Compounding Traumas (Artemis University Book 6), стр. 56

it wasn’t dripping all over her tray.

“I actually had to catch her so she didn’t land in the hallway on her ass,” Mel admitted before they burst out laughing.

Oh good, something else to never live down. I actually said that when they started to calm down, and they laughed all over again. Awesome.

We could always use more laughs, right?

15

 

Our mirth died fast when Holly walked by with her friends. I honestly didn’t realize I had reacted or moved, but luckily Mel’s reflexes as a dragon were faster than mine, and she caught my arm.

Holly snorted and nodded to my fisted hands and how Mel had stopped me. “That’s why you don’t belong here and are garbage. You’re more wild animal than person.”

“Funny, I think you’re more dangerous animal than person too.”

She stiffened and narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re furious and ready to use violence against me because someone challenged you and tried to give out your precious address when—”

“I could give a flying fuck about my address, you stupid twat,” I sneered, shocking everyone around us besides Mel and Izzy. “I’m seconds from pounding in your face for how you handled the situation to save yourself, and every woman with any sense should feel the same. You went to your sexist and demeaning council and played the simpering little girl, brushing off your crime as girl drama.

“You won your case and set us all back, while the rest of us are fighting for progress and to end the ridiculous amount of sexism in this world, well beyond what the humans put up with. This isn’t about me being violent, but you being so selfish. Every woman should get a free shot at you playing into this bullshit as an ‘elite,’ that the councils can now point to a woman as siding with them.

“So how does it feel to be part of the problem, Holly? How does it feel to be culpable? When the next vampire is raped, and they chastise her, demean her as no longer being pure and dismiss her—how will it feel to know you bear responsibility for that?” I nodded when her eyes went wide. “You played into their beliefs women are nothing compared to men, hormonal, and not equal.”

“You contributed to the problem and stacked the deck against the next woman who stands before them,” Mel added. “You’re now the reason they will rule how they will, even after others like Tamsin have been pushing back and fighting to show they’re sexist. Was it worth it? Was it worth your selfish need to not be punished, and do whatever you wanted when they’ll ruin the lives of other women?”

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Holly sneered.

“No, because this isn’t fucking poker, but life, and the women who have to stand before them next don’t get a fucking choice as it’s not a godsdamn game,” I shouted. “You’re so fucked in the head that this is all a game to you, but it’s people’s lives you just fucked with. They don’t have mommy and daddy to go to bat for them, and now the council will push back with their demeaning sexist ideals, and it’s your fault.”

“And you didn’t even get the address right, idiot,” a female shifter taunted as she walked by with her friends. “Yeah, you’re such hot shit, they’re talking about taking the list away from the vampires if they won’t protect it as they should. Good job.”

Woah, I didn’t know that. Good. I didn’t think any one council should have that power, as I doubted it was the first time anyone abused that power.

I highly doubted it. Especially given the vampires were the second most corrupt council I’d been dealing with. The witch council being the first. Or at least from what I knew, as they were the one that came at me the most, and that screamed corrupt to me. I mean, they didn’t want me for anything valid and simply wanted my power or to steal what I had.

So yeah, total corruption basically.

Holly scurried off when someone else a few tables over made some comments, and I sat back down, chilling out as best as I could.

“Thanks,” I told Mel under my breath. “I didn’t even realize I was going for her.”

“I wanted to as well,” she admitted. “You’re faster though, after training this summer. Keep that in the back of your mind because you might have a few more instances like that, and I won’t always be at your side.”

Yeah, I had other reasons to go after people and unfortunately, the list of people who deserved my fist in their face was fairly long.

Really long, if I was honest. Awesome.

Though it was actually awesome I was faster.

We finished lunch and headed out. I almost tripped over my feet when that energy that happened between Hudson and I flared… And by flared, I mean roared to life as I walked by his table. It was like a punch to the gut and phantom hands all over me at the same time.

I heard glass breaking and guessed he felt about the same. That was not awesome. I had enough going on that I didn’t need some metaphysical bullshit with my ex-fuck buddy who said he was my mate.

Really, I didn’t.

Shaking my head when Mel and Izzy gave me surprised looks, I hurried out of the cafeteria trying to act like I wasn’t. I felt as if I could breathe again once I was outside, but still didn’t want to talk about it.

They were kind and didn’t push it.

Mel veered off towards her room to handle her teacher stuff, and we went back to our dorm to prep for the next day. We’d already gotten our books, but I hadn’t really gone over my schedule, as every time