Chapter 2 NEW GIRL
MERRIELYNN.
My throat closed up with a force that almost had me gasping out for breath.
How on earth...?
His gaze held mine, dark and intense enough to cause a cascade of flutters to erupt in my chest.
But he wasn’t looking at me with adoration, or lust, or even the faintest glimmer of curiosity, no. He looked murderous.
Absolutely terrifying.
Which was such a contradiction on his devastatingly handsome face.
But even as I was paralyzed by the absolute inferno of the mate bond eating up the space between us, for some reason, I felt something come to life inside of me. Blooming with a force I couldn’t ignore.
What the hell?
I came to my senses right then, like I was somehow lost in a trance beforehand. It took everything in me to tear my gaze off the intensity coming from his. To even get my body to move from its spot.
What were the freaking odds?
“Alrightie!” Emorie chimed beside me, “Let’s get out of here before their little group gears up to cause some trouble.” She darted a gaze over my shoulder as she turned to me, “Chaos is already looking at you like he knows you’re fresh meat.”
She pulled at my arm, and I followed her willingly, moving up the line of gathered students for the orientation.
But…
It felt like part of myself remained right where I stood. Like…I was leaving something behind. I didn’t want to. Hell, I tried to force myself not to give into the urge, but it practically consumed me. And before I knew it, I risked a glance over my shoulder.
But boy I wished I hadn’t.
Because Cormac hadn’t moved a single inch from where he stood earlier.
He remained frozen in place, full brows pulled together in a menacing frown as his eyes followed me. The guy standing next to him, who I remembered Emorie introducing as Valtor, walked up to Cormac, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. But when Cormac didn’t acknowledge him, Valtor’s gaze followed his line of sight.
I looked away sharply before our gazes connected.
“Ouu!” Emorie squealed. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet. Tobias come over here.” She curled her fingers at a tall boy with a mop of blonde hair, as he strutted over to us. “We’ve got a new student, and I want us to adopt her.”
Adopt me?
Tobias reached out and ran a hand through Emorie’s red curls, “You’re at it again, Em.” His bright blue stare slid to mine, a smile taking over his face. “Hello, new kid. My name’s Tobias.” He held out a hand for me to take, and I did.
“Don’t let his modesty fool you, Tobias is the beta heir to the Bronxe Wolves Pack.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise. If I remembered correctly, Emorie had introduced Valtor as the Alpha heir to that same pack.
“So you’re close with Valtor, then?” I didn’t stop myself from asking.
Immediately I voiced out the question, both Emorie and Tobias’ expressions shifted into disturbed grimaces.
“Hello no!” Tobias spat. “I hate that douche bag.” His gaze darted behind me, narrowing at the edges. “What the hell?”
Emorie’s gaze followed his, and her eyes widened as she looked behind me as well.
My spine stiffened even further. One thing I was certain of was that Cormac most likely had his eyes on me from the moment the realization hit us. But I couldn’t bring myself to turn around.
“What is it?” I breathed, quietly.
Emorie stuttered on her sentence, her stare still fixed behind me. “It’s just… they’re all… staring at you.”
My chest cooled.
Hell.
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Fifteen minutes after orientation, all the students filed out of the auditorium like their asses were on fire. It dragged on and on about morals and code of conduct. But from everything Emorie and Tobias filled me in on as the hour dragged by—I hardly believed a single one of the students here at Pinnthorpe gave a damn what the headmaster had to say.
I myself tried to listen. But I couldn’t lie, I was distracted.
By a lone figure who had a body like sin and a name like destruction. I stole glances at him the entire time. But not once did he deign to look in my direction.
So was he over it now?
Over whatever it was that was pulsing between us?
In fact… what if I was mistaken? What if… whatever it was I thought I felt was just a misunderstanding?
But then what about him? He watched me earlier like I was the most rewarding prey, and I couldn’t wrap my head around the changes in his demeanour. He went from transfixed to bored in the matter of minutes.
Goddess.
I was in way over my head.
“Ugh, that dragged on forever,” Emorie groaned, keeping her pace beside Tobias and I. “Anyone know what the time is?”
I reached into the front pocket of my backpack for my phone, but came up empty.
“Shit!” I cursed, “I think I forgot my phone in the auditorium.” I said, glancing between Emorie and Tobias. “Hold on sec, I’ll go check.”
