(Bonus -you get to see the untouched part of Eliza's life.)

Sorry if you dont like it, lol.

Do not read books in the manner of children, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.
-Gustave Flaubert

A loud, obnoxious honk fills the air of the parking lot. Everyone turns to look at it, conversation nearly dying out. Growling out, my hand tightens on the book -Asher's hand automatically goes to my side, mostly to comfort himself than to do anything to me.

Cars stay clear of parking next to us, in fear of me or accidentally touching my bike -instant death.

So a black jeep screeches to a halt in front of my motorcycle and Link's red truck is surprising but more worrying than anything.

Because I know who this jeep belongs to and go rigid, standing from leaning into the golden boy and plant my feet in front of him instead.

The door opens, the pudgent smell of cigarettes fills the air as man shy just two inches of being as large as my father steps out. He turns, eyes sweeping the area before he finds me.

I can tell he's glaring.

Behind me Asher flinches when the cigarette flicks towards me, pointing, as the owner makes a noise of anger at the back of his throat. "Diabla, we need to have a fucking word."

"Dalton." I address him, rolling my eyes as stretch my arms. "What the fuck do you want? This better be good or you'll find your ass beat in the back of a shitty alley for the third time in your no good fucking life. Showing up here isn't allowed, dense motherfucker."

"Trevor's boy-" Lane. "-bet against you again, you shit head." Dalton, the only person I've actually bothered to aquaint myself with at the bar I go to.

The bar I get my mom's informats from, the one I fight at, the worst atmosphere I can be in. The worst kind of people, the worst kind of men.

"Did he now?" I ask, smirking with a raised eyebrow. "How fucking unfortunate."

"You're a dumbass, listen bitch." I growl as he calls me this, making him snort slightly under his breath before taking a quick drag from his cancer-stick. "Olsen and Jasper are betting against you, Lane mentioned something about a blond boy and-"

"The fuck did you just say." This isn't a question, but a underlying threat. "What did Lane say?"

I'm sobered from my smirking attitude quickly, jaw clenching as my sharp teeth dig rather painfully into my bottom lip.

"Exactly why I showed up at this shit-hole, Diabla." Dalton says, pushing up his sunglasses so I can see the brown eyes glaring at me. "You need to fucking come down there, Lane won't let up about the bullshit he's spouting. I don't know how he found out about that blondie of yours, but I just know he's mad. Have you let it slip?"

"I haven't been to that fucking place in a while. I've never been there when we've been together, and I would fucking know if some dick was spying on me. Always have." I pause, jaw snapping as I go to speak but slam my teeth back together. "How long has that douche been talking for?"

"A good three months." Dalton says, flicking ashes to the ground before pointing at me again. "I waited as long as I could before telling you."

"You're shit-stupid Dalton." I say instead of a thank you. "Tell that lame fucking excuse for a human being that I said eleven, and if he's too scared to show up he has to leave all that shit behind. And if you ever show up here again, there will be fucking hell to pay." I back this with a growl, one he takes seriously.

"Got it. Take care of this," At this this fucking man pushes his hand towards me, wanting me to take his cigarette from him to put out. "And Diabla?"

"What? You lazy shit-head." I speak while grinding the lit end into my heel, passing it back to him without thinking.

"Be careful this time, tell the Devil I'm going to be downtown at three -new files came in."

"Sure." I say, keeping eye contact. This isn't anything new.

I made Asher go back to my house with Lincoln without explanation, and get their first.

This gives me time to tell my parents what's happening, neither like it but Dad knows I can take care of myself. He won't do anything to stop me, knowing this is for Asher.

Link barges in, clearly angry. "What the hell Elle, who was that and what was that about? How do they -why was he talking about Asher?"

"You don't have to worry about that, I'm taking care of it. They're talking about him because he's the only person, they've found out, I can stand that doesn't mean the Devil coming after them before I do." I growl out, knowing I'm still tense. "I'll be back before noon tomorrow."

"Can I come?" The nice guy asks in a small, shy voice. My heart clenches, wanting to look at him but can't.

"Gold I-" I go to move towards him, but end up taking two steps back. "I don't think you should."

"Does he know how to drive your bike?" Dad asks, making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Yes, I made him learn." I say, taking a breath as I quickly realize where this is going. "I'm not taking him. If he doesn't have a panic attack just from the environment then he will when he seems some random douche bag-"

A growl that my mother would call lethal sounds from me, and I find myself glaring at my dad.

"He's never going there."

"Eliza if you lay claim to him while there, and bring Lincoln there to watch him, they'll never touch him. I had to do that more than once with your mother. The kid can take care of himself," The Devil glares back at me, a growl in his voice. "Let him come. He's never seen you like that either."

