"In coming." Theo muttered from where he was leaning on the counter. Cameron straightened, set his cup down next to Theo, and stepped closer to me.
"Hey, Story." Todd said.
Everything in my body suddenly tensed. I knew logically that Todd would be at this party. He was the one that invited me after all but for some reason I hadn't expected to actually see him here. Cam's arms snaked around my middle and he pulled my back flush against his front.
"Dude. It's Tori." Cam said resting his chin on the top of my head.
"It's a nickname bro." Todd said eyeing Cameron carefully. He didn't look intimidated or uncomfortable in the least. He did however appear to be annoyed.
"Tori is her nickname. Story is just disrespectful." Cam said and kissed the top of my head.
"So you're the boyfriend?" Todd asked.
"Something like that." The smirk in Cameron's voice combined with the feeling of having him pressed so close made a series of butterflies erupt in my stomach.
"You know she's fucking that other dude, Tao, right?" Todd smirked back. He was baiting Cam, or at least he thought he was until Cameron laughed.
"And?" Cam said.
My brow furrowed along with Todd's as we took in Cam's words. Maybe the alcohol had gone straight to his brain. Maybe we shouldn't be letting him talk. My eyes shot toward Theo. His glowing green eyes were watching us and there was a hint of something in his expression that made me want to shiver. It had intrigue and humor written all over it. A very faint smirk of approval touched his lips and my breath caught. It was more than humor. It was mischief.
"What the hell?" Todd asked. "Why do you let someone else fuck your girl?"
"Not that it's any of your business..." Cam trailed off waiting for Todd to supply his name.
"T." Todd said glaring.
"T, but in today's society we're not all closed minded and barbaric enough to demand ownership of our partners." Cam said.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Todd demanded.
"It means that she can do whatever she wants and what she doesn't want is you so you need to back the hell off and leave her alone." Cam said.
My mouth popped open at Cam's blunt words. I'd never heard him take such a threatening tone with someone before. It was an insane contrast to the gentle way he was holding me around my waist.
Apparently, the threat caught Todd of guard as well. His face flashed with surprise, anger, and then something else. Maybe jelousy? It was hard to distinguish through the pleasant haze the alcohol had provided. Almost as quickly as the emotions flashed across his face they seemed to vanish and he masked it all with a cold laugh.
"Dude, I don't know what she's been telling you but I can promise you she wanted it." Todd said.
Cam shifted. I knew what he was going to do the second I saw him take a step toward Todd. Theo shifted also and fortunately for all of us he was faster than Cam. He placed him self between the two of them and my shoulders relaxed.
"You need to back off." Theo's commanded. The gaze he leveled at Todd reminded me so much of Aydan that my spine straightened and my alcohol induced brain fog dissipated slightly. Todd shifted standing at his full height as he glared at Theo.
"Maybe you should tell him that." Todd said. "It's not my fault his girls a whore."
I heard the sharp inhale of breath. Everything slowed to a crawl. Theo tilted his head just slightly. His jaw clinched. If I had blinked I would have missed the fist that zipped through the air and caught Todd in the chin. Todd dropped. He hit the floor in a crumpled heap and the entire kitchen went silent. No body moved. It was like they were all holding their breath with me. I didn't know what to do. The tense way that Theo and Cameron stood said that even though Todd was down this wasn't over.
I reached my shaking hand up to my ear and hoped that I pressed the correct button as I whispered "Aydan?"
"Back up now." Aydan commanded in my ear.
I took several quick steps back until I couldn't back away any more. I was against the counter again and no matter how hard I tried to think of a solution the fog in my mind wouldn't allow it.
Todd groaned and then growled. He shot to his feet and launched himself at Cameron and Theo. I let out a terrified squeak and clamped my hand over my mouth. Cam was the one ready this time he managed two swift hits to Todd's side but Todd landed one as well. Three more people dove into the scuffle and I lost track of who was hitting who or where anyone was.
Someone cut the music from the other room and a group of guys dove into the scuffle as well. The newest members managed to restrain and remove several people from the fight until it had ceased completely.
"Take it outside!" One of the guys commanded and shoved the lot of them outside including my guys. I took a step toward the door where they had all disappeared but a hand wrapped around my bicep halting me.
"Wait." Sab ordered.
"What?" I demanded.
I couldn't wait.
