The Crimson Mark

Chapter 2: Queen Bee’s Warning

The heavy brass lock clicked as Aria slammed the locker door behind her. 24... 12... 38.

Her hands shook as she turned the skin on her left wrist over in the bright fluorescent lights of the hallway. Smooth. Pale. Not a single trace of the horrific, black silver burn Julian's ring had carved into her skin ten minutes ago.

Pure silver doesn't burn humans. His voice echoed in her head like a curse.

"So, you're the trash they hauled in from out of state."

Aria froze. Her fingers gripped the locker handle. She turned around slowly.

Standing three feet away was a girl practically radiating of absolute authority. She had waist length blonde hair, high cheekbones, and ice-blue eyes that tracked Aria with utter disgust. Flanking her were three other girls in crisp, tailored blazers, their arms crossed like royal guards.

"Chloe, right?" Aria asked, leaning back against her locker with an easy, practiced indifference.

Chloe stepped closer. Her perfume's expensive, smothering jasmine filled the air between them. "That's Queen to you, transfer. I see you already know my last name. Trying to copy my identity before you've even finished your first day?"

"It's just a common last name," Aria snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Though I'm fairly certain my family didn't buy ours at a discount store."

A collective gasp echoed down the hallway. One of Chloe's sycophants let out a quiet, shocked sound before quickly clapping a hand over her mouth.

Chloe's ice-blue eyes narrowed. Her polished mask cracked for a split second to reveal genuine, venomous rage. She took another aggressive step into Aria's personal space.

"Listen to me very carefully, Aria," Chloe hissed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I saw the way Julian was looking at you in Chemistry. I saw him leaning over your desk. I don't know what kind of cheap games you think you're playing, but let me spell it out: Julian Drake belongs to me. Our families have a history that goes far deeper than high school."

Aria held Chloe's glare without flinching. "If he belongs to you, Chloe, maybe you should put him on a leash."

"What did you just say?" Chloe spat, her jaw clenching tightly.

"You heard me," Aria sneered, stepping closer until they were eye-to-eye. "Because from where I was sitting in class, he looked pretty eager to get close to me. Maybe spend less time marking your territory and more time giving him a reason to stay."

The hallway went dead silent. Students standing near their lockers stopped talking entirely, staring at the transfer girl in absolute disbelief.

"You'll regret that," Chloe whispered, her voice low and lethal. "I'll make sure you don't survive this semester."

"I'll be waiting," Aria replied, flashing a fake, razor-sharp smile as Chloe turned on her heel and strutted away, her clique following behind her like loyal hounds.

By fifth period, Aria needed an escape from the suffocating stares. She slipped into the Blackwood High library, a huge, two-s********m with vaulted ceilings and towering, oak bookshelves. Long, amber shadows stretched across the room.

Aria walked down the deepest aisle in the back, pulling a heavy historical tome from the shelf to have something to hold.

Cedar and rain.

The scent hit her a split second before a dark shadow fell over her.

Aria spun around, but Julian was already there. He blocked the narrow exit between the two tall bookcases, crowding her completely into the dark corner. He'd ditched his blazer, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, exposing thick forearms.

"Do you have a habit of trapping girls in school buildings?" Aria snapped, squeezing the heavy textbook against her chest like a shield.

Julian didn't answer right away. He took a single, deliberate step forward, forcing Aria back until her spine hit the wooden shelf. He reached out, planting one broad palm on the shelf right beside her head.

"You have a big mouth, Vance," Julian growled softly, his stormy grey eyes searching her face. "I saw what happened at the lockers."

"She started it," Aria said, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. "She thinks she owns you."

"She doesn't own me," Julian whispered, leaning down until his mouth was inches from her ear. "But she is dangerous. Far more dangerous than your arrogant little mind realizes."

"I can handle a spoiled queen bee, Drake," Aria spat, staring up at his sharp jaw.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Aria blinked, staring at his chest. A heavy, rapid thumping echoed sharply in her ears. It was fast, violent, and completely contradicted the stone-cold expression on his face.

"Your heart is racing," Aria blurted out, her own breath catching in her throat. "Why is your heart pounding like that?"

Julian's jaw clenched hard. He ignored her question. His grey eyes darkened with a dangerous intensity.

"Chloe isn't just a queen bee, Aria," Julian warned, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that sent a strange warmth straight down her spine. "She has teeth. And if you keep pushing her, she will bite."

"Is that a threat?" Aria whispered, her eyes dipping down to his lips before locking back onto his gaze.

"It's a warning." Julian murmured. He reached out, his bare thumb brushing gently against her jawline a touch so warm it made her shiver. "Stay away from her, Vance."

"Why do you care what happens to me?" Aria challenged softly, stepping into his chest, refusing to back down. "Ten minutes ago you were interrogating me about silver burns."

Julian leaned in closer, his chest brushing lightly against hers, effectively pinning her against the rows of books. The physical heat radiating off him was intoxicating, suffocating, and utterly impossible to ignore.

"Because if you expose what you are in front of her, I won't be able to save you." Julian whispered, his lips almost touching the shell of her ear.

"Save me?" Aria let out a breathless laugh. "I didn't ask you to save me."

"You don't have a choice," Julian rasped, his grip on the wooden shelf tightening until the oak groaned under his fingers. He looked down at her lips, his breathing heavy and ragged. "She will destroy you, Aria. And I won't always be there to pull her off."