Chapter 4

"You’re back?" he said before I heard Melana moan loudly, and the sound really got on my nerves, making me growl. Tyson looked over his shoulder at the door before turning back to me.

"Lucy, are you going to answer me?" Tyson asked before reaching for me. I stepped back, and his eyes darted to my arm behind my back.

"Hand it over. What have you got?" he scolded.

"Nothing," I lied when he jerked me toward him with my shirt.

"Lucy! Why do you have paint?"

"Decorating," I snorted, trying to hide my laughter when he looked over my shoulder.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing. Yet," I told him. Damn! He smells good! I stepped closer, inhaling his scent, and he stiffened, his entire body going tense. What was up with him?

"You smell different," I told him when suddenly Melana moaned out again. The sound sounded more like a war cry as if she was about to go into battle. Yet, for some reason, I wanted to claw the bitch’s eyes from her skull and feed them to her. I shoved past him and into the house, with Tyson hot on my heels. He grabbed my arm just as I reached Ace’s bedroom door, sparks rushing over my skin. Tyson jerked his hand away, and I gasped. He looked at me oddly, and I saw his eyes flicker to those of Tyrant, his wolf.

I was about to ask if he was alright when Melana just had to cry out, again. I tossed the door open, getting a good grip on the tin and chucking the paint over her, also covering Ace in the process. She shrieked.

"What the fuck!" Ace boomed, and I darted off, shoving the paint tin in Tyson's hands, laughing as I took off. Bloody bitch! I thought to myself as I darted out of the packhouse.

I heard Ace snap at Tyson. "What the fuck, bro!" Tyson didn't answer, and I rushed out the back to the shed.

Sitting in the shed, I hid behind one of the cars and snickered when I heard Melana cussing Ace and Tyson out before she got in her car, dust and dirt spraying everywhere as she tore out of the driveway.

“Lucy, come here now!” I heard Ace yell out to me, and I pressed myself against his car, refusing to come out when I heard footsteps approaching the shed. I heard them walk around the car and quickly crawled to the other side, only to see bare feet stop next to my face. I jumped back, scrambling backward on my hands when I looked up and saw Ace’s muscled chest and abs covered in white paint. He was wearing a pair of shorts, his V-line slipping beneath the waistband. I shook my head, realizing I was checking him out, before I shrank under his pissed-off glare and started moving backward. My hands hit something, and I felt shoes under my hands, making me look up and see Tyson now behind me.

“Explain yourself!” Ace said, drawing my attention back to him. He folded his arms across his chest, making him even more imposing. Though I knew they would never hurt me, I suddenly felt guilty before slapping that feeling away. Fuck Melana!

“She was all over you!” I spat at him, and he raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes darting to Tyson behind me.

“And that bothers you, why?” he asked. I thought about what he said, yet couldn't explain why it ticked me off, but I suddenly didn’t want her near him.

“I don’t know,” I answered lamely, and he crouched down in front of me.

“You don’t know? So you just tossed paint on her because you don’t know?”

“I also put brake fluid on her car,” I announced, and he growled before looking up at Tyson.

Ace sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why are you home? You don’t finish for a few more months.”

“No reason. Just stopping by,” I lied.

“What did you do, Lucy?” Tyson asked, making me look up at him where I was practically sitting on his feet.

“I may or may not have blown up the science lab.”

“You may or may not have? Exactly how does that work?”

“Innocent till proven guilty,” I told him.

“So, you will be found guilty, I take it?” Ace asked, and I looked back at him.

“You always assume the worst of me.”

“So, you didn’t do it then?” he asked, and I pressed my lips in a line to hide my smile.

“Well, I didn’t say that,” I told him, and he shook his head, laughing softly.

“Of course, you did it,” he muttered.

“What can I say? I was taught by the best!” I told him, and he smirked.

“Not even we blew up a science class. Come on, we should take you home,” Ace said, standing up. I shook my head. Nope not going, mom was out for blood, mine in particular. The bill was huge.

“Lucy, up. Now!” Tyson said, nudging me with his foot. I rolled my eyes, getting to my feet before trying to run and escape. Ace’s arms wrapped around my waist, jerking me back as I shoved past him.

“Not so fast, trouble. You are going home,” Ace said, his breath fanning my face, and I leaned into him. Gosh, he smelled just as good as Tyson. Did they start wearing different cologne? It was mouth-watering. Sparks rushed across my abdomen where his arms lay, and I shivered at the sensation.

“Does your mother know you are here?” Ace asked, walking us out of the shed while I tried to escape his arms.

“Probably. I have nowhere else to go,” I told him before dropping my weight and going limp, sliding out of his grip. I crawled off, trying to get to my feet. Only to be yanked upright and tossed over his shoulder.

“Lucy, you need to go home, and we need to speak to my brother and your mother. We weren’t expecting you back this early,” Ace said.

“Wait, you're telling on me. I confessed under the confidence you wouldn’t tell her I was guilty,” I told him, smacking his back before sinking my teeth into his side.

“Argh, fuck! Lucy, you cannibal!” he shrieked before his hand slammed down on my ass. I squirmed, rubbing my butt.

“That fucking hurt!” I shrieked, my ass felt like it was branded.

“So did you biting me,” he growled, and I heard Tyson laugh, making me look up and see him following behind us.

“We aren’t telling on you, but it is about time we spoke to her about something. Believe me, what we have to say to her will make her forget about anything you did at school,” Ace said.

“Doubt it. Mom already got the damage bill,” I told him, and Tyson sighed.

“Lucy! How much was it?” he asked.

“A little over twenty thousand,” I told him, and he pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a breath.

“Fine. I will take care of it. But you need to behave when you go back.”

“Can’t. They expelled me.” Ace growled, his arm across my thighs tightening.

“Wait. What do you need to speak to mom about?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing you need to worry about right now. You’ll figure it out, I am sure,” Tyson said.

Ace walked up the steps of the porch before walking inside and dumping me on the lounge.

“Stay. And try not to break anything or blow it up,” Ace said, wandering off and into the bathroom.

“I will get you a shirt now that yours is covered in paint,” Tyson said, also walking down the hall. I got up, wandering around, looking at the photos on the wall. Most were family photos when I stopped noticing a wall that was just of me growing up with them. We had always been close, but now things felt different, they felt different.

“Here,” Tyson said, coming back into the room and handing me one of his shirts. I pulled mine off, tossing it at him before pulling his shirt on. I sniffed it, it smelled like him.

“Geez! Lucy, you don’t just strip off,” Tyson growled, looking away.

“What? It’s no different than seeing me in a bikini,” I told him, not understanding his issue. He shook his head.

“Did you guys change cologne?” I asked him, sniffing his shirt, and he looked at me.

“We smell different to you?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, your scent is heaps stronger. You also zapped me earlier,” I told him, remembering the weird sensation that rushed over my skin when he touched me. He said nothing but appeared to be thinking about something.

Ace came out fully dressed a few minutes later after showering.

“Come on. You need to face her sooner or later. Better with us with you,” Ace said, gripping my elbow and pulling me toward the door.