CHAPTER SEVEN
~ OLIVIA ~
"Oh Olivia, this piece is wonderful!"
I frowned and looked at the artwork Mrs. Jason was referring to as she looked through all my paintings to give me my grades.
I blinked a couple of times as I looked at the painting that I had done earlier this week.
It was...sort of a self-portrait. I was standing in the middle of the woods, a dress covering my body. I looked a bit ruffled and beat up in the painting. Around me were beautiful, lush trees, and the soft dirt was underneath my bare feet, allowing me to breathe in the Earth. Standing in front of me, teeth barred and in a defensive position was a black-as-night werewolf.
I swallowed and glanced back at Mrs. Jason who was smiling at me.
I didn't really remember much when I painted this picture, just that I immediately hated it. I mean...why would I paint a picture of a werewolf when every werewolf hates me or fears me?
I looked back at the picture, looking back to the wolf. He was staring, quite menacingly at some unknown enemy, his yellowish eyes glaring.
My mind went to a familiar pair of eyes. Dakota...
I shook my head, trying to clear it.
"This must be a self-portrait hm? And who is that wolf? Is that your mate?"
My brows furrowed at her question, having no idea what a mate is. I've never even heard the term.
She raised a brow at me, surprised.
"Surely you know what a mate is?"
I shook my head no.
"I'm surprised. I know you aren't a werewolf but I thought you'd at least heard the term."
I stared at her blankly and she shrugged.
"No matter. Werewolves form a special bond with one person in their life and that person is their mate. It's a soul mate. I'm not sure if witches have mates but it wouldn't surprise me if you were to bond with one of the young wolves here."
A cold fear flooded my veins at the idea of bonding with a werewolf. That thought terrified me.
"Okay Olivia, the bell is going to ring soon. Would you like to take your paintings home?"
I began to shake my head no, wanting to rip up that painting but found myself nodding yes. She smiled at me, rolling them up and putting them in a protective tube before handing them to me.
"Thank you for showing me your work. Try and have a good weekend okay?"
I nodded numbly at her and began gathering my things as the bell rang. I sighed, not wanting to go home. It's the weekend which means I get to hide in my room for two days. The weekend was probably the worst part of my week since I have no way to escape from my parents. It's also the worst because the only way I can eat is if I sneak food when my parents aren't home or are sleeping.
I looked up as I exited the building, heading for the buses. I stopped when I saw Amber standing in front of me, her smirk laughing at me.
I can walk home.
I turned away from Amber and began walking towards home, heading across the parking lot. I looked down at the concrete as I walked, feeling several eyes on me as I walked through the busy student parking lot.
I swallowed as I got to the corner and turned, leaving behind all the eyes that had been watching me.
I relaxed a bit, as I found myself alone. I continued my walk, glad I was able to avoid Amber as well as Dakota.
Suddenly, a dark chuckle sounded behind me and I turned around. Jake, Tyler, and a few other football players were behind me, following me. I turned back around and started walking faster.
Panic set in as I heard their footsteps approaching me and I took off in a sprint, wanting to get away from them. I was about to approach the next corner when a wolf slid out in front of me, growling at me.
I gasped, stopping in my tracks. He growled at me some more and I took a few steps back. I turned back around and found Jake approaching me.
Shit.
I ran towards Jake, hoping maybe I could get around him but he grabbed my backpack, pulling me back.
I gasped as he jerked me back and pushed me against the fence lining the yard we were in front of. As he pulled me back, my backpack ripped and the tube with my paintings fell out, bouncing off the concrete.
I tried to grab it but Jake got it before me. He opened it up and pulled out the first painting inside; the werewolf one.
He began to chuckle before he turned around the painting for his friends to see.
"Look at this guys! The witch has a thing for wolves!"
They all began laughing and I could feel my face warm up in embarrassment. God, why can't everyone just leave me the hell alone?
I swallowed as Jake walked up to me and leaned over, his mouth near my ear.
"You are disgusting. No wolf would ever want you. You're an evil witch. You're a whore and you're a freak."
I could feel tears threaten to fall from his words and I closed my eyes. Breathe Olivia, and do not let these assholes see you cry.
He backed away from me and looked at his friends.
"How about we teach this bitch a lesson? No one messes with or hexes our friend."
My brows furrowed in confusion. Messes or hexes? What the hell is he talking about?
Before I could figure it out, Jake raised his arm, his hand clenched into a fist. Before I could react, he brought his arm down.
I flinched away, throwing my arms up to protect myself but...nothing happened.
I waited and still nothing.
I opened my eyes and looked up, a gasp coming from my mouth.
Standing between Jake and I was Dakota. His hand had a strong grip on Jake's arm and he was standing in front of me, his back pressed to me. Dakota's left arm was reached back, pulling me closer to him by wrapping around me as best as it could.
I stood there, trembling. I could feel Dakota's chest vibrating as he growled at Jake and the other guys that encircled us and I buried my face in Dakota's back, gripping his shirt.
His body stiffened and he growled louder as Tyler took another step towards us.
"Don't touch her or I'll rip your fucking arm clean off," he growled at Jake.
