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  Joshua worriedly observed her face, and Clarissa felt how hot her face was. She wiped the last tear with her sleeve and smiled tamely at Joshua.

  “I am so sorry. I don't know what happened,” she mumbled, ashamed.

  “Well, feel free to use my arms anytime you need,” Joshua grinned.

  Clarissa blushed and ran inside. At least she had succeeded in protecting her mind. Barely, but still. If Joshua had known what was in her mind, he would've pushed her away with disgust instead of looking at her so irresistibly and smiling.

  Clarissa wiped her face. Anyone could tell she had been crying. She didn't want anyone to see her eyes ablaze from crying, not now, when she had just claimed she couldn't care less about Adam. If she could be quick enough, she could sneak into the girl's toilet and wash her face before her class started.

  She went to the toilet and let the cold water run through her fingers until it felt so freezing that she could just barely stand it. She pressed her icy fingers to her face and sighed heavily. The girl in the mirror couldn't be her. There was no way she could go to class looking like this.

  Clarissa heard someone open the door and she hurried to cover her face with her wet hands again. The steps came closer. She held her breath. Please, let it be anyone except someone I know, she prayed, and if it's someone I know, let it be one of my friends.

  The footsteps stopped right next to her and she wished that whoever it was would just go away. Seconds seemed to be minutes. Oh please, go now, she hoped. She could barely breathe anymore.

  Her wish didn't come true. She felt someone touch her hair, gently, and then caressing her neck and face. She couldn't move or peek to see who this person was, who was petting her. She was mesmerized.

  “Did I make you cry?” a rough male voice asked.

  Clarissa lifted her face quickly, only to meet Adam's scary black eyes through the mirror.

  “This is a girl’s toilet!” she screamed.

  “As if that would stop me,” Adam grunted.

  He ran his fingers freely along her face now, and she couldn't do anything but stand paralyzed and enjoy his touch. Adam's gaze darkened more than usual and he growled frustratedly. He moved his fingers to her neck and searched her silky skin from her neck to her breast, but just before he actually touched her breast, Clarissa got her brain back and pushed his hands away from her body.

  “Stop!” Clarissa shouted, embarrassed. “Stop it right now!”

  “You seemed to enjoy it a chroi,” said Adam, grinning with pleasure.

  “Not so! I don't wanna see even a glimpse of you anymore!” Clarissa claimed, blushing like an apple.

  “Fine with me. If that's what you want, I won't bother you anymore. Unfortunately I can't just disappear, so you have to stand my presence at school for awhile,” Adam shrugged neglectfully.

  “Seriously? You will promise that you'll leave me alone?” Clarissa asked confusedly and somehow felt betrayed.

  Shouldn't Adam be fighting for her? Didn't he want her? Was she not good enough for this sinfully handsome dark devil or was this some kind of a game he was playing?

  “Sure. It's easy, you know. I just discovered today that you're not the only fish in the sea and I'm sure I will enjoy my time at high school,” he said and smiled boldly.

  Clarissa pushed him aside, hard. “You make me sick! Can I at least now get some privacy in the girl's toilet or have you secretly changed your sex as well?”

  “You can bet your beautiful butt, I have not. The toilet is all yours. I'll just go and let your teacher know how helpfully you introduced your school to me and then I'm gone,” Adam looked at her, amused.

  He bent over her quickly and let his lips wipe hers lightly. It wasn't even a kiss and yet it made her shiver. Adam knitted his brows and kissed her harshly this time. It was over as soon as it began, but Clarissa needed to lean against the wall. Otherwise she would've sunk helplessly to the floor. Her legs were ruthless and her head was dizzy. If this is what a quick kiss with Adam did to her, she sure should stay as far away from him as she could.

  “Why even bother to deny it?” Adam snapped, frustrated. “You must've felt it too.”

  “Don't,” he said, when Clarissa opened her mouth to argue. “You're mine already.”

  “Urgh!” Clarissa grunted and pushed him further if that was possible.

  Adam lifted his hands and shrugged nonchalantly. “Whatever, princess.”

