Savages: A Reverse Harem (Vengeance Book 1) Read online

  “Well, hi there,” Esme laughed slightly nudging my shoulder. “Gray, I am gonna sneak past you to go grab breakfast. Be ready by seven tonight!”

  I flipped her off as she slid her tall, slim form past me. I had always been jealous of her model thin body. I looked at Taylor, expecting his eyes to be trained to her. I was secretly pleased to find them on me. I smirked.

  “Like something you see?” I teased.

  Taylor’s eyes ignited and he stepped forward into my space. The scent of bonfire encapsulated all my thoughts. I didn’t move and he took this as a sign to reach down, trailing a hand across my silk covered hip. I tried not to flinch.

  Now, a normal reaction would have been to lean into him. He was totally hot and did funny things to my body. Hot things. Instead, I took that hand and squeezed it hard enough that pain registered on his face. I placed it calmly back onto his chest.

  “Do. Not. Touch. Me.” I murmured my eyes narrowed. A look crossed his face, fleeting but pained, before he held up his hands in surrender.

  “Sorry Gray,” he apologized sincerely. “For that and for yesterday.”

  Damn, I nearly felt bad at the sincerity in his voice. I couldn’t get a fucking read on this guy. Half the time, I think he’s an ass. The other half, he seems rather sweet. I noticed a small amount of reddish brown stubble on his chin as he rubbed it in distraction. Shit, he was handsome. I pressed my lips together and tried to not jump into his arms.

  Yes. I realize I just told him to not touch me.

  Yes. I find him fuckable and want to climb him like a tree.

  No. I never said I was consistent.

  “You’re welcome to come in, but I am not even close to ready to go,” I stated softly. I didn’t accept apologies, as a general rule, but he could make them all he wanted.

  “I can just wait,” he stated. His eyes took in the dorm. Did I really just let him in? Good idea Gray. Absolutely brilliant. Yes, because no one has ever regretted letting a man they didn’t know into their dorm.

  “Alright. Just sit and stay or whatever,” I growled defensively as his lips twerked.

  “I’m not a dog,” he answered while sitting down on the couch. His large arms went onto the back of the leather and I was distracted, momentarily by his muscles. He smiled brilliantly at my attention and it caused me to snap out of it. I rolled my eyes and muttered annoyances to myself as I slipped into my bedroom to get ready.

  ∞∞∞

  Nearly a half an hour later, I was ready for class. My legs were showcased in a tight leather skirt and thigh-high flat black boots. I tucked in a silky plum top that had billowed sleeves and hung off the shoulders. Finally, I adjusted my leather necklace in place. The reflection in the mirror was smooth and beautiful, besides the scars that marked my shoulders and back. Small round ones and long gashes.

  I had learned long ago not to hide them. It made people view them as a weakness they could exploit. Instead, I braided my silky hair into a waist length style and wondered if this would remove the light in Taylor’s eyes when he looked at me. Maybe it was more of a hope. I spritzed myself with perfume and left the sleek navy and silver bedroom I kept.

  “Shit, Gray,” Taylor exclaimed with a dangerous smile flitting across his face. Not the reaction I wanted. I rolled my eyes at him and that, for whatever reason, caused him to chuckle.

  “Why don’t you have to wear a uniform?” He asked curiously and following me to the kitchen.

  I shrugged my shoulder, “It’s too much work to argue with me, so they don’t.”

  Taylor smirked at that before his eyes snapped to the bouquet of roses on the counter. Forgotten along with my half drunk coffee cup.

  “Secret admirer?” He asked with a dip of his brow that seemed almost contemplative.

  I crossed my arms in a slight defensive posture, “Not so secret. Bobby dropped them off.”

  “The pup from yesterday?” He asked as his jaw tensed.

  Why was I explaining myself to him? More so, how did he figure Bobby a pup? Taylor couldn’t have been much older than him.

  “Nope,” I wiggled my finger at him. “You have no right to get all ‘caveman-ish’ about him. I barely know you. If you get all weird, it will hurt any progress we’ve made.”

  His green eyes moved away from the flowers. He sighed, meeting my gaze, “Fine. Fine. Let’s go before we are late for my very important first day of class.”

