Tainted Romance

by Simone Elise

  ‘I have no-one who is going to help me. I would rather die than share this with someone.’ I felt her collapse on her bed. ‘I’m doomed.’

  I didn’t take Allie for a drama queen, so I waited as her mind fluttered back to her doctor’s visit. Something about her not being able to shift. Something about her having to spend more time as a wolf.

  I sat up straighter in my seat as I listened in on her thoughts. She couldn’t shift, she was weaker, and I automatically felt sicker knowing she wasn’t well.

  She was losing herself, and it made sense, considering I could reach into her mind without her even noticing or fighting me out.

  I could feel tears sliding down her face as a strong feeling of worthlessness consumed her.

  I needed to help her but without her knowing. She needed to spend more time as a wolf, she needed to reconnect with herself. I could help with this, couldn’t I?

  She wouldn’t take my help if I offered her.

  “Group exercise,” I said out loud.

  “Excuse me?” Dad looked at me oddly. It may have not helped that I had stayed silent this whole time, and I didn’t even know what we were currently discussing.

  Ryder gave me a look that said I had lost my mind.

  “You are always on about team-building exercises. How about a group shift?”

  Ryder rose an eyebrow. “Why would you recommend that?”

  “We are a pack, right? But when have we all ran together? You always say there is safety in numbers. I say we do a team-building exercise, a group run. We can see how many people are interested.”

  Dad and mom were staring at me blankly, and I honestly thought I had overstepped a mark when the silence ended.

  “Now that, son,” dad smiled at me, “Is how a future Alpha of this pack would think.” He looked at me like it was the first time. “Start getting the word out, son, and see how many people are interested. With that, we will call this family meeting closed.”

  Yes. This would work out perfectly as Allie would connect with her wolf, and she would be safe while doing it.

  “What’s got you all Alpha-like?” Ryder asked when mom and dad had cleared out of the room.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Just thought it would be fun, brother, nothing else to it.”

  He didn’t buy it, and I didn’t care. Right now, there was only one thing, or really one person, I cared about.

  Allie.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  My body was running on barely no energy at all. It didn't help that I had one nightmare after another last night; all revolving around losing my wolf forever.

  I was so out of it that I didn't even notice someone take the seat next to me. It wasn't until he tapped my shoulder that I was snapped out of my doomsday thoughts.

  "You in there?" Zane waved his hand in front of my face.

  Zane was sitting next to me. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

  I watched as Zane's lips twisted into a smile. "You really are out of it, aren't you?"

  "Yeah, sort of…" I frowned with an apologetic smile. "Just didn't sleep well last night."

  He nodded with understanding, and I swear I heard him say 'I know' under his breath, but with my hearing not being the best now, I decided not to bring it up.

  The class bell rang, and when Zane didn't get up to move, I couldn't help but give him a second look.

  "Are, um, you going to move now?" I asked, while raising an eyebrow at him.

  "Why, want to get rid of me or embarrassed to be seen with me?"

  I rolled my eyes. "No, more interested in why you are risking your reputation to be seen with me."

  "Came to ask you something." He pulled something out of his back pocket and handed it to me. "I was going to give it to you this morning before school, but you were gone before I got up."

  "Yeah, I left for the gym." I unfolded the piece of paper and ran my eyes over the text.

  When I awoke this morning, I didn't think Zane would be the one to get me out of this situation, but he was, by this piece of paper. "A run?" I asked him, still not believing what I was reading.

  "Think of it as a camp. A whole two weeks of ruffing it in the bush, as a…" He looked around, then leaned in closer to me. "As our other side, if you get my drift."

  "How many are going?"

  "Not sure yet. It’s been really popular, already over fifty confirmed. A lot of families are coming, and dad said he is capping it at hundred and twenty people so, if you are interested, you should put your name up."

  "How do I do that?"

  Why did his face look so happy to hear my interest?

