Tainted Romance

by Simone Elise

  Hurt flashed across his eyes before he took control of his emotions. “Well, don’t be all moody then,” he snapped. All the care that was on his face a moment ago was gone. “Look, Allie, you said you didn’t want to be my mate. I thought we were on the same page with this.”

  “You said we should be friends,” I reminded him. “I didn’t know your version of friends with me meant closet friends.”

  “I…” He groaned, running his hand over his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t say anything.” I sat up, crossing my legs under me. “I get it you know.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not a high-profile catch.”

  “It’s not about that,” he snapped at me, looking angrier by the second. “You don’t get it. If anyone, ANYONE, finds out about you being my mate, that’s it, everything is over.”

  I swallowed sharply. The fierceness in his voice made me realize he wasn’t joking.

  “Are you ready to be looked at as the next pack leader, because that is what you will become, Allie. Your life won’t be your own anymore.”

  Was now the time to tell him that I wasn’t planning on staying here? Oh God, what was I thinking? We can’t be friends. “No,” I said bluntly. I didn’t want to get stuck here and having any type of relationship with him could cause that to happen. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  He looked disappointed. “Well, there we have it. You and I just have to keep things on the down low.”

  I nodded my head. One day I would have to make a choice, him or freedom but, right now, we could just prolong that day.

  “It sucks.” Zane sighed. “Not being able to talk to you at school. I don’t like it.” He wasn’t lying; the seriousness and honesty on his face told me that. “That’s why I’ve been in your head a lot.”

  “Which is really annoying,” I piped up. “Seriously, Zane, do you know how many times I have nearly died out of fright hearing your voice in my head! Then people look at me funny, because of the faces I pull while talking back to you.”

  “I know.” He smirked. “You always looked so focused.”

  “You know staring is a sign of stalking,” I teased, smirking back at him.

  “Well, I guess that means I’m your personal stalker then.”

  He hadn’t meant it sexually, but for some reason, it drove my hormonal levels up.

  “Stop that look.” He pointed at me. “I have control over my wolf, but not that much.”

  I look away from him quickly, blushing. “Sorry.”

  “No, I’m the one who is sorry. Sorry I can’t do anything about it.”

  That made me blush more, and I was sure my cheeks were bright red. “So, we should, um, watch this.” I pointed pathetically to the TV.

  He laughed. “You look cute blushing.”

  “Well, I better never blush again then.”

  “I could get you to blush in a second.”

  “Mighty confident, aren’t you?”

  “Let me just say, I know what effect I have on you.” He moved closer to me, placing a hand on my thigh. “And I know how to use it to my advantage.”

  I turned to look at him, my cheeks slightly faded. “Two can play at that game.” I pulled on my own control and confidence. I would not let him get the upper hand.

  “Ok then, let’s make a little bet.” He kept his hand on my thigh, and it was driving me crazy. My skin was tingling with joy and pleasure. “I bet I can have you begging for me before you have me begging for you.”

  A game of jealousy and emotions - it was sure to end in disaster. “Deal.” I smirked at him.

  “You do know this is going to end with me banging you, don’t you?” he spoke with confidence, and his eyes flashed with need and desire.

  “Like I said, Zane, you’re too confident.”

  We both knew we shouldn’t be doing this. We both knew this attraction we felt for each other was going to overcome us one day but, right now, why not have fun with it and I wasn’t going to back down or lose. If there was one thing I hated more than this town, that was losing.

  Chapter Six

  I wasn’t the nicest or the sweetest person. I wasn’t going to lie and say I didn’t get why people ignored me. Actually, when I really think about it, I liked that people avoided me. It meant I didn’t have to fake niceness.

  But today everyone and everything was annoying me more than normal. Blake was sitting next to me, phone out and messaging someone. Chase was across from us, headphones in and playing some game on his phone.

  The three of us took up a round table that could easily fit eight people, but no one dared join us as the Falcon boys were also not known for being nice.

  Zane was sitting three tables over. Yes, I knew exactly where he was. I also knew he had brought the brunette who he currently had his arm around to lunch. I knew all this because, like a stalker, I had been watching his every move. I hated myself for it.

  I still couldn’t work out if he was trying to make me jealous, or really into her. Hell, she was pretty, I wouldn’t say she wasn’t.

  “Are you going to smoke one of those, or just keep playing with it?” Blake asked, nodding to the cigarette in my hand.

  “Don’t know.” I shrugged and continued to roll it around in my hand. “Are you going to get off your phone for five minutes?”

  He arched his eyebrows. “Why are you so grumpy?”

  “I’m not,” I snapped, still looking in Zane’s direction.

  “I’m going to, um, get a drink.” I pushed away from the table, my chair scraping on the floor. Their table was close to the lunch line. Maybe I could overhear their conversation. Sure, I could just break into his mind, but then he would know I was interested and shamefully jealous.

  Why was the line so bloody long? Couldn’t they hire another person to serve or something? Seriously, two people running a cafeteria for hundreds of students - that made real sense.

  I hadn’t had any classes with Zane this morning, so I hadn’t had the pleasure of seeing him. So, when I did, I felt nothing but bitterness when I saw him with her. Also, seeing them had instantly put me in a shitty mood.

