Page 60 of Ruined Wolfsbane

“I’m going to fail out at the rate I’m missing class,” I groan, hanging my head in despair. I can’t afford to get kicked out. Ava’s freedom depends on me graduating.

“You’re not going to fail out,” Malachi reassures me. “Besides, you know Xander, Bastian, and I won’t let you fail our classes. I can speak with your other professor if it comes to that.”

“Why?” I question. There’s no good reason for the Wyldharts to care whether I fail their classes or not.

“I don’t think you’re ready to hear why, yet.” Malachi gazes down at me with an unguarded expression. I get the feeling that he’d tell me if I insisted.

I internally debate whether I want to push him to tell me why right now. Can I really handle any more problems on top of the dumpster fire that’s my life right now?

Not really, no.

I guess I’ll stick my head in the sand for another day. Avoidance for the win. Sighing, I lean my head on his shoulder and mumble, “Okay.”

Malachi’s chest rumbles with a low vibration that’s strangely soothing. He holds me for a couple minutes before informing me, “You can call me Kai if you want. Everyone else in my family does. I kinda like that you’re the only one to call me Malachi, though.”

Peering up at him, I see his eyes shining with vulnerability. I don’t know what brought this on, but I quite like this softer side of Malachi. “Then I’ll keep calling you Malachi,” I tell him with a gentle smile.

He rewards me with a small grin. “You hungry?”

My stomach chooses that moment to growl. “It appears so,” I inform him, stating the obvious. It’s my signature move around the Wyldharts.

“You feel up to lunch with Bastian and Xander? Rory and Ronan also want to stop by and check on you if you’re okay with that.”

I feel warmth invading my chest at Rory and Ronan caring. It’s not enough to erase the jagged pain at thoughts of my mom, but it helps. “Yeah. I’m good with eating lunch with everyone.”

Malachi gives me a small smile before standing up while holding me. I squeak in surprise at the move. He laughs at my reaction, and I give him my best death glare. That only makes him chuckle harder.

Rolling my eyes, I pretend to be annoyed, but I crack a small smile at his delight. I can’t stand Malachi or his brothers being sad, especially not because of me.

He reluctantly sets me down. Malachi snags my hand as soon as I’m steady and guides me toward his office.

CHAPTER 25

BRIAR

“Briar boo!” Rory screeches at me as I enter Malachi’s office. She launches herself at me and wraps me up in a tight hug. I wince slightly at the pressure against my bruised ribs and stitched skin.

“Let her go, Rory,” Malachi orders. His voice vibrates with the same odd resonance as when he gave Bastian an order yesterday. Rory steps back and looks at Malachi in confusion. “She’s hurt.”

“What happened?” Rory asks me as she grabs my hands in her smaller ones.

“Um.” I look to Malachi to see if he’s told Ronan and Rory yet. He gives me a small shake of his head. Biting my lip, I try to decide what to say. Explaining like you’d rip off a Band-Aid seems like the best idea. I rush out, “My stepfather beat me.”

“Excuse me, what?” Rory asks, outraged. “Your stepfather beats you?”

Dipping my chin in affirmation, I stare at the floor to avoid her gaze. I can’t tell if she’s upset at me or Patrick. Rory has every reason to be upset at me. Friends are supposed to share their lives with each other. I’ve been keeping Rory in the dark on a pretty big part of my life.

“What a cuntasaurus!” she exclaims. I snort out a laugh at her insult. “Is he dead? He better be dead, or I’m gonna kill that fuckface myself!”

“Whoa there, tiger,” I tell her through a smile. “No, he’s not dead, but you can’t kill him.”

“That’s debatable,” Xander whispers under his breath. I snap my head up to look at him, but he’s staring at me impassively. I wonder if I imagined him saying it.

“Why not?” Rory questions. She’s genuinely confused why we’re not on our way to murder Patrick.

It would make my life a lot easier if he were gone, but I can’t do that to Ava. She’s already lost one parent. I won’t be responsible for taking another one from her. “Because he’s still my little sister’s dad,” I say with a sigh.

“Well, shit. What are you going to do?”

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