“Do you want me to come with?” Emorie called out to my already retreating form.
“Don’t bother,” I said, “It’ll only take a minute.”
I rushed back the way I came, taking the stairs up to the auditorium doors. There wasn’t a single student in sight, most of them already over the day and beyond eager to settle into the dorms once and for all.
The large door was firmly shut, and it took damn near all my strength to shove the metal door open even just an inch. I poked my head through the door, attempting to spy around the area Emorie, Tobias and I had been sitting for my phone. But something else ultimately caught my attention.
At the very front of the room, up on the large table at the centre of the main stage was Ms. Elizabeth, and Cormac, damn near eating each other’s faces off. Her grey skirt was bunched around her thighs, knees apart, as he stood in the space between them. His mouth molded over hers in the most erotic version of a kiss I’d ever witnessed.
It was almost like he was fucking her with his mouth.
Goddess.
Something inside me cooled in a matter of seconds. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Neither of them had noticed they hadcompany, and I was damn near set on turning around and pretending I never witnessed what I just did. But right then, the sound of a phone ringing cut through the air.
My head snapped to the direction of my phone, and I decided right then to bolt and forget all about it. I stepped away from the door, my heart pounding within the confines of my ribcage. Just before the metal groaned shut, my eyes met Cormac’s burning gaze.
He saw me.
Shit!
I panicked right then and there.
He saw me, see him, making out with not only a senior staff, but with his father’s mistress.
Goddess save me.
I held my backpack to my chest, taking the steps two at a time as I rushed back down to meet up with Emorie.
Every second step I took had me glancing over my shoulder, out of fucking fear that he could be following right behind me.
I broke through the double doors leading outside in a sweat, tossing one last glance over my shoulder.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” I spun around and came face to face with an amused Emorie, “You get lost or something?”
“No, I—” I ran a hand through my hair. “Uh, where’s Tobias?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“He went off. Let’s head on to the dorms, shall we?”
I swallowed down the adrenaline coursing through me, “Yeah.”
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The day’s events weighed me down till all I could think about was getting some shut eye. But the moment my head hitthe pillow, something else entirely occupied the walls of my head with an unshakable force.
Chaos.
Cormac.
Goddess.
There was just something about him, something I couldn’t place. It wasn’t just the mate bond, or some misplaced intrigue in the school’s most notorious bad boy.
It was… I didn’t know.
Walking in on him and Ms. Elizabeth today felt… awful.
I knew nothing about him, I’d never spoken to him, and it was the very first time I’d ever met him. So why was I so affected by it all?
Because we were mates? Maybe? Definitely?
But then why did it feel like it was something else entirely?
I couldn’t even bring myself to open up to Emorie about any of it—not the mate thing nor what I saw—and she had been nothing but absolutely wonderful since I arrived. But after the fiasco at the auditorium, all I wanted to do was get out of there. And in between getting acquainted with the dorms and settling into my room, I just never had the chance.
Oddly convenient, I chided myself. Maybe the only reason I didn’t share was because I was a coward, but I was telling myself that I needed to figure out what the hell was going on before I went off to someone about it.
And, what would someone like Chaos do to someone who had leverage over him? Not that I planned on running my mouth to anyone really, but still. He was having an affair with his dad’s girlfriend, the freaking king of the realm.
That wasn’t the kind of information I would want someone else having if I were in his shoes.
I attempted to get some sleep, but goddess, every time I closed my eyes, all I saw were his bright green eyes and darkly intense stare.
It was hours before I was finally able to drift off.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of a dull thud had me blinking my eyes open, squinting into the darkness.
Was that…?
Movement caught my attention, a form in the dark.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
And then it hit me.
Footsteps!
I darted upright in a flash, my heart in my throat. But before I could scream out or react, a large form came down over me on the bed, closing a hand over my mouth.
Tears blurred my vision, as my feet kicked in the air, struggling beneath the muscular form.
Harsh words met my ear right then, “If you struggle, you’ll make me break more bones than he wants me to.”
Goddess.
He?
Someone sent him here?
The fear paralyzed me, till I turned motionless in his arms.
“Atta girl,” he whispered. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and all I made out was a red metallic mask hiding his face from my view. “You’re going to be coming with me,” he said.
I shook my head frantically in his grip as he pulled out a dark cloth, and shoved it over my head.
My cries were cut off as everything went black in an instant.