Chapter 07 - Playing with Fire

Vine

I didn't expect the cold and heartless beast, Ace Callahan, to stand up for me.

Never.

I had already decided to face the two daredevils myself. But now I was being rescued like a knight in shining armor had come to rescue his princess.

Almost immediately, I saw Clyde amongst the people, and the instant our eyes connected, she left her boyfriend and ran over to my side, clinging to my arm.

“What is going on sweetheart?” she asked, “I'm sorry that I haven't been here for a while, my boyfriend Jake was kissing me senseless.” She whispered.

“I don't forgive you,” I whispered back with a smile, lifting my face as a way of motioning to her that we should be focusing on the matter in front of us instead of our little side gossip.

“Nothing,” Drew smiled half-heartedly in reply to the question Ace asked;

“...what exactly did you ask my girlfriend to do?”

“That's right. I'll pretend I heard nothing but be warned.”

Ace took my hand and then pulled me away and as I ran after him all eyes were on him.

I shot a remorseful glance at Clyde hoping she'd get the message that I was so sorry for the interruption. And I would definitely have to explain everything once we get back together at my hostel.

“Just because he was captain of a hockey team in his last school, pfft…” I thought I heard this as the jerk pulled me away.

Someone had muttered this and I wondered why he didn't retort or snap back at the person.

Now at a place I supposed to be the back of the mansion, he stopped abruptly and cornered me up against the wall.

I tried to breathe and look past the side of his head at the pool and flowery plants at the sides but I would be lying to myself if I didn't notice how pure the white of his eyes was or how dark the black seemed to be turning.

“Why…” I sucked in a deep breath as I bit on my lower lip.

Fuck me! But I always bite on my lower lip each time I am anxious or backed into a corner just like now.

“Why are we in this position?”

Slowly my eyes traveled from his eyes, to his nostrils, and then his lips down to his Adam's apple as he swallowed.

I instantly averted my gaze as my cheeks heated.

He was Fucking hot but I wasn't supposed to feel things for him. Not when he was my sister's mate.

I may be crazy if all I could think of right now was the shape of his body or how solid and rocky his abs and muscles would turn out if I traced my fingertips across them instead of my past. My sister.

“Because you've gone nuts! How dare you come close to me after what you've done?”

His hands shot up as he folded his palms like he was trying to hold in a peculiar kind of pain and frustration. His eyes beamed yellow, his wolf was threatening to take control but he was holding back.

“Are you so heartless?” I looked into his eyes to see that they were wet.

Immediately, something inside me wanted to stop his pain. And before I could stop myself, I reached for his cheek, using my thumb to wipe the tear, but then he slapped my hand away.

“Stay the fuck away from me.” His right arm jammed into my neck, pressing my neck to the wall.

“This is my last warning, loser.”

He immediately drew back as my skin burned him like fire, causing my eyes to widen a little.

As he walked away, I leaned off the wall and ran after him.

“Wait.”

He stopped, making my eyebrows draw together in confusion.

“I wanted to say thank you for…”

“There's no need for that,” his cold voice stopped me short, “I helped you because of your sister.”

“But you stood up for me,” I pressed further, realizing I might need him for the dire reason my soul resonated with this school.

“My sister might want you to do that but she won't want you to step up for me. It would make her jealous.”

My words, I was sure would trigger him. Make him scream and want to dash something against the wall.

I knew what I was doing, awakening memories he must be trying so hard to forget, but I had a plan.

To my surprise, he breathed normally and continued walking away without sparing me a glance.

And that's how I knew he was starting to get suspicious of me. If he didn't reply to me then, not only was he aware I was up to something, he was the kind of man who was calm and dangerous like his team name implies.

Vipers.

Before I stepped foot into Silverclaw Academy, I had already studied the four core members of the Vipers—Jaxon Steele, Kai Maddox, Zane Rivers, and Leo Hart. Each one is a fortress of secrets, power, and danger.

The plan was simple: infiltrate one. Use him to get what I came for. But they were all so different, so unpredictable.

Then Ace Callahan transferred in—silent, unreadable, dangerous in all the right ways. A new Viper. A new opportunity.

As I walked deeper into the party, the crowd parted just enough for me to see Drew and Miriam being dragged out by guards, their faces twisted in panic.

And that’s when it hit me.

This wasn’t luck.

This was the Moon Goddess clearing the board for me.

And I had just made my first move.