Chapter 2: The Punishment

Lily's POV

The brass bell above the front door of Vance Sports Gear jingled loudly, breaking the quiet afternoon silence of our shop.

I looked up quickly from the old cash register, praying with everything I had that it was a regular customer from town. Instead, my worst nightmare walked right through the entrance.

Holden stood in the entryway of our shop, looking massive and imposing. He wore a dark black hoodie with the hood pulled up over his messy hair, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

He looked completely out of place standing among the rows of colorful hockey sticks, bright jerseys, and winter jackets. He looked dangerous, like a wolf walking into a sheep pen.

My dad walked out from the back storage room, wiping his hands on a towel and smiling warmly at him.

"Holden, glad you made it on time. Coach Miller called me and explained the situation. We are going to help you get your life back on track, son. Your father and I go back a long way."

Holden did not smile back. He just nodded his head stiffly, his dark eyes scanning the interior of the shop.

"Whatever. Just tell me what chores to do so I can leave this place. I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here."

"Lily will show you the ropes and tell you what to do," my dad said, patting Holden heavily on the shoulder. "I have to drive downtown right now to pick up a new shipment of ice skates. You two try to get along while I am gone. No fighting."

"Dad, please no," I pleaded under my breath, my eyes wide with panic, but it was already too late. My dad was already walking out the front door, leaving me completely alone with the most vicious bully in the entire high school.

The silence inside the shop was completely suffocating.

Holden walked slowly over to the main counter, leaning his large, athletic frame against the polished wood. He stared down at me, his eyes dark, intense, and filled with deep hatred.

"You think you are so clever, don't you, Lily?" he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper that sent chills down my spine. "You got me suspended from the team. You completely ruined my senior season. You wanted this, didn't you?"

"You ruined your own season by acting like a total psycho in the locker room," I snapped right back, finding my courage and refusing to back down. "I didn't make you hit Marcus. Now come on. Stop complaining. We have to organize the heavy boxes in the storage room in the back."

I turned my back on him, my heart pounding, and walked straight into the small, cramped storage room. It was packed to the ceiling with heavy boxes of winter hockey gear and equipment. There was barely enough physical space for two people to stand inside at the same time without touching.

Holden followed me inside, his large body blocking the light from the hallway. He reached back and slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind him, cutting off the light from the front shop completely.

The room felt tiny now, almost microscopic. His powerful presence filled the entire space, making it incredibly hard for me to breathe or think clearly.

"Start with those heavy boxes over there," I said, my voice shaking slightly as I pointed my finger toward a high stack of hockey pucks.

Holden did not move a single inch.

Instead, he took another slow step closer to me.

The remaining space between our bodies disappeared completely. I could feel the intense, unnatural heat radiating off his skin again. It was the exact same heat from yesterday in the arena hall.

"Why did my deep cuts heal the exact second I touched your skin in the hall?" Holden demanded to know, his voice sounding dangerously soft and low, his eyes drilling into mine.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I lied, backing away from him in fear.

My sneaker heel hit a heavy box of steel ice skates on the floor. I lost my balance completely and started to fall backward toward the hard concrete floor.

Holden's powerful arm shot out like lightning.

He caught me firmly by the waist, pulling my body hard against his solid, muscular chest to stop my fall.

The exact millisecond our bodies collided, a massive, overwhelming wave of heat crashed straight through my veins.

A strange, bright golden light seemed to flash violently behind my closed eyelids.

The warm energy in my chest flared up like a roaring fire.

It felt alive.

It felt like it was desperately reaching out to him, connecting our souls.

Holden let out a sharp, painful gasp, his chest heaving against mine.

His grip on my waist tightened so hard it was definitely going to leave dark bruises on my skin. His breathing went ragged and uneven.

I looked up at his face in the dim light of the storage room.

The golden color was flooding back into his eyes, brighter and more terrifying than the day before.

"What is this magic?" he breathed out, pressing my body firmly against the wooden storage shelves. I could tell his inner wolf was right beneath the surface, clawing to get out. "You are just a regular human girl from next door. Why does my body want to claim you so badly? Why does my wolf think you belong to me?"

I felt a wave of terror mixed with a strange, intoxicating pull.

"Get off me right now, Holden!" I cried out, pushing my hands against his hard chest.

Holden did not let go of me.

Instead, he leaned down further, his nose brushing against the bare skin of my neck.

He took a deep, dragging breath of my personal scent, groaning out loud.

His entire body began to tremble violently as if he were fighting an internal war against his own skin.

"You are mine," he growled deeply against my skin, his sharp teeth brushing right against my pulsing neck vein.