Chapter 12 Rion
TWELVE
RION
“Go. Get the fuck out of here before she decides to ride your dick as punishment too,” Kael snarls, his fingers curling into my fur as he whispers into my ear, and my gut churns, all while he keeps his scornful look aimed in Drayker’s direction.
She wouldn’t.
Through my wolf's eyes, I look at the woman in question. The familiar curl to her lips, the tightness of her jaw, and the way her fingers flex at her sides tells me he's right.
She would.
With a frustrated snarl, I take a step back, but not before locking eyes with Elodie. The concern is rich in her stare, but it’s outweighed by the red marks on her neck, which threaten to send me over the edge again.
“I’ve got her, asshole. Now go,” Kael grits out.
Blinking up at him, I see the truth in his eyes, and I know I can entrust her to his protection. Before I change my mind, I take off, but not before I brush against the girl who's captured my entire attention.
I shiver at her softness against my fur before I truly make a run for it.
The more distance I put between us, the faster I go, disappearing out of sight, letting my paws guide me.
I don't care which Institute belongs to whom. I run for the foliage, the tree line, the earth, trodding over the ground from one section to another as Drayker’s words continue on repeat in my mind.
Solitary training?
She’s joking, right?
Maybe Kael is right, possibly Thorne too. I played right into her hands, but like hell was I going to let them continue backing Elodie into a corner. They wouldn't if they knew what she is capable of, but that’s beside the point.
Laurie Drayker has always been a vicious professor, playing by the rules, in class and out of it, but she purposely turned her wrath on the wrong person back there, and now that the moment has passed, I can see it clearly.
Fuck.
The realization sends another bout of frustration and rage through me, leaving my mind cluttered and messy.
Instead of dwelling in it, I allow my wolf to take over, letting my brain fall numb as I pounce through The Vale, sticking to the shadows at the perimeter.
With every step I take, the emotion clawing at my chest melts away, but there’s still a tightness there.
It’s the adrenaline zapping through my veins that refuses to ease, not even when I push myself harder, faster.
I don't know how much time passes, but when I approach Institute Thirteen for the seventh time, I know there's no outrunning my demons, not in this form anyway.
Slowing my pace in front of the jagged, gothic edges that I call home, my gaze latches onto the door at the back of the building. It’s so discreet, camouflaged, I'd almost forgotten what sat beneath the frames of the institute, what I put there.
A spark flickers through my bones, igniting the adrenaline I can’t shake, and I quickly head for the main entrance, shifting back into my human form as I reach the front porch, unfazed by the cool air that touches every inch of my bare skin.
I don't waste any time, racing up the stairs and darting into my room for a fresh set of clothes.
Some wolves are clever and leave bags of clothes around campus so they don’t get caught out in moments like this, but there’s something about it that doesn't feel as freeing.
To know that you're prepared takes a particular element out of connecting with my wolf that I cling to.
I like it raw. I appreciate the fact that I have to rush back here unprepared, giving me a moment to adjust to the shift.
I tug my t-shirt over my head and buckle my jeans before I slip on a pair of combat boots and head to the door.
I make it halfway before I spot my cell phone on my nightstand and stuff it into my pocket, along with the key in the top drawer.
There are small wins in forgetting it this morning, at least. Excited, I rush back downstairs.
The entire building is quiet, leading me to assume that classes are still in session, but I don’t care; my focus is now set on the basement as I round the exterior of the building.
The door creaks open, sending an exhilarating shiver down my spine. It burns brighter with every step I take as I rub the little key between my finger and thumb, engraining the jagged edge in my memory as I reach the bottom and turn the lock.
Despite the dark and dingy air, with my wolf's heightened vision, I spy the man in the center of the room immediately. He's passed out. There’s a dark stain dried into his pants, confirming the fucker has pissed himself, but my grin forms at the bloody wife beater that still clings to his chest. Thorne may have healed him, but there’s still a reminder of what I’ve put this asshole through already.
Eager to eliminate the distance between us, I draw closer, my head tilting to the side as I wonder how I can rouse this motherfucker, but instead, my body takes over and I punch him square in the face, startling him awake.
He's alert and panicked as blood splatters from his nose and across his cheeks while his bleary eyes lock onto mine.
“Fuck off,” he snarls, his voice croaky.
