Hunting Royalty

15. Apologies and Autumn

The rumor about Nate spreads like wild fire in the forest of opportunistic girls. Elise reports that a number of girls have made requests for rope, handcuffs and whips. I'm surprised that so many girls think they have a chance to use them, there are only so many days in a week.

I manage to avoid being alone with Nate by attaching myself to Amelia or Clara for the rest of the week. I can see he's itching to confront me but he won't do it with witnesses around. Unfortunately, being with Clara so often means I have to hear about all the details for her party over and over again. She stresses about making it perfect to show Nate that she is 'prefect princess' material.

I'm finishing up my homework on Friday evening, when the painting swings open. I'm not entirely surprised when Nate storms furiously over to me. "This is not funny," he fumes.

"I don't know what you mean." I don't even bother looking up from my homework.

"I know you told everyone that I'm into BDSM!" he yells waving his hands around

"Actually, I think it was you who said that." I kind of like how mad I've made him. It's sexy.

"Enough!" He grabs the arm of my chair and pulls it away from my desk, forcing me to face him. "I'm covered in scratches and bruises. You have to make them back off." He drags a hand though his hair, messing it up.

"I want you to apologize," I say calmly.

"You what? You should be apologizing to me!" he yells outraged.

"You practically told Matthew that we had kinky sex!" I yell back.

"You were ignoring me," he says like this is a totally reasonable explanation for his behavior. It infuriates me more.

I wait. I tap my fingers on the desk and stare him down. He stares back. He sighs. He messes up his hair some more. "Fine. You win. I'm sorry. I was acting childish and I shouldn't have said those things." It looks like it physically hurt him to say those sentences.

I pretend to mull it over for a moment, but he's suffered enough. "Apology accepted."

"Can you undo this now?" he pleads with me.

"Fine, take your shirt off," I order.

He stunned speechless. "I...um...I don't think that will help. I'm feeling a little tender it wouldn't be my best-"

"Just do it," I interrupt exasperated.

I drag him to the edge of the bed and sit down behind him. He removes his shirt and once again I'm treated to a view of his back. However, this time its marred with scratches, a lot of which have drawn blood. "Someone sharpened their claws," I say.

"It's your fault Clara decided to mark her territory," he huffs out.

"Looks like more than just Clara." There are numerous scratches, whip marks and... are those burns?

"She did it all in one session after she tied me up. Like I would go back for seconds, with anyone," he explains. I place my hand over the worst of the cuts and start mumbling healing spells. "So is your gift healing?"

"I don't know, maybe, these are just spells," I say moving onto the next set of scratches.

He lets me work for a while before asking his next question, "Aren't girls meant to be jealous not trying to get girls to sleep with me."

I laugh, "We're just friends, there's no need for jealously," I say it with as much honesty as I can. But my stomach twists with the idea of these girls touching him. He would have slept with Clara regardless, at least this way he didn't enjoy it, I reason.