Page 23 of Broken Souls

I wake up and see my phone on my pillow. Did I fall asleep on the phone? Since I didn't have a shower last night, I have a quick one then get ready for school. When I go to the pantry for a snack, I sense Axe isn't in the house which surprises me since he's always here in the mornings. Deciding not to ponder why he isn't here, I go to school. The three monstrosities are out front, making me agitated. I walk towards the entrance, but not without them commenting.

“Hey, crossbred.” Ember smirks.

I stick to Amelia's ignoring technique but they block the gate so I can't walk in. Dennis walks by and they let him past, then turn back to me and smirk.

“Ooh, even a human is ignoring you now. You just piss off everyone, don't you?” Ember looks smug.

“He must have figured out you're an outcast to humans too,” Mitchell sneers.

“Can you losers quit thinking you own the school? Seriously, get the fuck out of my way,” Joel says, annoyed, trying to walk past them but they block him too.

“What? Are you late running to your little girlfriend?” Mitchell says mockingly and his two hoes laugh.

“Do you really want to piss me off?” Joel's eyes go dark. This is my chance to side pass all of them but I'm interested in what Joel will do if they keep insulting him.

“What are you going to do about it? We all know you're the bitch in the relationship.” Mitchell keeps antagonising him. Joel growls but Mitchell doesn't back down. But when Joel grabs Mitchell by his shirt, he looks surprised.

“If we weren't at school, you'd be buried in the dirt,” Joel threatens.

“Try us,” Ember chimes in while Hannah steps beside Mitchell and crosses her arms.

“You're all pathetic. You can't fight on your own because you're weak. It explains why the only wolf you think you can pick on is the crossbred.” Joel lets Mitchell go.

But Mitchell’s eyes narrow and he grabs Joel's shoulder. Joel instinctively punches Mitchell in the jaw. A fight breaks out between them. My eyes are seeing the fight but my ears are ringing with Joel's words. I feel like he just sliced through me by actually calling me the crossbred. He knew I was still standing there, right? Instead of sticking around to see what happens, I turn and walk back to my car. I speed out of there and stop by a park to gather myself. His words hurt me. I decide to go home. When I get back, Axe still isn't there. I drop myself onto the couch and turn on the tv to drown out my thoughts.

Any slight chance I still gave Joel is gone now. I could get over him choosing Jenna over me, given how perfect she is. But I can't get past him insulting me with the crossbred word. He's the one person who shouldn't think of me like that. But he does.

Chapter Twenty

Ihate him. I hate those monstrosities. I hate werewolves. I'm done feeling hurt by these assholes. From now on, I'm holding onto anger. I know I could use the ultimate threat and say I've got the alpha on my side but I don't know for sure how that would go. But I'm going to tell them to piss off when they make another comment. They won't be able to beat me up since I don't go into the forest anymore. How far they can hurt me at school is limited. Plus, if they hurt me again, Axe won't let it go this time. He still hasn't let the last time go, but he's trying to respect my privacy.

I hear the sound of the backdoor opening, and then Axe walks into the living room, looking surprised to see me.

“You didn't go to school?” he asks.

“I did,” I mutter, staring aimlessly at the tv even though my thoughts are still about what Joel said.

“It's ten o'clock.” Axe frowns.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Something happened.” Axe comes over and sits beside me. “Did someone hurt you?” He places his hand over mine.

“Just emotionally.” I sniffle.

“Look at me, Elora,” Axe demands. Despite me wanting to be alone, his alpha strength comes through his words so I look up at him. He grabs my cheek and wipes his thumb under my eye, even though the tears from earlier have dried. “I hate that you're so secretive.”

“It's better that way.”

“No, it's not. At least not for you.”

Axe stares deeply into my eyes. I hold his stare even though eye contact is nerve-wracking. Before I can react, he smashes his lips against mine, making me gasp. His hands go to my neck and he holds me close to him. Axe's lips are rough against mine, so I try to keep up. This is my first kiss. My alpha took my first kiss. I rest my hands on his chest. His kiss fills me with warmth and desire I haven't felt before. His lips feel glorious against mine. I'm not sure how long the kiss lasts but he lays me down. My legs slightly shake as I'm filled with nerves when I feel him growing big and fast against my thigh.

“Axe,” I pant against his lips, softly pressing my hands against his chest.

Axe lifts up and opens his eyes; they're dark yet somehow sparkling. The lust is evident all over him. His breathing is loud and heavy. I stare into his captivating eyes, which are luring me into the craziness behind them.

“Go,” his husky voice tells me.