Chapter 20

I couldn’t wait for the final bell and when it did ring I grabbed my books and shoved them into my bag, hurrying to get up and leave. If I leave early I can make it and do what I have to do.

I know you are curious to know what that is, you will find out soon enough. Right now, I think what I am about to do is extremely dangerous and if I get caught , well, I don’t think I’ll be in too much trouble, I just think everyone in school will think I’m even weirder than they do now.

I hurried to the pack and sure enough there was Noah as early as ever. I was about to smile, feeling that rush of warmth in my body again, when my joy was cut short when Miss Aurora ran across the pack to the car. She put her arms around Noah’s neck right in front of everyone who cared to look at them. She was smiling when she pulled back and as I got to them I heard them talking.

“Thanks for last night,” she was saying.

“It’s nothing,” Noah said in his sexy deep voice.

Miss Aurora’s eyes were bright as she looked into his eyes, those sexy eyes that stared at me this morning with an unreadable expression in them. Those eyes and his voice made me feel comfortable enough to come to school with my bald head. If he hadn’t said something about how he preferred me without the head warmer I definitely would have come to school hiding in my hoodie.

But now those eyes were staring down into Miss Aurora’s.

“Well I’m free tonight…” she started and left the sentence hanging with a suggestive smile.

Noah started to answer and honestly I wanted to hear what he had to say. Would he tell her he too was free? Would they go to a club and end up in her apartment? Or will he bring her back to the mansion into his room? Will they have sex? Maybe they did have sex last night. Maybe that’s why she’s thanking him. It sounded ridiculous to me but I began to think about how good his cock must have been for her to thank him for it today.

A lump of jealousy rose in my throat. Ginny, stop hurting yourself with imaginary scenarios, I chided myself but I couldn’t stop my jealousy from choking me.

At that moment Leo rushed past me. “Miss Aurora. Noah I won’t be going home with you today.”

Noah finally looked away from her. “And why is that?”

“A friend of mine has invited me over.”

I didn’t have to search around for that friend. Lizzie was standing off to the side with a wide smile on her face as she waited for Leo. She has no shame. I can’t imagine being surrounded with friends as shallow as Lizzie and Jeannie. Poor Emerald. Wherever she is, she probably thinks her friends miss her. I wonder what she will think if she knows they are moving on without her, mere hours after her accident.

“I told Maggie already so that’s settled.”

Noah thought about it for a second then nodded. “Fine. Keep in touch.”

Leo didn’t say anything to me as he nodded happily and walked away to join the scheming witch.

“Ginny?”

I turned my gaze to Noah and realized he was watching me quizzically. “Are you ready to go?”

“Um yeah, I guess I am.”

He wouldn’t stop looking at me. Those hazel blue eyes seemed to swallow me in, bald head and all.

Miss Aurora stood there her expression turning from a hopeful one to a downcast one. Noah had probably forgotten she was there.

“Um Noah?” I used my eyes to indicate her and he caught himself.

“Aurora…”

Oh, they use their first names now?

“Oh no I understand if you’re busy…you do have a job protecting Ginny and Leo after all…” she hurriedly said.

“Oh no, that’s fine,” Noah rushed to assure her blushing a little. “I only have to drop Ginny off and…,” he suddenly remembered I was standing there. “You don’t have anywhere you need to go do you?”

I wanted to lie and say no because Miss Aurora looked so hopeful. I wanted to tell him to drive me home and go on a date with her but I didn’t want to lose this chance to find out what I needed to.

“Actually, I do have somewhere I need to be,” I heard myself say and immediately hated myself for Miss Aurora’s downcast expression.

“Oh, uhm that’s alright…some other time then?”

He reached out as if to stop her and I almost wanted him to touch her, I wanted him to yell at me and tell me to stay at home and that he wasn’t going to drive me anywhere but his hand dropped to his side and he smiled.

“Yes, some other time.”

Miss Aurora hugged him, holding on a little too long and placed a kiss on his cheek. My heart twisted in my chest for some reason. “I will call you,” she promised and left.

I stood there watching her go wishing I could call her back. I could go home by myself but I’m sure Noah wouldn’t hear of it.

“Ginny?”

I snatched my gaze back to his.

“Are you ready?” he sounded very concerned for me.

“Yes,” I replied and climbed into the front seat. He climbed into the driver’s side and the car suddenly felt smaller.

I sat in front with Noah feeling stiffer than a lamppost. Noah started and moved his hand to shift the gear and that almost – touch was enough to make me hold my breath. Even with the crowd of students getting into their cars it felt like it was just me and him in the world. Where were my thoughts of Leo? Where did they all go?

I waited for him to move but when all he did was simply hold the gear I was finally forced to look up at him. His gaze was direct. His gaze is always direct and that’s what I find unsettling. I’m the one with the direct gaze, I’m the one who love to unsettle people but Noah is one upping me and I don’t know, that makes me feel…squeamish but in a good way.

I tried not to show it.

“Are you alright?” came his calm voice.

I hate that he remains calm no matter how much I piss him off. What sort of training did he get as a pack warrior to make him so calm and sensible?

Or maybe I’m the one making him calm and sensible. Isn’t that how anyone would treat a child? In a calm and sensible manner?

For some reason that made me mad. I crossed my arms in front of me. “Why do you want to know? Does it matter?”

“You didn’t get bullied today, did you?”

Apart from the occasional giggles and baldy comments no I didn’t get bullied but I didn’t think he cared enough to ask.

“No, Noah I didn’t get bullied,” I responded in my usual rude voice. “Now can we go? The sooner we leave here the better,” I said looking out of the window. “Besides you might actually make it with Aurora if we are fast enough.”

He didn’t say anything but I could feel his gaze on me. My skin tingled. After a few seconds he released a breath and shifted the gear. I sensed that meant an end to the conversation he was trying to make. Now he was back to being Noah, my bodyguard.

“So are you going over to a friend’s too or what?”

Something like that. Only that this friend did not invite me. I looked across the pack again and sure enough Lindsay was entering a silver car with clear windows, the first I have seen around her. It will be easy to trail her.

I looked at Noah guiltily and quickly looked away. “We will be doing something illegal.”

“How illegal?” his voice was guarded and I was once again reminded of the fact that we were alone.

I bit my lip and pointed out Lindsay’s car which was beginning to back out of the lot like other cars in the pack. It was heading toward the gate.

“Follow that car.”

“A rival?” there was humor in his voice.

“Ha ha. No just follow it.”

I expected him to argue but he simply put the car on drive and drove quickly to meet up with the car as it drove out of school. Noah put the car directly behind it but not too close that we would be noticed and when the car joined the main traffic we were right behind it.

I looked at him, surprised. “Why aren’t you arguing and lecturing me about stalking someone?” I asked as I sank in the seat to avoid being too visible.

“Has anyone ever convinced you not to do something you set your heart on?”

“No.”

“There you have my answer.”

He was smiling a bit wider and my lips quivered in the beginning of a smile. “You are being a smart ass.”

“It’s either being a smart ass with you or try not to…get too annoyed by you.”

He was going to say something else, I’m sure of that. I didn’t push, I don’t think I’m ready to hear what he would have said instead so I didn’t trying to tease him about it I just watched as he followed the car when it turned a bend.