I grunted. Guess I could live with that. “So what, you’re gonna go ape if some other guy bumps into me in the hall or something?”
Dean shrugged. “More or less.”
“Well, don’t.”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not exactly something I can help. Apparently, anyway.”
“Okay, well, if this imprinting thing turns out to be a possible impossibility, then you can find a way to manage your temper.”
“Duly noted,” he muttered.
I looked up as the other students started gathering their things to head to class. “I should get going. I’m behind enough without being late.”
“Wait,” he said, taking my wrist in his hand. It seemed to be an automatic impulse, and he was gentle enough, but the glare I shot him was icy enough to get him to let go. “I’m sorry. There’s just more stuff we need to go over.”
I hesitated, glancing up at the clock. “Alright, fine. We’ll meet up after school.”
“You mean it this time?”
I sighed. “Give me your phone.”
He did, without hesitation, but I could see the confusion in his gaze. “Why?”
I took it, entering my number in his contacts. He would be the first person I had in it, but I’d rather him text me than track me down. Every student was given one, even though I’d been told they didn’t work off grounds, and couldn’t be used to call anyone outside of the campus network.
“Here,” I said, handing it back to him. “We’ll figure out a time later.”
“Okay,” he said eagerly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Can I walk you to class?”
I was tempted to say no out of habit, but I decided I’d at least throw him a bone. Bad choice of words, probably, but as odd as he was, Dean was one of the few people who hadn’t been a total dick to me, and it wouldn’t kill me to spend some time around him. Especially if he was right about me being his “mate.”
The thought alone was enough to make my head spin, so I pushed it down and nodded. He reached for my bag, but I drew the line there. “I can carry my own things,” I told him. “I might be more or less human, but I’m not helpless.”
“Noted again,” he said, flashing me that smile. It made my heart skip a beat for reasons I didn’t even want to entertain.
I could kind of see where Maddie was coming from.
Chapter 8
Dean
I’d promisedmyself I’d be on good behavior, if only for Bells’ sake. What she wanted--peace between me and Alistair--was a hell of a tall order, but I thought I could do it. I really thought I could hold myself back if I saw him again.
I was a total fucking fool.
When it came time for us to all have “recess,” as we jokingly called it because it was that time of the day we were all turned out into the yard to get some fresh air, I fully intended on going to the far side by the woods and keeping to myself until it was over. If I played my cards right, I could ignore him.
I was almost there when I sawhim,standing in the middle of the field--which wasn’t like him at all--clearly looking for someone. And I knew he had to be looking for Bells.
MyBells.
I’d stormed up to him, intending on just telling him to fuck off and never speak to her again, but instead of having a civil conversation with me, the vampire had stood his ground. I was so pissed off I didn’t even remember what had been said, but it had been ugly, and it had taken everything in my power to keep myself from shifting and tearing him limb from limb.
I only held back for Bells. And because I knew what the penalty was for fucking up that badly--a memory wipe. I didn’t know if a memory wipe would wipe the imprinting, too, but I didn’t want to take any chances. So instead of giving the vampire what he deserved, I settled for punching him in the stomach, and he settled for gripping me by the throat and lifting me into the air until I passed out.
When I’d come to, I hadn’t been able to hold back anymore. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I only managed to shift partially, my face elongating into a toothy muzzle and my nails lengthening into claws, before one of the wardens tased me in the ass and another yanked Alistair’s hands behind his back. We were both cuffed, but he went willingly back into the Academy like the pussy pushover he was while I put up a fight, thrashing and snarling and trying in vain to sink my teeth into the wardens.
Now, I found myself cooling down in an isolation chamber--literallycooling down; they always kept those things as cold as iceboxes. I’d paced the floor so much my feet ached by the time the door opened and Dr. Price himself poked his head in.
