Catching Genesis Page 4

  “Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone.” She winks at me, then makes a kissy-kissy face before leaving me with Kevin in the hallway.

  “So much for being a loyal best friend!” I wanted to shout after her. “What's up, Kevin?”

  “What kind of flowers do you like? Do you like red roses?” He's been asking me random questions like that all day today.

  “Yeah, sure. Why not?” I'm getting increasingly annoyed every time he stops me in the hallway or in a classroom to ask questions.

  “Would you go out with me this Saturday?” He always ends by asking me out, and I'm so getting tired of it. How many times do you have to say NO?

  “No. What part of the word no are you not getting, Kevin?” I finally snap at him.

  The look of shock to crestfallen on his face makes me feel really bad and guilty.

  “I'm sorry...I'll leave you alone now. It's just stupid of me...I just like you...I'm sorry to bother you.” He walks away with his shoulders slumped and head down. Goddess, I'm a monster!

  “Kevin! Wait!” I run after him and grab his arm. “Look, I'm sorry okay?”

  “No, I'm sorry. What was I thinking? You're way out of my league —”

  “No, I'm not out of your league. Pssshh…that's just silly.”

  “Yes, you are, but my friend Justin said if I keep asking, you'll say yes....eventually. So I kept trying. A girl like you would never go out with a guy like me.”

  Oh, goddess...don't say it, don't say it. “Okay, I'll go out with you.”

  Gah! I suck!

  His eyes get really big. “Really?”

  “Yeah...” I sigh. What did I just do?

  Kevin's face split into a big smile, and then I'm engulfed in a big suffocating hug. “Thank you. You won't regret it.”

  I already am.

  He lets me go, and I realize that we're the only people in the hallway. I am so late for my next class. Then I smell the scent that I both crave and dread. Logan is close by.

  “Gosh! I'm late for Gym,” exclaims Kevin. “I'll pick you up at six on Saturday, okay? I'll text you.”

  “Yeah....okay.” How did he get my number?

  “We'll have a great time together, I just know it.” He grins. His blue eyes are shining. All of a sudden he gives me a peck on the cheek, then off he goes with a big smile on his face.

  “Well, well, well...for an omega, you don't take instructions very well, do you? I told you not to do one thing. You're either too stupid or too stubborn to listen. Either way, I'll enjoy breaking you, my sweet.” I hear Logan’s voice from a corner before he comes into view.

  I tear my gaze away from his golden good looks and his blazing blue eyes. His looks and his scent are messing with my senses. His words are drawing fury out of me and my wolf, Ezra. Usually, I don't mind, but this time my chest is growing hot, that's how angry Ezra is for being called an omega. It reminds me of the strong alpha blood that is coursing through me.

  “I'm not yours, Logan. You don't own me. I'll go out with anyone I want when I want.”

  In less than a second he's on me. He pushes me against the locker. His lips grind against mine roughly. His hand closes around my throat, holding me in place. Even like this, sparks are still flying between us. I can't stop from responding to his rough kiss, and pretty soon he moans into my lips, and his hand on my throat moves to roam my body.

  His lips trail across my jaw and down my neck, sucking and biting. “I hate that you're my mate, but I want you…” he groans against my throat. That pulls me out of my lust-filled stupor.

  I push him off me as hard as I can. “Leave me alone. Go have fun with Mia like you did last night!” I yell at him.

  “Oh, don't worry about Mia. I've promised her she'll be my luna. She's strong. I'll mark her, and she will be luna. That'll keep her happy. While you, my little omega, I get to keep. Just keep me happy, and you will be very well taken care of.”

  I feel sick. This is another form of rejection, worse actually, it's an insult, and Ezra recognizes it too as such. I'm his mate, but he's treating me like a common whore.

  I attend classes with pent-up emotions. No tears. I'm not sure yet whether that's a good thing or bad.

  At the end of lunchtime, somebody else approaches me.

  “Genesis, I need to talk to you,” says Hunter, the future beta. Just what I need. I can't catch any break today.

  “I'll catch you guys later.” I wave to my friends who watch me walk away with worried expressions.

