Free Web NovelChapter 13: Unfairly handsome
An awkward silence settled over the dining room. Yuki was certain the brothers had heard everything with their sharp hearing, but she still had to speak up. She really had no intentions of getting involved in whatever mess it was.
Kieran shifted his gaze from her to Eloise. "What is going on? It is early for drama," he said casually.
Yuki clenched her fists, ready to explain, but Eloise cut her off before she could open her mouth.
"Yuki thinks this is a hotel where everyone has to wait for her," Eloise said, voice dripping with self-righteousness. "She took too long to come down so I instructed the maids to clear the table. They are people too and do not deserve to wait that long."
Yuki’s jaw dropped. What kind of ridiculous story was that? Who would believe such a blatant lie? frёeωebɳovel.com
Kaden scoffed. "You were late yesterday too," he said, not even bothering to hide his annoyance. "You want to repeat the same thing?"
His eyes swept over her briefly.
"You still have twenty laps left," he added. "I will be waiting at the field by two."
Yuki’s face twisted in frustration. Of course, they would always take Eloise’s side. Worse, this jerk still was not letting her off the hook. Twenty laps. She did not know if she was more upset about missing breakfast or the remaining punishment.
"That is not what happened," she argued, even though she knew it was pointless.
Kieran’s gaze darkened as he looked at her. "Did you come late for breakfast?" he asked, as if it were a fact.
"Yes, but it was not deliberate. No one woke me," she replied, trying to reason but they clearly weren’t listening
"Those are just excuses, Yuki," Kieran cut in. "Do not blame others for your shortcomings. Next time set an alarm." His voice stayed cold and clinical, twisting something deep in her gut.
Her nails dug into her palms. "I still need breakfast. I missed dinner yesterday. Can I get a quick sandwich?" she asked.
"That would not work," Kaden cut her off. "Maverick is already waiting for you and he does not have all day. Dad is gone and we are pretty busy."
Yuki almost scoffed. He was busy but still had time to chauffeur Eloise and torment her. He must have excellent time management. The thought tasted bitter in her mind.
"But I..." she started again. Her stomach growled loudly enough for everyone to hear. She was truly hungry and could not stay like this.
Kieran sighed and turned away. "We have a lot to handle. Do not make things worse." He glanced at Eloise. "I cannot accompany you today. Kaden will take you to school." With that, he left the room.
Yuki went silent. No one was ready to listen to her.
As soon as Kieran disappeared, Eloise grabbed Kaden’s arm and pulled him toward the door. "It is time we leave," she said in a sweet voice that did not reach her eyes.
Soon Yuki was the only one left standing there. She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the empty ache. She took a deep breath. It was just breakfast. She could survive. freēwebnovel.com
She swallowed her frustration and walked outside. Sure enough, Maverick’s car waited in the driveway. It turned out that he was now her unofficial driver. She approached the passenger side and reached for the door.
Kaden’s SUV was already gone. Safe to say he had left with Eloise. Yuki pulled the door open when she felt eyes on her back. She turned around and scanned the windows upstairs. It felt like someone was watching her. Her brows pulled together in confusion but she got in anyway.
The car pulled away from the driveway. Completely oblivious to the figure watching from the second-floor window. Kieran’s gaze remained unreadable. He glanced away from the glass and looked at the head maid standing behind him.
He had summoned her through the mind link after leaving the dining room. "What happened today?" he asked.
The head maid straightened up. "It was all Lady Eloise’s instructions," she said. She did not have to explain further. He understood what was going on.
He should not care, but it still bothered him.
*******
Once again, she survived another battle of fast and furious action, but her body had adjusted better this time. She did not feel like emptying her stomach when Maverick pulled over at campus.
It helped that she had nothing left in her stomach to begin with.
The car stopped and Yuki reached for the door when Maverick unexpectedly spoke.
"Did you mean that confession?" he asked. Her fingers tightened around the door handle. She froze. Why was he bringing it up now?
