Poison Throne: A Dark College Romance(32)

I didn't waste any more time with the Dean—we'd already wasted enough, and the longer we were gone from the guys, the more anxious I grew. What if Uriel had people still here? Brandon had been here for years, undetected as a radical. Mr. Wainwright was operating right under everyone's noses, keeping an eye on the future leaders of the world and probably using whatever he discovered here to help the Society. So... Uriel's men—and women—could be anywhere.

We needed to hurry.

Picking up Mattie, who had waited just outside the door, we all but ran through the corridors toward the guest apartments. We should have just gone straight there to check, but with so many people visiting for the Honor Cup, it could have taken ages to find the right floor.

"Rafe's going to murder us when we get back," Mattie muttered as we ran up the four flights of stairs to the rooms Alex had been given.

I grimaced. "So will Jordan. Rafe's possessive bullshit is really rubbing off on him these days."

Mattie snickered. "No shit. It's hot as hell, though, isn't it? I mean, not them, 'cause they're basically my brothers and I couldn't ever think of them like that, but, like, in general. It's hot."

Grinning, I shook my head. "Shh, let's get this over with." I raised my fist and knocked quickly on the door of the apartment.

There was a pause as we waited for someone to answer, and movement caught my eye from the stairwell we'd just come from. I frowned, craning my neck to see what had just snagged my attention, but the door opened right at that moment.

"Violet," Alex's familiar voice hit me like a bucket of ice water. "I wondered how long it'd take you to show up."

I scowled. "Yeah well, I lost your number when I was kidnapped and tortured for a month. Had to go old school and visit the Dean to track you down." I was flippant as fuck, but he cringed at my words nonetheless.

He stepped back, holding the door open for me to enter.

"Thanks, Matisse, you can wait out here," he said, blocking Mattie when she tried to follow me inside. Okay, so maybe he wasn't totally a nice guy without his father's influence. But how much of someone's shitty personality could be totally attributed to their upbringing? That kind of molding didn't just disappear overnight, no matter how much someone wanted to change.

Still, no one talked to my bestie like that.

"Quit being a fucking douche-wad, Alex," I snapped. "Mattie isn't going to wait in the fucking hallway. We don’t trust you enough to be alone with you." I rolled my eyes dramatically and pushed him aside so my friend could come into the apartment with us.

A small smile touched his lips, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he closed the door and turned to face me with his hands tucked in the pockets of his pants.

"You look good, Violet." His voice was calm and... strange. Sincere? Maybe that was it.

I cocked my head to the side, perusing him back. "So do you, Alex."

That wasn't a flirtatious comment; it was the truth. He was polished and put together in an expensive, tailored suit without a tie, and the top couple of buttons on his shirt were open. His blond hair was impeccable, and he seemed to be freshly shaven. But it was more than that... He seemed calmer. The whole time I'd known him, Alex had carried a level of tension. A deep-seated anger and resentment toward the world. All of that was gone now.

Mattie cleared her throat dramatically. "This is cute and all—by the way, I also look amazing—but we're kind of on the clock here." She gave me a pointed look, and my cheeks heated. Apparently I'd been staring at my ex for way too long.

It wasn’t due to any deeper feelings, though, just genuine curiosity.

Alex's smile turned slightly mocking. "Of course, you wouldn't want to keep your guard dogs waiting. I'm amazed you managed to sneak away for this long."

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Alex, cut it out. You asked me to come here in person, so here I am. Let's make this quick."

Alex indicated that we move over to the seating area and poured us drinks. I took a polite sip of mine before placing it back on the table and clearing my throat.

"Okay, let's cut to the chase. There's a meeting between monarchies this coming Tuesday at which there will be a vote to create a People's Court which will give the Society a voice and a vote in any world politics or human rights issues."

Alex didn't say a word while I spoke, just sipped from his drink and eyeballed me like he was examining my fucking face in a police lineup. When I finished getting all the information out, he still remained silent.

