Chapter 8
Xavier
I grin as the color drains from Delilah’s face.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, her voice warbling. “I didn’t say anything.”
“The cameras and microphones in my room say otherwise.”
She gapes at me. “There’s surveillance equipment in here?”
“Yes. Don’t act so shocked.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She rolls her eyes. “Never mind. Knowing you, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Let’s get back to what you said about me. Specifically, my dick.”
The student next to me giggles, and Delilah narrows her gaze at the feminine sound. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snaps.
Is she jealous? Fuck, I hope so.
“Come on, little raptor. Say it to my face.”
“Shut up.”
A laugh slips from me at the murderous expression on her beautiful face. “You’re a liar.”
“Whatever.”
“Ready for class? Assuming you can concentrate on something besides my big dick.”
“I’ve never been happier to discuss English composition than at this moment.”
“That’s not the response I was hoping for,” I say with a smirk. “I’m going to stay on the phone with you for the entire lecture. I know you need to hear the material explained in person, so that’s why I’m here. Be sure to take notes and let me know if you can’t hear the professor.”
“That’s . . . thank you,” she grumbles.
“You’re mine, and I’ll always take care of you. End of discussion.”
“Xavier—”
“Hush and pay attention, bride.”
Dr. Yamamoto walks in, and her gaze lands on my raised phone. One look from me, and the woman’s attention shifts to the students in the front of the room. I sit in silence, the only sounds coming from the lecture.
While keeping the camera aimed at the professor, I focus on the screen, my chest expanding with pride and other emotions that weaken me in ways I don’t want to think about right now.
Delilah is stubborn and willful, but I fucking love that about her.
If she ever holds back, I’ll provoke that spirit in her, reignite her spark.
Delilah scribbles notes the entire time, her forehead creased in concentration as though she’s learning how to defuse a bomb. Her intense expression turns me on. My dick immediately gets hard, but I ignore it, keeping my focus on her.
When the class is over, I head outside and find a secluded spot to talk to her. I don’t like the idea of anyone seeing Delilah in her current state: wearing my T-shirt with her hair loose around her shoulders and her eyes bright with happiness. That’s for me alone.
“Did you get everything?”
“Yeah,” she says. “Thanks.”
“Good. I’m off to your next class.” When she bites her bottom lip, I stifle a groan. “Stop doing that thing with your lip, unless you want me to show up with a raging hard-on.”
“I don’t think Professor Ames is going to let you call me during his lecture. He’s very strict about cell phones in his class.”
My mouth thins. “I’ll handle Ames.”
“Xavier, be careful.”
“Are you worried about me, little raptor?”
When she shakes her head, a pang of disappointment shoots through me.
“Professor Ames is the one who’s overseeing my . . . bride contract,” she says, lowering her voice. “I can’t afford to piss him off. He literally holds my future in his hands.”
The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut, making my stomach clench.
Although I knew someone in the Order manipulated Delilah’s situation for her to become a bride, I didn’t know who or why.
I should’ve asked before now, but I’ve been too distracted by having the woman of my dreams in my bed. And keeping her alive.
I search Delilah’s gaze for answers. She drops her head, hiding her truth from me. I scowl.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shifts on the mattress, tugging at the sheets. “I didn’t think it was important. Was I wrong?”
“Every detail of your life is important to me.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think it mattered who was managing my contract once I became yours.”
“Once you became mine,” I repeat slowly, letting every syllable coat my tongue. Pride and possessiveness rise in me at her words. I take a deep breath to keep myself in check. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”
Delilah finally looks at me. She gives me a shy smile, and the expression has my pulse racing. And my dick getting harder.
“Really?” she asks.
I nod. “What else?”
She studies me, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity. And something else. Longing. What does my little raptor yearn for?
I would deny her nothing.
And give her everything.
“There are so many things I want from you,” I say. “But that’ll have to wait.”
“What about Professor Ames?”
“Like I said, I’ll deal with him.”
Delilah stares at me, her gaze searching for something. I keep my expression open. If she can’t see that I’m willing to fight for her, then she needs to.
My girl gives a reluctant nod. “Thanks.”
“I’ll call you shortly.”
After I hang up, I make my way toward Ames’s class. When I reach the lecture hall, he’s already there, rifling through the contents in his briefcase. He freezes at my appearance and jerks up his head, our gazes colliding.
“Donovan, what are you doing here?”
“Attending class.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “You’re not registered for my class. This is on your bride’s schedule.”
“She’s my responsibility.” I shove my hands in my pockets, feigning nonchalance. “Are we going to have a problem?”
He straightens to his full height, his eyes piercing. “This is only a problem if you make it one.”
“Let me be clear,” I say. “My bride attends your class, therefore, so do I.”
He tilts his head, examining me like I’m a hazardous chemical. “That attitude is going to get you in trouble, recruit. The other leaders may be willing to look past your insubordination, but I am not.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I possess to keep my features blank. My fingers curl into fists as the need for violence spreads through my body. “What do you mean?”
“Your father’s position on the council doesn’t exclude you from our chain of command. You will fall in line, or you’ll be destroyed.”
“I’ve never gone against the Order’s wishes.”
He eyes me, sizing me up as though we’re about to engage in combat. “Be mindful of your words when speaking about your bride, Donovan. She hasn’t been good for you.”
“That girl isn’t your problem.”
“That girl was poking her nose in the Order’s business,” Ames says, his tone sharp.
“She asked me about my signet ring and its origins on her first day of class. Awfully curious for someone with no affiliation to the founding families. Making her part of the Bride Hunt was the easiest way to gain her silence and stop her inquiries. I assume you’ve handled her appropriately, so I don’t have to? ”
His thinly veiled threat shoots acid into my veins. All this time, I wasn’t sure why Delilah got caught in the Order’s crosshairs. Especially after Benjamin and I had gone through such great lengths to keep her hidden. Now I know.
Delilah’s loyalty to Benjamin could’ve gotten her killed, on more than one occasion.
First, when she asked Ames about his signet ring.
Then with her sneaking onto the fraternity’s property.
And finally, chasing me down in the parking lot to ask me about Benjamin’s whereabouts.
If I could sever the ties between them, I would.
However, the memory of her on the rooftop, wounded and bleeding because she believed my life was at stake, crawls to the forefront of my mind like a snake, poisonous and cold. I put her in just as much danger as her foster brother has.
I meet Ames’s gaze head-on and nod. “Yes, she’s behaving. I’m here to pacify her. Nothing more.”
“Be careful you don’t overindulge her,” he says. “Women are always a threat. They’re most likely to take advantage of us when we’re blinded by lust.”
Ames’s words grate against me, fueling the fire I’m trying to keep contained. “I haven’t forgotten your lessons,” I say. “She’s my property. Nothing more than that.”
Until I make her my bride in name and deed.
He studies me for a moment, his gaze narrowing as if gauging my sincerity. “Just make sure your property doesn’t compromise your loyalty. The Order will always come first.”
I nod, although every part of me rebels.
Delilah is my first priority in any situation, even if it costs me everything. The Order might be the legacy I was born into, but a life with my little raptor is the legacy I wish to create.