  “Bossy,” I grinned at his sarcasm but appreciated the effort to move on. I knew it was difficult for men like him to not be bossy. We left the dorm, and for the first time since school began, I let a boy walk with me to class. I really should have just punched him instead.

  Chapter 6

  Rhodes

  I had to grip the table as she walked into the computer lab. Her saunter causing the entire room to go quiet. She smirked as Taylor followed after her. He looked like a fucking puppy dog. His eyes showed amusement, but his body was tense. I noticed his eyes kept moving to her shoulders and then back to me. What was he trying to tell me? I didn’t have time to listen to his mental nudges before Gray approached with her blue eyes trained on me with speculation.

  “You’re in my seat, Rhodes,” she stated as the class watched in interest. Her skirt was skin tight. I could follow the long trail of her legs from the top of her boots to between her thighs with ease. Fuck. She was a hot little minx.

  My jaguar made a purr in the back of my throat that I attempted to silence. Instead, I responded with normal confidence, “You strike me as adaptable, you’ll be fine.”

  I had to stop my grin as her mouth popped open in surprise. Taylor wouldn’t meet my eyes, but I could hear his laughter through our silent bond. I expected her to yell or get in my face. Instead, she lowered into the seat next to me, turning to face me completely. I watched her with interest.

  A hand snaked out and grabbed my jaw gently with a fairly impressive strength that brought us face to face. I could feel the energy strumming off her in thick waves, and for just a moment, the room seemed to be bathed in silver. It was like the two of us were completely alone and it made it painfully clear just how much she was holding back.

  She whispered quietly in my ear. Malice was radiating through her, “Let me make something very clear, Rhodes. I don’t deal with bullshit from men like you. I don’t let them, or you, push me around. I don’t let anyone take what is mine. So I am going to kindly, because you didn’t know this, ask you to get the fuck out of my seat.”

  Our faces were so close to one another that all it would take to kiss her would be a slight surge forward. I could taste those soft lips and run my hands along her sleek, moonlit scar with ease. I also suspected I would get my nose broken in a second flat. That didn’t bother me all that much, though. So what stopped me? The anger in her eyes, deep, ingrained, and ignitable. This was bigger than me. My jaguar paced reckless through my mind. He wanted to retaliate against her dominance.

  He wanted to pin her down and force her to tell us everything. He wanted her submission and for her to bare her neck to us. He wanted to understand her. Why did she not like being touched? Why did she flinch around men? Why did she have so many scars? Talking about scars, where the fuck did those scars on her shoulders and back come from?

  “Do you understand me, Rhodes?” Her voice was lethal and dangerous.

  “Tell me where the scars are from and I will move,” I murmured. I was testing the waters and I think I knew it would backfire. I should have expected the hand that slipped around my throat as her nails pierced my skin with a sudden violence. Still, I didn’t move my gaze. She needed this control to feel better. If I easily removed her grip, it would only remove any chance of me finding out the answers I wanted. She would become defensive and back away.

  “Do not ask me about my scars,” she snarled quietly. “Ever.”

  I nodded and switched places with her easily. I rubbed my jaw to see if she had drawn blood. She had and a small part of my animal loved that she had marked us. Ah. Fuck. That was the last thing I needed right now. It was difficult as a shifter though. You were constantly fighting for dominance with those around you. When someone did best you, it was considered a good thing even though you didn’t want it originally. A complicated dynamic.

  As she passed me, her hair braid swung over her shoulder and my entire body began vibrating with anger. I felt my leopard snarl at the extent of the horrible scarring on her shoulders and back. My eyes snapped to Taylor, who offered me a single head shake. When I had first saw it, I assumed there had been only the few that covered her shoulder tops. Now. Well shit. Now I could see that they covered her entire bloody back.

  As class started, my eyes continued to trail along the injured area. The scars were small and round on her shoulders. I knew those, I had two on my shoulder as well. Larger than cigarettes, but most definitely, cigar burns. The others though? They were raised like knife cuts and criss crossed over some thinner whip like ones. What the fuck had happened to her? More importantly, who the fuck had hurt her like that?

