Page 234 of Conquered

Naughty minx.

I give her a smirk, her own eyes widening as she feels me growing inside her, my hips thrusting slowly once more.

We are definitely late for class.

LILLY

I’m bone-weary as I walk with Kai and Loki back to our dorm at the end of the day. I crack what must be my hundredth yawn, both guys chuckling.

“Come on, Pretty Girl,” Loki says, pulling me closer and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you back, and I’ll run you a bubble bath, while Kai makes you some ramen.”

My stomach growls, much to both boys' amusement, as Kai unlocks our door, only to come to a standstill just inside.

“Dude!” Loki hisses, pulling us to a stop just shy of bumping into Kai’s back. “What the fuck?”

Kai steps aside, and my blood runs cold, then boiling hot at the beaming face of Julian Cuntish Vanderbilt, standing with Ash and Jax by our dining table.

“Ah, is that Lilly I see with you boys?” Julian enquires, just like the perfect father-in-law. His eyelid twitches as he takes note of Loki’s arm slug around my shoulder, but his smile doesn’t falter. “Come give your papa-to-be a hug.” He spreads his arms out wide, a challenge on his face as he looks at me.

Adrenaline rushes through me, chasing away any tiredness as I step out from Loki’s embrace, and walk towards him. After what he did to Jax’s mum and the audio message, I can’t afford to antagonise the man. But I hate him with every fibre of my being. He quickly wraps his arms around me, pulling me inappropriately close when I step up to him. I hear him take a deep inhale -did he just fucking sniff me? Gross!

I catch Ash’s gaze, which is full of suppressed rage, his cheeks flushed, as Julian whispers into my ear, holding onto me for far too long.

“You didn’t heed my warning, darling. About staying away from the other boys. And now you must all learn your lesson, naughty children.” He chuckles, like he is a doting father and just doing his job.

Finally, he lets go, taking a step back, but still with that fucking Cheshire cat grin on his face.God, I want to smack it off.I feel sick, a mixture of adrenaline, nerves, and revulsion churning my stomach until my hands shake. Ash steps up next to me, his hand coming around my waist and pulling me into his warm body. I heave a sigh as I snuggle into him, giving no fucks what Julian thinks. Ash plants a kiss on my hair, near my ear.

“You okay, Princess?” he asks, his deep voice laced with concern. I nod.

“Yeah,” I whisper, turning my head so that I’m no longer staring into the eyes ofthatman. My blood boils again at the thought of what he’s done over the past week or so. Just as my tight muscles relax into Ash, Julian speaks again, obliterating any calm I possessed.

“I hear congratulations are in order, son?”

Both Ash and I snap our heads up, going utterly still as we stare at Julian. I smell vanilla and Kai’s wooded scent as I feel their warmth at my back, seeing Jax come up to Ash’s other side.

“How far along are you, Lilly,Darling?” I shudder at the way he says my last name, like I belong to him.

“Sixteen weeks,” Ash replies, my tongue unable to move as panic flutters at the edges of my vision. I feel a hand brush my back, my own coming up to my stomach, in an instinctive act of protection.

“Wonderful!” Julian calls. His smile grows wider, sending shivers over my skin, the hairs at my nape standing on end. It gets a hard edge to it, cutting like a knife. “Although, I do hope that it is yours, boy. I won’t tolerate a bastard in the family.”

My breath stutters in my chest, my stomach dropping at his words.

“It is,” Ash says, standing a little taller, straighter. I look at him to see that he has transformed into the Ice Knight, something he does whenever Julian is around.

“Well, we can always get a paternity test when the baby is born, so not to worry,” Julian informs us, like it’s a foregone conclusion. Ash’s hand tightens on my waist, reassuring me enough that I can take a deep inhale.

A knock sounds at the door, my brows dropping.

“Ah, that’ll be Erica. Let her in, Loki,” Julian says in a cheery voice.

Loki does as he’s bid, and I turn to see a young woman with short buzzed hair walk in, pulling a small suitcase along behind her.

“Mr. Vanderbilt,” she greets Julian, a small forced smile on her face. It’s almost like she doesn’t like him.Interesting.

“Erica. So pleased that you could make it on such short notice,” Julian replies, stepping around us to air kiss her cheek. She shivers, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Then he turns to me. “Erica will be your wedding planner, my dear.”

My eyes go wide.