Chapter 29

Prue

After school, I slid into Andrew’s car like nothing was wrong with the world and gave him a few clipped directions to reach Tom’s house. No explanation, no details, just commands. He gripped the steering wheel tighter every time I said “left” or “straight,” and honestly, I savored it.

When we pulled up, I didn’t hesitate – I popped the door open and jumped out, letting my miniskirt swish just enough to make his jaw clench. Yes, I was still rocking my se.xy wardrobe. Like I was about to let all my carefully chosen outfits go to waste just because my mate happened to be a grouchy Alpha with zero sense of humor. Please. If anything, my fashion was now a weapon. A sparkly, short-hemmed, leg-flaunting weapon.

Because if there’s one thing I knew about men – wolf or not – it’s that they often thought with the small head while the big one – the one actually carrying brain cells – just sits there gathering dust. I could only pray Andrew was no exception.

I rang Tom’s doorbell, and he appeared moments later, clearly expecting me. I threw myself into his arms, hugging him tight, breathing against his neck like we were old lovers. Instantly regretted it. Disgusting, he hadn’t showered. Yuck. I had to keep my face buried a second longer just to sell the act, while my stomach flipped with nausea. All for the performance, Prue. You’re an actress now.

“Wow, you’re friendly today,” Tom blurted, confusion dripping from every word.

I pinched his side hard enough to make him jump. “Shut up and play along,” I hissed into his ear, pulling back just enough to rest my hands casually on his shoulders.

That’s when I heard it – the unmistakable sound of shuffling gravel behind me. My spine stiffened. I didn’t have to look. I knew who it was.

“Who’s that?” Tom asked, his attention pulled over my shoulder.

“No one,” I muttered quickly, forcing my lips into a fake smile. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t–

“Is that Andrew?” Tom frowned, peering past me.

“Andrew?” he called out, stepping onto the porch while I bolted inside like a guilty criminal. Nope, not turning around. Not giving him the satisfaction. But I did sneak a peek from behind the curtain.

And wow. Jackpot. His eyes were blazing gold, his wolf clawing right beneath the surface. His fists clenched around the car roof as if he’d rip the metal off with his bare hands. Ohhh, he was furious.

“Hi… hi, man!” Tom stammered nervously, raising a hand in awkward greeting.

Andrew didn’t bother with manners. He didn’t even look at Tom properly, just glared with a single dismissive wave before barking, “Is she really tutoring you?” His voice was sharp enough to slice through bone.

Tom laughed nervously, his eyes darting back toward the house.

“Uh, yeah… yeah, literature and stuff.”

Even I didn’t believe that pathetic answer. Andrew clearly didn’t either. His hand pressed so hard into the roof I thought the car would dent. Then, without warning, he spun on his heel, jumped into the driver’s seat, and slammed the door shut with enough force to make the glass rattle.

The engine roared as he peeled out, tires screaming down the road. I doubled over with laughter, covering my mouth but not caring if Tom heard. Oh, Goddess, it was beautiful. Andrew had completely lost his cool, and I’d been the one to pull the trigger. Satisfaction tasted sweet. Life was finally being generous for once.

The front door shut with a heavy thud as Tom walked back to me, brows furrowed, voice sharp. “Was that really Andrew who dropped you off?”

The disbelief in his tone made me narrow my eyes. Suspicious.

“Don’t even ask,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as I brushed past him toward the stairs.

We had a lot to cover with that book – and no way in hell was I going to waste my good smirk on Tom’s endless questions.

Andrew

Typically, at school Prue avoided me like a cat skirting puddles – swift, sharp, and determined not to touch. And honestly? It made my life easier. I could breathe. Or at least I thought so. My wolf, on the other hand, wasn’t doing me any favors. He kept throwing images in my head of other guys gawking at her – her long legs, that annoyingly se.xy sway of hers, the da.mn miniskirts that left way too much on display.

So when I caught her in the hall, eyes locked on me and walking straight over like a soldier on a mission, I was surprised. And, suspicious, my forehead naturally frowned.

She passed me like a queen brushing by a servant, not even bothering to stop. Just tossed her words over her shoulder like crumbs:

“I’ll go for tutoring in the afternoon.”

I stopped dead. Tutoring? Since when did she need tutoring? My brows shot up before I could stop them.

