The Bully's Hated Mate
The Bully’s Hated Mate – Chapter 29

CASSIA’S POV:

I wasn’t sure when school became synonymous with awkward, or when I started getting lost in my thoughts when I should’ve been focusing on my talking English teacher.

Either way, both was happening and it was all because of a particular annoying brat of a prince.

It was all Lucius’ fault.

Groaning, I dropped my head on my desk, oblivious to the fact that the teacher could very well see me from where she stood.

I just wanted to get him out of my head, wanted to clear whatever feelings were in my chest and belly, but it seemed Myla was enjoying my conflicting emotions.

She yowled happily, approving of any thought that had Lucius’ name on it. How was I to get over myself if Myla wasn’t helping?

My shirt had been pulled up discreetly to hide the mark on my neck. I didn’t want to go around, showcasing the fact that I was now the property of an arrogant shithead.

It was bad enough I had let it happen in the first place.

Almost like a reflex action, my eyes shot to Lucius’ direction, taking in the fact that he seemed so at ease and attentive while I was here, unable to focus on anything but the events that led to me being marked.

Maybe he didn’t share my thoughts or my unease, but I was sure he shared the same awkwardness I was feeling because he hadn’t set foot in his, or rather, our room for days now.

Wherever he slept wasn’t known to me, and I liked it that way. I didn’t care to know. I had plenty other problems to deal with, including the one he’d caused for me.

“Before this class comes to an end,” the sharp voice of my English teacher reverberated in my head, sharply jolting me to my senses.

I silently cursed myself for getting so distracted.

“I’d like to make an announcement,” the teacher said, smartly walking over to her desk and picking up her reading glasses and a sheet of paper.

My ears perked in anxiousness.

“In order to get the complete marks required for you to pass the continuous assessment test, I have decided to assign a project to you all. But before that, we would be having a camping trip later on in the semester which would be related to you all later by your history teacher and I.” The teacher declared, raising sighs of disbelief and murmured complains.

A sharp glare brought the class to it’s former decorum.

“You will all work on this project with another person who I have assigned to you. No switchs, no changes and don’t even think of raising an argument against whoever you’re partnered with.”

Another collective murmur rose again, but quickly died down.

“Due to feminism, I’ll let every girl in this class pick a paper from this jar.” The teacher pointed to the jar on her table.

“Whatever topic you pick from it will automatically become the topic you will work on.” The woman said in an end-of-conversation voice, passing the jar to the first girl at the front row, who drew her paper after some indecisive pauses, read the contents and scoffed right after.

Ignoring whatever display the girl had put on, the teacher proceeded to pass the jar round and different emotions were displayed on different faces.

I just hoped I got a good topic, not boring like the last time.

Faster than I would have liked, it was soon my turn to draw a paper out and my clammy hands shook with nervous anticipation.

Going for it, I reached into the jar, brought out a violet coloured piece of paper. The teacher continued to distribute the jar round until every girl got theirs.

Walking to the front of the class, the teacher continued after dropping the empty jar and picking up the sheet of paper.

“I will now call out your partner’s name. Listen carefully to avoid confusions.” The teacher sternly said, passing a blank sheet of paper to the first boy at the front.

“The boys will now write out the group they belong to and the name of the girl paired up with them and please, make your handwriting legible.” The teacher said, breathing out an exasperated sigh.

“Ariadne and Kent,” she began, ignoring the way Ariadne’s ears turned red at the sudden attention.

“Summer and Colten,” the teacher read out again while I stewed in anticipation.

Who would I be paired with?

The list seemed to go on forever until I heard my name.

“Cassia and Lucius.”

Like I’d been zapped by electricity, I jolted in my chair, half from shock and half from dismay.

What was wrong with the universe? Was it broken or something? Was it stuck on one name, Lucius, and replaying it over and over like a broken mixtape?

When I turned my head, I met Lucius’ gaze already on me and with the way his left eye was twitching, I was not the only one annoyed at the outcome of things.

Faster than I would’ve liked, time skipped and the bell rang like never before. While everyone filed out of the classroom, I could barely muster the energy to gather my books and follow suit due to how bad my hands were shaking with nerves.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to Lucius ever again. Myla dismissed my nerves as stupid.

While I struggled to get up, I was oblivious to Lucius walking towards me. It was only when he was close enough that I picked up his scent.

Trust me, he didn’t smell happy in the least.

Stunning me, he grabbed my back pack, shoved my books into it and zipped it agressively, dangling it with two of his fingers like they weighed nothing.

I just stood there, mouth agape, watching him watch me.

“What?” He finally broke the silence, c*****g an impatient brow.

“What are you doing holding my bag?” I finally found my voice, discreetly coughing away the awe I heard in it.

Lucius merely moved the bag out of reach and stared at me passively.

“I thought you were having a problem getting up, and I decided to help.” He replied, sounding annoyed with himself.

It was my turn to arch my brow.

“You decided to help?” I asked.

Lucius rolled his eyes and started to walk away at a pace my legs couldn’t keep up with.

I was both concerned about my bag, which had been haphazardly packed with books and was still swinging off his fingers, and angry that I was trailing after him, too slow to catch up and too mortified to call out his name.

Attention wasn’t what I needed now.

Quickening my steps when he stepped aside for a teacher to pass, I gained some meters and took the opportunity to lunge for my bag.

“Why do you always try to get on my nerves?” He asked, letting go of the bag when I yanked again but catching my wrist when I tumbled.

My face grew extremely red.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” I dismissed, slinging my bag victoriously over my shoulder.

My wrist burned from where he had touched me. His touch brought back memories from that night and I struggled to suppress my flush.