  Hunter leads me outside to an empty football field. There are five minutes left till our lunch break.

  “I don't really understand what has happened, but Logan was in a very bad mood yesterday. He picked fights with everyone and now he barely talks to Zeke,” he explains. “Alpha Carrington now knows about you and Logan.”

  “What do you want me to do Hunter? He rejected me,” I say dejectedly.

  He sighs and runs his fingers through his brown curly hair. “I know. I'm sorry. He's being a stupid idiot. He must've put you through a lot these past few days.”

  You have no idea. However, I'm surprised that he called the future alpha a stupid idiot.

  “You know that an alpha needs his true mate to be a strong leader, right? This pack needs you, Genesis. I know I'm asking a lot from you, but could you...give him another chance?”

  I suddenly burst into a mirthless laugh. Once I start, I can't seem to stop. Tears falling freely down my cheeks. I wipe the endless stream of tears while still laughing uncontrollably.

  Hunter stares at me, looking lost at what to do, probably disturbed by my laughing and crying like some crazy woman.

  “I'm sorry.” I gasp-sob between the giggle. “Yeah, about that...umm…” I clear my throat and wipe my eyes after I manage to get it together finally. “So, yeah...Logan already had that talk with me.” I almost choke in another fit of laughter again, but I bit my lip, stopping it before it starts.

  “Uh...that's good. You two have it all figured out then.” He sounds unsure.

  I blow my breath out heavily. “Yeah, he wants us to be together. But he's going to mark Mia so she'll be the next luna. Logan and I...he wants us to be together, but on the side, you know...” I bit down hard on another bout of hysterical laughter about to erupt. Wow, it feels ridiculous just to say it out loud like that.

  Hunter stares at me as if I've just told him that clouds are made of cotton candies and chocolate milk actually came from brown cows. Then he runs his hands through his hair and over his face, blinking hard in disbelief a few times.

  “Oh goddess, Genesis...” he mutters. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Nobody deserves that from their mate. Nobody. That's...messed up...even for Logan.”

  “Yeah...and to think that I've been saving myself for my mate. This is what I'm getting,” I mumble, not caring if I'm giving off too much information to a guy I barely know.

  “Look, Genesis, I think Logan messed up big time,” he says. “For what it's worth, I think you're smart, kind, and beautiful, and funny. Any guy would be lucky to have you as his mate. I know, I would've been very happy if you were mine. I was hoping that you were my mate before...I'm sorry, that's probably an inappropriate thing for me to say.” His cheeks tinged with pink. His liquid brown eyes fixed on his black biker boots.

  “No. Thank you for saying that, Hunter, that's....the nicest thing anybody ever said to me.” I smile at him sadly.

  ***

  “Genesis!” hisses Mia. Oh goddess, really? “You and I, we need to talk.”

  I'm really starting to hate that word, talk. Nothing good happens when people tell you they want to “talk.” Especially not today. Not for me.

  Her two minions grip my arm on each side and push me into an empty classroom behind me.

  No, no, no... “Sure, what's up?” I flash her a big fake smile while the two bitches shove me hard against the wall.

  “What's that? Well, well, well...look at here.” Mia pulls the collar of my jacket down, revealin
g the hickeys Logan gave me yesterday and this afternoon. “I see you've been whoring around. Not so pure after all, are we?” She smiles like a cat that just ate a canary. Then she sniffs.

  “Wait, is that Logan I smell on you???” she yells. “It's Logan, isn't it? I thought I smelled you on him yesterday. You're all over him again today weren't you? You whore!”

  “No, he's all over me.” I can't resist smirking.

  “Aaarghhh!!!” she screams. Her palm smacks on my cheek hard. Her sharp nails graze my skin. Bitch!

  “Listen, bitch,” she says as she grips my hair and pulls it back roughly. “Stay away from Logan. He's mine, you hear? Touch him again and the next time, and I won't be so forgiving.”

  “Trust me, I don't want him, but...maybe you're not good enough, that's why he keeps coming back for me.” I give her another big fake smile.

