chapter 7
Selene pushed aside the memory of her visit with Oren and tried to focus on her history book. Only a few paragraphs into her reading, her cell phone rang.
Speak of the devil, she thought as she noticed the caller ID. “Hello, Desmond,” she greeted.
“So, you have my phone number programmed in already,” he teased.
Selene chuckled. “I believe all of the higher-ranked Vyusher are programmed in this phone,” she said. “Oren gave it to me.”
“And here I thought I was special.” He pretended to be hurt, and she could just picture his hand over his heart. Selene rolled her eyes.
“Can I help you with something, Desmond?”
“Dez,” he automatically corrected. “So have you decided to come home yet?”
“I only just started classes a few weeks ago,” she reminded him.
“Hmmm. Have you spoken with Oren lately?”
Selene wasn’t fooled by his attempted nonchalance. “Quite recently. Why?”
“So you know about the bids to replace you?”
Selene sat up straighter, her eyes narrowed. “He mentioned it.”
“And you still refuse to come home?” For the first time, genuine concern and something like disapproval sounded in Desmond’s voice.
“I have many reasons for being where I am, Desmond.”
“I understand that, Selene, but—”
“No, you don’t,” she cut him off. “And I don’t intend to explain myself to you.”
“Of course not…Princess.”
Selene regretted her harsh tone, but it’d been necessary. “I told Oren that if it came down to it, he should endorse you as king.”
Shocked silence.
“Excuse me. You told him what?” Dez finally barked.
“You heard me.” Selene placed her hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle.
“Now why the hell would you go and do a ridiculous thing like that?”
“You dare to call your Princess ridiculous?” She couldn’t quite keep the amusement out of her voice.
“Don’t change the subject, Your Highness,” he snapped.
Selene sighed and dropped her hand from her mouth. “I told him to endorse you because I believe you’d make a wonderful leader for the Vyusher.”
Dez changed tack. “What on earth gave you that crazy idea?” he answered with a lazy drawl. But Selene could tell he was shaken.
“Just an impression.” She quickly glanced at her watch, “Desmond, I really can’t talk. I need to finish this reading assignment before my next class.”
“All right college student. You go get’em,” he said. “But understand that I’m not accepting anything while you’re gone.”
“Let’s just see what happens, okay?”
Desmond grunted.
“Goodbye, Desmond.”
“Bye, Princess. I’ll check in again soon.”
Selene hung up, shaking her head at his parting line. She put her phone away and once again tried to concentrate on her reading. She’d completed about a chapter when a male voice drew her attention.
“Excuse me.”
Selene sighed at yet another interruption and raised her gaze to a see a boyishly handsome face peering back at her.
“Can I help you?” she asked politely.
He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her. Selene leaned over to see what he was looking at and discovered a group of his friends watching them closely. She looked back at him.
“I’m John. I’ve noticed you here studying the last few days.” He paused briefly to think of his next line. “You’re really hot, you know that?”
“Thanks,” she said, resisting the urge to answer with something more sarcastic.
“Would you like to go out Friday night?” John asked.
Selene maintained her polite facade. “That’s really nice of you to ask me. But I already have a boyfriend.”
“Ah, come on…” John took a step closer. “My bros are watching. You don’t really have a boyfriend. Give me a chance?”
Selene hid an impatient sigh. “No, really. I do have a boyfriend.”
“I’m calling bullshit,” he said.
Selene shifted in her seat uncomfortably. No one in the Vyusher had ever spoken to her quite like that. Not even Gideon. She was trying to decide how to respond when voice from behind her drawled, “Wow, what a gentleman.”
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Selene recognized that deep voice, dripping in sarcasm.
“Who are you, man?” John puffed out his chest, posturing arrogantly.
“I’m not your man, dude.” Griffin was now standing directly behind her. Selene just barely stopped herself from jumping when his hands landed softly on her shoulders and gently squeezed. “I’m hers.”
Selene’s stomach clenched and her heart pounded triple-time at hearing that claim of connection coming from Griffin’s lips. Even if it was a lie.
John glared at Griffin for a moment, contemplating his next move. Finally, he glanced back at Selene. She simply shrugged, both communicating an I told you so to the boy in front of her and also effectively removing Griffin’s hands. They disturbed her equilibrium too much.
With one last glare at both of them, John stalked off to his friends. Selene held her breath, her eyes firmly focused on the book in her lap, but she couldn’t see the words on the pages. All of her senses were tuned to the man who was making his way around to the front of the bench.