The Challenge (The Pack 2)

He nodded silently, lowering his head until his lips skimmed mine.

“Dom,” I protested. “We’re standing in the middle of the hallway.”

“What are they going to do? Kick you out?” He retorted, brushing his lips back and forth against mine.

A smile hovered over my mouth as I said, “No, they already did that. But they could fire you and that would piss me off.”

He blew air out through his nose as he straightened. “Best not to piss you off.”

I nodded, my smile flickering as I stood there, my backpack hanging off one shoulder. My body felt equal parts hot and cold as I contemplated what had just happened. Yes, I had enough credits to graduate early but I’d essentially been kicked out and I wasn’t sure how to respond to that fact.

“I have to go lock up the field house,” Dom said and I gave him a jerky nod, letting him know I heard him. He pressed keys in my hand and my fingers wrapped around them automatically. “Go wait in the Jeep, okay?” Again, my head bobbed in an automatic response and for a minute we just stood there until he gently pushed me toward the front entrance. I started walking, chancing one last glance over my shoulder to see him staring after me.

Don’t kill anybody, I thought distractedly, the thought meant for Dom as I made my way to his Jeep in the teacher’s lot.

No death, he promised, but a dark undercurrent in his thoughts warned me he intended to do something.

Or mayhem, I added firmly. This is for the best. The words sounded hollow even to me and I felt a flash of his anger before he could hide it. Dom, its just high school. It’s not important.

It is important. You had plans and now they’re gone.

They changed, I corrected him, stopping in front of his Jeep as I huddled inside the thick coat I’d been forced to buy when the cold became too much for me. Life changes and how you react is the key to happiness.

You’re serious, he stated, his surprise coming through our bond and I was equally surprised to realize I was serious. Yeah, what had just happened was unexpected and I was upset, but really, I should have seen it coming. Dom and I played a dangerous game. A relationship between a student and teacher was taboo and flaunting it shouldn’t be encouraged.

I have you. The rest is just stuff, I replied, unlocking the Jeep and hopping to get myself inside.

Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get the shit scared out of him, Dom rumbled and I thought about protesting but finally decided it wasn’t worth it.

Just don’t get fired, I replied tiredly, my head dropping back against the seat as I tried to decide how I was going to tell Dad.

A scraping sound caused my eyes to pop open in time to see the passenger door wrenched open. I sucked in a lungful of air, prepared to scream, when Trent’s face came into view. I let out several choked breaths as he reached up and yanked me out of the Jeep.

“What?”

“No time. Where’s Anna?” He spoke quickly, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly. “We’re exposed out here.”

“Who?” I tried to gather my thoughts as they skittered everywhere. “Hanleys?”

“Yes. The answer is always Hanleys,” he confirmed, his grip tight as he hauled me back toward the school.

“I’m not really welcome there,” I muttered as he pushed open the doors.

“Don’t really care. Anna?” He asked again, staring down at me.

“Sixth period,” I pointed down the hallway. “Four hundred hall.”

“Okay, now would be a nice time to use that nifty link you have with Dom,” he muttered, hustling us down the hall.

“Why don’t you?” I asked in confusion. “You have a link with him.”

“Shhh, let’s not bandy that information around, okay?” Trent said with a grimace. “And he’s not tuning into my channel at the moment which is why I hauled ass over here when I got the info.”

“What info?”

“That the Hanleys planned an abduction attempt on you and Anna,” he said shortly.

“Then who’s at the motel?” I pushed at him frantically. “Trent, who’s at the motel?”

“I pressed Payne into service,” he answered and then mumbled under his breath, “Also Dylan and Liam.”

“Liam? As in Hanley? You don’t think this might be a trap?” I shrieked, no longer worried if anyone heard us as I considered the fact that my dad and Monster could be in danger. “And you somehow think Dylan can help?” The words came out more caustic than I intended as I panicked.

“Look, what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t risk you or Anna getting captured. It would start a war that would end in a lot of bloodshed.” He clenched his jaw, still moving us down the hall, scanning for the room number I gave him. “I thought about it, but I couldn’t exactly send Dylan or Liam with a message. Dom wouldn’t have reacted well to Liam,” he gritted out, before pulling us to a stop. “Finally.”