Bouquet of Regret (Angel's Shifters Book 1)

by Lenai McGoveran

  Seconds later, there was a howl that sounded like it was outside my window, and I stiffened with shock. Growling, Marcus walked to it, slamming it open and snarling under his breath, “haven’t you done enough?” A soft growl was his answer, and he snorted, albeit he removed my screen, and the giant wolf climbed into my room. Wagging his tail, Ky barked in greeting and jumped onto the bed.

  “Great, fleabag is here,” Char noted dryly to Riff, who nodded with a slight smile that grew when Ky growled. Huffing, the wolf lay at my feet with his head resting on my legs. He sighed as if all was right in the world, and I smiled while stroking his silky fur.

  Marcus kissed my forehead, pulled the covers to my chin, and ordered the boys to keep me safe before he left, turning out the light as he went. I sighed when the lock clicked on the front door, and it shut a moment later. “Sorry if this is awkward,” I muttered, and the boys laughed.

  “We get to snuggle the prettiest, sweetest girl in school, and she apologizes,” Char chuckled with a grin to Riff, who rolled his eyes with a smirk.

  “You forgot the most badass, but yes, she’s a bit of a dork when it comes to her worth. Still, let’s enjoy our little slice of paradise before Angel decides we cannot sleep like this anymore,” Riff snorted with mirth. My cheeks burned, but I felt so warm and loved that I believed I might sleep well.

  In the morning, Ky excitedly licked my face to wake me, and I groaned before giggling at his exuberance. He looked at the window, and I let him out with a sigh, sorry to see him go, but happy that he stayed last night. I didn’t even dream. Riff and Char woke when I did and watched me curiously. “Do you want a shower, and we’ll help you change your bandages, or we help you wash your hair, and the evil change happens after school?” Riff asked gently.

  Mulling it over, I went with the second option and chuckled while I got dressed, and the two of them fought over who got to shower first. While I munched on my never-ending supply of granola bars, they showered and wolfed doughnuts. My fingers itched to draw them with how adorable they looked, a doughnut in their mouths while they grabbed their backpacks. Riff grinned and waggled his eyebrows on his way past me, and I chuckled while Char rolled his eyes. Marcus drove me to school while the boys took their separate cars, just in case they needed to leave for any reason. Marcus mentioned that I could text him and he would be happy to take me home early if I wanted to leave school today. I eyed him warily, receiving a tight smile in response, which told me I wouldn’t like what he put in motion to happen. Great, something to look forward to. Joy.

  Before I got out, Marcus told me they got Matty and Tammy out safely with no mishaps, and I smiled. I should receive an email later telling me they arrived, which would be a relief. I wished I could call Matty, but I didn’t dare. You never know who is listening. Marcus added that I was not to wander too far from either Char or Riff when possible, and I sighed. As annoying as it might sound, I wasn’t bothered. I probably should be, but all I feel is valued, loved, special. Smiling, I told Marcus to have a wonderful day, and he chuckled, kissing my forehead before wishing me the same and banishing me from his car. Laughing, I got out, waving as he drove off and waiting for Riff and Char to enter the school.

  Riff threw his arm over my shoulders while Char glared at anyone who stared for too long. Each of them kissed my forehead before sending me into my first class. Taking my seat at the table in the back of the room, I steeled myself for Kyler’s arrival. I smiled when Mr. Hicks came in, I gave him my finished homework, and he smiled. He asked how I was since Riff confessed my visit to the hospital to gain the work I needed to make up.

  I had only returned to my seat when Kyler walked in, looking irritated. His eyes focused on me with even more hate than usual, and I flinched. What did I do now? I wasn’t even here. “Look what the cat dragged in, a dirty street rat,” Kyler sneered, and I sighed.

  “Hi to you too, hotshot,” I drawled, rolling my eyes at his attitude before dropping my gaze. Great. Whatever Kyler did to me was instant, lovely. Well, I guess he deserved it, but I still didn’t like it.

  “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” Kyler seethed, and I chuckled under my breath. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees, so he heard me.