  "Um, I can do it for you if you like. I'm sort of, well, organizing it." Zane scrunched his face up like it pained him to admit that he, Zane Harris, was organizing something.

  "Well, you can count me in, but can I keep this?" I gestured to the piece of paper. "I might see if Blake and Chase are interested."

  "Sure." His lips formed a tight line, and he got up from his seat when the teacher walked in. "I'll, um, see you later."

  I nodded my head, watching him walk to the back of the classroom; back to his friends.

  Was it weird, speaking to Zane and not yelling at him? Yes. Did I like it? Sadly, yes. I groaned internally. Why did I trust people who were known to be untrustworthy?

  "Ok class, listen up… The teacher started the lesson, but I tuned out as soon as he started talking. In my defense, I had more important things to think about, i.e., like me turning into a pumpkin, or aka a human for real.

  I started to scribble on my notebook, and when it began to resemble a pair of grey eyes that matched Zane's, I was quick to scribble across them.

  Stupid brain, drawing what was really on my mind.

  ***

  "You aren't really going, are you?" Blake scoffed, slapping his locker door shut. "That's like the boringness thing I have ever heard."

  "Coming from the man who changes his engine for fun," I pointed out to him.

  I wanted him to come because I had no friends, as he and his silly brother were all I had, and two whole weeks of being alone by myself was just cringe-worthy.

  "Please come," I begged. "I don't have anyone else to come with me."

  "You've got Ryder," Blake pointed out and didn't bother hiding the jealousy in his tone. He didn't like Ryder, but Blake didn't like anyone.

  "Yeah, sure, but I don't even know if he is going, and if he is, I'm sure Cassie and Jake will be going, and they are all friends." I sighed. "I'll be the extra wheel no one wants."

  "What about Zane, you've got him."

  I gave him a dry expression. "I'm sure Zane won't want to be hanging around me. After all, he has his friends Taylor and Ebony going, and may I add I don't speak to either."

  "Well, sounds like you're going to be getting chummy with the elders then, or the bush life."

  I whacked him in the stomach. "Not funny!"

  "It was a little." He smirked, pleased with himself. I'm so glad HE is enjoying making fun of ME!

  "Fine, I’ll come."

  "YES!" I fist pumped, now officially excited for this trip. "It's going to be so much fun."

  "Yeah, because not showering and eating raw food is always fun." His words dripped with sarcasm.

  I turned, smirking at him. "Oh, come on, you love it. It's what you do now."

  Blake reached out for me, but it was too late, I had already walked back into someone. Stupid me, walking backward in front of him. I was flung forward into Blake's arms. Thank God one of us still had skill.

  "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." I turned to apologize.

  Zane's lips twisted into a smirk. "That seems to be a habit of yours. I’m starting to think you just enjoy walking into me, Allie."

  My body did something completely embarrassing and something I never did. Ever. I blushed. Of course, pinhead Blake would pick up on this.

  "Are you blushing?" He l
ooked at me with disbelief.

  "Shut up," I muttered to him and avoided Zane's eyes.

  "Um, sorry again." I grabbed Blake's arm tightly and was quick to drag us away from the scene; which may I add, we left slowly due to Blake being so darn muscly and me being so weak.

  ***

  ZANE

  I looked over my shoulder watching Allie pull on Blake's arm. She didn't even pick up on the fact the guy was too busy staring me down to leave.

  Taylor hit my arm for my attention. "Did you just flirt with her?" He arched both eyebrows. The dude could at least relax the shocked face.

  Allie was hot, and I was a guy. Surely it wasn't questionable.

  I shrugged my shoulders and Ebony gave me a challenging smile. She was convinced I would end up running off into the sunset with Allie. She was as delusional as a meth addict.

  "So, Zane…"

  "Don't start, Ebony," I warned her, giving her a look to tell her to keep her mouth shut. The last thing I wanted was Taylor on my back.