There was silence for a long moment and then I felt Jake pull away from Dakota. Dakota's other arm reached back and I jumped when his hand touched me.
"Okay, Dakota...just calm down. We weren't doing anything except messing with her. None of us were gonna hurt her, right guys?"
No one responded to Jake's lie and I stood there, tense. Another silence followed before the wolf to our left took a step forward. Dakota growled at him, the growl sending fear through my veins. I watched as a patch of thick black fur broke through Dakota's skin and swallowed as the realization that he was going to shift soon came to me.
The black fur disappeared and his skin was back to normal as he glared at the wolf next to us. He began to back away as did the other guys. Jake took a few steps back.
"Leave. Now," he growled.
None of them moved and he let out another chest-vibrating growl.
"Now!"
They all took off before Dakota got any angrier and we both stood there, frozen. I was trembling against Dakota's back, waiting for him to shift and rip me to shreds or for his friends to come back and beat the shit out of me.
Dakota stood there and waited until his friends were gone before he turned around, looking me over.
I swallowed, watching him, wary.
His glare melted away and he sent me a small smile before he saw my painting on the ground. He walked over to it and picked it up and I felt panic as he looked at it.
Oh shit.
His smile fell when he looked at it and he held it for a moment before he handed it back to me. I rolled it up and put it away, sliding it into my backpack. He took a couple of steps towards me and reached forward. I jumped back when his hand entered my vision, my heart pounding in my chest in fear.
His hand was held out towards me and we stared at one another, waiting to see the other's reaction.
He dropped his hand and sent me a warm smile.
"Are you okay? Those guys didn't hurt you, did they?"
I shook my head no and I watched his body relax. He looked me over again.
"I'm sorry about them. They're just being ignorant. People react badly to things they don't understand."
I stared at him, his words making me curious. Surely he doesn't understand either...right?
We stared at one another for a long moment and his smile slowly fell.
"I'm sorry...for - "
I reached forward and grabbed his hand. He stopped talking and I squeezed his hand.
"Thank you," I mouthed.
His eyes widened in surprise and I went to pull away but his hand gripped mine. Fear entered me for a moment and I turned to look at him.
"Don't go just yet. Can we...talk?"
I frowned, turning back towards him. He watched me for a long moment and I waited to see what it was he wanted to talk about.
"Can we um...can we..."
I waited, a brow raised and he sighed, shaking his head.
"Nevermind. I'll...see you on Monday."
He began walking away from me and I frowned, confused. What the hell was that about?
I shrugged it off and began walking to the corner again, almost home. I stopped at the corner and turned around to see him watching me. A small smile appeared on my face as I remembered what had happened yesterday when he had stopped Amber.
I waved at him and he smiled, a chuckle sounding from him as he waved back at me. I smiled some more as I turned back around heading for home with an unfamiliar but pleasant warmth lit inside of my chest.
~ DAKOTA ~
I sighed as I dried myself off in the locker room. The rest of the guys all left right after practice to go do whatever it was that they had planned for their Friday night.
I threw my towel in the dirty clothes basket and shook my wet hair, smiling at the feeling. I really should go for a run soon, maybe even a swim.
My wolf agreed with that thought.
I finished getting dressed before grabbing my things from my locker and leaving the locker room.
I began looking around the halls in search of Olivia, wanting to find her before she left for the weekend. I took a deep breath, trying to find her scent.
The lingering scent of vanilla met my nose and I began to follow it.
I found myself at the bus ramp, the smell a bit stronger than before, but masked by the exhaust from the buses.
I looked around at the students who were getting on their buses to head home. I felt a bit of panic as I realized that she could already be on her bus to go home.
I gripped the strap of my backpack when I suddenly could smell fear.
My body stiffened as fear flooded my veins. A sharp pain hit me in the back of my head and I reached up, expecting to feel a bump or something.
"What the fuck...Olivia," I breathed.
I held onto my backpack and began running in the direction of her scent. I ran between two buses and towards the corner that she had turned around yesterday when she had walked home. I continued running, the vanilla scent flooding my nostrils now.
I rounded another corner and skidded to a stop. Down the block stood Olivia, pushed against a fence. Jake stood in front of her, walking towards her, and Josh and Chris stood to her right. Tyler was in his wolf form on her left, all four of them advancing on her.
"How about we teach this bitch a lesson? No one messes with or hexes our friends."
Messes or hexes? What is he talking about? Before I could figure it out, Jake raised his arm above his head, his hand in a fist. Without a second thought, I ran towards them, sliding between Olivia and Jake. Jake's arm came down as I slid between them and I grabbed it, stopping him mid-swing. I threw my left arm behind me, putting it against Olivia to make her feel safe.
Everyone froze around us as I stood there, trying to control my breathing. My breathing was beginning to sound more and more like growling. Olivia's body was trembling behind me and I felt her left hand grab my shirt as she buried her face into my back.
I glared up at Jake, rage bubbling inside of me. How dare he try and fucking hurt my mate.
"Don't touch her or I'll rip your fucking arm clean off," I growled.
I'm not even sure how I managed to speak words, I was so livid. Olivia was still trembling behind me and her fear made me even angrier, if possible. I could feel myself on the verge of a shift and the guys around me all knew it too.
