“I said stay away from her,” Alex growled—“or I end you.”
The words didn’t sound like a threat.
They sounded like a law.
Alex stood in front of me with my hand locked in his, his body angled like a shield, his shoulders lifted like he was holding back a storm that wanted to tear the trees out by their roots. His eyes were glowing—real gold, not a flicker—and the air around him felt heavy, pressurized, like the night itself was bracing.
Ponytail girl didn’t flinch.
Varsity guy didn’t back up.
They smiled.
Like this was what they wanted.
“Aw,” ponytail girl said lightly. “He does care.”
Alex’s fingers tightened around mine—just enough to remind me he was here, just enough to anchor me to his control.
“Go,” Alex said.
The word hit the space between us and them like a shove.
A few
