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Giselle couldn’t wait to get to Chemistry the next morning. It was the first class she had with Asher, and with fifty minutes next to him with no chance of escape, she was determined to get some information.
Practically flying through the crowds of other kids milling about in the halls, Giselle made quick work of stashing her things in her locker and finding her class.
“They’re trying to adopt me.” She tried to sound casual as she slid into her seat next to Ash.
Asher snorted, but didn’t respond with words. He stared down at the paper in front of him, scribbling away as if copying down notes, but class had not even begun.
Giselle looked over, curious as to what had his attention. On his paper was a beautiful tribal wolf baying at the moon. Damn, he’s a good artist. Must be a tattoo design. She’d love to have something like that on her lower back, maybe just above her left hip. As Asher continued to deepen the lines on the wolf’s tail, Giselle almost forgot what she had wanted to say, but the moment passed quickly.
“Hey, so, did you hear me? I’m getting adopted.” She kept her voice low enough that only he should have heard it, and yet he refused to acknowledge her verbally. He snorted again, sort of. At least she thought it was directed at her, but for all Giselle knew he could have just been sniffling from the cold.
“Um... Hello. You heard me, right?”
“Congratulations.” His tone said otherwise. Asher continued to stare down at his drawing.
The whole cold shoulder routine was beginning to get on her nerves. If he’d been just another high school prick, she’d have not thought a thing about it; but he was like her, a wolf. That rare condition demanded at least a little attention. “C’mon, after your warning, that’s all you’re going to say to me?”
“Yep.”
“Really?”
He sighed and set down his pen, finally giving her an annoyed but passing glance on his way to grab his chemistry book from his bag on the floor. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Look. We’re the same. The only difference is, I’m still a lone wolf, and your whole standoffish act is really not helping matters. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Emancipate yourself.” He opened the book and flipped through the pages, looking far more interested in the table of elements than he was in the conversation Giselle was trying to have with him.
“I’m in the system... not an option,” Giselle whispered.
“Then run away.”
“Seriously. That’s all you’re going to say? I have no recourse here.”
“Then I am sorry... for you.”
She turned sharply. “What the hell is your deal?”
“Ms. Richards...” Mr. Harper’s icy eyes bore down on her with the weight of a Mack truck. He might not have been a wolf, but Giselle still felt an Alpha’s presence from him at that moment. Either that, or it was the combination of the weight of all eyes in the room settling on her... again. “Would you like the class to wait while you and Mr. Thrace finish your lovers’ quarrel?”
Laughter would have been better than the silent stares Giselle received from the entire class. More frightening was the look on Asher’s face. She’d been trying to get him to look at her properly and talk since they’d met, and now all she wanted was his hateful glare pointed anywhere but her face.
“Sorry.” She shrank down in her seat.
“If we might begin today’s lesson...” Mr. Harper turned back to the white board and wrote an ingredient list. “You’ll need to sign out for each of these items before you bring them back to your tables. Notepads are in front of each item with instructions as well.”
Giselle turned to Asher. “Seriously. Throw me a bone here.”
“Was that supposed to be wolf humor? We’re not dogs.”
“It got more of a response from you than anything else I’ve said. Look. If something bad is going on, I need to know before it is too late. I can’t do much in my position.”
He sighed. “Fine. Open campus for lunch. Meet me at my truck and we’ll take a ride. No promises, but I’ll tell you what I know.”
It wasn’t a date or anything like that, but the way he said it made her stomach flutter. She bit down on a smile threatening to break through her tough girl act as she said, “Good,” and then scooted out of her seat to head to the front of the class for their experiment supplies.