  Adam pushed the toilet door open and disappeared. Clarissa sighed and didn't resist as her feet collapsed.

  She had no idea what Adam had in his mind, but one thing was sure. Adam would never give up a fight this easily. Whatever he was up to, Clarissa could be sure that he wanted her. She had felt something. Something that she didn't recognize, but it screamed in her mind. She was his. When Adam's lips touched hers, every cell in her had woken up and everything in her seemed to reach towards him. Her body as well as her mind wanted to join him forever. She had no idea what had just happened, but she knew she had to tell her pack everything that had happened. Including how helpless she had been against Adam and how she did nothing while he touched her body like a lover. Her pack needed to hear all the embarrassing details.

  Clarissa survived the rest of the day somehow, though it seemed to be longest school day ever. When the bell rang and announced the day was over, she ran out. She had to stop outside of the school though, because all the males from her pack were standing there waiting for her.

  “Joshua,” Clarissa exclaimed.

  “Sorry. It just slipped. I was too tense, so they just picked it from my mind.”

  For a moment she wondered what he had picked from her mind, but as everyone seemed to worry about her, she doubted Joshua could've figured out how she really felt for Adam. “So, what shall we do then?” she asked, directing her words at each of them.

  “Now we will do what you were supposed to do at once when you met Adam,” Darel said and looked at her intensely with his dazzling blue eyes.

  “And that is?” Clarissa asked miserably.

  “We gather as a pack and discuss this together.”

  “Why? There is no danger anymore! Adam promised to leave me alone!” Clarissa answered back.

  No one bothered to answer her. Alexei took her hand tightly and almost dragged her straight into a row of silver sports cars. Clarissa shuffled onto the backseat of Joshua's car and Joshua and Jonas went in the front. This time, however, it was Jonas who drove as Joshua was way too worried about Clarissa. He wanted to observe her all the time. She had managed to build a very thick wall around her mind so that Joshua had no chance to peek at what was really going on. Even if she shared what had happened with the pack, she thought she had the right to keep her feelings to herself. She wouldn't dare confess to anybody how Adam made her feel. Nobody spoke a word. Clarissa stared out of the window feverishly and twisted her hands. Jonas concentrated on driving as fast as possible.

  CHAPTER 4

  Sofia

  When the cars curved into our yard, I was already standing outside with David waiting for them. No one spoke a word. Joshua half dragged Clarissa inside and when she was sitting safely on the couch with Ciall, Joshua gave us a short version of what had happened. Actually, we all knew already, but as a compliment to David, he repeated it all again.

  “Unbelievable!” David shouted and punched the wall with his fist. “How could this have happened? Isn't there supposed to be at least some kind of a rule that prevents Adam from doing whatever he wants to?

  “Unfortunately no,” I said quietly. “No one could have even dreamed that he would do something like that.”

  “Why not? Why was he the only one who cooked this up?” David asked, haunted.

  “That's exactly what he asked me today,” Clarissa said quietly.

  “What are we going to do now?” David wondered and answered before anyone else could. “I think we have no choice but to infiltrate the school. That's the only way we can be sure of Clarissa's safety.”


  “No. I know what I'm going to do,” said Derry, a red-haired shape shifter from Scotland. “I'm done with this mess and I'm going back to Edinburgh. I know I don't have a chance of getting Clarissa, so why waste any more time around here. Some of you still live in your own dreamlands, but the truth is, we're not a pack. We're here to compete for the same doe and I know when I've lost the game. I'll go. I'm sorry, but it's just the way things are.”

  Fabio and Marcel glanced at each other. They knew that they too didn't have a chance of winning this game. However, they felt strongly bonded to our pack and they thought it would be a shameful thing to do, to leave us now, when we needed all the help we could get. Otherwise, we wouldn't stand a chance against Adam. Derry was convinced, though, that at least a few of them would join him, but as no one moved or spoke, he stood up calmly.

  “I'm sorry, Sofia,” he said and hugged me tightly.

  “Mar sin leat Brathair.”

