Cold Flames

Jace and The Problem With Piper .6.

.November.

"E-excuse me?" I asked softly, letting the towel fall to my side as I lowered my hands. He raised his head and gave me a smile, causing his eyes to crinkle softly at the corners.

He stood a good six three while I stood at a measly five two. His frame towered over me and I wasn't entirely pleased with that. I hate being so short. His dark skin was ebony like and the buzz cut he was sporting accented his low cut stubble.

"At your service milady," he braced me with a mock bow, tipping his head over dramatically, causing me to giggle, whatever fear or worry I had been feeling before now gone. His presence was quite calming and although I didn't know him, I felt no danger by being around him.

"Hi," I greeted him shyly. He raised his head and eyed me, taking my features in properly. A look of surprise crossed his features but was gone so quickly I was left wondering if it had been there at all. It was most likely the hair. A lot of people had different reactions concerning it and there wasn't anything I could do about that.

"Hello," he replied. "I'm Jace, Hunter's best friend and Beta of the Brown Haze Pack," he said to me.. "I'm sure you must have heard a lot about me, " he added with a cocky smile.

I shook my head no and the smile instantly dropped from his lips, "That son of a-"

"I'm g-gonna go g-get some water," I cut him off before leaving the man to himself. Jace's friendly and playful, out there character didn't seem to relate at all with Alpha Hunter's but I shrugged it off, making my way towards the kitchen were a few of the Pack members were.

As usual, when I entered the room, the noise level reduced and looks of what I could decipher as only disgust and annoyance were thrown my way, eyes boring into my back. I stiffened slightly and tried my best to ignore the looks and the words that hung tensely in the air from their halted conversations. I continued to make my way into the kitchen when someone's voice stopped me, "You don't deserve him."

I turned my face ever so slightly and my eyes were met with Piper's grey orbs, its owner smirking devilishly, knowingly at me.

It just had to be her.

I snapped my face back the minute we locked gazes and I felt my ears turn red. She was the devil herself to me. The conductor of most of my bullying. She orchestrated most of the wrong doings that happened to me from our age mates. She was a b-word that Melissa had warned me times without number to not use-it was unlady like

"Ignore her November," I said softly to myself, raising my arm when I reached the cupboard to open it so I could get a cup which was proving to be more difficult now with an audience than I remembered it to be without one. I had always had problems reaching high stuff but somehow, I had always managed to get it down. However, with the attention I was getting, my arm didn't seem to want to help my by stretching the extra mile like it magically usually did.

Thanks a freaking lot.

"Do you really think he's actually going to want an ugly dwarf such as yourself when he can have anyone else in this Kingdom?" she sneered at me, the word dwarf making me grimace. I could picture her perfectly as I backed her; she had spoken to me like this many times for me not to memorize the look on her face. The slight curl of her lips knowing what she was saying was getting to me, the sadistic dimple that beamed whenever I squeaked, the abhorrent look in her eyes she stared me down. I could picture it all clearly.

Her words felt like a slap to the face and her slow pronouncing footsteps behind me echoed around the room but I kept my back facing her, ignoring her. I dropped my arms dejectedly at my unsuccessful attempt to reach the cupboard.