He Said She Said

Curiosity

Malia didn't want to admit how tempting it was to go back to Theo and how hard it was to make herself stay away. She didn't need to keep that up. A friends with benefits relationship? No thank you. She knew better than that.

But every time she passed him in the hallway, she couldn't help but imagine what would happen if she just pulled him into the closet or an empty classroom. When she saw him pull his books from his locker, she couldn't stop thinking about what his hands could do. When she saw him lick his lips, she was overwhelmed by a hunger to kiss him.

She had absolutely no feelings for Theo Raeken, she didn't even like him, but she liked the sensations that came with him. The feeling of being able to stop thinking, to give into the animal inside of her, to instincts and passion and hunger.

That hunger grew, though. Two days after their first encounter, she was walking in the hallway beside Lydia and Kira and stopped in her tracks when she saw one of the boys in the senior class with her grab Mason by the shirt and throw him against the locker.

"Hey, fag. Where do you think you're going?"

Malia's body tensed with anger and she was filled with the urge to throw the guy across the hallway. Mason was loyal, kind, smart. He was a part of their pack now and Malia wanted to protect him. But she knew that if she ripped his throat out in the middle of school there would be a few questions.

"Wow, clever." Lydia crossed her arms and walked to the guy. "You really think you're special because you throw around nasty slang? Honey, it just shows that you have nothing but a marble rolling around where they should be a brain. I suggest you leave him alone."

Malia wanted to be at her side, telling him off, but she was too focused on not changing, on not leaping into action. She focused her thoughts on her anchor and let out a breath.

And then came Theo. He grabbed the guy's shirt and yanked him back, away from Mason. In one easy movement, he swept the boy into the row of lockers, his arm coming up to the kid's throat. "Listen to me," he said in a low voice. "You're going to walk away. And if you ever say a word to Mason Hewitt again I will personally see to it that you can't say another word to anyone. You get that?" The boy's eyes were wide as he nodded. Theo threw him away from him. "Get out of here." He looked at Mason. "Are you okay?"

Mason's eyes were wide. He nodded. "Intense."

Lydia gave a small, surprised, laugh and ducked her head, radiating with surprise and how impressed she was at his response.

Mason shrugged. "Why should I care what that guy thinks when I have the McCall inner circle?"

Theo raised his eyes to Malia, whose gaze was locked on him. His eyes seemed to be searching hers for a response. She wasn't sure what her eyes were telling him, what kind of answer he was finding, but she knew that she was filled with an intense feeling of admiration and attraction.

No, she didn't have feelings for Theo Raeken. But this was certainly the closest she had ever come and probably ever would.

"You coming, Malia?" Lydia looked back at her. "Class."

Malia jolted, turning to Lydia. "Yeah."

"Theo?" Kira asked. "Coming?"

"I'm gonna be a bit late," Theo replied. "Go on ahead." Kira doubled back to give Mason a hug and then the other two swept Malia towards class. But her enhanced hearing allowed her to hear Theo speaking to Mason in a quiet voice. It was unbelievable. Theo Raeken was giving him a pep talk.

- -

"I thought you weren't coming back?"

"Shut up." Malia readjusted underneath him in his backseat, her brown eyes watching him carefully.