Page 11 of A Drop of Anguish
Marcus nods.
The dark-skinned shifter doesn’t seem fazed by the attention, though. His chin is high, lids hooded, like he is utterly at ease with all eyes on him. He pauses, scanning the room.
Then, his gaze lands squarely on me.
My heart rate picks up speed as he walks down the aisle without looking away.What the hell?
Why? What possible reason would a new Elite shifter have to approach me? Some of the other wolves seem to really enjoy taunting me, but he’s brand new. It’s his first day at a new school. How would he even know who I am?
No, I have to be imagining the attention. He’s looking at someone behind me, right? I glance over my shoulder to find the wart-filled face of a goblin. I turn back quickly.
My internal questioning turns to utter panic when he stops next to our table. A powerful Elite shifter looks down at our reject group of Minor Hall kids.
“This seat open?” the shifter asks, amusement in his eyes.
Janet, Lola, and I are stun locked.
“Sure,” Marcus responds for us.
The shifter smiles then scooches behind me to take the seat on my other side.
Marcus places two fingers under Janet’s chin and lifts it shut. I chuckle at the image, and my shock dissipates.
I whip my attention to the shifter, all amusement gone in an instant. “Why in hell would you want to sit here?”
“Seemed like as good a spot as any.” He shrugs.
“Bullshit. What’s your game?” I cross my arms and meet his arrogant gaze. He’s handsome, with that stupid cocky grin. But that only makes this worse. If he were an ugly shifter, I could at least justify his interest in our group a little.
“Game?” His smile remains, and boy if that doesn’t get under my skin. I clench my fists. He’s messing with us, and I want to burn him alive for it.
“What’s my name?” I ask him.
His smile slips for the first time. “How would I know your name? We haven’t met yet, and you’re being very rude.”
“Wonderful. If I’m so rude, then leave and go sit with the popular kids like everyone expects.”
“You’re not a popular kid?”
“This is the Minor Hall table. You’re in Elite Hall. Go sit with the beautiful and powerful people and leave us alone.”
His eyes scan the tables.
“Yeah, see, that’s the problem. There’s at least one shifter from a different pack at every one of those tables. So, unless you want me to have my throat torn out in my first five minutes here, I’ve got to find a different spot to hang out.”
“So, you chose the weakest beings in the school?”
“No, I chose the smartest.”
I roll my eyes. “Not how that works.” Just because we’re low in magic, doesn’t make us top in brain power.
“As I hear it, you’re a potions prodigy.”
“See!” I say a bit too loudly, slamming my fist on the table.I flinch at my own outburst and then lean in to say quieter, “Youdoknow who I am. And I don’t believe for a second that you sought me out specifically for my potions work.”
“No?” He tilts his head innocently. “What do you think I sought you out for?”
My lips part, but then I pause. What would be his reason? To mess with me the way the other wolves have threatened to? To spy on me about the Akrasia Games? Whatever the reason, I can’t just blurt out those theories.
