Chapter 3 Rejection

Aria's POV

I spun around. Kai Steel stood beside a sleek black motorcycle, helmet in hand. He was the fourth brother-quieter than the others, with dark hair that fell over his eyes and an intense, brooding presence that made my pulse quicken for reasons I didn't want to examine.

Unlike his brothers at breakfast, he wasn't glaring at me with open hostility. His expression was... neutral. Almost sympathetic.

Maybe he's different. Maybe not all of them hate me.

"I-" My voice came out shaky. "I don't want to be a problem."

"You'll miss first period if you wait for the bus." He held out a spare helmet. "Come on. I don't bite."

Relief flooded through me so intensely my knees felt weak. "Thank you. Really, thank you so much."

I took the helmet with trembling hands and put it on, fumbling with the strap. Kai watched me struggle for a moment before reaching over to help, his fingers brushing my jaw as he secured it.

That touch-barely anything-sent a jolt of electricity through me. My breath caught. His scent hit me then: leather and something darker, smoky and masculine. Different from Reed's but just as intoxicating.

No. Not again. Not with another one.

But my body didn't listen. Heat pooled low in my belly, that same ache from last night flaring back to life. My nipples tightened against my bra, and I was grateful for the thick hoodie hiding my body's betrayal.

Kai's eyes met mine for just a second-dark, unreadable-before he turned and straddled the motorcycle.

"Get on," he said simply.

I moved toward the bike, my heart hammering. This close to him, his scent was overwhelming. I could feel the heat radiating off his body even through his leather jacket. When I climbed on behind him, settling onto the seat, every nerve ending came alive with awareness.

Where do I put my hands?

"Hold on," Kai said, his voice rougher than before.

I hesitantly placed my hands on his waist, and even through the leather, I could feel the solid muscle beneath. My thighs pressed against his, and that persistent ache between my legs intensified into something almost painful.

This is so wrong. He's my stepbrother. They all are.

But my body didn't care about that. It only cared about the proximity, the warmth, the solid male presence that made every cell in me scream for more.

Kai revved the engine-and suddenly jerked the motorcycle forward.

I wasn't ready. My hands slipped from his waist and I fell backward, landing hard on the driveway. Pain exploded through my tailbone and up my spine. The helmet cracked against the pavement.

"What-" I gasped, breathless from the impact.

Kai looked back at me over his shoulder, and the sympathy was gone. In its place was cold amusement-the same cruel expression his brothers wore.

"Did you really think I was being nice?" He killed the engine for a moment, just so I could hear him clearly. "You're pathetic. Desperate enough to climb on behind any guy who shows you a scrap of attention."

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "You offered-"

"I know what I did." He started the engine again, that mocking smile still on his lips. "Consider it a lesson, step-sister. We're not your friends. We're not your family. And we're sure as hell not going to help you."

He peeled out, leaving me sitting on the cold ground, my body aching in all the wrong ways-bruised from the fall, but still burning with that shameful arousal from being so close to him.

Why do they hate me so much? And why does my body still want them even after this?

I limped to the bus stop, my pride as bruised as my tailbone, my hoodie doing nothing to hide the tears that finally spilled down my cheeks.

"Aria! Oh my God, there you are!"

Maya grabbed my arm the moment I walked through the school doors. Her excitement was infectious, even though I felt like crawling into a hole.

"Maya, not now-"

"Yes, now! This is important!" She pulled me aside, her eyes sparkling. "I heard something about Zane Parker."

My heart skipped. "What about him?"

"He likes bold girls. Like, really bold girls who aren't afraid to tell him what they want." Maya waggled her eyebrows. "Apparently, he's into girls who can match his... energy. You know what I mean?"

Heat rushed to my face. "Maya!"

"I'm serious! This is your chance, Aria. You've been crushing on him forever. Just go talk to him!"

I thought about the ache that still pulsed inside me, the need that hadn't gone away even after last night. Maybe Maya was right. Maybe someone like Zane could help me.

Maybe he could make this feeling go away.

"Okay," I heard myself say. "I'll do it."

By lunch, I'd psyched myself up a hundred times and chickened out ninety-nine. But Maya kept pushing me forward until I stood in front of Zane's usual table.

He sat surrounded by his hockey team and half the cheerleading squad. Everyone looked up as I approached.

Don't think. Just do it.

"Zane," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He glanced up, those gorgeous eyes finding mine. "Yeah?"

My mouth went dry. People were staring. I could feel dozens of eyes on me.

Bold. He likes bold.

"I need to talk to you," I managed.

"So talk." He leaned back in his chair, looking amused.

My heart hammered so hard I thought everyone could hear it. The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

"I want to have sex with you."

The cafeteria went silent.

Zane's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Oh God. Oh God, what did I just say?

But I'd started, and I couldn't stop now. "I'm so wet and I need someone like you to be with me. You're experienced and I thought maybe-"

Zane started laughing. Not a small chuckle, but a full, loud laugh that echoed through the cafeteria.

"Wait, let me get this straight," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You-Aria whatever-your-name-is-want to have sex with me because your pussy is wet?"

Laughter erupted around us. My face burned.

"I don't do Omegas, sweetheart," he continued, his voice dripping with mockery. "Especially inexperienced ones who probably don't even know what they're asking for. You're bold, I'll give you that. But bold and desperate aren't the same thing."

"She really said that?" someone whispered behind me.

"Can you believe her?"

"So pathetic."

The laughter grew louder. Phones came out, recording my humiliation.

"Thanks for the entertainment though," Zane called after me as I turned to run. "That was the best laugh I've had all week!"

I ran through the cafeteria, past the pointing fingers and cruel smiles, out into the hallway. Maya's voice called after me, but I didn't stop.

What have I done?

I'd never felt so small, so stupid, so utterly worthless.