7

It takes a week before I settle in and finally begin to feel at home at Rockwell Academy. Most of the time it’s ok, just the usual shit to deal with being the new girl brings, but for the most part Angelo keeps away and I doubt anyone knows our connection outside of our own friends. Not that I have many, just Emma, because being paired up with her has earned me a ticket to oblivion, but I’m cool with that.

Occasionally I catch the eye of someone. The cute guy in english who sits behind me, the confident one in science and the girl who apparently hated me on sight in math but I’m happy to stay as I am. Emma, as it turns out, is great company. Once she got past her nerves, she relaxed, and I love her wicked sense of humor and ability to sum up a person in a couple of words, making me struggle to keep the laughter in.

I suppose that’s what gave me courage when I turned the corner on my way to class and saw two girls beating the shit out of another one in the stairwell.

“Hey!”

I drop my bag and head toward them and one of the girls’ shouts, “Keep out, this is none of your business.”

“You reckon.” I race to help and come up against the first girl who shoves me roughly back. The sound of the other girl grunting in pain spurs me on as her head slams back against the concrete wall and I see the fear in her eyes.

Swinging my arm back, I crack my fist against the face of the girl holding me and she cries out in pain as I make contact, causing her friend to stop for a moment and look my way.

“You stupid bitch.”

She half turns which gives her captive a chance to land one of her own blows and as I wrap my arm around her neck and pull sharply back, her grunt of surprise is all I need to hear, and I jerk my arm back and slam her face into the nearby wall.

Then a strong hand pulls me back and I watch in shock as a huge beast grabs her by the throat and holds her against the wall, staring at her with a look of madness on his face and growls, “Back off, Eden and if you touch either one of them again, you’re dead.”

The tears are falling down her face as she gasps for air, and I notice her friend has left already and wonder if she’s gone for help.

I can’t look away as the beast holds her against the wall and snarls, “Now fuck off and never look at them again. We’re watching you and if you want to survive the semester, keep your distance, you are no longer welcome at our place.”

The tears fall down her face and as he releases her, she sobs, “Please, I’m sorry, don’t cut me off.”

He says nothing and just throws a cursory look at the battered girl shivering in disbelief and says with a grunt, “Go and tidy yourself up.

Nothing happened here.”

She nods, looking as shocked as I feel inside and looks past him and says in a shaky voice, “Thank you.”

I nod, but that’s all the time I have as the beast grabs hold of me and almost carries me away from the scene.

“Hey, what are you doing? Let me go.”

He says nothing until we round the corner, and he pushes me into what appears to be an empty classroom and turns to face me with concern in his eyes.

“You ok?”

He rests his hand against my cheek and just seeing the concern in his eyes shocks me a little and, unused to acts of kindness, it does something to me inside. I hate the tears that start building and I brush them angrily away.

“I’m fine.”

He just won’t release me and stares deep into my eyes, and what I see reflected in his makes my soul weep and turn to sizzling ash. Those eyes hold the torment of a lifetime of hell in them and I know a lot of what that feels like and as he stares at me long and hard, something passes between us.

Knowledge, understanding even and a sense of destiny weaving a magic spell because what I see in his eyes should have me running for cover and never look back. There’s a warning mixed with a promise in them, and I just can’t look away.

Neither it appears can he and we stand staring into madness together until the bell rings, breaking the surprising connection that joined us for the briefest of moments.

He drops his hand and pulls back, saying gruffly, “You should be ok now.

I think she got the message.”

“Who is she?”

I’m referring to the girl he warned off, and he appears to know that instinctively and sneers, “She’s nobody. A mean girl who has her sights set on Angelo. He’s not interested, and she decided to beat up his last bed buddy as a warning to them both.”

“So, the other girl is Angelo’s girlfriend.” I’m surprised because I’ve never known him to have one and the beast laughs out loud. “I never said that. They hooked up for one night only, that’s all they get.”

“One night only. What is this? Have you guys signed some sort of secret pact or something?”

“What do you mean?”

“Flynn said the same the other night. One night only.”

His eyes flash as he turns and looks at me sharply, “When did you see, Flynn?”

There is something like madness in his eyes as he stares at me long and hard, and I shift awkwardly on the spot. “The other night. I came to the house the night of the party and he wouldn’t let me in.”

“And.” He looks angry and I don’t know why, and it riles me a little.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we talked a little before he sent me away.”

“I see.” He looks thoughtful and then we hear footsteps heading our way and he sighs. “We should go. It won’t look good if we’re caught in here alone.”

“Why not?”

He shakes his head and doesn’t think my question deserves an answer apparently and just heads off with no look back in my direction and I say quickly, “I never got your name.”

“I never gave it.”

He just leaves me standing and as the door swings shut behind him, I half smile. There was something about that guy that felt like home. Maybe it’s because he’s Angelo’s friend. I recognized him from the hall on the first day and hanging out with him across campus. It figures I would feel at home with danger because that guy should have danger tattooed on his forehead because it rolls off him like radiation and is every bit as hazardous for my sanity.

Pushing the incident away, I head to math and feel uncomfortable when I see the girls from the hall glaring at me with malice. Throwing them a blank look, I sink into my seat and try to arrange my mind away from what happened and then, as the teacher enters the room, one of the girls slips me a note and I stare at the message in disbelief.

Watch your back. Nobody gets one over me Sighing, I wonder if this girl is all there mentally because I’m pretty sure she must have a death wish or something and so I screw up the message and turn, throwing it sharply at her head with a look of derision on my face. The teacher shouts, “Miss. Sontauro, remain behind after class.” I watch the blood drain from her face as she finally learns who the fuck I am, along with the rest of the class.

I take a moment to enjoy the dawn awakening, and as the room falls silent and the fear creeps in, I relish my moment of notoriety, courtesy of my bloodline. Yes, Winter Sontauro is finally unmasked and I’m guessing will have a much easier ride from now on.