Chapter 25 #2
I decided to entertain Ben a bit and popped a flaming orb into my open palm. "Happy now, buddy?" I said to him, as I tossed it between my hands like a tennis ball. He nodded enthusiastically. Then I looked over at Monroe and Hayes, who were just standing there, jaws slack and eyes wide.
"I know, dude, I know," I said to Monroe with mock sympathy, now twirling my ball of fire on the tip of my finger like a little flaming basketball.
"This is now two very nasty surprises you've had in the past week alone. That’s gotta be rough on you.
I have to say, though, I enjoyed the ever-loving fuck out of watching my girl just destroy your conniving little girlfriend and her underlings.
Got me super hot—we fucked in my car after that, did she tell you? "
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Monroe yelled, fisting his hair and turning to look at Hayes.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Hayes said, his eyes tracking my fire. "You’re saying you were there on Saturday night? No way; we would have smelled you."
I released the flow of magic to my fireball, and it disappeared. I tapped into my air element and swirled it around my body with a quick flick of my wrist, masking my scent. Hayes sniffed the air, then crunched his eyebrows together in confusion.
"It's a very simple manipulation of the air element, Hayes," I responded.
"I also am very strong in earth, which is how I tracked Mave to the clearing in the first place.
I'm very resourceful, you see." I released the air shield, then I reached for the dirt underneath the concrete where Hayes and Monroe stood with my magic. I felt some old roots in the soil, so I willed them up from under the concrete, pushing through the cracks that opened in the ground under their feet. I sent the brown, crusty roots winding around Monroe's feet, causing him to trip. Hayes caught him before he hit the ground, and he was able to use his wolf strength to break the roots’ hold on Monroe’s feet with a solid yank.
"What the fuck are you?" Monroe finally asked angrily, getting back on his feet and standing tall. To his credit, he didn't look scared, just really, really shocked.
"That," I said, waving a hand to clear the dirt and roots from the parking lot, "is a secret. Let’s just say I’m a kindred spirit, but I can’t turn into a wolf."
"So you’ve known about us," Hayes said, stepping up to stand next to Monroe, "what, like the whole time? Did Mave tell you about…. You know about the fated mate bond then, don’t you?"
Told you he was the brains.
I narrowed my eyes at both of them.
"Yeah, I’ve known all along. I can sense a wolf just like you can, so I’ve identified every shifter kid in school.
I also overheard enough shit on that first day to get an inkling of what you did to her, Monroe.
It wasn’t hard to put together after that.
And before you ask"—I looked pointedly at Hayes—"Mave had no clue I knew anything. She thought I was human until Saturday night when I tracked her from the party, masked my scent, and didn’t die of shock watching her shift.
" A little fib, for everyone’s protection.
Monroe sighed, releasing what looked like just a little bit of his anger. "Then you can understand, man, why I can’t stand you being with her. She’s supposed to be mine."
"Fuck that," I spat at him. "You probably could have had her, at least until you fucked it up by cheating on her, which you inevitably would have. But you’ve royally fucked this up from day one. By now you know enough about her to get that there is not a chance she is the type that would ever forgive any of that. And you also know it is complete and total bullshit that you only care now that you’ve found out she’s a true Alpha wolf. "
"Preach it," Ben chimed in.
"Shut the fuck up, Fortune," Monroe snapped. Ben just grinned like he does.
"I suggest, Monroe," I continued, "that you let this go. She’s mine and I’m hers. I love her, actually." I winced internally that I’d just announced this to Mave’s mortal enemy and her brother before I’d even told her, but I plowed on.
I needed to impress upon him how serious I fucking was about this.
"And if you ever threaten me again, or touch Mave again, or if I get even one more inkling that your piece of shit father has threatened her again, believe me when I say that I have only scratched the surface of what I can do to you. I will incinerate you where you stand, human or wolf form. I don’t give a fuck. "
I let wisps of fire crawl up my fingertips, which I wiggled in front of my face to make a point.
Hayes and Monroe exchanged a look, appearing both pissed but resigned. They knew I meant it.
Knox stepped forward again, that Alpha ego overriding his sense of self preservation.
"I would never hurt her, asshole," he said angrily. "But I’m not done trying to convince her that I’m the right choice. I don’t know what the fuck you are, but you’re no wolf. She’ll come to her senses."
Ben chuckled. "Sure, dude. Keep telling yourself that. Like she didn’t almost actually kill you in Gym on Monday."
