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“Excuse me?”

“Or a sandbox. You're a big kitty. I'm sure you'll figure something out.”

“Maggie—”

“I honestly don’t care what you do. Right now, I do not have the time or the will to explain to a grown-ass Lion Shifter what the words not interested mean.”

Silence.

Beautiful, glorious silence.

Coach Williams stares at me. Grimm stares at me. Dora is definitely staring at me. Hell, half the Royal Academy is probably staring at me. And suddenly I realize something.

I'm not shaking.

Okay, maybe a little.

But I'm still standing. And holy Goddess, it feels good.

Coach's face reddens.

“You don't speak to me like that.”

There it is. That old pressure hits my chest.

The instinct to smooth things over.

Apologize.

Make a joke.

Tell him I didn't mean it.

Except I did.

I absolutely meant it. Every single word.

So I look him directly in the eye.

“Apparently I do speak to you like that. There are actual witnesses.”

Whoa.

Who is this woman?

Because I fucking like her.

A sound comes from behind me.

Low.

Rough.

Definitely a growl.

It’s Grimm. Coach hears it too.

His eyes jump over my shoulder.