13. Chapter 13
Happy Birthday to Me
The first week at Howl University is flying by. I spend every day hanging out with Camden. He is a sweetheart for the most part. I do keep noticing a few times that he gets really pushy and weird though.
Like on Wednesday when he insisted on holding my hand through all of class and refused to let go until the bell for second class rang.
I was really uncomfortable the whole time, but Camden just said it’s because I was ‘getting used to the relationship’.
I told him the only thing I’m interested in is friendship, but he laughed it off and told me he’d text me later then left for football.
The Pack kept trying to talk to me as well. At lunch on Tuesday, they walked towards our table and my body was pushing me to leave Camden and run into their arms. Instead of making myself look like a complete fool, I got up and went to the library.
Camden found me a few minutes later and asked me why I left so fast. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell him that the Pack makes me feel like a wanton hussy, so I lied and said I forgot to do some homework for Manifestation One-oh-One.
For the rest of the week I go to the library for lunch.
Camden tried to talk me into going back to the dining hall, but I just insisted that I'd rather spend lunch doing homework. It wasn’t a lie, not really.
I honestly do like having the two hours of silence to make sure I’m ahead in the fast pace courses.
That's where I am now. It’s Friday. My birthday and tonight my wolf is going to Manifest. Camden has been really weird all day, brushing his body against mine and sniffing my hair.
I keep telling myself it’s because the full moon is tonight so everyone is acting a bit more wolf like.
Still, something in my mind is screaming that I need to get away from him.
I ignore it for about half of the lunch period but when his hand starts to trail up my leg, I decide that it’s time to get out of here.
Standing up, I put all of my stuff away.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to talk to Professor Serena about the assignment due Monday.” I don’t actually, but I do need to get out of here.
We’re sitting at a table in the back of the library. There are large shelves full of books all around us and I’m feeling a bit trapped. No one can see us, and if he wanted to hurt me, there is no way I or anyone else could stop him.
When he stands, my heart starts to race.
He steps closer to me, and I take a step back.
His leather scent is suffocating me, taking my breath away as he stalks closer to me.
I don’t recognize the boy in front of me.
His normally sweet face is twisted with an emotion I don’t understand, but makes me feel really uncomfortable.
All day long, I've felt like something is moving under my skin and my emotions have been more volatile than ever. Standing here now, my back against a bookshelf and a dangerous looking Beta boxing me in, I feel like I really should have stayed home this morning.
“Come on, Rebecca. We both know you don’t need to talk to your professor about an assignment you’ve already done. I watched you finish that paper yesterday.”
His smirk reminds me of the Grinch when he decides to steal Christmas.
My stomach is rolling and I look around the area, trying to find a way to get out of here.
My phone is on the table in my bag and there isn’t anyone else in the library today.
Even the Librarian stepped out a few minutes ago.
I’m on my own with a boy who clearly has his own ideas about what is going to happen here.
I don’t get the feeling that I’m going to get a say in the plans either.
“You’ve been teasing me all week. Wearing these tight little outfits and fluttering your lashes at me. Well I’m tired of playing the nice guy. Obviously you’re waiting for me to take what we both want.”
“Camden.” I try in desperation to side step him and create some space between us, but he slams his hand into the shelf over my shoulder and traps me against the books with his chest. “I really don’t want this. I just want to leave okay? Just let me go.”
He cocks his head to the side, as if considering my words. Then an awful smile spread across his face. “Yeah,” his hand reaches up and strokes down my hair, making me flinch away. “That isn’t going to happen, Pretty Girl. You owe me, and I’m cashing in now.”
His hand that was just on my hair skims down my body, caressing my breasts as it travels lower. I whimper and try to pull away, but his other hand comes down on my shoulder. He squeezes hard enough to bruise if I were human.
Crying out, I try to shove his chest to make him get away from me, but he laughs at me, shoving me harder into the shelf. My mind goes blank and my body is limp. I can’t fight him off, this is going to happen and I can’t stop it. A single tear rolls down my cheek as I accept the inevitable.
I tell myself that when this is over, I’ll call August and Charles and they will come help me.
I try my hardest to trick my mind, to convince myself that this won't be as bad as I think it will. He will see that I’m not interested and leave me alone, but even in my own mind I can tell that it’s a lie.
Camden isn’t taking no for an answer. He thinks my attempts to fight back are funny, and the confidence he holds while touching my unwilling body just further proves that I’m not the first person he’s done it to.
When Camden unbuttons my jeans, a sob leaves my chest. I know what is about to happen so I think of anything else other than what is happening right now.