  "I was just going to say I was excited about the run." She rolled her eyes. "Gee, what else would I say?"

  "I'm not." Taylor scoffed, "Can't believe you came up with such a horrible idea."

  "Get off it, Taylor, you were telling me you can't wait to run wild and free," Ebony said. "Weren’t your exact words, 'wild pussy.'"

  I chuckled. "Now that sounds more like you." I punched him in the arm. Taylor just couldn't help himself when it came to women as he had no self-control.

  "Yeah, well don't expect a thank you, cause I'm not thanking you." Taylor pointed a finger at me. "Even if you possibly made a fantasy of mine come true."

  "You do realize there will be women, children, and like, families on this trip, Taylor?" Ebony looked at him mildly disgusted. "No way are you getting it on in front of the elders."

  "Yeah, but come on, as if the young ones aren't going to break away and you know." He wiggled his eyebrows.

  The young ones could do whatever the fuck they wanted, as all I cared about was Allie not leaving my sight for the whole trip. "This is me, catch you guys after school." I slid open the science door and wandered to the end of the classroom.

  Was it wrong I had been looking forward to this class all day? I didn't know one person in it, and the teacher never expected anything from us. Usually, he put on some DVD about science shit.

  Which meant I could invade Allie's thoughts.

  As wrong as it was, I had been hanging out all day wondering what she thought of the trip.

  When I got inside her mind, I usually ended up getting lost; which meant I zoned out. My temper isn't the best, and when someone pulls me away from something I didn't want to be pulled away from, well you can guess my response.

  I laid my books down and didn't have to close my eyes for long before I felt her.

  She wasn't far away, a few classes over. She was in History; I could tell by the image of the teacher that flashed across her eyes.

  'God, I hate this class.'

  Hearing her voice, even if it was her internal voice, relaxed me.

  I was starting to make a habit of falling asleep listening to her. Usually, it was just her rambling on about nothing important, but last night she was stressing out, and I hadn't disconnected before I fell asleep.

  Her nightmares were bad enough to wake me up.

  'Why does he keep looking at me?' She snuck a glance over her shoulder. 'Again with the staring.'

  I sat up straighter in my seat. I didn't know the kid who seemed to be freaking her out. I zoned in on the image of the kid's face while listening to Allie's thoughts.

  'Why is he always looking at me? I can't focus.'

  I wanted to reach through her thoughts and strangle the dude. Who the fuck did he think he was, annoying my mate? My Allie? Maybe I should crash her class. I just needed a reason.

  She watched as the kid got up, and I felt her stiffen in horror as he took the seat next to her.

  Fuck it, I didn't need a reason.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  ALLIE

  “Do I know you?” I frowned. Not only was he making me extremely uncomfortable, but I was nearly certain I knew him.

  He pulled out the chair beside me, and when he did, I moved back on my seat away from him.

  Did I just attract the creeps or something?

  “Um, sort of.” He threw me an unsure smile. “We’ve had a few classes together.”

  Still didn’t explain why he had just decided to relocate next to me. “And?”

  “I noticed you haven’t been in class lately.”

  Great, he was a fucking detective as well. “And?”

  He opened his textbook and pulled out a bunch of paper. “I took, um, some notes for you.” He placed them on top of my folder. “I, um, know you don’t do too well in classes, so I thought you could, um, borrow these.”

  Well, this was awkward. I ignored his hint at my bad grades and instead smiled at him. “Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.”

  “It’s ok. I know how easy it is to get behind and…”

  I’m sure he had more to say, and I was sure this conversation wasn’t over, but it was abruptly interrupted.

  “I need Allie.” Zane strode into the classroom. Not excusing himself. Not explaining himself to the teacher. Nope, he just strode through the classroom, not stopping until he was in front of me. “Come on.”

  I didn’t like being ordered. I already didn’t like him that much, so I arched my eyebrows at him. “Why?”

  “Like I said, I need you.”

