Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(4)

Sisily’s growls grew lower and more menacing, but I was beyond giving a shit.

“Stop it!” Simone tried again, and I really wished she wouldn’t. As I’d told her many times, there was no need for both of us to be a target. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her.

Thankfully, her parents’ position in the pack saved her from the worst of the bully behavior, but some still found small ways to punish her for having me as a friend.

Fucking loyal friend that she was; I barely deserved her.

“Shut it, Simone,” Sisily said without looking away from me. “Or you’ll join your half-breed mutt of a friend.”

“Half-breed and mutt,” I said with a forced laugh. “And last week, I was also a whore. I mean, my mom is super proud of me. Just so you know.”

Her hands formed into fists as she went in to break my nose again—signature move of hers—but she was stopped by Jaxson Heathcliffe.

My favorite tormentor.

My oldest friend outside of Simone.

Even if we were definitely more enemies these days.

“I thought I told you to give up coming to classes,” he drawled, leaning in close, his finger swiping across my cheek. It was a gentle motion, but the darkness brewing in his coffee-colored eyes spoke of something different.

A chirpy smile crossed my face. “Right? I mean, I tried that, but my teachers were all ‘you’re going to fail’ and ‘I’ve been looking for a red fur throw for my bed,’ so I decided maybe not showing up was a bad idea.”

Why. Was. I such. A smartass?

Honestly, this facet of my personality was going to get me straight up murdered. And I did not need any help in that department.

Jaxson crowded me into the lockers, and the burning in my back increased, but I didn’t make a sound. Leaning down, he ran his nose across my neck, scenting me. He’d never fucking done that before, and I wondered if this was the moment my father’s sins finally caught up to me and my throat got ripped out.

When he pulled away, his eyes flashed, and I swallowed down my next stupid comment, choosing instead to focus on his face. My expression was defiant because I would never back down to him.

Never.

Jaxson was gorgeous, with brown skin, midnight black hair, and a long, lean body that hid none of his strength. It made sense that he was best friends with the future alpha. They had a similar look—the epitome of shifter males in both alpha-ness and good looks.

Personality wise, though, they were ugly, small-dick fucktards.

“My dad wanted to kill you and your mother,” Jaxson murmured, breath brushing over my cheek.

This was the first time I’d heard that, so I paid attention. My dad and his dad had been best friends, second-and third-in-line to the alpha, both powerful and confident men. Jaxson’s dad was the one who’d straight-up gutted mine, mere seconds after he’d attempted to take out Alpha Victor.

No questions. No trial.

“Why didn’t you leave college?” Jaxson pushed again. “The real reason?”

I shoved against him with all my strength, not moving him an inch. “What the fuck happened to you? We used to be friends!”

When your parents are best friends, it stands to reason you’ll grow up around each other. He’d been a big brother to me, but the moment my father had betrayed the pack, I’d lost everything.

The darkening of his eyes from coffee to tar was the only indication I had that this was going to be bad. His hand shifted to claws, swiping across my chest in one move. It cut through my shirt and bra, leaving large, red welts across my breasts, just short of breaking the skin. He’d done that deliberately; I’d never seen anyone with the control of Jaxson, and if he’d wanted to break the skin, he would have.

“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked quietly, forcing my face to remain calm even as pain pulsed against my chest, joining the pain in my back. “I’m not my father. Why are his sins mine to pay for?”

He swung his arm again, this time punching past my head, slamming it into a locker and smashing the metal in. “It’s your fucking face. I don’t want to see it.”

With one last scowl, he spun and left. Sisily, smiling like the smug bitch she was, hurried after him. Torin took an extra second, his eyes landing on my exposed breasts and the red lines from the claws.

“Best get yourself cleaned up,” he said shortly.

When they were gone, I sank back against the damaged locker, wincing as I did. My breathing was rapid as I fought for control, and if I had a beast inside me right now, I’d definitely be standing on four legs. Our wolves were a good escape from the pain and fear.

“Come on,” Simone said softly, tugging at my arm. “I have your extra clothes in my locker.”

She kept them because at least once a month, my locker was destroyed by some sort of disgusting prank. Trash, paint bomb, blood, guts, dead animals.

They weren’t creative, but they were consistent.

My head was ringing as I followed her, one hand clutching the front of my shirt to keep it together.

As I walked, a familiar feeling filled my body. I thought of it as my brain distancing itself from the carnage of my life. Sometimes, when it got really bad, my vision doubled over as a darkness descended across it. A darkness that called me.

Fractured sanity was my thing these days.