little better.'
I couldn't even talk anymore because his noodle lips were on me again. This time, if possible, even harder than before. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and I felt like gagging. In fact, I think I did. I pushed at his chest, but the guy was strong.
His hands were everywhere then, and he pushed me down on the seats so he was on top of me, his body weight easily holding me down. I started to panic. I knew what he wanted to do. Something I hadn't done before and was frankly in no hurry to start. Not with him. And not like this.
'No! Chris, get off of me!'
He frowned, seeming not to understand why I was getting mad. 'I know you want me,' he growled. 'Melinda told me you have a crush on me. That's why I asked you out. Don't try to play hard to get now. You like me and I like you. What's the problem?'
He mashed his mouth against mine again.
Panic gave way to fear.
'Stop it!' I beat at his chest. He grabbed my wrists and held them down on either side of my head.
Had no one ever said no to Chris before? Was he so used to getting what he wanted, because he was popular and handsome and rich, that now he didn't get it when I said no?
I'd thought he was so nice.
But there was nothing nice about him at the moment. It was a surprise, a shock, and a total disappointment.
Those are all the things I would have been feeling if I hadn't been so scared.
'I thought you wanted to be popular.' There was a gleam in his eyes then. A sick satisfaction at having me sprawled out under him, helpless, in the back of a limo, no less. 'I want you to be my girlfriend. It's a total honor, in case you didn't know. Now don't screw it up. This is going to happen. You can have a good time or a bad time, but it's going to happen.'
He kissed me again, hard.
My fear suddenly shifted to anger-a hot line of fury that welled up inside of me just waiting to erupt. My head screamed out in pain.
I bit his bottom lip. He snarled and backed up, raising his hand as if to slap me.
But he stopped.
His expression changed from lust and amusement to something else. Fear.
I could tell because of the bright red light shining on his face.
The red light from my glowing demon eyes.
As odd as it sounds, I could smell Chris's fear as it radiated off him in waves. It smelled sweet, like melting ice cream.
'A good time or a bad time, huh?' I sat up and out of the corners of my eyes I could see the big, black wings stretch out behind me. I liked how my voice sounded. Deeper, drier, and extremely scary. 'I think I choose a bad time-for you.'
The blast of light from my energy ball exploded a limo door right off its hinges and Chris was launched out after it, landing hard on his back on the pavement of the parking lot.
I got out of the limo easily as strength and power filled every inch of my body. It was dark, but I could see perfectly. The outlines of objects were sharp and defined. I looked down at the black talons protruding from the tips of my fingers. I ran my tongue along my fangs. I didn't need a mirror to tell me that I looked positively demonic. A Darkling. A furious, black-winged, spiral-horned, red-haired monster in a borrowed backless Versace dress and silver strappy heels.
The cold didn't bother me at all anymore.
The glow from my eyes tracked over to where Chris lay on the ground. He shook his head as he looked at me with wide eyes, then crawled backward, crablike, to get away.
'N-no, p-please,' he stuttered. 'P-please don't hurt me.'
'Exactly what part of 'no' didn't you understand?' I asked, seething with anger.
He whimpered.
I was disappointed in him. So horribly disappointed. He was supposed to be perfect-good-looking, popular, a nice guy all around. He wasn't the right person for me, I already knew that. But this? I hadn't expected this from the guy I'd been crushing on for two months.
'Wh-what are you?' he stammered.
I cocked my head to the side. 'What do you mean?'
'You're a monster.'
I cringed. The last thing I needed was him to tell anybody about this. 'You're drunk, Chris. Maybe somebody slipped you something stronger than alcohol.
You're obviously imagining things.'
'I… I am?'
'That's right.' I glared down at him. 'And when you wake up tomorrow you'll realize this was all just a drunken hallucination.' I hesitated. 'But remember this. . never come near me again. I don't think that'll be much of a problem for you, will it? But listen to me very closely. I know you're used to getting what you want, but if I ever hear that you've tried to hurt anyone else?' I bared my fangs and watched the fear flood his expression. 'You will be very, very sorry.
Do you understand me?'
He whimpered again pathetically.
'Do you understand?' I asked again, raising my scary voice up a notch.
'Y-y-yes. I understand. I do. I… I promise.'
I hissed out a breath. 'Then I think this date is officially over.'
He nodded in complete and total agreement.
'You need to go home now.' It wasn't a magical demonic suggestion that he couldn't resist. It was simply a suggestion.
One he took.
He was gone.
Whether Chris had been drunk or not, I had a sick feeling that what he had just seen wouldn't be forgotten quite as easily as I hoped it would be.
Once he had disappeared into the distance, running along the street in the direction of his home, I took in a very shaky breath and realized I was trembling violently.
I might have sounded all cool with him, but inside a storm was raging. I was furious and beyond upset. The anger at what he'd attempted to do to me swirled around my stomach making me nauseous. I felt the overwhelming need to cry or destroy something.
Possibly both.
Relax, Nikki, I told myself. You have to relax.
If I didn't calm myself down, I knew something horrible was going to happen.
Energy sparked off the ends of my black talons. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I could feel it and hear it in my ears, a loud, thunderous sound. I couldn't seem to relax. The rage I was feeling was spiraling inside of me. I felt out of control.
Then a hand curled over my bare shoulder. I flexed my leathery wings and whipped my head to the side, ready to hurt whoever stood there.
It was Michael.
His eyes widened as he took a moment to look at me. Then he blinked.
'Come on,' he said. 'It's not safe here.'
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along with him around the corner to a vacant side of the school. I didn't resist but my shaking was getting even worse.
