Chapter 4 4

CHAPTER 4: RUMI

I looked into the classroom and saw it was mostly guys. They looked like scrawny wolves who preferred books over the training pits, and they were all staring down at their phones.

"Thanks for showing me the way," I told Nova.

"We are not friends, you know!" Nova snapped, crossing her arms.

"Really?" I asked, blinking.

Nova suddenly burst out laughing. "Wow, you are so easy to trick! Do you believe everything people tell you?"

"No," I said, trying to look tough, but she was right. I trusted people too easily. That was how my father ruined our lives. I promised myself right then to stop being so naive.

"Hey, look, it's the nerd," Nova said, nodding at a guy walking up behind us.

I turned around. A tall, gorgeous slim guy with glasses was walking toward Nova. He shared her scent. "Mom said your ride is fixed," he told her.

"Finally," Nova said. "I am driving it tonight."

"Whatever," he muttered, trying to walk past us into the classroom.

Nova reached out, grabbed his arm, and yanked him back with surprising strength. "Say hello to the new girl."

"I'm Rumi," I said, looking closely at their faces. They looked exactly alike. "Are you guys twins?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Nova said, rolling her eyes. "This is Noah."

"Hey," Noah said. He reached out and shook my hand. His fingers were surprisingly bony. My mind instantly flashed back to the giant, warm hands that had grabbed my waist in the last class. Stop it, I scolded myself. I told myself I wouldn't think about Felix Knox ever again. Strong wolves don't waste time thinking about jerks.

“Noah, you won't believe what Rumi did to Felix today," Nova grinned.

The loud school bell rang before she could explain.

"Shit! I'm going to be late!" Nova yelled, spinning around and running down the hall.

"So, what did you do?" Noah asked as we walked into the room. Over half the desks were empty. It looked like nobody in this Pack liked advanced science. At my old school, there was a waiting list for this class.

"I took his desk," I said simply, sitting down in the second row.

Noah sat right next to me, his eyes wide with shock. "What do you mean you took his desk?"

"He wouldn't let me pass to get to the empty seat by the window. So I just sat right on top of his desk."

"Oh, wow." Noah sucked in a breath and shook his head. "That was a really bad move."

"Why?" I asked, leaning back. "What is the big deal? He's just a guy."

"Everyone, please take out your class schedule," the teacher announced from the front. "I need a minute to restart my computer."

"You might want to move to a different school," Noah whispered, opening his laptop.

"Yeah, right. I'm not running away," I said, reaching down to open my bag.

“I am serious, Rumi." Noah leaned closer, dropping his voice so the teacher wouldn't hear. "Felix isn't normal. There is something seriously wrong with his wolf."

"Wrong how?"

"He barely talks to anyone, and his anger issues are insane."

"Are you saying he hurts people?" I asked, my inner wolf perks up.

"Not inside the school," Noah said. "But on the ice, during hockey games? The guy is a total monster."

"Isn't that how hockey players are supposed to be? They try to scare the other team."

"Felix does more than scare them," Noah whispered. "He sends them straight to the hospital. He breaks bones."

“But it's a rough sport," I argued. "Injuries happen."

"No, you don't get it. I swear he enjoys it. He likes the violence."

"He likes hurting people?"

"Other hockey players, yeah. I don't know if he's that way with regular people because I stay far away from him. You should do the same. The guy is dangerous."

"I have to sit right next to him in my first class," I sighed.

"Then don't talk to him. Don't look at him. Just act like he doesn't exist."

"Okay, class," the teacher said, clapping his hands. "My computer is working now. Welcome to my class.."

“I tried to focus, but my mind was drifting. I needed an A in this class to get a scholarship for college. My father used to promise he would pay for my education, but that was before he betrayed everyone and left us broke. Now, my mom could barely pay for our apartment. I had to rely on myself.

After class ended, I rushed back to my locker to grab a book. But I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart gave a sudden thump.

Felix was standing there. His massive body was blocking the exact spot I needed to go.

"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered to myself.

Out of all the hundreds of lockers in this school, his locker was right next to mine. Why did he even need a locker? He hadn't brought a single book or pen to our first class.

“Excuse me," I said loudly. I stepped right up to him, deliberately brushing my arm against his massive shoulder to show I wasn't scared.

Felix slowly turned his head down to look at me. "What the fuck do you want now?"

"To use my locker," I said, staring right at the metal door, refusing to look intimidated. "Move over so I can open it."

Instead of moving, he turned back around, completely blocking my locker space. I peeked around his giant shoulder. He only had two hockey books inside his locker, nothing else.

"I'm going to be late for my next class," I said, my voice hardening.

He ignored me. I didn't have time to play his games. There was a tiny gap of space between his chest and the lockers. Moving fast, I ducked right under his giant arm. My front rubbed against his hard chest as I squeezed into the tight space to unlock my door.

"You have some serious nerves," Felix growled. His hot breath felt like actual fire against the back of my neck.

I ignored him, opened my locker, and grabbed my book. But just as I slammed the locker shut and tried to duck back out, Felix stepped forward.

He trapped me completely between his massive body and the hard metal locker.

He pressed his weight against me. I had to twist my head quickly so my face wouldn't smash into the locker door. He leaned in so close that his lips were right by my ear.

“You're new to this Pack, so I let things slide this morning," Felix whispered, his deep voice vibrating right into my bones. "But this? This was your last chance. Don't fucking mess with me."

My heart beat went wide, and the intense heat coming off his body made me sweat. But it wasn't just fear—it was the power of his wolf. It was heavy and suffocating.

Felix placed his large hand on the locker next to my head. He slowly straightened his thick arm, pushing his body back just an inch. The moment the warmth of his chest left me, a cold shiver ran down my spine. I quickly spun around so my back was against the locker, facing him. He didn't let me go; he kept both hands planted on the metal on either side of my shoulders, trapping me.

"Did you hear me, new girl? This is your last warning."

I stared up at him, finally getting a clear look at his face without his hockey cap blocking the view.

Wow. He was incredibly handsome. His face looked like it had been carved from stone by a master artist. He had a sharp, square jaw and high cheekbones. His lips were full, contrasting with his tan skin. And his eyes—those bright, icy blue eyes—were framed by thick, dark eyelashes.

I forced my voice to stay strong, locking my eyes onto his. “For the sake of next time, it’s not ‘new girl’,  my name is Rumi," I said clearly. "And I wasn't messing with you. I was just getting my things. Now get out of my face."

Before he could react, I used my speed to duck under his arm, breaking his trap. I marched down the hallway without looking back, my chest heaving.

I wasn't scared of bullies. My father had taught me how to stand my ground against aggressive alphas. But as I walked away, I had to admit one thing—Felix Knox was a completely different kind of monster.