“You wish,” I replied, shooting her a dark smile of my own. What she called weak, I calledstaying the fuck alive until I could escape them.An entire pack versus one wolf? Yeah, who could win with those odds?
I had fought back at the start, but it only made the beatings worse. So now I chose to grow mentally and emotionally stronger, forged in a fire of their hatred, all the while biding my time until I’d be free.
“Leave her alone,” Simone shouted, unable to get to me; Torin was deliberately in her way.
“Simone, it’s cool,” I said, forcing myself to sound cheerful. “Sis here is super clumsy; I’m used to her tripping and falling into me.”
Sisily’s growls grew lower and more menacing, but I was beyond giving a shit.
“Stop it!” Simone tried again, and I really wished she wouldn’t. As I’d told her many times, there was no need for both of us to be a target. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her.
Thankfully, her parents’ position in the pack saved her from the worst of the bully behavior, but some still found small ways to punish her for having me as a friend.
Fucking loyal friend that she was; I barely deserved her.
“Shut it, Simone,” Sisily said without looking away from me. “Or you’ll join your half-breed mutt of a friend.”
“Half-breed and mutt,” I said with a forced laugh. “And last week, I was also a whore. I mean, my mom is super proud of me. Just so you know.”
Her hands formed into fists as she went in to break my nose again—signature move of hers—but she was stopped by Jaxson Heathcliffe.
My favorite tormentor.
My oldest friend outside of Simone.
Even if we were definitely more enemies these days.
“I thought I told you to give up coming to classes,” he drawled, leaning in close, his finger swiping across my cheek. It was a gentle motion, but the darkness brewing in his coffee-colored eyes spoke of something different.
A chirpy smile crossed my face. “Right? I mean, I tried that, but my teachers were all ‘you’re going to fail’ and ‘I’ve been looking for a red fur throw for my bed,’ so I decided maybenotshowing up was a bad idea.”
Why. Was. I such. A smartass?
Honestly, this facet of my personality was going to get me straight up murdered. And I didnotneed any help in that department.
Jaxson crowded me into the lockers, and the burning in my back increased, but I didn’t make a sound. Leaning down, he ran his nose across my neck, scenting me. He’d never fucking done that before, and I wondered if this was the moment my father’s sins finally caught up to me and my throat got ripped out.
When he pulled away, his eyes flashed, and I swallowed down my next stupid comment, choosing instead to focus on his face. My expression was defiant because I would never back down to him. Never.
Jaxson was gorgeous, with brown skin, midnight black hair, and a long, lean body that hid none of his strength. It made sense that he was best friends with the future alpha. They had a similar look—the epitome of shifter males in both alpha-ness and good looks.
Personality wise, though, they were ugly, small-dick fucktards.
“My dad wanted to kill you and your mother,” Jaxson murmured, breath brushing over my cheek.
This was the first time I’d heard that, so I paid attention. My dad and his dad had been best friends, second- and third-in-line to the alpha, both powerful and confident men. Jaxson’s dad was the one who’d straight-up gutted mine, mere seconds after he’d attempted to take out Alpha Victor.
No questions. No trial.
“Why didn’t you leave college?” Jaxson pushed again. “The real reason?”
I shoved against him with all my strength, not moving him an inch. “What the fuck happened to you? We used to be friends!”
When your parents are best friends, it stands to reason you’ll grow up around each other. He’d been a big brother to me, but the moment my father had betrayed the pack, I’d lost everything.
The darkening of his eyes from coffee to tar was the only indication I had that this was going to be bad. His hand shifted to claws, swiping across my chest in one move. It cut through my shirt and bra, leaving large, red welts across my breasts, just short of breaking the skin. He’d done that deliberately; I’d never seen anyone with the control of Jaxson, and if he’d wanted to break the skin, he would have.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked quietly, forcing my face to remain calm even as pain pulsed against my chest, joining the pain in my back. “I’m not my father. Why are his sins mine to pay for?”
