Chapter 7: Moving in

I was woken up by someone shaking me, I groaned lightly. I cracked open my eyes and saw Thorn peering down at me. I know I should've screamed, yelled, or at least punch him for coming into my room without knocking, but I was too tired and way too used of him to care.

Guess it's because I know he won't hurt me, even if he did, I can always take him on. Back to the present, why the hell is he waking me up so damn early? I glanced over at the clock and the numbers; 5:32 blared back in neon red colors. I groaned again but a bit louder,

"Better have a good reason, kid. I only wake up this early for my students and you sure as hell ain't one." I grumbled. He chuckled before replying.

"I've already packed my stuff, you just need to wake up and get us there." After he said that I remembered about last night, oh yeah he's staying with me in my apartment. Hold on, my car.

"Hey smartass, you were the one that brought me here, remember? My car's still at the school if not towed away." When the hell did I get the guts to talk to him that way? Screw it. He stared at me for a couple of seconds before realization crossed his face.

I looked back at him with a brow raised, at this point I was sitting up, not even registering we were only a foot away from each other.

"Thorn. . .how did we get here?" I asked.

"Ah well, I may have gotten a ride from a taxi." I stared at him for a moment, he winced slightly when he felt the heat in my gaze intensify. He. Did. What?! He just ordered a taxi and carried a half dead woman to the most violent clan in the city and thought nothing of it?!

"Think about something, and I may forget any of this even happened, understood?" I commanded slowly. He nodded quickly and left the room in a hurry, I sighed when the door closed. My eyes traced down my body, the wounds have already closed but will leave scars. They won't show if I put proper clothing, ugh what am I going to tell my students? My superiors? Or even my family!

Should I at least question how my wounds healed so damn fast? Or how accustomed I am to these people that I would even let a total stranger come into my room when I'm sleeping, let alone touch me. Why do I always feel so at ease around him, around the clan, or Boss Suwa? No, I shouldn't bother with this, I'll figure it out some other time. Right now I needed to get dressed and wait for the dumbass to return.

He got back a tad bit too soon and he saw me once again in my bra, I had managed to put pants on the moment he opened the door. We stayed silent for God knows how long, too shocked and unable to move. Thorn was the first one to react, he flushed and was about to leave when I called out to him,

"Hey, might as well stay, I'm almost done. Seriously Thorn, learn to knock." He stayed but didn't turn around. I eyed him for a second before putting on a shirt, he certainly acts like prepubescent boy seeing a naked body for the first time. Gotta say though, he's either very respectful or disgustingly shy.

I asked him the question that has been circling around in my mind since yesterday, "Hey Thorn, why do you get so flustered easily?" I waited his answer but he chuckled a bit instead.

My eyes narrowed at him, which only made him bellow in laughter. His deep baritone voice reverberated through the room and deep in my core. What is he doing to me? He will end up being the death of me if this keeps going. Thankfully he showed me mercy and began quieting down,

"Didn't really peg ya for the type that liked to be ogled at, but if that's what ya want, then fine by me." He started walking towards me, just like a predator would a prey. I could see his tongue licking his upper lip, how his eyes darkened mischievously when they raked my body. My body temperature rose to a dangerous degree the closer he got, the more I heard his heavy footsteps getting louder. He was faking?! Oh God, what should I do, what should I do? What CAN I do?

So I did what I could, I was too tensed to think straight and my mind was clouded as it was with the intense heat I was feeling. As soon as he got a couple of feet within range, I snapped my foot out to hit him. He dodged but got closer to me, as he did the more frantic I got to get him away.

The next attack was punch to his stomach which he couldn't dodge on time. His breath was forced out of him, leaving him gasping, I followed it with another kick, one a bit too strong. It sent him flying towards the door, which opened right before he got in contact with it. Whoever was on the other side got out of the way in time for him to crash on the opposite wall with a thud.

The person who just barely dodged a flying bastard peeked inside the room, it was a clan member that was at the meeting. She looked to be shocked, but it quickly changed into great amusement. She walked over to me, her large blond hair bouncing happily along side her. She stopped directly in front of me, her bright blue eyes twinkling brilliantly at me.

She held my hands while she spoke, "Hi, you must be Esphera! I'm Sarah, Thorn here asked me if I could give you guys a ride. To be honest I was kind of worried that he would take advantage of you while you guys were alone, but as I can see, there is nothing to fear!" She giggled.

Holy damn, she sounds like a school girl. Before I could even open my mouth to speak, she interrupted, "Just in case, though." She started, then the vibe around her started to turn dark, "If he ever tries anything with you, just tell me and I'll kill him. Meet me in 1221 when you're ready." With that she left, humming a light song along the way.

