I am not her keeper

Blaze grunted as he slammed his fist into the punching bag in front of him. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and he shoved his hair back.

His eyes narrowed and his ears perked up as he sensed someone approaching.

His muscles tensed up and he swirled, putting his hands in front of him in defence, ready to attack whoever was approaching him.

But no one was there.

He glared as the wind drifted into the room and he sniffed the air.

The hair at the back of his neck prickled and he hissed as the process started over again. It was not the first time he felt this way.

It had been an occurrence ever since he knew who he was. A fúcking demon wolf.

His life was a lie and he tried his best to live based on the lie. Else, he'd be out of the pack in no time if anyone found it.

It wasn't something bad, but everyone assumed he was a pure werewolf, rather someone with tainted blood.

A hybrid and not just any hybrid, he had the blood of his father, the demon overlord running through him.

Blaze didn't want to believe no one was watching him as Thalia had said. She told him it was all in his head but he doubted that.

He assumed he was the most alert member in the pack aside from Sandro whose powers included stealth.

Blaze could feel an enemy a few feet away from him. He only needed to sniff his way to them.

That was how he got to Arabella. He had used his nose and intuition.

Although it wasn't accurate all the time since John Collins, Arabella's father was in the group and he couldn't decipher who he was until the last mission he did.

Blaze sighed. He concentrated on the punching bag in front of him and let his mind free from worry.

Today wasn't his gym day although he didn't have a specific day for it. He was less frequent in the gym because of Arabella.

Ever since her arrival, she had taken over his thoughts and daily life.

He could barely think straight and not think about her. All his freaking thoughts were centred on her.

That wasn't what pissed him off, it was the knowledge that she could get hurt even under his watch that pissed him off.

He believed he didn't have the right to be with her. Heck, as the protector he wanted to be for her, he was even more powerless than he imagined.

He could do nothing to keep her safe.

Blaze did a flip in the air and slammed his leg into the bag. Dust poured out, evaporating the room.

He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the bag despite the pain in his muscles.

He didn't relent. He needed something to vent his frustration on and it was right in front of him

But it wasn't working.

Blaze ran a hand through his hair, uncapped the plastic bottled water, and took a large gulp.

He yanked off the gloves in his hands and grimaced as a familiar scent wafted into his nostrils.

"I know you'll be here," Janice said. Her soft voice echoed around the room.

"What do you want?" He asked. His body tensed as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You." Her hand went to his chest and she caressed him upward, to downward and halted her fingers near the waistline of his shorts.

Blaze gripped her hand, turned to her and shoved her slightly.

"I'm not interested in joking around with you, Janice. What do you want?"

Janice giggled. She glimpsed the warning flashing in his eyes and couldn't help noticing how sexy being angry made him look.

"I think I need to get you angrier because I can't get tired of seeing this sexiness of yours."

She faced him as he tried to move past her. Her hand ran over his body and she pulled him into a hug.

"Goodness, your body is so warm and it'd be better above me."

Blaze bit back the rude remark that threatened to spill out from his mouth and he heaved a breath instead.

His patience was running thin and Janice was the last person he needed to see.

"Nothing is happening."

"It's because you think nothing is." Upset, Janice snatched a glove on the floor and flung it at his head.

Blaze halted, he turned to her and asked. "What do you want? We can't be together if it's that b..."

"Because your heart belonged to Arabella?" Janice supplied. "That stupid witch. She never learnt a lesson."

Blaze walked towards her and gripped her hand. "Leave Arabella out of this. She did nothing wrong but y'all fúcking hate her."

"I never hated her. I thought we could relate until I realized you have a thing for her!"

"What's in her that I can't give to you?" Janice said. She moved towards him and caressed his bicep.

"I can treat you better and I doubt she's on the same page as you."

That was the problem. He doubted that as well. He wondered if Arabella felt the same way about him and it was paramount she did because having her love Sandro, her torturer was what he wouldn't be able to live it.

Some women interpreted torture as love and he didn't want Arabella to do the same.

"I wish she dies," Janice said. "I wish she dies right now."

She clenched her fists and attempted to move past Blaze. He gripped her hand, halting her.

"Where's she?"

"I'm not her keeper," Janice said.

"But she's your friend."

"She was my friend." She retorted and jerked her hand away.

Blaze ran a hand through his hair and watched as Janice stalked out of the room.

He gathered his things and left the room, walking towards Arabella's room and where he left her last night after their meet-up.

********

"She's not in here," Sandro murmured, turning to stare at Blaze.

"Besides, why are you here? Why do you always stay around the women I am associated with? Are you fúcking her behind me?!"

Blaze rolled his eyes and said dryly. "You've asked me that too many times."

"Fúcking answer the question and stop giving me a vague reply."

"She's my friend." Blaze said. "It's okay for friends to check on each other. I know you won't understand what that means because you have no one to call a friend."

"Touché." Sandro gave a wolfish grin. He downed the whiskey in the glass and stepped towards the window.

He scoured the surroundings before staring at Blaze.

Swiftly, he whooshed towards him and grasped him by his shirt. "I didn't say you can be friends with her. Did I?!"