"And he never will." I snarl, back straight. "He doesn't like to hurt people, he doesn't -I'm not letting him go to a place where he might have to defend himself. And he doesn't even like me kissing him in public, and you want me to claim him there? Really? How am I supposed to deal with Lane if I can't leave him alone?"

Claiming is kissing and a little more, it always, always ends with a bite that leaves them gasping for more. Asher doesn't even like PDA, and I'm not going to be the person that forces it on him.

"Leave him with Link and Dalton. You can always ask, Elle. Bringing him will make this better, not worse." At this Dad gives me a direct challenge. "You're scared."

"I'm always scared." I counter, crossing my arms.

Mom was placed under my dad's arm, and looks a little alarmed but with the fresh bite mark on her I'd say she's not too bad. She doesn't know how to handle me like my dad, just how to make me more okay again.

"Not what I meant," A finger points to my boyfriend, making me step in front of him though I know Dad is no threat to him. "You're scared of him."

The growl I was about to give dies in my throat, and I can only glare harder at my dad for exposing me like that. There was no way in fucking hell I was ever going to tell Asher that, if I did he probably wouldn't be able to look me in the eyes for a good week.

"Dad-"

"Eliza-"

"Blue." Asher interrupts us both, stepping towards me. "You're afraid of me? What did I do?"

"Fuck." I curse under my breath, turning towards the nice guys. Mint green eyes are wide, scared. "I'm not scared of you, per say. You did absolutely nothing Gold. It's just that I-" Cutting myself off I bite my lip once again, realizing anymore of this and I'll probably start bleeding. "I am not a very good person. You've never seen me at my worst, or surrounded by people who are just like your foster parents. I...I can turn into those people with ease. You, I -I should have told you sooner that I could get like that when I want something, or defending someone before you really committed to this, to us. I mean, I've killed someone, and you don't really care about that. But that's not even the worst thing I've done."

"Nothing you do could scare me away Munchkin," Asher says, cold hands cupping the sides of my neck as his thumbs run over my jaw. "You don't have to be afraid."

"He's going." My dad declares, making me rip myself away from my boyfriend with a growl. "So is Link."

"Neither of them are going anywhere I can do this by myself." I reply, flashing my teeth at the strawberry when he grabs me to turn and face him, hating human contact right now.

"You promised me." Lincoln says, glaring down at me. "Did you lie when you promised me, Elle?"

"Wolf's are loyal, we don't lie." Dad says smugly, arm tightening around Mom. "Got that, son?"

"So why are you even going?" This fucking red-head presses on, getting closer to me.

"You don't understand!" I snap, hands tightening into fists. I need a book, I need to escape. "They know -they know my weakness. They know how to destroy me, and they can destroy me. If I have to go down there and destroy them first, so be it. But I will never let them fucking touch Asher, if its the last thing I do it will be protecting him."

"She can take all of them, you don't have to worry about her getting hurt. It's about them not letting it go, and trying to hurt her in other ways." My dad further explains to Link and Asher.

Surprisingly it's Mom who continues the conversation. "She needs to bring you Asher, without you having a panic attack or looking like you don't want to be around her. You have to, literally, trust her with your life. If I didn't do that with Xavier...things wouldn't be like they are today. If she brings you there, around them, they'll know they can't touch you."

"I don't want him there!" I exclaim. "Mom, please. There's only three people who don't smoke there, even the water is 2 percent alcohol and you get in with your scars and if you don't have any they give you some. There's nothing we can do for Link, I'll take that one. Asher doesn't even like me seeing his scars, and he's my boyfriend."

"Blue you keep saying all these things about me but they're not true, and you have to remember as much as you want to protect me, you're just making it worse for yourself." The golden boy says, a hand on my lower back pulling me against him. I squirm slightly, knowing he has the look in his mint eyes that tells me he's about to kiss me. "I hate it when people make fun of me for kissing you, I hate it when you're hurt, I hate it when I hurt people for no reason not defending myself, I hate it when I'm ashamed of myself not when you see me. You know what I've gone through.
And you're not a bad person."

Then I'm being kissing, cold lips pushing down on mine with such force that I gasp -without thinking Asher deepens the kiss and keeps me against him. My hands hold onto his shoulders, surprised.

"Don't be afraid Liza," Asher whispers against my lips. "I got you."

Walking up to the bar was a seemingly normal process, nobody else was around.

You could see the tension coiled in Asher, the way his muscles were taunt and his jaw clenched. I had him change from his dorky self into one of Lincoln's black tees and some of his dark wash jeans, the one pair of boots he owns and one of my dads old leather jackets. In a odd way, this was attractive. I never thought I'd live to see the day the nice guy looks like a bad boy, which merely amplifies his sexiness.

