Chapter Eight

Sleep had made me feel slightly more alive, but it hadn't fully removed my headache. It wasn't like I could just take the day off, though, so here I was, back at the school.

Except this time, I wasn't just a yard narc. Instead, the baggies in my pocket showed just how useful I could make myself. Three days into our little business endeavor and I only had a few packets left. Maybe I should have felt bad about selling them drugs, but as it was, I did what needed to get done.

I told myself to think of it as the greater good, that this was to solve a larger and more dangerous problem. At least this shit wouldn't put innocents in danger, meaning it was only the user who had to worry. That shouldn't have made me feel better—and it didn't make me feel much better—but it was better than nothing. If we could stop the selling of Cloud, it was worth a few stupid kids getting high, right?

That's what I told myself to make me feel better.

I'd spotted Harrison a few times during the day, but we'd only exchanged quick glances, as though he needed visual confirmation that I still breathed. His lack of trust chafed, but that was fine—I was used to that.

I'd managed to not only sell a bit of my own product, but also had handed off plenty to Trey to sell as well. The more widely I got this shit, the better the odds that the supplier would take notice and find it a problem. Did I feel bad for getting him involved?

Sure, but he'd been only too happy to do so. While he wasn't willing to give over any information about the supplier—even if he could remember—it seemed his loyalty didn't go all that far. The thought of having more supply sounded great to him. His supplier didn't give him that much at once—probably due to the difficulty in making Cloud.

My newest buyer scurried off, the small baggy tucked into his pocket. Idiot. Anyone taking one look at that walk would know they'd done something wrong. I shook my head, then glanced at my watch.

Three-twenty. School had ended an hour ago, but Harrison had some stupid meeting to attend. It left me wasting time on campus, pretending to watch the kids still there for after school activities. The school had two types of kids still here—the over achievers who wanted enough extracurriculars to look good on a college application and the kids who had nowhere else to go.

It was the second group I'd spotted more of, since the first were actually in the classrooms.

Another kid milled around, one I didn't recognize at first. At least, until she turned, and that familiar blonde hair made me laugh. Yep, it was the same girl who had tried to buy Cloud from Trey the other day. I'd ruined her attempt there, so was she looking again?

She turned her gaze my way, and the way it lingered told me I'd guessed right. When first you fail, try, try again to get the drugs.

I nodded toward the bathroom, then headed that way. Her steps followed me, first on the walkway then echoing against the tile of the bathroom. Once inside, I peeked down, beneath the doors, to make sure we were alone.

Once done, I smiled and turned back toward her. "So, you're looking to buy?"

She nodded, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I didn't get to last time…"

Her uncertainty rang alarm bells, but I dismissed it. She was probably just worried about how this would go, about whether she'd get caught. However, it made me pause. "Why are you buying this?" I found myself asking even if I told myself I didn't care.

"School is hard," she whispered. "I'm expected to do so much, so I just need a way to relax sometimes."

"And Cloud does that?"

"It helps, yeah. It lets me take it easy and stop worrying about school and college and everything else."

That made me peer down toward the bag of Cloud in my pocket. I'd had plenty of stress growing up, the years before my mom married my stepdad, when things had been difficult. I was alone, in charge of taking care of myself, worrying about where my next meal would come, but it was a different stress, a different pressure.

Would this have been worse? Better? It was so easy to hate the kids who went here, to wish I'd had such first-world problems, but was it really that much better? The way her gaze moved from side to side suggested it wasn't better at all.

I could have lectured her, drawing on one of the many lectures I'd gotten from others over my life. I could have told her how she was being silly, that she didn't need to worry so much, that things weren't so bad for her. What was the point, though?

So instead, I took out the bag and held it out to her.

She pulled out another roll of cash—the fact she didn't worry about losing the last amount showed that money wasn't an issue for her—and handed it over.

