Catching Genesis Read online

  “I envy your long legs.” Reese sighs. She really has no reason to envy my anything.

  “My goddess, you girls look stunning!” exclaims my mom when we get to the bottom of the stairs.

  “Thanks, Lavinia,” reply Reese and Penny.

  Mom hugs all three of us with tears in her eyes. I think she's thankful for my friends for getting me up and about again. Ready to get back to school again too.

  We join Dad and Autumn in the kitchen for breakfast. Mom has made lots of pancakes for us.

  Later, Autumn joins us in Reese's car for a five-minute drive to school. I know Autumn enjoys spending time with my friends too. She's known them since she was in diapers. They're more like big sisters to her.

  “I'd like to do my hair like yours too soon,” says Autumn, pulling at a lock of my hair before she jumps out of the car and disappears into the crowd.

  “That's the closest to a compliment I've ever gotten from her,” I inform Penny and Reese.

  “Sisters,” mumbles Penny, shaking her head. “Sometimes I'm glad I'm an only child.”

  I notice we draw a lot of attention as we exit the car. I wonder if it's because they know about what happened between me and Logan, or because of our new looks.

  Some students stop and stare. I hear whispers here and there. My strong werewolf hearing catches the word “Logan's mate” and “rejected” several times. I hear some guys’ lewd comments too. “Damn she's hot. I'd tap that.” I catch a girl's bitchy voice saying clearly, “Gosh, who gets rejected by their own mate? How pathetic and embarrassing. I'd kill myself if I were her.” Either way, I can't say that I'm enjoying it.

  Remembering our mission, I hold my head up high, plant a smile on my lips, and defiantly add a sway to my hips. Reese gives me a smile and a wink before her attention is taken by River who is jogging over to meet us.

  “Atta girl,” whispers Penny.

  I see Logan's blond head facing away from us when we get nearer to our classroom…Penny's grip tightens around my arm. Logan is talking to Zeke and Hunter. He seems relaxed, leaning against one of the lockers. Well, at least he doesn't have his tongue down Mia's throat this time.

  My wolf Ezra perks up and seems more restless the closer we get to him. I think she can't decide whether she wants him or is furious with him for treating us like trash. His delicious smell is messing with me even when I'm very determined not to feel anything towards him anymore. The mate pull is still very strong.

  Zeke's wandering eyes find me and flicker up and down my body. His blue eyes darken even more when I give him a tiny smile.

  I find Hunter also staring at me and I give him a bigger friendly smile. Didn't I tell you I think Hunter's a nice guy?

  Logan sniffs and looks around. His eyes widen as soon as they land on me. I let my smile go slack, my eyes go cold and look away. Penny tugs at my arm and whispers something so low, but it sounds like “Phase one a success, moving on to phase two.”

  Penny and I slip into our English lit classroom and take our regular seats near the middle, next to each other. The room is only half filled, and a steady stream of students are still coming in.

  “Did you see how he was staring at you?” whispers Penny excitedly, bringing her chair closer to mine.

  Before I could answer, the door bangs open and Logan walks in looking intently at me. Boy, he's still so good looking. It's killing me. I lean back in my chair, trying to stay as far away from him and his delicious smell as possible.

  He slides into his seat in front of me, facing backward, staring at me while I pretend not to notice.

  Zeke takes a seat beside him, surreptitiously glancing at me from time to time.

  “This should be fun,” whispers Penny, gleefully. She's having too much fun with this.

  I flip my hair and turns around to face Zeke with a smile.

  “Hey,” I whisper softly but loud enough to make sure that he can hear me. I smile coyly at him before lowering my eyes to Julius Caesar in front of me.

  “Hi,” Zeke answers and he gives me that slow smirk that melts so many girls' panties as I peer up at him through my eyelashes. His eyes travel down the length of my legs underneath the table.

  A growl beside him interrupts Zeke. The future delta straightens up and snaps his head around to look at his future alpha.

