Page 38 of Wicked Wolves and Tangled Truths
The hallway is teeming with activity as I walk toward my first class Monday morning. I ignore the looks directed my way as I have been since I transferred here, but something about a few of them make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.
There’s more hostility in them now. Not just the usual indifference I’d grown used to last week.
I’m not winning any popularity contests this year, not that I expected to being the new girl, but I have a feeling the camping trip is why I’ve suddenly earned the extra attention, in particular from the girls of this school. If looks could kill, let me tell you, it’s like I just walked onto the set of the human movie dramaMean Girlsand every girl walking past is another Regina George with their eyes locked on me, marking me as prey.
Screw that. I’m a wolf. I’m not anyone’s prey.
Straightening my spine and ignoring the looks, I head to my English class. A few students finger the daggers or swords at their waists but it’s an idle threat. Nothing more and I for one am not easily frightened.
Spotting Sabrina and a group of her friends, I step to the side to avoid her, but of course, she sees me, and before I can slip into my first-period class, she’s shoving her way through the crowded halls right toward me.
I grimace. This isn’t going to end well.
My wolf perks up her head, and I fight to tamp down her interest. She would love a fight right about now. I’d kind of expected a confrontation up at Shadle Creek and was relieved when one never happened, but it looks like Sabrina’s been biding her time and now this seems to be her golden opportunity to put the new girl in her place. She has no idea what a mistake she’s about to make.
Her upper lip curls into a sneer and four more girls close in beside her. All of them smell like sage, rose, and lavender, letting me know not only are all five witches, they also all belong to the same coven.
I brace myself for whatever verbal lashing she has to offer, knowing it likely has to do with her being kicked out of Rafe’s cabin that first night. I try to soothe my wolf, reminding her that we’re not here to fight. That hurting people who can’t hurt us back is wrong, when the next thing I know, an open palm zips toward my face.
I grab her hand mid strike, stopping her from making contact with my cheek. My lip curls into a snarl.WHAT. THE. HELL?
My vision goes red. My wolf lunges forward and I have to fight to keep from shifting and tearing out Sabrina’s throat. The desire to taste her blood in my mouth is strong. What was she thinking? I lock my limbs, forcing myself to hold still as my grip tightens and the bones within my hand grind against one another.
She winces and wrenches her arm, but I don’t let go despite her struggles. My nostrils flare. If I take even a single step toward her, I’ll snap. I can’t do that here.
“You’re such a stupid whore,” she snarls, spittle flying toward me coupled with her vile words. All eyes turn toward us, the silence in the previously boisterous hallway deafening.
Goddammit.Claws prick my fingertips and I know my eyes have gone silver.
Her friends step forward, forming a half circle around me as a snarl works its way up my throat.Let go, Isa. Let her go. You’re above this.I repeat the words in my head again and again like a mantra as I take deep cleansing breaths in an effort to calm my wolf. I uncurl my fingers and she jerks away, hugging her arm to her chest and rubbing at the skin on her wrist.
“An assault against our coven won’t be forgiven,” she hisses.
I take a predatory step toward her. “I did not assault you. Are you stupid? You tried to slap me. All I did was stop you.”
“Liar!” she shouts, making sure everyone else in the hall hears. “You attacked me. Look at my arm!” She waves her bruised arm in the air and I grind my teeth. God, I want to hit her. She’s playing the victim when she started this. But we have an audience now. I can’t lay a single finger on her stupid head. There would be repercussions. I could get expelled. I could have issues with the local witch coven. The gears start to turn in my head. This was planned. She knows I can’t do anything to her. Not because I actually have a conscience and don’t want to hurt her but because I’m a lone wolf with zero protections in this town.
I don’t have a Pack. I have no support system. Brian is human. He has no way of dealing with the potential fallout from this kind of confrontation if her coven decides I did, in fact, assault her.
I step to the side determined to get the hell away from her, but she shoves me back into the lockers. My back meets into the cool metal surface and a single manicured finger lifts and points arrogantly in my face. She thinks she has all the power here. That she’s untouchable now that we have an audience.
I bare my teeth and tilt my chin up, meeting her light brown gaze head on.
Sabrina’s one of the it girls. In the eyes of the students here, she’s at the top. And I’m at the bottom. It doesn’t matter that she’s a witch or that I’m a wolf. And given that I’m a lone wolf, I don’t expect anyone to come to my aid.
I’m taken by surprise when the crowd suddenly parts and Jordy swaggers toward me, an easy wolfish grin on his face—but I don’t miss the bright hot fury in his eyes or the liquid mercury that’s bled into them.
He assesses the situation before him, a tick forming along his jaw, and between one second and the next, I can tell he’s come to some sort of conclusion about what’s going on here.
A flash of concern crosses over Sabrina’s face when she spots him before she tries to mask it with cool indifference. Hands propped on her hips she purses her lips while she continues to stare down her nose at me. I meet her stare head on and my lips curl into a smile when she’s forced to look away. Pathetic.
Jordy makes a noise to catch her attention before snapping his fingers like he’s just realized something interesting. “You were at the campout this weekend, right?” he asks, moving closer toward us.
When he’s only a foot away, he leans next to the lockers beside me, lifts one hand and rubs his bottom lip with his thumb as he gives Sabrina a considering look like he’s trying to place her.
She mistakes it for interest and turns her full attention toward him. Her scowl is now a seductive smile, and at this point I’m all but forgotten. “I was.” Her words are breathy. She pushes her shoulders back, ensuring her breasts are thrust out toward him before lowering her head so she can look up at him through her lashes.
I roll my eyes, at her come-hither expression. It’s so blatantly obvious I can’t imagine guys actually fall for this crap.