When she went to take the bag, however, something else moved inside the bathroom. At first, I wasn't sure what it was. It was large and angry—I knew that much—but details?

Not a fucking clue. Instead, I found myself shoved face first against the tile wall with a large, hot body behind me, pinning me into place.

My first instinct was to call out to the girl and tell her to run.

Before I got the chance, however, a low, angry voice rumbled so deep through the bathroom that I felt it through the tile pressed to my cheek, "Get out of here."

That let me exhale slowly, telling me the identity of the attacker.

"Isn't this a fun little reunion?" I asked.

The weight moved away so fast, I nearly fell. I twisted, wincing at an ache in my chest from how hard he'd shoved me.

"What the fuck, Grey?" And I couldn't stop myself from smirking at the annoyed sound of Galen's voice.

Because having a conversation in the women's restroom was probably not great—especially for Galen—we moved the conversation to an empty classroom.

Galen had his arms crossed and boy did he glare. "Why is that whenever there's a problem, you somehow end up at the center of it?"

"Just dumb luck, I guess."

"At least you got the dumb part right."

"Rude." I sat on top of one desk, thankful to sit at least. I still felt like shit. "What are you even doing here?"

"You really want to ask me that when I catch you selling drugs to children. " The way he said that last part, the emphasis, made me want to laugh. Sure, anything sounded bad when someone said it in that tone.

Not that there was a good way to say that specific set of words.

"It's for a good reason," I pointed out.

Galen shook his head and rubbed his face. "I got word that there was a person at the school selling to Weres. Imagine my surprise to find you behind it."

I smiled and held my hands out like jazz fingers. "Surprise!"

Not even a smile… "Come on, Grey, out with it. What are you doing here?"

"She's helping me."

I twisted at the new voice to find Harrison in the doorway. He used a different tone from the one I'd grown used to, the one he used when speaking just to me. It reminded me just how much frostier he was when dealing with others.

And in the same way, Galen's voice dropped lower. What was this, some dick measuring contest?

I could get behind that sort of contest, just so long as I got to be the judge.

Of course, size wasn't everything. That was like judging a cake contest without getting to try it!

No, focus!

I shook away the thought, but Harrison's narrowed gaze said he'd probably guessed my line of thought.

"What is she helping you with?" Galen asked.

"It is a Mind issue. I have no reason to answer to you."

"She isn't a Mind," Galen pointed out.

"And neither is she a Were."

" She," I said, breaking into their little fight, "is also right here and able to speak for herself."

Both men looked my way, giving me the briefest of glances before returning to glare at each other.

Galen spoke first. "You have her here, endangering herself and the lives of others. I have to guess you were the one to make this?" He held up an empty bag with my sticker on the front. "I took it off a pack kid yesterday, and they let me know they'd gotten it here. Just what have you gotten her involved in?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one who gets others involved. I'm not some damsel in distress who others have to worry about. I'm not part of the problem—I am the whole damned problem, thank you very much." I crossed my arms, pouting as the two promptly ignored me.

Harrison pulled his shoulders back, a low energy rushing through the room, a warning—which was a really bad sign.

The last thing we needed was these two assholes getting into some sort of fight here. Not only was it bad for our cover, but bad shit happened when council heads got into it. That tended to cause issues like wars, and it was never those in charge who paid the ultimate price for that.

"Let's all calm down," I said quickly, lifting my hands to settle them. "No reason to get testy here."

The look they each gave me suggested they didn't come close to agreeing, and boy, did that not help my headache.

"Galen, I'm here because there's an issue with Cloud getting sold to kids here. You've seen that yourself."

"I've seen your Cloud sold here," he pointed out the difference.

"That's because I need to catch the attention of the supplier."

"So you're using yourself as bait? Is that the only plan you know of? I swear, anytime anything happens, you dangle yourself out like a worm on a hook for whatever shark is in the water."

"Sharks eat chum—not worms." As soon as I said that, I knew I'd fucked up. Still, I shrugged I went on. "I don't want to see people hurt, so the supplier needs to be dealt with."