“Are you failing a subject?” I asked, suspicion gnawing at me. My voice came out sharper than I intended, but come on – Prue and schoolwork were not exactly words that lived in my head all day.

She didn’t even slow down, just tossed her reply like a dart aimed right at my pride.

“No, I’m smart. I’m the one tutoring someone else.”

And then the eye-roll. Goddess, that eye-roll. It stung, like she’d slapped me in the face with her indifference. She turned away, hips swaying, leaving me standing there like an idiot. My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack.

I took a step after her before I caught myself. “Are you getting there yourself?” I called after her, my voice low, rumbling. It came out more like a demand than a question.

She snapped over her shoulder, her tone laced with venom.

“Of course not! That’s literally why I informed you, duh.”

Duh. She actually duh’d me. My wolf growled inside, pacing like a caged beast, wanting to drag her back and shake her until she dropped that attitude. But I couldn’t. I had to keep it together.

What the hell was I supposed to do with her? She was a hurricane – chaotic, reckless, impossible to pin down – and yet every move she made had my full attention whether I wanted it or not. And the mate bond didn’t let me breathe. I hated how one word from her, one roll of her eyes, could set my whole damn body on fire.

She walked away, leaving me standing in the middle of the hallway with everyone watching. The Alpha’s son, reduced to chasing after a girl who barely spared me a glance. Pathetic.

And yet… all I could think was: Tutoring who?

The entire afternoon, her words burned in my head. Tutoring. Tutoring. Tutoring. Who the hell needed tutoring from Prue? My wolf didn’t buy it. I didn’t buy it.

So when the final bell rang, I was already on edge. She slid into my car like nothing was wrong, tossing me a few directions like I was her personal chauffeur on payroll. As if, ha, no, she was annoying charity case my parents had dumped on me. She kept her bit.chy attitude dialed up high – no explanations, no extra details, just the bare minimum needed to piss me off.

And then she jumped out, didn’t even look back. Just swayed her hips deliberately, like she knew exactly what that did to me. My grip on the steering wheel nearly snapped the leather. She still wore those damn skirts – short enough to make me grind my teeth. She knew, she had to know.

My wolf was pacing, snarling. She’s ours. She’s flaunting herself for someone else.

And then… I saw him. Tom. Opening the door like some eager puppy. She threw herself at him – hugged him tight, face buried in his neck. My vision went red. My claws pressed against my skin from the inside, itching to tear something apart.

She touched him. She’s touching him.

I jumped out of the car but then stepped on the frame, and gripped the roof of the car just to stop myself from shifting right there in his driveway. My wolf slammed against my chest, howling for blood, demanding I rip him away from her.

Tom’s frown deepened when he saw me.

“Andrew?” he called out like he couldn’t believe I was real. Yeah, what a weird coincidence – a guy I’d paid to prank Prue was now her obedient little student? Something here smelled way too fishy. Too convenient. Too much like someone was pulling strings behind my back. My wolf growled low in my chest, warning me that this was trouble. And me? I wasn’t about to let anyone to try to manipulate the situation without consequences.

I pressed closer, leaning against the frame of my car, my stare locked on him.

“Is she really tutoring you?” I growled, each word clipped, dangerous.

He laughed nervously, glancing toward the house where she’d disappeared. “Uh, yeah… yeah, literature and stuff.”

Literature and stuff? My fist tightened on the roof until the metal creaked. Even I didn’t believe that crap. My wolf roared inside, demanding I rip the door off its hinges and drag her out by the wrist.

Instead, I forced myself back into the driver’s seat before I lost control completely. I slammed the door so hard the car shook, then peeled away from the curb, tires screaming against the pavement.

Words “and stuff” kept replaying in my mind while images of them making out on his bed looped over and over like a broke record. Ugh, just thinking about it made my chest twist. Though I would feel the betrayal pain.

But of course, my brain didn’t stop there – it started throwing in other stuff: flirty glances, teasing gestures, laughter, hands brushing, fingers on shoulders, careless touches on the face…

Fu.ck! I was going to lose it if I didn’t stop. I swerved the car sideways, slammed on the brakes, and jumped out, gasping for air, trying to calm the storm roaring inside me.

My chest burned, my wolf clawing to the surface. This bond wasn’t just maddening – it was torture. And she was playing with fire.