  Logan is staring at us with clenched jaw and dark eyes. His nose flares in anger. Even now he's looking hot. Well, hotter actually. I can feel Ezra's anger though as well as her attraction towards Logan and his wolf.

  Well, well, well...theory tested. Steeling my resolve, I decided to ignore Logan.

  A buff looking boy enters the classroom seconds before the teacher does. I can tell from his smell that he's human. I smile when his eyes land on me and his eyes widen comically. Then he cockily makes his way over, sitting in an empty chair on the other side of me.

  “Hey,” he says, smirking. I smile flirtatiously at him once before deliberately ignoring him. I hear another growl and swallow the laughter that tries to escape my lips.

  “So, how's it going?” the boy asks. I smile but keep my eyes trained on the front since the teacher has started teaching. I can see Logan clenching his jaw, his whole body stiff. Oh I know, I feel like jumping at him right now too...even after he rejected us. Sad really. Pathetic.

  Not wanting to be pathetic, I focus my attention on annoying him instead.

  I stretch my legs to the side, giving the human and Zeke a clear view of my long legs. The human boy doesn't disappoint, but Zeke stares straight ahead, looking flustered.

  “My name's Kevin. You're Genesis, right?” He keeps trying.

  “Yep, you got that right,” I mumble softly under my breath, but he must have heard me because Kevin shifts his chair closer to mine.

  Logan is gripping the side of his desk tightly. So tightly, I wonder if he's going to break the table soon.

  Wow, this is actually a lot of fun.

  I wonder if he's even listening to a word our teacher was saying for the last fifteen minutes or so.

  Then an idea strikes me. I rip a page of my notebook, making it obvious, and start writing. Then I make a show of passing the note to Penny.

  The paper is ripped away from my fingers before Penny has the chance to grab it, not by our teacher, but by Logan Carrington.

  He scans the note once, crumples it, then throws it on the wall. His desk scraps back noisily and his chair almost toppled over as he stands up and angrily stomps out of the room.

  The whole class, including the teacher, are left staring at the door.

  In my note to Penny I wrote: Don't you think Zeke is hot? I think he is super hot!

  When I manage to meet up with the rest of my friends during lunch, Reese is bursting with excitement. Apparently, Penny had been busy the whole morning, texting Reese about the development of our plan.

  “I wish I were there,” moans Reese, as we wait in line to get our food.

  “You should've seen her. I think we've created a monster,” gloats Penny.

  “Remind me not to cross you, girls,” says River, laughing.

  “As long as you're not hurting Reese, we're good, buddy,” Penny pats his arms playfully, but the look in her eyes warns him that she's very serious.

  “I wouldn't dream of it,” he smiles dreamily into Reese's eyes.

  “Those two make me sick sometimes,” quips Penny as we walk to the table with our tray of food.

  “You're just jealous,” responds River.

  “Wow, if looks could kill,” says Penny.

  Most of the people at the popular table are staring at us...or me right now. Logan is nowhere to be seen, and Mia is giving me a death glare.

  I choose to look the other way and ignore them.

  ***

  “So now, all you have to do is get yourself a boyfriend,” states Penny like she's talking about the weather.

  “Yeah, as soon as you can tell me where to buy one at the mall,” I retort.

  “Does it
really matter to whom you lose your V card to?”

  “Yes it does,” Reese and I answer in unison.

  We are currently in Reese's car on the way to school the following day, arguing about phase 3 of our Operation Payback.

  “You know what? I think we approached this one all wrong. We shouldn't rush you looking for a possible guy to lose your V-card to. That's too much pressure. Mated or not, it should be with someone special.” Reese reasons. “Revenge is not a good enough reason to lose your virginity for. It should be when you're ready.”

  “I hate it when you make sense,” complains Penny. “I so want that jerkface to get a taste of his own medicine, but I think Reese is right.” She sighs. “However, it wouldn't hurt to find you a boyfriend.”

