12. The Rose
Chapter 12
The Rose
C lasses finally ended for the day, and what little tolerance I’d had for the stares, snickers, and whispers had disappeared completely. The other students took to calling me the rejected princess under their breath after I’d run into Grayson in the hallway between afternoon classes. For my part, I’d tried to keep things civil, but he brushed me off before a greeting could even pass my lips.
For a few seconds, our eyes met, and I was almost certain warmth–or something like it–flashed across his face. That annoying speck of hope I’d squashed at the assembly hall reared its head at the possibility. He’d looked at me that way a hundred times growing up.
It was the way he looked at me the first time I’d spoken after his parents brought me home and shot my first bullseye with an arrow. It was the way he looked at me when he came home from his first mission as Beta and told me every detail over hot cider. It was the way he looked at me that made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered.
That same look was gone a moment later and he’d continued walking as though he hadn’t seen me in the first place. It was as if he was two different men: one of them promised me solace and the other stole it from me. I didn’t know which was real. It didn’t matter anyway; whoever the real Grayson was, I didn’t have the time or patience to wait for him to reveal himself.
“She’s that Briar girl who challenged Kenna in the quad. I heard she can’t even shift. She must be delusional to think she could unseat a lion shifter just because she comes from some great pack or whatever.”
I moved before I’d consciously decided to do so. My dagger landed a hairsbreadth from the gossiping selkie.
The girl froze, all color draining from her face. Beside her, her friend jumped more than a foot backward, knocking into the group of students behind her. They fell to the ground like a house with a glass foundation.
The commotion drew even more eyes and the hallway seemed to stop altogether, everyone stood like my classmates had been when under Professor Richards’ spell. Now they were under mine.
The selkie managed to take a single step back and turn to look at me. I twirled a second dagger between my fingers and studied her, taking care to keep my face impassive. Her loose tongue wasn’t worth losing control, but this couldn’t continue to go on. Someone had to be the example of what happened to someone who disrespected the Othniel Pack, and she’d all but offered herself on a platter to me.
“Was there something you cared to say to me?” I asked. She shook her head frantically back and forth, denying it. “You seemed to have quite a bit to say about me–about my pack – to your friend, why don’t you tell me your concerns instead? I’m sure they’re riveting.”
She stammered, presumably searching for an explanation or excuse, but no legible words passed her lips. How quickly the bold turned timid when faced with consequences of their own making.
“Nothing to say now?” I taunted, stepping closer to her and letting the tip of my favorite dagger glide across her cheek. I didn’t break the skin. “Why are you shaking? Didn’t you already decide I don’t pose a threat? I mean, I can’t even shift.”
On the last word, I sank the tip of my blade into her soft, obviously pampered, flesh until the smallest rivulet of blood formed. I smiled as it dripped down her neck.
“I—I’m so— sorry!” Her chest rose and fell faster than a hummingbird’s wings.
“Don’t worry, little fish,” I said, “I’m not going to hurt you–at least not too much.”
“Playing with your prey, Luna?” Marcus asked from behind me and joined me at my side. He looked the girl up and down and snickered. “She’s not exactly a worthy opponent for the Beta of the Othniel Pack, is she? Did she really challenge you ?”
Marcus was far from the most intimidating male in the Othniel Pack but he was still from the Othniel Pack—the most powerful pack on the continent. That alone would give anyone with a partial brain pause. I didn’t need him to back me up, but sometimes we can want things we don’t need. I took comfort in the reminder I wasn’t alone.
“No, she isn’t.” I dragged the dagger under her chin to the other side of her cheek. Sometimes violence was the only universal language in the realm. The dance of dominance was understood by all, and it was time for me to clear up any miscommunications. “She must be delusional, but challenge me she did.”
“I did—I didn’t.” If she shook her head any harder it was liable to fall free of her neck.
“Oh, but you did,” I reminded her, “The second my name crossed your lips as you spewed your nonsense as though it was truth sent down from the gods.”
“She isn’t worth the time it will take to wash the blood from your blade.” Marcus propped his hand beneath his chin and tilted his head as his eyes studied her. “I have a better idea, if you’ll permit me?”
I nodded my consent, and his grin was vicious as his human form shrank toward the floor, disappearing into a pile of his clothes. The bunched-up fabric moved this way and that until a black snake slithered from its confinement toward the female.
She shrieked and moved to jump away, but my blade beneath her chin halted her progress. Now I was the one grinning.
Marcus’ snake wound his way up her legs and abdomen until he was coiled around her torso, flicking his tongue against her neck. A wet spot grew against her linen pants. Gross. The snake pulled his tail away from the area and hissed in her ear. I’d be nonplussed if my lower half was covered in selkie urine too. He grazed her skin with his fangs but didn’t pierce it, mimicking the motion of my dagger.
