Page 18 of Feral
Satisfied, Ella turned on her heels and walked back to the dorms to prepare for the night ahead.
Chapter 9
Axel
Axel wasn’t sure how long he’d been in the gym, other than the fact that it had been enough time to burst two punching bags and chase everyone else out. Not that he’d said anything to the other toms using the weight bench, but they had enough self-preservation instinct to know a tiger on the verge of shifting when they saw one.
He hated that Ella was right. Hehadbeen out of control lately, and finding out her plan to sleep with Bishop had almost been enough to push him over the edge. He’d gone out for a run in his cat form, but when he realized that was only serving to fuel his rage and make his mind numb to anything but instinct, he circled back and decided to try a more human means of taking out his aggression.
Surprisingly, pretending like the punching bag was Bishop wasn’t helping all that much. It felt good, though, so he kept going.
He sensed he wasn’t alone and even before he recognized the other male’s scent, he could tell it was Bishop from the way he bristled instinctively. When he turned, the young tom was standing in the doorway watching him with a smug, self-satisfied expression as if he knew exactly why Axel was there.
And Axel could think of no reason he’d come other than to torment him, since he certainly wasn’t dressed for a workout.
“I heard you were having a temper tantrum, but destroying school property? That’s a bit much, even for you,” he said, looking at the discarded bags pushed up against the wall behind Axel.
Axel felt the growl building in his throat and knew if he didn’t contain the beast, he was going to end up pouncing on Bishop and tearing out his throat. Not that he would particularly have regretted that, but he knew it would only prove Ella’s point.
Axel took off his boxing gloves and left them on the ground as he walked over to Bishop. The other tom tensed up, as if ready to defend himself.
“You know she only picked you to get under my skin, right?” he asked, deciding to let the pretenses drop. He’d never been a fan of them. Especially not when it came to someone whose existence was nothing but a nuisance to him.
Bishop seemed unmoved, his arms folded as he leaned back against the wall. “Is that so?”
“She’s known you for a few months,” Axel continued. “She’s been in love with me for years. You really think you can compete with that?”
“Given the fact that it took me months to get to second base and you haven’t even managed in years, I’d say that’s a distinction in my favor,” Bishop countered without missing a beat.
Rage swelled up within Axel’s chest and he almost lost it at the thought of Bishop--anyone, for that matter, but especially him--touching Ella. The only thing holding him back was the realization that Bishop didn’t know about them.
“Yeah. That must be why she came onto me in the hall, right before your date.”
Bishop rolled his eyes. “So I heard. In front of your ex, right?” he added pointedly. “I’msurethat was just a coincidence.”
This time, the growl made its way through Axel’s gritted teeth in response to the sarcasm. Instead of letting the tiger out, he pushed Bishop up against the wall, his forearm stretched across the other male’s throat. “I swear, if you hurt her, I’ll fucking rip out your lying tongue and feed it to you piece by piece.”
Bishop’s expression didn’t change, save for the hint of a smirk that made Axel want to put him through the wall. “You know, that temper is exactly why you’re not part of Felidae,” he mused. “And I’d be willing to bet it’s also the reason I’m wearing this ring instead of you.”
Axel noticed the silver band on Bishop’s right hand for the first time. He stepped back, letting him go. “Oh, yeah?” he challenged, taking the ring out of his own pocket. “What’s this, then?”
For a split second, Bishop’s eyes widened in surprise, but it disappeared just as swiftly. “I guess she didn’t want it to go to waste, but don’t worry. Your standby services won’t be needed.”
Axel’s fists clenched. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug grin off his face. The only thing holding him back wasn’t the fear of suspension or even expulsion, but the knowledge that it would only give Ella another reason to think Bishop was her poor, innocent knight in shining armor.
“Does she know about your little society?” he asked.
“She will soon enough,” Bishop said, straightening his tie. “And if that’s meant to be a threat, I suggest you remember what the consequences are for breaking the faith. Even for rejected initiates.”
Axel’s lips curled back in a snarl. “She’ll see through it, you know. She’s not as naive as she seems,” he finally said, forcing himself to calm down before the beast tore out of him. “You can pretend all you want, but I know she’s nothing more to you than a piece on a chessboard.”
“You’re right,” Bishop said, taking a step toward him. “The queen, in fact.” He came to a stop so he was toe to toe with Axel, his blue eyes blazing in challenge. “And you should know by now what happens to pawns who get in my way.”
Axel snorted. “I’d watch my back if I were you, Bishop. Your mommy’s status can’t protect you forever.”
“We’ll see,” Bishop said nonchalantly, finally taking a step back as if he’d lost interest in continuing to taunt his opponent.
Axel waited until he was out of the room before he put his fist through the wall the way he wanted to do to the other male’s face.
