Why can't people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?
-David Baldacci

"I don't like what you did the other day." Mason snarls, towering over me the second he made two of his jocks pick me up from the bench.

Honestly I could get out of this lock in a second, but half the football team is holding Lincoln back and the other half is holding Asher back -so far Asher is the only one freaking out albeit silently, Link only seems mad.

A smirk is on my face as I raise a eyebrow, not feeling threatened for me but for the people behind me.

"I don't like your face any day, call it compensation."

These words had the hold on me tighten painfully, and I didn't help that I was caught them off guard, as if punishment for speaking out of line.

I never expected them to show up at the park, I'm just thankful that Lincoln's little cousin had just got picked up, otherwise a little girl could have gotten hurt. 

"Go to hell." Mason snaps, standing straighter.

"Been there, done that." I reply nonchalantly. "Not as fun as you think."

Digging into his pocket Mason produces a lighter, making both my amusement and fear grow, only one I show. "I heard," He drawls smugly. "That you have a certain phobia I'd like to test."

The stupid jock grabs my chin with one hand, I snarl deeply as a flame is placed in front of my eyes. 

Managing to keep my self control in check I stay rooted to the stop, a set of hands on my shoulder and wrists keep me in place while Mason's is holding my head still.

Don't show your fear Eliza, they should be more afraid of me than I am of them.

I'm lethal when I want to be.

It's about time this fucker realizes that.

"Congratulations." I spit. "You conquered the first human achievement, given you're a bit late to the game. I'm glad you made it."

"Stop with the smart ass responses, I know you're weak. You're weak and small and that's all you'll ever be." The lighter is put away, but I know this is far from done. "Your boyfriend is a loser. That redhead is such a fuck up, no wonder he-"

I got myself out of the hold before anyone could stop me, my knee hitting Mason's chest causing him to fall down and my fist connecting so hard with his jaw that I can only have enough time to see his eyes go cross before the jock's body thumps down hard on the ground.

"Nobody talks to or hurts them." I snarl, my teeth showing dangerously causing the football team to pause -unsure what to do without their leader.

But they're still holding the two friends back.

And I can't have that.

"And who made you queen?" A brave one asks, I don't care enough to know his name.

"The devil. I'm warning you now, and it's the only one you're going to get. You have fifteen seconds to let them go without hurting them, or I swear I will break every single one of your wrists and put you out of commission for the rest of the season." 

"Fuck." I heard one guy say in the back.

"Wolf, we really didn't, we really didn't want to anger you." A shorter, blond one stammers. "Just let us go."

"Fifteen second, leave, now. And you did mean to anger me. Watch your fucking backs because I never handled people who try to take what's mine well. As for you two," I glare at the two who held onto me. "If you ever touch me with your damn hands again you won't be able to use them. Got that?"

They nod and rush away, some about to pick up Mason but I just put a foot on his chest effectively stopping them. 

"Wolf-"

"Fuck off. He's mine now."

And that's that.

Except now I want to throw up, I have a teenage boy I need to take home, I have a freaked out boyfriend and a angry strawberry.

Redheads.

Tsk.

I rub my wrists, where light bruises have formed.

Stress tightens my shoulders as my mind begins to replay the events until I'm frozen in spot, body tense beyond imagine.

The second a cold hand touches me I jerk away, unintentionally tripping over Mason and landing on my ass.

"Oops?" I offer a grin, even with me lethal teeth showing I'm sure neither of them believe it's real.

Asher faces me while Link hauls up Mason, a sad look on his face. "Eliza, what do you need?"

"Yeah, and what do you want to do to this idiot?" Lincoln asks, glaring at the jock.

"Just take me home. My dad will handle him and by then I'll be okay." I say, hating how they both look like they doubt me. "Seriously. Link you need to be home by five, right? My dad will drop you off before taking Mason home."

"Okay..." The redhead trails off, somewhat uncertain about his next words.