“Should I order him off you?” I asked in a whisper, drawing my face near her ear. “Or maybe I should let him feast on your flesh. I assure you the venom coursing through your veins will be a once-in-a-lifetime memory. You’d never forget it. You’d never forget me .”
I drew back and the snake lifted his head to watch me, waiting. Marcus was a brat, but he was a loyal brat. He’d follow whichever command I chose. I could show strength or show mercy–both had their benefits, and both had their consequences.
“Briar, what the hell?”
Interfering wolf. I turned my eyes from my prey but left the dagger against her skin. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Marcus hadn’t turned to look at the Alpha stomping toward us. His eyes were still fixed firmly on me. I’d remember this the next time I contemplated cutting out his and his sister’s tongues.
“Can I help you, Alpha?” I asked dryly. Grayson’s head drew back an inch at the title. If he wanted to act like we were strangers, I’d address him as one. He walked to my side and looked between the growing crowd, the snake-ensnared selkie, and me.
“Let her go.” He spoke the words quietly between clenched teeth, but it still couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a command.
“It’s cute that you think you can tell me what to do.” I smiled and said, “Now if you don’t mind, the little fish and I were in the middle of something.”
“I’m serious,” he said, stepping closer until he towered over me, “You’re causing a scene.”
“I’m causing a scene?” I could have laughed. “What would you call the past twenty-four hours?”
“This isn’t you,” he hissed, “you’re better than this. I know you’re acting out right now, but–”
“This is me being better.” I straightened until my face was but a few inches from where his leaned over me. “I’m defending myself, and I’m defending my pack. Can you say the same?”
“Who are you to question my commitment to this pack?” he snapped, “You have no idea what I’ve given up on its behalf.”
“And yet the whispers and slander prevail as you walk through the halls with your head held high as though the words hold no meaning,” I accused, “Or am I no longer part of that pack you’re committed to? I believe this seal on my arm says otherwise.” I raised the wrist that bore my Beta mark between us, but he didn’t spare it a glance.
“You’re experiencing the consequences of your own missteps.”
“And now she’s getting hers.” I gestured to the still trembling selkie with a tip of my head. “So if you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to.”
He growled under his breath, and added another offense to the many he’d committed since I’d arrived. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away from my prey.
Three things happened in tandem next: Marcus’ snake lunged, the selkie screamed, and I sank the claws up my dagger-free hand into Grayson’s forearm to pry his hand from mine.
“Did you seriously just draw blood from your Alpha?”
“Did you seriously just try to put your hands on me? I know you seem to keep forgetting, but you don’t outrank me, Grayson Pierce.” I withdrew my claws. I was not going to think about the rush of satisfaction I felt at seeing my marks on his skin. “And you’re welcome, by the way. I promise you my claws are better than Marcus’ fangs, or do you enjoy paralysis, fever, and unending agony?”
The selkie whimpered as the snake flicked her cheek with his tongue. I think he may have been enjoying this a little too much. I can’t say I blamed him. I felt immense satisfaction seeing the small drops of blood on Grayson’s skin. I may not be able to shift into my animal, but I could descend its claws and fangs when needed. As Fenrir liked to remind me as a child, a partial shift was still more useful than no shift at all.
“We’ll address Marcus’ disrespect later.” He glared at the snake.
“Are you joking?” I looked at him incredulously. “You think you have any place to lecture anyone on respect?”
“He attacked his Alpha.”
“He defended his Luna.” I dropped my dagger from the selkie’s throat and turned to face Grayson fully. “No matter what you tell yourself to sleep soundly at night, Grayson Pierce, we both know that I outrank Kenna and am the Luna of this pack until something proves otherwise.”
“That doesn’t matter he?—”
“Stop whining like a petulant child.” Gasps sounded around us. I knew I should hold back, do the right thing, save him the embarrassment; humiliating him meant humiliating the pack—both the Iolite and Othniel—but dammit he’d embarrassed me first and I was beyond tired of being the better person. I didn’t want to be a better person. I wanted him to grovel on his knees and beg my forgiveness after experiencing a fraction of what this felt like.
“Watch your words, Briar,” he said between clenched teeth and closed the distance between us until I was staring up into his eyes, our noses almost but not quite touching.
“Why?” I asked, and said more quietly, “You certainly haven’t watched yours. Did you expect me to take this in silence? That I’d walk through the halls amongst sneers and whispers that derived directly from your words and actions without lifting a finger in retaliation? To disrespect me is to disrespect the pack, and to disrespect the pack is a grave mistake. You used to know that.”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed but said nothing. His eyes darted between mine and down before landing on them again.
