Page 48 of Wolf Mate

“Let’s get you something to eat,” he rasped, sounding more gravelly than normal. He bent as if he was going to carry me.

Oh, hell no. The last thing I needed was for him to touch me, especially since the yanking in my chest hurt worse than my head.

I stumbled back into Lucy.

“Whoa.” Lucy placed her hands on my shoulders, steadying me. “Are you okay?”

My blood barely jolted, but I felt it simmer slightly from the stress swirling through me. Worse, with the jolt, my body feltmore sluggish. “I don’t want your help. You should go.” I hadn’t messaged him, so how’d he know …

Lucy.

I glanced over my shoulder and frowned. “Did youtellhim?”

She winced. “He told me last night that if anything happened to let him know. I just—”

“You don’t have to explain anything, Lucy.” Raffe’s voice deepened to almost a growl. “You didnothingwrong.”

“You’re right.” I faced forward, anger giving me a boost. “Shedidn’t. She doesn’t know that, after last night, I want nothing to do with you!” I waited for him to wrinkle his nose and call me a stinker again.

Instead, his eyes flashed with hurt.

And I realized I’d meant it. Not because I didn’t want to be with him—unfortunately, I did—but because I refused to play his game. To have special time alone together, only for him to act cold and indifferent around others, then to have to see him with Josie, my heart couldn’t handle it. And if I allowed it to continue? I would have no one to blame but myself.

I wouldnotbe that girl.

“Raffe, you should go,” Lucy said softly behind me. “If she doesn’t want your help—”

“She can’t make it to the student center likethis.” He waved a hand at me, his face twisted in either disgust or agony. Either way, it didn’t change a damn thing.

“Watch me.” I lifted my chin, something stirring inside me. I’d never cowered before the bullies, and I refused to do it now. Even if I had to crawl to the student center, I would get there as long as it meant he didn’t touch me and win whatever battle we were having.

Straightening up as much as I could, I walked past him. My pace wasn’t fast, but I stayed on my own two legs, which was all that mattered.

Raffe growled like a true wolf-sounding noise.

Pure animal.

And my blood warmed, but it wasn’t due to my power.

Yeah, no. I wasn’t going to analyze that.

The two of them didn’t say anything, but I heard soft footsteps hurrying to catch up to me. After a second, Lucy appeared at my side, her lips pressed into a thin line. She kept stealing glances at me. Even in my state, I could see the questions running through her head, but she kept her mouth shut, and I understood why.

From the way my neck was tingling, I knew Raffe was following us. Again, I hated how attuned to him I was.

Students milling around between classes and ambling toward the student center glanced at me. Luckily, most didn’t stare, but my state drew more attention than usual, or maybe it was the girl at my side.

“Skylar!” Slade called out from behind me. “Hey.” The sound of quickly approaching footsteps released some of the tension within me, which normally would be a good thing, but not today. My body wanted to sag with it, and that made it harder to stay upright.

“Hey.” Lucy wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to her side. “I got you.”

I hated that I needed her, but I would’ve been crawling if she hadn’t been here.

“You should leave,” Raffe rasped, his voice almost the growl it had been before. “You’re the reason she’s in this condition.”

“What?” Slade replied coldly. “I didn’t make her sick. I’mhealthy.Youknow that.”

Those two were going to get into another pissing match, and I didn’t have the energy or the patience to deal with it. My head was still killing me, and I felt like I was overheating, whichfurther upset my stomach. I needed to eat something pronto, and the student center wasright there. “Let’s leave them.”

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