Shannon’s hair to flip him off over my shoulder as I slid from Shannon’s lap. Ian plucked me up, settling me across his knees as I yelped.
“Thanks to Ms. White’s insight, it seems we now have a plan. It looks like it’s time to dig into the details then.” His hands were gentle as they stroked down my knee while I listened to the debate around me, arguing over who would be the best choice to film, where the perfect spot to surround the vehicle would be, and what I could say to taunt Lyle. We were actually going to do this, I realized. My family was going to keep me safe.
Chapter Eight
Pixie
“Penny,” Alarick called out to me, dragging my attention away from my book.
“Hm?” I murmured, my brain still caught up in the bloody battle I’d been in the middle of.
He smirked, his blue eyes full of laughter as he glanced down at the book in my hand. “I assume it’s one of the ones Shannon gave you?”
I glanced at the pretty cover and smiled. “Yep. It’s amazing.” I loved psycho characters, what could I say? “Did you need me for something?” I didn’t think I’d missed a training session. I knew I got really into my books, but the alarm on my phone hadn’t gone off to indicate a session.
A slight blush of color rose on Alarick’s neck and he rubbed at it, making me cock my head to study him. “Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to spend a little time with me. We never did get a chance for any one-on-one time after the masquerade.” My stomach squeezed with heat at the memory of that evening.
“Did you have something in mind?” I slipped the bookmark decorated with roses and a snake into my novel to mark my place and fell into step with Alarick.
“I know it sounds like a line, but I really did want you to see my room.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his face. He was usually so confident, cocky even, but when he let those walls down, Alarick was really sweet and fun.
“Well, since you’ve been the one teaching me how to kick your ass if I didn’t want to be in your room, I think we’re safe,” I teased him. “Besides, when we’re in a school like this, I think it’s one of the easiest ways to really see who you are.”
Alarick studied me as we walked, his eyes searching mine for a moment as we headed to the staircase. “You know you’re allowed to change your room, right? Make it more yours? I think my father expected you would approach him about it soon after your arrival.”
I shrugged as we walked down the stairs. “I don’t mind the colors. I mean, mint, cream, and brown? It’s like living in an ice cream sundae,” I teased him, a smile crossing my lips when he chuckled.
“Well, I apologize that my room isn’t a sundae.” He stopped at an end room and I snorted. He slowly arched a brow, and I waved away the sound, not bothering to explain that I’d known he’d have the privacy that a far room offered him. As beta of the pack, it would be one of his perks.
“Oh!” The soft cry fell from my lips when I stepped inside, surprise forcing the sound out. I had expected something formal, maybe even something colorful like the twins. I hadn’t expected to step into a room that seemed to be right out of the beach. Most of the walls were white. The headboard of the large, blue bed was cut and curled like waves of the ocean. The bed was covered in a striped nautical coverlet. One wall was covered in an intricate sea glass mural that caught the light from the window, reflecting the rays back in waves and patterns, making it seem as though the ocean was just a fingertip away. A desk of painted driftwood stood against the wall, and above it, in matching frames, were sketches of ocean animals. A couch sat at the foot of the bed, stacked with coordinating pillows. Judging by the table next to it, which was stacked with textbooks, I assumed he used it as another study area.
“You can look around,” he encouraged with a wave of his hand, chuckling a little as he took in my wide eyes. “It’s why I invited you, after all.”
“Did you do these?” I inquired, pointing to the intricate