Send.
My heart was in my throat, and I sucked in a breath to fill my lungs when my gaze connected with cold, angry eyes that extinguished the fire inside me.
Grayson leaned against a tree in his uniform, with his shirt unbuttoned and tie hanging haphazardly around his neck. I could smell the sour scent of Mirella and sex wafting from him, and my stomach churned.
“I was just leaving.” I stuffed my tablet in my bag and put a hand on the tree to get to my feet.
“Don’t let me run you off.” His voice rumbled through the clearing as he stood on the side of it that I had to pass to get back to the academy.
“I have class.” I cut through the clearing, straight down the middle, and forced myself to walk past him.
“Yeah, I know. I have it with you,” he said and I paused, glancing back over my shoulder as he turned toward me.
The tethers of the bond between us flared, electricity zinging through the air before his face twisted into anger. “I knew you would mate multiple men, but you haven’t mated anyone yet, and you’re still entertaining more than one man.”
I reeled back like I’d been slapped, and he stepped toward me until we were toe-to-toe. “Grayson.” The way I said his name was sharp, hate-filled. “Don’t start.”
“Don’t start what?” A dry chuckle left his lips, but his eyes were dark. “The bond between us is still there, even though we both rejected it.”
“If there was a way to break the bond, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
His hand shot out, and I noticed his pinky was missing. A sick feeling of satisfaction spread through me as I realized I actually had his pinky bone in my bag with me.
He gripped my chin with his index finger and thumb, fingers digging into my flesh. “Watch how you speak to me. You’re still just a—”
“Just a what?” I snapped my teeth at his hand and pushed his arm away. “A fox? You’re right. I’m not a wolf like you. I’mnotpart of your pack—and I’mnotyour mate either. We have no reason to be interacting.”
“No reason?” His jaw ticked as he swept his gaze down the length of my body. “The bond is still in place. I’d say the Fates have a reason for that.”
“A reason?” I stepped back a few steps, shaking my head. I shouldn’t have come to the forest alone. “I don’t care about their reasoning. All I know is that the Fates were wrong to mate us, consideringyourejectedmefirst.”
“You didn’t have to reject me back.” His voice came out lower. “The bond could’ve been saved and we could’ve mated when I was ready.”
I bristled, realizing just how selfish he was. When he was ready? What about me? Did he ever stop to think about how I had felt?
“We’re done here.” I went to turn around to continue my way back to the academy.
“We’re not done—”
A screech resounded between us as a bat flapped into his face.
Little feet scratched at him, making a deep gash across Grayson’s face before he smacked it away with a forceful blow.
The small black bat flew into a nearby tree with a crack before hitting the forest floor.
I gasped, cupping my mouth with both hands. “It's just a little bat!”
“A bat that came out of fucking nowhere!” he hissed as the wounds on his face started to heal. “It’s probably sick or something. Why is a bat out here in broad daylight?”
“If it’s sick, you shouldn’t smack it down and hurt it further.” A growl rippled through my throat.
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought the bat had been protecting me. He’d attacked Grayson at just the right moment.
“You can’t honestly be mad that I defended myself.” He growled louder, stepping forward again.
My gaze flickered toward the crumpled bat before it narrowed at Grayson. “I’m so happy you rejected me. Youdisgustme.”
Static crackled beneath my skin before what was left of our bond blazed hot between us, bringing us both to our knees with our teeth bared.