Great, just when I was thinking she was too bubbly to be part of this Clan, she had to leave with that. I don't think there's a single sane person in this place, and that's including me. I heard a pained groan coming from the hallway, and I saw Thorn slowly getting to his knees. I sighed once more and went up to him,

"Do that at my place, I dare you. I have a kitchen full if knives and I'm not afraid to use them." I whispered in his ear, before heading off to Sarah's room. Of coarse I didn't even bother to wait for him, that's what he gets for acting like an innocent school boy.

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Thorn was quiet throughout the whole car ride to my apartment, that was extremely odd. I talked with Sarah the whole way, if you ignore her ranting and annoyingly high voice, she's a decent person to hang around with. When we got there, I noticed my car was parked in front of my place.

She stopped the car and I got out, I thanked her for getting us all the way out here and she replied with saying anytime and left. I was left here alone with Thorn again, I pointed him to my apartment but told him to wait there. I approached my car and saw a note was attached to it. It said,

"Hey honey, I was in town when I heard of what happened and I speeded to your school to find it empty. Well except for the pool of blood and bodies that I found in the entrance, you really were a messy one, huh. Anyway I went to your classroom and found your bag there, so I got the liberty of using your car and bringing it here. You can thank me later.

- Your fav cousin, Christine.

P.S : I'll be staying in your house for week when you get back.

I let out a breath that I didn't realizing I was holding, but then I read it again. I cursed under my breath when the reality of it hit me, she's going to stay for a week?! That's when I heard the front door burst open, followed by a surprise yelp from Thorn. . .shit.

I turned and saw Christine's petit body on top of Thorn. I couldn't help but compare it to a kitten trying to fight a German Shepard and chuckle. Thorn looked up at me with an expression that clearly said, 'Help me!'

"Down girl, he's friendly." I coaxed, she listened to me but only after giving an untrusting glare at him. Then a split second later she had me on the ground, I was thoroughly surprised at how much force she used to bring me down.

"Where were you, Es?! The whole family's worried sick about you!" She whined, I chuckled slightly but frowned when I felt her shake, "We were so close to tearing up the whole city to find you, we almost . . .assumed the worst!" She started to cry uncontrollably, her body shaking with every broken sob that left her lips.

My heart broke for her, for my family. How long have they suffered knowing I was out there, hurt and wounded, barely even alive?

"Shh, don't worry, I'm here, I'm alive, I'm safe" I muttered sweet nothing's into her ear to calm her. I felt my own tears well up in my eyes before spilling out. I could feel Thorn's eyes on us and I glanced up at him. He shifted nervously and looked at anything but me, there he goes again with acting like a sweet, shy, little boy.

I slowly began to stand up with Christine and I helped her inside. The moment I stepped inside my jaw dropped, the place looked like it was hit by a goddamn hurricane. Thorn had the same reaction I did just that his hands started twitching. He turned to me slowly and asked,

"Was this you, or her?"

"Definitely her."

"Is there a room that isn't destroyed?"

I shrugged but suggested that my room would be the most cleaner. We went there and I was right, it was just like I had left it. Nothing was out of place, no mess or stain, not even a speck of dust. I looked at Christine and she smiled up at me.

"The whole family is well aware of your clean freak manner so I didn't want to touch it, I just went in there to dust everything and leave." I smiled back at her, my heart warming at the consideration she had for me. Thorn's eyes immediately lit up as he looked at me, just like last time, he looked like a begging puppy.

"Ugh fine, but if I find something broken or missing, you're dead." I warned

He only smiled, "Not a problem, sweet cheeks." He went inside and closed the door hastily. I started to get a sneaking suspicion that he was also a neat freak, but before I could even think further into it, I heard a squeal from Christine. My face blanched, I didn't even need psychic powers to know what she was thinking.

I turned to her and saw a light in her eyes that I recognized, before she could even open her mouth I ran away from her, opened my bedroom door then slammed it shut. I pressed my body weight against it to keep her out, oblivious of the shell shocked Thorn on the other side of the room. Not a moment too soon she started pounding on the door,

"Christine, no!" I yelled

"Christine, yes!" She squealed, oh God what have I done? Finally I decided to do something smart and locked the door. Slowly I got off of the door and walked backwards deeper into the room. I kept stalking back until I felt a large warm object behind me. I turned to see a half naked, very amused Thorn towering over me.

He couldn't hide his smile and grinned wickedly at my shock and horror. He let my eyes travel up and down his body, damn he was ripped. I mentally shook myself and I turned away, my face burning with embarrassment. He chuckled before whispering into my ear,

"Looks like we're even." I shivered when I felt his hot breath on my neck. What the hell?! I scrambled away from him, my chest heaving rapidly as I sucked in as much air as I could. He just looked at me with no small amount of cockiness plastered on his face. I am already regretting this.