7

ETHAN

I am very relieved that principal Jerry has agreed to let the girls off with just a warning, and detention.

Alpha Ray is known for his recklessness, and the last time he had a problem with our pack, it cost us the lives of almost twenty pack members.

Thankfully, Maya doesn't have to be another center of chaos in Storm ridge. That would only make people misunderstand her the more.

Even though Maya and the girls are technically not in trouble, they are sent out of school till the end of the day.

She can't go home because her mother is going to ask questions. Instead, I decided to skip the rest of my classes and just go around the city with her.

I wait in my car as she stomps out of school with her bag over her shoulder. I honk, and she looks up with a jerk.

“Get in, monkey.” I told her.

“No, thanks. I'll just go home.” She refuses.

“To your mum? I don't think that's a good idea.”

“I can take care of myself, asshole.”

I chuckle. She is back to being mean to me. That's a good sign.

“Come let's get ice cream, and I will take you back home in a few hours, when school is supposed to have closed. That’s a more solid plan, don't you think?”

She sighs under her breath, probably caught between a cross road and doesn't want to admit that my plan is better.

She grumpily gets into the car and closes the door with a rude bang. I'll let that slide.

“Are you going to skip school on my account?” She turns to me.

“It's just for a few hours, monkey. Besides, it's not my first time.” I shrug.

I start up the car and make a turn to the left. There is a place I have always wanted to take her too…

Maya folds her hands, her lips puckered in worry.

“I hate this place.” She sighs.

“Don't say that.” I rebuke her softly.

“Please, you don't know what it feels like. Maybe my mother and I shouldn't have come here. Maybe we should have just stayed with…”

She inhales sharply, she doesn't like to talk about her father. Sarah and Maya have been through a lot, and it's only now that they have started to heal from the trauma that mad Alpha caused them…

“Hey…” I reach out and hold her hand. “You are fine. Give it a week, and everything will go back to normal.”

She nods and keeps her head down. “What was it you were going to tell me?”

“Huh?”

“When you asked me to meet you on the basketball court, what were you going to tell me? It sounded very urgent.”

“Oh.” I place my hands back on the steering wheel. “About that, it could probably wait.”

“Are you kidding me?” She frowns. “I got into trouble because of that, and you are not going to tell me?!”

“Calm down, monkey,” I chuckle. “I'm going to tell you, but not now. It's been a long day already, let's just get ice cream.”

The lavender castle is not too full, because it's literally like twelve noon, and everyone is either at work or school.

I ease the car into the parking lot, and turn it off.

“I will be back in a sec, okay? Don't go anywhere.”

“You didn't ask me what flavor I wanted.”

“Butterscotch, I know.” I roll my eyes.

She huffs, half impressed that I remember the flavor she likes, and also a little annoyed by my audacity.

“What if I want something different this time around?” She folds her hands.

“Well, vanilla is too basic for you, and mint tastes like shit. If butterscotch is not available, you are going to have strawberry or chocolate.” I smile with pride as I shut the door.

She looks pissed, but I know that she is smiling on the inside.

I take out my wallet as I hurry into the shop. Thankfully, I am able to get out with my order in exactly ten minutes. That wasn't bad.

As I approach my car, I notice two boys speaking to Maya through the window.

“What the–” I walk faster, almost trashing the ice cream because my hands want to get fisted.

“Hey, back off!” I yell at them as soon as I get to the car.

The two of them twist their necks to squint at me. Maya quickly turns red in the face.

“What's up, man? Are you her boyfriend?” One of them snickers.

“It doesn't matter, back the fuck up!”

“She said she is waiting for her stepbrother. If that's you, there is no reason to be hostile. We just want to get her number.” The boys gave each other a knowing smile.

This makes my blood boil. I drop the ice cream on the car hood and the boys immediately take a step forward, to show me that they are not intimidated.

“What's your problem, man? We aren't doing anything wrong!”

“She is a big girl, she can decide if she wants to hang or not.”

Maya opens the door of the car, but I cast a glare at her. “Inside, now!”

She sits back down. “Let's just go, Ethan. Please.”

“We aren't leaving until we get her number.” The boys stand their ground.

“Hey, sweetheart, give us your address and we will come visit you sometime.”

I stare from one by, then slowly move my eyes to the next. “This is your last chance to leave without getting hurt.”

“Who do you think you are?” One of them rolls up his sleeves, and the other shows me a knife tucked between his belt.

Maya holds tightly to the door, she is scared shitless. “Ethan!”

I grab one of the boys, bang his head against the glass of a nearby car, and twist his arm in such a way that another slight move forward will break his bone.

“Argh! My hand!” He cries out.

“Let go of my brother!” The other orders, taking out his knife.

I growl, showing them my elongated fangs.

Immediately, he drops his knife and backs away in fright. He recognizes who I am, he knows better than to antagonize me further.

“Try this again, and you won't live to tell the tale.” I push his brother into him, and both boys fall to the ground.

They look white, as if they have seen a ghost. I get the ice cream, them enter the car.

“Those guys belong to the Black River pack. I saw the tattoos on their necks.” The tires screech as I drive away.

Maya starts to sob.

“Maybe I am cursed. I'm still from the silver moon bloodline, and I'm going to heat early, that's why they were so insistent. They think I'm in heat and therefore a whore.”

“Monkey, stop it. You're fine, they are just idiots.” I mutter.

She is not crazy, but she is not just going into heat. Her mate scent is getting stronger, and other males are starting to get attracted to her.

I have to protect Maya. She is in grave danger….