  The class continued to create more questions than answers. Why did every woman look at her with hopefulness? Why did every man stay away from her? Was she a protector? A bully? I couldn’t get a read on the dynamic here. I mean, hell, why did the teachers speak of her with such reverence? Was she truly the best student here?

  After nearly an hour, I turned to her. A strand of her dark silky hair escaped her braid. Before I realized what I had done, I tucked it away from her face. A look crossed her face as she flinched back and those eyes hardened into pure gemstones. Taylor made a worried sound in the back of his throat while pushing at my mental bond. I ignored him because I was very well aware of the mistake I had made.

  “Rhodes, you ever touch me again a
nd you will wish you hadn’t,” she stated her eyes turning a deep, nearly midnight, color. I could feel the winds change outside, a thundercloud appearing and casting the sky in a deep rich grey color that made the room fill with shadows. I nodded as she stood up and walked away, her steps filled with tension. I looked to Taylor in confusion and he let out a deep exhale upon her exit.

  “It seems our little kitten is going to be a tad more difficult to convince than assumed,” I responded to his concerned expression.

  Taylor gave an amused, yet dry, chuckle as the thunder outside cracked through the empty classroom. Yes, I predicted that Gray was going to be something that we hadn’t expected in the least.

  Chapter 7

  Gray

  “Fucking stupid Rhodes,” I growled as I sat outside. My fingers held a shading pencil as my eyes traced patterns in the leather bound notebook. I was shaking from my interaction with him. I didn’t even feel like drawing, but it calmed the vibrating energy that seemed to have grown more powerful under my skin.

  Rhodes didn't scare me. I mean he was intimidating as hell, but it was the calculating gaze in this eyes that I didn’t like. They scanned right through me. When I threatened him, he didn’t blink from his dissection of my psyche. I felt as though he had not argued because he knew that I needed to be in control. I fucking hated that.

  I hated that someone I barely knew had me pinned already.

  I could feel the heat from his fingers when he had touched me. I could hear the interest in his slightly accented voice when he asked me about my damn scars. What I didn’t see? Pity. Rather, there was interest and a controlled calm that reminded me of a therapist. I hated him more than Taylor right now. I should have marched my ass back inside to punch him. Instead, I thought about how good those warm hands felt on the part of me no one had ever touched with compassion.

  “Gray,” Bobby’s voice sounded from the pavillion. I smirked as the big, puppy-eyed man came and sat across from me. His hair was wet from the sheets of rain coming down around the pavillion. In here, I felt centered. Why was he here though? He wasn’t supposed to be here.

  “Hey Bobby,” I stated quietly, my fingers closing the leather bound journal.

  “Happy Birthday, beautiful. Did you get the flowers and coffee?” He asked curiously with a bright smile. There was humor in his eyes, making the normal brown turn into honey.

  “I did,” I stated quietly. “Why did you bring those over?”

  He rose a brow with undisguised amusement, “Isn’t it obvious? I like you, Gray.”

  I pursed my lips to not smile and looked at his puppy dog eyes. Why was that so cute? Why was everyone around me so damn handsome lately? Ugh. Bad thoughts, Gray. Bad thoughts.

  “Well don’t,” I stated easily with indifference. “I will just end up punching you.”

  He grinned roguishly, “But that’s us, Gray. I say something stupid and you punch me.”

  I rose a brow, but was distracted by a large body moving through the rain with grace. Adyen appeared. He rose a brow at the two of us while shaking his hair like a wet dog. Why was everyone a fucking dog in my head? I had literally never had a dog. In fact, I figured myself much more of a cat person. He smiled at me, before shooting a look to Bobby.

  “What do you need, Adyen?” I asked with interest while leaning my chin on my palm.

  He smirked, “Came to see how my lil brawler is doing.”

  “Your brawler?” I asked with laughter bubbling up. This guy...

  “Yeah, buddy. She hits me, not you.” Bobby stated proudly. I lost it and began laughing. Was he jealous? Oh gods. What was even happening today? Maybe it was one of those odd human movies where everything gets fucked up on your birthday.

