4

"Which of my words did you not understand?" Grayson slammed his tray down on the table, dumped his backpack on the floor, and sat in the chair next to me. He put one of his arms over the back of my chair, with the other he pushed my tray away from me.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and shake my head at him. Yesterday I thought it was all a bad joke, a prank, but now I was aware that the enemy of my pack was sitting next to me and was obviously enjoying tormenting me.

Grayson's massive frame towered over me by a full head and he looked like he was about to eat me for breakfast. His blond hair fell over his forehead and his brown eyes couldn't get angrier.

"I heard them," I muttered, concentrating on my cereal bowl in front of me as two more trays landed heavily on the table and Taylor and Trevor sat across from me.

"We should explain it to you again. You don't take a step here without us, Stone," Trevor said calmly, taking a hearty bite into his sandwich before even sitting down. Unlike his brother, he looked rather relaxed, but his brown eyes never took his eyes off me with every bite he took.

"We'll see about that," I snapped at him.

"Sure you will," Trevor leaned back in his chair and stuffed the last bite of his second sandwich into his mouth, reaching for the next one that was on his tray.

"We'll be spending a lot of time together, we all have classes together. Interesting choice of classes, Stone. There's even a couple that I like." That's it. I had to get out of here urgently.

I reached for my tray, but Grayson put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back into the chair.

"Eat, you haven't eaten yet," he commanded.

"In earnest?" I hissed at him just as loudly and a few curious looks turned our way.

"You won't get up until you've finished eating, Stone," Grayson said quietly, as if neither of us had said anything out loud, and turned to his breakfast.

"What am I, five?" I poisoned him now a little quieter.

"We can feed you too if you want," Taylor replied, amused, eyeing my cereal thoughtfully. "Tomorrow we'll choose your breakfast. That one," he gestured with his index finger, "doesn't make you strong" and finally tapped him on my cereal bowl.

"Here," Trevor placed one of his sandwiches on my tray. "Let's start with that," he said, taking my cereal from me.

"You are -"

"Careful, Stone. Get used to it," Grayson muttered next to me, draining his coffee in one gulp. "So, are you eating now or shall we feed you?" he raised his perfectly arched eyebrow and his brown eyes glared dangerously at me. Something inside me said he would if I didn't obey.

"You will not dare doing that!"

"Find out!" he laughed heartily and so loudly that even some of my fellow students at our table stopped in surprise.

"No thanks," I snorted, reaching for the sandwich he'd pushed my way. Before he could say anything else, I took a quick bite.

"Good kitty," Trevor purred and the three of them started laughing again, unable to seem to stop themselves from noticing everyone staring at us. I angrily washed down the sandwich with my tea and grabbed my tray.

This time they didn't seem to mind if I stood up, all three immediately jumped up with me. They should. I would end this as soon as possible now.

I returned my tray and didn't look back at them. I didn't have to, I could still hear her giggling behind me. I would drive that out of them.

Without thinking further, I walked to the principal's office. The closer I got to this, the louder her laughter got.

That was it. Without knocking, I stormed into the principal's office. "I want to switch courses. Everyone!" I said out of breath.

"Not possible during the term," Principal Bannister replied without looking up from his papers.

"But it's only just begun!"

"Right, Stone it's been five days and you're late! Get out of my office. I don't want to hear from you again this year, much less see you in my office." He waved me away like a pesky fly.

I slammed the door behind me and saw three amused faces. They lined up against the wall across from the principal's office, grinning in peace.

"So," I gestured wildly between them, which didn't bother them in the slightest. On the contrary, every move I made made her happier. "Can someone tell me what's going on here?" I yelled at her.

Silence fell around me and the students in the hallway stopped, curious as to what was going on. Normally I never wanted to attract attention, but this time I didn't care. The three were acting oddly and they were the sons of old Alpha Alaister, my father's nemesis.

They were bloody Alaisters and they acted like we'd been childhood friends. For a second I saw that they wouldn't stop playing with me, then their faces froze and nothing could be read in them anymore.

"I'd be interested in that, too," the deep voice growled softly across the hallway. As I turned to look at her, my day couldn't have gotten worse.

Caspian strode down the hallway like a dangerous predator and the three Alaisters were at my side with surprising speed. Each of them tense and ready to protect me.

protect me? It definitely wasn't real.

The crowd of students in the hallway parted as Caspian slowly walked further between them towards us. He moved like he was a damn god who needed making way. Every student squinted at him secretly and in awe.

I corrected myself. He looked like a damn god and had the charisma when he wanted to, but now everything about him was intimidating, like the devil himself walking towards us.

He had pulled the hood of his sweatshirt low over his face and strands of black hair fell over his glowing blue eyes. His shoulders rose and fell with every step, like every other damn muscle on him. Nothing was hidden under his sweatshirt.

He towered over everyone he passed and all around him were Alpha's and Beta's, each impressive on their own. But what was most irritating was how they backed away from him, ducking away to avoid getting in his way.

His scent seemed to engulf me, tormenting my mind with every step he took towards us. Like a warm rain shower it settled on me, which I could not avoid.

I felt drawn to him, more than that, I wanted to run towards him. My lids grew heavy and I felt my legs wanting to reach out to him, but at the last moment I stopped them, finding myself tottering between the only three who seemed completely unfazed by what was happening.

"In!" Caspian ordered as he stood in front of me and pointed to an open door. I didn't understand why he was so angry, nor was he wanted by us, all I noticed was his deep, soft voice and the full lips the words came out of.

I just looked at him questioningly. Yesterday he said I shouldn't visit him and now he's standing here in front of me and wanted to talk to me and the three people around me. I must have stared at him for a while because he tilted his head slightly and his eyes darkened dangerously.

They were like a black hole threatening to suck me in. Dangerous and mysterious. Attractive and cold.

Cold-- that was my cue. I hastily turned to Grayson in question, as if I'd accepted everything I'd refused a few minutes ago and the only answer I needed was from the Alaisters. I needed him and his brothers now. Right now.

Grayson just raised an eyebrow, however, and gestured in the direction of the door where Caspian's outstretched arm was pointing. I couldn't explain it, but that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for from him.

Grayson lowered his hand to my shoulder to push me in front of him, but Caspian's growl made him pull back immediately.

Whatever was going on here, I was definitely insane. I trusted three Alaisters more than my gut and followed someone who shouldn't be here. Someone who didn't want me around any more than I wanted him.