I grinned, remembering Wolf Girl whispering the tale of their Alpha power fight while I nuzzled my face into her neck at lunch, holding her tight and trying to hide my hard dick from the rest of the table.
"Look, we’re done here," I announced, taking a step back. "It’s fucking late. Go home and get into your circle jerk formation with James to plot your revenge. I’ll be waiting."
I turned to leave, not waiting for their reply. Ben was still laughing, and he gave me a fist bump as we walked to our cars.
"As a thank you for that quality entertainment, I’m gonna do you a solid," he said. "Text your uncle and tell him you and I are having a sleepover."
"What?"
"Just do it."
If he meant what I thought he meant, I would owe him majorly.
I was going to see my girl.
I followed Ben up the staircase to Mave’s bedroom. The house was dark, so I’d whipped up a fireball, to Ben’s immense pleasure, to light our way as we moved through the darkened rooms.
When we approached her bedroom door, Ben cracked it open without knocking and stuck his head in.
"Psst, Magic," he whispered, loudly. I could just barely see into her room over his shoulder, but I could make out her sleeping form curled up under her fluffy covers, blonde locks splayed over her pillow.
"Benji?" she murmured. "Are you back?"
"Yes, and I brought you a present." He cracked the door open wider, revealing the pair of us illuminated in the doorway by my fire light.
She shifted and sat up a bit against her headboard. The covers drifted down, revealing her silky, barely-there sleep top. "Blake?" she asked, her voice muddled by sleep and confusion.
"Hey, Wolf Girl," I said, keeping my voice low. "I missed you. Can I come in?"
She smiled and nodded.
"I’m going to pop into my parents’ room and give them the heads up," Ben whispered to me. "They’ll be cool, but they’ll appreciate knowing you’re here and seeing you for breakfast." He slapped me lightly on the ass. "And keep it down—these walls are thin."
"Thanks, man," I replied. "I owe you one."
"Go get your girl. I think you have something to tell her." He gave me a stern look.
Fuck. I definitely did.
I crept quietly into the room as Ben closed the door behind me. Mave watched me curiously with those beautiful hazel eyes. I dropped my gym bag on the floor by the door, then I slowly approached her bed. She tracked me with her sleepy gaze, a smile creeping across her beautiful face.
"Baby, I’m sorry I woke you up," I said, reaching out to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes and melted into my touch. My dick twitched. That’s really all it took when it came to her.
She lifted the covers slightly and looked up at me. "Get in here, Mr. Blaze."
I unzipped my jacket and slowly peeled it off my body, keeping my hot gaze on her. I could just see the darker outline of her perky nipples under her top. I needed those tits in my hands, stat.
"Slowly, baby," she grinned at me as I shucked my pants. "I’m enjoying the show."
I was left in my black boxer briefs and my white Blackstone Academy Soccer T-shirt. I slowly lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing my torso and my tattoos that I knew she loved.
"Is this what you want, Wolf Girl?" I asked her, pulling my T-shirt over my head. She ran her eyes up and down my body hungrily. It thrilled me beyond words that she always seemed as turned on by me as I was by her. She was a goddess and a queen, and I was lucky to worship at her altar.
"I need you, Blake," she whispered eagerly.
I crawled into her bed and wrapped my body around hers.
My boxers and her thin shorts were the only things separating her ass from my growing erection.
I snuck one arm under her head, and she lay on my bicep as I pulled her close with my other arm.
I pressed kisses along the back of her neck, and she sighed happily.
"Some stuff happened tonight, Wolf Girl," I murmured into her hair. "Monroe finally threw down the gauntlet."
I felt her stiffen in my arms.
"Did he attack you?" she asked breathlessly.
"Pretty much, but he didn’t get very far, as you can imagine."
I went through the events of the night, including Monroe’s initial attack using his full strength after I goaded him, my rapid-fire display of elemental magic, and our discussion afterward.
"So, not ideal, but Monroe and Hayes are both very well aware now that I’m not a regular human and have some kind of magical powers."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I guess it was inevitable. The bond has been making him crazy possessive, and it was only a matter of time before he escalated and you were forced to defend yourself. I’m glad you did, though. Now they all know not to fuck with my dark prince."
"Dark prince, huh?"
"Yeah. You’re a hot, dark, bad-boy prep school prince. My kryptonite."