ARMANI
"You look uptight. Did something happen between you two in that classroom?" Cheryl asked.
"All I can say is you saved me from making a big mistake in that classroom. She knows the truth."
Cheryl grinned at me. "Well, shit. What are you going to do?"
"If she doesn't tell anyone, we keep on with our… thing. Except you'd rather we stopped?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "You're my best friend, Armani. I'm helping you in any way I can. Even if it means doing this. I don't care."
"Thanks."
"Have you told Damien and North?" She asked, referring to my two other close friends.
"Why? So they can blabber? When they've had too much to drink, I'm sure they'll be running their mouths to whatever girl that's in their bed for the night."
Cheryl chuckled. "You're right. Booze and women are the twins' weaknesses."
We returned to the cafeteria, heading straight for our table where the twins already sat with a girl between them. A displeased look crossed Cheryl's face, but she said nothing, sitting quietly to eat her food.
"Did you two go have a threesome with the new girl?" North joked.
"It's always sex with you, and no, we didn't have a threesome. Not everyone can be like the Viscon twins," Cheryl said with an eye roll.
They launched into a series of back and forth, but I paid them no mind. My mind was on the one thing it had no business being on; Emerson. I still couldn't get the image of her curvy waist adorned with my mark out of my head.
She was a petite brunette with curves I so wanted to sink my hands into. Even though she wore a baggy t-shirt and jeans to school today, there was no hiding the curve of her heart-shaped ass, or the swell of her breasts.
I wasn't hungry when I went to grab lunch. I just needed an excuse to be near her, and one whiff of her lavender body wash hardened me up. I swear those blue eyes of hers would be my undoing. They did things to my chest, things I couldn't understand.
No matter how much I wanted to pull her against my body and ravish her for days, for her own good, I couldn't. I was bad news, and the truth was we had no business being near each other. I'd dim that light of hers with my darkness.
When I eventually lost control over my mind, I didn't want a brokenhearted woman crying over me. I already had enough people who'd cry over losing me. I wasn't being cocky when I said this, but I knew if we ever got together, Emerson would fall hard for me.
I could already see the stars in her eyes when she looked at me like I was a motherfucking prize, a puzzle she had to unravel, and damn if I didn't want her to unravel me, tons of darkness and all.
But everything in my life bottomed down to something I had no hand in when I was born. I was a blood dragon.
"Cheryl, I have a plan."
She raised a brow at me, but she nodded in agreement. I had to fix things once and for all.
***
EMERSON
"I'm sure she wants him."
"Who doesn't?"
"If I were Cheryl, I'd slap the shit out of her for touching my man."
"Armani would never date her. Everyone knows that. Let her daydream all she wants."
These were the comments I heard as we all gathered in the auditorium for an announcement from the principal.
I'd forgotten about the ordeal in the cafeteria, but it seemed like the school hadn't. They all conveniently labeled me a whore because I dragged Armani out of the cafeteria.
I'd care about what they said if I wasn't in a world of my own, my mind still reeling over how close Armani had come to kissing me, and how much I'd wanted him to.
My body reacted wildly to his, and I attributed that to the fact that I'd never experienced a relationship of any sort with a guy. I was homeschooled all my life until I was chosen to attend S.A.D.
That didn't mean I was a naive virgin. I was far from innocent. What other thing could a girl do indoors in her free time other than devouring romance books? I couldn't count the number of times I wished my life was the same as the characters', because let's face it, book characters lived a ten times better life than us living, breathing beings, but I wasn't about to delve into the conversation.
We waited for a few minutes for the principal to arrive, and when he did, a hush fell over the students.
"Good day students. I assume the majority of the students here are familiar with the prophecy the seer got the day our beloved prince Armani was born. For those who aren't familiar with or sure of the exact words of the prophecy, here it is.."
The principal stepped to the side, and the projector came on. In big, bold letters, the prophecy filled the screen.
'An untamable darkness is born.
The one with the mark of abyss.
When the clock strikes the cursed hour,
Death and destruction it shall seek.'
The cursed hour? What did they mean by that? It could be anytime around the corner, and I had no idea when this 'cursed hour' would strike. I didn't get to muse on that for long because the projector went off.
"There you have it, students," the principal said when the projector went off. "For years, Prince Armani has effortlessly searched for his rider, the only one who can tame him, and he has finally found his rider."
I frowned. What the hell was going on in this auditorium?
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Ms. Cheryl Smith on stage."
The crowd clapped as Cheryl mounted the podium, a huge smile on her face. She was every bit of perfection, like she'd been trained for public speeches like this from a young age.
"Thank you, everyone," she said when the clapping subsided. "Just like Principal Obed said, Prince Armani has searched tirelessly for his rider. We all know what happens to Draconix if he isn't tamed.
"We also know blood dragons are tamed differently unlike the normal dragons. I assure you all that Armani and I are working to our utmost capabilities to figure out a way to tame him.
"Hopefully, we do before the cursed hour strikes. No matter what happens, Armani will always remain our prince, and you all should know he has love for everyone seated here just like his ancestors. He won't ruin his people. Thank you."
She took a bow, her smile in place like she didn't just tell a lie in front of everyone in this auditorium. I couldn't fault her for this. I knew none of this was her plan. She was merely helping Armani.
Armani's eyes sought mine through the crowd as he helped Cheryl down the stage. I met his gaze head-on, joining in the applause. Did he expect me to go batshit crazy for lying to everyone?
Think again, Armani.
If he didn't want to be tamed, that was his cup of tea. I was interested to see just how long this ruse of his would go on. Time was a defining factor, and from being privy to his nightmare, I knew that wasn't something he had a lot of.