I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You can drool over the interior. Come on or we’re going to be late.”
I open the doors and find Natalia’s gift inside. A saber sits nestled inside a scabbard on the driver’s seat. Josué whistles. “A blade?”
I pull the scabbard out, withdrawing the blade. It sings as it’s unsheathed and every one of my senses goes on high alert. A jolt of electricity zings down my arm and my grip tightens on the hilt as I turn the blade over in my hand.
“That’s some serious magic there,” Josué says and I nod in agreement. This definitely isn’t an ordinary blade. It feels light in my hands, no more than two or three pounds. The grip is simple and efficient, wrapped in black leather. The blade is what draws the eye though. It gleams when the sun hits, illuminating a series of runes etched into the smooth surface. I trace my finger over each one.
“I don’t know what any of these mean,” I tell him. He comes around the car and I pass the blade to him.
“These are fae symbols.” We both scowl down at the intricate designs. I know next to nothing about the fae or how their magic works.
“I like it,” I say and smile, realizing I have yet another layer of protection today.
29 Rafael
Jordy sidles up beside me. “She’s back,” he mutters under his breath. My jaw tightens and all our heads turn to see her step out of a silver car a few rows down from us.
“Is that a…” Jordy starts.
“Brand-new Audi RS 5? Yeah. It is,” Des answers and a quick look his way shows he’s not all that happy to see her, either.
Guess she’s still living the good life, or maybe now she’s just happier to embrace it. She’s dressed in that rich preppy shit she wore the first week of school.
I guess we’re back to that again too.
I shrug my shoulders and catch Jordy and Des’s gazes. “Doesn’t matter what she’s driving. She’s here. I want some fucking answers.” That chick that works for her dad blew us off when we showed up, but I’m not buying the whole Isa-doesn’t-want-to-see-me crap. Something else has to be going on. I tried waiting around for Isa to leave the house, hoping to catch her and corner her into talking to me, but she never fucking left her house. Not once. Not that I ever saw, at least. And I was there, every fucking day for eight days straight. I went full-fledge stalker and don’t even care.
I push off from the hood of my ride, intent on speaking with her, but then I catch sight of a guy getting out of the passenger seat of the same vehicle.
“What the fuck?” Jordy says beside me. He scratches the back of his head. “This is new.”
“Yeah,” I bite out. “It is.”
I watch as he moves around the car until he’s right beside her. He reaches a hand out to her. It’s tentative, like he’s unsure if she’ll accept his touch and for a second my heart races in my chest. She’s going to brush him off. I know she is. If this were a thing, if he was competition, he wouldn’t look so hesitant to touch her. I grin. The fucker has no idea what he’s trying to get in between.
Isa’s mine. She has a lot to answer for and I’m pissed as hell with her, but she’s still mine.
I take another step toward them and my boys follow suit. But then she smiles up at the guy and accepts his hand. She threads her fingers with his and the two of them turn their backs on us and head to the school’s front entrance.
I stop in my tracks, my eyes glued to their hands. Their fucking entwined fingers like this is middle school or some shit.
What. The. Fuck.
Desmond puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “You’re growling, bro.”
I leash my wolf as my gaze stays locked on their retreating backs, every instinct in me screaming to go after her. To take back what’s mine.
Jordy swears beside me. “Who the fuck is that dude?”
I grind my teeth.
“We still need answers,” Des says beside me. “You guys didn’t see her last week. Something happened.”
“I don’t fucking care.” Anger bubbles up inside me. She bails on the game, ghosts me for over a week, and then shows up with this asshole. I’m not about to let her make a fool out of me. Fuck this. Fuck her. “She’s on the outs. I don’t have time for petty bitches and their games. That’s not how we roll.” Both of them nod their agreement, but Jordy looks hesitant.
“There’s gotta be an explanation,” he hedges. I glare at him and he puts his arms up, palms out in surrender. “Whatever you say, man. We’ll ice her out.”
I nod and scrutinize the guy beside her. I don’t know him. Don’t even recognize his face. Not once have I ever seen him near her before. But she blew me off for that guy. And now, hand in hand, she’s making sure the entire school knows she’s dropped me.
She didn’t even have the decency to call. My pops showed up to the game. He never comes to shit like that. He never has the time. But he came to see me play and I had it all planned out. He was going to meet my girl. I told my fucking parents about her. My mom knew Isa was supposed to be there and she no-showed. Fucking bailed. No call. No text. Nothing.
A tick forms in my jaw and I glare at her retreating form. As if she can sense my attention her head swivels to look over her shoulder and her eyes lock on mine. Pools of chocolate brown meet my stare head-on and she flinches.
I hope she sees just how pissed off I am. How done I am with her.
The guy beside her