  “Zane, stop it,” I overheard the brunette giggle.

  I rolled my eyes, keeping my head forward and my back to them.

  “You alright?” An arm slipped around my waist, but it wasn’t who I wanted it to be. Blake looked at me slightly worried.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I kept my arms crossed and took a step forward as the line moved.

  “You’re acting weird.” He frowned. I was well aware Zane could hear us, and I didn’t want him thinking he had got to me.

  “It’s my mom; she’s just put me in a bad mood. Don’t stress about it.” I shot him a tight smile to seal the lie.

  “So, she’s back then.” Blake kept an arm around me.

  “Yep, she came home this morning, if I could be so lucky.” We moved forward again.

  “What the fuck are you looking at?” Blake shot over my shoulder to someone, and I followed his eyeline to see it met with Taylor’s, Zane’s prick of a best friend.

  “Nothing.” He looked shocked.

  Blake arched an eyebrow at him while glaring. “Then stop fucking looking at her,” he growled before slowly turning his attention back to me.

  “What was that about?” I looked up at him. I hated scenes, and Blake always seemed to cause them. He was a hot head, and sometimes it was hard to deal with.

  “He was looking at you.”

  “So.” I looked up at him, not amused. “I keep looking at the kid wearing that snow hat, I don’t see him snapping at me.”

  “You’re in a mood.” He rolled his eyes at me, letting go of me. “Call me when your hormones are under control.”

  With that said he walked off. Blake didn’t do arguments. Instead, he would just walk off and later he would pretend like nothing happened.

  My fingers curled into tight fists. Why did my hormones
always get the blame? I looked over my shoulder to see Taylor, looking shocked. Why was he looking at me anyway? I took a glance at Zane, who had his head curled into that stupid brunette’s neck, kissing it.

  I suddenly felt sick.

  “Hey, Allie!” Chase called out while jogging towards me. His blonde hair bouncing slightly with each step.

  “I’m not in the mood, Falcon,” I warned him. I had just had a run in with his brother and I didn’t need to go head to head with him as well.

  “Ok.” He rose his hands, signaling he came in peace.

  “I was just wondering if you and Blake have decided if you’re coming on the camp this weekend? I’ve got to put our names down so they can do the assignments for groups and stuff.”

  Camping, I scrunched my nose up. “I don’t want to go. Camping, dirt, bugs, and being in the bush doesn’t do anything for me.”

  “Come on, it is going to be fun,” he begged.

  “No.”

  “Come on, you know you want to.”

  “No.”

  “There is going to be marshmallows. We both know how much you love a marshmallow.”

  “I said no, Falcon.”

  “It gets you out of English finals and that oral presentation.”

  “Ok, now I’m interested.” I stepped out of the lunch line, seeing as I wasn’t really even in it anymore. People had just been walking around us.

  “It’s for a full week, and you automatically get a passing grade for any assessments you miss during it. It's something about encouraging kids to get back into nature or something. So, you going to come or what?”

  Public speaking and assessments - both weren’t my strong points. “Fine, I’m in, but just because I’m going doesn’t mean Blake will.”

  “He will.” Chase grinned. “Just the chance of sharing a tent with you will get him there.”

  “Whatever,” I grumbled. My eyes drifted in Zane’s direction. Was he going?

  “Ok, I’ll see you tonight.” He slapped me on the back before jogging off. I was sure he was off to track down his brother and pester him about coming with us.

  The school bell rang, and dread filled my stomach. The final period was Math, and I sucked with numbers. I usually spent it bored out of my mind and scribbling in my notebook.

  ***

  ZANE

  She hadn’t listened to one word the teacher had said. I knew that because Mr. Burts had called on her twice and both times she hadn’t answered. Whatever she was drawing in her notebook had her full attention.

  “Why can’t I figure it out!” Ebony snapped at herself next to me. She was trying really hard to work out some problem.

  Ebony didn’t like failing at anything so when it came to her school work, she always gave it her all.

  “Don’t ask me, Ebs. I stopped trying ten minutes ago.” I stretched, resting my hands behind my head. Allie looked more attractive today than usual. She was wearing tight fitted jeans and a tight long sleeve t-shirt.

  It showed off her every curve, and I would bet she hadn’t even realized that.

  I was sure her foul mood at lunch was due to Lexi and me. I knew I could make her jealous. It caused pride and joy to burst inside me, knowing I could make her, the sexiest woman I know, jealous.

  My joy was short lived when I found out she was going on the camp. Nightmares flashed across my mind. I wouldn’t let my mate spend the week in a tent with another guy.

  It wasn’t going to happen. I had signed my name up before coming to class.

  She hadn’t looked me in the eye all day, and she basically ignored me in the hall. It bugged me she wouldn’t just look at me. I just wanted to look into those big doe-eyes of hers.

  What the hell was she drawing! I began to get frustrated, seeing her full attention was on that piece of paper.

  I couldn’t go much longer without speaking to her. I had hoped she would break the silence before me, but it looked like I would be giving in.

  ‘What are you drawing?’ I spoke in her mind.

