Cruel King: A Dark New Adult Romance (Royal Elite)

Fight all you want, but you’ll never win.

There are two things I learn when I drop Astrid off at school.

A- She doesn’t want to be seen with me.

B- I fucking hate it.

As soon as I park the car, she flies out towards the entrance, watching her surroundings as if her arse is on fire. Although it’s a shame to have that tight little arse on fire.

Daniel comes out of his car as soon as Astrid crosses the threshold. He must’ve called her name because she turns around and meets him halfway for a hug.

My grip tightens around the steering wheel.

One more thing I fucking hate.

I watch for a change in Daniel’s expression. An excuse to erase him completely out of her existence.

Lucky for him, he only gives her a brief side hug with his arm at her back.

Astrid’s smile widens at another man who comes out of the passenger seat of Daniel’s car. He’s a taller, a bit buffer version of Daniel with a mohawk hairstyle — who does those anymore?

He opens his arms and Astrid goes right into them. I grind my teeth at how his arm dips to the small of her back. The sorry fuck grins at her with that unmistakable hunger.

Huh. Looks like someone’s going down.

Soon.

No one touches what belongs to me.

Astrid Clifford is already mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Today’s practice goes smoothly now that I don’t have to worry about the little princess in the crowd, cheering for someone else.

“Good to have our captain back.” Cole winks at me on our way out of the locker room.

“Did I ever leave, fuckers?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah?” Xander raises both eyebrows. “You were the living dead on Saturday.”

“Shut it, Knight.”

“Yeah, shut it, Knight. My party cheered up, Captain.” Ronan flings his arm around my shoulder and waggles his eyebrow. “Were Mum’s paintings that inspiring?”

I smirk. “Very.”

“Oh, bordel.” His face falls. “Come on, Captain. In the office? Mum will fucking kill me.”

“Rest in peace, little shit,” Cole says.

“Don’t fuck the corpses when you’re dead,” Xander laughs and we all laugh with him.

Ronan head-locks both Xander and Cole making them butt heads. I let them walk ahead as Aiden stalks to my side like the creep he is.

He’s focused on his phone, on someone’s social media. That’s rare. Usually, Aiden doesn’t give two shits about these things.

Unlike me, he does have an Instagram account, but he only uses it to paint a fake image.

I angle my head to the side to see who’s the pitiful fuck who has my cousin’s attention. I only catch a glimpse of a girl’s Instagram before he hits home.

“Are you recruiting someone for a satanic sacrifice?” I ask.

“Maybe.” His poker face’s game is too strong. It’s as if he’s actually entertaining the idea.

Wait. Is he?

“What gives, Lev?”

“About?”

“No fight with Jonathan for the entire weekend. That’s a record.”

“He’s not worth it.”

“And you’re not speedy.” He raises an eyebrow. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

My feet falter for a second as Aiden’s words sink in.

I’m not speedy — not that I like the term.

Fuck.

I was never able to pull a break on it before but now, the wheel is slowing down on its own.

“You coming to the Meet Up?” Aiden asks over his shoulder.

“No, and Ro!”

“Quoi?” Ronan pants barely escaping Xander’s punches.

“Take Daniel with you.” I pause. “From now on, always take him with you.”

I find Astrid in the car park, frowning at her cell phone.

She needs to stop staying in fucking isolated places like these. If someone has half of my power over here, they’ll easily manage to pull some shit like the other time.

“Trouble getting a ride?”

She jerks, wide eyes straying my way before she releases a breath. “You scared me.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t stand in isolated places like a prey begging to be eaten.”

She lifts her chin. “What you did won’t dictate my life.”

I snatch her wrist and pull her into me. “Stop putting yourself in danger.”

“You’re the worst danger that can happen to me.”

“Worst danger, huh?”

“Duh. Have you seen yourself?”

“Why don’t you tell me, princess?”

She purses her lips for a second too long and I’m tempted to eat her mouth all over again.

Kissing Astrid isn’t a pleasure, it’s slowly becoming a need like air and food.

“You’re like the night,” she finally says.

“The night,” I repeat.

“Uh-huh. And not just any night. You’re like those dark, silent nights where no one knows what will happens.”

“Would you like to know what will happen now?”

Her breath hitches. “Now?”

My hand wraps around her throat, and her pulse quickens under my thumb. “When you’re being this bloody stubborn, I’m tempted to do…”

“To do what?” her voice drops, but her gleaming eyes never leave mine.

I run my tongue over the shell of her ear, loving the shiver that takes over her. “Wicked things, princess.”

“You’re…” She trails off, clearing her throat. “Whatever. Not that it matters. How did you know I had trouble getting a ride?”

“You’re standing on your own at eight in the evening.”

“Dan has a meet out with the team.” She narrows her eyes. “Is it normal that the captain doesn’t attend?”

“They can fend for themselves.”

“That’s not very captain-ey of you.”

“That’s not a word.” I smile. “Besides, I don’t feel like being a captain tonight.”

“What do you feel like being?”

“Just me.”

My lips find hers.

Usually, I’d tear past her defences. This time, I don’t. I let her have her little rebellion. I let her fight.

Fight me.

Fight us.

If fighting will give her the illusion that she has a chance at winning, then by all means, let her fight.

She seals her lips shut, but her body leans closer into me. Then, slowly, too slowly, her mouth parts open. It’s only the slightest bit, but it’s more than enough.

She gave up that inch on her own.

But she should know by now that an inch isn’t enough. I take the whole damn pitch.

My tongue finds hers and I devour her until there’s nothing left of her. Until she’s entirely sagging against me.

Astrid’s fate is sealed.