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Three males walked out of the locker room wearing only pants, white towels slung around their necks.
Ethan, Chad, and Garrett—or, as Loren liked to call them, Shithead, Numb-nuts, and Pig-nose—slowed when they saw her, the conversation they were having fading into surprised silence.
These boys had made her life a living hell all year, kicking her chair and throwing balls of paper at her head every chance they got. She’d made a promise to herself that she would never get caught anywhere alone with them, but now…
It took them one second—just one, and then their mouths stretched into identical, sharklike smiles. They looked her over, eyes raking like hot coals over her pajamas and cardigan, the latter hanging open over her torso. They moved quickly, fencing her in with their half-naked bodies before she could move so much as one step.
“What do we have here?” Ethan began, pressing his body in close to her front while Chad came in from the back. Her gut turned into a tornado of nausea. She worked at building up a scream, but there was no oxygen in her lungs, and her tongue felt inert. “What’s a mouse like you doing out of her cage so late?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she managed to say. Every word was tense, her throat drier than a desert. Memories of the Meatpacking District and the men outside the Pit flooded her mind, causing her muscles to lock up, just as they had back then.
Chad’s hand caressed her hair at the back of her head. She recoiled, bumping her cheek into Ethan’s bare chest. The moisture on his skin left an icky feeling on hers.
“She’s pretty,” Chad drawled. “Isn’t she, boys?”
She pushed away from Ethan’s chest, only to come face to face with Garrett this time. They were so close, she could feel the heat coming off their bodies, could smell the chlorine on their damp skin.
Knowing she had to buy herself time to think of something, she started talking. “I didn’t know it was customary to throw things at the girls you think are pretty.” She managed to make her voice sound beguiling—and kept the fear out of it. “Couldn’t you have tried something else, like, I don’t know…asking for my number?”
Ethan gave her a suggestive smile. “You know we’re just teasing, halfie.” He bit his lip and looked her over, his face only inches from hers. “Truth is, I like you.” She didn’t know Ethan at all, but something about the way he said it suggested it wasn’t a lie.
“I’m flattered.” She did her best to look him over provocatively, just as he was doing to her. It probably wasn’t convincing, but stalling was her best option right now. And maybe…maybe if she could turn the tables on them, she would make it out of this unscathed. A small, panicked voice in the back of her mind told her the odds—and they weren’t good. Still, she continued, “Why don’t we go out sometime? Just you and me.” She would pick a time and place and would get Darien to meet this jerk and tear that smile into a bloody frown.
“I have a better idea.” Ethan threw his towel to the floor and unclasped his belt buckle.
Loren’s stomach turned over itself, every trace of calm on her face evaporating. All the blood in her head went down to her toes, and she swayed where she stood, the tattoo on her forearm burning red. The amulet, on the other hand, had gone dark and cold.
Ethan concluded, “We can have that date right now.” It was to his friends that he said, “Get her on her knees.”
As soon as Garrett and Chad reached for her, she struck, driving her fist into the former’s nose and her elbow into Chad’s groin, moving just like Darien had taught her. Blood sprayed from Garrett’s nostrils, coloring the white towels with a smattering of red. Shouting filled the room, followed by hollow echoes and the slap of bare feet on tile as they dove for her.
She spun on a heel and fled, moving as fast as she could. As she neared the door, her amulet emitted light again.
But a pair of hard arms closed roughly around her waist, tugging her back, causing the amulet to dim again. Whoever was holding her picked her up off the ground. Loren’s legs kicked in the open air. The walls threw back the echoes of her yelp as she launched herself forward, using all her weight to propel her feet back to the floor.
She stomped her foot down, nailing one of them on the instep—she didn’t know who. A howl of pain rattled her eardrums, the sound raking along the back of her neck. She fell forward, catching herself on the tile with the palms of her hands, and pushed back up into a sprint.
But someone grabbed her foot, yanking her off balance and dragging her back. She tried to kick off her shoe, but he had a firm grip on her ankle. He pulled harder, and her upper body went down while her right leg stayed aloft. She banged her chin on stone, teeth ripping into the side of her tongue. Blood flooded her mouth.
Singer leapt out of her shadow with a vicious snarl.
“What the—?” Ethan barked.
But Singer was intercepted by Ethan’s leopard Familiar. Soon, Chad and Garrett’s were joining in, the three animals fencing Singer in near a corner of the room.
He couldn’t get to her. And she couldn’t get to him—
Screaming with all the breath left in her lungs, Loren flipped over, kicking and thrashing as hard as she could. Her heel connected with Chad’s forehead. He fell backward with a curse on his lips.
She managed to get on her feet, but then Ethan was there, ripping the shoulder of her cardigan as he pulled her back against his body.
“Feisty,” he breathed in her ear, his skin boiling hot. “I like that.” She felt his erection press into her ass.
“Get off me, you prick!” She shoved away from him, her limbs tangling with his.
Ethan took the back of her head to his teeth, but his hold on her wouldn’t relent, fingers bruising her arms. He spun her around to face him and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Stupid bitch!” His teeth were stained with blood. He spat a mouthful of saliva in her face, red gobs clinging to her hair. “You’ll pay for that, cunt.”
She flung all her weight on him. “Let go!” she shrieked.
