23.
2227 Words
CHAPTER 23
RINI POV
I hated attention. It was a by product of being ignored my whole life, I knew that, but it was hard to think of many things I hated more.
Whether it be the fact I was actually in clothes that fit, or Rafe’s insistence of walking me to each class, I had become the focal point of everyone’s attention… especially males.
Silas had to smack one of my usual bullies across the back of the head when he made a smart comment about my body being built like a race track and he was happy to drive. I really hoped he didn’t pass that comment on to the guys, not that they would care, but I would be humiliated if they laughed.
What may be more humiliating, was the fact my next class was up stairs and I was going to have to awkwardly make my way up them with these damn crutches and not only figure out how to manoeuvre myself but also be on alert for Melinda or anyone else that would gladly push me down the stairs.
The literal last thing I needed was to be injured further and have the terror trio feel more obligated to take care of me. I couldn’t wait until I could throw these crutches away and no longer be a focal point of their life.
“Back for more, oxygen thief?”
Lady Luck hated me. It was official.
“Did you hear me, w***e?”
I sighed deeply and kept moving, hoping that if I ignored her for long enough Melinda would leave me alone.
A delicate hand grabbed my arm and nails dug in deeply.
“I will not be ignored!”
Before I could even turn to face Melinda her arm was suddenly ripped away from me. I spun in surprise to find Rafe snarling at Melinda who was staring at him pale faced and uncertain.
“Um what’s the deal?” She asked, trying to gather her bravado.
“You get warned once,” he hissed softly. “Don’t talk to her, don’t look at her and if you touch her again, you’ll be lucky if you live to regret it.”
Melinda looked astonished and honestly? Same.
“You can’t be serious,” she said, and swept her arm to indicate me. “She doesn’t belong here, she’s not like us; she’s nothing!”
Rafe yanked her forcefully once and then raised a single finger to emphasise his point, before shoving her away and stalking over to me, somehow managing to sweep both me and my crutches into his arms effortlessly.
“Rafe! What are you doing?”
He smiled at me tenderly. “Rafe, huh?”
He and Ralph had managed to swap clothes at some point in the morning, but I wasn’t fooled.
“Well you’re certainly not Ralph, despite the clothes.”
Rafe looked at me with such adoration my flight instincts kicked in but obviously I wasn’t going to be able to run in my current state.
“You’ve probably signed my death warrant with that little display,” I noted, nodding at Melinda who was staring daggers at me.
“She touches you and she’s signed hers,” he replied with so much certainty it kinda scared me.
Rafe must have sensed how uncomfortable I was, because rather than say anything else, he just began carrying me up the stairs.
Of course this only drew more attention our way. f**k my life.
“I can walk,” I protested.
“You can,” he agreed but made zero move to put me down, instead just adjusting his grip so I was even closer to him.
“You know you don’t have to do this,” I tried again.
“I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, not any more.”
This was maddening. “Rafe, you know what I mean. Nothing has to change, I’m really ok.”
“Everything has changed,” he said cryptically, stopping in front of my next class where Ralph was lounging against the wall with my next set of books.
“Weren’t you meant to come find me to exchange books?” Ralph asked with a raised eyebrow.
I rubbed my forehead, a headache starting to build again. If I had known how annoying it would be to have attention on me, I would have never dreamed of it.
Ralph, as always, never missed a thing and smirked at me. “Poor little Rabbit, do you not like being on our radar? Perhaps the grass is not greener on the other side.”
I wiggled out of Rafe’s arms and thankfully he allowed it, gently placing me on the ground, settling my crutches comfortably underneath me.
“Thanks for walking me,” I said to Rafe, clearly dismissing him.
With an indulgent smile, he reached down to grab my books from the previous class and pressed a warm kiss against my cheek.
“I’ll see you at lunch.”
“I’m not eating lunch in the cafeteria,” I told him coolly.
He shrugged and gave me a lazy grin as he backed away. “Then we’ll eat somewhere else, see you Rabbit.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to Ralph. “You need to talk to him, this is getting out of hand. I don’t need a bodyguard, I don’t need a baby sitter and I don’t need the target on my back your attention gets me.”
“What makes you think he would listen to me?”
“Well, he sure as hell isn’t listening to me!” I snapped and then gestured to him wearing Rafe’s clothes. “And what’s with the change of clothes? Is this some weird s*x game you play with the girls.”
Surprise flashed across his face as quickly as it came and then a sultry smile turned his lips up one side. “Looks like you’re the one who is focussed little Rabbit. Fully across what we are wearing huh? Paying that close attention?”
I ignored the heat in my cheeks and raised my chin defiantly. “Please talk to Rafe and Lyall too and then go back to ignoring me please.”
Ralph pushed off the wall and slunk towards me like a predator. He stopped when he was right in front of me, his chest pushing against my breasts causing my traitorous n*****s to harden. Ralph’s eyes lasered in on them, licking his lips slightly as he lowered his mouth to my ear.