  Both Logan and Zeke didn't show up during English Lit. I feel both disappointed and relieved at the same time: disappointed because some stupid part of me still want to be around him; relief because I don't have to fight the pull I have towards him whenever he's around. It's stressful, not to mention exhausting trying to fight the feeling.

  Kevin, the buff humany, shows up though. He sits beside me like yesterday and keeps glancing at me throughout the lesson. I try to avoid looking at him and pretend to be very fascinated with Shakespeare the whole period.

  He manages to catch up with me after class, waiting for me by the door when I exit the classroom.

  “Genesis, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asks hopefully.

  “Yeah, okay...” I reply as he pulls me to the side, away from other students. I see Penny rushing out to her next class, probably thinking I'd already left.

  “Would you go out with me this Friday?”

  Huh? “Uh...I'm flattered that you asked, but I'm sorry, Kevin. I can't.” I hate saying no to people, but I'm not interested in him that way and it would be a kindness not to lead him on.

  “What about Saturday?”

  “Uh...nope.”

  “Sunday?”

  “No, sorry.”

  “Listen, Genesis, I like you. I've liked you since the beginning of the school year, but you never looked at me.”

  “Uh, okay...thank you?” What do you say to somebody who just confessed to like you when you don't share the same feeling?

  “I know you like me from the way you smiled at me yesterday. You're shy, I get it,” he says, cockily.

  Huh? What? “No, Kevin. I'm not shy. I just don't want to go out with you.”

  “Ahhh...you're playing hard to get. That's okay. I like that. You know I won't give up that easily. I'll work hard at winning your affection, my lady.” He winks, then he walks away with a swagger and a smile like he's just won a lottery.

  Wait! What? What just happened?

  I walk to my next class in a bit of a daze, still wondering what just happened. He won't give up? What does that mean? Should I be worried?

  Chapter IV

  Let Me Count the Ways

  “Kevin asked me out,” I announce during lunch time.

  “Kevin? Kevin who?” questions Penny, her fries suspend in mid-air.

  “He's the human who sat on the other side of me yesterday, and again today in English Lit?” How can she not know this? Duh!

  “Well, we shouldn't discriminate. You definitely should go out with him,” Reese says encouragingly.

  “But I'm not interested in him like that. I don't want to lead him on. Besides, I just smiled at him yesterday, and he's convinced that I liked him. Imagine if I agreed to go out with him...he might think we're getting married and ready to have babies by noon tomorrow or something.”

  Reese, River, and Penny seem to think that's funny.

  Penny starts singing. “Genesis and Kevin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First, comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby—”

  “Genesis, can I talk to you?” Logan Carrington cuts in, looking murderous.

  Oh boy, it seems like he's been walking around with a frown these days.

  I can feel my wolf Ezra getting excited and annoyed at the same time. That heavenly scent that only Logan Carrington is driving my wolf insane even when I'm still furious with him.

  My three friends are staring daggers at Logan, but he returns their death glares with his own, which is quite impressive, given that he's the future alpha and all. Then he turns and walks away without a backward glance, expecting me to follow him. Wow, this seems familiar.

  I reluctantly get to my feet.

  “You know you don't have to go with him, right?” says River, looking miffed.

  “You know if I didn't, he's just gonna get madder and comes back here and makes me go with him anyway, right?”

  “I could kick him in the nuts,” mutters Reese heatedly.

  Penny blows her bangs off her forehead. “I could cut off his nuts.”

  “Okay, enough talking about his nuts already,” I interrupt. “See you guys soon. If I didn't make it, tell my parents I love them, and there's some money in my underwear drawer.”

  River's lips twitch and look as if he has some lewd comments he wants to share, but I walk away quickly before he opens his mouth.

  “Took you long enough,” snaps Logan when I reach the oak tree where he rejected me over a week ago.

  “Who's Kevin?” he growls.

  His sea blue eyes are just so gorgeous. Gosh, what am I thinking?