Surprise, surprise, Weasley didn't need to change at all.

Neither did I.

Kicking the door twice I bang once with my fists loudly, waiting for the violent swing of the back door to open.

Surprise fills me when Dalton is the one who steps through, looking neutral and assholish as possible. I know he must have done something to be able to let people in tonight, since its Lane and my fight tonight, the people allowed in are numbered.

"Who wants a scar?" He asks, loud enough for anyone behind the door to hear. He's got his sunglasses back again. "And who has them."

I thrust my wrist towards Dalton, who rips my sleeve down in a way that nearly gives me a flashback. Anxiety shoots through me, making me feel temporarily weak.

They have more reason to be afraid of you, than you have of them.

"And you, Blondie?"

With a wide smirk, one I don't usually give the two friends, one full of danger and cockiness. There is nothing playful about me right now.

Yet Asher doesn't flinch when I grab his jaw, tilting it to the right to show his worst scar.

"And the ginger?"

Before Link could stop me I grab his hand and bite down on his thumb, barely having to try before the iron of blood stains my taste buds and he yelps. "You happy, you mother of shit? That should leave a fucking scar."

"Its fucking barely noticeable." Dalton complains, leaning in to whisper to Weasley. "Kid you're going to want to stop glaring at her like you can throw her out the closet window."

"So what if it's barely fucking  noticeable?" I demand, a growl staining my words as I pretend he said nothing else. "It hurt like a bitch and it's in a spot that will annoy the shit out of him for days. Let me through before I bite you too."

Nervously, Asher's hands shoot to my sides, a respectful place that means he can merely trail after me like a puppy.

Sighing I growl lightly, moving his hands under my shirt and around my waist. Nobody here has ever gotten the chance to touch me for longer than a second on the hand, and here Asher is clinging to me.

Mine.

Even as it becomes a little painful, I don't say anything to Asher as I know the small of cheap drinks, smoke and weed clog his senses.

"Move." I snarl at two males, both under six foot and smoking, that are sitting at my usual table.

"Shit!" They say in sync. One jumps off, scampering away as the second pales and drops his gaze to the ground to continue the conversation. "I, I didn't know you were going to be here tonight Diabla I-"

"Does it look like I wanted to hear a fucking excuse? No, it doesn't. Go to hell." I snarl, he wastes no time in leaving. I point to point of the chair and look at Link's dark green eyes. "Sit. Now."

"Do I look like a dog?" He grunts out but sits down anyway.

"No but you certainly fucking look like a bitch." I say absentmindedly, looking through the crowd to see if anyone I need to hit is here yet. "Gold, sit down."

Asher doesn't need to be told twice, and is more than surprised when I swing myself up after him and sit sideways on his lap, moving one of his hands to my thigh close to my ass and the other on my waist. It's intimate, and nothing like the nice guy's had us do in the past.

"Diabla." Dalton hisses, slamming a unopened beer on the table for me that I ignore and sits in the other open seat, clearly glaring at me through his sunglasses making Asher's leg bounce under me nervously. "Lane should be here any second, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Sure," I snort slightly, my hand squeezing Asher's shoulder slightly. "I don't think Lane is anything bad, if he turns out to be a fucking problem I will handle it. Dick head."

"For someone so small you sure talk a lot of shit." Dalton mutters, running a hand through his hair. "How long is he going to hold that shit against you, you were fucking defending yourself. Dumbass."

"I don't fucking know, as long as he wants to. Sooner or later he's going to be tired of my kicking his ass, and give up." I sigh, turning my head to nuzzle it in Asher's neck. Pulling away I smirk at Dalton's dumbfounded expression. "Dalton close your fucking mouth, you'll catch diseases in a place like this doing shit like that."

"Does he always touch you?" The dip-shit asks, raising a eyebrow before taking a drag.

"Yes." I answer, biting down on the corner of my lip as Dalton only grows more intrigued. "Not that its any of your fucking business."

"Geez Diabla, just asking." Dalton leans in, moving back in a flash as I grow -not about to have Asher flinch in a place like this.

The nice guy is doing so good at controlling himself, I don't need this fucker making it harder for him.

"Why him?"

"Because he has hand." I reply, grinding my teeth as the urge to turn my head and bite grows stronger.

Shit why was the suggestion to claim him even made?

"Well I have hands," Comes Dalton's smug reply. "Does that mean I can touch you too?"

Tsk.

Touching.

"If you want to lose them be my fucking guest." I growl, flashing my teeth.

Under me, the golden boy shifts. I turn my head to see his eyes dark and staring at my canines.

