Page 5 of Stone Cold

I crashed over the wave again, feeling him watching me. I was barely able to open my eyes, but when I did, it was glorious. The man above me was a mess, looking at me with lust, desire, and something akin to love. With a final thrust, I felt something cool spill into me, warming with my body temperature. My eyelids felt heavy as he pulled the covers over us, pulling me to him, as he waited for his rock hard cock to soften enough to come out of me.

When I felt the sunrise breaking into my room, shining in all its glory behind my eyes, I looked for him, reaching across my bed for him, only to find it cool in his absence.

I stretched as I sat up, feeling deliciously sore in all the right places. The blankets fell off of me as I stood, stretching once more. Looking out my window, I saw a stone tail dangling down, like the hunky gargoyle himself was right above my room,perching on the roof. I smirked at the thought of Burchard sitting there, protectively over me.

“Thanks for last night big fella. See you tonight?” I asked, making my way back over to the desk to see if he’d left a note for me. I smiled as I read the request, neatly written.

“All Hallows Eve is a full moon. I humbly request your presence that night.”

Then I had to stifle a giggle at the sloppily written exclamation under it.

“If he touches you again, I’ll break the offending appendage!”

My first three classes of the day went by without a hitch. Gavin and his group hadn’t been in any of them, and I was starting to let myself feel a little hopeful that I could finally make it throughone daywithout them. It started with a spring in my step, a smile on my face until I had a break between classes and made my way to the quad where a few food carts were out. I was even thinking the earth had been quite peaceful the last few days! The sun had been shining up so, and the slight breeze was enough to make me sigh in contentment.

I grabbed a coffee and pastry from the coffee cart before making my way through the garden while I enjoyed my break. I had two more classes for the day, and needed to stop off in the library before my next one. I was happily reviewing my notes while I walked, wanting to get a head start on a few projects that were coming up.

Making my way to the library, I paused when I saw Gavin and Bambi. They were standing just outside of the doors to the garden exit. He was looking irritated and ready to rip his hair out while she was screeching in her supersonic voice again. She was always yelling at him. It was usually about me, how he didn’t seem to care about her. I mean, everyone knew they were in an arranged engagement, soon-to-be marriage, but it was still oddhow much they fought. He was the supernatural of the two and the only reason I could think he’d be like this was because…of a mate.

I stood there watching them bicker back and forth for a few moments before deciding to walk. I was hoping to sneak by unseen, but my luck seemed to have run out as I watched Gavin stiffen before whipping his head in every direction until his eyes landed on me.

“Speak of the devil!” I heard her shriek, her voice sharp and sarcastic, “Queen Fatassherself has arrived!” I rolled my eyes and kept walking, without attempting to keep myself hidden now that they both had seen me. I simply ignored her as Gavin tried to intercept my walk into the building, stepping in front of me to make me come up short.

If only she knew how close the title of Queen actually was.

“Hey! Can’t you leave my boyfriend alone, you filthy whore?!” Gavin stepped in front of me again as she screamed at me, her voice going higher with each word she screeched into the night. She gave Banchee’s a run for their money. Dogs within a ten mile radius were mostly likely deaf after that little fit she threw.

“Leave me alone, Gavin!” I shouted, exacerbated. They both froze for a moment, he looked shocked. I’d never raised my voice, but something told me this was my moment to sneak off. I went to side step him, and his hand shot out, gripping my forearm with an iron fist. No matter how fast I was, I still wasn’t faster than most supernaturals.

He spun me back around to look at him.

“I said leave me alone!” I tried to pull my arm free, testing where the pull would be on my joints, and where his weak spot was on his grip. He held tight, slight weakness where his thumb and index fingers met. If I turned and wretched my armdown and back, I could get out of his grasp. Wiggling my arm once more, I felt sharp points pressed against my flesh. I froze.

His claws were coming out.

His animal was getting pissed. But so was I, and I just knew my dad would love to hear this. His face set to stone as he growled at me, baring his teeth.

“See Bambi?! Even as I try to pull away from him, wanting nothing to do with him,” I looked from her to him, “He still wants me. He still tries to keep me close.” His eyes hardened with his grip, tight enough I knew it would leave a bruise, possibly even fracture if he squeezed any harder. Which was perfect for what I wanted. I smirked at him as I saw her approaching in my peripheral vision.

She strode past him, right up to me, glaring so hard I swear steam should have been coming from her ears. Before Gavin could register anything past keeping me from moving away from him, she slapped me across the face. As hard as she possibly could. I swear I felt what could only be described as a handprint-shaped burning sensation radiating from my right cheek. The throbbing from my face told me I wasn’t imagining what just happened. I stared at her shocked as she stood there, breathing ragged, anger and hatred in her eyes.

This psycho bitch hit me.

I was angry. So fucking angry,beyond pissedthat she hurt me and I couldn’t defend myself against her. That I hadn’t been able to move away fast enough because I couldn’t get out of Gavin’s grasp once he tightened it. I took a gamble with that and this was the result. I could feel the hot angry tears forming in my eyes. I could feel the anger behind them, hot, vicious, bordering on unhinged.

At myself. At her.

At them.

It had been weeks! Five incredibly long, bullshit filled weeks since the bullying started. Weeks of the taunts, hair pulling, jokes, being pinched and poked, and humiliated in front of their little friends. I finally had enough. I was ready to unleash. There was something dark inside of me that tried pushing out. It was raging forward when the door behind them swung open.

There stood Freya. The girl who had given me her name before turning and leaving right away. She was quiet, shy, and didn’t say much to anyone. She reached out, grabbed my arm and pulled me inside saying something about saving me a seat at the table but we had to hurry. As soon as I was inside the door frame, it slammed shut behind me.

I knew it.

“Thank you. My father will be hearing about this incident. I’d like to tell him about the friend who saved me? Maybe ask him to owe you a favor?” She nodded, and I followed her to the table her stuff was at. We sat in silence, studying and keeping our noses in ours books for a while until I heard her speak. It was so soft, I almost missed it.

“If the bloody Fae King could owe me a favor, I might be inclined to take him up on it.” I met her eyes and nodded once.