Chapter Three

An ice pack rested on my bruised knuckles. Normally I wouldn’t have taken the nurse up on the offer, but Blake had a hard head.

Allie was sitting silently two chairs away from me. She hadn’t looked at me, or spoken to me. She just sat there silent, while blood slowly ran down the side of her face.

The door opened, and Ebony walked out, looking embarrassed. She swiftly closed the door behind her. I gave her a smile. Dad would have been hard on her as he hated fighting.

“See you later,” she muttered, shooting me a smile. “Good luck.” I noticed the glare she gave Allie before striding out.

Blake had already had his turn in there. Dad was quick with him because everyone had stated it was me who started on him. Bloody speculators.

“Winters,” Dad called.

“Good luck,” I said, watching Allie get up. She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t look in my direction. I wanted to grab her and make her look at me, but, instead, I watched her close the door.

 

***

Dad went on about respect and gave me a well-performed lecture. My punishment was I had to look after my little brother this weekend which mightn’t sound bad, but it would ruin everything I had planned.

I hated babysitting nearly as much as I hated school.

“Now, Zane, I expect better. Do you understand?” Dad was a lot calmer, and I nodded my head. I was sure I was going to get a headache from all the nodding I’d been doing.

“Yep.” I had my hand on the door. Everything within me wanted to go and see Allie. I needed to know what she was thinking. “I have to get to class, so see you tonight.”

After he nodded his head, I was out of there quickly. Where was she? Would she have gone to class? I walked out the front door and stopped in my tracks. There she was sitting on the steps, head in her hands.

Looks like she hadn’t got far.

"So, are we going to talk about this or are you just going to keep groaning?" I looked down at Allie. She was sitting on the step, groaning and grunting to herself. What was going through her mind I didn’t know. Hell, it might kill her to talk back to me!

"I can't believe this is happening," she groaned, looking up for the first time. Her eyes were wide with terror. "I've always been good! I respect my body, I don't sleep around, and how do I get awarded? I get you!"

"Hey, that's not nice!" She was making me sound like a disgusting piece of dirt or something. I have women falling to their knees. Heck, I'm sure numerous females would die to be my mate. "You could have got someone worse." I crossed my arms.

She grunted, rolling her eyes and dropping her head into her hands.

"What you could have! You could have ended up being mates with that guy who sits at the front of our English class. You know the one, always picking his nose, big eyes, looks like he’s been slapped in the face with a shovel."

She pulled her head up. "Oh my God, and you are VAIN. Of course, you are, look at you." She gestured her hand in my direction. "You are the spitting image of a male god."

I smirked. "Now that's a bit more like it."

"Not a compliment."

"I'm taking it as one."

I looked Allie up and down, and I just couldn't see it. Why did fate think she was my other half? I thought I would get an angel, you know pure and sweet.

"Stop staring at me, or I'll spoon your eyeballs out," she threatened, getting up.

Perfect example right there. Definitely not an angel.

"You know, Zane?" A dangerous look crossed her eyes, and I knew I was in for it before she begun. "You are the most self-centered, heartless jerk I have ever known. Hell, you're the definition of a jerk!"

The school doors opened behind her, and my dad walked out. Allie, however, didn't seem to notice our little conversation had suddenly got an extra pair of ears.

"You,” she poked me in the chest, "Are arrogant, self-absorbed, and are going to ruin my life!"

"Allie, stop." My eyes darted up to my dad who was grinning watching the little brunette rip shreds off me.

"Don't tell me what to do! You don't have any control over me yet," she fumed, and I put my hands up surrendering.

Allie wasn't going to back down, so before she could open her mouth and say one more insult, or worse spill the news about her being my mate, I darted my eyes to dad.

"Hey, Dad, so you're heading home now?"

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Allie stiffened. I hope she was ashamed.

"Yes, I am.” Dad walked down the stairs and stood next to Allie. "I see you and Miss Winters get on.”

Allie slowly peeled her eyes off the ground to look up at him. "Sorry, Alpha, I didn't realize you were there.”

"No need to apologize, I am sure you aren't the first to yell at my son."

I scoffed at that.

"Will you be joining your mom tonight? She is having tea with us." Dad didn't look a bit angry at Allie, which annoyed me. I was his son after all, so couldn't he at least give her a comment about respect?

Allies eyes were wide, and she looked as if she had just been struck by lightning or the possible fear of having dinner with me tonight. I watched her smugly.

"I, um, can't." She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Why would that be?" I piped in, interested in her excuse. Surely, she wouldn't have anything on. It is Allie Winters after all - a baby had more social events than her.

Her eyes narrowed in my direction. "I have a date if you must know."

She did? With who? Suddenly I wasn't looking so smug, and I smiled bitterly at her. Who was she dating? She did realize that had to stop, didn't she?

"Oh, with who?" Dad questioned, taking her by surprise.

"Um, you won't know him, he’s, um, tall and…" She scratched the back of her neck.

She was lying. She was lying on purpose to try and get out of a dinner with us. Well, let’s face it, she was trying to get out of dinner with me. She continued to babble, and dad wasn't buying it. She was basically hanging herself with her mumbles.

"It's with me," I spoke up, silencing her nonstop babble. "Allie, you suck at lying."

"You two are actually going to dine together?" Dad looked suspicious. "Are you sure you will still be breathing at the end of the night?" His lips twitched with a smile as he looked at me.

"Allie won't kill me." I looked at her, standing speechless with this cute confused look on her face. "Will you, Allie?"

I'm sure she had numerous comebacks or smart remarks, but she didn't say any of them. She just shook her head in reply.

"See, Dad, you have her word."

"No, I have a head shake," he corrected me. "Now shouldn't you two be in class."

Well, we would be I thought if Allie wasn't having a freakout. "You're right we should get going, come on, Allie, we have Math."

"No, I have Art." She crossed her arms, realizing what she had just committed herself to sinking in. "Alpha Harris." She nodded before spinning on her heel and taking off up the steps.

"I better go," I said to dad and darted off in Allie's direction, catching the door just before it closed. "Allie, wait up."

"What the hell were you thinking committing us to dinner together? Did you not get the hint, Zane? I hate you." She glared sideways at me while keeping a fast pace.

"Don't kill me with the love now," I scoffed.

"Kill you, that is exactly what I want to do."

"Allie, you are going to have to face it, we're…

She slapped her hand over my mouth. "Don't you dare finish that sentence," she hissed up at me, her emerald eyes on fire. "Someone might hear you." Her head snapped up and down the passage, shocked no one was in sight.

I pulled her hand from my mouth, "Allie, you mightn't like it, but you and I have things to talk about so I'll pick you up tonight at seven." Just touching her was setting something alive in me, something I hadn't felt before.

Did she feel it? That slow pull starting between us.

"Fine," she huffed, pulling her hand from mine. "But just so you know I'm not happy about this."

"Whatever made you think I was?" I snapped back her, as her bad attitude was getting to me. I wasn't going to lie, I wished my mate was someone else; someone who at least didn't walk around glaring at everyone.

“See you tonight, Allie.” I walked off leaving her standing there.