Tempted By my Evil Lycan Stepbrother novel Chapter 73

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Chapter 73: Legs Open, Face Flushing

Riley’s POV

The whole crowd went dead silent.

Camila’s father’s mouth was still half open. Layla’s mother looked like someone had slapped the life out of her. Even the guards holding my arms loosened their grip without being told.

Ezra reached a hand to Layla’s mother. “Give me that.”

Layla’s mother froze. “Y-Your Highness, this is just a parent petition-”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Her fingers shook so badly the paper rattled when she handed it over.

Ezra glanced at the signatures once. Then he tore the whole thing clean in half.

The ripping sound cut through the silence like a knife.

“NO!” Layla’s mother made a strangled noise. “I-I spent two months collecting that! That petition has more than two hundred signatures-”

Ezra sneered. “Then two hundred idiots just wasted their time.”

“You can’t-

“Think again,” his voice was cold, dangerous. “Before telling me what I can or cannot do.”

Layla’s face had turned white. Camila looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole, but she still had enough nerve left to say, “E-Ezra, Riley Monroe cheated in the Hunting Season. Everyone knows it-”

“Everyone?” Ezra cut in softly.

Camila shut up.

He stepped closer, and I swear even the air around him changed.

“Layla’s expulsion was my decision,” he said freezingly. “If you challenge that, you are challenging the Crown. Do you understand?”

Layla’s lips trembled. Her mother was already bowing and apologizing under her breath.

Ezra didn’t even look at them anymore.

His gaze swept over the crowd instead. Every parent, every student, every guest standing there in silk and jewels and expensive smiles suddenly looked a lot smaller.

“You want the truth?” he said, his voice carrying over the whole entrance. “Then here it is. Riley Monroe is one of the best healers in this school. She kept her team alive through traps, sabotage, and direct attacks that would have eliminated weaker competitors on the first day. I was there the whole time to witness it.”

His words hit me so hard I almost forgot how to breathe.

He was praising me. Openly. In front of everyone.

“I have absolutely no problem,” Ezra continued, “with her standing at the top. If any of you still do, you have a word with me.

A few people lowered their heads immediately. But others still looked indignant. I knew they must be cursing me internally.

soldiers behind him.

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“Surround the grate

The command cracked through the night. Twenty soldiers moved forward without hesitation. In seconds, the whole crowd was boxed in by black uniforms and drawn weapons.

A wave of panic went through the parents.

“What is this?”

“You can’t do this-we have a ceremony to attend”

“We were only protecting our children-”

Ezra’s lip curled.

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“Anyone who still wants Riley Monroe gone,” he said lazily, “is welcome to say it now. You have your right to free speech. But after that, you’ll be banned from the academy. Student or parent. If you’re enrolled here, you’ll be expelled. If you’re visiting, you’ll be kicked out. So anyone?”

Not a single person spoke.

Ezra smiled, cold and vicious. “That’s what I thought.”

A few people actually looked like they might faint.

I swallowed. This felt great, yes. But under all the savage satisfaction, uneasiness had started creeping in.

This was too much. Ezra had just humiliated half the crowd for my sake. Made himself my shield so completely it was impossible to miss.

And people were going to hate me even more for it.

Like he could hear that thought forming, Ezra turned his head and looked at me. His expression softened immediately.

Then he snapped his fingers.

A maid hurried forward carrying a long velvet box, followed by another maid with a makeup case and shoes wrapped in tissue

paper.

I blinked. “What is that?”

He shrugged with a lazy smile, “You’re not walking into the afterparty looking like you fought a mountain.”

Then he took the box from the maid, opened it, and revealed a gown so beautiful it made my breath catch.

It was deep silver with a hint of blue, like moonlight trapped in silk. The bodice shimmered with tiny crystals. The skirt fell in soft layers that looked expensive enough to make Camila gasp in shock.

“Come, sister,” he ignored all those rounded-eyes and strange gazes and took my hand. “You are changing first.”

The royal soldiers moved aside immediately to let us pass. The crowd split so fast it was almost funny. No one dared block ou way or meet my eyes.

I inhaled deeply and lifted my chin, following Ezra inside.

When people couldn’t hear us, I lowered my voice and leaned to him, “You know all this dramatic royal nonsense is only going to make people hate me more, right?”

Ezra snorted. “Do I look like I give a damn?”

I signed. “You don’t need to care because you are the prince. But not me.

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“you shouldn’t care either,” he squeezed my hand. And his voice were soft. “You deserve the best. I’ll slaughter anyone who has a problem with you.”

That’s cruel. And savage. But it made my heart swell.

I didn’t have much faith in him given his playboy history. But now maybe…it’s time to change my own prejudice.

Ezra led me to the ladies’ room, which had already been cleared for me.

Two maids helped lay everything out, but once the dress was hanging and the roakeup kit was on the counter, Ezra ordered them all out and posted guards outside the door.

“Take your time,” he stole a kiss when nobody was looking. “I’ll be right outside.”

Then he finally left.

The second the door shut behind him, I let out a long breath and looked at myself in the mirror.

God.

I looked terrible.

My hair was a mess. Dirt still streaked my face. There was dried blood near my nose, a scratch along my jaw, and I still smelled faintly like sweat, forest, and dirt.

Apparently, when mom took me back, she wasn’t bothered to have me treated.

I used the shower located in the lady’s room to clean myself up. When I finally smelt like strawberry and coconut, I got change.

The gown slid over my skin like cool water. It fit perfectly, hugging my waist before spilling down in soft silver waves. The crystals at the neckline caught the light every time I moved. I fixed my hair as best I could, pinned it back, then opened the makeup case and got to work.

By the time I finished, I barely recognized the girl in the mirror.

She looked… stunning.

No, better than that.

She looked like she belonged in a castle ballroom. Like she could glide down a staircase and never once trip over her own fear. This wasn’t the smalltown girl from Pebble Creek anymore.

For a moment, I just stood there staring, lost in my own thought.

Then the ladies’ room door opened.

I spun around fast. The door should have been guarded. No one was supposed to come in without my permission.

For a second I thought it was Camila or any other mean girls coming here to give me a hard time.

Then I realized it was Ezra.

He had taken the time to change into a tux as well. His hear were worn back in a very formal style. Now he looked even hotter and more handsome.

His eyes found me first and he stopped sharply inside the doorway.

And for once in his life, the prince actually looked speechless. Like he forgot how to breathe.

His eyes dragged over me slowly, starting at my face and ending somewhere around the hem of the dress before coming back up again. Heat flashed through them so openly it made my skin burn.

Chopda togs Open Food Flushing

“What?” I asked, trying for cool and failing a little.

He stepped closer. His voice went hoarse.

“You look gorgeous.”

My face burned even more, “You must say that to every girl you took to the party.”

“No. none of them deserves my compliment. Only you, Riley.”

He reached me in three strides and kissed me before I could think of anything to say.

His lips were hot and demanding and entirely too distracting. I made a small startled sound against his lips, then shoved lightly at his shoulder.

“Wait! You’re going to wrinkle the dress…”

He clearly decided he did not care.

One arm went around my waist, and the next thing I knew, he had lifted me onto the wide marble edge of the sink.

“Ezra!” I hissed, grabbing his shoulders. “Everyone’s waiting…”

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