“We have and will always do whatever it is we want. You don’t want a bodyguard? Stop acting like prey. You don’t want a babysitter? Stop acting like a child.”
He pulled back and his face was suddenly angry. “And put a f*****g jacket on.”
He spun around and put my books in the arms of a surprised Suzie. “Take these and help her get to her seat. Someone will bring her afternoon books to you after lunch.”
He didn’t look back at me, just stalked away.
Suzie’s wide eyes turned to me. “Whoa, what the hell was that?”
I rubbed my forehead again. “I have no idea, I think my very existence pisses him off.”
Silas appeared next to Suzie and snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Suzie poked him in the abdomen since her height meant his chest was above her eye level. “This doesn’t involve you, why are you even here?”
Silas looked absolutely delighted. “So you DO know I exist!”
“Of course I know you exist,” Suzie snapped. “You refuse to let me forget it!”
Silas took her hand that was still jabbing into him and leant down to run his nose against her skin, inhaling it like it was oxygen.
Both Suzie and I were stunned. Had the whole male population lost their goddamn minds?
Suzie broke out of the stupor first and shoved at him before storming into the classroom with my books in hand.
“Um, I don’t really know you,” I said nervously. “But Suzie is my friend and I wouldn’t be a friend to her if I didn’t let you know I’ve watched a lot of true crime and I don’t need to be strong or a shifter to make you disappear.”
Silas threw his head back, laughing like I had told him the funniest joke, once he had recovered he smiled at me. “Man, you’re going to totally shatter and remake their world. I can’t wait. See ya later.”
He loped off, whistling as he went.
I shook my head and moved into the classroom to take my spot next to Suzie.
*
Knowing that Rafe would likely be waiting for me as soon as class finished, I feigned a bad headache 15 minutes before lunch was due to start and got permission to leave class early. Suzie kept my books with her, so it was easier for me to move around and promised to meet me at the nurse’s office.
I was doing pretty well, moving with pace down the hall until I got to the stairs. I wasted a couple of minutes trying to work out the best way to get down before finally settling on scuttling down on my butt with my crutches on my lap. Dignified? No. Effective? You bet.
I got down the stairs with no issue but as I was nearing the nurses office I heard Melinda’s voice from above me.
“She’ll likely hide out with the nurses,” Melinda was telling a minion. “We need to find a way to distract the nurses, so we can get her out without too much fuss.”
I froze and looked around, needing to get out of sight before they made it down the stairs. I didn’t have many options and so when I saw the bathroom, I rushed inside, shutting and locking the door behind me. I prayed Melinda couldn’t scent me because I was pretty confident the flimsy lock wouldn’t keep her out.
I pressed my head against the cool door and worked on calming my heart, I didn’t need them to hear my heart beating out of my chest either.
“This is the male’s room.”
I froze, my heart starting up it’s erratic beating again.
“And you don’t look like a male to me.”
I moved slowly and turned to face Lyall, who was watching me with his arms crossed against his massive chest.
I opened my mouth but not a single word came out, I mean, what could I even say?
Lyall raised both eyebrows. “Nothing to say? Do you often lock yourself in male only areas? Hoping to seduce an unsuspecting male?”
THAT pissed me off and I glared at him. “If I was going to lock myself in a room with a guy, believe me, it would not be you.”
He moved lightening quick and smacked his palms against the door so hard it cracked. He stood in front of me, caging me in with both of his fists clenched on either side of my head, his face two inches away.
My breathing came faster and in response, he moved slowly forward so only an inch was between us, almost close enough to kiss.
He smelt like pine, wind and… power? I don’t know how the hell I could smell wind …or power, but whatever the scent was, it was divine.
Was he going to kiss me? I felt my core heat and my face flush with the realisation that I wanted him to kiss me. Oh god was he going to do it? Was he going to kiss me, pressed up against the wall in a guys bathroom?
I didn’t realise my hands had moved to bunch the material of his shirt in my fists, my chin tilted up.
His eyes were no longer the deep brown so many of the girls whispered about, they were now bright violet as he looked down at me.
My eyes fluttered close and my lips parted slightly, my tongue coming out to wet them.
He laughed then, rough, lusty and cruel.
“Oh no princess, I’m not going to kiss you,” he growled. “No, first you’re going to have to beg me.”
My eyes snapped open as rage filled me. f**k that and f**k him.
“I will never beg you.” I snapped, trying and failing to shove him away from me.
He grasped my wrists firmly in one giant hand and then lifted me off my feet with his other arm. He ran his rose against my throat and his tongue slipped out for the briefest of seconds.
Was he freaking licking me?
“You’re going to be desperate for my touch, you’re going to burn for me and if you’re a VERY good girl, maybe I’ll allow just one taste.”
He nipped at my neck with enough force I knew there would be a mark for the rest of the day and then placed me on my feet, wrenched the door open and was gone, leaving me feeling bereft and cold.
- Writer
