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Charlotte reaches out from under the sheet and grabs her jeans. I don’t bother with mine as I race toward Kurt. He stands his ground until the last moment and then takes a quick step back.
“Be careful, pledge,” he warns me with a threatening scowl.
“I know what you tried, and you won’t be trying it again.”
My first strike makes contact, and then the second. Kurt grabs his face as he falls down, moaning and rolling on the floor. He’s still moaning as he rocks himself. My body is unmoving as I think about the hunger left unsated the last time she refused me.
Charlotte slips on her coat as I wait for her reaction. Her gaze passes over my naked body with appreciation. “Thank you for protecting me again.” She presses her lips to my cheek. She scowls at Kurt, who is holding his face as he moans. Charlotte steps over him daintily and leaves down the attic stairs.
***
I get dressed and leave Kurt on the floor in a daze. Asher and Hudson are downstairs with a few other pledges, sitting on the living room couch. They are absorbed in their phones and mindless chatter as two of the brothers play Red Dead Redemption. Sam waves absentmindedly as I ease myself onto the couch. Jake from the dorms comes into the room. A rare visit. I wonder if they saw Charlotte when she left.
We all look toward the banging as footsteps thunder down the stairs. “You are in trouble.” Kurt points his finger at me as he marches into the living room. His lip is swollen, and he hasn’t bothered to wipe the blood off his nose.
With a few strides, he’s in my face as I stand up to face him. Kurt shoves me, and though I stumble backward, I regain my footing fast. He grabs for my coat, but I dodge him as the others watch in shocked silence from the couch. Asher separates from the herd and then Hudson does too. They move quickly towards us.
“Fuck off,” I pant with increasing rage as my adrenaline picks up.
“You take your punishment, or you’re out, pledge. Now, strip.”
My scoff morphs into a mocking grin. “You get off on this sick shit. It gives you a boner, smacking naked asses.”
A livid Kurt grabs for me again, but Asher takes hold of his arm. “Don’t talk shit about me!” shouts Kurt. “You never talk shit about me.”
I point my finger in his face. “You know that room is off limits, so how did you get in? I locked the door.”
“You’re a pledge,” he spits as he shouts. “You have no rights!”
“Load of shit.” I laugh. “You keep coming after her even though she said no. You need to fucking stop.”
Jake looks at Sam in confusion, taking an interest in the argument. “Who keeps saying no?”
Sam probably knows the dirt, but Jake has no clue what Kurt has been up to. Jake spends his time in the dorm, doing his job. He’d freak if he knew what Kurt does while he’s not around. Sam ignores Jake and leaps up from the couch. He tries to place a hand on Kurt’s shoulder in a lame attempt to diffuse the situation. He’s turned a blind eye on Kurt’s foul behavior, preferring others receive it and not him. We all know Kurt’s abuse of power could get Alpha kicked off campus.
Kurt shakes off Sam’s grip, and his attention is back on me. “Get out now, pledge!” He hollers in my face. And before I can say another smart remark, Kurt shoves me out into the hallway. I narrowly miss slamming into the wall.
“Hey, take it easy, man!” Hudson shouts. “He just got out of the hospital.”
Jake is on his feet as Kurt grips me in a body lock. They try to tug him, but he holds my arms until they can’t bend back anymore. Bryan obeys Kurt and swings the front door wide open. And before anyone can pull me free, I’m stumbling out the door onto the porch. My desperate hands grip the railing, and Asher grabs hold of me before I fall down the steps. Heaving, I hold myself up while a sharp pain shoots deep into my side. I grit my teeth and stare at Kurt. It’s been weeks, but my body warns me not to do too much.
Kurt stands in the doorway. His sweaty face is twisted in anger and redder than Lucifer’s. Jake stands behind him, staring at me in confusion, while Sam averts his gaze. He doesn’t need to worry—I won’t squeal. Kurt knows why I floored his ass. I won’t tell. No matter how bad it is, I can handle it myself.
Alpha is a brotherhood, but these guys aren’t my brothers. My true brothers stand beside me, and I’m not going to fuck up their chances. Hudson places his hand on my shoulder and guides me away while Asher follows us down High Street into town.
***
Charlotte hurries over to our booth at the Oak and slides in beside me on the bench. Nadia, the waitress, walks over with a seltzer and sets it down in front of Charlotte. We’ve been nursing our beers, and Nadia knows better than to touch them.
“Are you ordering today, sweetie?” she asks Charlotte.
Charlotte nods. “A bowl of soup. Chicken noodle, please.”
Nadia nods and leaves to get it. Asher stares at his beer on the table while she’s at the table and refuses to say anything until she leaves.
“Is your uncle...?” Hudson’s voice is barely a whisper, and Asher gives him a warning glance to shut his mouth. My gaze leaves the table, but the waitress is on the other side of the room, ignoring us. Uncle Trunk fucked her once and never came back.
“Whatever that was today, it better not happen again,” says Asher. He looks at Charlotte. “Jaxon told us what Kurt did. And why didn’t you tell me about what happened at the mixer?”
