by Belle Harper
My mouth dropped open. “What the hell, Raff?”
Chapter Nine
Rafferty
I could smell her before she even opened her bedroom door. That lock that Jack had put there at my request was loud. I knew Alexis didn’t feel safe here. But for me, I never felt safer in my life—and I was in another pack’s territory. Living with five other shifters, I shouldn’t feel safe.
But I knew from living even with my own pack, a lock made you feel a little safer. It wouldn’t stop anyone, most of all a shifter. But you could hear someone breaking down your door and give yourself a chance at least.
Jack put one on her window, which I wasn’t impressed by at first and I protested, but when I heard her go to her window last night, I realized she would have run off again. I didn’t want her to run. I wanted to keep her safe. My wolf wanted to keep her.
I tried to do that today, but it didn’t go as planned. There were three different wolf packs at Port Willow High. How they all functioned in one school surprised me, but for the last two days, they had one common enemy—me.
I was considered a rogue wolf around here.
I knew this would happen before I got here. I knew it would be hard. They only place young pups in other packs, not one that was almost of age. Fuck, I should have let Shelly do this years ago when she first met me. I will be eighteen in three weeks. But Shelly had told me that Grayson and Jack would let me live here for as long as I wanted. My ageing out the system, the fact I was from the Russet Pack back just outside Seattle… none of that mattered to them.
I thought that being here was a better option than jail. Hell, jail was better than living with my pack, so this was a huge upgrade. But being here had been a lot more to take in than I had thought. I could deal with assholes; I have my whole life. All my uncles were assholes. Fucked up on drugs all the time had turned them feral and violent.
No, it was the perfect family unit that I had walked into that was hard to take in. Two caring parents, three kids who were dressed and well fed. Treated to cupcakes, muffins… bacon and egg breakfasts. And then her. I had never felt so strongly about someone and it scared me.
I leaned my head against the basin. I could sense her coming toward the bathroom and I wanted to hide my leg from her. She had been so worried about my neck and I had snapped at her. I didn’t mean to. I almost shifted when she grabbed me. I didn’t want to act that way around her, and I felt so ashamed when I told her to fuck off.
I had been told we had to hide our shifter sides from her until the elders of the packs worked out what she was. She was no shifter, that was for sure. But I had never smelled anything like her, and it drove my wolf crazy. Fuck, it drove all the wolves here crazy.
When she lingered at the door of the bathroom, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see her face. Did she hate me? I knew I wasn’t making it easy for her to like me. I didn’t make it easy for anyone to like me; if I did, I was sure my uncles would take that from me, just like they took my mom. I never made friends, dated, or had a girlfriend. All the things normal teenagers did, I didn’t. I wouldn’t give them anything they could use against me again.
I saw her eyes, the most unusual amber—almost gold, it was like they glowed in the florescent light.
I wanted to tell her I was sorry for earlier. I wanted to explain I didn’t mean to snap at her. It was the venom from one of the Kenneally Pack members when they thought it would be funny to bite me before the end of school. The asshole knew I would have this reaction.
If a shifter injects venom into another shifter, it causes them to become more aggressive, like it messes with their hormones or something. It lasts in your system for about twelve hours, but it was out of my system now. I had been slowly becoming immune to it over the years. My uncles used to bite me every day as a game when I first shifted. They were sick fucks. I was only eleven.
I turned and faced her. I knew I couldn’t tell her about the shifter world and what she just walked into. She didn’t know we existed, not yet anyway. But maybe if she saw, she would understand why I acted the way I did… Maybe.
I could smell a hint of her arousal in the air as her eyes drifted down my chest. I wanted to take a deep breath but instead, I held it. I waited to see what she would do.
“What the hell, Raff?” Her voice was loud, almost angry. She just stood there looking at my leg. I didn’t know what I expected her to do, but that wasn’t it. She moved in close and I had to breathe. I couldn’t help it; I smelled her arousal in the air, but it was laced with fear. It was too much. She called to my wolf and I didn’t know why. I darted around her and straight to my room where I closed the door with a loud bang. I pressed my back against the door, taking deep breaths, trying to get her scent out of my mind. I rested my head against my door as I listened to her.
I didn’t have a lock; I didn’t need one here. That meant she could come into my room anytime. I wanted her to come in here. I was hard and aching, and I rubbed my cock through my boxers.
I have never wanted someone until Alexis.
Alexis was still in her sleepwear as I ate my breakfast quickly. Grayson was eying me, but I didn’t care. He didn’t understand; fuck, I didn’t even understand myself, but my wolf did. I got up and put my plate in the kitchen and checked to see if I was being followed.
When I couldn’t hear anyone, I quietly opened up her bedroom door and slipped in. Her room held her scent. I took a deep breath like I was an addict chasing my next hit. Her clothes were laid out on her bed. She had made it this morning before I got a chance to roll in it. Fuck.
I rubbed my cheek and neck over her clothes, especially the hoodie, which seemed to be the only one she had. I stood back then took a deep breath. Mine. That was what I could now smell. I marked her clothes, now maybe the assholes at school will back off from her.