Not helping Asher.

"Dalton, keep an eye put for Lane."

As if realizing something while the shit head agrees, the red head narrows his eyes at me. I ignore it and choose to follow my instincts.

"Eliza-" Asher gasps as I sink my teeth at the corner of his neck and shoulder, hand on the back of his neck and one on his shoulder to keep myself stable and to let me add even more pressure. "E-Eliza."

"Hmm?" I ask, pulling away only to move a little higher on his neck and bite him there -but lightly this time.

My boyfriend doesn't respond, just grabs my thighs after I position myself in a straddle. Moving my hand up I grab his jaw again, something I don't do often or much at all, especially when kissing.

But if I'm claiming him, here of all places, I need to look fully in charge.

Yet he knows he can stop me any time.

"Mine." I growl out, kissing him roughly. He responds to me with the same energy, letting me know he's just a little angry with me for coming here. I tsk at this, smirking against him. "Mad, Gold?"

Asher, after a moment of hesitation, chooses not to answer and kisses me even harder.

This time it's me who gasps and pulls away, or at least tries to, as the nice guy- -the nice guy for fucks sake- -takes my bottom lip between his teeth. He just fucking bit me.

My jaw drops, and I hear Dalton cackle next to me as my hand flies to my mouth. "What the shit."

The golden boy, as if not quite believing he did that either, stares at me with wide eyes.

"I'd tell you to run Blondie," Dalton says, catching how my eyes must be nearly black at this point. He's only seen me like this when mad. But this isn't anger, it's lust. "But in your case she'd only enjoy the chase."

"If you run away from me in this place," I lock eyes with forest green ones, my smirk and glare more than enough to silence him. "I will be pissed."

"I won't." He reassures me, knowing he has the habit of running when overwhelmed.

"Good. Now try to stay silent." I bite down in the same spot, even harder than before. Asher tenses under me, hands clenching on my thighs.

This mark has to last.

"You are mine." I speak against his neck, my breath over the bite mark and hickies I already placed there. My hand goes to his jaw again, making his eyes snap open and look at me. Tension enters the bar as our interaction happened, the dirty males noticing one by one that the Devil's daughter was kissing someone. "Got that? Mine."

"I'm yours." Asher says in a breathy, no hesitation as he nods.

Fuck this nice guy for looking so sexy, and cute, and looking me with that unintentional flirty look he doesn't even know he has.

It's infuriatingly attractive.

"Diabla." Dalton says, and I can tell he's not looking between me and Asher anymore but just me. In fact most males are either looking just at me, or not looking towards us at all. "Did you just claim him?"

God fucking dammit, I hate it when my dad is right.

"Yes," I swipe at my bottom lip, it still tingling from him biting me. "Lane?"

"Not here. Did he just bite you?"

"How many more shit questions are you going to ask, or are you done being a stupid motherfucker for once?" I ask, hoping he just stops talking. Ever since Dalton realized he's the only person here I can stand, he's used the advantage to annoy me -knowing I'll have a hard time punching him. I fucking hate him.

I really did forget how much I stop myself from sweating around Asher, just because he doesn't like it.

"Actually I have one more." The ignorant idiot leans onto his hand, cigarette ash falling onto the table in front of Lincoln -who is strangely silent looking like he's figuring something out. "Did you enjoy it?"

The growl I give off sounds dangerous, and I see more than one person flinch at it, but the blush Dalton catches before I fight it off takes away the affect for him completely.

Asher did it because he thought it would, in turn, make me just a little mad too. But all he did manage to do, was turn me on.

Tsk.

Biting.

"I fucking hate you." I grumble, returning to my previous sitting placement and glaring at him. "You're a-"

"Trevor's kid. My two, your eight. Smoking, he has Olsen with him and Jasper is walking over. Probably coming over here. Last chance to bail."

"And miss all the fun?" I say, I'm sure I look feral as I don't even bother to turn around. "Hell no."

"Will he hurt you Munchkin?" Asher asks, voice under control and hands grabbed me just like I had them before. This time I didn't have to make him.

Dalton almost cracks a smile at the pet name. Link sits up straight, clearly ready for a fight.

My smirk only grows. "He'll try."

"Munchkin's what I call my cat, did you know that Diabla? In your Blondie's defense, you're nearly as small as him too." Dalton says, taking like to the situation.

"Dalton, shut the fuck up." I snap, turning to Link. "What part of this got your panties in a twist, Weasley."

"You'll call them by name but not us? That's really fucked up way to show who you respect."

I don't get the chance to respond, my mouth open to tell Lincoln it's not what he thinks at all, Lane shows up and my dropped jaw and wide eyes turn into a smirk before the dick head can see my first expression. "Always fucking nicer when you're not around, Lane."

