Wolfless And Craved By Four

~Nicole~

My legs were jelly.

Real jelly.... Like wobbly, supermarket-brand, almost-expired strawberry jelly.

I stormed out of the classroom, lips still tingling, face burning, chest pounding like I ran a freaking marathon in heels.

He kissed me.

No...he attacked my mouth like it owed him rent.

That was my first kiss.

Stolen.

And for what?

I stared at the crumpled envelope in my hand. Still shaking.

Was this what it was all about?

Some stupid letter with cheap perfume and innocent words?

"You smell so good today, Nicole.

Can't wait to see you again."

That's what triggered him?

What is he, a caveman?

"I'll show you who I smell like," I muttered under my breath.

But my voice broke at the end.

God.

Why do I feel like crying?

Why do I feel like I liked it?

Ugh.

I walked faster, feet dragging me toward the hallway like I could outrun the way my pulse kept replaying his hands on me.

But fate's a bitch.

Because guess who decided to sashay out of the same hallway?

Chloe.

Tiny waist, Tight crop top, Thigh-high socks like she was about to shoot a music video.

Skin too smooth, her curls bouncing like they had their own fan club.

I barely noticed her walking until..bam.

A shove.

"Watch it, lame-o," she hissed, lips glossed to hell, voice sweet enough to rot my teeth.

"I-I'm sorry..." I muttered, looking up.

And wow.

Big mistake.

Because this girl.... Full lips, sharp cheekbones, boobs perfectly curved in the right places.

And eyes that sparkled like she knew exactly how to make you beg for more.

I swallowed.

"You lost, or just dumb?" she snapped.

Don't look at her boobs....Don't look at her boobs.

Don't let her know she's hot.

But damn, she was hot.

Her besties stepped up...pink bow, fake giggle, too much highlighter. "Don't let her ruin your mood, Chloe."

"Yea, let's bounce," the other one said. Nerd glasses, innocent act, probably the worst of the three.

"Latte's gonna get cold."

Right.

Because heaven forbid Queen Bee Chloe drinks a lukewarm caramel swirl.

I wasn't sticking around for Act II of Mean Girls Reloaded.

I shoved the envelope deep into my bag, adjusted my cardigan, and walked away.

Behind me, I heard it.

"Why's she coming out of that class?" one of them whispered.

Another giggle.

"Wait... was she with Landon?"

I walked faster.

Freaking hell.

My heart was racing, but not for the right reasons.

Not because of the kiss.

Okay. Maybe a little because of the kiss.

But mostly...because I didn't know what the hell I was anymore.

Angry?

Turned on?

Confused?

All of it?

I just knew one thing..

Landon Hockman was messing with my head.

And now Chloe just did too.

********

It's like the sky just said, "Let's fuck up her life completely."

One second I was standing by the main gate, clutching my bag like it could protect me from the emotional mess in my chest, and the next...boom. Rain. Pouring like the universe opened a tab and decided I owed.

Of course. It had to fucking rain.

I looked around, hoping, stupidly, that maybe H.P would pull up with that dented car and her usual scowl and tell me to get in before I caught a cold.

But nope.

Nothing.

Just students pushing past, umbrellas opening, shrieks of "my hair!" and couples running hand in hand.

I stood there.

Getting soaked and my clothes sticking to my skin.

I was cold and pissed.

And then I snapped.

"Fuck it," I muttered.

I ran into the rain at full speed.

My hair slapping my cheeks, my lungs burning, mascara probably sliding down my face in streaks.

Then... suddenly, I wasn't getting drenched anymore.

A shadow loomed above.

An umbrella.

Held over my head.

And I felt it.

That stupid pain again.

Right in the middle of my chest.

I turned, expecting maybe a teacher, maybe even H.P finally showing up.

But it wasn't either.

He had golden brown curls, slightly messy like he'd just run his hand through them.

His jaw was clean, soft, but his lips...God...his lips were well curved, parted slightly, like he was about to say something smart and slow that would ruin your entire week.

His glasses fogged slightly from the heat of his breath, and his blue vest looked too good on him for someone who clearly wasn't trying.

He wasn't just hot.

He was dangerous in a quiet way, the kind of guy who wouldn't need to touch you to make you feel it.

"You run fast," he said. Like the rain didn't matter.

"Been trying to catch up."

I blinked.

His eyes dragged down my body, not in a gross way, but in a noticing-everything way.

"Guess you're not too drenched," he added, lips tugging into a slow smirk.

And there it was again.

That ache in my chest.

That familiar one.

From that day.

Why did my heart twist like it had history with this stranger?

Something about him felt like déjà vu.

I swallowed again, throat tight.

I wanted to say something...who the fuck are you maybe...or thanks, I guess.

But instead, what came out was a whisper.

"Why..."

Why did it hurt?

Why did I feel exposed?

He didn't answer.

He just kept holding the umbrella steady over us, eyes still on me.

And I hated that.

"Oh...sorry, I almost forgot, you left this behind." He pulled out my lucky bracelet from his pocket.

My stomach flipped.

"Uhm... thanks," I muttered, trying to clear my head. "And... the umbrella."

He nodded once.

"You... are?" I asked, because my brain was short-circuiting.

"Fredrick," he said, too quickly.

And then it hit me.

"I remember you now," I blurted. "You're the intelligent, nerdy-sexy goalkeeper guy."

He stopped walking for a second.

"Nerdy-sexy?" he echoed with a grin. "Is that a thing?"

"It is now."

He just smirked, like he already knew.

And that made it worse. Or better.

We kept walking and I tried not to trip over my own thoughts.

"You don't have to walk me," I said, trying to ignore the dull throb in my ankle.

He tilted his head slightly, hands tucked into his jacket pocket. "I want to."

There was no hesitation..

"Okay..."

We walked in silence for a beat.

The wind tugged at the hem of my cardigan and my thoughts were anything but quiet.

Then I felt it... his hand brushing mine.

Barely.

"I didn't think Chloe could get this worked up over someone," he said casually.

I blinked. "Sorry?"

"You....New girl. One week in and you've already made an impression." His lips curved slightly. "Kind of impressive."

I chuckled under my breath. "I didn't exactly try."

"Exactly."

He looked ahead, eyes scanning the sidewalk like he wasn't even thinking about what he'd just said.

"Most people try too hard here," he added, voice low. "You don't."

I glanced sideways at him...that nerdy, calm thing should've been boring, but somehow, it wasn't.

But then... a chill ran down my spine. I glanced up, and there, on the second floor window of the school building, was a shadow.

Tall.... Broad.

My heart sank.

Landon.

His gaze was fire..

And suddenly, I wasn't cold anymore.