  “That really is none of your business. So what's up?” I look away from his gaze.

  Despite all the pain that he put me through, he still gives me butterflies when he's near me. When he looks into my eyes, I get lost in his gaze. I hate that I'm feeling this way.

  “That's not the way you should be talking to me, Genesis. Everything you do is my business. So, who's Kevin?” He sounds so possessive.

  “Does it matter? Like I said, none of your business.”

  “Like I said, everything you do is my business. So, is he your boyfriend now?”

  “Why do you care? You're not my mate. You're nothing to me.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, his lips slam on mine. I feel the roughness of the tree bark on my back as I'm being pushed against it.

  It takes me a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, but my body is already responding to his kiss and his touch. Ezra is close to the surface, taking some control. I feel the delicious sparks breaking all over my body as he leans in further, pushing his body flush against mine.

  Fireworks.

  Our bodies fit perfectly together. This is supposed to be wrong but, damn, it feels so right. It's impossible for me not to respond to his touch. My lips are moving against his and his warm hand is touching, traveling up and down from the sides of my breasts, moving to grip my waist, down to my thighs, then up again. Another hand is in my hair, holding my head still for his onslaught.

  My hands move up to his neck, then move up some more to grip his hair. He pulls back just to have his lips move across my jaw and down my neck, kissing, licking and biting.

  “Goddess...you smell so good.” He groans, breathing in deeply before he latches onto the base of my neck and starts sucking. The feel of his sharp canine against my skin suddenly brings me out of my lust-filled haze. I push him roughly off me.

  The pain! No!

  We're staring at each other, breathing hard and raggedly. Even now, he looks so hot to me; lips red and swollen; his usually blue eyes, now dark and dangerous; golden hair in wild disarray.

  “You feel that? We're mates whether we like it or not.” he barks out.

  “No, you've rejected me. We're nothing. No, not mates.”

  “Well, too bad if you think that...but you're still mine. You're not going to see this Kevin guy or any other guys.”

  “No, you don't get to tell me what to do, and I'm not yours,” I wail at him.

  “Look, here's the deal, sweetheart. I've changed my mind. I'd like to keep you...and I get to keep you since you're my true mate.” He moves dangerously close again. “You. Are. Mine.”

  “I am not yours! S
tay away from me,” I yell as I run back into the building.

  I want to be with him, of course, I do, but I'm still very hurt by his rejection and the pain he caused me and my wolf. A big part of me and my wolf feels wary. We don't want to feel the pain that we felt that first time he rejected us. It was the most painful experience in my life.

  I sit quietly in my seat and my friends look at me questioningly, but none of them say anything. I'm grateful for that. However, I've lost my appetite. I get up to throw away the half-eaten sandwich as my eyes are slowly drawn to the popular table. Mia is sitting on Logan's lap. They're eating each other's face again. All of those at the table is staring at me. Most with glee, but some with sympathy and looking a bit uneasy...like Hunter. Mia's eyes open to look at me and she smirks, taunting me, as she pulls Logan's mouth onto hers again. I feel Ezra's fury.

  “Bitch!” Penny spits as she notices what I'm staring at.

  Why is he doing this to me? Is it because I said no to him or has it been his plan all along?

  Is it possible to break the already broken heart? The answer is yes. Not like I'm going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that. I force the tears down.

  I flip my hair haughtily and sashay out of there with my three friends close behind me.

  How do I reject thee? Let me count the ways.

  ***

  Last night I felt it again. Logan was with somebody, probably Mia. They did it over and over again. My healing stomach is decorated with new bruises. I woke up tired and cranky this morning.

  “Genesis!”

  Oh no, I know that voice. Kevin. He's been bugging me today. He's serious when he said that he's not giving up.

  “Here comes your admirer.” Penny giggles. She finds it funny. I find it very annoying, but I've been trying really hard not to be rude to him. I know too well how it feels like to be cruelly rejected.