  “Oh my, you saw something right in front of you,” I gasped sarcastically. “What do you want, a cookie?” I scoffed when his expression darkened, dismissing him as unimportant as I searched my backpack for my notebook. I placed it on my desk right as Kyler stormed over to me, and he yanked me out of my seat.

  His face was inches from mine when he snarled, “you will respect me, or I will make you regret it.” Sure you will, hotshot. The only thing I will regret is how much air we’ve shared. Can you lose brain cells by standing near someone who lacks them?

  “I’m so scared,” I drawled, “look at me, I’m trembling.” Giving him a sarcastic smile while I did no such thing, I placed my left hand on his chest and pushed him away to sit in my chair. He stared at me in shock for several moments before growling softly, and I growled back at him, snorting when he backed away a step.

  Growling under his breath, he walked around the table to sit beside me with a grim scowl. Scoffing, he asked, “so why were you gone yesterday? Did you skip because you think you’re better than us?”

  Sighing, I gave him an expression full of my disapproval, and he seemed to shrink from it for a moment before scowling again. “First, I know I’m not better than anyone, hotshot. That’s one of the biggest differences between us. I live in reality, while you dance around like a giddy fairy in your little fantasyland. Second, it’s none of your business why I wasn’t here. It’s not like you care, so why waste time by asking so futile a question?” I scoffed.

  Hearing several snickers, I glanced up to discover a full classroom and sighed inwardly, cringing when the tardy bell rang a moment later. “Well, since we’re all here, I guess we’ll start class early,” Mr. Hicks announced cheerfully. Several groans filled the room, and I dropped my gaze with a slight smile. “So, we will try something new to see how it goes. You will work on a project with your tablemate,” I stiffened, not even risking a glance at the asshole beside me. “But it can be on any topic in history, I just have to approve it. You will do a poster, and PowerPoint, to present your project to the class in two weeks. So, I suggest you use this time to discuss what you want your topic to be since this project is worth forty percent of your grade this semester.” In an ironic poetic way, the bell rang as soon as he finished speaking. Way to signal the end of everything little bell, because I’m sure Kyler would rather kill me than work on this together.

  Sneering, he muttered, “since you’re the suck-up, you can do it by yourself. I don’t care what it’s on so long as it looks good.”

  “Well, if you don’t help, it will look blank,” I replied calmly. I was nobody’s bitch, and I would not carry his ass. And, since I might not even be here in two weeks, it wasn’t like it meant anywhere near as much to me as it did him.

  “You will fail us both out of some stupid sense of superiority?” He demanded coldly, and I glared at him.

  “Do you listen to anyone other than yourself, hotshot? No, I will fail us because I’m neither your bitch nor will I carry your ass because you’re too stupid to figure out how to do a project,” I growled. I was done with his shit after yesterday. He could continue pretending he was some big, terrible bully. But all he was, to me, was a boy trying to wear clothes too big for him. Sorry, kid, but you have nothing on the adults who made the game.

  “You will do it, street rat,” Kyler warned, “or I will make your life hell.” Wow. So original. Did he hurt himself coming up with that?

  “And here I didn’t even know I was enjoying paradise,” I mocked, and he bristled. “Nice try, but do you really think you’re the first asshole I’ve dealt with? Sorry, hotshot, but you ain’t that special.”

  Kyler opened his mouth to snarl some disappointing retort, but Mr. Hicks snapped, “is there a problem, Mr. Co
oper and Miss Draven? Something you’d like to share with the class, perhaps?” He arched his brow while awaiting our answer, and I sighed.

  “The hotshot over here wants me to do all the work,” I told him, feeling Kyler’s hateful glare, albeit I refused to acknowledge it. “And he’s pissed because I refuse.”

  “You little bitch,” Kyler seethed, and I scoffed, although I grinned after a moment and smiled sweetly before barking at him. The expression of shock on his face was priceless. He gaped and tried to say something several times, but no words escaped his mouth, which only heightened my amusement.

