Chapter 105 A rival smiles
Chapter 105
DARIUS
Fury exploded through me the moment Caleb's question left his mouth. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, every muscle in my body tensing as I waited for Ravenna's response.
She would refuse. She had to refuse. There was no way she would actually agree to go out with Caleb Nightshade of all people.
But instead of rejecting him, Ravenna leaned closer to Caleb. Close enough that her face was mere inches from his.
She reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down slightly like she was about to kiss him right there in front of everyone.
My vision actually went red at the edges.
"Would I get plenty of ice cream and fried chicken on this date?" Ravenna asked playfully, a teasing smile playing at her lips.
Caleb's smirk widened into something absolutely triumphant. "You would get as much as you want if you accept my invitation."
Ravenna shrugged casually, like she was discussing the weather rather than agreeing to go out with my rival. "Being on a date does not really mean anything serious anyway. So sure, why not? When and where are we meeting?"
"Do not worry about those details," Caleb replied smoothly. "I will pick you up from your dormitory. Just be ready Saturday evening around seven."
Whatever fragile control I had been maintaining completely shattered. I skated over to them before I could think better of it, positioning myself between Ravenna and Caleb.
"We need to talk," I directed at Caleb, my voice coming out harsher than intended. "Pack courtesy requires a private conversation."
Caleb raised an eyebrow at the obvious excuse but followed me to a more secluded corner of the rink anyway.
The moment we were away from listening ears, I shot up my question in obvious rage, "What the hell was that? What the fuck do you think you're doing talking to her?"
He crossed his arms and looked at me with amusement.
"Is Ravenna your girlfriend?" Caleb asked innocently. "Because if she is, then I apologize for asking her out. I would not want to overstep any boundaries."
"She is not my girlfriend," I forced out through gritted teeth.
"Then what exactly is the problem?" Caleb challenged. "Why are you confronting me about asking out a single woman who is free to date whoever she wants?"
"I just want you to keep your hands off her," I snapped back, unable to articulate the real reason for my reaction.
Caleb's expression shifted into something darker. "Ravenna already accepted my invitation, Darius. She wants to go out with me. What you want is irrelevant."
My control fractured completely. I stepped closer, using my height advantage to loom over him threateningly. "You are beginning to overstep your boundaries, Nightshade. Back off before this becomes a real problem between us."
"You cannot threaten me," Caleb shot back without an ounce of fear. "The last time I checked, your father engaged you to Selene Blackwood like you were some puppet without any will of your own. If you are angry about your pathetic situation, go deal with it properly instead of taking it out on me and troubling my life."
The words hit like physical blows, each one landing precisely where it would hurt most.
My hands shook with the effort of not shifting and tearing into him right there.
Atlas growled a single word inside my head with absolute certainty. "Mine."
Before I could do something catastrophically stupid, Dorian appeared and physically inserted himself between us. "That is enough from both of you. Break it up right now before Bonn sees and benches you both."
I glared at Caleb for another long moment before finally turning and skating away, my entire body vibrating with suppressed rage and something else I refused to name.
Practice ended shortly after that, and I changed as quickly as possible before heading back to my room.
Once inside with the door safely closed, I started pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
Dorian watched me for several minutes before finally speaking. "Are you this worked up about Ravenna going on a date with Caleb?"
"Of course I am worked up about it," I snapped without thinking.
"Why though?" Dorian pressed. "You do not need to worry about it. I think Ravenna just wants to have some fun. It probably does not mean anything serious."
I stopped pacing and turned to face him. "Besides, I do not understand why you are suddenly so concerned about Ravenna's issues lately. You used to hate her. You told everyone she was your enemy. What changed?"
"When exactly did I say we were enemies?" I demanded, my voice rising defensively. "And does Caleb suddenly transferring to this school and immediately going after Ravenna not seem suspicious to you at all?"
Dorian's expression shifted into something knowing. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Do you have feelings for Ravenna?"
"That is not my point," I yelled, throwing my hands up in frustration. "Caleb is a playboy. He goes through girls like they mean nothing. He is going to ruin the lives of every female in this school and then they will all transfer away because of the emotional damage he causes."
"You do not actually know that for certain," Dorian countered reasonably.
"I know Caleb," I insisted. "I know exactly what kind of person he is and what he does. Something about this whole situation feels wrong."
Dorian sighed heavily. "Are you even fine? The way you have been behaving lately is honestly quite weird. You are not acting like yourself at all."
The concern in his voice made me pause. Was my behaviour really that noticeable? That strange?
I could not answer that question honestly. Could not admit out loud what was really bothering me.
So instead, I just turned and left the room without another word, needing space and air and distance from everything.
I walked aimlessly around campus for a while, trying to sort through the chaos in my head. Atlas kept pushing forward, demanding I do something about the Caleb situation. Demanding I claim what was mine.
But Ravenna was not mine. Not really. She was my mate through a bond neither of us had acknowledged or accepted.
She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
And yet the thought of her going out with Caleb made me want to destroy something with my bare hands.
Finally, I found myself back in my room. Dorian had gone out somewhere, leaving me alone with my spiralling thoughts.
I pulled out my phone and stared at it for a long moment, debating. This was probably a terrible idea. Ravenna had been ignoring me for weeks. She had made her feelings about me abundantly clear through her actions.
But I needed to talk to her. Needed to understand what was happening and why. Needed to see her face and hear her voice without Caleb hovering nearby.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I opened a new message and typed quickly.
"Meet me at our usual place. We need to talk please."
I hit send before I could delete it and throw my phone across the room instead.
Now all I could do was wait and see if she would actually show up.