My jaw was trailing behind me on the floor as I walked towards Wolf.

I placed my hand on his jaw and turned it this way and that inspecting him. There wasn't a single bruise or mark left on him.

"If you wanted to touch me, all you had to do was ask." Wolf said, smirking at me, while I examined his once swollen lip, with my fingers clasping his jaw and tilting his face up.

"Wolf, shut up." I said, before turning to one of the the C'Riel who had fixed him.

"What did you do?" I asked her, ignoring Rafe who's eyes were drilling holes into me.

She blinked at me and her gaze shifted to Rafe as if seeking permission.

Oh, to hell with this.

I turned back to Wolf and said, "Get up."

I moved back as he got up. I looked at his knuckles that looked as if they hadn't been pummelled by the six foot something of an angry coal eyed alien that was near me, less than an hour ago.

"You quickened the healing process?" I asked to no one specifically.

"It felt really funny." Wolf told me.

Freesia stepped forward, "Who cares? You look great." She said.

Wolf threw her a look of pure confidence.

"Of course I do."

Freesia and I rolled our eyes and turned to leave.

"Okay okay!" Wolf said from behind us and we stopped from leaving, turning to look at him.

He thanked the C'Riel who helped him and jogged up to us. His suit was still torn in places but otherwise he was perfectly fine.

"How the hell did your suit tear?" I asked him, touching my index to a small torn fragment near his shoulder while the three of us headed out of the Health Care Centre.

"Ms. Hills." Rafe's voice came out sounding harsh from behind us.

I stilled.

Wolf's eyes swept to the side to meet mine. He knew I was pissed off. Freesia caught my hand and squeezed. Her version of a reminder: be careful.

I took a deep breath and turned around to meet dark dark eyes, crossed arms; his guarded pose.

"Yes?" I asked, mirroring his pose.

"A word." He said.

I let my eyes glare into his, letting him know just how much I didn't want to have 'A word' with him.

"We actually have class..." Freesia started but trailed off when neither Rafe nor I looked at her.

Wolf cleared his throat and leaned towards me.

"Want us to stay or leave?" He whispered.

I turned to look at Wolf and Freesia and saw the look on their faces. No matter what happens now, they would be on my side. It made me smile.

"I'll catch up with you," I said.

I met Wolf's eyes and they asked Are you sure?. I nodded my head slowly to let him known I knew what I was doing.

He nodded at me and tugged Freesia, who still looked very unsure about the whole thing, away.

I turned back to look at Rafe.

His hair was tousled, but it still curled perfectly around his ears and brushed his forehead. The angles of his strong nose, rigid jaw and broad shoulders accentuated his anger, somehow.

We had a good six feet between us and I didn't make a move to reduce the distance. I just looked at him.

When he stepped towards me and stood close enough that if I took half a step we'd be nose to nose, I stepped back.

His eyes flashed to mine.

He stepped forward.

I went back.

His hands dropped and he fisted them by his side. His eyes went to the hair that was curled at the top of my head, before dropping back to meet my own.

"Is there something you would like to say or can I get back to my friends?" I asked, formally, sounding almost annoyingly obedient.

His eyes narrowed.

"Ask me why I hit him." Rafe said 'him' like I would say 'bad smell'.

"I do not wish to know." I said and started to turn.

"Stay away from him." He said and I turned back.

"I'm fascinated you think you can control who I can and can't be with." I informed him.

He stepped closer and this time I didn't step away, I was too busy glaring at him.

"I will have him removed from this District and sent to another." Rafe told me and because of his height, he had to look down at me.

My eyes widened.

"You can't do that." I said.

Rafe leaned back a little, a small smile lifting his lips.

"I am fascinated you think you know what I can and cannot do." He told me.

I was going to punch him.

I threw my hands up in the air, discretely stepping away.

"What is your problem? He's a great guy and my friend! And you're neither, so why does it matter?"

Rafe's brows dropped a little in confusion and he stepped closer.

"I am your friend." He told me.

I looked at him and proceeded to laugh.

"Go screw yourself." I told him still laughing as I turned away.

Then I felt a gentle tug against my hair and just as I turned back, my hair tumbled down my shoulders and chest.

My eyes widened and I looked up at him.

Did he just pull my hair down?

Rafe then stepped really close, so much that his breath fanned my cheeks and for the first time I caught a whiff of his scent.

He smelt like...

I dragged a deep breath in.

He smelt like my favourite ice cream that dad used to get me when I was young. Chocolate and almonds.

How can someone smell like chocolate and almonds?

I was hit with memories of all the occasions my dad and I used to enjoy ice cream and laugh and I used to hug his legs and make him walk me all the way to the car. Or when I used to cling onto his neck and he used to carry me around the park.

God I loved that ice cream. I had forgotten about all this.

My eyes lifted to meet his and Rafe was looking down at me.

"Why do you keep moving away?" He asked.

I didn't have it in me to snap at him. I swallowed the thick ball of emotion that had clogged my throat, and took a few deep breaths, trying to push aside my happy past that he has just reminded me about inadvertently.