  “Very well,” Mr. Hicks chuckled, “you seem to have this situation under control. Therefore, I’ll let you handle your peer unless he becomes too much for you. Pick a topic, and if you grind him under your heel, you might make something of Mr. Cooper yet.” He looked back at the work he had at his desk while the class snickered.

  “What about medicine,” I mused while Kyler continued to stare at me in shock. “World War II is when most modern medicines were developed because of the experiments Hitler had scientists perform on the innocent people in his concentration camps. We could do a project on that.” Morbid, but fascinating in a way. Plus, the morbidity of it might intrigue Kyler. He shook his head with wide eyes like he couldn’t believe what I offered. “Or there’s always how Hitler was a painter in Turkey, but nobody bought his paintings, so he went to Germany instead. So, we could do a project on what would have prevented some tragedies in history.”

  “No to both, Miss Draven,” Mr. Hicks called cheerfully, and I scowled although he didn’t look up from his desk. How did he even hear me? Crossing my arms, I huffed, and he chuckled, “your partner would enjoy those, and I don’t think he deserves to like this project.” So, because Kyler is an ass, I’m to be punished? Nice. “You’re not being punished, Miss Draven, pick a different topic.” Startled, I stiffened, my breath escaping as a quiet hiss of pain while I watched my teacher warily.

  “Fine,” I huffed, “how about how every time a civilization reaches a certain level of ‘greatness’ it gets wiped out? Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it and all that. Although, it’s the earth resetting itself to recover from what their ‘greatness’ has done to the environment.”

  “Yeah, go with that, that should be interesting,” Mr. Hicks declared when Kyler scoffed. “Don’t forget to include the threat we face ourselves from the super volcano under Yellowstone.” Nodding, I smiled and glanced at Kyler to chuckle at the return of his grim scowl.

  “So, do you want to work on today’s threat or the events that struck in history?” I offered with a sigh. Kyler crossed his arms mutinously, and I rolled my eyes. Sure, pout like a little boy because that will magically make everything go your way. Shrugging when he remained silent, I listed the ancient civilizations nature wiped out while ignoring Kyler. Towards the end of class, he peered at my list curiously, and I chuckled under my breath. He was like a curious puppy, only he was annoying instead of cute.

  Revelations

  The bell rang, saving me from whatever Kyler intended to say, and I shoved my notebook in my backpack and made my way into the hall. Char smiled as soon as he saw me, walking me to my next class after glaring over his shoulder. He kissed my forehead before I walked into calculus, waving to Zach, who grinned and beckoned me forward. Rolling my eyes, I gave Mrs. Young my homework, which she accepted with a warm smile and expressed her hope that I felt better.

  Once class began, Mrs. Young announced a pop quiz, and the entire class groaned. After a moment, Zach chuckled, “I will totally do better than you.”

  Smiling, I replied, “I hope you do.” I knew math was one of his preferred classes, although calculus was getting the best of him. So, I hoped he did better than me on this quiz. After Mrs. Young handed them out, I smiled with relief upon seeing it was simple questions. I finished mine within a few minutes, flipping it over on my desk while I waited for everyone else to finish. Bored, I sketched Zach on the blank back of my test, finishing it without him noticing even though he was done.

  “All right, class, exchange papers with the person beside you so they can grade it,” Mrs. Young announced in a cheerful voice. Zach and I passed each other our quizzes with smiles, and I stuck my tongue out at him when he playfully scowled. As our teacher announced the answers, most of the class groaned, but I grew buoyant. Other than one tricky question, Zach got them all right. Pleased, I gave him his test, and he sighed. Frowning, I observed him, trying to determine what was wrong, and he chuckled while shaking his head.

  “I’m fine, Angel, you just beat me by one, you little genius,” Zach informed me with a slight grin. “I am in awe of your almighty math skills.”

  Chuckling, I rolled my eyes while my soul relaxed in relief that nothing was wrong. “That one was easy to miss. I read it a little closer than you, that’s the only reason I got it right,” I shrugged. “Otherwise, you defeated this quiz with valor, young knight.”

