Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite #3) by Rina Kent



“This is so stupid,” Teal sighs.

“I agree,” I say.

“It’s fun!” Knox smirks. “Think about it. Don’t you like the clashing of powers? This is like Game of Thrones without the dragons.”

I shake my head. Teal rolls her eyes.

“You two are so boring.” His face lights up when Ronan appears down the hall with Xander.

Death has Conquest in a lock as he says something in rapid fire. They’re probably bickering again.

The girls in the hall flock to them like they’re gods walking the earth.

Both Ronan and Xander have the time to wink at one girl and wave at the other even during their bickering.

They’re approachable — overly so. If it were Aiden and Cole, they’d be erasing everyone from their immediate vicinity — especially Aiden.

Cole might be polite, but he doesn’t go out of his way to make a connection or invite people to parties like the two walking towards us.

“Now, they aren’t boring.” Knox grins, waving at them. “Ro!”

“Oh, please. This isn’t the headache I need on a Monday morning.” Teal retrieves her phone and scrolls through it.

I’m starting to think the device is her weapon of choice when she decides to erase the outside world.

“Van Doren.” Ronan and Xander hug Knox in that awkward bro kind of way.

They have been hanging out since the first practice game. Knox has become a regular at Ronan’s parties — to Dad’s dismay.

Not sure if Aiden likes it, but the two of them don’t seem to care.

“How was my weed?” Ronan points at him with a triumphant expression. “I told you you’d see three girls as six.”

Xander nods in our direction.

“Mesdemoiselles.” Ronan searches around us. “Where’s my Kimmy?”

That earns him a slap upside the head from Xander. Ronan elbows him in the side. “As I was saying, where’s my Kimmy?”

“She had to drive her brother to school,” I tell him.

“I see.” He holds my hand. “I missed you during the weekend, Ellie. Why didn’t you come to my party? You should’ve seen my ace performance at the drinking competition. I won, by the way, not to be boastful or anything.”

“You know I’m not big on parties,” I say.

He waggles his eyebrows. “Unless King is there and you’re making babies with him.”

My cheeks heat. Ronan won’t let me live down that time when he nearly walked in on us.

“Do all your conversations have to revolve around sex and alcohol?” Teal asks with genuine curiosity.

“And weed.” He grins, showing his pearly white teeth. “That’s the most important part, ma belle.”

She rolls her eyes and strolls in the opposite direction.

Teal does that a lot — walking away without so much as an excuse — but she does it more often when Ronan is around.

“That’s a record, Astor.” Xander hits his shoulder, laughing. “Never thought there will be a day where a girl will leave because of you.”

“Right? I think so, too.” Ronan scratches his jaw. “She must be an alien. No offence, Van Doren.”

“Being an alien is cool, mate.” Knox grins, but something sinister lurks underneath. “But go near her and I’ll cut you, human style.”

“Go near her?” Xander laughs. “She’ll hang his balls on a stick before you even interfere.”

“That’s actually true.” Knox appears like he just thought about that. “Even my balls aren’t safe from her.”

“Ellie,” Ronan leans in to whisper. “Are they really aliens? Do they do weird twin alien shit at home? Do I have to save you? I have my white horse waiting just outside.”

I burst out laughing. He’s such a weirdo, but a great one at that.

“Finally.” Ronan flings an arm over my shoulder. “I missed that laugh.”

The four of us walk to class together, jesting and talking about the Premier League. Knox is the only one amongst us who supports Chelsea. Needless to say, Xander and Ronan give him hell for it.

Their verbal bickering extends to class with everyone watching them as if they’re world wonders.

Kim comes in last-minute, grumbling about the traffic and how she barely got Kirian to school on time.

For no reason at all, she glares at Xander before she settles in her seat. He barely glances in her direction, though.

Weird.

Class starts, but neither Aiden nor Cole show up. That’s bizarre. They don’t skip classes. Ever.

Especially Cole.

I retrieve my phone and check the text Aiden sent me first thing in the morning.

Aiden: Morning, sweetheart. Did you dream of me?

Aiden: I did. Now I have to jerk off all alone while picturing you.

Erotic images fill my mind. Aiden fisting his cock in that rough, masculine way, thinking about me, and bringing himself to orgasm. Aiden’s godlike expression when he comes, the tightening of his abs, and the strength of his release.

I squirm in my seat.

Wrong thought in class. Extremely wrong.

I try to focus on Mr Huntington as he reads from the textbook.

“Did you punch the bitch queen again?” Kim whispers from beside me.

“No. Why?”