Chapter 1

Phoenix

Seven Years Ago

Senior year. One hundred eighty more days of this godforsaken place and I can finally get out of here. Walking across the courtyard of Brighton Academy, I stop in my tracks. My eyes narrow at the sight of McKenzie Knight sitting on the brick wall with Caleb Johnson standing between her legs. This fucker. I glare as his hand caresses her knee. Balling my hands into fists, I imagine smashing his face into the brick wall.

He must have not received the memo. McKenzie is off limits. He's about to be educated. Changing directions, I turn toward them, my steps determined. McKenzie pushes a piece of her silver hair behind her ear, smiling at something Caleb says. Gritting my teeth, I lengthen my strides until I'm standing behind Caleb. Mckenzie's eyes catch mine and they widen slightly.

"Phoenix," she greets me. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink.

Caleb pivots around, taking a step away from McKenzie. His face pales as he crosses his arms in front of him. He did receive the memo: he just chose to ignore it. That's the only mistake he'll ever make.

"McKenzie. How was your summer?" I don't take my eyes off Caleb, enjoying the way his eye twitches.

"Uneventful," she replies. The sound of her feet hitting the ground pulls my attention to her. She looks sexy as hell in her school uniform. My gaze takes in her big brown eyes, her slender throat, and her shirt that's buttoned up all the way like the good girl she is. One day I plan on corrupting her. Just like her daddy corrupted my mom. "How was your summer?" she asks.

I turn, giving her my full attention, and put myself between her and Caleb. "Uneventful." I repeat her answer and her lips tip up slightly. My summer was anything but uneventful, but I won't tell her what I was doing. The same thing I've been doing for the past four summers. Looking for my mom.

I'm not old enough to go to the auctions yet, but that will change in a few months when I turn eighteen. I plan on attending my first during winter break. If I see her dad there, she may never see him again. How he raised a daughter as sweet and innocent as McKenzie is beyond me.

"Uh…McKenzie I need to go. I'll see you later, okay?" Caleb says, trying to duck out from his punishment. I hide my smirk as I rub my hand up my jaw. Her eyes fly over my shoulder as she squints at him. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and shakes her head slightly. She forgot he was there.

"Oh, okay. I need to go anyway. I'm being someone's guide today." She waves at Caleb, but her eyes linger on me.

I lick my lips and her eyes follow my tongue, just like I wanted. I'm going to fuck her one day. And she's going to love it. She walks away and her skirt sways along the back of her thighs. My mouth waters at the thought of putting my mark on her soon.

Turning, I'm not surprised to see Caleb's back to me as he tries to make his getaway. But I wrap my hand around the back of his neck, squeezing until he grimaces. "What do you think you're doing with McKenzie?" I ask him in a low voice as I walk us toward the side of a building where there aren't a lot of witnesses.

His eyes flit around as I push his back against the wall until they finally land on me. "We…" He swallows convulsively as I wait.

What many don't know is that my great grandfather founded this school. My mother, Alice Brighton, is an alum and was to be the next dean. But I don't flaunt my lineage for all to see. I'm a quiet force to be reckoned with. People don't see me coming until they're left picking up the pieces.

"I don't have all day." I stand in front of him, waiting patiently. To any bystander, it looks like we're having a conversation.

"We did a work-study program together over the summer and became friends." He pauses. "Then more than friends."

I chuckle as I rock back on the heels of my feet. "Yet, she said her summer was uneventful. How unfortunate for you."

A flash of anger and embarrassment shows in his eyes, but he conceals it quickly. He tries to explain it away. "You make her nervous." I tilt my head at him and sigh.

"Why do you think that is? I have made it abundantly clear she belongs to me."

"Yet she doesn't know that," he interrupts. I take a step forward until my chest is almost touching his. He swallows loudly and looks back toward the courtyard, but I get in his field of vision, forcing him to look at me.

"She knows it. She just doesn't know she knows it."

He sucks in a breath and tries to break eye contact with me, but I refuse to let him. "So, what? Do I break up with her?"

I step back as I think this through. McKenzie is gorgeous, but she doesn't realize it. I also know she gets shit from the girls on the cheerleading squad. All of them except Anna. Caleb has a decent reputation and it might help keep the girls off her back.

"No, don't break up with her. But you are not to touch her. Ever. Understand?"

His mouth opens and closes. "What? How do you expect me to do that? She's going to wonder, eventually."

I roll my eyes at him and take another step back. "No, she won't. She'll think you're being a gentleman and you're going to let her believe you are. And you won't touch anyone else either."

Caleb glares at me when he realizes what I'm saying. He has to spend his senior year being a monk. That's his punishment for going against the decree I put out freshman year. He knew the consequences, yet he did it anyway. He's lucky I'm not cutting off the fucking hand that touched her. It's in his best interest to keep his mouth shut and he knows it, so he doesn't say anything else.

Turning, I begin my trek back across the courtyard toward the front office. Opening the schedule I stole from McKenzie, I notice there are a few classes she's in that I'm not. That needs to be fixed before classes begin tomorrow. I told the Executive Director of Administration I'm to be in all of her classes, but this year it's not like that. Seems like more than one person wants to test me this year.

They'll learn. They always do.

I stare at the new dean as he tries to give me shit for wanting to change my schedule. "It"s extremely last minute. We need more notice."

"I"m not explaining myself to you again." I lean back and look at the plaque on his desk. "Dick. Can I call you Dick?"

He scowls at me. "My name is Richard. And you may call me Mr. Reynolds or Headmaster."

I stand from my chair, circle around his desk, and lean against it, staring down at him. I try to hold my amusement back at the look of shock on his face. "Well, Dick, my name is Phoenix Stone. My great grandfather was Alexander Brighton." His eyes widen at the realization. "I know you"re new, but you will change my schedule and you will not question me again."

He nods slowly, then presses the intercom on his desk. "Ms. Kole, please update Phoenix"s schedule. He"ll be out there to see you in a moment."

I push off his desk and walk to the door. "I"m pleased you decided to see things my way." Exiting his office, it takes all my self control not to slam his door. Who the fuck does he think he is?

After I get my schedule fixed with Ms. Kole, I call my dad.

"Hey, son," he greets me as a car door slams in the background.

"Did you know there"s a new dean?" I ask him. Walking toward the locker room to get ready for practice, I grit my teeth when I see Kelly and her plastic friends heading toward me.

"I found out this morning, but I"ve been busy, so I haven"t had a chance to call and warn you." I duck between two buildings, trying to avoid Kelly, but I know she"ll find me soon enough.

"Why are you just now finding out?"

He huffs. "They haven"t been as forthcoming with information since your mother went missing. I reminded them of the funding we provided and that I would pull it if it happened again." There"s some talking in the background. "I have to go. Send me your lacrosse schedule. I"ll make sure to come to a few games." He hangs up before I can respond.

I inhale slowly as I put my phone in my pocket. My father is hiding something from me and I haven"t been able to figure out what it is yet. I never wanted to follow in his footsteps. The only person I"ve voiced that to is McKenzie. It was the one and only deep conversation we had. But even if I don"t want to, I know I will. I"ve already started.

I made it my mission that I would destroy Marcus Knight. That includes making his daughter mine.