FILTHY BITE

Wren's POV

"Put her down."

Cal's voice was so flat I bet he rolled his eyes internally.

Eli didn't move. I'll give him that. This boy had been at WhiteWood for less than a week and he was standing in the middle of a corridor holding a size sixteen girl who smelled like pig shit, staring down Cal Voss like he was born without the fear gene. My knight in shining armour perhaps?

"She's sick," Eli said, his body angled like he was going to fight if challenged. "I'm taking her to the sick bay."

"I know where you're taking her." Cal moved closer. His ring finger started its thing against his thigh. Tap. Tap. Tap. "I can do it. So. Put. Her. Down."

Two more steps and Zade and Rook rounded the corner.

Oh, fantastic. All three of them. In a corridor. Over me. While I smelled like a farm.

Oink Oink… Wren! I shouldn't be talking down on myself. I shouldn't let those people get into my head.

The air pressure changed. The air smelled of Alpha blood. Eli was six foot three and he was not small. But Zade, Rook, and Cal forming a loose half circle in front of us was a different kind of physics entirely. There were no good odds here for Eli and everyone in this corridor knew it.

Eli's jaw tightened. He looked down at me and his eyes asked a question.

"Put me down, Eli." I answered it.

He did, slowly, one hand gripping my waist tightly. I saw Cal shut his eyes tightly. Just briefly, then he opened them up, but his hands were still clenched

Eli held me until my legs confirmed they were going to cooperate. I straightened up and faced the three of them and immediately wished I had not, because now I had to stand there in a ruined uniform, chunks of God knows what still in my mouth, and look these boys in the eye.

"I'm fine," I said, to nobody in particular.

Nobody responded to that, which was fair, because I obviously was not.

Cal stepped forward and took my arm like he just took a bold decision. I let him hold me. After all, I was half present and my stomach was still doing horrible things. And to be honest… he cost me nothing strategically. Yes. That was the reason.

Eli watched me, wondering if I was comfortable.

"It's fine," I told him.

He nodded slowly like he didn't fully believe me but just let me do my thing. Then he trailed behind us, hands in his pocket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zade turned sharply at him.

Eli stopped. "With Wren, obviously.” He emphasised on ‘obviously’, just to annoy Zade

"No." Zade stepped in front of him. "Go back,” he pointed in the opposite direction 

"Excuse me," Eli said simply.

Zade laughed, lifted his left hands to touch his head as if restraining his wolf. "You know who the Voss brothers are? Because lately you have been acting like a dunce."

"I know exactly what I'm walking into." Eli's voice was completely steady. "I've heard what you three do to her. I'm not leaving her alone with you."

Okay now everyone was bringing out their cameras. 

Rook pushed off the wall. "You have about three seconds to remember who you're talking to."

"I remember fine," Eli said. “Voss brothers. Spoilt children. Alpha heirs. Oh please!”

That was when Zade moved. Fangs baring. Claws out. Furs already sprouting. I just had to step in using the mate bond

"Stop!"

I shoved myself between them so fast my legs wobbled and I nearly fell. My hand landed flat on Zade's chest and I felt the muscle locked tight underneath it, his wolf right at the surface, amber bleeding into his eyes.

"Are you serious right now?" I snapped, looking between all three of them. "Back the fuck off, Zade. I mean it."

"Wren." Zade's jaw was doing its thing.

"No!" I stepped back and spread my hands. "Leave him the FUCK alone. Leave me the FUCK alone. Y'all are just a bunch of dumbass trouble. If the only thing you three can do is follow me around harassing the one person at this school who actually treats me like a she- wolf then you can all go straight to hell."

They recoiled. At the point I couldn't tell what they were going to do.

Cal's voice came from right behind me. rough in a way I had never heard from him before.

"Why do you keep defending him."

It wasn't a question. It was barely even words. A crack in his composure .

"Because he deserves it," I said, turning to face him. I felt the lines burrowing deep in my forehead 

Cal's brown eyes were not level anymore. The ring finger had stopped. Both his hands were fists at his sides.

"Is there something going on between you two."

Again. Not a question.

I looked at him. Something deep inside my belly loved how jealous he sounded. A part of me wanted to see how far his jealousy could go.

"Yes," I said. "Eli and I are a thing."

Eli smirked, took a few steps towards me and grabbed my waist. Damn, that's why I liked him; he knew how to fit in, how to play along 

Rook sucked in a breath.

Zade went very still.

Cal's eyes moved. His wolf bled into his flesh. His ring finger tapped once. Then stopped. Then tapped again. My heart started racing so freaking fast. What was he going to do? I really wanted to see it.

I heard heels on the corridor floor.

Lyra Thorne came in just then. I bet she heard about the confrontation. She was walking towards us briskly, the loose curls on her long blonde hair bouncing as she moved. Her freckles catching the sunlight and somehow highlighting her wide blue eyes.

Now the drama was going to get intense.

 I was laughing in my head wishing I had a wolf to laugh with when Cal lost it.

"You. Are. Minee."

Three words stamped with a step towards me. Dangerously quiet. Absolute. Like he wasn't even saying it to the room, he was saying it to the universe and informing the rest of us as a courtesy.

He was in front of me in a flash. One hand going to my jaw, one to my shoulder. He was pushing me. No, he was walking me. Wait, was he pushing me or walking me? It was hard to tell, but I was moving very fast under his will. I moved so fast, my eyes flew wide as I prayed not to fall.

What the hell is happening!? I don't think I like this! I need to stop this!

I wanted to see what he would do, now I was seeing it.

Bam! My back hit the wall.

The corridor gasped. Someone said something. I didn't hear it because in seconds Cal's mouth was on mine and his hand was at my jaw and the wall was solid and cold at my back and he kissed me, sucking like he didn't care about the remnants in my mouth.

the way someone acts when they have run out of strategies and their wolf has taken over completely.

I didn't need to be told, I knew he was marking me. He kissed me like he owned me, daring anyone to say otherwise.

My brain went through it in flashes.

I didn't know what to do!

I didn't know what to think!

My heart was racing. Something wild and traitorous fluttered in my chest. I shouldn't feel this way for a Voss!

I was shaking. So nervous. I needed to bite my cheek right now.

My teeth found something.

Cal's bottom lip.

I didn't think.

I bit down. Hard.

Cal went completely still.

I went completely still.

I tas

ted copper.

"What the fuck," I whispered.

A beat.

"What the fuck." Louder.

"WHAT THE FUCK!!!!”

I just bit my first kiss!