"You asked me to never touch you. So I'm staying away," I murmured, looking down.

Then I remembered his eyes when he had asked me to never touch him again. It was a bucket of cold water.

I stepped away.

"I don't know what you think of Wolf, but he has never once made me feel the way you did an hour ago." I told him.

Rafe let out a breath and ran one hand through his hair.

"I apologise. I was...not myself. I-"

I held up a hand. This was bull shit. Not even four seconds later Anya held onto him and he let her.

"Is there anything else you wanted to say? Because I need to leave." I said.

Rafe stepped closer and I glared at him, stepping away.

Frustration flashed in his eyes once more, but I could see amber in them now. They weren't black anymore.

"He speaks of you like..." Rafe stopped, as if he didn't want to say it.

My brows furrowed.

Wolf said something about me?

"What did he say?" I asked.

Rafe's nostrils flared and he jerked his head to look away, his jaw clenching.

"I will not say it." He said.

Something about the way he was behaving made me want to tease him. Why did he make me feel this way when I was angry with him? Hurt by him.

I wondered what Wolf could've possibly said that had ticked Rafe off.

"Give me a clue." I told him.

Rafe looked at me then. His eyes trailed down a little before looking back at me.

"He described you, to his other male friends." Rafe told me.

Aaaah.

I held a smile back. But I couldn't resist saying, "Did he say my boobs are great?"

Rafe's eyes flashed to mine and his usual mask was gone as he glared daggers at me.

"Did I guess right?" I asked, holding in a laugh.

Rafe's eyes narrowed, only a strip of back and amber was visible.

"He said more." Rafe informed me and I saw a small nerve pulse at his forehead.

Interesting.

I thought about it.

"What else could he have spoken about?" I wondered.

"You do not speak about your friends like that." Rafe told me, "And I will not allow anyone to speak about my friend like that."

I shook my head, "Rafe. You hurt my feelings today. It was rude and made me feel horrible. Maybe you should stop thinking about what Wolf did and start thinking about what you did, because that's what hurt me."

Rafe had his mask on again.

"You do not know why I reacted that way, but you judge me anyway. Whereas he-"

I waved my hand to stop him.

"I'm not offended by what Wolf did. I might even be a little flattered. He's hot and he thinks I'm hot-"

"Hot?" Rafe asked me, stopping me half way, to ask what I meant.

"Highly attractive," I told him. "Anyway-"

"You find him highly attractive?" Rafe asked me, his head tilting to the side a little.

My heart beat picked up at the intense look in his eyes.

"Yes, I think he has attractive qualities." I told Rafe, dampening my suddenly dry lips.

Rafe stepped closer, his gaze turning darker.

"And me?"

I started to step away but my back hit the wall and I was caged in, even though Rafe wasn't standing as close to me as before. He caged me in with his broad shoulders, dark eyes and intense expression.

"And you what?" I asked, unable to remove my gaze from his.

"Do you think I am...hot?" He asked stepping closer, tilting his head down towards mine and dropped one hand flat on the wall above my head.

Did he just ask...?

I ducked out from under his arm and spoke as I walked away, "I don't think anything of you anymore. I don't even want to talk to you."

I walked away fast. But even the fastest pace in the world wouldn't be able to match the beating pace of my traitorous heart.

___ ___

When I saw Wolf, I slapped the back of his head.

"Ow!" He said as he turned to me.

"What did you tell your friends?" I asked.

Wolf rolled his eyes, still rubbing the back of his head.

"I said you had an amazing rack and a great ass and this suit was seriously doing things for you." He told me.

I slapped his arm this time, "Next time compliment me to my face. Don't tell your friends." I said.

He rubbed his arm, "Geez. Fine. Sorry."

"And thanks," I said to him, grinning, "My ass does look great doesn't it?"

Wolf made a show of checking me out and I laughed.

"Oh yeah." He said.

Freesia stared at the both of us.

"That's why Rafe hit you?" She asked Wolf.

Wolf looked at Freesia, "He went totally postal on me after I told him that I'd seen you naked."

"No, you haven't." I said, throwing him an are-you-hallucinating look.

Wolf grinned at me, "Of course, I haven't. I was just trying to piss him off."

"Congratulations," I said as my eyes met those of Rafe's who had just stepped into the room, "It worked."

Wolf turned to look at Rafe before turning back to me.

"He was sure that I hadn't seen you naked. I think he thought that I was spreading rumours about you and got pissed." Wolf told me.

"If it weren't for the whole 'Don't ever touch me again' thing I would've thought he was a great friend." Wolf continued.

I didn't say anything, just looked away from Rafe and met Freesia's eyes.

"What did he tell you?" I asked.

Freesia blinked for a second before she said, "He asked me to stay away from Wolf."

So clearly he says this to everyone.

Asshole.

Wolf's eyebrows raised. "What the hell does he have against me?"

"Maybe he's attracted to you and doesn't know how else to show it?" I said, smirking at Wolf who rolled his eyes at me.

I will have him removed from this District and sent to another.

Would he really do that?

______________________________________

God, I'm hungry.

Vote and comment cuties.

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