  I watched her back stiffen out of shock as I took her by surprise.

  ‘Nothing.’ Her voice echoed in my mind. Damn, I loved hearing her.

  ‘So, I hear you are going on a camp.’

  ‘You mean you were eavesdropping.’ Her voice floated back to me quickly.

  ‘You knew I was listening.’ Just like I knew she was jealous.

  ‘You looked too busy with the brunette.’ Her bitterness could be heard in her tone.

  She let her hair fall around her, blocking any chance of me seeing her face. ‘Are you going on the camp?’

  No way was I going to let her go by herself and spend more time with her so-called boyfriend. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at her. ‘Of course, I am. You didn’t think I would let you go without me, did you?’

  ‘I don’t need you to look after me.’

  ‘I’m not planning on looking after you.’

  She didn’t say anything back, and I wanted to hear her voice again. Her mind was empty as she was thinking of nothing on purpose - not wanting to let me get a glimpse into her actual thoughts.

  Just when I thought she was done with me and I was about to pull out, she finally spoke. ‘I hate Math.’ She sighed in my mind. ‘I suck at it, and the teacher keeps looking at me like I’m stupid.’

  I felt bad for her. Hearing that tone in her voice, that sadness or disappointment, stirred me with protection. I wanted nothing more than to wipe that feeling from her. ‘Math isn’t my thing either.’ If I couldn’t help, the least I could do was make her see she wasn’t alone.

  ‘Everyone else gets it.’ She looked up, her eyes scanning the classroom. She was right, everyone seemed busy with their work; everyone but me, who was more interested in staring at my mate.

  ‘They’re working in partners so it isn’t like they are doing it by themselves,’ I reminded her. I was meant to be helping Ebony with questions, but she always let me off and ended up just doing them herself. She hated it when I clogged up her paper with my working outs.

  ‘Yeah, lucky them.’ Her tone was low in my mind.

  Only now did I realize she was the only person in the classroom sitting by themselves. Everyone else was paired up. Allie, however, was sitting by herself. Actually, come to think of it, she always sat by herself, apart from in the one class Blake was in.

  ‘You would hate it, working with someone, having to be nice,’ I pointed out.

  ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ Allie pulled her hair back and turned to look at me.

  There was a trace of a smile on her face. Seeing her face finally after all day picturing it and thinking about it made me realize I shouldn’t be sitting here. I should be next to her.

  I glanced at Ebony. She had put her headphones in and had a serious look on her face. She wouldn’t even know I wasn’t there until class finished.

  I picked up my ripped textbook, which had more missing papers than actual papers. Taylor and I been scrunching them up as balls trying to get them in the teacher's bin. It was that which led to Mr. Burts saying Taylor and I were too disruptive to be in the same class.

  I slumped down in the seat next to Allie. Her eyes were wide with fright, and she looked mortified.

  “Don’t over think it, sweetheart.” I winked at her, hiding my nerves with confidence. It would help if she stopped staring at me like I had grown two heads or something. Come on, Allie, act cool before you draw attention to us.

  She gulped. “I, um, don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s my good looks, isn’t it? Makes you forget what you’re thinking,” I flirted with her.

  She rolled her eyes, the shock of me sitting next to her finally wearing off. “Sure, that must be it.”

  “So, where are you up to?” I looked at the blank piece of paper in front of her. “Or should I say, when do you plan on starting?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.” She smiled at me.

/>   “Slacker, aren’t you?”

  I reached out for the piece of paper, my hand just brushing hers. She was quick to pull away from my touch. Soon she wouldn’t be pulling away because I wouldn’t be letting her. I could feel a primal need to protect her and to have her.

  I knew what was causing it - my wolf. The only thing that made me feel normal about it is I knew her wolf would be going wild inside her too.

  “People are staring,” she hissed.

  “So.” I shrugged it off, even though right now I was going against everything I stood for. “Come on, Allie, focus.” I snapped my fingers in her face to get her attention and pointed to the blank piece of paper in front of her.

  Her hand was shaking as she reached for the pencil and began to read the question. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to focus on the work when she looked so damn alluring.

  Gulping, I ran a hand through my hair. Allie was going to kill me or the very least my reputation.

  Chapter Seven

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Taylor closed his locker, looking at me with a stunned expression.

  I hadn’t expected him to even care, let alone be shocked by it. “It’s only a camp for a couple of days.” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to downplay it. “It gets me out of my assessments, so why not go?”

  “Because you are going to be stuck with the same people all weekend!” Taylor looked mortified at the idea. “Well, good on you, buddy, you have fun with that.” He slapped me on the shoulder, looking at me like I was a doomed man.

  “Whatever,” I grumbled, closing my locker door and following him up the hall with my bag slung over my shoulder. “What are you doing tonight?”

  “You mean, what are we doing tonight.” He shot me a side smirk.

  “Ok then, I’ll bite. What are we doing tonight?” We walked out into the parking lot, which was filled with students.

  “Double dating, don’t worry, you can thank me later.” He winked, and if anyone overheard our conversation, I was worried what impression they would get.

  “With who?”

  Taylor wasn’t known for picking classy women. He liked them one way, and that was easy.