I close my eyes as tears roll down my face.
I picture myself sitting on the shore behind Abby’s house, sketch pad in my hand as I draw baby whales playing in the moonlit waves in the distance.
The image in my mind shifts and I’m on the couch at the Lycans house watching Disney movies with Mandy.
She is cuddling into Charles's chest and August is sitting beside me with his arm thrown over the back of the couch. James is laying on the floor in front of us and every now and then he tosses a piece of popcorn back, trying to land it in my mouth. As the image blurs and changes again, Camden’s hand moves into the opening of my pants, his fingers brushing against the top of my panties.
A deep thundering growl pulls my mind back to the library as sobs burst from my chest. I didn’t even realize I was begging him to stop until the deep icy voice speaks to Camden.
“I believe the lady has repeatedly asked you to stop touching her. I advise that happens in the next second or I can’t be held liable for what my Pack mate will do. ”
My eyes fly open and I’m shaking in fearful relief at the sight before me.
CJ and Hutch are holding Erik back by his shoulders, the strain in their arms are proof of how hard he is fighting them.
Skylar’s eyes are locked on Camden’s hand that is still inside my pants and his green eyes look like they would slice his hand from his wrist if it isn’t taken off of me.
Erik is unrecognizable in his rage. His face is deep red and his whole frame is shaking.
Hutch doesn’t look much better, the red of his flushed cheeks prominent under his umber tone.
CJ is frighteningly calm in appearance. His usually bright blue eyes, so much like Charles’s, are void of any emotion.
It’s like he has completely shut down and the implications of that is terrifying in the best way.
The four men before me look like they are ready to kill someone and all of them are focused on the boy forcing himself on me.
Camden turns, his hands leaving my body as he faces the threat behind him.
I shuffle away, moving as fast as I can to put some much needed distance between me and my assailant.
My feet get tangled around each other and I go tumbling to the floor.
On my hands and knees, I crawl until I’m under the table.
I grab the strap of my bag and pull it down, holding it in my lap.
I try to open it and get my phone so I can call Mandy, but my hands are shaking too bad.
I can hear the bass rumbling of the guys talking above me, but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears is too loud to make out the words they are saying.
I sit under the table, hugging my bag to my chest and rocking back and forth, for what feels like eternity.
The tears never stop flowing down my face, but my sobs have turned into hiccups and my hands are more steady.
As I pull my phone out of my bag, I see a shadow move in front of me, blocking out the light.
I jump and scream, begging Camden to leave me alone before I can even really see who it is.
My phone is in my hand and I hold it in front of me as if it will do me any good if Camden wants to finish what he started.
My hands are shaking again and I tense my body, ready to fight with everything inside me to keep him from getting what he wants.
“Hey there, Red.” CJ’s frame takes up the space in front of me.
My whole body deflates as I take in the fact that it’s CJ leaning down to talk to me, not Camden.
His voice is soft and soothing and I find myself drawn to him.
His apple scent swirls in the air and makes my head feel floaty.
I want nothing more than to cuddle into that smell and lose myself in his embrace for the rest of the day.
I don’t even know what his arms would feel like around me, but my mind is conjuring an image that has heat bubbling low in my belly.
My mouth is even watering and I keep seeing myself taking a huge bite of an apple while fluttering my eyes up at CJ.
Blinking, I try my hardest to push those thoughts from my mind. I don’t want him. I don't want him.
“You’re safe. He’s gone now and we won’t hurt you, I promise.” He is looking at me like he is worried I may break.
I don’t blame him for his concern. I’m sure I look like a complete mess and I just tried to fight him with my cell phone.
Regardless, I don’t want him, them, thinking I’m weak.
Nodding in acknowledgement of his words, I move to my knees and start crawling out from under the table.
He backs up but stays squatted down. I’m a bit impressed with his agility and amused that he looks like a duck as he backs up to let me out.
Standing, I glance around the little space where Camden and I have been eating lunch all week. The other three Alphas are standing behind CJ, watching me, but no one else is here. I sigh out in relief and collapse into a chair by the table.
I’ve had a lot of bad things happen to me in my life, but I think this was the worst one. For a second, I truly did think I was going to have to live with the fact that I couldn’t defend myself.
My thoughts are spiraling, coming up with all the ways I could have done something different.
No matter what I say to myself, it doesn’t help.
I’m still shaking like a leaf. I just want to go home and cuddle in my secret room, but I have another class to get through today, then a party with the Lycans.