The Rogue Triplets’ Little Nerd

CH 8 - Persefone

PERSEFONE POV

*soundtrack: London Bridge - Fergie*

I woke up with a violent jolt and the immediate feeling that something was wrong.

My heart was pounding.

Eden was howling in my head.

And my phone alarm was blaring like the soundtrack of my personal descent into madness.

“What the f**k—”

I slapped blindly at the nightstand until my hand finally found the phone.

Silence.

I squinted at the screen.

Then sat upright so fast I almost headbutted the wall.

“Oh shit.”

Three snoozes.

THREE.

I never snoozed alarms.

Ever.

I was usually awake before them like some traumatized war veteran trapped in the body of a caffeine-addicted teenager.

But apparently icy blue eyes haunting my dreams all night had consequences.

Rude.

Very rude.

I even missed warrior training. Mom was going to bite my ass for sure.

Fuck.

I threw the blankets off and stormed toward the bathroom looking like a possessed Victorian ghost.

There was no time for breakfast now.

No time for dignity either apparently because I nearly slipped on one of Penny’s hair products and died face-first against the sink.

Wonderful.

The shower lasted maybe four minutes.

Five if I counted the existential crisis halfway through shampooing my hair.

I dragged random clothes on without even checking if they matched.

Black leggings.

Oversized hoodie.

One sock with moons.

The other with little tomatoes.

Fantastic.

At least I found my red Converse under the bed before leaving the room.

Small victories.

I shoved my backpack over one shoulder and practically launched myself into the hallway.

‘PERSEFONE!’

Too late.

Penny’s voice exploded through the mindlink while I was already halfway down the stairs.

‘We’re leaving in TWO MINUTES!’

‘I KNOW!’

‘PLEASE TELL ME YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LOOK DERANGED.’

“THAT’S MY NATURAL STATE!”

I jumped the last four stairs at once.

Bad idea.

My foot landed weirdly against the polished floor and my body pitched forward right as someone stepped into my path.

Solid chest.

Strong hands.

Warmth.

“What the—”

I slammed straight into Richard hard enough that he had to grab my waist to steady both of us.

Great.

Just great.

Rachel’s older brother.

Future Gamma of the pack once my brothers officially stepped into leadership.

Tall.

Broad.

Sandy blond curls falling into warm brown eyes and the kind of smile that made any female within a one-mile radius act like a fool every single time.

Usually I liked Richard.

Today I liked oxygen more.

“You okay there, Perse?” he asked with a low laugh, hands still on my waist.

Weird.

Richard had never been touchy before.

Not with me anyway.

“Late,” I muttered quickly, pushing wet, loose curls out of my face. “School. Panic. Death.”

His grin widened.

“You always this adorable in the morning?”

I blinked.

Excuse me?

Before my sleep-deprived brain could fully process that sentence, Richard reached up and tucked one of my curls behind my ear gently.

Very gently.

My stomach twisted strangely.

Not butterflies.

More like—

Uncomfortable awareness.

More like... did I step into an alternate universe and suddenly the male population has got no survival instincts?

Eden stirred instantly, baring her teeth.

What the hell?

I stepped back immediately, brushing the feeling of his hands off my body before it could settle.

Nope.

Absolutely not enough mental stability for analyzing whatever the f**k that had been.

“See you later,” I blurted quickly before speed-walking toward the entrance.

What the f**k is wrong with me? See you later? Why?!

I was almost out the door when Ermes’ voice reached me.

“Running away without breakfast? That’s not your style!”

I turned so fast I nearly snapped my neck.

The omega stood in the doorway holding a coffee cup in one hand and—

My eyes widened.

Chocolate chip pancakes.

“Oh my god,” I breathed.

Pretty sure my soul temporarily left my body.

“How did you know?”

Ermes shrugged one shoulder casually, though amusement flickered in his eyes.

“Penny was alone at breakfast,” he said simply. “Figured you’d need emergency supplies.”

I stared at him.

Then at the pancakes.

Then back at him.

I could’ve cried.

Instead I threw myself at the poor man like an emotionally unstable and super hungry raccoon.

“THANK YOU.”

Ermes laughed softly, steadying me easily when I nearly dropped the coffee.

“You’re easy to bribe.”

“Food is my love language.”

“I noticed.”

A loud honk exploded outside.

Penny.

Again.

