Chapter 44
1138 Words
The air in the empty classroom was thick with the scent of old chalk and the sharp, metallic tang of Ethan’s cologne. My heart was a frantic bird trapped in my chest, beating so hard against my ribs that I was certain he could feel it through the palms of my hands. Ethan looked down at me with that infuriating, golden-boy smirk, his eyes dancing with the triumph of having me cornered.
He thought he was the monster under my bed. He thought he was the ultimate predator. But he had no idea that I had already been marked by something far more ancient and far more terrifying. My Alpha Daddy was a shadow that didn't just haunt my dreams; he lived in my marrow. If Ethan was a storm, the Alpha was a global extinction event.
As I looked into Ethan’s eyes, a dark, desperate thought took root in my mind. If I couldn't scrub the Alpha's mark off my neck with soap and water, maybe I could drown it in the chaos of someone else. Ethan might be nasty, but compared to the man who had branded me, he was a distraction. A shield. I took a shaky breath, my fingers trembling where they gripped his leather jacket.
I leaned in and pressed my lips to his.
The impact was physical. I felt Ethan’s entire frame go rigid, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes widened in absolute, unadulterated shock. He didn't move for a heartbeat—he couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it either. My soul was screaming at me to run, to slap him, to scream for help, but my body refused to listen. I was tired of being the prey. I wanted to lose myself in the fire of someone who hated me just as much as I hated him.
Then, the shock broke. A low, guttural growl vibrated in Ethan's chest, and his hands flew to my hair, his fingers tangling in the strands as he tilted my head back. He didn't just kiss me back; he devoured me. It was a war of teeth and lips, a desperate, hungry clash that felt like we were trying to erase each other. I had lost my mind. I was officially untethered from reality, floating in a sea of sparks and adrenaline.
He slowly pulled away, just an inch, his forehead resting against mine. His breath was ragged, hot against my skin. "What are you doing, Bella?" he uttered, his voice a raw, broken whisper.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I just pulled him back down.
The spark I felt was undeniable. It was like my heart was trying to rip out of its cage and fuse with his. We were two broken things trying to feel whole, even if it was a lie. He shifted his focus, his lips trailing down my jawline to my neck. He found the spot—the brand. He didn't just kiss it; he sucked on the skin, a sharp, stinging pain blossoming across my nerves.
"Ah!" I let out a soft moan, the pain finally snapping the tether. The reality of what I was doing hit me like a bucket of ice water. I shoved him back with everything I had, my hands shaking.
Ethan stumbled, his eyes dark, his pupils so blown out that his eyes looked like bottomless pits of coal. He licked his lips, looking at me with a dazed, predatory hunger, wondering why the hell I had stopped.
"I... I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice cracking.
I didn't wait for a reply. I turned and bolted out of the classroom, my sneakers squeaking on the linoleum as I ran as fast as I could. My God, Bella. What have you done? I had kissed the one man I swore to destroy. I had done it willingly. He was going to think I was his now. He was going to think his games had finally worked.
I practically fell into my Science class, my face burning and my hair a mess. I needed to focus. I needed equations and formulas and things that had a logical answer. I took my seat in the back, trying to ignore the way my lips still tingled.
The class was actually going well for about fifteen minutes. I was staring at a beaker, trying to calculate molarity, when Abigail—a girl who always looked like she was one bad day away from a breakdown—started mixing chemicals like she was making a smoothie.
"Abigail, wait—" I started to say.
BOOM.
A massive, grey cloud of sulfurous smoke exploded from her station, billowing toward the ceiling and setting off the fire alarms in a deafening screech.
"Class is cancelled! Everyone out! Follow the protocol!" the teacher yelled through his sleeve. He pointed a soot-covered finger at Abigail, who was standing there with singed eyebrows, looking completely indifferent. "Principal’s office! Now!"
I groaned, waving the smoke away as I followed the herd of students into the hallway. I had been so happy that Ethan wasn't in this class, but now my sanctuary was gone. I checked my phone; I had about twenty minutes before English.
English. The Lion’s Den. Everyone would be there.
I decided to head toward the cafeteria to grab a granola bar, hoping the walk would clear my head. As I passed the courtyard, I saw Amelia and Scott. They were leaning against a pillar, laughing about something. Scott’s eyes caught mine, and a slow, oily smirk spread across his face. He winked at me and blew a mock kiss.
Amelia’s laughter died instantly. She looked at me with a gaze so full of pure, concentrated hatred that I felt the temperature drop.
"Two losers," I muttered, looking away. I didn't have the energy for her today. I didn't have the energy for any of them.
I made my way toward the English wing, but as I passed the janitor’s closet, a sound stopped me dead. It was a muffled, ragged sobbing. It didn't sound like the fake crying Amelia did for attention; it sounded like someone’s world had just ended.
I stopped, my hand on the wall. Keep walking, Bella. Everyone here is a shark. Leave them to rot. I took a step away, but the sob came again—gasping, pained, and so lonely it hurt to hear.
I sighed, leaning my head against the cold brick. "Dammit."
I couldn't just leave. I turned back and reached for the handle of the closet. My heart was hammering again. Was this a trap? Was someone waiting in there to pour more water on me? Or was there actually someone in this hellhole who felt as broken as I did?
I took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
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