Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
That only compounds when the principal opens the door and leans in. “I need to see you after school.”
Fuck.
I’m probably about to be fired. Great. My first professional job lasted all of three weeks. I’m not sure whether Artist Me just self-sabotaged so I won’t sell out and stay in Wolf Ridge, or this is the natural punishment for letting my wolf out.
I don’t know. I’m too much of a mess this morning to understand any of my failures or motivations since I arrived.
I swallow. “Yes, sir. I’ll be there.”
I am so busted.
Chapter Four
Asher
My fingers close into fists as I stride down the hall. My knuckles crack and snap. Eric Damonella is going to die.
At lunch, I heard a rumor–a rumor I am going to kill him for.
Supposedly, he has a pair of Carlotta’s panties, and he’s saying he came here and hooked up with her during the full moon run last night.
Obviously, I know that’s not true.
I know because I still remember the feel of her slender body beneath mine. How it felt to drive into her and make her scream out her pleasure.
He probably brought a pair of his sister’s panties to school. All I care about is that he’s spreading lies about Carlotta that degrade and objectify her.
I may be the asshole who sits in the back and disrespects her in class, but that sure as fuck doesn’t mean I’m going to stand by and let Eric Damonella humiliate her. I have my reasons for hating her.
Reasons she understands. Reasons no one else needs to know.
But I will beat anyone else to a pulp for doing more than following my lead in class.
I throw open the door to the art room. It has one of those hinges that automatically pull it closed, but I hit the door so hard the hinge busts off and clatters to the floor.
I don’t give a fuck.
Eric is sitting in the back row, where my buddies and I sit, and he is showing the guys something in the pocket of his backpack.
I drop my backpack and shove a row of tables out of my way as I march through, sending students’ artwork flying. Believe it or not, I still don’t have Eric’s attention. He’s too busy telling some fucked up story to Seb and Markley, who I will kill for looking at the pair of panties he’s flashing.
“No, dude. I’m not making it up. Smell them for yourself.” He balls the fabric in his fist and passes it to Seb.
I nearly lose control of my wolf. I leap over the bank of tables in time to grab Eric’s wrist before he completes the pass-off.
Snap.
I break the bones in his wrist with one swift corkscrew spiral.
A human girl in the class screams.
But my wolf isn’t satisfied yet.
“Asher Martin!” Lotta snaps, rushing toward us. Her scent enters my nostrils–cool and earthy at once. Jasmine and honey.
She’s in a bright turquoise top cropped above her belly button and a plain black skirt that hits above the knee but unfortunately hugs her ass in a way that makes my mouth water.
I glare at that heart shaped perfection. I hate everything about her.
And I don’t want her close to me now. Her scent fucks with my wolf, and he’s already getting off-leash.
“Stand down.”
My wolf recognizes the sound of our mate, but that only riles him further. Like he believes she’s in physical danger from this asshole, rather than just reputational.
I palm Eric’s head and smash it down on the table, facing Carlotta. “Tell Ms. James what you’re saying.”
Eric splutters.
“Go on. Tell her.” I keep his face pressed to the laminate.
“Let go of me, dude.” He struggles to sweep his leg behind mine to take me down.
I pick up my large foot and push it against the side of his knee. “Want me to break the knee, too?”
Eric’s a shifter. He’ll heal in a couple of days. Still, fights aren’t allowed on school property. There are human teachers and students who would be horrified by the level of violence shifters exhibit in a fight. Plus, there will be the problem of explaining why we heal so quickly. Eric will now have to wear a cast, healed or not.
“Dude, what’s your problem? I thought you hated Ms. James.”
I pick up his head and bash it back down. The human in the front shrieks again. I’m definitely breaking all the pack and school rules right now. There will be hell to pay for this, but I’m used to being the pack pariah. My dad and Lotta made sure of that.
“Asher!” Carlotta barks. “That’s enough. Let him go. Now.”
“Apologize to Ms. James.” I’ve cooled down a bit now that he’s pinned, and I can smell his pain.
“Sorry, Ms. James,” he pants quickly.
“Tell her what you’re sorry for.” My voice is harder than stone.