"Can say the same thing to y-"

The black haired man cuts himself off, eyes wide as he looks to Asher, fear instantly growing in his as he takes in his size and the noticeable marks on his neck.

"You're hers." Lane says slowly, eyes flicking back to me. I know he won't look at Asher for awhile. "Didn't think you'd bring him here, Diabla."

"Didn't think you thought at all, Lane."

"I want revenge." Lane says simply, making me arch a eyebrow at him. "I want revenge for what you fucking did to my family."

"What I did. How about what your fucking family did to me? Hmm? I'm not looking for revenge, and I'm the who had to kill your father to fucking escape because he kidnapped me." I pause, my smirk deepening as Lane's jaw clenches and his nostrils flare in anger. "Oh? Well shit I'm sorry, did I just strike a nerve."

Lane goes to reach towards me but I grab his wrist, jerking it up and towards the side painfully.

"No fucking touching, douchebag." I snarl, making him gulp. "If you want to fight, let's fight. But don't think for a damn minute that you'll leave with a soul."

"Speaking of souls," Lane replies, trying to cover his fear. "How's the Devil?"

Smirking through mine I say, "How's your mom?" back.

"Rink. Five minutes, he wins we can do whatever we want. You win we never come back, or talk to any of yours-" Olsen's steel grey eyes glance to Asher before winning away.

"Deal. Dalton, shake his slimy hand for me." Lane accepts Dalton's hand, struggling to pull away from the grip the brown eyed man has on him, sunglasses up to glare. "There settle. Try not to shoot yourself up before I can kiss your fucking ass, okay Lane?"

He scoffs, flipping me the bird as he walks away.

Turning my gaze to Link I start with a sharp growl. "I don't know what your fucking problem is today with me Weasley, but you need to cut it the hell out while we're here."

"I don't have a fucking problem with you Elle," Link snaps back, mocking me. He seems to have caught on that I normally swear like a sailor. "I want to know why you respect these people more than us."

I got blank, mind flicking through possibilities of what could make the stupid strawberry ever think that, and come up with shit next to nothing. "I don't respect these pricks more than you, Weasley I-"

"You'll call them by name. I don't think I've ever heard you say my name unless you were being serious, even then you don't like saying it. So what's your problem, why can you do that with these people but not us?"

"Hey Reddie, don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Dalton tells Link. It doesn't stop us from glaring at each other, or Asher's from tending under me. "Her not calling you by name is respect to her, it means she likes you. She called me by my nickname once, but I ruined that by saying her mom is hot."

"Not helping." Asher mumbles, hands holding onto me tighter.

"Oh." Dalton blinks at him before knocking his sunglasses back down, relaxing. "I wasn't trying to help. I love it when Diabla is all riled up, really fun things happen. And she's not gonna hit the Ginger, she likes him too much. I just want to see if she's actually human, knows how to bleed you know."

"Dalton I said shut the fuck up!" I snap louder, my voice rumbling with a growl. "Link you-"

"No." The red head presses on, glaring harshly at me. "My name."

Fucking hell, why can't he understand?

I'm running out of time, I was only given five minutes.

"I not calling you that." My teeth come back to my lip, wearing it raw. "You don't get it W- I can't call you that, you have to stop asking me the way you are. Now I have to go, tell Dad I'm hoping in the rink and that Lane probably has a knife on him but I'll be done within the hour. We can talk about this after."

"Liza, please," Asher holds the sides of my face before placing a soft kiss on my lips. "Be careful."

"I will. I love you." I say, turning to Lincoln. "Stay a strawberry." Then I glare at Dalton, my features instantly darkening. He stays grinning. "If they even get so much as sneezed on I will fucking make you wish you never pushed that empty head out of your mothers vagina. Got it, you whore?"

"Got it, bitch." Dalton winks at me, raising his hand in a wave. "If he cuts your wrist again can I be there when they stitch you up, never seen it happen in person."

"Sure." I reply stiffly, rolling my eyes at him. "But no passing out."

"Deal." Dalton yells as I turn my back to him. "Steal their soul Diabla, I'll watch your claim."

Climbing in the rink in the middle of the room, I think it's then Link realizes what kind of place this really is, and when Asher realizes I left my jacket with him -that I'm only in a wife beater now.

I'm too aware of the mint green eyes on me, and how I can't make tears fill them.

I can't let myself get hurt.

Breathe Eliza, nothing bad can happen when you breathe like this.

My eyes open as Lane enters the rink, Jasper beside him rolling out his shoulders. "Two verses one, how is that fucking fair? It will take at  least three of you dicks to do anything."