"And why is that your problem?"

I opened my mouth to tell him the truth, but instantly regretted it. There was no reason he needed to know that. It was a bad idea for him to realize I'd gotten myself targeted.

Sadly, I'd figured that out a split second too late, and the severe look in his blue eyes told me he'd guessed. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?" he asked.

"She was targeted by a Mind who uses Cloud," Harrison said, the words surprising me. He'd been rather tight-lipped about everything, so why was he spilling the details now?

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me about that?" Galen asked me, seeming to want to take it up directly with me rather than Harrison.

"It's not your problem. Besides, we've got it handled. We'll find the supplier, figure out his customers, then deal with my stalker."

" Stalker?"

Yep, the way he asked that said I should have said less. It was a lesson I should have learned a long time ago, yet never seemed to quite get through my thick skull.

"You're telling me it wasn't just a one-time thing?"

"It was close to one time," I hedged. "I mean, it was two times, which is almost once."

Harrison shook his head. He probably had no idea just how foolish I could be, yet here he was with a front-row seat. He turned toward Galen. "She was attacked at her neighbor's house. The Mind behind the attack seems to have formed an obsession with her. She was attacked again after going out drinking. That is why I have kept her with me—to prevent such an attack from occurring again."

"If it happened twice, why is it you think you can do anything to stop it?" Galen asked.

"Because I am the strongest known Mind. If she remains within my sphere of influence, she will remain safe."

"Convenient," Galen muttered under his breath.

"Not that convenient for me," I said, then looked toward Galen. "I've been selling this for a few days, so I bet we'll have this all worked out by the end of the week. And if you're here, you know exactly how dangerous Cloud is. Are you really going to complain about me doing something about it?"

He huffed, the sound rough, as though he hated I was right. Still, Galen had never been the type to let me have the last word. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing," Harrison snapped.

And just like that, the tension between them grew yet again. They were like dogs circling each other, and every little sniff in the other's direction set them off. It reminded me how exhausting men really were.

"I don't think there's much you can do," I said, softening Harrison's statement even if I agreed with the basic idea of it. "We've already got a plan. I just need to keep going with what we're doing right now."

Galen's expression softened, his gaze moving between me and Harrison, the meaning clear.

"Can I have a minute?" I asked Harrison.

He nodded, even if he didn't appear that happy with it. He left, though I'd doubt he went far.

"You always manage to slip just out of my grasp," he said, his voice sounded as exhausted as I felt. He lifted his gaze to mine, the look so different from what he'd shown with Harrison in the room. "I keep trying to take care of you, but you just won't let me. Every time I turn around, you just keep moving further and further away from me."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere," I said.

His gaze moved from my face to the side of my neck, to the marks that hadn't faded. He didn't have to say anything for me to know exactly what he was thinking, what he was seeing. It reminded me that as much as I wanted to claim nothing had changed, it wasn't true. Even if that bond hadn't taken, even if I hadn't wanted it, something existed between Kelvin and myself, and now I was living with Harrison.

It would be hard for anyone not to feel bad about that, not to see it as me moving further away from him, that I'd rejected him but run to others.

And as though that realization drew him to close that gap, he came forward, each step slow. Was he doing that after shoving me against the bathroom wall? Like he thought I might be afraid of him?

What a stupid idea—I'd always know exactly how much faster and stronger than me he was. It wasn't like seeing it in person—again—would change that.

He stopped when he was just in front of me, and his warm fingers brushed the marks at my throat. He touched them as though they were open wounds—maybe they were, for him at least. "Do you have any idea how much you terrify me?"

"Me? I'm not usually that scary a person," I said, a soft laugh in my voice.

"Not much scares me because of my position as alpha. You, though? It seems each time you're out of my sight, you disappear, and when you show back up? It's with new enemies, new wounds, new troubles. You have no idea how much I wish I could lock you in a room and throw away the key."

