Page 63 of Fallen Gods

“Yeah.” I cross my arms. “Don’t really see a little badge on you that says campus security. And it was an accident, all right? I really did fall.”

“The spare bed in your room is literally split in half.”

“I weigh more than I look.”

“It looks like you kicked it.” He starts to walk in.

“Nope.” I shove the door against him. “I’ll pay for the damages. Worry about yourself.” Damn it all, I need to get close to him,and this would be the perfect opportunity if Rowen wasn’t hiding behind the door by my bed. Can’t have my lie exposed now.

“I heard talking,” Aric adds.

“I was on the phone,” I hiss. “Can you go now?”

His eyes narrow. And then with one big shove, the door flies back and nearly off its hinges, and Rowen is fully in view, looking a bit worse for wear, hair tousled from being kicked into the bed, shirt torn. Great. Perfect.

Aric swears, and whatever it is I thought I saw in his eyes moments ago is gone. Now they are pure ice.

“Wow, wondered why you sprinted back to your room, and it suddenly all makes sense. You’re the black widow that kills after mating.” He’s talking about me, but his eyes are pinned on Rowen. “Not worth it, person I just met. There are better ways to go than in Rey Stjerne’s bed.”

Rowen smirks, playing his part perfectly. He saunters over to stand beside me. Oh no, what’s he doing? This man is like a brother to me. “I highly doubt it.”

I’m killing him.

Aric glances at the broken bed and points. “I’m assuming that’s where you ended?”

“Or started,” Rowan says in a cocky voice. “Some of us last longer than others.”

“Some of us could have lived a lifetime without knowing any of those details.” Aric shakes his head and leaves my doorway.

I watch him walk back to his room, and once he’s inside, I shut my own door and shake my head at Rowen. “Could you have thought of anything less weird, Rowen? Seriously.”

He rolls his eyes. “You told him you fell from the ceiling like you were Spider-Man.”

“I panicked, all right? Also, fix your clothes. You may be adopted into our psychotic family, but we both know Odin would behead you with more precision than a guillotine if he saw youin my bed.”

Rowen fixes his hair and tucks in his shirt. “Don’t worry. You’re not worth the risk, even if you are pretty.”

What’s with him? He isn’t acting normal. Even his eyes have taken on a darker hue. Is it me? Or the weird heaviness of this campus? Maybe the overflow of runes causes people to lose their shit. Would it surprise me if Sigurd did something like that in order to somehow control his students? Not at all.

“Stop messing around. Seriously.” He would never hurt me—at least I thought not, but now I’m wondering how fast I can reach my knife.

Note to self, beneath the bed is too far away.

“I’m doing my job just fine.” He says this like nothing happened, like he didn’t just lose it a bit ago. “You’re the one who’s disappointing Odin.” Story of my life. “Maybe try a different tactic?” I want to smack the raised eyebrows right off his face.

“I’m not seducing Aric with my body, you ass.”

“You don’t seduce men like Aric with your body—you seduce them with your bad attitude and make them curious why you aren’t falling all over yourself for them like everyone else is.” He shrugs and walks toward the door. “Plus, who’s got more of a shit attitude than you?”

He leaves me alone with all my confusion, which is the last place I want to be. Being alone means spiraling, remembering Aric’s expression when he opened the door. When he saw Rowen and the bed andme.

I know what Aric assumed. Not that I care what he thinks of me. I inwardly cringe. Yeah, that’s a total lie.

I hate that I care, just a tiny bit, and that an even darker side of me was happy at first. Because when Aric first beat down my door, I think it was because he was worried.

About me.

We didn’t always hate each other.