"Don't push your luck Diabla." Lane sneers, thinking he has the upper hand still.

He doesn't.

"Don't push my luck? But that's what you fucks have been doing all along, pushing your fucking luck. Arguing with me, threatening what's mine. You should have known better, really. I can't blame you for making shit decisions like this. But when this is over, and I've won, when I've beat you," Just to see him flinch I step forward, jaw snapping. "You'll sure as hell blame yourself."

"Stop talking," Jasper says, exasperated and anxious. "And start fucking fighting."

I let Lane circle me, not even turning my head when he's behind me. He's too scared to attack me from the back, he'll want to come at me from the front.

And I'm right, as he lunges forward the second he gets in front of me, easily side stepping it I dunk as Jasper tries to grab me and ram my elbow into his dick.

Bet that hurt.

"Fuck!" Jasper says, dropping onto his knees behind me. I roll away from him, landing in a perch at the corner of the rink.

Standing besides his fuck of a friend Lane flicks out a knife, and twirls it in a way I'm sure he'd find threatening if someone showed him -but for me it just shows that he's good at tricks, not at cutting people.

Then again, maybe he's just like his father.

I stand, appearing to lazily shift my stance but I'm prepared for total defense, behind the back offense, until I can get the knife from him or make him hurt himself with it.

He walks to me, I let him move first and keep blocking. As my knee goes up to his thigh his hand goes down with the knife. Slamming my leg down I fall back, I'm barely knicked with it but a slice goes across his own thigh as he doesn't react fast enough to stop his own hand.

Why is there always so much blood?

Somebody, Jasper, grabs me from the back and attempts to pin me in a lock hold. Kicking back I hook my leg around the larger one and pull -he slams into the ground.

I can breath again but my breath hitches as I fall away, because a hand wraps in my hair and pulls me back against a body. My toes are the only thing keeping me on the ground. "You did say it should be three of us, correct?" Olsen grunts in my hair.

A growl leaves me as his hand comes around to hold over my mouth, to suffocate me, but I snap forward and bite. Hard.

Olsen shouts with pain, dropping me back to the ground. Without turning around I twist, grabbing the hand now slippery with blood and twisting, slamming my body against the larger male's abdomen. Without hesitation I throw him over me, breaking his wrist in the process.

When their buddy lands, Lane decides its a good idea to tackle me.

It's not.

We twist on the ground together, my hips buckle to send me one top and as I straddle him -knees tucked in to make it painful. The knife clearly went through his side, and was dropped useless on the floor of the rink. Lane gasps, hands gripping himself as shock floods his body. Not getting up any time soon, but definitely won't die.

Jasper, having recovered, lunges for the knife the same time my booty stomps on it, making at least one finger break under the force. "You bitch!" He howls, moving to uppercut me.

I block every move, but soon find myself leaning on the glass side. The bullet proof glass side.

Grabbing the edge, blood smears from where I grabbed Olsen's bloody wrist onto the glass. Twisting, my foot goes up and connects under Jasper's chin and sends him sprawled onto his ass.

Trying to control my reactions, not let my movements get cocky or sloppy, I breath through my nose -mouth pulled in a smarl as I stalk towards Jasper, movements clearly predatory causing him to try and scramble back.

But I still manage to grab his shirt, pinning him to the glass with the toes of my boots crushing his sneakers.

"If you ever so much as look at what's mine, I will come for you." I whisper to him, voice more Wolf than anything. "Now run, your life depends on it."

Stepping back I cock my head, a challenging glare clear in my eyes.

The trembling ran rushes tripping, stumbling, and cursing from the rink.

Plucking the knife from the ground I clean it on my shirt, plunging it into the ground besides Lane's bloody side by the force of a throw. "I won." I state, a little too tempted to kick him for all the shit he's done to me. "Say it."

"You w-won." Lane stammers, jaw clenching. "Diabla, you really are the Devil's daughter."

"I'm surprised you forgot that." I say, then lean in with my fingers digging into his cheeks -small half circles are going to be left over. Maybe bruises. "Don't let me see you again, Lane. Or I won't be happy and today-" I snarl, dropping his head with force. "Today I was fucking happy."

The crowd is too loud for anyone to hear what I say, but they can all see how Lane's already pale face losses all color -as if blood loss wasn't enough.

Turning my back I'm aware of the cruel look I have. How angry I am at the world, at myself, shows in my eye, them the color of black Dalton is used to.

I almost don't want to be around Asher, to see if he flinches or not or if Link is still looking at me like I'm a terrible person, still going to demand something from me that I can't do.

My stomach drops, feeling nauseous I got straight out the back door -the crowd parts for me, chins dropping in respect.