  Mia loses it then, she has her minions holding me still as she kneed me in the stomach several times before she leaves.

  Ughh…me and my big mouth!

  Oh wow! Lucky me. I feel so popular today. Everybody seems to want to “talk” with me. I'm missing one class already. I'm currently hiding out in the washroom. Cowardly, I know, but I need a minute to myself. If another person wants to talk to me today, then I’ll lose it for sure.

  I examine my face by the mirror above the sink. My makeup is mostly all gone. Some stain of mascara and eyeliner smudges underneath and at the corners of my eyes. Very attractive. My left cheek is red and a bit swelled with scratches and dried blood from Mia's nails.

  I lift my shirt up and softly trace the bruises already forming on the bruises I had before when Logan was having his fun.

  I wash my face and fix the jacket so nobody can see the red blotches that Logan gave me. Then the bell rings. Ughh...I need to get to class. But what I really want to do right now is go home and hide from the world.

  When I walk down the hallway to my chemistry class later, I'm almost positive I see all the three lycans: Lazarus, Caspian, and Constantine turn their heads to look at me. Only briefly. Then they lookaway again as if I didn't exist. But then, maybe I was mistaken. Maybe they were looking at something behind me.

  I shrug it off as I slip into Chemistry and spend the next 40 minutes trying to understand and figure out the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.

  Chapter V

  Anyone Ever Died of Embarrassment?

  “Okay, now spill,” orders Penny. We're sitting on her queen size bed while Control by Halsey is playing softly in the background on her iPod dock on her study table.

  My friends managed to corner me at the school parking lot before I could run off. It's not like they don't know where I live, anyway. We're here at Penny's to talk.

  “Who did this to you, Genesis? Did he do this?” asks Reese. When she touches my cheek, I wince.

  Penny is fuming.

  I feel guilty for avoiding them since after lunch yesterday. They've been there for me through thick and thin. I shouldn't keep them in the dark.

  “Did Logan do this to you?” asks Penny. She looks like she's about to lose it.

  I sigh and start telling them about what happened between me and Logan yesterday and again today.

  “He kissed you?” Penny croaks, gawking at me.

  “Yep, and he gave me this.” I remove the jacket collar off my neck to show them the bite marks.

  “Oh goddess.” Reese gasps. “At least he hasn't marked you yet.”

  “I don't know if he ever would. He said he's marking Mia and will make her luna. He's keeping me on the side...like his personal whore,” I explain heatedly.

  “The bastard!” explodes Penny.

  “Then he hit you?” asks Reese looking appalled.

  “No, this is from Mia.” I point to my red cheek. “She and her minions cornered me to warn me to stay away from Logan. She smelled Logan on me, then she went nuts and slapped me and also gave me this,” I lift up my tank top and show them the bruises on my stomach.

  “Okay, here's what we're gonna do,” states Reese calmly. Too calmly. “We're gonna grab the shovels, and dig a hole in my backyard where my new flower bed is going to be. Genesis, you're gonna lure Logan into the woods where Penny and I are going to be waiting. I'm sure the three of us can take him, especially if he's not expecting it. Then we're gonna get Mia. We'll bury them in the flower bed. I know some herbs that can mask their scent.”

  She looks totally serious that Penny and I look at each other, then we stare at her worriedly. Wow, angry Reese is totally scarier than angry Penny. Where did my best friend, the sweet and angelic Reese, go?

  “You're not serious, are you?” asks Penny warily.

  “Oh, but I totally am,” counters Reese. “They're killing her! Can't you see?” Then she turns to me, and says, “Do you know how long you're going to last if that keeps happening? Do you, Genesis? Look at your stomach now. How much more of that can you take, Genesis? Huh?” Her eyes glisten. I put my arms around her, truly touched by her concern. Penny wraps her arms around the both of us so that the three of us are in a tight group hug.

  “I'm grateful that my friends are willing to kill for me. I swear I love you guys like family. You two are my sisters, but we're not killing anybody,” I declare. My voice is muffled against Penny's shoulder, but I think they can hear me.

