Brian stepped forward. “I’m going to mess you up, man.”

He swung, but Will stepped aside with ease and Brian staggered past him. Will’s blurred movement was too fast for the drunken boy. Each punch clumsily passed Will’s head, and as Brian stumbled around swinging, Will tapped his back, and he hit the snow-covered ground hard. Brian rolled around, swearing at the top of his lungs. A crowd of people piled out the front door to watch the fight.

“All right, Will!” I yelled. “You’ve established that you can kick their asses. Let’s just go!” My head hurt, and I fell back against the hood of the car.

He looked back at me for only a fraction of a second as I fell, and Brian shot to his feet and lunged at Will. He caught Will off guard, and his fist barreled into Will’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. Brian swung again, but Will caught the motion, wrapping his entire hand around Brian’s fist with ease. He squeezed and Brian moaned in agony, his knees buckling until Will was practically holding him up by his fist.

“I want to break your neck for what you did to her,” he snarled with so much malice that his words sent tremors of fear through even me. “You’re lucky you’re human. Otherwise there wouldn’t be enough of you left for fertilizer after I finished tearing you apart.”

“What are you?” Brian sputtered, his eyes wide with fear.

Will said nothing and smashed his elbow across Brian’s face. Brian went limp instantly, and Will tossed the boy to the ground. Blood trickled from Brian’s mouth and dotted the snow around him, but he was alive. Just very, very knocked out. Perhaps minus one tooth. Or two, or three.

Jay and Rob launched themselves at Will on either side, but Will’s power slammed into Jay and threw him across the lawn. Will kicked into Rob’s chest and sent him flying in the other direction.

“Will, stop!” I cried. “I order you to stop.”

He halted and straightened, staring at the boys as they rolled around on the ground and groaned.

“Think about what you’re doing,” I pleaded, amazed that my words had stopped him. “You’ll kill them!”

He turned to me, the brightness in his eyes fading as he realized that I was right. He blinked, looking around him at the crowd of shocked and terrified people, and an overwhelming look of shame filled his face.

Kate pushed her way through the crowd gathered on the front porch. Her hand covered her mouth when she saw the fight. “What the—?”

Another girl appeared right behind Kate, cell phone up to her ear. “I’m calling the cops!”

Will was close to me in a heartbeat and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“You son of a bitch!” I yelled, and beat my fist into his back. “Don’t carry me like this!” I kicked and struggled, but he only held me tighter. In seconds, I realized that flailing was doing me no good. I gave up and sagged, making my body dead weight.

“Jackass,” I growled as he set me back into the passenger seat and helped buckle my seatbelt.

“Stop calling me names.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

He stomped around the car, back to the driver’s seat, and started the engine.

“You don’t own me.”

“You’re right,” he said. “I don’t. But it’s my job to protect you, and that’s what I’m doing right now. It’s not safe for you here.”

I made an ugly noise and stared out my window at the world rushing past me. It made me a thousand times dizzier, but I didn’t care. I was too tired to keep my eyes open any longer. If I just closed them for a moment, then I’d feel so much better. Just for a moment …

17

I MUST HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE CAR BECAUSE I was abruptly aware that it had stopped and Will was climbing out. A moment later, he had my door open and was lifting me into his arms. He carried me into the house and up a flight of stairs. I tensed and swiveled my head around as he pushed open the door to a room. I took a deep breath and realized instantly that the room smelled like Will. The rich scent made me giddy, and I buried my face in his chest so he wouldn’t see my involuntary smile.

When Will put me down on the bed and pulled away, I sat up dizzily. I felt better after sleeping on the drive home, but I was still drunk. I watched Will return with a tank top and cotton shorts. He laid them down beside me and purposely avoided my gaze. The thick tension between us practically fogged my vision.

“These are Lauren’s,” he said. “She doesn’t mind you borrowing them tonight. There’s an extra toothbrush in the bathroom if you want it.”

“I’ll thank her in the morning.” I tilted my head to see his eyes better. “Is this your room?”

He nodded and started to turn away.

Will’s room. Will’s bed. My nerve endings lit on fire.

“Will,” I said, touching his arm. Muscle clenched beneath my fingertips.

He turned back to me, still averting his eyes. Anger spiked through me.

“Look at me,” I said. It felt strangely intimate being in his bed. Things I shouldn’t have wondered swelled inside me, like all the things we could do right here where I was sitting. His scent filled my head, making me feel even more intoxicated.

My anger washed away the second his gaze lifted to mine. My heart felt heavy when I saw how dull the color of his eyes was. I pulled my legs underneath me and stood up on my knees. I toyed with the hem of my skirt and watched his gaze on my fingers and bare skin. His jaw tightened when I edged closer to him. My hand trailed up his arm and shoulder to wrap around the back of his neck. He swallowed and watched my other hand slide up his chest, moving over the ridges of his muscles. My fingers touched his lips, and my other hand pulled his face down closer to mine.