Adler | The Monarch & The Heirs BOOK 2.

Verdict | A ELEVEN

A/N: Dedicated to StellaAipanda and Niyah3403

•••

By the time Stevie waltzed through the academy doors, the buzz of the swim team's captain's big, dark secret had spread like wildfire.

If there was one thing the morons were reliable for, it was to take a simple compromising situation and jumble it into the biggest load of hersey. The assumptions they leaped to were even greater than she had expected.

Stevie glimpsed at the captain's ex-shag, Bethany Winters ranting to her friends at the sideline that there was no real intimacy between them. Lying about how good he was out of pity, that she always knew there was something "off" about the guy- blah, blah blah. The pathetic excuses to save face were atrocious as they were hilarious.

It almost made up for the turnout of the Coeus' first morning meeting with the officially enlisted members, only for one of them to be a no show. Stevie checked registration to find Cassandra Lovett was marked as absent for the day.

Stevie hadn't expected Cassandra to spring back from the ploy overnight and would've gladly given the girl a little space. Except, the dragon who sat in the seat of power in St. Sinclair's head office had finally gotten wind of Garren's unapproved antics.

"Now, I can punish all four of you for your misconducts on the spot, Stevie. Or you can be the honourable sacrifice and take my second option."

"But, Ms. Shepherd I wasn't even here when Garren started those trials-"

"Excuse me but I was not finished speaking." The edge in the head's voice was not to be challenged. "Now, since it was thanks to you insisting Patell to be in the line up that earned our school it's first gold medal in the Regional Championships swim relay in a decade, I'm offering you some leeway. Why not show a little gratitude, hmm?"

Stevie suppressed a groan. "Thank you, miss."

"I'm having you be in charge of monitoring the new recruits so that means making sure Ms. Lovett's absence doesn't become a pattern."

"Okay."

"She's the niece of Jason O'Reily, a very good friend to the director and a benefactor."

"And you don't want the director coming at you if she's crying to him about what your twisted grandson did, right, so that's why you care." Stevie derived.

The remark was received with a wide, tight-lipped smile from the crone who sat before her. "Get it sorted as soon as possible, Stevie. It'll be for your own good too, trust me."

Stevie said nothing further and excused herself from the premises.

**

"Will would you calm down already?" groaned Garren.

"How am I meant to calm down? Stevie's been marked." Will bawled. "There's a disgusting blemish on my baby's body."

The Kings had claimed their reserved booth for their Thursday lunches at Risoni. In which, Stevie made the mistake to loosen her collar at the wave of heat from the radiators and Will's eyes had spotted the traces of her make out session with Rudolph which lead to the current fit. She would make sure to let her hair down for the day to avoid any other notices.

"It's a bloody hickey. Don't act like you've never been up to that stuff. Just shut up about it already and order." said Garren.

Will did not. "Stevie how could you let that douche do that after the stunt he pulled yesterday?"