“Where were you taking my kidnapped bag to?” I queried, crossing my arms over my chest.

I felt stupid in the pose, so I straightened my back and gave him a stern look instead.

He pointed at the closed door just a few feet away, drawing my attention to the stenciled words above the door.

It boldly and clearly read ‘LIBRARY’.

Another flush of embarrassment overtook me again while Lucius just smirked.

“I don’t know how long I can stand your presence, so I thought it would be a good idea to get us started on the project as soon as possible.” Lucius said, still smirking.

“The same presence you’ve been avoiding for days? How strong you must be, able to withstand the stench of my presence.” I sarcastically drawled, brushing past him and walking towards the door.

We’d better get started before things went south.

I squirmed in my seat for the hundredth time while Lucius looked unconcerned. It was the third time our hands had accidentally brushed together while reaching for something.

I’d found us a seat close to the window so I could look out across the school grounds if things got out of control.

While Lucius had been of no help, squinting at the library like he was breathing a different kind of oxygen in here, I’d scouted for a seat, trying my best to be quiet when I conversed with the librarian while checking in.

“What topic were we given?” He asked, already looking bored.

Lifting my head from the pile of books I’d taken from the shelf, I pushed the paper towards him for him to read while I went back to devouring the pages of the old book in my hands.

“What the hell? We’re to write on ‘The symbolic importance of a mate and the history of the great werewar’?” Lucius incredulously asked.

I wordlessly nodded.

“Those two topics aren’t connected.” He lamented bitterly, frowning at the sheet of paper.

“Stop whining,” I chastised without looking at him, content when he actually shut up.

“I’ll take the history of the werewar, and you’ll take the other topic. Settled?” I asked, surprised when I finally looked up and found Lucius had moved closer to me.

“No, not settled.” He lowly said.

He was glaring at me but something in his gaze had changed. I swallowed heavily.

“What then do you want?” I found myself asking, a little spell bound by his gaze.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, I couldn’t look away even if I’d tried to. The mark on my neck tingled.

He smirked. “We both work on the topic. Together. That way, you don’t get the shorter topic and leave me with the longer one.” He said, moving away as if the moment never happened.

I blinked back to consciousness, reining tight on reality, trying to find my bearing.

“And get stuck with your slow, lazy a*s? Not a chance.” I retorted, reaching for my notebook.

A zap of electricity went through my hand as Lucius placed his over mine in a bid to move the notebook out of reach.

His warm, longer fingers felt so good on mine I couldn’t find it in me to pull away. Looking up from his hands on mine, I met his eyes again and this time, my eyes zeroed to his lips unconsciously.

I’d tasted them once and now, I wanted to do so again.

With my breaths coming in short puffs, Lucius stunned me further by curling his hand over mine, using our now interlocked fingers to pull me closer.

Willingly, I followed, eyes still on his lips.

His right hand, which had been holding his pen, crawled up my shoulder and nestled on my neck, caressing the nape of my neck and the small hairs there.

I was drawn. I was under a trance. I didn’t want to pull away.

I let him guide me closer until our breaths mingled as one, until our nose touched and we shared the same ragged air.

As I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips on mine, the thump of a book right next to our table startled me and we jumped away from each other.

The spell was broken.

The intruder was no other than a fuming Ariadne who looked both shellshocked and betrayed. Her baleful glare turned on me.

“What the actual f**k was about to happen?” She questioned disbelievingly.

I couldn’t even offer her an answer due to the erratic pounding of my heart.

I glanced away from her for a second, trying to regain myself, a little surprised when Lucius had said nothing.

Turning to his direction, I was surprised to see that his gaze was still firmly locked on me, like an interruption had never occurred.

A wave of desire washed over me.

“Lucius?” Ariadne turned to him now, her lips pulling into a pout when she got no response from him.

Uncomfortably, I cleared my throat.

Lucius seemed to come to reality, only then noticing Ariadne’s presence. He frowned in response.

“Come on, let’s leave Lucius.” Ariadne went for his arm, gripping onto it like a drowning man to a straw.

“I’m sure that this wretch can do the project herself.” Ariadne dismissively said, still tugging on Lucius’ arm.

“Excuse you, we were doing something before you interrupted,” I haughtily replied. “And I think the person who needs to leave is you.”

Ariadne’s face went blank before anger clouded her face.

“You little bitch.” She spat back, her eyes filled with hate and fueled with anger.

As she opened her mouth to spew more words, her eyes focused on the exposed skin of my neck, zeroing on the mark there.

Stunned, she stumbled back.

“You marked her?” She asked, still in shock as the evidence before her eyes was too grave to process.

“I did, and I think you should leave.” Lucius calmly replied, stunning Ariadne with his words.

Stunning me too.

After a brief pause, she angrily lunged at me, flinging herself over the table. Her main intention was to scratch my eyes out, or choke me to death.

Either way, she was looking murderous.

Before her claws for nails got close to me, Lucius moved faster than I’d ever seen him.

Gripping her upper arm, he stopped her movement, violently pushing her backwards.

Her sudden change of momentum sent her crashing backwards into the shelf nearby, toppling over some books. Every eye swivelled to our direction.

My eyes grew round in surprise, watching as Lucius stepped towards me for a moment, assessing whether I was hurt or bleeding.

I nodded to show I was fine.

Ariadne’s piercing wail struck through the library. I wondered if she was hurt. She’d taken quite a crash.

However, instead of helping anyone, Lucius looked confused, slowly backing away from the scene infront of us until he turned and bolted out the door, much to everyone’s dismay.