Fenrir keeps staring, and thanks to the wolf tattoo on his neck, it’s like there are two sets of eyes on me.
“You heard about what happened with Pandora, right?” I ask quietly. We’re in an isolated part of the student lounge, which is quiet at this time of day, but I really don’t need anyone eavesdropping.
Funny, that other students keep going to class, oblivious to how fucked up the world around them is.
“Which part?” Fenrir asks. “I’ve seen…”
My entire body tenses, and my hand is curled into a fist before I even realize what I’m doing.
Fenrir holds his hand up. “Sorry, bad wording. I didn’t watch anything. But I couldn’t avoid hearing about it, or having it sent to me. My frat brothers were talking about it.”
Yeah, I guess it was hard to avoid. My jaw clenches.
“I know you hate Kappa Alpha, and I don’t blame you,” I say slowly. It doesn’t matter. I have to get him on my side with this. Blaze’s plan will only work if I can get others behind it, and Fenrir has more pull than I do with the team. “So I need your help. It’s for Pandora.”
“I was going to say, the shit she did to Keegan and Tate was hilarious.” Fenrir grins viciously. “I kind of get why you’re into her. Even if I’d prefer somebody a bit less, ah, volatile myself.”
Volatile.
That’s one way of looking at it.
I should be offended on her behalf, but as long as he doesn’t say that to her face or where she can hear it, he isn’t entirely wrong.
“Passionate,” I correct him anyway. “And vindictive, sure, but I would be too.”
“Yeah.” Fenrir gives me a calculating look, one that seems out of place on him. “Did I ever tell you, I have a sister? She’s six years younger than me. Boy did that fuck me up when my dads adopted her. Like I wasn’t enough for them anymore. They needed a better,purerchild.”
From what I know of Silvano Cresci and Kyran Winters, which admittedly isn’t much, it doesn’t sound like they’d choose purity over someone like Fenrir. “Is that what she’s like?” I ask. “Pure and innocent?”
Fenrir laughs. “Nah. She pretends she is but if you piss her off, she’ll destroy you. But she’s sneaky. I think she learned from Silvano. Everyone always thinks Kyran is the scarier one, but that’s only if your biggest fear is getting your face rearranged.”
“Is that where you learned that?” I ask him. It’s a little weird that he’s telling me these things, but at the same time, I appreciate the gesture. It doesn’t help to assuage the guilt for avoiding him and his efforts to befriend me, but it’s something. “Because you’re pretty fucking good.”
Fenrir nods and jabs the air. “Yeah. He wanted me to learn tofight properly, instead of rushing into things and getting myself beat up. Anyway. My point. I resented my sister for existing, but somewhere along the way… I don’t know, I think I’d do anything for her.” He claps my shoulder. “So I get wanting to protect somebody. Even somebody who infuriates you half the time. Most of the time.”
I offer a crooked grin. “Yeah. There was a time when I wanted to kill her.” I stare down at my left hand, with its missing pinky finger. “But that was complicated. Still is.” I take a deep breath. “Will you help me?”
Fenrir nods. “Sure. I mean, depends. I won’t chop off my dick for her or anything.”
I let out a surprised laugh. “Why would I ask you to chop off your dick?”
“I don’t know! Your girl isn’t rational!” Fenrir leans back in the lounge chair. “For all I know, she’s starting a dick-in-a-jar charity or something.”
“I think you’re safe from that club,” I tell him. The members of Kappa Alpha responsible for what had happened in the gym… Not so much. “We do want to do a charity event of sorts, though.”
“I’m intrigued.” Fenrir leans closer.
I hash out the plan with him, and by the time I’m done, Fenrir not only is on board, but he’s giving a lot of suggestions about the logistics. I don’t understand half of what he’s talking about, so I give him Blaze’s number so they can hash it out together.
I think Fenrir’s sister wasn’t the only one who picked up some things from Silvano Cresci.
“I’ll talk to my frat brothers, and the rest of the boxing team,” Fenrir promises. “And now I’m really late for class. I’ll catch you later.”
I nod. “Thanks, man. Really. I’ll pay you back for this.”
Somehow.
A glance at my phone tells me Fenrir’s not the only one who’s late. I grab my stuff and make my way outof the building. I could take the tunnels to avoid the cold, but that would add an extra five or ten minutes to my walk.
