Wolf Among Us

02 Standoff

02 Standoff

Avery checked her phone and groaned. Besides the scandalized messages from Dayton and Melissa, she had a miss call from her old social worker, Finn, and a text from Holden, her partner in crime. Figuring she would just reschedule her meeting with Finn, she sent a quick message to Dayton and Melissa, and tucked her phone back in her pocket.

Her little ruffle with Laurel had cost her several detentions. Never mind that Laurel got off with a slap on the wrist, why would detention still be a thing when she was this close to graduating. In any case, she couldn’t be sour about it. Laurel just seemed to want to rub her the wrong way and Avery wouldn’t just stand by.

She pushed through the school doors and headed for the parking lot. She sent a quick glance to the sky and groaned internally. Even after the stifling high heat, low clouds threatened to bring on a summer storm.  Just her lucky day, wasn’t it?

Avery desperately wanted to get back to her apartment and and turn off her phone. She walked over to the lone, beat up Jeep, unlocking the doors and carelessly throwing her bags in. The radio cranked on as she jiggled her key, her senses flooded as something else caught her eye.

Avery stilled,  an instinct taking over to spot danger. A moment passed and then she saw it in her mirror.

The familiar car pulled up with a screech only three spaces down. “Please don’t do this to me today,” she muttered.

Reece stepped out of the sleek, black car, his hair ruffling in the sudden chill. Avery watched as his dark eyes swept from the other, Adam Lawrence, and trail across the lot onto her.

Those brief seconds of eye contact could cut through steel.

“Shit.”

The last thing she needed was to go another round with "them" today. Her restraint only went so far. 

She watched the boys, both built unfairly leaned and muscled, start striding in her direction. Maybe she could just step on the gas and leave them biting their tongues.

“What to do, what to do?” she kept muttering to herself, anxiety balling up inside her as the distance closed.

Before she could make up her mind whether to hightail it out of there, the tap came at her window.

Shit.

Swinging the door wide, Avery climbed out of her car. Playing it cool, she swept her hair behind her ear and gave them a bright smile. There was a lot more at stake here, but they simply weren’t aware.

“It’s pretty late, boys,” she greeted, making it plain and clear she didn’t want to hang about.

Adam smothered a chuckle, a glint in his eyes that wasn’t as serious as the thundering gaze coming off Reece.

“What exactly happened between you and Laurel today?” he nearly demanded.

She didn’t let his clipped tone faze her. Shrugging nonchalantly, she answered. “Girl stuff. Why?”

A glance between the two before looking back to Avery. “We don’t to have any trouble between—”

“She started that trouble when she thought she could pull rank. So why am I the one being grilled?” she flared up, taking a step forward.