SCARLETT
"Leave me alone, please." I snatched my arm from Katherine's hold. The distress in my tone evident.
She had done no wrong to me, but she wouldn't understand what I went through...and what I would go through if I was caught anywhere around her or...
...him.
My wolf had managed to sniff him before I even saw him. It was a weak sniff, but enough to alert me of his presence.
"Scarlett, you have to be calm, please. Let us help you." The genuine concern in her eyes and the kindness she was showing was humbling...but I didn't dare accept it.
I didn't waste anymore time standing in the corridor sparsely filled with students who were more interested in watching the drama unfold than focusing on themselves.
Katherine was hell bent on making me be one with the Salvatores.
No, I didn't want to be, I told myself. I hastened my steps when I realized he was behind me, almost catching up.
My wolf whined for his presence. His touch. His mouth...no. I cleared that image out of my head, increasing my steps to an almost run.
"Hey, Baron."
That was Enisa.
I recognized that high, sultry, too-cheerful-to-be-true tone, and on impulse I'd like to insist Ailya - my wolf - had projected, I turned. She had intercepted his path, wanting his attention.
"How are you doing, Baron?" In her pretty high waist short, pleated skirt and a black jacket with matching ankle boots, she was every inch the perfect girlfriend for someone like him.
"Now's not the time, Enisa." Only Baron wasn't interested.
Maybe if he was, this would be easy for me. I wouldn't have to worry about getting in trouble with Ben.
But then again, the thought of Baron with any girl that wasn't me was a torture I never wanted to go through.
"But..."
"Get the hell out of my way." When he nudged her out of his path, it was near brutal.
Her shoulder collided with a wall, a small cry of discomfort left her lips. Then she straightened, turned to give me a vengeful glare as though I had caused Baron to treat her that way.
I continued on my way, but didn't bother to run. He was going to catch up with me still.
"What is wrong with you, Scarlett?" He snatched an arm.
The force of it had me turning to face him. "Please, just leave me alone."
"No. I won't. Now I'm convinced Ben is the one making you avoid me." Those beautiful grey orbs were currently darkened in annoyance and disappointment.
I swallowed, forcing myself to look away before I gave in to the temptation. "I have class."
Katherine emerged from the corner, walking towards us. Her bag was carried by Aaron who draped an arm about her shoulder casually.
Only it wasn't just casual. It also said something subtle; 'back-off'.
Her eyes stationed on us both, calm and observing.
"Let's go to class then." Baron quirked a corner of his mouth, annoyance not leaving his eyes.
There was also the stubbornness - he had given me as much time as he could, now he was just going to get his way, no matter what.
A smile almost escaped, but it was quickly replaced by panic. I threw a sharp look around the hallway and corners, not ready for another beating when I got home.
Now that the thought of being caught by Ben was ingrained in my head and refused to leave, my panic grew. "You have to let me go, please. I...I promise to, uh...I promise to talk to you once I am done with this class."
That was a lie.
I had no plans of talking to him. I wasn't ready to sign my death warrant.
The stare was long and a bit unsettling.
I wondered if he'd caught through my lies. Aaron and Katherine were near us now but neither intervened.
Then he released me. "Fine. After class then." And walked away.
He didn't even acknowledge his brother or his mate. Although the couple didn't bother. They seemed to be used to his...strange behavior.
"Let's go into class, Scarlett." Katherine stepped forward with an endearing smile, then she directed to her mate. "I'll see you at lunch, babe."
"Alright. Be careful." He leaned in and captured her mouth deeply and passionately in his.
I walked away from them.
It wasn't just Baron I should stay away from... everyone close to him was off-limit.
"Wait up." Katherine caught up, falling into step beside me. "Scarlett, you do not have to place your happiness over the selfishness of that man."
The emotional disconnection when she referred to her biological father as 'that man' surprised me, though I didn't say a word. It was as though she didn't find him important enough...no, that wasn't it.
She didn't find him important at all. He meant nothing to her.
"Please leave me alone." I mumbled and walked faster away from her.
In class, I kept to myself. Reminding myself Ben didn't want me to make friends or even talk to anybody.
He was a psycho and a pretty intelligent one at that.
During lunch, I avoided the cafeteria, preferring to stay hungry than risk running into Baron.
I didn't trust him not to accost me. He might be waiting for me to show up.
Once school had ended for the day. Relieved and guilty over ignoring Katherine who just wanted to establish some sort of friendship with me, I made my way home - that is, after scanning the school environment and making sure he wasn't waiting for me at the gate.
The other Salvatore brothers respected my wish to not associate with them and drove their cars out of the compound without so much as a look my way.
I drew a deep sigh and started for the school gate.
Someone pushed me so hard from behind that I fell and scraped my knees.
Before I could see who it was, I received a kick at the base of my spine. I let out a loud, painful cry. That hurt so bad.
"You bitch! Stay away from Baron, you hear me."
Enisa.
She crouched, sniffed the air around me. "A weak Omega." It came out with a sneer. "How bold of you to want an Alpha. Fuck you, bitch!" She struck my face, then pulled my hair. "Next time, I'll do even worse."
She left me there to nurse my pain. I struggled to stand. Given the amount of force her ankle boot had exercised to hit me on my lower back, it was quite difficult to walk.
Some students watched me, none coming to help. I struggled to hold back tears, limping my way home.
It took me a long time to get home. I was almost crying from extreme pain.
I entered the house. There he was in the living room, swollen face and dried blood.
His eyes were bloodshot, increasing the rate of my heart. I could collapse from how fast my heart was pumping.
He was drunk. And battered.
And when he was that drunk, I suffered the result. Who had he gotten in a fight with? Some wild animal or was it a gang-beating?
"G-good afternoon."
He stood up from the sofa and took unsteady steps towards me. To my surprise, rather than the snarl I was expecting to see, there was a grin.
The drunk, lascivious type that didn't just made me scared, it also made my stomach churn.
"How was school, baby?" His words slurred.
I usually would run and let him sleep it off before returning home. But with my injured back, how could I?
"F-fine. We were so busy today. So I'll need to go to bed, please." It was difficult keeping my voice steady and tears from flowing.
He didn't care. He reached where I was and made a grab for me before I could limp away.
His hands grabbed my breasts, his tongue rolling over his lips like a hungry, wild dog.
Oh goddess, no!
"P-please, n-no." I shook my head, desperately trying to free myself from his grip.
"Shut up!" He released one of my breasts to hit my face, a scowl appearing.
That same spot Enisa had hit me.
If that side of my face was bruised before. It was definitely battered now.
He pushed me, my back hit the sofa, that caused another pain to rip through my back.
My cries were loud and begging for mercy.
He began to unbuckle his belt.
Fear of what he was about to do overwhelmed me. I tried to stand but ended up falling back.
He'd occasionally touch me indecently, but this was the first time he would attempt to force his way with me.
I let out a scream, my body quaking with tears and panic.
"I said shut up!" He wobbled, pulling his belt to hit me.
In a blur of movement, he was flying off his feet, body hitting a wall. "How dare you?!"
Blinking tears to make my vision clear, I stared at the tall, angry frame of Baron.