Hesitancy.

Tsk.

"Ash shouldn't go home today, I'm not going to tell you more than that but just keep him at your place. He doesn't think it's a big deal, but it is. Don't let him go home." He says, then lifts Mason over a shoulder and starts to carry him towards my car.

I go to follow him but  pause all movement as the golden boy huffs but reaches a hand out towards me, trying to lend me a hand up. 

Silently I take it, only to be boosted straight into the air. A squeak leaves my mouth before I can stop it as I stumble into a landing, Asher's hands clumsily grabbing my sides to stop me from falling. 

"Sorry I, I forgot how tiny you are." The nice guy stammers his apology, but it only makes me send him a annoyed look. "Oh, sorry, not tiny -small?"

"Asher?" He looks scared that I said his first name, but don't in acknowledgement anyway. "Just stop and are you okay?

"Yeah...you?"

"No." I seeth, my arms going around his middle as I bury myself into his chest. "Those assholes made me so angry when they grabbed you and Weasley. Nobody fucks with the people I care about and not get hurt, I'd-" I take a breath, sinking deeper into him to avoid cursing and threatening in front of the nice guy.

As much as he tries to hide it he hates when people do that around him, sometimes it can ever scare him.

I hold back when I can, and never curse at him or Link directly and try to avoid fighting around him for that exact reason.

Which is odd for me, but since it's for my own boyfriend it's not that weird as a whole.

Honestly, I'd destroy all of those airhead jocks who came today without second thought. I probably would have broken bones and not have cared how bloody my fists got for a second.

But the golden boy was there.

So I didn't -well, for the most part.

God help me next time I see one of those dickwads at school prancing around like they own the place. I'm going to snap if they so much as look at me wrong, not to mention the fire thing.

It's not going to be pretty.

That's for sure.

"I'm sorry you guys were involved in my shit. Mason's had it out for me since freshman year, I'm just so sick of him acting this way. Saturday must have pissed him off, I don't know how he even found us." I tell him, fists clenching against the back of his shirt. "On Monday if he does something-"

"We can talk it out." Asher cuts off my growl, trying to calm me down.

All I do is snort, but anger is still rolling off of me in waves, the glare in my eyes murderous as the thin lipped snarl shown is probably what makes Asher gulp and Link stay silent, jaw clenched as he sits beside a unconscious Mason.

If he had woken up the boy would already be knocked out again, because fuck, if Lincoln doesn't do it- -like I know he wants to- -I would. Again.

"The only thing I'd be saying is apologies to my broken knuckles." I snap, pushing myself away from him before my grip becomes painful and stalking towards the car. "Get in."

Without questioning me Asher rushes to the passenger seat, but since I don't like that Mason is sitting behind him I make Lincoln switch spots -he actually didn't argued and seemed to agree with my train of thought.

Yes, Asher is strong and generally a large guy and knows how to fight, but he freezes up, is too nice and probably won't defend himself by throwing a punch unless absolutely necessary. 

Lincoln is the real defender.

I'm just the overreacting protector that likes to punch things, the Devil's daughter.

"Can you put your Wolf snarl, fang thing away? And stop growling? I can tell from back here that you're making Ash nervous." Link scolds me, but I growl at him, effectively making the car silent for the entire time home.

It looks like my dad just got back on a run with Luci and Xander, since he's on my porch a little sweaty with my brother dying laying down on his back while the half wolf licks his face.

Someone's not in shape.

Because I'm slightly panicking I break hard, Asher slamming the car into park as I forget and bolt from my seat. Making it to Dad my hands move to tell him what happened.

For a while after I got taken I had selective muteness, which means there was nothing pyshically wrong with me that stopped me from speaking, I was just unable to say anything due to a mental block.

My family is awesome; so while they did make me go to a speech therapist they also taught me sign language so in case I never gained my voice back, which I need a good 8 months later, I would always be able to communicate with them.

