Alyx landed a punch. He was poised over my brother, blood running from the side of his head. I gripped Fiona’s hand in mine, desperate for someone to put a stop to this. No one made a move to help, though. They were all too intent on the fight, bets still flying around as people took sides. Alyx hit my brother again, and I tensed even further.Before I could do something stupid, like try to get between them, Jack punched Alyx in the ribs hard enough to make Alyx lose his breath. Jack shoved him to the side and climbed to his feet, his shoulders moving with his heavy breaths, and his face so red it was nearly purple.“If I ever see you talking to her ag
“None of this is your fault,” Matt assured me. Unfortunately, his kind words didn’t do much to get me out of my own head. I couldn’t help but blame myself for everything that happened with Alyx. I never should have trusted him.“Then why does it feel like it?” I said, my voice small.“You can’t blame yourself for any of this.” Matt took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I couldn’t bring myself to hold his hand back, but he didn’t let go. “What happened with Alyx wasn’t your fault.”I turned my fa
AlyxAlyx could feel their eyes on him for the rest of the day. People he didn’t even see in the cafeteria were watching him, expressions on their faces ranging from disapproval to fear. It grated on his skin. All he wanted to do was talk to Celeste. Since when was that a crime?He strode through the hall, keeping his head high. If they wanted to hate him, then fine. It didn’t matter. He was here for a reason, and he still had a job to do. Failing wasn’t a possibility for him. Getting her to choose him clearly wasn’t working, so he just needed to find another way.“That was quite the fight,” a voice said, stopping him in his tracks.“I doubt it was that impressive.”Alyx had to hold himself back during the fight. If people weren’t watching, he may have unleashed himself on Jack. After all, he knew what family Jack really came from. But he couldn’t afford to lose his cool in front of the others.“Well, consider me impressed anyway.”Sabrina was leaning against the wall, her little cliq
Matt kissed my neck, and I turned my face into the pillow to give him better access. He trailed kisses down my throat, then along my bare collarbone. My t-shirt already lay in a heap on the floor, along with his. We spent the first part of the afternoon watching movies and talking, but that had quickly devolved into making out.I ran my hands up his bare back, his muscles rippling as he shifted his weight onto his left arm. He dragged his wide palm up my bare stomach until he reached my breast. He cupped me through my bra, his hot mouth finding mine.A soft groan escaped my lips, and he smiled.I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back a little. He leaned onto his side to give me some room, and I sat up to take off my bra. I could feel his eyes on me as I undid the hooks and threw it to the floor. We hadn’t seen each other naked since the night in the hot tub, but I hadn’t been me then, not really. I wanted him to see me now as me, Celeste, and no one else.I undid the button
“The Schreibers,” she said, her voice laced with anger. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized what she meant. “Who else?”My gaze flew to Matt, but he was still looking at Nina. “How many?” he growled.“Three, but I took care of it. One got away.”“They got some good shots in,” he said.She glanced down at her bandaged torso. “Yes, well. They caught me off guard.”Matt ran his hands through his already messy hair. I took a slight step away. I knew this wasn’t my fault, but I still felt guilty. The Schreibers were still my family. Dear God, what if my brother had something to do with this? I suddenly couldn’t look at Nina.“Did you recognize any of them?” Enzo asked.Matt turned away from us and stared hard at the window. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were distant. I looked at him for a moment before letting my eyes drop again.“No, but they were wearing masks. I called Seth to take care of the bodies.”“Seth?” I couldn’t help but ask. He was on the hockey team with them.Enzo
The fans filed out of the hockey rink with downtrodden expressions. The team took a hard 5-1 loss, and the play had been brutal. Matt got more than a few penalties, and Seth had to be taken off the ice after a brutal hit into the boards. A fight broke out while Seth was still on the ice, and it took a few minutes for the refs to separate the players before they could get him back to the bench. Matt was in the penalty box at the time, and he’d hit the glass so hard with his stick, the entire structure rattled.I hovered to the side near the closed concession stand, waiting for the crowd to leave and the players to emerge. It was easily their worst loss in a while, and I was glad I was there to comfort Matt. Fiona waved goodbye and left with a tall blond boy I didn’t recognize. Apparently, they met in one of her labs.Across the room, Sabrina stood in a huddle with a few of her friends. She gave me a dirty look, but I just dropped my eyes and did my best to ignore her. She was free to h
I stared into a pair of red eyes, my body frozen in place.Something in my head screamed at me to run, but I couldn't get my limbs to move. The rogue stared at me through the trees, nothing but its eyes and its faint outline visible. A shiver ran down my spine. What if it attacked me? There was nothing I could do to protect myself.The rogue growled, the sound making goosebumps rise across my skin.The rogue moved forward, and I stumbled back, landing hard on my ass in the dirt. The wolf shifted even closer, the long lines of its pelt coming into view as I scrambled back. My hands fought for purchase in the mud as it took another step. I pulled myself to my feet and sprinted for the house, my heart drumming a relentless rhythm in my ears. I couldn’t think, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even scream.I scrambled to get the back door open with shaking fingers. To my luck, the door swung open, and I fell into the dark basement. I closed the door behind me and locked it. When I looked
MattI waited until I was sure Celeste had run for the house before I shrugged off my leather jack and shifted. Enzo would find it, or I’d come back for it. My phone rang, and I stiffened. It was in the pocket my jacket, and the rogue’s ear pricked.The rogue growled low in its throat, flattening back its ears, but I made sure to stay between it and the house. I growled back and lunged for it, but it was already running. It was much more agile than the last one, and it turned on a dime, taking off at a sprint. I immediately sprang into action, grateful that it was at least heading away from Celeste and the party. The thought of Celeste being anywhere near it made panic tighten in my chest.I was still angry that she came out here alone, and I let that anger drive away the panic. She could have been seriously hurt. She could have been killed.The wolf was faster, almost as fast as me, but the longer we ran, the more I closed the distance between us. I couldn’t let it get away. It would