  “I am pleased you think so, princess,” Zach replied with mock solemnity while bowing his head. We passed in our quizzes, which Mrs. Young checked over while we worked on the problems she put on the board. My cheeks burned, and I sank in my seat when our teacher announced I was the only one who got that question right. Instead of walking through it herself, she had me approach the board to write it out and explain it, saying perhaps my way made more sense to the class.

  Instead of jeers or scowls, my classmates seemed happy, and I chewed my lip while walking to the board. Writing it out, I pretended I couldn’t feel their eyes on me and cleared my throat when my voice faltered. Forcing myself to sound calm, I walked through the problem, pointing out that while it seemed to require one formula, a specific word in the question declared a different one was necessary. When I glanced at Mrs. Young, she made a go on motion, and I explained the difference between the formulas and other ways to tell which one they needed.

  Risking a glance, it surprised me to discover that everyone appeared to understand my explanation and my cheeks heated. I took my seat amid smiles and soft words of thanks, my cheeks burning hotter all the while, albeit it pleased me I helped my classmates. Mrs. Young announced our homework, and I chuckled when Zach sighed while we packed up to prepare for the bell. I swallowed nervously upon remembering I sat in front of Kyler in our next class.

  Char waited for me outside this class too, and I smiled, happiness filling me when he and Zach high fived. The two of them chatted about how annoying homework was even after we were in our assigned seats for English. I stiffened, not having to look to know when Kyler walked in, feeling his glare as he passed. As soon as he sat, he kicked my chair, and it hurt so bad I whimpered while fighting my sudden lightheadedness.

  Dakota, who sat to my right, snarled, and Char shook his head, standing and pulling me out of my seat to switch spots with me. Miss Kida asked him what he was doing, and he replied he was sick of Kyler picking on me where she couldn’t see. She frowned, eyeing Kyler, who schooled his expression to appear innocent and hurt. With a nod, she let Char stay and went over vocabulary words she would test us on. Dutifully I took notes, sighing with relief now that Kyler couldn’t torment me throughout this class, at least for today.

  I was in the hall seconds after the bell rang, before Char even, but Kyler caught me. “I have places to be, hotshot, let me go,” I sighed while staring at the ground.

  “Why? Have another teacher you need to whine to, street rat?” Kyler sneered, and I scoffed. Shaking my head, I bit my tongue to not snap at him. Why did he bring out the worst in me? When I didn’t answer, instead of the gut-punch I expected, he grabbed me with his thumbs on my ribcage and squeezed. I couldn’t stop my yelp of pain, and he shook his head in surprise. Before I could stop him, his hands were under my clothes, touching the bandages on my ribs, and I whimpered.

  His brow furrowed, and he backed away only to look at his fingers to find blood on them. Great, just what I needed, to bleed again. Lovely. “
Cut yourself, did you?” Kyler demanded without looking up from his hands.

  Instead of the usual anger, sadness filled me, and I sighed while tears filled my eyes. “Why do you always assume the worst of me?” I asked, my bottom lip trembling until I bit it. “But, no, I did not. And, don’t worry, those are proof you won’t have to deal with me for much longer.”

  “Oh? Going to do the world a favor and off yourself?” Kyler asked with a soft snarl. “How weak you are, street rat.”

  Sighing, I looked at the alarmed trio of Char, Dakota, and Zach with a shake of my head. “He only doesn’t find Matty because he enjoys the game. If I take myself out of it, he’ll do far worse to Matty than he ever has to me. You need not worry about that,” I murmured, and they sighed with relief. Afterward, they glared at Kyler so coldly I was surprised he didn’t shiver. “And no, hotshot, I don’t plan on killing myself. Again, why do you think so little of me? Never mind, it matters not. Staying here would be suicide since he’ll be angry I stayed because it takes the fun out of the game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to attend.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Kyler demanded, trying to look into my eyes, but I kept my gaze down.

  “It’s none of your business, hotshot. You’ve made it clear you don’t care, so why ask? How about you get out of my way so I can get to class? I like this school, well, other than you,” I replied, stepping around him when he didn’t move. Char, I noticed, bumped into his shoulder with a soft growl.