Page 23 of Envy

I grab my bag and sheet, dragging them along with me until he stops in front of the door. There are so many down the long hallway; I don’t remember which one I was in the last time I was here. All I could think about was leaving when the Uber arrived.

When he opens it, familiarity blankets me. The king-sized bed that felt like a cloud sits in the center of the room, like a bottomless pool of comfort.

I walk in and freeze. Something black moves toward me, and I step back in fear when the dog with the spiked collar growls.

I step back further.

Then a few steps more until my back hits something warm, hard, and solid.

“Shhh…” His breath fans my hair, causing goosebumps to spread along the side of my neck. “Don’t show him fear. Fear is what feeds the attack. Fear is what breaks you inside.”

“That’s because he isn’t about to shred you into pieces.”

“It’s his protective instinct.”

“That’s why you need to take me home,” I argue.

The massive Doberman seizes the moment to run up to me and sniff the sheets, then my legs. I turn my head to the side, a scream threatening to rise from my throat. The dog looks up, the dark orbs of his eyes resting on me as he sits on his back legs, analyzing whether I’m a threat.

Garret snaps his fingers. “Ace, stay,” he commands. The dog walks back to the foot of the bed and lies on the floor. “He knows your scent,” Garret rasps, inhaling the aroma of my skin. Heat spreads over my body to the juncture between my thighs. I can feel the stubble from his cheek against my temple, his breath fanning my ear. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Watch.”

The dog observes

us, his eyes following Garret’s hand as it slides around my throat. “Ace is a good judge of character. He keeps coming back to this room looking for you.”

I don’t know how to interpret that statement or how I should feel about it.

The dog growls when Garret’s hand tightens around my neck, stealing my breath. I should shove him away, but I'm terrified of what the dog might do. Will he attack? Will he shred me to pieces before Garret can stop him?

“He’s not growling at you, Rose. He's growling at me for touching you.” The dog’s ears point to the ceiling, and his snout is wet. Garret is right; he doesn’t look happy.

“How is that possible?”

“Ace is moody and overprotective when he sees something he likes—something worth protecting.” The dog whines and lowers his head, unsure of what to do. “See, even my dog wants you, Rose.” His lips skim my neck, causing my nipples to harden. My knees threaten to buckle. “You’re safe here.”

He releases me, and it feels like stepping into the dark, cold night when he moves away.

“If you want to take a shower, it’s through the door to your left,” he says, pausing at the threshold. “There’s a robe and a towel in the warmer. I’m sure you know how the shower works.”

I turn around, but he’s already gone.

“Read this part here,” Azriel says, pointing to the paragraph.

I’m struggling in my Literature class. I thought math would be a problem, but once the professor told us we had to write an analysis on a selection of written works, I didn’t know what to do. I had no choice; I had to sign up with Azriel for more tutoring.

I begin, but I struggle by the fourth word. I stop and glance at Azriel. My heart sinks when I see the grimace on his face.

“It’s bad,” I say with a frustrated sigh.

“Has it always been like this?” Azriel asks softly, a pitying look in his gaze.

“I struggle a bit,” I confess, placing a strand of hair behind my ear.

He stares at my assignment, and I know he must be thinking there is no way I’ll pass. There are times I want to give up and let them fail me, but my pride gets in the way. I know that if I had the right schooling, the right opportunity, I would succeed. I get the assignment, but I have to read to understand it. It’s like trying to fix a car with no tools.

He scratches his brow. “Do you have friends in your class that you can study with? Someone in the dorm who can help? Read it to you?”

I hadn’t thought about making friends in my classes for the purpose of studying. I can’t think of anything, knowing I’m on my own in a place like this, considering what I do. Who do I trust?

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