Page 220 of Conquered

Amber turns round, presumably to see what Loki is staring at, a smug as fuck grin coming over her lips when she sees me standing there. Unfortunately for her, Liv begins to sing, and I mouth along, holding her increasingly narrow gaze as the lyrics start to sink in. I start to dance, gyrating up against her, touching her with dismissive gestures as I successfully manoeuvre myself so that I’m standing in between her and Loki.

I keep her gaze and keep singing along as I start to grind my arse into Loki, his hands coming up instinctively to my waist, even as he leans down to whisper in my ear.

“What are you doing, Pretty Girl?” It ends on a groan as I move my body so that I’m rubbing up against the bulge in his trousers that is now very prominent. “Fuck, you are going to get us in a shit load of trouble, baby,” he rasps, pulling me closer, his hands tightening their grip on me.

Amber’s face is as red as the roses that surround us as she notes the move, standing there watching as her fiancé basically dry humps me on the dance floor.

“Get your dirty whore hands off of him!” she screeches, taking a menacing step towards me, fake nails ready to claw my eyes out.

“Touch her, and I’ll fucking kill you,” Loki growls out, continuing to dance with me, his words and the venom of his tone halting Amber in her tracks.

“B-but, you're mine!” she wails, angry tears filling her eyes. “We’re engaged!”

“Oh, honey,” I reply, my voice sickly sweet as my hand comes up into Loki’s hair, pulling his face down into my neck. He places a kiss there, a small moan leaving my smirking lips as the spot tingles. “He will never be yours.”

She stamps her foot—legit stamps it like a three year old—then spins on her shiny Louboutins, storming from the room.

“Are you quite finished fucking my fiancée on the dancefloor?” Ash’s voice drawls from the side of us, and I turn my head to take in his affected posture of boredom. I’d believe it, too, if it weren’t for the way his grey eyes spit with anger.

Whoops.

“Told you, baby,” Loki sighs, placing one final kiss on my shoulder before straightening up, but not stepping back.

My eyes narrow, my body flushing hot.

“Fuck Black Knight Corp.,” I hiss, loud enough for him to hear but no one else. Both Ash’s brows raise at my ire. “And fuck Julian cuntish Vanderbilt.”

I spin, slamming my lips on Loki’s as my hands tangle in his silky hair. He remains still for a millisecond, clearly in shock, then with a deep, panty melting groan, he kisses me back, pulling me closer with a firm grip on my arse. I vaguely hear gasps from those that surround us, but I’ve no more fucks to give. Unless, of course, it’s with my guys.

Although I long to give into Loki’s demanding kiss, I break away, panting and trembling with a heady mix of lust and anger. Turning back, I find Ash still standing there. He looks less angry, a softness to his gaze, even though there’s a tightness about his shoulders that tells me he’s worried.

Stepping away from Loki, I step into Ash, cupping his face with my palm and bringing him down to my lips. He comes readily, his lips meeting mine in a kiss full of tenderness and understanding. There’s definitely another gasp from our audience—what, are we in some kind of teen movie?—but like before, it’s hardly on my radar as he destroys me with his soul aching kiss. It’s sweet and beautiful, like the sun on your face after a long cold winter, and I bask in it.

Reluctantly pulling back, I look past him to see that Kai and Jax have joined us, encircling us in their protection, gazingon with heat in their eyes. I step away from Ash, Jax stepping towards me.

“Fuck Black Knight,” he says, his voice fierce, his blue eyes wild and piercing. He grabs me around the waist, pulling me roughly towards him so that I fall into his huge chest.

His lips smash onto mine, his tongue demanding entry like this is a declaration of war. And it is. I will no longer be under Julian’s rule. I’ll marry Ash because aside from the fact that a part of me really fucking wants to, it makes sense just in case anything does happen to me. I want to make sure that my control over the company goes to them so that they can continue to work towards overthrowing the current regime.

But I will no longer let anyone tell me what I can and can’t do. Jax breaks the kiss as abruptly as he started it, proud approval shining in his eyes, and as I turn to face Kai, who has come up behind me, a loud crack lands on my arse, the pain making me gasp alongside the rest of the students who are staring at us with eyes hungry for scandal.

“Lilly, darling,” Kai murmurs, holding me captive in his honey gaze as he steps into me, his hands coming up to cup my face tenderly. My own rest on his chest, relishing in the fact that I can feel his thundering heart through the silk of his suit jacket. “You are a Queen, and we are your loyal Knights, ready to go into battle on your behalf, and bathe in the blood of our enemies,” he tells me, his eyes boring into mine as he speaks of war like a love declaration.

His full lips lower, pressing onto mine as he holds my face, and my world rocks and tips under his caress. He worships me with his kiss, his tongue tasting like champagne and victory, or a war already won. The rest of the room fades away as we embrace, the music, the decorations, and other students becoming nothing more than a memory as our lips move together.

We part, taking a final breath of each other before separating. I look around at them—my Knights in tarnished armour—and my soul cries with joy at having found our mates. They look fierce, dressed to the nines in their black suits and bow ties, with matching expressions of determination on their breathtakingly handsome faces.

My gaze moves out into the room, seeing many have their phones out, no doubt recording this latest scandal to upload as soon as we leave. I stare into one device, my jaw set and shoulders back.

“The Black Knights are mine,” I declare, my war cry carrying out across the suddenly quiet room as one song finishes. “Try to take them away from me at your peril.”

My message isn't for the viewers of TikTok, or Instagram, but for Julian Vanderbilt himself. I know that he has eyes everywhere and is watching our every move. I want him to know that he’s no longer calling all the shots.

“Let’s go,” I say to the guys, who continue to surround me as we start to make our way out of the ballroom.

“Lilly!” I hear just as we reach the top of the steps. Willow rushes towards me. “Aside from the fact that that was fucking awesome, even if I’m not sure why it was necessary,” she says, and I flush, knowing that there is so much that I can’t tell her yet, if ever. “You left your purse at mine yesterday.”

I frown, not recalling having even been at hers yesterday, as she hands me a small green silk purse, long and thin. She gives me a look, and like a camera zooming in, it comes back to me. The pregnancy test. Clutching the small bag, feeling the hard edges of the box inside, I throw my arms around her in a tight hug.