He’s gonna have a door shut on his dick if he so much as mentions Bailey’s name.
Bailey had that same pale pinched look on her face before class that she had yesterday—fates, was it only yesterday? Feels like weeks ago. It makes me want to punch Brumgard all over again.
But I’m glad she didn’t come to class.
She shouldn’t ever have to sit through another Brumgard lecture.
And I will personally make sure he writes her the best goddamn college recommendations ever created. I saunter over to his desk and read the papers on it until the bell rings and he comes over. Anger and fear flicker over his face at the sight of me.
I lean in close, taking advantage of the shuffling in the room as kids sit down to say what I have to say. Fates know, most of the class has shifter hearing and Brumgard doesn’t, so speaking in a low voice isn’t going to work if anyone’s listening.
I scent his fear.
“Bailey’s not coming to class, but you’re not going to mark her absent,” I murmur.
I don’t wait for his answer. I know he’s going to do what I ask.
He has to. I have so much fucking leverage over this man right now, it’s crazy.
I head to my seat where I plop down, fold my arms over my chest and glower at him as he starts the lecture.
Every time he looks my way, he loses his cool and stammers, forgetting what he’s saying. I glory over the sweat dripping down his forehead.
He’d better sweat it.
He’d better sweat me for the rest of his goddamn life.
Fucking pervert.
Austin nudges me and lifts his chin toward Pink’s empty chair. “Where’s the human?” He mouths the last word, even though most students at Wolf Ridge are pack. There are some unsuspecting humans who go here—probably less than twenty percent, and all socially marginalized like Bailey. For faculty, we’re not quite so homogenous. More than half of them are human. Alpha Green thinks it’s important for integration that we learn to blend into the American culture without humans knowing what we are.
I scowl because I’m not going to tell him where Bailey is, and also, I’m still pissed about the reason for her absence.
He raises his brows.
I force my scowl away and shrug my shoulders like I don’t give a shit.
I doubt I succeed, especially since Austin knows me better than anyone, but Bailey’s story isn’t mine to tell.
I think about Pink. What I know about her now. The scent of her tears. The taste of her skin. The way her ass feels in my hands.
She gave me her vulnerability yesterday.
Robbed me of mine.
I want to still hate her. Especially after what she witnessed in front of my house.
But I don’t.
We’re in this together now. We’ve shared each other’s nightmares.
And when I took from her, she gave.
Let me kiss those swollen lips. Let me dry fuck her against a wall.
I woke up this morning thinking I needed space. Get this human off my mind before she gets even further under my skin.
I planned on pretending she didn’t exist when I saw her today. Reasoned she probably needed the space, too.
But it didn’t last. The minute I saw her, I tumbled back to where we were last night, standing between our houses under the moon.
And now I’m already itchy for more.
I need to finish this thing I started with her.
I can’t stop until I fully own Bailey Sanchez. Until she’s given me every secret, every lie, every tear. I crave the moment I take everything from her.
Crave it like my next breath.
Bailey
After school I hang by my locker. It’s stupid, I’m going to miss the bus if I don’t hurry, but I want to see Cole. Want to talk to him again. Find out what happened in journalism class. Tell him what I decided.
I wait until I’m going to have to run to catch the bus, and then I give up, shut my locker and head down the emptying halls. When I round the bend into the junior and sophomore hallway, my steps falter.
Casey Muchmore is at her locker with a group of friends and when she sees me, she looks like she wants to draw blood. She says something to her friends and leaves them, walking right toward me. The friends stay at the lockers, but watch in sick fascination.
I tell myself not to be afraid of an underclassman, but it doesn’t work. After the way Rayne was really scared Adriana would hurt me, I’m not sure what to expect from the girls at Wolf Ridge. Sounds like they’re as likely to get into fights as the boys, which scares the crap out of me.
I want to pretend I don’t see her and walk on by, but it’s not the right thing to do. I saw something ugly in her family last night, and if she’s pissed, it’s probably partially because she’s ashamed of what I saw. So I’m not going to blow her off, as much as I’d like to.