  Both men looked at me. One looked at me with confusion, the other with contained amusement.

  “Listen, Bobby,” I said quietly with an undertone of warning. “I will think about dinner like you asked, but it seems that Adyen has something to talk to me about. I’ll find you later, okay?”

  Bobby frowned while standing up, “Fine. But remember, you don’t get to take my place.”

  Adyen grinned a predatory smile that made me warm, “Don’t worry. I would never dream of taking your place as her punching bag.”

  Bobby shook his head, sparing me with a glance that flashed with something dark, and jogged off into the rain. For a big guy, he moved quickly. Adyen sat across from me, effectively blocking my view, and fixed me with a penetrating look.

  “What can I do for you?” I asked curiously my eyes trailing along his handsome face. What can I do for you? Really, Gray? What am I? In an office? A secretary? Fuck. I needed to re-learn how to interact socially with the male species outside of punching them.

  Wait. Why do I give a fuck?

  He grinned as those amber eyes twinkled, “I really did come to see how you were doing.”

  “Is Rhodes being a gossip?” I mused with an eyebrow raise. I was glad my hair was down right now, covering my shoulders and keeping me somewhat warm. It wasn’t that I wanted to hide them from Adyen, but he struck me as someone who would pitch a fit about the story behind them.

  Adyen smiled, “Definitely. He is very interested in you.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Very cool story. I am not interested in him.”

  “What are you interested in?”

  “Not making friends,” I explained lightly which only served to make him smile.

  “Crazy storm right?” He changed topics like whiplash. My eyes examined the heavy rain and dark gray skies peeking out from around the pavillion.

  “Seems about right,” I stated dryly. “Matches my mood.”

  “Wet?” He asked coyly with a shocking, yet charming, smile.

  I offered a frustrated smirk with an eye roll, “Smooth, but no.”

  As if directed, the weather let up and the skies lightened to a pale gray. I couldn’t control the small smirk that appeared on my lips. Maybe the weather was a reflection of my mood? I bet I could make some hail come down if I was pissed. Oh! Better yet, lightning. Yes. That would be fucking awesome.

  “Cool necklace,” Adyen offered with a smile, changing the topic once again. I gave him one back because it was a cool necklace. Esme had given it to me. I tossed my back and slipped it off, so that I could show him the piece. However, as I went to pass it across the table, a deep growl took me off guard and forced me to stop. What had I said about growling again?

  My eyes snapped up to see his eyes light with fire. Not in a metaphorical sense either. No, it was as if a roaring inferno had been shrunk down into his amber eyes. They were focused on my shoulders and it caused me to grimace with annoyance. I sighed while slipping the necklace back on. We were done here.

  “Who did that to you?” He barely got out through a strangled voice as his entire body vibrated with a very animalistic energy.

  I rolled my eyes, “How do you know it’s a who?” I mean, I guess that was obvious but it could have been self-inflicted. Or maybe I had been in an accident? He had no idea.

  “Gray, answer me.” He stated with dominance dripping from his tone that made me bristle.

  “No.” I snapped easily and moved from the table.

  Another, louder growl, sounded at the view of my back. Fuck my life. Mr. Growly over here needed to get a grip before I hit him over the head.

  “Gray... please,” he pleaded in a rough voice as my eyes tracked the pity growing in those angry eyes.

  “Fuck you,” I growled out. “Don’t you dare feel pity for me.”

  I stalked past him with fury, embarrassment, and anger running through my veins. I hated that I was feeling the second. A searing hand snuck out to catch my wrist in a vice grip. It caused an automatic shiver of dread to crawl up my spine like a snake. My eyes snapped to his and his face completely changed from lost to something darker. We both stilled for a brief moment.

  “I. Do. Not. Pity. You.” He murmured standing up from the bench and moving closer to me. My throat closed up as he invaded my space with the scent of cinnamon and ash crowding my senses. I wanted to be scared, but something stopped me from truly fearing this giant. Instead, when my back hit the pavillion railing, a warmth exploded through me that caused my toes to tingle. He couldn’t hurt me. No. That was stupid, he could most definitely hurt me, but he wouldn’t.