My friends were outside in a massive brawl and he wanted me to just wait in the house. Not only was that against my orders from Aydan, I was supposed to be in contact with one of them at all times, but it was also against every instinct I had. I needed to be there. I needed to help them.
I pushed at Sab's grasp so that I could go out to them but Sab was relentless. Not only would he not release me, he was pulling me in the opposite direction.
"Sabbatian Petrov let me go this instant!" I demanded.
To my surprise he released me with a light shove. The push forced me into the bathroom and he shut the door behind us. I glanced around the bathroom but there was no other way out aside form the door Sab was currently blocking.
"Move!" I said.
"No." He said. "It's not safe."
"Not safe?!" My shaking had gotten worse and I couldn't tell anymore if it was from fear or rage. HOw dare he pretend to care about me or my safety after ignoring me for weeks?!
"Not safe." He repeated through gritted teeth.
"Oh!" I laughed harshly. "So what? Now you care?"
Sab tilted his head. Regarding me as if he had no clue what I was implying.
"You don't get to just turn it on and off Sabbatian. You care or you don't." I growled.
"I care." He stated simply. He held up both hands palm up as if he truely had no idea why I would think he didn't care.
"Really? Because the way you've been ignoring my texts and avoiding me in class makes it pretty obvious that you don't." I said. He wasn't getting off that easy. Not after the hell he had put me through buy making me htink I had done something horribly wrong to make him hate me.
"I do." He growled stepping toward me. "That was for your protection."
He pointed at me as he spoke but I didn't back down. I was furious with him. If he was foolish enough to move away from the door I would just use that to my advantage. I stepped forward squaring off against him. Sab squinted at me and left no opening for the door. He knew what my goal was or at least he thought he did. It didn't matter to me. Caring or not he needed to move. I didn't have time for lies.
"My protection?" I laughed shaking my head. "I see no correlation between ignoring my existence and protecting me so just move."
"NO!" He boomed.
"Sab-!" Before I could get his full name past my lips again he grabbed me and crushed his mouth into mine. There was none of the asking, teasing, or hesitation that the others had shown. Sab's kiss was all consuming. It was firm, rich, and smooth just like I'd imagined. Chocolate.
All of my anger slipped away. All I could feel and think about was Sab and his delicious mouth. I kissed him back just as hard. If he wouldn't let me speak then I could at least show him how strongly his absence had affected me. His hand shifted into my hair urging me closer and trying to convey everything he couldn't explain. He cared. He was frustrated and angry that he couldn't explain it but he cared and he was going to kiss me until I believed him.
His teeth scraped across my bottom lip, biting, and producing a stinging sensation that warmed me from the inside out. I let out a breathy sigh. Sab tilted his head. His fingers tangled further in my hair and his tongue swiped across my lips impatiently. I understood and eagerly opened my mouth to him.
Sab let out a growl of approval. His tongue swirled around mine and then he sucked pulling my tongue into his mouth. I gasped. My knees gave out along with the last of my resistance. Sab's arm around my waist kept me up right against him. Heat pooled somewhere between my legs and my stomach quivered with raging butterflies trying to escape the warmth.
Sab pulled away from the kiss and we both stood there trying to catch our breath.
"I care." He breathed against my lips. "And I will explain but not here."
I blinked rapidly to try and clear my mind. Between the intoxication of Sab's lips and the alcohol my brain was useless. Sab's hand in my hair loosened but he kept his arm around my waist. He reached up, tucking my hair behind my ear, and slipping the communication ear bud out. He put it in his and then touched it to speak.
"Delta to Alpha. Birds secure." Sab said.
"Sdelayu." Sab said. (Will do.)
"Let's go." Sab said to me.
"But the guys!?" I gasped remembering that the other guys had been in a fight. We needed to be out there. We had to help them.
"Princessa." Sab tapped my chin in a silent 'look at me'. I raised my eyes to his.
"Trust me." He said.
He didn't state it like a question but I couldn't help my answering nod. I needed to learn to trust them. Trusting Sab, after everything we had been through together, didn't seem like a bad way to start.
Authors Note:
Sab's back and grumpy as ever :)
I'm not sure if I will be home early enough to update tomorrow (Saturday) so I am posting an update a little early.
Don't forget to let me know what you think and/or any questions you might have.
Thanks for reading! And voting!