During stressful situations and around them I tend to go back to what makes me feel safer, silence snarling with sharp teeth and sign-language. 

Dad looks slightly dazed, but the growl that quickly booms from his chest tells me although surprised he's no where near confused, and all too willing to handle the situation. 

"Where's the Dallas kid?" My dad snarls, our teeth flash in distaste as Lincoln bothers to point as Mason through the open window. "Tell your boy he's staying with you. Lewis, you're with me. I want no complaints, you'll like seeing the look on his mother's face. I promise."

The smirk he wears -it reminds me why so many people call him the Devil.

Why Mom calls him feral.

And I'm no different.

But we're Wolf's, so that's a good thing.

"Elle?" A hand lands on my shoulder, making snap my head to Xander -who instantly moves his hand off me. "You okay?"

"I will be." I force myself to speak, noticing a jeep parked in our garage next to my bike. My eyes narrow at it before I look back to my brother, who must have let Luci inside. "Who's here?"

"Oh. CJ and EJ, Mom told us they were coming -remember? Celeste is-" 

Not so sadly Alexander is interrupted by twin idiots barging into him, one of them knocking into me and attempting to hug me. 

I growl at EJ, hand grabbing his shoulder and the other one knocking into his throat where I slam him into the ground. CJ pouts as his brother screams on the way down, mishief in his eyes as he attempts the same the only to be punched in the face- -I held back so his nose won't even bleed- -and land as the same groaning mess.

"Shit Elle," Xander stares wide eyed, taking a small step back I continue to glare at the twins with clear annoyance. "I forgot how much you don't like being touched."

"You weren't the only one." I'm seriously considering walking over my cousins before familiar hands hold onto my waist, pulling me back into a chest that makes ice flood my system.

The way I melt into Asher's chest doesn't go unnoticed, especially since I just dropped two other guys for barely attempting to hug me as a greeting, which isn't nearly as intimate as how the nice guy is hugging me from behind, making sure I'm as close to him as I can be.

"Sorry she hurt you two...even though I don't know you," Asher sheepishly apologizes, but the twins only gape at him and avoid my glare. "It's been a stressful day."

"No...it's not that. Elle here hates all human contact unless it's coming from her parents or asshole brother or some shit." EJ says, slowly standing along with his brother. "I'm Engel Hilton, her cousin. If you're smart you'll call me EJ though."

"And I'm Cael Hilton, her favorite cousin." They ignore my snort. "Call me CJ. I'm taller and have darker hair."

"...but you're both blond." The now confused golden boy points out in a murmur.

"No. I'm blond, CJ is dirty blond." EJ says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Um. Okay? And she's perfectly fine with touching me, your approach is far from okay though. Next time don't come running at her with your arms open and you might not get hurt. Sorry again she did that."

The twins stare at Asher like he grew another head, Xander stares at him like he won the lottery for being able to touch me and and I stare at him in blatant amusement.

He has no clue...

"Dude." CJ says slowly. "You got some voodoo magic going on or some shit, I'm telling you man. She really just doesn't like people touching her."

As if to prove his point Cael reaches towards me to try and touch my arm but I growl and kick his shin, making the dumb blond yelp and jump back.

"That's my point. Assault! Assault!"

"It wouldn't be assault if you fucking idiots would stop trying to use me as examples knowing full well what will happen to your scrawny asses if you touch me." I snap, my anger rising. "And if you touch me one more goddamn time for absolutely no reason your-"

Cold lips brush under my ear, causing my jaw to instantly snap shut. "Calm down."

Fuck this golden boy for knowing one of the most sensitive spots on my body, and using it at a time like this.

It doesn't help that at this time the hickies are almost gone, which just makes the urge to make more all that more stronger.

Without speaking I brush past the idiots and go straight to my room, dragging Asher behind me. He doesn't complain, but I can practically feel the questions about people touching me rise in him and his need to ask them.

This is gonna be a long night.