Chapter five

HAZEL POV

Two weeks had passed, and the world I knew was completely shattered. I was barely sleeping, balancing Killian's insane demands with my own classes.

Winter and Mila had given me an earful when I went back to the dorm that morning two weeks ago.

“Hazel, wait up.” Conner caught up with me outside the library, falling into step beside me.

“You look like you haven’t slept in forever,” he said.

“Just classes. Been reading the syllabus for English class.”

“You actually read the entire syllabus?” Conner laughed, shifting his backpack.

“I had to,” I said, forcing a smile. “If I fail this midterm, my scholarship is toast. Unlike some people, I can’t just buy my way out of a bad grade.”

“Hey, I don’t buy my grades. I charm the professors. Big difference.”

Conner stepped off the curb, walking backward to face me. He kept a respectful distance. He didn’t grab my wrist or crowd me. He just talked to me like a normal person. “Seriously, though, if you need a study partner, I’m free Thursday.”

“Thursday might work,” I murmured. With Conner, I wasn’t afraid. I was just Hazel.

Conner stopped. His smile faded, his eyes shifting past my shoulder toward the library.

I turned around. My stomach dropped. Killian was leaning against a stone pillar, his hands in his pockets, staring straight at me. Killian finally pushed off the pillar, walking straight toward us.

He didn’t even look at Conner. He just wrapped his fingers firmly around my elbow, pulling me to his side.

“We’re leaving.”

“She was in the middle of a conversation,” Conner said, his voice steady. “And she doesn’t belong to you, Killian. Let go of her arm.”

Killian chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. “What did you just say to me?”

“You heard me,” Conner said, taking a step forward. “If you’re so tough, why do you only show it by pulling girls around? See you at the underground tonight? Or are you only brave when it comes to her?”

Killian’s jaw clenched. “Midnight. Don’t die before you get there.” His eyes found me. “If you don’t show up, I will beat him to a pulp. I will see you there, both of you.”

*********

The underground was loud, with students chanting and some betting on who would be their next champion.

Conner stepped into the ring, taping his knuckles. He found me in the crowd and gave me a small nod. Suddenly, a hand gripped the back of my neck.

Killian leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. “Don’t look away,” Killian growled, his breath warm against my skin. “You only look at me. You watch what happens when someone touches what’s mine. If you move an inch, I’ll make it worse for him. Understand?”

I couldn’t breathe. I just nodded. “Please don’t do this,” I whispered.

Killian didn’t answer. He let go of my neck and climbed over the ropes.

The bell rang. Conner moved first, landing a quick jab that cut Killian’s cheek.

Killian didn’t even flinch. He wiped the blood away, a dark grin spreading across his face.

I don’t remember most of the fight. I remember the sound of fists flying, the crowd screaming numbers, someone’s blood hitting the concrete. I remember not being able to look away even when I wanted to because he’d told me not to, and some small, terrified part of me still listened.

Conner went down. He didn’t get back up.

“Get up!” Killian mocked. “You had a lot to say on campus!”

He turned and found me instantly in the crowd, and walked straight toward me like nothing else in the room existed.

“Let’s go,” he said, and it wasn’t a question.

I shook my head. He grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip and dragged me through the crowd. I stumbled behind him, tears blurring my vision as medical students rushed to Conner.

“Let go of me!” I cried as we hit the cold night air outside.

Killian didn’t say a word. He shoved a helmet onto my head, forced me onto the back of his motorcycle, and sped away into the dark.

We rode for miles into the dense woods until the bike skidded to a halt in front of an isolated cottage. Killian cut the engine. He ripped his helmet off, pulled me off the bike, and dragged me inside. He slammed the heavy wooden door shut, locking it.

“Are you insane?” I screamed, ripping my arm out of his grip. I backed away, my heart hammering. “You almost killed him! He didn’t do anything to you!”

“He touched you,” Killian snapped, towering over me. His eyes flashed with dangerous fire. “He looked at you like he had a right to be there. You are mine, Hazel. How many times do I have to beat that into your head?”

“I am not your property!” I yelled back, tears finally spilling over my cheeks. I took another step back, but my back hit the cold stone wall. There was nowhere left to run.

“I’m a human being! He treated me like a person! You just treat me like a toy, a slave!”

Killian closed the distance between us in a single stride. He slammed both hands against the wall on either side of my head, trapping me.

“A toy?” Killian whispered, his voice dropping low. His eyes locked onto my lips, then tracked back up to my eyes. His chest heaved.

“If you were just a toy, I wouldn’t be losing my mind like this. If you were just a toy, I wouldn’t want to burn the whole campus down just to keep you safe in here.”

I laughed coldly. “Keep me safe? When you’re the monster who has been terrorizing me since high school? When you’ve made my life here miserable, and you’re talking about safety to me? You’re a monster, Killian, and you’re the danger people need to stay away from.”

He leaned in closer, his forehead almost touching mine, a terrifying, suffocating spark of tension igniting between us.

“Don’t look at other guys, Hazel,” he muttered, his thumb reaching out to wipe a tear from my cheek. “Because next time, I will show you how much of a monster I am.”