My trigger-fast temper, something I'd had trouble controlling ever since I was detained by Uriel, started to rear its ugly head. Thankfully, before I murdered my second arrogant male in a month, he spoke.

"You are a good match for me."

Gag. "We were never a match," I told him. "It was all manipulated by the extremists because I was finally the right age to enter the ballot."

Alex cleared his throat, lowering his glass back to the table. "Be that as it may, we were still a good match. I didn't even have to try that hard to enjoy your company."

I pretended to swoon. "Oh, if I wasn't already getting fucked by two princes with the skills of sex gods, then I'd be all over you with that compliment."

The darkness that he'd probably never fully purge from his soul flashed in his eyes, and I instantly bit my tongue. Yes, he deserved to hear that and my temper was all kinds of frayed being around him, but this was so incredibly not the right path to get him on our side.

I needed to shift gears, fast, before my anger and resentment toward my ex-boyfriend ruined everything.

"Look, Alex, you wanted me to issue you the invitation," I said, changing the subject. "I'm not sure why you wanted that, but here I am..."

As I trailed off, I looked at Mattie for help, but she shrugged, clearly having no idea what to say.

"I owe you an apology," Alex bit out, and I almost fell off my chair. "Despite my many flaws, hurting women who don't like it is not one of them.” The memory of Claudette’s moans in the corridor when I discovered their secret echoed through my mind and I internally gagged. “I know I betrayed you. I caused you pain, Violet, and while an apology is not really worth shit, it's all I can offer right now."

My brain malfunctioned, and by the time I’d gotten that shit circuiting right again, Mattie was in full flow. "...don't deserve to have even touched Violet. If you want to give her something more than your scrawny dick and half-assed apology, you'll show up at the fucking vote and do the right thing."

Alex lurched forward in his chair, and I didn't even have to wonder this time what had offended him. Scrawny dick was a little harsh, but when you had something to compare it to...

"Please, Alex," I said, cutting him off before he could go into full-shithead mode. "I know your parents were assholes. I know they put a ton of pressure on you to be evil like them. But you don't have to do that anymore."

He didn't look convinced.

"Be on the right side of history," I said softly.

I had to convince him. If anything good could come from the ballot and all the bullshit, let it be this.





Chapter 27





The wait was going to kill me, but I forced myself not to squirm or react. Alex remained as he was, lips pursed, and then, with a long exhale, he nodded. "I will be at the vote," he told me. "I will listen to the plans, and I will vote without considering what my father might have pushed for. That's the most I can offer you."

I'd take it. "Thank you."

As he stood, I did the same. Our gazes held as he tried to convey a lot through that expression. It didn't really matter to me, though; I was basically done with caring about him in any way except for what we needed from him.

"Good luck with your monarchy," I said, grabbing Mattie's hand as we prepared to leave. "Try and care about your people as well. It's important."

He just watched me with those glittering eyes all the way until we were out the door and back down the stairs.

"Pretty sure he's not over you, Vi," Mattie said, sounding concerned. "He had that obsessed look about him."

I shrugged. "As long as he votes the right way on Tuesday, I don't give a fuck if he jerks off to a photo of me every single night."

Mattie coughed before screwing her face up into a horrified expression. "I just... why you gotta put those images in my head? It's not natural."

"Says the girl who has a drawer full of sex toys and can't choose a favorite."

Mattie dramatically slammed her hand against her chest. "That'd be like choosing a favorite child, girl. It's wrong."

My best friend had no shame. "Children and vibrators should not be mentioned in the same sentence."

She did look a little grossed out then, but thankfully no more discussion was required because we were back in the main academy halls, which were packed as people interacted before the dinner tonight.

I picked up my pace, instinct telling me that it was probably already too late, but to save myself from their anger, I had to get back to the princes. My relieved breath when the lockers came into view was a little dramatic, but honestly, they were going to be pissed as fuck.

I'd tell them, of course, and hopefully with me safe and sound in front of them, the fallout would be less dramatic. If I'd not been there at all...