Cap nods and walks away, leaving me, Royce and Maddoc.

Maddoc gives knuckles to Royce then glances to me.

He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth as he walks backward, his head tipped back the slightest bit. It’s sexy as shit, the bastard.

“See you in class, Snow.”

I nod, unable to look away as he turns and walks off.

Girls call his name as he passes, but he pretends not to hear them and continues down the hall solo.

“Look away, RaeRae. Your nipples are getting hard and your bra has no padding.” Royce eases the tension with his fuck boy ways.

I roll my eyes and head into class, not bothering to turn around when I say, “How would you know?”

“Baby, I know my tits, all right. And yours? Plump and high and perfect. Little jiggle, slight movement. At best you’ve got a scrap of lace or that thin satin.”

I laugh lightly and he shouts, “Ha! Knew it.”

Definitely not lace or satin, but some other stretchy material. It’s cheap, simply put, so not much coverage.

“You’re a horny bastard, aren’t you?” I ask him as I slide into my seat.

He looks at me with a squished expression. “No shit, Rae. I’m a boy.”

With a roll of my eyes, I pull open my bag, I take out my last maple bar. I tear it down the middle and offer him half.

He takes it with a wink and shoves the entire thing in his mouth.

“Look at us, RaeRae. Sharing sweets.” He speaks with his mouth full, not bothering to swallow as he leans close and my eyes narrow. “Wanna share something else sweet with me?”

I snort and face forward.

The teacher comes in and class starts instantly.

The boys have picked me up every day this week and it’s starting to mess with my head. I don’t know how to handle consistency at other people’s hands. It makes me anxious. I go to bed wondering if they’ll be there and wake up with the same question. It’s annoying, but I can’t help it. I’ve never known constant. Things, people, only ever come and go in my world so when something is repeated I sit and wait for the reverse.

So today, to get rid of the knots in my stomach, I left before they could possibly arrive, just in case they didn’t. An hour and fifteen minutes before school was even set to start, to be exact.

It’s chilly, but fresh outside so I opt for the hill out back that overlooks the courts.

There are a few guys out there shooting hoops, I can’t see who they are from here, but I can tell their game isn’t as strong as the boys’ is.

Okay, why is that the first thing I notice?

“’Sup, Rae.”

I look to the side to see Bass walking up. “Bishop.”

“Saw you head this way pretty early this morning.”

“Yeah.” I look back to the courts. “I’m not a fan of regularity.”

“I can get that.” He drops down beside me, laying back on the grass so his face is even with mine. “Just another way our parents fucked us up, right?”

“You have parents, Bass?”

“Define parents?”

I scoff and look to the sky again. “Right.”

“So what’s up with you and the Brays?”

I shrug against the grass. “Nothing.”

“You sure?”

“I am.”

“Not sure they’d agree with you.”

I sigh. “Yeah, me either.”

This time it’s him who scoffs.

We lay there, just chillin’, until the first bell rings, warning us we have ten minutes to get to class, and then we make our way back inside.

The second we step through the door, the whispers start, and the dickheads in the hall purposely part ways, making sure the angry eyes at the end of the walkway have a perfect view of Bass and me.

And son of a bitch, why do I instantly get a sick twist in my stomach.

While Captain looks passive, Royce looks a little put out, and Maddoc .... well, Maddoc is fuming. I’m talking hellraiser ready.

Chills break across my skin at the possessives he’s exuding. His gaze is greedy and I’m not sure he’s aware of it.

“Sorry, Bishop,” I whisper from where we stand. “Didn’t think this one through.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Bass speaks under his breath. “I came to you today.”

“Yeah,” I mumble, doubt easily heard and Bass turns to look at me. “But green runs the world, remember?” I shrug and walk away so he doesn’t have to decide whether or not to.

The boys don’t wait but meet me halfway, glares in full effect.

“Don’t push us, Snow,” Maddoc whispers, disapproval polished in his eyes.

He’s the first to walk off, then Captain, but Royce hangs back.

He steps forward, eyes narrowing farther by the second. He pulls a bag from his backpack and shoves it in my chest before turning around and storming off. I don’t need to open it to know it’s half of his sprinkle donut.

I don’t know these guys any better than the next, but for the first time in maybe, well ever, I feel like I let someone down.

I don’t like it and unfortunately for me, I spend all morning stressing on it.

I drop into my seat for third period and wait for Maddoc to enter and take his.

Neither Royce or Captain said a word to me during our classes together and I found myself irritated over it.

And that only irritated me more.

I admit, I like their banter. It’s fun and easy. Natural like.

Whatever that means.

I lay my forearms against the desks, keeping my eyes on the door.

It takes a good fifteen minutes after the final bell before Maddoc finally rolls in, in no kind of hurry. His face is a perfect mask, hair mused and collar stretched.

The sight has my mind racing. Thoughts of what, or who, sexed him up making me grind my teeth.

He licks his lips, those eyes of his, darker than normal, scanning my face as he moves past me for his seat at my back.

My leg starts bouncing as I fight not to turn around and inspect him closer, my need to know far too strong for my own liking.

Then Bass storms in with his shirt torn at the bottom, eye damn near as black as his hair, lip fat and swollen against the silver ring.

He doesn’t look my way and my muscles grow stiff.

Son of a bitch.

I drop back against the seat, annoyed with my own damn self when a sense of relief floods knowing he wasn’t held up at the hand of a female. I feel especially shitty about knowing Bass got the shit end of the stick, or rather, Maddoc’s fist.

Maddoc’s voice hits my ear in the next second, and I force myself still. “You asked me before if I’d tell you to stay away from him. I didn’t do it, but I thought the answer you got was clear. This is what’ll happen every time you don’t listen.” The hairs on my neck stand to attention, goose bumps rising on my arms beneath my long sleeve. “You ... are mine, Raven.”

Because I have zero self-control at the moment, I turn to him.

‘Course he’s not sitting in his chair, like the rest of us. No, big man is braced against his desk. Like a true king, or dominant male making a point, he’s raised taller than the rest of us, his chest strong and straight.

His expression doesn’t change, his eyebrows hold stern, chin lifted so he can look down at me more. He’s daring me to fight him on this, likely wishing I would so he can go caveman again.