Breathe Eliza, just fucking breathe.

I gasp, back pressed into the cool wall as I struggle for air. That wasn't good, that wasn't good at all.

Once you see how light your life could be like you never want to go back to darkness.

And I just went back to darkness.

Snarling as the door opening, I scoff as the much to familiar red head comes out. I'd much rather it be a stranger, than him see me like this.

All teeth and tears.

"Go away Weasley." I say, voice no where near as shaky as I feel. My arms are locked over my head, to get me to breath easier. It barely works.

Am I shaking?

"You're not okay." Lincoln says, coming to a standstill in front of me -I can instantly tell he's still angry. I scoffed, rolling my eyes. This only made the tears show more. "Are you crying."

"Isn't it weird how most people die when they're our age, and aren't really dead until they're eighty?" I reply instead of answering, Link barely bats an eye at me, mine water even more.

"Are you crying?" He repeats, leaning in slightly.

"No." I say, not wanting to even talk.

"Are you going to."

Shaking my head I close my eyes, dropping my arms as I let out a hard breath. "I'm okay, let's go back inside. Did anyone touch you?"

"Asher kicked me under the table."

At this a tiny smirk quirks at the corner of my lips, but I quickly drop it for a nearly subscious scowl. "Not a single sneeze?"

"No, no one sneeze on us Elle." The strawberry pauses, a hand on the door above my head to stop me from opening it. "Did you get hurt?"

"I said I'm okay." I growl out, swinging around. Lincoln takes two steps back, glaring down at me. I glare back, he looks away when I raise a eyebrow but quickly goes back to giving me the older-brother over-protective you-fucked-up or got-hurt look. "What?"

"If you're okay why were you crying?"

"I wasn't crying." I say, exasperated. I need something -a book? "Let it go Weasley."

"I saw tears, and say my name. Not a character from a movie." Link tells me, making my fingernails dig into my hands.

The blood is still on me.

"Ron is a book character, not from a movie. And I didn't cry, the tears stayed in my eyes. I'm okay now Weasley, let's go inside." I tell him, turning only to have his large hands grab my shoulders.

I flinch.

"Fuck!" I exclaim, hands that I raised to defend myself snap to his chest as I shove him. That action barely makes him move. "Stop testing me. I want to go inside. I want-"

A book?

No.

Fuck.

My mom would say love is stronger than anything. I love Asher.

Asher.

"I need Asher." I choke out, trying not to cry and glare at Link instead. "Let me inside."

Silently, he does. Lincoln follows me too, probably knowing I wouldn't actually go inside unless he did too. The crowd parts for me, but closes up on Link until I growl at them, shoving the guy who flipped him off. Fuckers.

Asher stands as he sees me, obviously panicking a little bit and trying to conceal it. Behind him Dalton stands, smirking like he just got blown.

My body reacts before I can help myself, I'm launched at Asher with my legs going around his waist and my arms around his shoulders, face in his neck. Even without having full control, I won't bite or kiss him with Olsen's blood still staining my teeth.

Still, I clutch to him and he clutches onto me. Once again I'm reminded of how gigantic the nice guy is, for once it makes me feel so small, knowing Asher isn't even the biggest guy in here.

"Gold, you're my favorite." I randomly tell him, mumbling against his neck.

"Favorite what?" He asks confused, voice deeper than normal but still quiet.

"Everything. My favorite person to see and eyes to look at. My favorite voice and name that pops up on my phone. If you were a book, you'd be my favorite. You're my favorite way to spend a night. Favorite, fill in the blank, you're it. You're so...you. I left it at favorite for a reason." My boyfriend is the only reason I'm verbal right now, so what I decided to talk about was him to keep it that way.

"Oh." A blush lit up his cheeks, as mint green eyes connect with mine after I pull away. "You're my favorite too."

"I'm still...are you still okay with me? I know, I know I'm not the best person and I would have shown you this side of me. But you shouldn't have ever come here."

His hands shift down to my ass instead of my thighs, probably having seen the many eyes on us. "You're still my favorite Blue, nothing would change that."

"Even if I kill Link?" I ask, getting a sharp look in reply. "I will if he keeps trying to force me to say his name."

"Okay, and let's talk about this but at home. Is your dad and Emmeline expecting us to be at yours, or can we go back to the apartment." Though he's still holding me, he leans in to speak. "We can leave here, right?"

"Yeah Gold, we can leave. And I'm skipping school tomorrow, so I'll just go home then." Putting an arm on his shoulder I peak over it and meet eyes with sunglasses, and two raised eyebrows. "Tell me right away next time shit like this happen, got that you shit bag?"

"Got it, bitch."