  “I went to the pack's house library and did some research on that yesterday after lunch,” I confess. Yeah, the first time I ever sneaked out of the school.

  “So, that's where you disappeared to,” says Penny, releasing us.

  “I went through recorded incidences throughout werewolf history and found that I need to...uh, mate and be marked by another werewolf to sever the natural mate bond...or move far far away, preferably join another pack to not feel the pain anymore,” I explain.

  Both Penny and Reese are quiet for a while after what I said.

  “You're not moving away from here, so we need to find you a mate,” announces Penny.

  “That can be done, but that might take some time,” says Reese.

  Actually, “might take some time” is an understatement. What are the chances of finding a male werewolf my age without a mate who would like me? The three of us know this, but none of us are willing to say it aloud.

  “Well...I agreed to go out with Kevin this weekend,” I announce casually.

  “You did what?” asks Reese, clearly shock. “Didn't we agree that you didn't want to lead him on or something like that?”

  “Yeah, about that...” I grimace.

  “You need to lose your V-Card ASAP,” interrupts Penny.

  “Penny…” Reese groans. “Not the V-Card again.”

  “No, listen! I have my reasons,” explains Penny. “First, Logan needs to know what it feels like when your mate is mating with someone else. Maybe it'll slow him down a bit...who knows,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “Secondly, you really don't want to lose your V-Card to your asshole ex-mate, Logan, do you?”

  If she puts it like that, no, I don't want my first time to be with someone who has no respect for me, someone who regards me as a cheap omega whore: good enough to be his dirty little secret, but not good enough to be a proper mate. I don't want to be with him. Period.

  Gosh! How did we get from planning to kill someone, to losing my virginity? Can my life and my friends get any crazier?

  “Maybe it's a good thing that you're going out with Kevin this weekend then.” Penny wiggles her eyebrows.

  “Nope. Not happening,” I quickly disagree. “It's gotta be with someone I like...that way, you know…”

  “Then who?” asks Reese.

  “I don't know...but I know it's not Kevin.”

  “Come on, Genesis. There must be someone that you like. Like really, really like in our school,” says Penny.

  One person quickly comes to mind, but I squish it down. “Nope, none,” I reply.

  “You know that's not normal, right? I bet even Reese can think of someone other than River.”
r />   “Hey!” protests Reese.

  “The fricking school is full of hot men!” argues Penny, lifting her hands up in defeat. “You must have at least one crush. Think of one name,” she urges.

  Constantine.

  “Nope, nobody,” I repeat.

  Constantine. That one name keeps going on repeat in my head. Strong, sharp angular face, dark silky sexy hair, his unusual silver-gray eyes, long thick eyelashes, firm pink lips...

  But he's a lycan. Untouchable. I know how impossible that is.

  “Aha! There must be someone. You have that look on your face,” exclaims Penny.

  “What look?”

  “That dreamy, mushy, sappy...oh, I-so-wanna-do-you look...you know, that look,” says Penny.

  “I was just thinking about my English essay I'm supposed to hand in tomorrow,” I lie.

  “You can't be thinking about English essays when you have that look on your face,” protests Reese.

  Penny stares at me with narrowed eyes. I quickly look away and says, “Nope, nobody.”

  “You'd better start liking someone pretty quickly, you hear?” demands Penny, pointing her finger at me sternly.

  ***

  I can't seem to stop thinking about Constantine tonight as I lie down flat on my bed, staring at my boring white ceiling. I blame it on Penny.

  I first met Constantine at the end of summer break when I was 15. I never told a soul about it. Not even my two besties. I was at our Art Supply store by myself that afternoon. Dad went to the next town over to deal with something, and mom was meeting a client for a portrait commission.

  The delivery guy just delivered boxes of newly shipped merchandise and left them in the hallway. Lazy man. They were too heavy for me to lift to the back storage.

  I was standing behind the counter, scowling at the boxes when the bell chimed, indicating a customer at the door. I looked up and there he was.

  I stared up at him, and he just stared at me staring at him.

  He was so big and tall, radiating such power and authority and....so beautiful. I had never seen a man so beautiful before, it's almost unreal.