Maisie

Jenny shook her head. "It wasn’t the Braxton heirloom and only those within the Braxton family knew that. Beta Braxton was tired of your ’meddling’ and for some reason, everytime he asked Alpha Dante to have you thrown out, Alpha Dante refused. So, he placed him on the spot.

"The Braxtons were all in on it, and that is why they had to remove Regina, the only person who could have identified that Lana was spewing bullshit. The necklace was only an excuse to have the authorization to search your bedroom and discover what the real plot was!"

Her nostrils flared. "Forgive me, but your sister is a real fucking, crazy bitch. Regina told me this morning that while gloating over her engagement, Lana admitted to her that she knew everything and had told one of the artists to the box. All she had to do was leave it behind, and because we were so engrossed in getting you ready, we didn’t notice."

Her voice fell silent. "I am really sorry, May. You almost lost everything because of me and Regina and our crazy plans, and I understand if you never want to speak to us again..."

I wanted to tell her that they were my best friends and I wasn’t mad at them, now that I knew the truth, but I was still reeling from everything she said.

Just when I thought Lana couldn’t shock me anymore, she went and outdid herself. Just how long had she been waiting for the opportunity to use this? Gathering every item in that box? And the wolfsbane?

I thought of Lana and I felt no attachment. I felt nothing.

She had finally broken our relationship and there was no returning from this. Ever.

Jenny looked nervous as she waited on my response, but I don’t get the chance to because the bathroom door came knocking down the very next second, nearly taking Jenny down with it.

She shrieked, frightened, but stopped screaming when she saw it was only Soren and the rest being led in by Regina who looked like she’d run a marathon. Then she sighed wistfully and went all crossed-eye like a love struck puppy.

Soren took one step in my direction. And froze. Canted his head to the side. "Well, this was certainly unexpected."

"What’s happening to her?!" Regina demanded. "Well? Is she going to be fine?!"

She was screaming at the Lycans. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Mercer tossed her an irritated look, grabbed her by her shoulder, lifted her off the ground and set her on her lightly feet outside.

"Hey! Don’t touch her like that—" Jenny was deposited outside too, and the bathroom door was slammed shut.

And I was alone with them. For an entire minute, four pair of eyes studied me curiously. I wondered if they knew how odd it was, crowding the female bathroom like this.

I fidgeted with the hem of my blouse. "Please say something," I pleaded finally, unable to take the silence anymore.

Soren began pacing left and right in front of me. When he spoke, it wasn’t too me. "It’s happening too fast. Why is that?"

"It doesn’t matter why anymore. We won’t be able to hide it much longer," Quinn nodded. "They can smell the change on her. It’s only a matter of time before it gets back to the Queen."

"We have to properly mark—"

Soren, Quinn and Mercer whirled and snarled in Jericho’s face vehemently. "No!"

Jericho pinned them with a cool stare. "You want to save her from their wrath? That’s the only way."

Soren stepped into Jericho’s space, his teeth bared into a snarl. "What you’re suggesting is the surest way to get her killed. Care to remind the class what happened the last time Tessa found another mouth on your cock? Want to guess what she’ll do if we take your suggestion? What she will be permitted to do?"

"We stick to the original plan and do nothing," Mercer said. "But we do have to take care of the current problem. She smells like a ripe fuck."

"Umm..." I finally said, cutting through the argument. "I’m standing right here—"

Soren whirled on Mercer. It was like I wasn’t even standing there anymore. "And let me guess, you would like to do us the honors?" he spat bitterly.

Mercer looked at me. Slowly, his eyes ran down a hot trail from my mouth, down my neck, and further down. He stared at my breasts. My waist. My stomach.

The stare was charged and my skin went aflame as his tongue darted out, licking his bottom lip. "I wouldn’t mind."

And then, Soren punched Mercer. "Fuck off. You’re not touching her."

Mercer snapped back and I watched, jaw on the floor, as he rammed his fist right back into Soren’s face. "Piss off, mother fucker."

Soren grinned, blood dripping down his nostrils. "Not sure whose mother I’ve fucked, but I honestly wouldn’t mind yours."

Mercer was going to kill Soren. And Soren looked ready to kill Mercer. And I didn’t understand what the hell they were even fighting about.

Before they collided and tore apart the entire school, Quinn stood between them and in a move too swift to follow, he divided them. Mercer went crashing into the bathroom tiles, shattering the walls and the wall beyond that. Soren went in the opposite direction, taking the walls down with him.

Jericho jerked forward, reaching for me. His hand cupped the back of my neck and the other tilted my chin until I was looking in his eyes. "I’ll do it," he grunted.

My fingers clasped around Jericho’s wrist as the others went still behind him. "What are you doing?" I asked, my voice coming out in a breathy squeak.

Jericho brushed my hair over my shoulder. "The wolves aren’t the only ones being affected by you. If this keeps up, we’ll shred each other apart trying to decide who gets to taste you."

My eyes widened with fear. "T—taste me?"

"During the transition, your body broadcasts a call to summon a strong mate to claim and protect you. Right now, you’re screaming to the entire school that you are ready and want to be fucked."

"But I don’t—oh god—and tasting me is the solution to this?!" My voice pitched higher in wild panic.

Jericho’s eyes were going black. "The thing inside you is stirring, but your body is not fully prepared for a shift yet. I will need to... silence it. Temporarily. By biting you into submission."

My chest constricted. "But... I don’t want you to bite me!"

"It’s either I do it, or someone outside is going to lose control and knot you right in the hallway."

I started. "Knot me? What does that mean?"

Soren released a sardonic snort under his breath. "Severely underprepared for this."

It was Quinn who spoke next, but he didn’t exactly answer the question. "Had you been able to summon it to the surface, it wouldn’t need to be this... intimate." His ice blue eyes were soft on mine. "Jericho needs to force the thing inside you to the surface, so he can force it into submission. You do not need to worry. He has more control than any man in this building and he won’t take any liberties with you. Not unless you want him to."

My heart thundered against my ribcage. Jericho was running soothing lines up and down my neck, over my pulse. "If I do this, will I get to attend school like a normal person again?"

Mercer shrugged, wiping blood off his split lip. "Depends on your description of normal."

I stared into Jericho’s dark eyes. "Will it hurt?"

"Yes," he said, unflinchingly. "But not for long."

I swallowed thickly. "This is not a mark, is it?"

"No," he answered, iridescent eyes tracking mine. "This is not a mark."

I relaxed by a margin, but my pulse pounded erratically. "Um... okay... how does this work—"

The words barely left my lips before Jericho’s teeth sank into my neck.