Chapter 10 #4
Our jostling had moved our little group out of the shadows and into the path of the pale patio lights that surrounded the pool. The students who were still outside had stopped what they were doing in an attempt to casually eavesdrop on the king of the school losing his shit.
Blake, bless him, had remained so calm and collected during this altercation, which must've seemed even more insane to him than it did to me. He took my hand and stepped into Knox's space, bringing both of us toe-to-toe with him.
"Listen up, Monroe," he said, his voice eerily calm.
"I know you think you have some kind of.
.. claim on Mave. I know you think you're the king of the school and that she'll be just another plaything of yours that you can force to fall in line.
But you clearly haven't been paying attention.
She is too good for you. Do what she says and fuck off forever before she breaks your face again. "
Holy damn. I knew he was just trying to have my back, but Blake didn't even realize how right he was about everything—how close to the truth he was getting.
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Agnon," Knox growled at him.
"You're interfering in things you do not understand, and I will not hesitate to fuck you up if you get in my way.
" Then he smiled at Blake, full of evil promises.
"It would be a shame if something bad happened during practice one day.
Legs can be broken, knees can snap. I hope your parents have good health insurance. "
I gasped. That got my attention. It was one thing for me to be posturing at Knox all of the time—he was the world's most egotistical jackass, but I didn't think he'd try to physically hurt me. Or even if he did, I was pretty confident in my abilities to fight him off.
But Blake was a human. A tall, strong, confident human, but still human nonetheless.
It would be so easy for Knox to use his shifter strength to hurt him and make it look like an accident on the soccer field.
Moons, I would fuck him up to the ends of the Earth if he did, but I'd also never forgive myself for letting Blake be dragged into this mess.
Our audience had grown by that point, and Mason and Thad appeared over Knox's shoulder.
Mason, for as much as he annoyed me, was a welcome sight.
He was the level-headed one, and he knew it was not a good look for Knox to be threatening his human teammates in public.
He placed a hand on Knox's shoulder and whispered into his ear.
They all stepped back, breaking the tension.
Nikka also came hustling out of the house, her stilettos clicking on the pool deck as she marched toward us.
"Knoxy! What is going on over here? I've been looking for you everywhere!
" she screeched, darting into the middle of the huddle of the three Elites.
They were still staring at Blake and me, and she turned to see what the fuss was about.
She narrowed her eyes when she saw me standing there.
"Why are you out here with this skank, baby?
Why is she always around you? Stay away from him, whore! "
I rolled my eyes. What a dumb bitch. She knew as well as any of the other shifter students that I was Knox's fated mate. She was living in denial if she thought it wasn't fucking with her boyfriend's head, even a little bit.
"Alright, let's break it up. We're supposed to be partying, and the night is young, am I right?" Mason's voice boomed over the crowd.
Cheers went up, and the awkward almost-fight between Knox and me was forgotten. Nikka looked murderous as Knox and Thad dragged her back into the house. Knox gave Blake and me one last threatening glare, then he disappeared inside.
Blake and I stood there in our spot at the end of the pool, still holding hands as we watched everyone file back inside. I sighed and let go of him.
"Would you mind just taking me home now?" I asked him.
I felt defeated. I'd had an amazing night, and Blake had given me such pure bliss that it had, for just a moment, made me feel like I could move completely beyond this dirty, tainted bond with Knox.
But then the devil himself had crushed my hopes by bursting into our little bubble of happiness like a jealous raging bull.
Then he threatened Blake in a way I hadn't actually known he was capable of, but I should've.
"Sure," Blake replied. He looked down at me with a serious expression. "Mave, I'm not afraid of him. I know you think I should be, but... just know that I'm not."
"I believe you, Blake, but you should be careful," I said as we made our way through the side gate and out into the front yard. "Everything's just so... fucked up. I, uh... caught his attention in a way I never intended, and now things are just... difficult," I finished lamely.
I hated this. Blake probably thought I actually had fucked Knox or something before the first day of school. It was hard to explain his actions, especially given that he had a girlfriend, without explaining the fucked up magical tether between us.
"You don't have to try to explain for him, Wild Girl. None of this is your fault."
We drove the short distance to my house in silence. He pulled into my driveway, and I went to open my door to exit. He reached for my hand and gave it one of his patented reassuring squeezes.
"You have my number now, Mave. If you feel like talking, I'm here."
I nodded. "You're a really good guy, Rodney Blaze."
"Bye, Wild Girl."
I climbed out of the car and watched him drive away as I stood on our porch, a heavy sadness weighing on me. I wanted so badly to see where this thing with Blake could go, but at the moment, it was all just… too much.