Page 88 of Roaring Flames

“Am I allowed to attend if I’m human?” I tentatively ask.

“Of course. Hale and Gerry will be there,” Christian says. “As will a few others that you know.”

“Oh.” I lick my lips. They have suddenly turned unbearably dry. “And…Ashton, Reid, Ethan, and Emery?”

“They’ll be there too.” A dark grin tugs up the corners of Christian’s lips. “But wouldn’t it be sweet revenge to show up on the arm of some other man?”

I almost bite off my own tongue. “Some other man?” My heart beats too loudly. I’m positive he can hear it. “As in…you?”

His smile simply widens.

Fuck, he’s so beautiful, it almost hurts to look directly at him. I imagine it’s a similar sensation to staring up at the sun and praying you don’t go blind.

“Who else would it be?”

“Wouldn’t you get in trouble?” I squeak, even as a tiny voice in the back of my head whispers,Yes. Yes. Yes.

And then Christian Montgomery shocks the shit out of me when he winks. Actually winks.

I almost fall out of my chair in shock, even as lust blossoms in the pit of my stomach, blooming like a flower exposed to sunlight.

“What the school board doesn’t know won’t hurt them. Don’t you agree?”

Thirty-Four

IZZY

I’m surprised as shit to see Emery waiting for me outside the administrative office.

He’s propped against the wall, his muscular arms folded over his chest and an insouciant smirk gracing his handsome face.

When he catches me staring, he stalks forward in two long strides, eating up the distance between us.

I keep my face impassive, even as his smile broadens.

Are those…?

Does he have dimples?

“What?” I ask, deadpan.

“I thought I’d walk you to class.” His tongue pokes out to toy with his lip ring.

“No thanks.” I move to push past him, and surprisingly, he allows me to.

But he doesn’t let me get too far.

He doesn’t say anything as he walks beside me, but I can feel his eyes on me the entire time, burning a hole through the side of my head. A skittering sensation ripples up my spine, and ittakes every ounce of self-control I possess to keep my gaze fixed straight ahead. I grind my jaw together.

“Why are you following me?” I manage to grit out.

“I’m just walking you to class, Iz. This isn’t a marriage proposal.” His voice is gentle—devoid of any snark or sarcasm.

I whirl around to face him, and he immediately lifts his hands in the air in a placating manner.

“What do you want, Emery?” I growl as anger scorches my veins.

But mixed with that hostility is something warmer. Something softer. Something I don’t want to look at too closely. It twists my heart into a tight knot.

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