Page 527 of Hate Mates

“Hey,” I greet him as I stop behind the chair opposite him and grip it nervously.

Harlan glances up at me and smiles as he flips the notebook shut. He doesn’t say anything, though. He just sits there, smiling at me, watching me, making me feel a thousand times more nervous than I already do.

“You wanted something?” he asks, that familiar glint that makes me angry starting to sparkle in his eyes.

I become frustrated almost immediately. My fingers go from gently gripping the top of the chair to trying to dig my nails through the wood. Harlan leans back in his seat, crossing his arms loosely over his chest, and laughs.

“You’re welcome, little wolf,” he says with a shake of his head.

Can he read my mind?It’s a thought that scares me because if he can, then he’ll know the things I’ve been hiding from everyone. Things that I don’t think anyone would be able to understand.

“I hate you!” I scream at the top of my lungs, shoving the chair violently against the table.

He looks a little shocked, and his mouth drops slightly open. He starts to get up to say something to me, but instead of waiting to hear yet another lie, I decide it’s best to leave.

Turning on my heel, I tilt my chin up and do my best to walk out of the room with as much dignity as I can conjure up. I don’t want anyone to see that he’s got me so angry that I’m crying—again.I don’t want him to know that he just hurt me by looking like he was ready to be mean to me.

I’m better off alone, anyway,I tell myself as I angrily swat tears away from my cheeks.

Once I’m in the hallway, I break into a run all the way back to my room.

I hate it here.

Chapter Ten

HARLAN

Eighteen Years Old

Iroll one shoulder then the other as I keep shoving shit into my backpack.

I’m finally feeling a little bit better today, so it’s time to split. Mr. Thomas is a cool dude, though. After Mrs. Jessop disappeared, he told me that I didn’t have to leave when I hit the ripe ol’ age of eighteen if I didn’t want to.

The thing is, I’ve been here for so fucking long that if no one wanted me all of these years, no one ever will.I’ll go out into the wild world and make something of myself. I’ll show them all,I think as I reach for another shirt and push it into the sack.

Besides, strange shit has been happening lately, and I’m getting sick of waking up with bars being driven through my dick. Three months ago, after Jessop took off, I woke up with another one crudely shoved through my shaft. I can tell that whoever did it was trying to keep them straight, and it seems that they’ve done a pretty decent job so far, but three is my limit.

One after Enya. One after Kellan. One after Jessop. It’s like a fucked up checklist I have nothing to do with.

I hear a tap on the hallway wall, and I glance up briefly, then scoff and shake my head as I go back to packing. Karter Lovato, the little wolf that I thought might have shown me some kindness, is standing there looking sheepish as ever.Sheep is right—she’s just like the rest of them.

I let out a breath as I get up and pull the zipper along the teeth, closing up the backpack, and then turn my back to her as I lean down and reach under the bead.

“Yeah?”

My tone is curt and to the point.

Exactly the way she’s been treating me ever since she got her rag for the first time and somehow decided that it made me the fucking enemy.

“Do you need help?” she asks.

I do my best not to laugh.

The only person that seems to want me out of here faster than myself is Karter.

“Not at all, little wolf. I’ll be out of your life as soon as I can get all of this shit packed up,” I state, giving her an amused glance over my shoulder. “You know my room is the biggest in this place, right? Ask Mr. Thomas if you can have it. I don’t mind.”

“That’s not why I was asking,” she snaps.

---