  “Mar sin leat, Sofia, mo caraid.”

  Derry glanced at the others quickly and then he was gone.

  “And so there were only nine left,” Marie mumbled from Tiamhaidh's arms.

  “Marie,” I said and looked at her firmly.

  For a moment that felt like an eternity, we just stared at each other. Derry's decision had been like a thunderbolt, but the truth was, he was right. We were not a pack. At least not a unanimous pack. The young males were here only to get Clarissa and at some point she had to decide. Then our pack would break down. Most of them felt they belonged strongly to my pack though, and they wouldn't think for one second of leaving us alone with Adam. As long as Clarissa hadn't made her decision, each one of them had a chance and she was worth fighting for.

  Finally Blake broke the silence. “I'll sign up for school today.”

  “Ditto,” the other males answered as a choir.

  “No. Just me. I mean, look at yourselves. You fit into high school as badly as Adam, but I actually look like a high school kid,” Blake straightened his glasses and smiled innocently. “I'll join another class, so Adam won't think of me as a threat. I can still sign up for the same courses as Clarissa, at least some of them, and I can stay close enough to her,” Blake continued boyishly.

  “It could work,” said David pensively.

  “Wait a minute!” Darel interrupted. “I think you forget, brathair, that it's not just to make sure Clarissa is safe but to have her to yourself. Give us one reason why we should agree with you being with her every day for several hours, without any of us? There's no good reason why we couldn't sign up, too. If Adam can do it, so can we.”

  “Do you actually think that Adam will leave Clarissa alone, as he said, if you morons glue yourselves to her every second?” snapped Blake, and everything boyish disappeared from his face as if it had been wiped. “Don't you get it? She will be in danger if you come to school,” he challenged the others with his look, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “Adam will hardly keep his promise, but I can bet my life that if he feels that you are a threat to him, he will seduce Clarissa with all he has and I'm sure you do not want that. Every one of us knows how that will end,” he grunted.

  “Well, thank you,” said Clarissa bitterly.

  “Blake is right,” I said. “Look at him. No offense, but I see no threat there and I'm sure neither will Adam. And that, my brothers, will make Blake very dangerous.”

  Everyone stared at Blake. He truly looked like Clarissa's classmate. He was so average with his lanky shoulders and narrow arms and he actually had a few pimples on his face. Even I was bemused.

  “I don't think we have any other options or do some of you have opposing opinions?” I sighed and went next to Blake.

  The males grouched silently, but they didn't dare say a word. They knew I was right, though they also knew this was Blake's shot at plotting himself close to Clarissa. But as they didn't have any better solution, they had to settle for this one.

  “It's a deal then,” confirmed David.

  The others nodded reluctantly and Blake smirked so triumphantly that I was not sure this was the right choice after all. Had we just let the fox into the hen house?

  CHAPTER 5

  Clarissa

  Clarissa ran into the classroom at exactly the same minute the school bell rang and announced the start of the class. She quickly loosened her scarf and shook some last remnants of sleet from her coat. She lifted her eyes and searched for her friends amongst her other class chums. She dropped her backpack to the floor in shock. Her frostbitten cheeks blushed some more and she felt like she was going to choke. An illness in her stomach was about to spew her breakfast to the classroom floor.

  Brianna, one of her best friends, was sitting on Adam's table and nearly melting in his arms. Adam seemed to be very interested in her generous neckline and didn't seem to notice that Clarissa had come to class. Well, he sure hadn't wasted his time, she thought bitterly. She raised her hands to her neck and gasped, stunned. So, this is what Adam had meant. She had to stand this every day until Adam got bored of this game and returned to Norway. She could stand this, no problem, but today this was too much. Today she would go back home and she would snuggle in her bed to mourn. She would mourn her loss of Adam and she would allow herself to roll in self pity, but tomorrow she would confront Adam with her head up and she wouldn’t care less what he did. Clarissa picked up her backpack and turned as if in a trance.