I took her pillow and rubbed it on myself—it wasn’t as strong as rubbing myself in her sheets but it was better than nothing. I could hear Grayson, his voice was deep as he asked Alexis if she was finished. I quickly put her pillow back and opened the door and slipped out the room as if nothing happened. Only a moment later, as I walked toward the bathroom, Alexis turned the corner. I didn’t look at her, I couldn’t. I was ashamed of what I did. But I would do it again, over and over.
I spotted Grayson at the door as I brushed my teeth, and he gestured to me with his thumb to meet him in the living room. I rolled my eyes at him and he growled a warning at me.
“What?” I demanded when I saw him standing in the living room, looking out the window.
“Don’t what me, boy, that’s rude. You say excuse me.” he took a deep breath like he was calming himself down. “Now, I know what you are doing and I don’t know why, but you have to stop. It is only going to make things worse for you. I am trying to protect you and Alexis, and this is not the way to go about it.” He ran his hand down his face as his eyes closed and he took a deep breath.
I wasn’t going to apologize for what I did. And when I didn’t say anything, he continued, “It’s hard when you can’t just be yourself at home. When was the last time you shifted and took a run?”
I tried to think back, but it was the day I got busted with my uncle’s drugs. I had run that morning, but that was it. I refused to let the guys at school bully me into shifting. I was stronger than that—even though my wolf had been screaming to bust out at them and protect me. But I held him back, I wouldn’t give in. I wasn’t some weak wolf and they knew it.
“Look, come with me tonight after school., I will run with you. It will be good for both of us.” I just shrugged and threw my bag over my shoulder and made my way out of the house into the crisp spring air.
Alexis finally came and stood beside me. She stood a little closer today, and I couldn’t help the way my heart sped up a little at that. I left my phone in my pocket. Not that I was actually on it yesterday. I was pretending to be doing something while I watched her from the corner of my eye. The wind picked up and blew the
cool air toward me, I could smell our mixed scent.
That made me smile a little, something I hadn’t done in forever.
Chapter Ten
Lexi
Day two of school was… different, and so was day three. I hadn’t seen much of Raff. It was as if he was avoiding me after the bathroom incident.
But I also didn’t see that annoying Ranger at school, either. And everyone left me well enough alone. Day one, I had half the males in school as my stalkers, as well as day two, and I was now the school pariah and no one wanted to talk to me. Well, except for Ada, which was fine by me.
But this was different. Today there were stares… a lot of them. At least no one came close to me. It was nice, but it was also not right. I had a bad feeling, I was waiting for some epic prank to happen.
I had a locker, but I never used it. I was taking all my books from class to class. As much as my teachers protested, I didn’t trust anyone in this school to keep my things in a locker. I didn’t use the one in my last school, either; if I did, I wouldn’t have everything I do with me now—it would still be in that locker after I ran.
I was grateful it was finally the weekend. I slept in and woke up to the smell of breakfast and muffins. My stomach rumbled as I slowly peeled myself out of bed. I looked over to the computer in my room. I hadn’t used it yet, but I had a project that I needed to do some online studying for… but that could wait until after breakfast. I was starting to really love these breakfasts. I had already put on a little bit of weight since I had been here.
“Lexi.” Josh ran to me and wrapped his hands around my waist and placed his head on my stomach. I hugged him back. I loved this. Every morning he had been giving me hugs. The other two boys seemed scared of me. I could understand their feelings toward me, so I wasn’t offended. I was once like that… I guess I still am. But not with Josh. He was my little buddy. I guess in some way, I was living the childhood I never had through him. Being everything I wish I had when I was six.
“Lexi, I have left a plate for you in the kitchen. I made some muffins that the boys all ate. Did you want to help me make some more later?” I looked up as Grayson walked out the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Did that guy ever leave the kitchen? He was forever baking. But he was forever smiling in there too.
“You can’t call her Lexi, only special people can call her that.” Josh almost growled at Grayson. That kind of surprised me; he was always so sweet and now he sounded very angry. I peeled Josh off me, and Grayson had a look on his face I couldn’t work out.
“It’s okay, Grayson is a special person, too.” I tried to defuse the situation, if it was one. Grayson just looked at Josh, his little head tilted to the floor and he apologised to Grayson.
“Joshua, why don’t you see if Harry or Jaxon want to go out and play?”
Josh nodded and ran down the hall toward their rooms. I hadn’t been down that end of the house yet. Not because I wasn’t allowed to or anything, I just didn’t need to be down there so I hadn’t gone.
I knew the big double doors at the end held Grayson and Jack’s room. And the three boys shared two bedrooms. Josh got his own room, but I was told that Joshua mostly ended up sleeping on the boys’ floor at night because of nightmares. They set up a mattress on the floor for him and I heard them talk yesterday about getting bunkbeds.
I had nightmares, and I never wish them on anyone. Mostly, they were things that had happened to me, just twisted to make worse—if that was even possible. But the worse ones were of things that had happened to me that I kept buried deep inside for a reason. It would come out of the dark hole I put it in and find its way into my dreams. The worst nightmares were when my parents were killed. I never wanted to relive that again, yet lucky me got to a few nights a week.
