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.

you to finish a lap in a storm and curse me out

for a girl who wouldn’t even look at me an hour ago without wanting to slap me–but I don’t

second she doesn’t come out of those woods, my gut twists tighter and my

sky and I finally exhale, sharp and rough, dragging my

Enough waiting.

room without telling me, I swear I’ll find her and put her on her fucking knees.

No.

Something’s wrong.

it like a punch to the chest. The kind of stillness that doesn’t mean peace. The kind that means danger. That means silence right before the

take one

Then another.

start walking–fast–toward

“GRAYSON!”

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

rips through the trees, high and broken—and everything

jerks toward the sound so fast my neck

215

30 Jul

Chapter 12

“Fuck. Jess–fuck.”

My feet launch forward.

71%

+28

branches out of the way, ducking under limbs, boots pounding into the earth as rain slices across my face like

“Grayson!”

vision tunnels. The trees blur past me–shadows and bark and

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

one more.

out of me. “Let me

a patch of mud, sliding, catching–I

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

dry, throat tight. “I swear to the

ribs ache from the

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

She’s scared.

She’s terrified.

is

arms open. Bark shreds my knuckles as

Jessica.

Her legs are kicking, but not fast enough. Her hands are scratching the

screams, voice cracking. “Fuck–please! Get off

I see red.

sharp

1 fucking lunge.

12:43 Wed, 30 Jul

Chapter 12

teeth, mud exploding around us as the storm beats

He bites me.

forearm–teeth tearing through skin–and I

a fucking

bone crunching under my knuckles. He lets go, and I grab the back of his head and slam it into the mud until

rise–but I slam him back down, hard, my hand locking around his throat. I drive my knee into his ribs, feel the crack underneath me, my claws already digging into his chest

want her?” I growl through

force his face to mine–blood already gushing, mixing with rain–and I drag my claws down his cheek in one savage swipe. Deep. Slow. Meant to