Wolf Girl

Chapter 6-Ashton

Ashton was pissed! It wasn't even nine in the morning and he was only halfway through his first class when the tyrant who taught physics thought it would be fun to send him to the headmaster's office. The only reason he didn't tear off the bastard's head was because he didn't want to cause a school panic. The guy actually thought that distracting the female students was a good reason. Like it was his fault he had been blessed with good looks and charm. Ashton scoffed at the idea. All he had been trying to do was prove that Wolf Girl was not his mate by flirting with Darcy Williams. If he'd had to be mated to a human, why couldn't he have been mated to her? She'd already proven her strength by frightening the other girls to their core and demanding respect. The only downside to Darcy was that she had the most annoying laugh when she was trying to play coy. It sounded like a chattering dolphin.

He stormed down the hall toward the office, growling at any human who had the misfortune of getting in his way. Ashton just hoped that Uncle Ben was smart enough not to report this incident to his father, the jackass might actually kill him. Especially if he found out why Ashton was flirting with some random girl. Particularly since Ash always tried to avoid Darcy. He'd never admit it, but girls like her scared him. The type of girls who were co-dependent and looked at guys like him like a status symbol.

Finally, Ashton reached the doors. But he didn't open them. He sensed a presence behind them. A presence that made him curl his lip and want to crash into the office and stake his claim. The more stubborn side of him made him stay where he was. Without warning, the door swung open and a warm body hit his chest. Once again she's feeling me up, he thought to himself as she put her hand on his abs. Keep doing that, Princess, and I won't be held responsible for what happens. Instead, he growled in response. She gasped and looked up at him with those blue-grey eyes.

"What are you—" he started to snarl.

"Ashton," Ben warned. "Come in. Brayden, go to class and we'll touch base after school. Mrs. Simmons across the hall will give you your schedule."

Wolf Girl nodded and, after glancing nervously at Ashton, walked across the hall shutting the door behind her. Ashton would have smiled to himself in amusement at her reaction if he wasn't trying to control his impulses. He threw himself in the chair and almost growled again. Her scent was everywhere. He waited impatiently while Ben scribbled something in his notes. After what seemed like a century, Ben closed his notebook.

"Okay, Ash," he said, looking up at him. "What did you—" Ben broke off as he inhaled sharply. "What the fuck happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Ashton snapped back but he knew what Ben was referring to. The bruise on his face from his father's beating. Although he was mostly healed Ben, as pack healer, could still see it. "What do you think happened? You caused it."

"Don't put that on me, Ash," Ben growled. Ashton's eyes narrowed at the tone, but he said nothing. Ben might have been an Omega, but he was one of the few men besides his brother and friends that Ash actually respected. Certainly more than he respected his own father. Ashton really didn't want to be his father. "You're lucky that Cam was still able to walk after that beat down you gave him. I am sorry it was reported to your father, however. I do regret that."

"Cameron's a wolf. He would have healed," Ashton scoffed, accepting the apology. "I saw him earlier. He was barely limping. He's stronger than most people give him credit for. He should have known his place." He couldn't resist grinning when Ben rolled his eyes. Then he scowled when he smelled that enticing scent. "What was that girl doing in here?"

"Who? Brayden?" Ben asked in confusion.

"Sure. If that's her name," Ashton replied as if he couldn't care less.

"She's a new student. She had to come to my office. I am still the Headmaster," Ben explained slowly. "Why do you care about Brayden Hayward? You looked about ready to maul her if she didn't get out of your way."

"Hayward?" Ashton repeated, ignoring the question. The name was familiar to him. Perhaps it was the answer to why he was so drawn to the girl.

"She's Grant and Estelle Hayward's daughter," Ben replied with a shrug. But Ashton's superior sense of hearing caught the slight inflection on the last name.

"Estelle," Ashton repeated raising an eyebrow at the man. He knew he'd heard the name before, mostly from his father's complaints, and the blush on Ben's face confirmed his theory. "So that's why," he murmured to himself. It should have been obvious. Why else would he be attracted to a lowly human?

"What's why?" Ben asked.

"Nothing," Ashton answered. "Can I go now?"

"That depends," Ben said, clearly deciding not to push Ashton. Smart man, he thought to himself. "I'm assuming you were sent here for a reason. Were you being disruptive or rude again?"

"Why ask when you already know the answer, Uncle Ben?" Ashton asked with a smirk.

"Fine." Ben sighed. "You get a warning. Now get lost."

"Thank you," Ashton said before he stood up. He walked towards the doors, but Ben called him back. "What?"

"Leave Brayden alone," he replied. "I don't know why you're so interested in that girl, and I don't care, but it can't mean anything good for her. The least I owe her mother is to protect her daughter."

"Don't worry, Uncle Ben," Ashton replied. "I have no intention of messing with Brayden Hayward." He pushed open the doors without waiting for a response. "The rest of the student body will take care of that for me," he continued under his breath. He had to make that girl go away. One way or another.

Ashton started walking down the hall to get to his next class, but something stopped him in his tracks. Wolf Girl was there, but she wasn't alone. Cameron Stiles was smiling down at her, and she was smiling shyly back at him. She should be smiling at me, a voice in the back of his head roared. But he ignored it. There were bigger fish to fry. Or wolves. It was far past time for that fucking Omega to know his fucking place once and for all.