Page 106 of Magical Academy for Delinquents
My attitude changed seconds later as that shifter put his nose to my ass for what seemed an unreasonable amount of time.Pervert.
Once we'd passed through security, I turned to Claude and started up again. "Maybe you can get a spell for a new personality. I've never tried that. But it can't be that dangerous, right? I think that one movie star bought one. What's her name?" I pretended to think as we got onto an elevator crowded with people.
I thought I’d lost my momentum with the fox shifter, thought that Claude had had too much time to cool down. But maybe the personality thing got to him. Or maybe all of it. I didn’t really care.
Because the asshole had come out to play.
Claude grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the sidewall near the back. I made myself trip and look alarmed as I huddled against the wall. Two women in pencil skirts glanced my way and I gave them a small smile, then looked at the floor and cringed when Claude stepped up to me.
One of them glanced between us.
Seed planted.
Time to let it sprout.
Just a little.
I had to pull this off carefully. He’d never hurt me in public before. Never even in front of my mother. A sick, twisted part of me wondered if I could I get him to do it. Ruin his perfect little facade of ‘good guy’ in front of everyone. Or would that be too much?Balance,I told myself.Just push a little. No full-on brawls like at home.
I couldn’t help cringing at Claude’s touch as he pushed me toward the elevator wall. Bile rose in my throat. He disgusted me on a level no one else ever had. His touch was like raw fish and razors mashed together—disgusting and sharp.
I had to clench my teeth when the fucker smiled and introduced me to the person next to him as his stepdaughter. A string of curses as long and colorful as a rainbow filled my head. By the look on his face, the guy could sense my hatred. Quickly, I tried to change my look from fury to fear, glancing up at Claude and cringing.
The man on the elevator glanced between us, curious.
Claude noticed. His hand moved up my arm on the side closest to the elevator and clenched down. But he didn’t hurt me.
I was gonna have to sell it without that. I bowed my head and let tears form in my eyes, then acted like I was trying to hold them back. The man and the two women in the elevator glanced at me again.
Was it enough?
When the bell dinged and the door opened, other people got on and off in the midst of morning chatter. The man and one of the women left.
Claude leaned forward and said, “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” His hand slid to my neck.
My body instantly recoiled, knowing what was coming. He only touched my neck for one reason. I closed my eyes and tried to talk myself through the panic that was bouncing through my veins.Fuck. Buck up, girl. He’s just a murderer. Just the fucker who’s disappearing vamps.I had to take a second to realign my thoughts. Tonight, there’d be this kind of pressure. Tonight. Was I jeopardizing it, toying with Claude? Had I done enough?
My fingers started to shake. I grabbed onto my purse, clutched it to me, to hide the shaking.
Shit.
I decided to stop. To just stop. To get through this interview and get away from him. I had to suppress this volcanic hatred inside. As much as I wanted to destroy him, I needed Claude there at the ball tonight. And even though I wanted the rumor mill swirling, I didn’t want to make it a whirlpool. I didn’t want him disgraced today. Tomorrow … that was a different story. But tonight, we needed him at the Unnatural Ball because he was the only connection to Ginny Stone that I’d been able to find.
Claude’s hand grew tighter on my neck.
I’d already pushed too far.
His fingers found the scars he’d given me and started to trace them. My stomach jumped, on autopilot. I lurched forward, knocking into the person in front of me.
“Sorry,” I apologized, trying to scoot away from Claude. But in such a small space, it was impossible. Even though people got off at every floor, more got on. We were just as crowded as we’d been on the first floor.
I held onto my thoughts like I was clinging to a life raft as Claude slowly inched his hand closer again. Alarm nipped at my heels, but I tried to kick it back.
Claude’s hand pressed into a new spot of skin, an unscarred portion. The cold burn started instantly. My entire body clenched. I couldn’t think for a second. Thoughts of escape lit up my mind like a flashing neon sign.
I tried to think of my mom. Dad. Pull up Matthew’s face. I tried to float away and get my mind into a different space. But the pain chewed at me. My hands itched to blind or burn him. But blinding him wouldn’t stop him with his hand already on my neck. And burning him would be too obvious, it would light up the whole elevator.
“I’m gonna be sick!” I yelled, yanking out of Claude’s grip and stumbling to the front of the elevator.
