Driving Addie’s Jeep into the school parking lot, I place it in park. I’ve been doing this shit for a week now, and I need some answers as far as who is threatening the club. I can only sit idle for so long. This could all be for nothing if this Thad prick isn’t even a threat to Addie anymore.

“Well, I’ll see you after class.” Addie smiles at me. Her hair is down today, the rain in the air giving it a slight more curl than usual. It’s about time we get some rain with all the fires, but it’s not doing shit for the air. It’s like a giant smog cloud, and ash is so thick I can feel it in my hair.

I nod, my eyes falling to the cleavage of her white dress and blue jean jacket. She dresses so sexy without even trying. She climbs out, and I pop the seat back, grabbing my new read for the day.

Harry Fucking Potter. It may not give me the insight of what normal people act like because it’s fantasy or some shit, but so far it does help me understand how to socially interact. Talking between two people isn’t fantasy and I suck at it. I never say the right things when someone is talking to me.

---

Going over the last test, I glance out the window to see if I can see Zane in the parking lot. I haven’t been able to see him all day with the rain and him being in my Jeep. I can’t help but think about sneaking in there with him and climbing into his lap. Nobody would know from the fogged windows and ash in the air, plus the loud rain would drown out the moans.

The windows are thick with condensation, so I can’t make out if he’s inside or not. I don’t see him anywhere else, so he must be inside. Probably sleeping. I know I’m tired. Lockdown along with this rain has me drained.

Sighing, I thumb through my tests to see how many I have left.

Three. Maybe I should just take them to the club to grade. No, it’s getting more and more hectic in there by the minute with the club not coming up with any answers on the Lost Wolves.

I should text Zane, let him know I’ll be a few more minutes. Just knowing he’s out there makes me feel safer. Thad still hasn’t said anything to me, but the tension is there. It’s only a matter of time before he comes at me. I know it.

Be out in twenty- A

He doesn’t reply back. Grabbing my red marker, I set forth in getting these done so I can get back to the club and relax.

The door to my classroom opens, and I hesitate before looking up. My heart thuds hard against my chest when I notice it’s Thad, shutting the door behind him. We haven’t spoken since, well since I tried to set him up. Things have been quiet around the halls, and I took it as he got the hint the women of this school were not going to be victims any longer.

He turns, and his eyes remind me of a cat’s in the night. Hairs on the back of my neck alerting me to get out of the classroom.

He loosens his tie, his white button-up disheveled from his khakis.

I stand, my throat feeling like sandpaper.

“You didn’t bring your guard dog with you today?” He tilts his head to the side. He must be talking of Zane, with him being in the Jeep he can’t see him. My eyes fall to my phone, I should text Zane to get in here right now.

Trying to be as smooth as I can, my fingers thumb my phone into my palm.

“I don’t think so!” Thad is in my space, hand wrapped around my wrist and squeezing in seconds.

“Let go!” I grit through trembling lips.

“You are one stupid bitch thinking you could set me up,” he snarls, slamming my wrist against the desk causing me to drop my phone. Pain shoots up my arm, and I cry out.

Lifting my knee, I kick him in the nuts, and he lets go of me, hunching over to grab his junk.

Running behind him I aim for the door until a sharp pain radiates through my scalp. Thad pulls my hair so hard I fall chest first on the floor. I begin clawing my way to the door, shuffling my knees to get away. He laughs, enjoying the fight. Knowing I’m not getting anywhere, I roll over and kick him in the chest, throwing him into my desk. A stapler, markers, and papers fall to the ground.

My kick to his torso not doing much, he’s back on me in seconds. His grabby hands pulling at my jacket, ripping my dress. I squeeze my thighs as tightly as possible, and tears spring to my eyes. This is it. I tried to save the women of the school, and now I’ve made myself the target.

Reaching forward to claw myself even an inch away, my hand lands on a stapler.

Crying out loud I twist in his grip and slam it against his head. The clicking noise making him scream like a female before blood trickles down his face. I stapled him.

