Her Four Shifter Mates : Betrayed

Chapter 4

This time, he doesn't crash into anything, or so much as glance at my outfit. His eyes lock on mine and stay there. They're a beautiful light brown, framed by the sort of thick, long lashes that I could never manage, even before Mom threw out my mascara.

"Hi," he says with a practiced smile. I stare, mesmerized, and his smile widens. "I'm trouble."

"Huh?" The word just slips out. After not saying anything for weeks, I honestly wasn't even sure I could talk, and I know my face registers my surprise. He winks, and I do something totally embarrassing. I let out a dreamy sigh.

"Leave her alone, Trouble," Luke warns. I wonder what sort of parents would give their kid a name like that. It's probably a nickname, or he somehow got his hands on Mom's email of rules and saw that it's her favorite word to describe boys.

Luke suddenly moves closer and wraps his arm around me. His skin feels warm and his touch makes me feel safe. It also makes me forget all about staying away from boys, or the fact that Luke knows about the rules, and he should be the one staying away from me.

Then, Trouble takes a step forward, and it's all too much. He's too close—they both are—and I push Luke away. Of course, Trouble gets the wrong idea. He quickly takes Luke's place, pulling me into his side, and I wonder if this might all be some kind of dream. Maybe my parents have finally managed to drive me insane, and I'm still at home, mumbling incoherently as I slobber all over the couch.

"It's Trouble," Trouble repeats. "T-r-e-b-l-e. Treble." He waits for a few seconds, and when I don't say anything, he adds. "Treble Summers."

"Don't you think you have enough fangirls already?" Luke glares at Treble.

"Can't help it if girls fall all over me, man." Treble grins back, and I realize that he means me.

I turn beet red and slip out from under his arm. Luke immediately moves closer, but I quickly back away. When there's a safe distance between the three of us, the boys look at each other, and then at me. Luke seems concerned, while Treble responds with another practiced smile.

"There you are, Treb." A small blonde throws herself at him literally from out of nowhere. She wraps her arms around one of his, squishing her boobs into his bicep, and lifts her phone up to take a selfie.

Treble responds with that smile of his while she rubs herself all over him, but as soon as she lowers her phone, his gaze returns to me. I wait for her to disengage herself and leave, but she gets up on tiptoe instead and starts whispering who knows what in his ear.

"Holly?" Luke asks in surprise, and I realize that my hands are clenched into fists and that I'm glaring at the blonde like I plan to rip out all her hair.

"Um, Angel..." Treble disengages from her with a sheepish smile aimed at me. "Now's not a good time."

"Oh." Angel pouts. She finally realizes Treble is staring at me, not at her, and her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "So, um... I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yeah, sure..." Treble says absently. He doesn't turn to look when she throws her hair over her shoulder and sashays away, hips swinging. He doesn't even notice when she raises her phone, smirks, and takes my picture right before she disappears. Neither does Luke. For some reason, they're both too busy staring at me.

They don't even seem to react when the bell rings. Treble rubs the back of his neck and finally asks, "So, um, what class do you have next, Holly?"

My mind goes blank. Why are they both staring at me like that? Luke probably thinks I'm some sort of freak after everything Mr. Davies must have told him, but what about Treble? Does he know, too? Did Luke text him about it? Is that why they're both so fascinated with me?