His Trouble Maker

hapter 12

Chapter 12

GRAYSON

“Dude, she’s gonna cry again tonight.”

Pierce nudges my elbow like that’s something I want to hear. I don’t even turn to look at him. My eyes are still locked on the woods. The path she tore through, all wild breath and rage. He keeps talking.

“You could’ve eased up. One more lap? She was dead on her feet.”

“She needed to learn.”

“Grayson-”

“I said she needed to learn.” My voice is low. Final. And if he says her name again, I swear to the fucking Moon I’ll snap.He doesn’t get it. No one gets it. She’s not just some omega. She’s my Luna. And my Luna doesn’t get to be weak. She doesn’t get to fall apart in the middle of a battlefield just because someone hurt her feelings. Not even when that someone is me.l exhale through my nose, hands flexing at my sides like they’re itching for something to hold. ]

My cock’s still half–hard. Still aching from that goddamn kiss earlier–when her body pressed into mine and she moaned against my mouth like she was made for me.That sound wrecked me. I can still taste her. Still feel the way she arched. How her fingers trembled. The way her throat pulsed when I licked it.

Fuck

And now I’m the villain.

Now she’s running through a storm like I didn’t just humiliate her in front of the pack. Because I did. I had to. Because love doesn’t matter if she’s not strong enough to survive what’s coming. Because no one gets to break her–but me and I’ll rebuild her after.Stronger. Sharper. Mine.

“You’re cruel sometimes, man,” Pierce mutters.

“Good,” I say. “She’ll remember it.”

After a few minutes, Pierce gave up waiting beside me. He muttered something I didn’t bother listening to, then walked off across the field, leaving me alone in the middle of the storm like some goddamn fool.

The others are already gone–tucked into dorms, hiding from the cold, from the thunder that’s been crawling closer with every breath–but I’m still here. Sitting on the soaked grass, elbows resting on my knees, eyes fixed on the edge of the woods like she’s going to come running out of them at any second.

I told her one more lap.

She agreed.

So where the fuck is she?

I drag a hand down my face, pushing rain away from my eyes as the wind shifts and another crack of thunder tears

1/5

12:43 Wed, 30 Jun

Chapter 12

through the sky. The downpour gets harder. Louder. It pelts my shoulders, soaks through my shirt, seeps into my boots-

but I don’t move. I can’t.

She’s out there.

Jessica. My omega. My goddamn Luna.

I let my gaze scan the treeline again. Nothing moves. Not a single branch. Not a sound. Not even the faint rustle of her breath trying to hide from me.

What the hell is taking you so long, baby?

You’re not that slow. You’re not that weak.

finish a lap in a storm and curse me out on

a girl who wouldn’t even look at me an hour ago without

the lap. I needed her to finish it. And now every second she doesn’t come out of those woods, my gut twists tighter and my jaw starts to ache from

I finally exhale, sharp and rough, dragging

Enough waiting.

decided to detour to her room without telling me, I swear I’ll find her and put her on her fucking

No.

Something’s wrong.

all at once–no sound, no sign–but I feel it like a punch to the chest. The kind of stillness

take one

Then another.

start walking–fast–toward the

“GRAYSON!”

the dirt, catches, launches forward again. Rain pelts my face, my arms,

voice rips through the trees, high and broken—and everything

jerks toward the sound

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Chapter 12

“Fuck. Jess–fuck.”

My feet launch forward.

71%

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way, ducking under limbs, boots

“Grayson!”

breath. “Damn it, baby. Where are you?” My vision tunnels. The trees blur past me–shadows and bark and soaked leaves slapping against my skin–and I barely register any

is her voice echoing in my skull like it’s carved there.

one more.

me. “Let

skid through a patch of mud, sliding, catching–I barely keep

now–eyes scanning the trees like they’ll split open and

throat

heaves. My ribs ache from

try to feel her. Fuck. My eyes fly open. She’s not alone. I run. I fucking tear across the field like my bones are fire and my blood is knives. I don’t care if I break something. I don’t care if I bleed. I don’t care if my legs give out or if I lose

She’s scared.

She’s terrified.

woman is fucking

my face. Thorns rip my arms open. Bark shreds my knuckles as l

Jessica.

the dirt. Shirt ripped open. Chest heaving. Mud smeared across her stomach. Her legs are kicking, but not

me!” she screams, voice cracking. “Fuck–please! Get

I see red.

so sharp I nearly

1 fucking lunge.

12:43 Wed, 30 Jul

Chapter 12

ground in a tangle of claws and teeth, mud exploding around us as the storm beats

He bites me.

skin–and

want a fucking

into his snout, bone crunching under my knuckles. He lets go, and I grab the back of his head and slam it into the mud until it dents around his skull. He kicks–tries to roll–but I bite his fucking shoulder. Hard. Deep. I taste blood. I taste fur.

throat. I drive my knee into his ribs, feel the crack underneath me,

I growl through

I drag my claws down his cheek in