10

Azira

I'll never get that flash of excitement in his eyes out of my mind when he licked my blood from his fingers. It was sinful and utterly beast like, and yet the image makes my thighs clench.

"Azira?"

I shake my head. "What?"

"I asked if you want to go swimming after class?" Adrianna asks.

Adrianna and I always swim together, as we're both strong swimmers and used to be on the team, when SA had one. After an incident with one of our students assaulting a student from a normal local school, the team got disbanded. In fact, they stopped all team games involving competing with other schools from that day because it shed too much light on the questionable practices of SA.

I'm about to agree and then I remember the cut on my back, which I definitely don't want her to see. My stomach dips. "A rain check for now. I'm still so sore?"

Adrianna nods. "Sure, I wasn't thinking." She sighs. "I wish they didn't stop the swim team sessions, even if we can't compete with the other schools. We still could have had training."

Nat smirks. "Why don't you mention it to coach? I'm sure he'd love to train you."

Adrianna makes a growling sound. "Now you're being an asshole."

She laughs. "I'm only messing about."

"Well, don't." Adrianna crosses her arms over her chest. "I get enough shit from him without you bringing him up all the time."

Eva sighs. "Do you want me to mention it to Oak?"

"What? Mention how his best friend is being a fucking asshole and won't leave me alone?" Adrianna shrugs. "What would he do about it?"

She arches a brow. "You realize he's the principal of the academy? I'm sure he can talk to him and ask him to back off."

"No, I don't want him to think he's getting to me enough for me to run crying to Principal Byrne." Adrianna's jaw clenches. "Then he wins."

"Suit yourself," Eva says, downing the rest of her orange juice. "Shall we head to the library, then?" Her attention moves to me.

I nod. "Yeah, I need to get this work done before next period." I glance toward Professor Luigi, thankful he's no longer staring at me, but engaged in a conversation with Coach Daniels.

I stand and follow Eva out of the cafeteria toward the library, wondering if I'm certifiably insane for wanting more from Blaine Luigi. It's clear he's wicked beyond compare after the way he tasted my blood like an animal, and yet it makes me want to learn more about him and explore this weird kink of mine with him.

------------

"Shit, we're late,"I say, as we rush down the corridor toward the classroom.

Eva shakes her head. "Because you took so long to finish the assignment. I told you to copy mine."

I blow out an irritated breath. "He would have known."

Normally I wouldn't be bothered if I were late for math as Professor Jameson was by far the nicest professor at the school, but now she's gone and Luigi is covering. We'll be in serious trouble. A flush of excitement races through my gut at the thought.

We skid to a halt outside of the shut classroom door. "Here goes nothing."

Eva looks a little pale as I push open the door and enter.

Everyone's eyes land on us, including those Professor Luigi's as they narrow. "You two are late," he says, the calm in his tone more threatening than if he were shouting.

"I apologize. It was entirely my fault. I thought we had enough time to get to class," I say.

"Sit down and see me after class, Sidorov."

Eva grabs my hand and drags me to our seats at the front, next to Nat.

"Second time in trouble with Luigi in less than a week," Nat murmurs quietly.

I swallow hard and pull out my assignment, along with my math book, glancing in Nat's direction. "It was be a few minutes late or turn up with my assignment part finished." I shrug. "Maybe I picked the wrong option."

Nat opens her mouth to reply, but she doesn't get a chance.

"Silence," Luigi growls, slamming a ruler on my desk with a crack.

I purse my lips and look up at him. There's no doubt that the heat I felt before is accompanied by fear now after he showed me a glimpse of the darkness that lies within. "Sorry, sir," I mutter, bowing my head and focusing on my textbook.

"Now, all of you turn to chapter five." He paces away from my desk, giving me some room to breathe again. "I believe you were working on calculus with Jameson before she left."

I swallow hard and watch as he paces up and down the front of the classroom, knowing that he won't be lenient on his punishment with me. A part of me is excited, and another part is frightened.

I need to stop down this crazy path toward destruction before the fear overtakes the excitement. There's no doubt after what I witnessed in that basement that Professor Luigi has what it takes to destroy me completely. He's mean and tortured and I'm not sure what he's capable of.

And for some fucked up reason, I want to find out.