Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

IZZY

I can't believe it's already October, my birthday month. Unfortunately for me, my birthday is on Halloween. Yep. A witch born on Halloween. Cliché as fuck, and I hate it. My family and Bishop always insist on throwing a stupid party, but I'd prefer if everyone just forgot it happened.

With it being October, I've known the wolves for almost a month. Today's my date with Archer. I'm looking forward to what he has planned. It'll probably be lots of fun.

Surprisingly, I've enjoyed both of my dates so far. Luca and Cain took me on very different dates, but I had a blast with both of them. I'm trying not to think about what happens after my date with Archer. Once the dates I promised are over, I have to stay away from the wolves. I already like the three of them too much for their own good.

I walk toward the front of the building with a dopey smile on my face. It drops the second I hear a familiar voice call out from behind me. "Isabel Gallagher, just the girl I'm looking for." I'd know Tyler Giles's voice anywhere. It's so similar to his brother's voice.

My heart sinks as I scan the deserted hallway. I close my eyes, already knowing how this will go. "Go get Levi," I tell Aggie under my breath as I open my lids. Her wide eyes meet mine, and she frantically nods. "Quickly, please."

Once Aggie poofs away, I reluctantly turn to Tyler. He's tall, with light blond hair and washed-out blue eyes. With his football player physique, he really nails the all-American look. It's not until you really look at his eyes that you see the cold, unfeeling psychopath he tries to hide. It must be a family trait because his brother is the same way. "Funny. I was definitely trying to avoid you."

"Oh, don't be like that. I know about all the fun Mason and Rich had with you. Now that they've gone, it's my turn." Mason Giles and Richard Whelan were two of my biggest tormentors my first three years here. When they graduated last year, I thought I'd be safe. I guess that was wishful thinking.

"Leave me alone, Tyler." My voice is shaky, betraying just how scared I am. Being alone with Tyler brings all the memories I try not to think about to the surface. I feel like I'm being suffocated by them, and I can't take a full breath.

My fear makes Tyler's sleazy grin grow. He advances on me, and I back up. I chance a glance over my shoulder and see that I only have a few feet until I hit the wall.

Hopefully, I can stall him until Levi gets here. If not, well, then I just make it through this. Whatever happens, I can handle it. To keep my family and mates safe, I can endure anything. Maybe not with the last pieces of my already damaged soul intact. But that's beside the point.

It's a fight to push the memories aside so I can think of everyone I love and care about. All the people I need to keep safe by not letting my magic out right now. I focus on locking down my magic even tighter than normal as I see who I'm fighting for in my mind. I refuse to put them in danger to save myself.

When my back hits the rough brick wall, I know my time is up. I look up at Tyler's predatory grin and fight the urge to throw up. I'm shaking like a leaf, but there's nothing I can do about it. When his strong forearm presses into my throat, limiting my oxygen and keeping me in place, I close my eyes. I'm not strong enough to look at him while he hurts me.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this , I chant in my mind. Maybe if I repeat it often enough, I can make it true.

Tyler uses his other hand to roughly yank my deep purple blouse out of my jeans. As he puts his hand on the waistband of my dark pants, a portal sizzles into existence behind him.

Levi steps through, and his obsidian eyes find me. I've never been so relieved to see someone in my entire life. His dark eyes turn blood red as he takes in the situation. Fury lines every inch of his face. At his strong emotions, the spooky skull flickers in and out over his face. This is probably the closest I've ever seen the normally unflappable man to losing control.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Levi demands, his deep voice booming in the empty hallway.

Levi's voice startles Tyler, who has the situational awareness of a goldfish. Tyler turns toward him. "Sorry, teach. Me and my girl were just getting frisky. You know how it is." I'm glad Levi knows that's not the case, because Tyler's charming grin is damn believable. I'd never be his girl, though, and Tyler would never want me for that. Being magicless, I'm apparently not good enough to be a girlfriend but good enough to screw. I really don't understand the logic.

"Do girls always cry when you touch them, Giles? Do you always have to hold them down to get ‘frisky' with them?" I didn't even realize I was crying. Now that Levi mentions it, I can feel cool air blowing over the wet tracks on my cheeks.

Tyler lets go of me to face Levi, and I sag against the wall in relief. I don't ever want to feel his dirty hands on me again. "She likes it rough. I'm just trying to keep her happy." Tyler shrugs while keeping the disarming smile on his disgusting face.

"Stop lying, boy, before I have a talk with Elder Gallagher about your behavior. You know he won't stand for anyone hurting his daughter." That's extremely true. My dad is super protective of me. If he had any idea of what went on at school, the bullying or this, he'd raise hell. Standing up for his magicless daughter would make my dad deeply unpopular, though. He does so much good on the council that I don't want to get in the way of.

Tyler's face mottles with rage as he looks between Levi and me. He's at least smart enough to realize when he's been outmaneuvered. "This isn't over," he hisses at me before he takes off back down the hallway.

Once I can't see him anymore, my legs collapse underneath me, no longer capable of holding me up. The strength I was trying to find to get through what Tyler wanted to do evaporates. All that remains in its place is fear, shame, and a deep well of despair.

Levi manages to reach me before my knees can crack on the dingy tile. He wraps his strong arms around me. His touch is so different from Tyler's. Whereas Tyler's touch aimed to break me, Levi's tries to hold me together. I'm not sure even Levi's muscular arms are strong enough to keep me from shattering right now.

"I have you, little raven. You're safe now," Levi whispers against my hair. He picks me up like I weigh nothing and carries me to a secluded alcove toward the back of the building. Once there, he sits down with me still clinging to him. Levi sits cross-legged and arranges me so I'm sitting on his lap. My legs wrap around his trim waist, and I bury my face in his broad chest.

The tears that've been running down my face nonstop turn into loud, hitching sobs once I finally feel safe. Tucked away from prying eyes and in my mate's arms is about as safe as it gets. As I cry out all of my heartache and terror and self-loathing, Levi holds me and rubs his hand over my back. I appreciate him not forcing me to talk or do anything other than cry more than he'll ever know.

Nothing happened. Levi got here in time, and I'm physically fine. Yet I feel so far from fine on the inside, I could laugh. That is, if I weren't busy trying not to break so badly, I can never put myself back together again.

I don't know how long I cry before Levi's phone dings. He digs it out of his pocket without stopping his soothing rubbing on my back. "Hey, little raven," Levi begins gently. "You have your date with Archer today, don't you?"

Fuck. With everything that happened, I totally forgot about Archer. What a mate I am. The wolves are definitely better off without me. I nod my head, not able to stem the tears long enough to talk to him.

"Do you mind if I tell him where we are? He's worried about you."

"As long… as you don't… tell him… what happened," I agree through hiccupping sobs. My breath catches after every few words, making the sentence take a lot of effort to get out. I don't want Archer to view me differently or think I'm weak.

"I can do that. I won't tell any of your other mates, but I'm going to need you to talk to me about this soon. I have a feeling no one knows what's been going on at school, do they?" Levi asks in the same gentle tone. I shake my head because he's absolutely correct. Aggie is the only one that knows. "Always so strong, my little raven. Always trying to protect everyone else. Do you think, maybe, it's time to let us protect you for a change?"

"I don't know," I whisper into his chest, voice scratchy. Everything I do is to protect everyone else. How do I let people protect me? It feels like, if I let others help me, I won't have the strength to do everything I need to.

If I'm going to talk to anyone about what happened, it would be Levi. He's so calm and levelheaded. I don't have to worry about him flying off the handle or acting rashly once he hears about it all.

"You don't have to know right now. You don't have to do anything right now." Levi moves his hand up from my back to play with my thick hair as he types on his phone. I close my eyes as he runs his hands through my hair, the motion calming me.

We stay like that until I hear footsteps heading toward us. I stiffen in Levi's arms, worried it's Tyler coming back to finish what he started. Even though I know Levi won't let him hurt me, my nervous system is still trained to fear both Giles brothers.

"It's just Archer."

All of my muscles loosen briefly when I realize that it's Archer. Then everything coils tightly again as I realize I must look a mess. I probably have red-rimmed, puffy eyes, a snotty nose, and a paler-than-usual complexion. Not to mention, I'm still crying. Archer will know something's up the second he sees me.

I hear Archer kneel to my left. "Hey, sunshine." When he doesn't ask me anything, I hesitantly turn my head to look at him. Archer is smiling gently at me as he kneels in his dark jeans and plain blue tee that matches his eyes. "There they are. There are those beautiful gray eyes."

My cheeks flush at his compliment, but I don't know what to say. I just stare at him silently with tears still running down my cheeks. Archer doesn't get mad at my silence, and his warm smile never drops. "May I hold your hand, sunshine? If not, that's A-OK. You're in control here."

I close my eyes briefly at Archer somehow knowing exactly what to say. After a run-in with Mason, Richard, or now Tyler, I feel like I'm so out of control. Like life just happens to me. Taking back control, even in a small way, helps.

Blowing out a shaky breath and opening my eyes, I slowly stretch my hand out to Archer. He tenderly captures it between both of his hands. I soak up the warmth radiating from him. It slowly starts to thaw my insides.

"How do mice floss their teeth?" Archer asks me out of nowhere. I look at him in confusion, and his lips inch their way a little higher on his handsome face. "They say laughter's the best medicine. Since I'm not a doctor, that's the only medicine I can prescribe. The answer is string cheese, if you were wondering."

A ghost of a smile crosses my lips at his corny joke. Archer rewards me with a blinding grin, like I just gave him the best gift possible. "What do you call a happy cowboy?" I give him a small shrug in response. "A jolly rancher. What did one wall say to the other? I'll meet you at the corner."

Archer keeps telling me cheesy dad jokes.

As I listen to him, my tears slow, my breathing evens out, and my shaking subsides. His silly jokes take my mind off what just happened. Thanks to his humor, I'm slowly able to cobble myself back together. Sure, there are some new cracks and missing bits. Eventually, though, I'm able to wade through all the jagged edges and aching pieces to find myself again.

Archer never tries to rush me. He just kneels on the hard tile, holds my hand, and keeps telling jokes as long as I need. I don't think I'll ever be able to express to Archer how grateful I am for what he's doing or how much it means to me.

"What kind of bagel can travel?"

Since I don't have the right words to tell Archer how much I appreciate him, I do the only thing I can. I finish his joke. "A plain bagel."

Archer beams at my hoarse answer, and I feel like maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.