I hit him in the head over and over again, anger and fear pouring through every strike until he collapses on top of me. Breathing roughly, tears down my cheeks I still, making sure he’s not moving.

“Get off!” I cry, dropping the bloody stapler to the floor, I push his limp body to the side and wiggle out from under him. “Off me!” I sob, punching him wherever my fists land.

The classroom door is kicked open, and Zane stands in the doorway swelled up and ready to fight.

“Addie!” He breathes heavily. Falling to his knees, he helps me the rest of the way out from under Thad’s body.

“Are you okay?” he asks in a rushed voice. His eyes darting all over my body for injury.

“Where were you?”

“I was scoping out his office when I heard you scream down the hall.”

Worming my way into Zane’s lap, I pull him close and cry. He hesitates for a minute, not sure what to do with my emotions spilling into his lap.

“Oh my God.” I cry, but I’m suddenly feeling angry. How dare that fucker think he could get me to run away by taking my self-esteem. I can still feel his fingers scratching my legs. His hot breath on the back of my neck.

His fingers slowly tangle into my hair, and he pets me as I sob. I could have been raped, or killed. I tempted a monster, and couldn’t handle the force that came with it. I’m always trying to save people causing me to forget what is going on inside of me.

Thad moans, and I scream, throwing my hands around Zane.

“Fuck,” Zane rasps.

“He’s alive!” Shit, what do I do? Do we call the cops? I’m going to jail.”

Zane pulls his phone from his pocket.

“Bring the van to the school, we got a problem,” Zane rasps into the phone.

“What was that? What are you going to do?” My lashes still to my face.

Zane grasps my shoulders and looks right into my eyes. His green eyes dance with excitement, and it occurs to me that this is the dark side of Zane that nobody knows about. His violent nature, his delight in life.

“I called Rad and Saint. Now, go to the club, I’ll handle it.” He ignores my question. I don’t press for more, I’m not sure I’m ready to know Zane in and out.

“I can’t go to the club, I have blood all over me, and you’re not with me. They’ll ask questions,” I point out.

Zane bites his bottom lip, looking to the side for answers.

“Okay, go to your apartment, and I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

“But—”

“Do it, Addie.” The hardness in his voice is made up by his soft hand grabbing my chin. He leans in and presses his lips to mine and instantly everything around me blurs into nothing. His soft demanding mouth taking mine throws me into a world of make-believe. There is no half-dead man by our feet, no forbidden law about us being together. Just him and I.

Pulling his lips from mine, I’m dumped back into the reality of my mistakes. My heart races and forehead sweating.

“Now go,” he whispers against my lips.

I nod and force myself to grab my purse, phone, and get the fuck out of there.

---

Grabbing Thad by the hair, staples swelling from his skin, I glare into his bloodshot eyes.

“You fucked with the wrong crew,” I growl before shoving him back to the floor.

Pacing, I contemplate how I’m going to end this asshole. He hurt Addie. My sunshine. My fingers strain, the vessel in my neck pounding with every thrust of my heart. I’ve never been so worked up in my life. Arms straining, I tilt my head back and roar. I yell so hard, as if the night will respond and ease the pain radiating through me. My rage taking me back to the day of the drive-by. Addie was hurt, and something inside of me broke. I gave a piece of my soul to Addie that day and never been able to get it back.

Pulling my gun from my waistband, I hold it above Thad’s head. So angry my hand shakes, my teeth pinched tight to near cracking. He whimpers, his khakis dampening between his legs.

“Not such a predator right now, are we?” Hunching down I get in his line of sight, pressing the barrel of my gun into his temple. “You tried to hide the light from me. You tried to snuff out the sunshine I so desperately need.” I grab him by his hair, arching his neck to look me in the eyes.

“Don’t you see. When she’s not happy, I’m not happy!” I yell in his face.

“Your people are going to pay for this,” he blubbers out, gaining a laugh from me.