‘IF YOU MAKE ME LATE I SWEAR TO GOD—’

“I’M COMING!” I screamed, grabbing the coffee and pancakes before sprinting toward the parking lot.

Penny was already behind the wheel looking shocked and mildly bothered. She was usually the one late... and she hated driving with her whole soul.

“You look insane,” she informed me as soon as I got into the passenger seat.

“Love you too.”

I took one sip of coffee and nearly moaned.

Perfect.

Hot.

Strong enough to revive the dead.

I attacked the pancakes next with absolutely zero dignity.

Penny eyed me suspiciously while pulling out of the driveway.

“You overslept.”

“Observant.”

“You NEVER oversleep.”

I shoved half a pancake into my mouth like a feral animal avoiding questions.

Penny narrowed her eyes.

“What happened?”

Nightmares.

Sort of.

Except calling dreams about Thane Blackwood pinning me against sinks and staring at me like he wanted to ruin my life “nightmares” felt inaccurate.

Disturbing?

Yes.

Illegal?

Potentially.

Nightmares?

Questionable.

“I didn’t sleep well,” I muttered instead.

Penny hummed softly but didn’t push.

Thank the Goddess.

Usually she interrogated people like an FBI agent in glitter.

“You ready for tonight?” she asked after a minute.

The party.

Right.

Tonight.

At midnight we’d officially turn eighteen.

Meaning tonight everything could change.

Potentially forever.

“Not more than yesterday,” I admitted quietly.

Penny smiled immediately.

Bright.

Certain.

“It’s going to be perfect,” she said.

I looked out the window at the trees rushing past.

Goddess.

I hoped so.

With my whole freaking heart.

—————————————

By third period I already wanted to fight someone.

Or sleep for twelve years.

Potentially both.

Calculus dragged on endlessly while Professor Morris explained something about differential equations with the emotional intensity of expired yogurt.

Usually I loved calculus.

Today my brain felt like microwaved soup.

Eden wouldn’t settle.

Neither would I.

And to make things worse—

Keres was sitting behind me.

I could feel him.

Not metaphorically.

Literally.

His boots kept bumping my chair every few minutes like he physically couldn’t freaking stand still.

Annoying asshole.

The thought of zapping his ass—or his balls like yesterday—felt particularly appealing. The only problem would've been explaining the tears afterward.

So, instead, I tried focusing on the board.

Didn’t actually work.

Especially not when something suddenly tugged lightly at one of my curls.

I froze.

Slowly turned my head.

Keres looked entirely too relaxed behind me, chin propped against his fist while one tattooed finger lazily twisted a blonde curl around itself.

“What are you doing?” I hissed quietly.

His mouth twitched.

"contemplating the universe.”

“That’s my hair.”

“It is... but it's now working as a stress reliever.”

I snatched the curl away from him immediately.

Keres just grinned wider.

Goddess, I wanted to punch him.

Unfortunately my body betrayed me spectacularly because the place where his fingers had brushed my hair tingled stupidly against my scalp.

And Eden just sat there with her head tilted, weirdly focused on the feeling.

Traitor.

I turned back toward the board aggressively.

“Don’t touch me.”

Behind me, his voice dropped lower.

“You’re tense today, nerd. I can fix that you know?”

I ignored him.

Mostly because I was afraid if I answered I’d either:

A) insult him

or

B) say something deeply concerning.

Another curl slid through his fingers.

My entire spine stiffened.

“I swear to gods—”

“Miss Savage,” Professor Morris interrupted sharply.

Wonderful.

Thirty pairs of eyes turned toward me instantly.

“Would you like to explain the theorem since you’re apparently in the mood to socialize?”

I stared at him blankly.

Then at the equation.

Then at the demon currently playing with my hair behind me.

“I’d rather die,” I answered honestly.

A snort came from somewhere behind me.

Probably Penny.

Professor Morris pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Enough. Both of you.”

Both?

Excuse me.

I wasn’t the one acting like a psychotic stray dog with boundary issues.

Keres leaned closer behind me then, just enough that his voice brushed near my ear.

“Cute when you’re all riled up.”

My heartbeat stuttered violently.

Not because of the words.

Because of how close he was.

Because I could smell forest and smoke and something dangerously male wrapping around me.

Because my body noticed.

I hated that it did.

And deep down—

that scared the hell out of me.