Ice Blue [ Book One ]

7 // Males

Her closet's such a mess
Filled up with all the skeletons she's kept
Nobody's perfect I confess
But she's perfect enough
Without ever dressing up yeah

...

Now here's some honesty
Sometimes I trip over your history
Wish I could change my mind
But it's the things I shouldn't see
That always catch my eye

• • •

"I heard you ran into Kestrel." I could practically feel his eyes burning a hole into my back. I tried to not turn and snap at him for it, I knew he just wanted to help.

I pursed my lips as I nearly made my bed and turned to him, lifting my shoulders in a shrug. "Yeah, alright, and?"

Princeton shrugged his shoulders as well, going back to peeling his orange. "Nothing," he mumbled as he dropped the peels into the trash can.

I adjusted the pillows on the headboard and sat down on the bed, moving my freshly showered hair to the side of my shoulder. "Who'd you hear it from?"

"A pack member who saw it." He frowned, pausing his peeling to stare at me. "Is everything alright? She didn't say anything that bothered you did she?"

"Princeton, of course she said something," I replied with a heavy sigh, shaking my head slowly and moving my head so I stared sat the ceiling. "But I have to be a big girl and take her words with a grain of salt."

"This isn't like choosing your professors at college, Rivera," he snapped, almost irritated. "You can't just take my sister with 'a grain of salt' when all she's doing is saying shit to you." I moved my head so I was looking at him again, noting the fury in his brown eyes. How is it so easy to tick off a wolf?

"I know, Princeton," I muttered, pushing myself back on the bed and bringing my knees to my chest. He squinted at me, then started working at his orange again. "But I can't exactly knock her out every time she insults me and come running to you. I need to be able to take backlash because there's going to be a lot of it from the wolves. I'm a stranger to your pack."

He finished peeling and sat down next to me, pulling a slice of orange from the bundle and holding it out to me. I looked at it and brought it to my lips, chewing on it. The sweet, juicy taste filled my tongue. He peeled another slice and popped it into his own mouth, silent. We stayed like that for a while, silent communication occurring between us.

It was nice. Peaceful.

He offered me another slice and I took it gladly, nibbling on it and letting my thoughts run.

I wonder how Lucky was doing, whether she was handling herself well or if she was breaking down. She had Opal, her Chosen, and Kai, my best friend, and now her protector, to keep an eye on her and keep her grounded.

My cat growled in the back of my head, having honed in on my thoughts. If Andy touches a single strand of hair on her head ...

I could feel the hair on my arms stand up from the thought, and anger coursed through me seconds later. I swear to any God or Goddess that existed, if one existed at all, if Andy lays a hand on her I will damn the exile and come back to rip his head off. I highly doubt the Clan would stop me anyways, as they knew the truth of my exile, but were unable to do shit under his rule.

"You're tense." The voice snapped me from my angry thoughts. I didn't look his way, just kept stubbornly nibbling on my orange slice. "You're leaking anger. What's going on in that head of yours?"