“You seem to have mistaken the deference I showed you at home as blind obedience. It wasn’t.” I reached a hand up to trace the line of his face, contemplating if this would be the last time I’d let it cause me any pain. “I listened to you before because more than anyone else, I believed in you.”
Something akin to devastation flashed in his eyes.
“I don’t anymore.”
I took one step back from him, then two. He looked at me in silence for a beat. Both of us stood there, saying nothing, eyes locked, and pretending we didn’t have half the school circling around us, watching for what would happen next.
He looked down first.
“Now little fish,” I said, turning to the selkie, “Let’s not do this again. The next time my name leaves your mouth, remember that this is what happens when you cross a predator bigger than you.”
I lifted my arm and she flinched. Pathetic. If she wanted to spew words of contempt, she could at least face a challenge head on without flinching.
“Marcus,” I commanded, “Leave her.”
He gave her a final hiss and flick of his tongue against her ear before languidly slithering over her shoulder onto my outstretched arm. Once he was wrapped securely around me, I grabbed his clothes where they’d fallen from the floor and stood.
“By the way,” I told her with a smirk, “You may want to switch from linen to leather. I find it hides fluids much better. Though it’s usually the blood of my victims staining mine, and not, well, other things.”
Her lip curled, and I turned to leave with every intention of ramming my shoulder into Grayson’s on my way out. I’d only taken two steps when I heard her curse under her breath, “Latent bitch.”
I stopped walking.
Grayson’s entire body stiffened at the whispered insult, but still, he said nothing. Did nothing. I raised a single brow and examined him from head to toe and back. I hoped he saw the judgment in my eyes. I hoped he saw the blame. He caused this mess, and I was left dealing with the clean up.
Slowly, I pivoted back to look at the selkie. She hadn’t even noticed I’d heard her grumbled words. She was hunched over wiping at the legs of her pants like that would magically make the liquid disappear.
Though, I suppose that could be possible—I hadn’t read much on selkies, to be honest. I didn’t consider them much of a threat. Maybe they held power over the water they preferred to bask in. The friend she’d spoken to earlier had returned to her side and was fussing over her. Neither of their heads rose as I approached them again until my boots came into view.
“You’re a slow learner,” I observed. Both females turned pallid as their eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Marcus.”
He struck.
One bite wouldn’t kill her, but she may wish she were dying when the venom set in. The pain would start slowly and then build until it felt like her blood was burning her alive from the inside.
The snake looked at me, the unspoken question lingering in his eyes. I shook my head. A second would likely send her into shock, and that seemed a bit unfair, even to me. I doubted she had much if any training against torture tactics. What a pity for her.
“Maybe this will make a longer impression,” I said, keeping the emotion out of my voice. “You should probably head to your room unless you want an audience when the screaming kicks in.”
The whimpering had already amplified into groans. Her friend kept her head down but wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulder to guide her away.
“You’re embarrassing yourself,” her friend seethed so low, I was surely the only one to hear it, “I told you the shifters are all insane. You could’ve at least tried to fight back.”
I didn’t disagree, but I wondered if the second selkie would defend herself if she’d been the object of my ire. She certainly hadn’t stepped forward to defend her friend.
“Wait,” I commanded. They obeyed. Good. Maybe they were capable of having sense after all.
I stood in front of the girl’s friend and lifted her chin with my finger until her fear-filled eyes met mine.
“Did you want to say anything?” I asked. She frantically shook her head. I sighed. How disappointing.
“Marcus.” He struck, sinking his fangs into the second female’s neck. She cringed but didn’t cry out. She was stronger than her friend. Somehow that filled me with even more rage.
“I didn’t—” She flinched. “I didn’t say anything!”
“Exactly,” I growled at her, clutching a handful of her shirt and drawing her head up to be just under mine. “You said nothing.”
I shoved her away. She dropped to the floor, the first selkie dropping beside her without her support.
“You did nothing,” I sneered. I looked around the crowd in disgust. I spotted a pair of midnight blue eyes but ignored the death god’s gaze in search of my target. One alpha male at a time.
I stared directly into Grayson’s forest green eyes when I said, “Someone who sees their friend under attack and does nothing is the very worst kind of person. If the threat of defeat or failure stops you from taking action in service of the people you care about, you’re nothing but a coward.”
I looked back at the cowering females. “And I have no tolerance or time for cowards.”
I strode past the still-silent wolf. I didn’t knock into him with my shoulder like I’d planned. I didn’t meet the gaze I felt burning into my head. I cut through the crowd of students who parted as I passed, kept my head high, snake-clad shoulders high, and let them see the message written on my face: I was done being treated like easy prey.