I growl at him, about to snap when cold lips land right below my ear -a shiver goes through me and my mouth clamps shut.

"Spill Eliza," Now safely back at their apartment Link says my name -clearly emphasizing the fact its my full name and not my nickname. "I want to know why its so hard for you to address me, us, by name."

"I don't have to tell you jack shit." I say, arms crossed. Asher is completely passed out on the couch, arms wrapped around my hips and legs as he face plants into my thighs. I'm more than tempted to curl up with him, having relaxed into the cushion after my hot shower its actually painful when I tense at the strawberry's words. So I find myself relaxing, one hand still going through blond hair though I put my book Hush, Hush down. "Why is this so important for you anyway?"

"Does it matter?" Link asks, scoffing slightly as he leans back into his chair. "Can I ask you smaller questions first, then?"

"You can try." I say smirking.

"You frustrate me."

"Join the club."

"Fine," Lincoln huffs. "Why don't you cuss, speak like you normally would around us?"

"Because Asher doesn't like it." I say, feeling the golden boy stir under me at his name. "I would make him flinch. Something I'd hate myself for."

"Why'd you fight that guy?" Link pauses, still making eye contact. "And why were you so good at it?"

"Because I've gotten into a lot of fights, and know how to do it. I've been training with Dad since I was thirteen, just like Xander. Plus me and those Hilton idiots fight a lot, and if you haven't noticed a lot of guys think  it's okay to touch me without consent. I'm an inch over five foot, I don't weigh that much. The only thing I have going for me is fighting skills, so I need to be good at it." I crack my knuckles. "Survival, you know?"

"And why'd you fight him?"

It's going to annoy me how he's not responding, just moving on. He's not my aunt, this isn't for a specific purpose at all.

"Because he threatened Asher." I say, my sharpest teeth on display. "And nobody gets away with that."

"What if you got hurt?"

"Its just question after question with you, huh Weasley." My smirk doesn't disappear as his glare pops up. He's been doing that too much tonight for me to think anything of it. "I wasn't going to get hurt, not seriously. My mom didn't even try to stop me, or send Dad with me. If she's not worried and actually knows what I'm doing, then you shouldn't worry either, I've learned."

Looking a little confused, but mostly surprised, Link only presses on. "Then why were you so stressed if you knew you weren't going to be hurt?"

"It wasn't me I was worried about, dip-shit. It was you and Gold, you have no serious scars and Asher is Asher. Neither of you handle places like that well, and if I hadn't thought to bite you or Dalton wasn't at the door then my wrist would be cut side to side as payment to get in." I admit, and see my adoptive-brother's mouth part as he comes to realize that I walked up there not knowing who was going to answer the door. "Does that answer your question?"

"A little." His voice gets stronger, like he's confronting me. "Wouldn't I be the one who would be cut, not you?"

"When we were in my living room what did you think 'There's nothing we can do for Link, I'll take that one.' meant?" I snort, rolling my eyes at his dumbfounded look. "You're slow."

"Why would you...after all the shit that happened to you? Just for me, Elle I'm-"

"Shut up Link, I'd die for you." I say, not thinking twice. "What's the point of all this, to find out why I can't say your name?"

"Won't say my name? Yes." The red head nods, arms crossed though I stay relaxed.

"Can't. I can't say your name." I say, biting my lip. "It's worse than fire, and you just forcing me to say your name is something you shouldn't do."

Flashbacks.

Tsk.

"Why not?" Though he's clearly hesitant to say it after the fire comment, Lincoln still asks.

"Do you say all the names carved into me? It's pretty hard to miss. Grace, Travis," My heart pounds against my ribs. "And Trevor. Names, ugly names. Names they tried to tell me where my first, ones they told me that what I was. And I'm not, I know that. But when you constantly have flashbacks of someone holding you down and hurting you. Or whipping you. Or raping you. Just to see you break and say their name," I've kept eye contact but his dropped down. First time he's found out part of what happened to me and he won't even look me in the eyes. Great. "Its not something someone wants to re-experience."

I wait a awkward beat or two, for him to speak. He doesn't.

"Now if you'll excuse me." I say, nudging Asher to let me up -after a few seconds the nice guy does. "I'm going to go read in bed, still sore."

What a mess.

After getting settled, Asher joins me and started telling me I need sleep, even going as far to take my book from me.

"I don't need to go to sleep, I'm not tired. I'll be fine." I say, trying to convince Asher who pouts.

His chest does look really comfortable though.

"But Blue, I'll be lonely without you. Come sleep with me, I need to have you next to me."

I flash my sharpest teeth at him, winking. "Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns?"

"I-is it working?" The nice guy asks, blushing due to my wording.

"Hmm. Yes, yes it is."