"You're not the first to say that," I said. "But you worry too much. No matter what happens, I always come out on top."

"Until you don't. No one can always come out on top. If anyone understands that, I do." He shifted his hand to my cheek, rubbing his thumb against the flushed skin there. Of course, this time I knew that warm feeling had nothing to do with feeling under the weather. "I've been alpha for a long time, Grey, and I know how the world works. People only remain on top for so long, and all it takes is one lucky shot for them to fall. You've survived so far, but that doesn't mean you always will. One of these times, something will get lucky. It'll only take one good swipe, and that's something that can't be taken back."

His words were so soft as he spoke to me, as if he hated having to admit any of this, as though he didn't want to have to tell me but couldn't stop himself.

And fuck, was he compelling. Maybe it was the pleading in his eyes, or the gentle tone of his voice, but something made me want to promise that I'd be fine. Maybe it was just me being stupid, me enjoying the idea of someone giving a damn about me.

However, I knew better than to give into that. My crow screeched in my head, telling me not to fall for it, knowing that trusting others, relying on them, was the end of everything. I couldn't trust anyone like that, knew it led to downfall.

Still, I couldn't get myself to push him away or reject him. He shifted his hand from my check to the back of my neck, then leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. They were soft and familiar, teasing and hot and comforting all at the same time. It was like he kissed me to tell me all the things he'd wanted me to understand, things he couldn't bring himself to say outright.

And me? I lost myself in the same passion. My hands moved as though on their own, sliding up his chest and around his shoulders, clinging to him, wanting to lose myself in his body. I might not have any answers—at least, none that he'd want to hear—but I could savor this. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, sliding his agile tongue past my lips to tease my own.

I wrapped my leg around him, pulling him closer, ready to strip him down on the spot. I felt rushed suddenly, like we were teenagers who belonged in exactly this sort of situation, struggling against need while trying not to get caught.

I had no idea if it was him or me or both of us. Most likely, it was a combination, of the years we'd resisted this. It felt like we'd always headed this way, like it had been impossible for us to avoid arriving exactly here.

I wouldn't cock block the teenagers, so I sure as fuck wouldn't cock block myself, either.

"Is this really the place?" Harrison's voice broke the moment, bringing me back to reality.

And reality sucked, because reality didn't have me getting laid right then.

Galen released a growl that sent a shudder through me. It had me considering how that would feel if he made such a sound when he was between my thighs, if it would send a dangerous and pleasant vibration right through my cunt.

Talk about something to add to my bucket list…

Except I had a feeling that wouldn't happen right now, so I broke the kiss and dropped my forehead against Galen's solid chest, glad to at least find it rising and falling in rapid succession, showing he was just as affected as I was.

He extracted himself from my grip, then took a step backward. Something wild rested in his eyes, a hint at the beast that lived beneath his skin. And why the fuck did that do sinful things to me?

Galen turned a vicious look on Harrison, one that would make most sane men take one big fucking step backward. "If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible."

That sounded like a pointless threat, but I knew better. Galen was in a position to make that Harrison's problem, to pose one hell of a danger to him. Not that Harrison appeared all that worried. He didn't so much as flinch in response. "If you wish for her to remain safe, I would suggest you stay out of our business. Your presence only further complicates and endangers her."

Galen lifted his lip on one side, baring his teeth in a snarl, before he turned and stormed out of the room.

It left Harrison and me alone, and I suddenly felt like a kid caught with a boy. Which, I sort of had been.

"He is going to cause you problems," Harrison said.

"Of course he is—he's a man. In my experience, you all mostly cause problems in my life."

Harrison shook his head, but didn't argue my point. Instead, he gestured for me to follow.

It seemed day three of my drug dealer life had come to a close, and I hadn't even gotten an orgasm out of it.

Maybe I wasn't as good at being a criminal as I liked to think…