Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Knight’s lips pressed together, and he glanced at Elliot with resignation.
“My tastes might be unusual but I’m not actually evil,” Elliot muttered.
Beast’s mouth trembled, and the badly burned side of his face pulled into an odd grimace. “Oh, really?”
“You heard him. He’ll be a good boy,” Knight said and patted Elliot’s shoulder. “Laurent?”
Laurent shrugged and wouldn’t grace Elliot with his attention. Infuriatingly, even the pout didn’t make him look any less pretty. “As long as I don’t have to deal with him, he’s not of interest to me. I just wish he could have met William Fane and found out for himself what a charming man he was.”
“He won’t bother you, cousin,” Knight said and pushed at the back of Elliot’s head, as if urging him to gently tip his head forward. What was this? An audience with the king?
Elliot took a deep breath, finally giving in and glancing at his toes as he bowed. “I won’t.”
Beast scanned Elliot once more. “Just make sure he knows exactly where not to go.”
“Aye aye, sir,” Knight said and pulled Elliot with him, to the same door Jake left through. It was only when they entered a short hallway with wood-lined walls that tension left Elliot’s body somewhat. “The others will be fine if Beast said yes.”
Now that they were alone, it was time to face the other burning question. “I didn’t know this would be official. That we… you know.”
“What are you on about?” Knight said, pushing at a pair of swinging doors that led them into an atmospheric space with two huge billiard tables.
Elliot tried to remember the floorplan, but his brain was fried from information overload. “You told everyone I sucked you off! Three times.”
“Because you have,” Knight said, brushing his hand against one of the tables as they passed.
Elliot rubbed his forehead only to wince when he pressed too hard on the bruise. So that was how things would be then. “Fine. Where do we sleep? My backpack's getting heavy.”
“I’ll show you to the room. If you’re hungry, help yourself to something from the kitchen, unless it’s labeled as someone else’s.”
Elliot watched Knight for a long moment. “So anything that isn’t labeled I can just eat? Whose is it then?”
Knight shrugged. “I mean... one of our hangarounds takes care of those things. Her name’s Nao. Hot Asian lady with blonde hair—I’m sure you’ll meet her soon. We’re always stocked up, but I’ve never seen her actually deal with the kitchen, so she’s probably doing it when I’m still asleep.”
Elliot couldn’t wait to check out what was in the fridges then. His backpack contained the most valuable things he owned, and it was getting really heavy, especially when he was so painfully hungry.
Knight must have noticed his struggle, because he took the backpack from Elliot’s hands and hung it over his shoulder, leaving yet another crooked passage within the labyrinth of corridors and leading the way upstairs.
Elliot was out of breath by the time they reached the second story, but when he looked around, recognition pierced his head like a dozen arrows. He’d seen this hallway in old photographs. There were ugly posters on the gray walls now, but the elegant—if somewhat crumbling—detail at the ceiling and the shape of the tall windows running along the entire length of the wall told him where he was.
He straightened his back and touched the wall, completely enchanted when he sensed the aged stone beneath his fingers. “Are we doing the tour now?” His heart began beating in a frantic rhythm. Why hadn’t Knight told him? He wasn’t prepared.
Knight looked around. “You wanted to leave your backpack.”
“Is this where you live then?” Elliot looked around in excitement, trying to memorize every crack on the walls. “It must be magical to sleep here.”
Knight’s mouth crooked into a cocky smile. “I have the best apartment in this entire house. It used to be our former president’s, and Beast didn’t want to move from his own place. It’s right where Fane’s bedroom used to be, apparently.”
“You sleep where Fane’s bedroom was?” Elliot couldn’t help the whine escaping his lips, and he stroked the back of Knight’s arm. This was destiny.
Knight glared at him. “Christ, don’t get all horny on me because of another guy.”
Elliot backed off and put his hands in his pockets. “I’m just excited. I’ve dreamed of seeing this place, but to find out that I’ll actually be sleeping where Fane had—”
“Walked,” said Knight, entering one of the open doors across from the huge windows. The room was by no means as grand as the hallway, rather narrow and with one window hugging the right wall so tightly it was clear the floor plan must have changed since the building was first erected. The interior was bare, with no decoration whatsoever and furnished only with a double bed and small desk.