin, lifting my t-shirt up and off me. Then his warm mouth closes over my nipple, my back arching as he sucks, offering him more, which he takes greedily as my hands grip his fiery red hair.