Chapter 4

I have no intention of staying here after I finish school. Nope, once I have my wolf, we are going rogue and finding some forest in which to be free. Free from everyone, free from the whispers, the stares, and the bullying. I can’t wait until I get my wolf. I won’t need anyone then because I will have her. The day slips by quickly, and before I know it, school has finished and the bell rings. Walking out of class, Eziah walks beside me. “I am going to head to Marley’s; you will be alright to head home by yourself?” he asks, and I look at him. “You’re not coming home first?” I ask, trying to keep the unease out of my voice. Eziah doesn’t need to know how bloody terrified I am of catching the bus home by myself. “No, tell dad. I will be home before dinner,” he says, and I nod, watching as he rushes off toward Marley’s last class. Exhaling, I hoist my backpack up my back higher and walk toward the bus shelter. As I near the bus stop, I instantly notice everyone lined up, waiting and talking amongst themselves. I stop, glance at the front gate and turn my back on the stop. I officially decide that the bus ride home isn’t worth the torment. I can walk home, and it will only take an hour. There is no way I am going to enter that transport to hell, or more like hell itself, without Eziah beside me. I watch the bus head into the school and start walking along the Highway. When it passes me, I feel something hit me in the side of the leg; followed by sharp pain. Their cheers and laughter out the windows make me clench my teeth and look down. Someone threw a pencil, and now, it is embedded in my leg. Tears burn my eyes as I stare at it. They speared me with a pencil! What the fuck! Sucking in a deep breath, I rip it out. It is a lead pencil; the moron who tossed it clearly hasn’t received his pen license if he is still using a pencil. I chuckle at my thoughts continuing the long trek home. When I’m halfway home, I hear a loud engine roar up the road, making me look up. I would recognize that sound anywhere and I shake my head with a silly grin on my face. The red Mustang pulls up next to me, and the window winds down. “Well, before you hung up on me, I was about to tell you I would not take no for an answer,” Jonah tells me. Folding my arms across my chest, I raise an eyebrow at him, unable to stop myself from admiring how sexy he looks. “I’m busy, I have…” “Get in,” he cuts me off and I look down the road, trying to figure out another way to get out of going to the stupid reopening of the casino that Jonah and Kyan run together. “You have three seconds to get in, or I will toss you in,” Jonah barks, the same as uncle Andrei does when aunt Sage refuses to listen to him. Blood related or not, those two definitely are father and son. “One!” I shake my head and tap my foot defiantly. “Two!” His blue eyes sparkle, and his lips tug up deviously. “Three!” He goes to open the door, and I shriek. “Okay, I will get in,” I tell him, racing around to the passenger side and climbing in. “I was actually looking forward to tossing you in,” Jonah laughs, and I swat his chest with my hand as I pull my bag off my shoulder and place it between my legs. “I waited at your bus stop for like ten minutes; did you go into town after school?” he adds as he starts the car. “Ah, yeah, I had to get something,” I lie, placing my phone in the front pocket of my bag. When Jonah drives past the turnoff for home, I glance at him. “Ah, Jonah?” I ask, looking at him. “You aren’t going home. I already picked up your clothes,” he tells me, turning onto the freeway, and I stare at him. “No escaping me tonight,” he winks at me. I was hoping to convince Mom to tell him no, and now that option has gone out the window. “I am not even old enough to be in the casino,” I tell him. If only Jonah would know how much I wish I wouldn’t be stuck in this situation. “You don’t have to be. You won’t be going into the alcohol areas, and Kyan and I will be with you at all times. No one will say anything. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine with us,” Jonah assures me, although his words don't assure me at all. There it is, another window for escape closed. “What, and mom was fine with you kidnapping me to take me to the casino?” I gasp. Are we talking about my mother? The woman who birthed me? “Yep, what’s wrong? I haven’t seen you in a month, and now you suddenly don’t enjoy hanging out with me? Who is he then?” Jonah grumbles the last question with clear irritation lacing his words. This just got far too weird far too soon. “Who’s who?” I ask, totally confused. “This boyfriend you have. I’m sure that can be the only thing that makes sense for you to dodge me and refuse me every time I try to hang out with you. You got a boyfriend now, Mara?” he taunts me by poking me in the ribs. “No, no. Of course, not.” As I shake my head, Jonah glances at me like he doesn’t believe me. If only Jonah knew I am a complete social pariah, maybe then he would understand how ridiculous his words are. There is no guy on campus who would even look at me, let alone want to touch me. “Maybe I could just wait at your apartment? We can watch movies or anything you prefer to do after you return?” I suggest. At this point, I am ready to suggest anything just to avoid being around Kyan. “What? No, you are coming with me. Why are you acting strange?” he asks, my stomach sinks. Now, he too, thinks I’m strange… And although I know he doesn’t mean it that way. I still don’t like hearing that word from his lips. I don’t like it when the person I trust and have always admired all of a sudden says the same thing I hear from the others all of the time. Jonah is supposed to be my person, not another bully. “I’m not, but your friend hates me,” I tell him with a deep frown. Jonah sighs loudly and glances at me. “He doesn’t hate you; that’s just the way he is,” he tries to reason with me. I furrow my brows, ready for the challenge I am about to toss at him. “Oh, really? So he is like that when Rose is with you, too?” “He sees her more. Rose is my sister, he has no other choice but to stick around his best friend’s little sister. I believe you two just need to hang out around each other more often. You will see, once you get past the stone-cold demeanor, he isn’t half as bad as you think,” he says with a laugh. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Stone cold? Kyan glares at me like he is hoping I will turn to ash in front of his eyes!” I don’t care what Jonah says, he’s somewhat biased in this situation anyway. We’re talking about his best friend. It’s just like with Eziah. My brother doesn’t see past the fake mask of his friends either. “Now, I know you’re being dramatic. You haven’t seen him in what… three years?” I nod my head. It is only natural that I haven’t faced that guy for years. I always avoided visiting Jonah if I knew Kyan was with him. “See, you probably imagined it,” Jonah tells me. It’s a little funny how much he believes in his words. Or maybe he is desperate to think his best friend isn’t the man I see him to be. But now, as the silence takes over, I understand that there is no way I could ever escape the torment. Not even during weekends, the only time I get to spend away from judgment and constant harassment. “Maybe,” I whisper and turn my gaze to the window.