Chris and Josh backed away, knowing that if I shifted there would be some serious consequences. Jake pulled his arm away but didn't back away. I put my other arm behind me to protect Olivia's other side and she jumped when my hand touched her, pushing herself more into my back.
Jake raised his hands.
"Okay, Dakota...just calm down. We weren't doing anything except messing with her. None of us were gonna hurt her, right guys?"
Chris and Josh remained silent and Tyler stared at all of us in his wolf form. I glanced at Tyler who took a step towards us and I glared at him, a growl echoing around us in warning. Tyler stared at me and my body began to shake in anger.
Oh no.
I could feel my wolf trying to claw his way out so he could rip these guys to shreds. I growled again, warning them.
Calm down...we have to calm down. We cannot shift here, not with Olivia...
I focused on her body pressed into my back, her hand gripping my shirt. I slowly calmed down enough to gain control of my anger.
"Leave. Now," I spat out.
Jake and the others took a few steps away from me, knowing that if they continued to mess with Olivia right now, they would be dealing with me in wolf form.
I growled again and Olivia flinched.
"Now!" I commanded.
They all jumped and ran from us, unable to disobey the command. I stood there, unable to move in fear that I would shift the minute Olivia stopped touching me.
I stood there, my body still tense as she continued trembling against me. I closed my eyes and thought about the techniques my father had taught me about controlling my breathing.
I took a breath and held it for ten seconds before releasing it. I did it again and felt...better.
I exhaled and stood up, lowering my arms from around Olivia. I turned around to face her and she was watching me, fear clear as day on her face.
I relaxed as I looked her over and saw that she was safe and unharmed, minus the bruising from her abuse at home.
I frowned at the thought of her going home and wanted to keep her from leaving.
She looked behind me and I glanced back and saw a paper on the ground. I walked over to it and picked it up, stopping when I saw it was a painting.
I unrolled it all the way and looked at it.
The first thing I realized was that Olivia was fucking talented. No, gifted. The painting was a work of art, something that could be sold or put up in an art collection.
The second thing I realized was that the painting had me in it.
I looked it over, surprised. The painting was in the woods, the woods near my house to be specific. Olivia stood in a torn-up dress, her eyes wide and one of her hands in a fist while the other had a blue glow around it. In front of her was a large, black wolf crouched down, teeth bared.
That black wolf had bright yellow eyes - my eyes.
I turned around and handed the painting back to Olivia who took it, rolling it up and putting it back in its safe space. Her cheeks were pink in embarrassment and I felt my insides soften a bit.
I took a couple of steps towards her, reaching my hand out with the intention to touch her face. She jumped back, and I stopped when I could sense the fear emanating from her. We both froze, both of us waiting to see what the other was going to do.
She watched me, her eyes wide in fear and I dropped my hand, letting it fall to my side. She continued to watch me, unsure, and I sent her a warm smile.
Please, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise.
"Are you okay? Those guys didn't hurt you, did they?"
She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head no and I relaxed, relieved that she was physically okay. I looked her over, making sure she was actually okay and I nodded.
"I'm sorry about them. They're just being ignorant. People react badly to things they don't understand," I said.
She watched me for a long moment, her eyes staring at me in curiosity. I stared at her, her bruises, her eyes...I felt guilt begin to eat away at me at all the times I could've...I should've stopped the bullying from Amber and the others at school and just didn't.
All the times I failed to protect my mate.
"I'm sorry...for -"
Before I could finish, her hand grabbed mine and I stopped. My body froze as her hand held mine. My heart took off in my chest at the skin to skin contact and I felt our bond strengthen.
Her emotions flooded through my veins and I looked into her eyes. She squeezed my hand and my knees felt wobbly.
"Thank you," she mouthed.
My eyes widened in surprise and I stared at her in utter shock.
Holy shit.
She began to pull her hand from mine and I gripped it, not wanting to let her go.
"Don't go just yet. Can we...talk?"
Smooth bro, smooth.
I ignored my wolf, pleading with my eyes to try and get her to stay. She stared at me, a frown on her face. I let go of her hand, watching her as she stared at me.
"Can we um...can we..."
Please just come home with me so I can keep you safe. Please. Don't go home.
Her brow shot up and she watched me, waiting for me to finish.
I sighed and shook my head.
"Nevermind. I'll...see you on Monday."
I pushed my hands in my pockets, feeling like a failure and a fucking idiot.
You're really not going to tell her? You're just going to let her go home so she can get beat up even more? My wolf asked.
I can't just bring her home with my dad and his stupid ass beliefs. I need to figure this out.
He remained silent and I continued walking back towards the school. I stopped at the corner of the block, feeling worse and worse the farther away I got from Olivia.
I turned around and saw her standing at the other corner of the block, waiting for me to turn around.
I watched as a small smile appeared on her face and suddenly, she raised her arm and waved at me.
I couldn't stop the small smile that formed on my face and the chuckle that escaped as she mirrored what I had done to her yesterday. She smiled in my direction once more before she disappeared around the corner.
I stared after her for a long while before I began the lonely walk towards my car, a foreboding feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach.