Page 89 of Baseball and Shifters

“You’re a manipulative little whore just like he said,” he growls. “You played victim and dragged my name throughthe mud just so your precious little wolf could have his hero moment.”

“I didn’t drag anything,” I say coolly, pushing to my feet. “You did that all by yourself.”

Aubree snorts. “Seriously? You’ve got a lot of nerve to show your face right now. Out here looking like a pissed-off thumb with legs.”

Maya rises too, calm and solid. “You should go, Trent. Now.”

But he’s not listening. He takes a step forward, shoulders coiled like he’s barely restraining himself. “You’re not even denying it. You think just because you ride the dick of the Tribunal Leader's son you’re untouchable?”

I don’t flinch, I won’t give him the satisfaction.

“You fucking bitch,” he spits, and that’s it.

Dallas pulls out her phone, holding it up and hitting record. “Cool. That’s enough. Threatening a female on campus, after you’ve already been found guilty of sexual harassment. Hope you like explaining this one when you’re brought before The Eternal Council.”

His hands flex, like he wants to hit someone. But he stops himself, barely.

“You haven’t won anything, bitch,” he snarls at me. “Whores like you always get what’s coming to them.”

I don’t bother responding to his words, I simply stare him down, and this time I win.

He scoffs, mutters something under his breath, and finally turns storming off across the quad and back toward the guys dorm building.

If he’s been expelled, what’s he even still doing on campus?

Oh well, he’s not my problem anymore. Now that he’s leaving, I can enjoy being out and about without having to look over my shoulder just waiting for him to fuck with me again. And I’m going to start now, spending time with my girls.

Rachel

The sunlight filtering through the curtains wakes me and I hum in contentment as I stretch my legs beneath Liam’s comforter. His lingering warmth surrounds me and for a moment, I just breathe. Safe, warm, untouchable.

But the illusion won’t last.

I sit up slowly, stretching my arms over my head. I love waking up in one of my mates’ beds. I haven’t slept by myself in so long. I don't think I’d be able to do it if I went back to sleeping in my dorm. I’ve been spoiled falling asleep in their strong arms night after night. That’s going to be the challenging part of tonight’s girls’ night. I’ve been looking forward to tonight all week, but suddenly the prospect of sleeping without one of my guys is almost enough to have me canceling. But I can’t do that. I need this time with my friends. I’ve missed them so much and there’s so much we need to catch up on.

Rising from the bed, I opt for a comfy outfit today, throwing on one of Liam’s shirts and a pair of navy-blue leggings. Liam’s shirt hangs off one shoulder, soft and worn, the fabric smelling faintly of him, making me wish we could spend the day in his bed instead of class. My muscles are sore, not from anything physical, but from tossing and turning last night.

There’s a quiet knock before the door creaks open. Liam steps in, his dark blond hair is still a little damp from his shower, curling slightly at the ends. He’s already dressed for the day, his camera bag slung over one shoulder. No one should look so sexy this early in the morning. It’s really just not fair. In his rugged jeans and form fitting olive green t-shirt, he’s every girl’s secret outdoorsy fantasy come to life. I lick my lips as my eyes run up and down his firm body taking him in.

He smirks and shakes his head. “Don’t look at me like that, Shadow Girl. We’ve got class in thirty. That’s nowhere near enough time to do all the things that look is demanding we do.”

I flush at the promise in his husky voice. We haven’t done more than kissing and a little heavy petting over the clothes. He hasn’t said anything, but I can tell he’s holding back. I feel it in the bond.

I want nothing more than to push through that last tiny barrier between us and show him how much I need him. But I’ll go at his pace. As he’s been telling me, ‘We have time. We don’t have to rush into a physical relationship, just because we’re mates.’ But it doesn’t feel like rushing. It feelsright. Being with him… with all of them… feels like I can finally breathe. I always dreaded meeting my mates, but now I can’t imagine my life without them. I can’t wait to start our lives together after college.

He holds up his hands with two travel mugs and a bag. “I’ve got breakfast. D made a batch of his famous breakfast sandwiches before he took off to his business class. Even kept them warm for us in the oven.”

“A true angel,” I sigh, taking a cup out of his hand and sipping the perfectly made iced caramel latte. Derrick is always doing things like this to take care of me. I can always count on him to make sure I’m fed and have my coffee fix.

“He definitely knows the way to your heart,” he laughs. “You ready to go?”

I nod, sitting down in his desk chair and grabbing my shoes. “Just give me a second to throw these on and I will be.”

He waits, watching me with an expression that’s part fondness, part worry. I know he wants to say something, probably about how fitfully I slept last night or the lingering shadows under my eyes. But he doesn’t.

And again I don’t bring up what happened with Trent on Monday.

I almost do, I almost have all week. The words hover on the tip of my tongue, heavy and sour. But I know what will happen if I tell them. When they find out Trent confronted me while they weren’t around, they won’t want to be apart from me ever again. They’ll circle around tight and not let me go to girls night. And Ineedthis.

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