I probably should hydrate him, but it would mean taking care of him, and right now, I definitely don't want that.
I smirk at him, which seems to irritate him more.
“Fuck off,” he repeats, spitting a glob of blood at my feet, and I laugh.
“You've got balls, man, I'll give you that,” I state, running a hand over my jaw before rearing my arm back and slamming my fist into his face again.
Not that he seems to care. Despite the grunt of pain, a bloody smile transforms his face as he licks his teeth. “All this for a girl?” he says with a bubble of laughter, and I huff.
“Your daughter,” I clarify, and his eyes darken as he shakes his head, the movement weak despite the anger in his tone.
“She ain't my daughter,” he bites back, and I freeze.
“Is that why you punished her?” I ask, my voice raspy as my pulse thunders beneath my skin.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he insists, and I grin, leaning forward so I'm eye level with him.
“Maybe I should punish you,” I murmur, excited by the way his eyes darken.
“Aren't you already?” he claps back, and I snicker, humorless and dark.
“Nah, not yet. I'm going to bide my time, drag it out until you're pleading for death. But even then, I won't give you the satisfaction,” I promise, watching the confidence on his face slip as my cell phone vibrates in my pocket, drawing my attention away from my captive.
I frown as a message flashes across the screen, and my chest tightens with a hint of panic.
Kael: Has anyone seen Elodie? She took off after lunch. I think she’s gone looking for a manic wolf.
Thorne: Maybe she's heading toward the institute.
Thorne: Rion, have you calmed down?
Fuck.
I quickly tap out a message and hit send before I tuck it away.
Rion: I’m here. I'll go check.
As I inch toward the door, Warren snarls. “Are you really going to leave me here again? I'll fucking scream and shout until somebody hears me,” he bites, his words bouncing off the walls around us as I race back toward him.
I don’t think, I just move as my boot lifts this time, and I kick him in the face, watching as the chair falls backward. He’s knocked out cold immediately. Despite the joy I feel at leaving him in this state, I yank the chair back up to a sitting position, making sure his binds are still in place.
This motherfucker is not breaking free.
Maybe I should message Thorne to come and heal him again, but that can wait. I dart for the door, locking it behind me.
As I rush up the steps and out into the afternoon air, I freeze when I spot the blood staining my hands and curse under my breath.
Hurrying toward the outside faucet, I let the icy cold water wash the blood away.
A familiar scent dances in the air as I reach out to shut the water off, and I bite back a growl.
Nothing smells so sweet, so enticing, so euphoric as her.
Shaking my hands off, I make my way around the building as quietly as I can, watching as she steps out of the front doors, her lips twisting as she folds her arms over her chest. She looks deep in thought as she turns in the opposite direction, staring off toward the barren trees with a sigh. She dips her head.
“Where the hell does a wolf go when they need to calm down?” she mutters to herself, and I grin.
“It depends; are your thighs an option?” I mutter, and she stiffens, spinning around to face me with her jaw slack.
She rakes her eyes over me from head to toe before she speaks. “You did not just say that,” she flusters, tightening her arms around her middle as I wag my eyebrows.
“Did it work?”
I watch as her eyes narrow and her thighs clench. “No,” she insists, shaking her head as she pushes her shoulders back, and I grin.
“Liar,” I call out, and to my surprise, she doesn't protest as she waves me off.
“Are you hurt?” she asks, stepping toward me, and I shake my head as she grabs my hand, pointing out a few spots of blood that I missed.
I wipe my hands on my jeans before waving her off.
She doesn’t push further as I reach for her hand and tug her around the far side of the building, edging toward Institute Thirteen’s perimeter where the bare trees fill the space.
It's eerie but inviting.
I don’t know what I’m doing or where we’re going, but she follows me until we reach the largest tree, and I spin her in place before nudging her back a step to press her against it.
Her pupils dilate as she blinks up at me, and I sense a question in her eyes before she speaks. “What’s with Professor Drayker?” she asks, and I gulp.
“Nothing.”
Everything.
She tilts her head and her eyes narrow. “There's something,” she insists, her voice surprisingly gentle as I shrug.
“There's nothing.”
I want there to be nothing.
“But there was,” she breathes, and my throat tightens, desperately wanting to end this conversation right now.