“So tough for a man about to die.” I shove his head away from me and rub at my chin in thought. “Here I am thinking… thinking that I’m not worthy. Not normal, and don’t deserve a life of simple pleasures as owning a woman’s heart, and then I run into you. The lowest of the low, a scum back piece of shit who feeds off women. Hurts them, preys on them.” My hand begins to shake again, my teeth clenched. This fucker makes me so hostile.

“That’s enough, Zane!” My dad’s voice booms from behind me, but I don’t let up. “Don’t do it. You’re too close to this.”

“He doesn’t deserve her,” I murmur to a sobbing Thad. “Nobody does.” I don’t take my eyes off him and stand up. I’m cracking, losing my fucking mind.

“Son.” Desperation in my dad’s voice almost has me step away. Almost. My arm stretched out, I pull the trigger with little to no effort. The gunshot echoes throughout the room, and the smell of gunpowder and blood dance around me like an old gypsy casting a spell. My hand continues to shake, my nostrils flaring. Killing him did nothing for me. Why? I’m not calm, if anything I’m angrier.

I pull the trigger again, and again. Nothing. There is no relief. The voices in my head are getting louder, my chest swelling with frustration.

Yelling out with rage, I pull the trigger until hands wrap around me and pull me away from the mutilated body.

I toss the gun onto the floor and run my hands through my hair. My knees clash onto the floor, and I bend my head down into my lap.

“What is happening?” I seethe. Killing is my only escape, it lets the darkness breathe, but right now it’s just hibernating in my soul, overtaking my every thought. No light can seep through the cracks and give me a glimpse of clarity.

“What the fuck?” Rad whispers.

“Son, breathe.” My dad’s voice doesn’t do anything to soothe me, his hand now rubbing down my shoulder feeling hot and uncomfortable. Killing is my remedy for the voices, for confliction of the reaper casting its toxic ideas into my head. Those ideas are so loud and unclear that I feel more lost than ever. Thad broke me. He touched my angel, and now killing him isn’t enough to calm the beast within me.

“Why the fuck are we at Addie’s school?” Bobby questions hatefully. It dawns on me that Rad and Saint brought my father and Bobby along with them.

“I don’t know, he just called us,” Rad informs.

Eyes on the ground, body still shaking, I force myself to give him the details.

“Addie was in trouble. I protected her.”

“What the fuck you mean she was in trouble? Why are you protecting her?”

I don’t reply. I can’t.

---

“Easy Bobby!” my dad defends, getting in between me and Bobby.

“You going to tell me what’s going on here?”

The tone in his voice pisses me off. I stand, eyes watery and narrowed in on him. He’s bulked out like he wants to fight, his shoulders raised and chest puffed out. His blonde hair in his face, and jaw tight. He doesn’t want to do this right now, not when I’m this out of control. I’ll regret what I do to him.

“Where is Addie now?” my dad asks. He looks just like me, but older. His green eyes calm, and temper collected. How does he do it? How did he beat the demons?

“I ordered her to go back to her place.”

“You ordered her?” Bobby squints his eyes at me, tilting his head.

“This is the principal, he’s been hurting the teachers here and Addie tried to get him fired. He caught on and tried to hurt her,” I explain everything to him.

Bobby tries to come at me, and Rad and Saint block him. I lift my chin, ready to take a hit from him if it means I can be with Addie.

Dad places his hand on my chest. “Go be with her. We will take care of this,” Dad informs. I shake my head.

“No, I promised her I would take care of it. I will get rid—”

“Goddamn it, Zane. Just fucking go!” Dad loses his temper, a glimpse of his own beast shining in his eyes. One I’m very familiar with.

Sliding my tongue along my bottom lip, the idea of being with Addie when I’m so conflicted and out of control scares me. However, it’s the only place I want to be right now. My sun. I need her light right now.

Turning on my heel, I stomp out of the classroom.

“Take my bike,” Dad hollers down the hallway. Brows furrowed, hands barreled, I head outside all I can think about is Addie; my obsession. Wait, no. Chasing after someone is a boy’s game. Addie has always been mine, we’ve just been playing a child’s game. Until now.

Tonight. I’m taking what has always been mine.