“Jack wants to take you shopping after breakfast. You really need some new clothes, Lexi. I know you don’t want us to buy you any, I guessed that, but maybe if you let us do it this one time, you can pay us back with chores.”
I arched my brow. “What kind of chores?”
Grayson chuckled deep in his chest. “Dishes? Every night for a week?”
Now I raised both brows. Really?
That was not a lot of work for clothes.
He laughed. “Or you can just accept the clothes, and not wash dishes.”
I couldn’t stop the smile from my face. I had only been here four days, and right in this moment, I didn’t want it to end. But nothing this good lasted forever. Right?
After a good two hours at the shops, I now had a cell—my first ever one. I could text and receive calls, that was all I needed it for. I didn’t have any social media since I had no need for it. I didn’t need anything fancy.
I also got a least a week’s worth of clothes, if not a month with Jack shopping with me. Mostly jeans and hoodies. But also some T-shirts, tank tops, and some shorts since the weather was starting to warm up. Summer was getting closer, and so was my birthday.
Jack insisted I get a dress. “You know, in case you get invited to a party,” was his excuse. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen, given what had happened the last few days at school.
But in the end, I settled for a dark blue one while fell just above the knee. I wasn’t sure at first, but it made me look… feminine. I felt like a woman in this dress. I knew that I probably wouldn’t wear it anywhere except the one event I had thought of while I tried it on—graduation.
Jack said he needed to get some other things and took me to the homewares section. He just started picking up fluffy pink pillows and knitted blue throw rugs, showing me for approval. I was confused at first until he asked me what color sheets I would like. I just froze. My tongue felt heavy… I didn’t know what to say. I thought we were just getting clothes. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer and if I didn’t tell him he was going to buy every color.
The feeling in my chest returned. The warm one I didn’t know was a feeling someone could have. I smiled and pointed to some dark purple sheets, and Jack just did his thing. Mixing and matching with me. I giggled at some of his terrible choices and the lightness in my chest felt amazing in the moment.
When I got back to the house, Raff wasn’t in his room or anywhere in the house when I wandered back towards the kitchen after putting some of my new things in my room. Jack said he will wash everything and set up my room for me later. Grayson was in the kitchen setting up the baking equipment.
“Did you want to learn how to make double chocolate muffins?” I hesitated at the door. I didn’t know exactly why I was wandering the house. I had spent most my time in my room. But now… I guess it was nice to speak to someone. I needed to work on my project for class, but here I was, standing the kitchen with Grayson, who had the biggest smile on his face as he started to measure the flour.
“I… Okay.” I stepped into the room and his smile became infectious. I returned the smile as he showed me the recipe and how to sift the flour.
“You are a fast learner, Lexi. Are you sure you haven’t baked before?” I looked at the disaster that was the countertop. I have never cracked an egg before, and I may have had an accident with the first and well— the second one, too. But Grayson just kept on smiling and showed me how. I was a seventeen-year-old learning how to crack an egg for the first time. This was stuff I should have learned with my mom, if she was the kind of mom that normal people had. Not me, my mom liked the end of a needle more than feeding me. Which was why I avoided anyone who did drugs—never wanted to end up like her or my dad.
“Ohh, something smells good. I can’t wait to try one, Lexi. I bet they are just as good as they smell,” Jack said, smile beaming on his face as he walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out a bottle of water. I knew he was just being nice. But once again I had that feeling deep in my gut that this wasn’t real, that it could be taken at any moment and I didn’t want to open myself up for more heartache. This wasn’t how people lived, this wasn’t how I lived.
But in that moment, I closed my eyes as I listened to Jack speak about someone he saw while we were out earlier—just regular couple talk—and I dreamed that this was real… and all mine. They were my dads, I had three little brothers, and I watched Teen Titans after school each day with Josh. They asked me about my day, they cooked me nice meals, and took me shopping for dresses, all while I talked about the cute boy I had a crush on. I had a life. Like in the movies I had seen.
The slamming of the front door had my eyes flash open and brought me back to reality. It was stupid to dream.
Just a dream until the nightmare returned.
Chapter Eleven
Lexi
I woke up in the early hours of Monday morning to a sound of crying. It was muffled, but then I heard it grow louder outside my room. I threw my sheet off and slowly padded on the cool wooden floorboards to my door. I pressed my ear to the wood and listened. Someone was sobbing against my door.
“Josh?” I tentatively asked.
The sobbing stopped and I heard him squeak out, “Lexi.”
I quickly unlocked my door—the light from the bathroom had been left on the last few nights, I wasn’t sure why—and the hallway was lit up enough for me to see the blotchy red face of the beautiful little Josh sitting beside my door.
“Did you have a bad dream?” Why was he at my door? Why not with Harry or Jaxon. Or even Grayson or Jack. He nodded and sniffled, rubbing his nose against the back of his hand.
“Can I sleep in your room? I promise to be quiet… Just for tonight?” I heard the click of Raff’s door open. His hair was messy and angled in strange directions. It was fascinating to see as he seemed to have it always put so together. Seeing him like this gave him a softer look, like he was just as human as the next person. He was only wearing his boxers. Tight boxers. Fuck.