Page 68 of River of Deceit

He grins, too, and it’s the first real expression I’ve seen on him.

There’s a reason he’s called the Wolf of the Ring.

He’s a cold motherfucker on normal days, but when he’s fighting? He goes completely wild.

“Fucking stay down,” I snarl, slamming my fist into his jaw again, even while he rolls us over.

“Afraid I’m going to make you my bitch the way Blaze does?” he whispers.

I snarl and punch him again.

Blaze is the only one I’d ever let make me hisbitch, but that’s never going to happen anyway.

There’s more yelling around us, and I’m ready to knee Fenrir in the balls—no rules—when somebody pulls on Fenrir’s shoulders.

“If you don’t get off him right the fuck now, Winters, I’m going to personally deliver your corpse to your parents. Got it?” Blaze growls.

I want to snap at him, to tell him that I don’t need him to fightmy battles for me, but this has already gone on long enough that I’m surprised campus security hasn’t gotten involved. As long as Fenrir backs off, too, no one will think less of me for stopping when Blaze makes the demand.

No one says no to Blaze.

“That’s a pity,” River remarks behind me. “It was just getting interesting.”

If he doesn’t shut the fuck up, he’s going to end up punched in the face, too.

Fenrir gets off me, shoving Blaze’s hands aside. “Only if I don’t deliver your corpse first,” he says. Fenrir glances at River. “Offer’s still open. Ditch the Chaos losers. We’ll take you any time.”

Blaze sneers at him, but he lets Fenrir walk away. He turns to glare at the students. “You fuckers done gawking?”

Everybody immediately realizes they have better things to be doing, and the crowd disperses. When we’re alone again, Blaze extends his hand to me.

I take it and let him pull me upright.

“Christ, Asch. I can’t leave you alone for five minutes,” Blaze says. “And you callmereckless.”

“You didn’t have to intervene,” I say, sitting heavily back in the booth. “Fuck. Everyone already thinks I can’t do anything without you.”

“Can you?” River asks.

I clench my hands into fists again. They’re scraped and sore, but not so much so that I’d be opposed to throwing a few more punches. “Are you always this much of a shit-stirrer?” I demand.

“Only with people it’s easy to get a rise from,” River replies.

Blaze turns to glare at him. “Glass houses much, River? I saw how easily Pandora got a rise out ofyou.”

I should remind Blaze that I don’t need him to fight my battles for me, but I’m still panting, still off-kilter from the whole fight.

River has shut up at least, his expression dark as he scowls at Blaze. “I was just fucking with him.”

“Just remember who your future brothers are,” Blaze says. “We take this seriously.” His smile gets darker. “And don’t forget how much we know about you. You want to keep your secrets? Then don’t make Kappa Alpha look bad.”

My eyes go to River’s hand again, and he notices this time, glaring daggers at me as he snatches his hand back off the table and rests it in his lap.

“You’re not the only one who notices weaknesses,” I say, my voice flat. “Don’t give us reasons to use them.”

River shakes his head, then picks up his backpack and walks off. His gait is off thanks to the paddling we’d given him yesterday.

I can definitely hold my own better than he can right now.