  I glanced at the boy next to me, who wouldn’t look up. I suppose I could be stubborn and just stay here and continue this awkward and odd conversation, or I could leave.

  “Mr. Harris, this isn’t your classroom,” my teacher snapped at Zane, but she might as well be a fly because Zane didn’t seem to care.

  I scooped up my books. “Um, sorry, I have to go,” I muttered down at the stranger before following Zane out of the classroom.

  Mrs. Elder’s didn’t seem impressed with my departure, but I wasn’t impressed by her boring classes, so I called it fair.

  I followed Zane up the empty corridor, and when he didn’t start explaining his weird behavior, I knew I would have to prompt him for an explanation. “So, do you have a reason for pulling me out of class, Zane?”

  I was half expecting him to just say a flat-out no. He was pigheaded after all.

  “Mom needs shit done and gave me a list, but I didn’t want to do it by myself.”

  His expression didn’t change as he lied perfectly.

  “You’re lying.” I followed him out the side door, which he politely held open for me.

  “Whatever.”

  “Why would you ask me, instead of Ebony or Taylor?”

  “Taylor wouldn’t go, and Ebony had plans.”

  “Really, I wonder if her plans were to stay in class.” I rolled my eyes dryly at him. Of course, Zane would think it was completely believable to pull people out of their class just to accompany him.

  “I was helping you.” His eyes sharply ran across my face. “Don’t act like you wanted to stay there.”

  He was right, and that pissed me off. “I happen to enjoy History.”

  “Then, by all means, go back,” he scoffed while unlocking his car. A car I just so happened to be already walking towards.

  “You can’t go back after you have walked out.”

  “Sure.” Amusement dashed across his face, and he climbed into the car.

  I was sure I would regret this later. I pulled open the car door, climbing in. “You better be a safe driver.”

  “I’m better than Ryder.”

  “Well, that isn’t saying much.”

  We shared a half smile. “Allie, you’ve got to trust me more.”

  “I don’t trust untrustworthy people.” I pulled my seatbelt down. “What is on this list anyway?”

 
He grumbled something I didn’t catch, and for a second I wondered if he had made up this list altogether. It wasn’t until my better judgment clicked in, and I realized: as if Zane would go to such lengths just to get me out of class.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  So, the afternoon was about as confusing as my Math exam. Zane seemed determined to just drag me along to every boring task possible. I now firmly believed he had a motive behind dragging me out of class, but I also knew I didn’t have a chance of getting the real reason out of him.

  So, I didn’t bother.

  “Yo, Allie.”

  I spun around on the staircase to see Ryder running towards me. “Well hello, stranger.”

  “How come your home early?”

  We started to walk up the staircase together. “You really don’t want to know.” I shot him a sideways grin. “Let’s just say your brother thought my afternoon would be better spent helping him instead of, you know, learning.”

  Ryder chuckled. “Sounds like Zane. What is up with you two anyway?”

  Well, this got awkward quickly. “Um, nothing really.”

  Both his eyebrows shot up. “Really?” He wasn’t going to drop the subject. “He seems to like you.”

  I shrugged off the subject and quickened my pace. “So, um, what did you do today?” Yes, great idea, Allie, change the subject to make it even more awkward. “I heard you were going back to university.”

  Ryder scoffed loudly. “The parents want me to head back; doesn’t mean I am going to.”

  We stopped at my bedroom door. “At least your parents care about what you do. My mom isn’t even speaking to me.” Just mentioning it gave me a stomach of guilt.

  “How much longer are you staying with us?”

  “Don’t know. Mom hasn’t had enough space yet.”

  Ryder’s lips twisted in an apologetic smile. “I’m sure she will come around, Allie.”

  “I don’t really care if she does anymore.” I looked down at the floor. It hurt to say it, but it was the truth. This small time away from her made me see it - I didn’t need her anymore.

  “You coming to the party this weekend?” Ryder asked and pulled me from my own thoughts.