Page 16 of Feral
His words took Ella’s breath away once more and she found herself staring at him like a lovesick idiot. When she finally shook herself out of it, she had the presence of mind to offer him the ring.
He put it on with a triumphant look in his gaze before taking her hand again, and there was something sensual about the cool metal brushing against her skin. “Are you free again tomorrow night?”
She was still reeling from the implication of his words, and what he meant by giving her a ring at a later time. Surely she’d heard him wrong. “Y-yeah. Why?”
“Because I’d like to make some arrangements and take you somewhere special.”
“More special thanthis?”
Bishop grinned. “Just wait and see.”
Chapter 8
Ella
Getting through the next day of class was torture--for once not because Ella was dreading what was to come, but because she was anticipating it.
She was nervous, of course. The idea of losing her virginity was not something she had imagined she would be doing at the beginning of her first semester at the Academy. Or at all, given the way her dating life before then had been going.
Nonetheless, she was glad it was going to be with Bishop. He refused to give her any further details about what he had planned that evening, but she felt right having chosen him. He made her feel safe, and it wasn’t just because he’d saved her life twice now.
There was something about him that was innately comforting. Something that made him seem so much older than he was, and made her feel as if she’d known him much longer.
Sometimes she wondered if he felt the same way, but she didn’t dare ask him.
Ella was about to consider the day an uneventful success when she saw Axel from across the hall. His eyes locked on her immediately, and she recognized the stubborn intent in them.
He knew.
She didn’t know how, since Bishop certainly wouldn’t have told him about the plans, but somehow, he knew. She could see it on his face.
Ella turned and quickly walked down the other hall, determined to get away as quickly as possible. She just didn’t have the energy to deal with him. Especially not right before she was supposed to meet Bishop that night.
“Ella!” he growled, evidently not caring who heard him.
What else was new?
She pretended like she hadn’t heard, but when he grabbed her arm and forced her to face him, she realized it wasn’t going to be that simple.
“Get your hands off me,” she snapped. To her surprise, he let her go, but there was still fury burning in his gaze.
“You went out with Bishop.”
She stared at him, waiting for him to expound on the statement that sounded like an accusation. “So?” she finally asked when he realized he wasn’t going to.
His eyes narrowed in indignation. She could see his old nature rising up. The instant need to verbally flay anyone who dared to defy him, or even question him. He suppressed it, proving he had more willpower than she’d given him credit for.
Or maybe just too much shame to look that desperate in front of the crowd that was already gawking at them.
“He’s an asshole. You realize that, right?”
Ella raised an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk about that.”
He pushed her up against the nearest locker, his hands planted on either side of her as he glowered downward. What had once intimidated her now did nothing but annoy her, namely because it reminded her of how close they’d come to fucking. “At least I’m honest about it. What you see is what you get,” he argued. “Bishop’s a snake in the grass, and no one realizes it until they get bit.”
“Bitten,” said Ella.
He frowned in confusion. “What?”