"It is in the past. No need to worry. I would not bother you," she said, trying to avoid the topic as she stepped out.
Maverick’s gaze lingered on her like he had more to say but could not find the words. In the end, he only managed, "Be careful. There are a lot of top shifters at Dravenhall. Unlike your old pack, strength matters more here. Do not let someone take advantage of you because of your face."
His unexpected advice left her stunned. Before she could reply he had already floored the accelerator and driven off.
Puzzled, Yuki continued inside, but from the moment she arrived on campus, something felt off. The stares landed on her like needles, accompanied by low whispers that followed her down the paths.
Her ears faintly caught a girl’s voice. "She is all beauty and nothing. A vixen like her sister." Yuki stopped for a moment. Her gaze drifted to the backs of the girls who had just walked past her.
It was not worth it. She reminded herself and kept walking.
Yuki did not have combat class today so she did not run into Xavier. He was a senior and they only shared that one class.
The day turned hectic. Back-to-back lectures left her exhausted. She was so drained that she did not even have time to worry about the trending topics on the school forum.
Despite moving on an empty stomach she still dragged herself to the field by two. Kaden was already waiting there. Her body felt like lead but she forced herself forward.
Kaden looked her over. "Seems like you finally learnt the dress code," he mentioned, then started jogging. "Come on. Let us start."
The sun beat down hot on her skin and her stomach twisted with hunger. Yuki gritted her teeth and followed after him. The first lap felt like hell. She wanted to stop but the devil only sped up.
Her head started spinning. The hunger was finally catching up with her. Her feet stumbled against something. A sharp cry left her mouth as she fell forward.
Kaden reacted on instinct. His hand shot out toward her waist the moment he noticed her stumble, but instead of steadying her, they both lost balance.
Yuki barely had time to gasp before they crashed onto the track. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.
Her body landed awkwardly against his, one palm pressed flat against his chest while the other braced uselessly against the ground. Heat radiated through the thin material of his shirt. Beneath her hand, she could feel the firm rise of muscle and the steady thud of his heartbeat.
For a moment neither of them moved. Their faces were suspiciously too close.
Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them, warm against each other’s skin. The tip of her nose brushed his accidentally and Yuki’s breath caught.
She had never seen him this close before..His eyes looked different up close.
The sharp sapphire colour she always found intimidating seemed brighter beneath the afternoon light, almost unfairly striking. Sunlight caught against his hair, softening the darker strands that had fallen messily across his forehead from running.
Her gaze drifted lower before she could stop herself. His lips were slightly parted, faintly damp from exertion, the trace of sweetness from whatever sweet he had been eating earlier lingering in the air between them.
Her heart suddenly started misbehaving, wreaking absolute havoc.
She became painfully aware of how close their bodies were pressed together in the awkward position. She still felt his lower half against her. He wasn’t hard of course but she could still feel the sheer size of him. He was monstrous. The warmth of him surrounded her in a way that felt strangely overwhelming.
Why did he have to be so annoyingly good-looking? Kaden looked equally frozen.
His gaze stayed fixed on her face, unreadable for once. He looked stunned, like he had forgotten what he was supposed to say.
The atmosphere shifted. That same strange warmth she had felt around Kieran crept through her chest again.
Panic immediately followed. Yuki jolted, trying to push herself away. Her hand accidentally brushed against a crutch. She accidentally held him. Kaden hissed a low sound that slipped from his mouth which affected her in a way she didn’t want to as something pooled in her stomach
"Sorry," she blurted quickly, her face heating. Her movement went horribly wrong.
Pain shot through her twisted ankle, making her lose balance again. Before she could catch herself, she fell forward.
Her lips crashed against Kaden’s and both of them froze.
The faint sweetness in his mouth caught her completely off guard as something small slipped between them, the sugary taste lingering unexpectedly.
Her eyes widened, as she accidentally kissed him. The sweet taste filled her and her lips subconsciously parted.
