he screeched before slap

o pull her away from me, swinging their head

ring at her as she continued to rage on and her friends held her ba

ince when had my life become so sad that the only def

f this," I mut

w yourself at him. How shameless can you get, Who do you think

nt of her, shielding me. I hadn't noticed when he moved. I watched as his

falling right on the floor, ho

ust ha

just slap T

demeanor of his. Suddenly the lovely blue-eyed boy ranting about not making friend

an't hit her," I panicked. Looking around, I caught the crow

lpha's girlfriend to

me on, let's leave," I urged desperately. There

efore the news reached Higan, he w

inally quietly following me. We ran past the crowd and Te

ally bad and they happened in front of humans too. Higan would be

its you?" Khalid asked casually l

do? Hig-" I paused, "Alpha Sinclair would be

ead as if trying to comprehend

ridge of its sanity. Pacing back and forth, I tried to come up with a s

my mind that I had no idea how without asking Khalid. And with his

ice pulled me out of

e resting against his ear. Did he realize that whoe

by his calm demeanor after all that

Yeah, it's me. Things got a little heated.

lking about? I had

k tugging at his lips as if the person on

eserve it, though. You know how I fe

the conversation together

nd said, "Right. I'll handle it from here." He ended the call,

d, narrowing my eyes. I can't

though he hadn't just slapped the Alpha's girlfriend in public and g

you?" I b

be crazy to think Ethan's betas were wit

eeming to creep back into his expression.

ted. "Why did you even step in? Do you realize what you've done? Higan-" I

ayed calm. "I know exactly what I've done. And y

ple, but this wasn't just about Tess. This was about my entire m

The thought of walking into that building and facing Higan, Tess, or anyo

alid agreed, as if it wer

t want to go home. My mom's already stressed enough without me showing

he interrupted,

d in surprise at

ou somewhere safe for the day. You don't

him warily. "Why s

stood up for you, didn't I? And if I wanted to hurt

l, the idea of going anywhere with him felt reckless. I

said simply wit

. "Your

of the way. Nobody will bother you there. Well nobody

that I had no better options. Higan and Tess were both unpredi

moment, sighing. "But if

again?" he tea

uldn't help the faint s

hould appreciate the little funny things in life e

took the time to text Becca about my inevitable absence from school

s at casual conversation. He would occasionally give the driver directions and

nsion tucked away behind tall

I asked, gaping at the spr

he replied with a shrug before stepp

ed the girl standing in the doorway. It was hard not to miss the smooth pale sk

under my breath, dread

n unreadable expression. "Harlyn," she said coolly, before tur

ed to herself, looking me over w

go up. "The one?" I echoed,

ther explanation. That distinct feeling of her hi

ength, nor is it about hierarchy. Sometimes, it's about what hasn't been realized yet.

further into the house. "I'll leave you two to get settled. I

ped studying me. Her silence felt like an interrogation and A

?" I blurted out, wanting

a hallway. "It's down that

d. Why did she stare so much? What did she know about my rejection? And Why a

only succeeded in making me curious beyond my years. I was growing

until I reached the door at the end of the hall that I noticed something fe

over me and I fro

hirtless, his body broad and muscular, and the soft smil

though it was the most natural thing