  “Miss Stewart, please be so kind as to go to your place. In case you haven't noticed, this math class started three minutes ago,” said her teacher, Mrs. Kent, and looked at her strictly.

  Clarissa couldn't answer. She just stood in the middle of the class and gasped. Adam glanced at her lazily and turned his gaze back to the treasures that were hidden under Brianna's shirt. Clarissa's gaze was locked at Adam and she felt so betrayed. She knew of course that Adam was hurting her on purpose, but she couldn't understand how he was capable of this kind of cruelty. It was only yesterday that she had felt his fingers on her body and his lips on hers and now he was groping one of her friends without a thought for Clarissa. So gross! Clarissa's stomach seemed to turn around again and she pressed her hand to her mouth. Luckily, Stella saw her emergency and saved her. She took Clarissa's hand and pulled her gently with her to the chairs that were at the back of the classroom.

  “Don't look,” she spluttered.

  But Clarissa couldn't help herself. When she looked again she saw Brianna sitting on her own chair, but so close to Adam that there was no room for a ruler or anything. Brianna stared at Adam, enchanted, but he didn't seem to notice her. When Clarissa passed Adam, he looked straight at her glassy eyes and a slow, slanting smile expanded his face. Clarissa went pale as the driven snow and lurched.

  “Bastard,” she snapped at Adam.

  “Well thank you,” he replied overly polite.

  “Don't mind him,” whispered Stella and tweaked Clarissa to her seat. However, she scowled icily at Adam and Brianna, who had looped her way into Adam's arms.

  “Adam has been busy all morning trying to tempt your friends and as you can see, some of us are weaker than others. Emilie nearly fainted when Adam asked her to show him the way to the boys' locker and well, you can see how he affects Brianna.”

  “Stella,” Clarissa whispered in a quiet, shivering tone.

  “Shh. She's a cow. We'll get through this.”

  Clarissa sighed and sank to her chair. She felt a warm hand touch her shoulders and her mind seemed to melt with joy. She lifted her head, surprised, and looked behind her. “Blake.” “Himself. And check the last line on the left.” Clarissa turned her head and faced Fabio and Marcel who smirked at her. “But how?” Clarissa wondered in her mind. “I know. Your mom is going to be pissed off,” Blake's laugh echoed in her head. “You have to concentrate and you have to do it more than well. Adam knows by now that he's not the only shape shifter male in the class and you probably want to keep him out of our silent conversations?” “You can bet on that!” Clarissa yel
led. “I thought so. All you have to do is think of anything else but him. It's actually a little disturbing to hear your mind screaming Adam's name while we're here, too,” Blake gave her a lame smile and continued. “It's only a matter of time before he can enter your mind as you're already so open to him, and when that happens he can lurk inside your deepest secrets.” “No! That can never happen! I don't want to think about him, not really, but I just can't stop myself, especially now when he's all over one of my best friends!” “We'll help, if you let us,” Blake's voice whispered mutely. “I will! Please, tell me what you want me to do. I'll do anything to get rid of him!” “You don't need to do anything but keep us three in your mind at all times.”

  “Search your mind. Can you feel us?” Clarissa felt the three protective minds wiping her thoughts. “Yes, I feel you but so what?” Clarissa touched her temple questioningly. “Nothing. Let us take care of the rest. We can block your mind from Adam. Now that you can separate our minds from Adam's you just make sure that you don't block us out when he attacks your mind.” “If he attacks,” she sniffed and stared murderously at Adam, whose hand was gently fondling Brianna's thigh. “Oh, he will attack. You can be sure of that. Now, concentrate and look happy. We'll handle the rest.”

  Clarissa felt the moment when the men departed from her mind. Yet she could feel a light strand that connected her mind with theirs, and she knew they weren't really gone, but had only backed off a little so she could have peace in her mind. She lifted her head and stared directly at Adam with her bright green eyes until he had to look back at her. Adam's black eyes seemed surprised, but only for a short moment. He smiled at her insolently and kept his hands on Brianna's thigh. Clarissa gave him one of her rare brilliant smiles and let her eyes drop back to her math book.