There was more applause, but it was not as enthusiastic, and Marcy was unable to hide her annoyance. “Here are your nominees for king and queen, voting will begin in two weeks. Everyone, consider your candidates carefully and vote on the people you think deserve it most. Thank you all.”

Marcy dismounted from her chair, eagerly accepting the congratulations she received as she made her way through the crowd. Cassie wished she could be as thrilled as Marcy, but she had never wanted popularity, never wanted the attention that came with it. Unfortunately she had been launched into the role during her freshman year, when puberty set in.

It had taken her awhile to learn how to deal with the sudden influx of interest. Over the years she had gotten a lot better with it, but she still did not like being thrust into the spotlight. And she most certainly did not want to be swamped by a bunch of people trying to congratulate her. She was not surprised that most of them were boys.

Devon was also surrounded by a group of well wishers, most of them girls, but a few of the guys had appeared to shake his hand. He looked highly uncomfortable as Ariel Drake grasped hold of his hand, clutching it tightly, nearly falling over him as she leaned close. Cassie fought back a smile of amusement as he gave Ariel a wan smile while discreetly trying to free his hand from her death grip. He finally succeeded but Janet and Jenna Howe immediately pounced upon him. Cassie heaved a sigh, realizing that she would have to rescue him if he was ever going to get free of the swarm of girls. And from the look on his face, he was in desperate need of rescuing.

Mark Johnson stepped swiftly in front of her, blocking her attempt at reaching Devon. Fighting back the fierce urge to groan and roll her eyes, Cassie met his dark, stormy gaze. “Hello Cassandra, I’ve been trying to get you alone for the past few days, but you’re always busy.”

Cassie glanced back at Devon, but now he was encircled by Linda Drake, Helen Potts, and Marcy had reappeared. He was never going to get free on his own now. “I’m sorry Mark…”

She tried to move around him, but he sidestepped, swiftly blocking her path. She frowned up at him, aggravated by the interruption. “I just wanted to congratulate you Cassandra.” Mark always called her by her full name; she suspected it was because he thought it would separate him from everyone else in her life. It did not. His eyes sparked as his gaze ran appreciatively over her. Unable to stop herself, she took an involuntary step back. She hated the way his leering look always made her feel as if he could see right through her clothes. Her skin began to crawl in disgust. “Maybe you’ll be my queen.”

As much as the idea made her stomach turn, Cassie managed a brief nod. “Maybe.”

She tried to sidestep him again, but once again he blocked her path. Her aggravation level mounting, she folded her arms firmly over her chest as she stared fiercely at him. “I was thinking that maybe we could go to B’s and S’s tonight,” Cassie was already shaking her head, but he continued on. “Maybe catch a movie.”

“No Mark, I’m sorry.”

He blocked her path once more when she tried to escape him. This time however, there was no amusement, or leering, in his fierce gaze. Cassie was stunned by the depth of anger that radiated from his deep brown eyes. “Is this because you’ve become the new guy’s toy?”

Cassie blinked in surprise, and then anger flared through her. “I’m nobody’s toy Mark!” she snapped.

“Slut then?”

The word snapped all the anger out of her as shock and horror rolled forth. She had never been called that before, never been verbally attacked like this before. Oh, she had been called many things over the years, but never this, and not with this much anger, and hatred. It was the hatred that shocked her most, leaving her speechless and shaken. She had never been hated before, never thought it would feel like this. It left her hollow and uncertain.

She took a step back, just wanting to escape now, but he followed her. His eyes burned as he bore down upon her, his mouth pursed, and his large shoulders set stiffly. She did not fear for her physical safety, she didn’t think he would do anything here, and she knew that she was stronger than he was. If she could fight off a vampire, she could fight off one very angry teenage boy, but it was the last thing that she wanted to do in a crowded cafeteria. However, she was concerned about what he would say next, and she was certain that she didn’t want to hear any more of it.

“You know what you are Cassandra, you’re just a tease. You’re a twisted bitch that loves to tease people, playing with their emotions and wrapping them around your little finger.”

Cassie’s mind stuttered, searching for words that momentarily failed her. Swallowing heavily, she tried hard to think of something that would somehow ease the tension of the situation. “I have never led you on Mark,” she said gently, fairly certain that he was about to explode.

“You walk around here, strutting around like you’re better than all of us!” he snapped.

Bile rose in Cassie’s throat, her stomach turned and knotted painfully. The words stung like a whip, but it was the cold fury radiating from him that made her want to throw up. She did not know what was wrong with Mark, what had sparked this fury inside him, but she did know that he was swiftly losing control. She looked quickly around; searching for some kind of help, but everyone was busy congratulating the nominees, or escaping for their next class. She couldn’t even see Devon anymore, Mark completely blocked him out.

She was on her own.

“Mark, I’m sorry, I…”

“You’re a whore!”

Cassie’s mouth dropped open as shock and horror once more slammed through her. Her arms encircled her stomach in an effort to try and keep her lunch down. She wasn’t entirely certain that it was going to work as her stomach lurched threateningly. “Mark…”

“A no good whore,” he growled. He reached for her, but Cassie turned aside, just barely dodging his beefy hand. Disgust filled her, slowing her to the point that she could hardly move. Rage blazed through his eyes, it flared his nostrils. For the first time, she was afraid of the fury that suffused him. She was not entirely sure that she could beat someone that was as crazed as Mark obviously seemed to be right now. “Whore! Giving it away to everyone…”

Mark was suddenly ripped back; his feet came off the floor as he was pulled two feet up and away from her. Cassie’s eyes widened in surprise, her mouth dropped. For a stunned moment she didn’t know what had happened, who had grabbed hold of him. And then she saw Devon as he shoved Mark against the wall, his hand wrapped fiercely around Mark’s throat. His green eyes were dark and dangerous, his lithe body taught with the anger that radiated from him.

“Don’t you ever talk to her like that again!” he snarled, his hand tightening around Mark’s neck. Mark coughed, beginning to struggle within Devon’s grasp as his eyes bulged. “Do you understand me?”

Mark nodded enthusiastically, coughing again as he struggled to breathe. His fingers clawed at the tight hold Devon had upon him, but Devon’s grip did not lessen. Though Devon was slightly shorter and not as broad as Mark, it was more than obvious that he was quite capable of beating Mark in a fight. In fact, Cassie was fairly certain that Mark wouldn’t stand a chance.

Devon’s hand tightened briefly, causing panic to flash across Mark’s features. “If you ever even talk to her again,” Devon growled his voice pitched so low that even Cassie had to strain to hear him. “I will make you pay for it, and I will make this look like it was a good time.”

A chill swept down her spine at the threat, a threat she was certain he would make good on. Mark managed another brief nod, his gaze darted briefly toward Cassie, his eyes rolled with panic. Devon shoved him back hard again, releasing him at the same time. Slumping forward, Mark rested his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. Devon took a step toward her, putting his body effectively between the two of them.

Cassie peered around Devon’s back, too flabbergasted to fully comprehend everything that had just happened. Mark’s face was beet red, either from lack of oxygen, or anger. His shoulders were set tightly, but he did not look at either of them as he stormed into the crowd. Cassie’s eyes widened as she took in the students still present to witness what had just happened. Though the cafeteria had emptied a lot, there were at least twenty of them still gathered about. It would only be a matter of time before this incident was all over the school. Oh well, she thought with a sigh, she hadn’t wanted to campaign for homecoming queen anyway.

Devon turned toward her, his eyes fierce and dark, his hard jaw clenched tight. “Are you ok?” Cassie blinked at him in surprise, unable to get her malfunctioning brain to work correctly as she tried to focus her full attention on him. “Cassie, are you ok?”

He seized gently hold of her, pulling her a step closer to him. The touch she had always found so soothing, now only served to confuse and disorient her more. What she had just seen, it couldn’t have been possible, could it? She studied him carefully, her mind spinning. Could a human be that strong?

But what else could he be, but human?

She scanned him rapidly, feeling slightly sick. “Who are you?” The words popped out in a choked whisper before she could stop them.

The hands on her arms tightened briefly as his body hardened subtly. A look of resignation filled his eyes and Cassie had the gut sinking feeling that she had somehow managed to push him away from her. “Did he hurt you?” he asked, the words coming through clenched teeth but carrying no hint of anger.

Cassie shook her head, trying to clear it of the stunned fog that clung to her. “No,” she managed to whisper. “No, I’m fine,” she said with a little more conviction.

His gaze ran over her, but it did not warm. “Let’s get you to class.”

Panic tore through Cassie. This was not the Devon she knew. This was not the man that gazed at her warmly, and touched her reverently. This man was hard and cold and distant, and she was the one that had caused this change in him. He had been trying to protect her, and she had pushed him away with her confusion and doubts. She may not know as much as she would like about him, but he was new to town, and part of the fun in a relationship was supposed to be getting to know the other person. Wasn’t it?

Her gaze darted to where he had pinned Mark against the wall, lifting him as if he weighed no more than a feather. The strength it had taken was amazing, startling. It was a strength she had never seen in a human being before. She turned slowly back toward him, tilting her head to study him as her doubts slowly started to build into full fledged panic.

Who was he? What was he?

He gently took hold of her arm, but she could feel the cold distance that lingered in him. Slowly, she looked toward Melissa and Chris. Melissa’s head was tilted curiously to the side, her dark eyes intense. Chris stood stiffly, his arms folded over his chest. He gave Devon a brief nod of approval, one that Cassie instantly recognized as a “guy” thing. Chris found nothing wrong with what had just happened, he was just impressed that Devon had stood up for her, and that he had beaten Mark in their brief encounter.

Cassie rolled her eyes at Chris as she heaved a sigh. She would never understand men, and their vast amounts of testosterone. “Come on Cassie,” Devon urged, though his tone was gentle she could still hear the tension in it.

She followed him slowly out of the cafeteria, so lost in her own thoughts, and doubts, that at first she didn’t notice the whispers and glances cast their way. Slowly, they penetrated her haze. Every student they passed shot them looks while whispering behind their hands. Cassie frowned fiercely; her pride shoved aside her hurt and confusion as she straightened her shoulders and determined to ignore all of their gossip.

CHAPTER 17

Cassie played idly with a blade of grass, pulling it lazily from the ground before letting it drop back down. She was tired, achy, and more than a little chilled. The sudden drop in temperature that had started earlier in the week, had made the night far cooler than she was prepared for with her light windbreaker. She huddled deeper into her coat, knowing that it was not only the night that chilled her, but also the events of the day.

She had seen Devon only briefly at the end of the day. He had still been cold, detached, and not completely himself. He had not mentioned coming over to his place again and neither had she. She had needed to get away from him for a little bit, to clear her mind, but it was not working out as well as she had hoped.

She tried not to think about the distance that had lingered around him, or the doubts that continuously plagued her now. She tried to keep herself focused on the here and now. But her mind would not cooperate as it kept jumping back to the tenderness and wonder of last night. Then she would recall her extreme lack of knowledge about him, and the strange strength that he had possessed today and her stomach would turn and her mouth would go dry.