The Blindfold Dare

Cleo's POV.

His dark eyes stare down at me. A heavy frown creases his forehead, making my pulse pound in my ears. I brace myself for the cruel words everyone says he deals out effortlessly. Instead, he just gives a curt nod.

"Whatever," he mutters in a deep, vibrating voice. He steps around me and keeps walking.

I squeeze my eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath. The intoxicating scent of dark pine and musk lingers in his wake. I realize that was the very first time we had ever spoken.

"Hey, Mousey. Why are you alone?"

A boy pauses on the path, a nasty smirk twisting his lips. "Did you actually think any of us would count you as a beautiful lonely girl waiting for someone to notice her?"

I duck my head, staring hard at the scuffed toes of my sneakers. I do not argue with him. Arguing never works. If I fight back, they just bully me or lie to the dean, causing serious problems for my mother. Except for my three close friends, I try to avoid interacting with others. I stay perfectly silent, waiting for him to leave.

"Blaise, stop it and come on. We don't have time for your nonsense."

The authoritative voice cuts through the mocking laughter. I glance over my shoulder. Ryker is standing a short distance away, his eyes locked onto the boy beside me.

Blaise frowns, clearly thrown off by the intervention. He walks toward the Alpha's son. "You shouldn't have stopped me, man. I was making fun of that mouse."

Ryker runs his fingers through his wet locks, pushing the dark hair back from his forehead. "Still no time for your nonsense," he says. His tone leaves no room for debate. He turns and strides away.

"Why did Ryker save this girl?" I hear whispers erupting from the girls gathered near the bleachers. "Why does the Alpha's son care about a mouse?"

I brush the strange encounter aside, staring at Ryker's broad back until he goes another way and disappears from my sight.

"Cleo!"

I turn around and see Declan waving at me from the grass. I quickly walk over to him.

Declan is a top student in his third year, the exact same year as Ryker. They run in different circles, though. Declan is the basketball captain of Ryker's opposing team, the Scarlet Blaze. Ryker captains the Iron Vipers.

"I was waiting for you," Declan says, holding a heavy sports bag over his broad shoulder.

"I ran into someone and ended up being late," I reply, adjusting my backpack straps.

"You mentioned that you needed my help with statistics."

"Oh yeah."

"Let's go to the library."

"Good idea. I am telling Delaney to get there."

Together, we make our way across the sprawling campus. This is how we met a few months ago. I was struggling to solve brutal math problems, and he offered to tutor me. He met my friends shortly after, and we all grew close.

The library is cool and quiet. We find a corner table and start studying.

Later on, Delaney joins us. Valerie walks in right behind her. Valerie is a very sweet girl, always looking fashionable and trendy in her clothes.

Declan leans back, tapping his pen on his notebook. "I am throwing a good party tonight," he announces.

"Where?" Valerie asks instantly.

"In my guest house."

"Okay, that is good news."

Declan turns his gaze directly to me. His expression shifts, becoming focused. "You have to come tonight, Cleo."

Panic sets in. My stomach drops. "What? But you know I can't come to any parties."

"Why not? I will talk to Aunt Miriam."

"No, no. She will not allow me. By the way, I don't want to go there either—"

Delaney interrupts our conversation smoothly. "Declan, I will bring her there," she promises.

They spend the next ten minutes teaming up on me, overriding my objections until I reluctantly cave.

Later in the evening, Delaney comes over to my house.

She stands in front of my open closet, pushing hangers across the metal rack. I am already dressed in my black t-shirt and baggy blue jeans, the thick fabric flexible enough to cover up my body type.

"Please wear something nice, babe," Delaney groans, checking my clothes. "I mean, these are not bad, but you should wear some party dresses."

She turns her head with deep disappointment. "Not a single dress to wear at parties."

"I told you all," I sigh. "Parties are not my thing. I should not go there."

"Wait, no! I didn't mean it," she backpedals. "You are my best friend. I was just saying this because I wanted to give you a hot look. Forget about my words. You look good."

I chuckle at her sudden panic. I pull all my hair toward the back of my head, tying it into a low ponytail. I pull out two thick hair strands to cover the sides of my face. I reach for my thick glasses and put them on.

"Do you know how beautiful you are? Why are you hiding yourself like this?" Delaney asks softly.

I turn around and smile at her steadfastly. "This is not called hiding myself. This is me."

Delaney relents. She removes her long black coat and offers it to me. "Wear it."

"No, there is no need for it," I say, admiring her hot purple dress that fits her body perfectly.

She steps forward and drapes her coat over my shoulders. "This is just a coat. You have to wear it. You will get a cold out there."

After putting on the heavy coat, I look at myself in the mirror. The fabric swallows me up. "What about you?" I ask her.

"I don't need it anyway." She winks at me.

We leave my house and get into her sleek car. She is rich enough to have her own vehicle. Her father is a successful businessman, so buying an expensive car for his daughter was nothing. However, Delaney never treats me arrogantly.

As I lean against the leather seat, I look outside the window, watching the streetlights blur past in the dark night.

After about an hour, we arrive at Declan's guest house. A massive number of cars are parked outside, lining the street.

As soon as I enter the house, I am greeted by thick smoke and booming music. I grasp Delaney's hand tightly as we navigate the chaotic crowd.

The entire house has been transformed into a nightclub. People are drinking beer from red cups; some hold glass bottles. Boys and girls are talking loudly, moving their legs to the heavy beat.

"Cleo! Delaney!"

Valerie rushes over when she notices us. She looks gorgeous, as always. She hugs Delaney, then me. "I am so glad you have come. I must say that Delaney works some real magic. How did she handle your mother?"

"My mom wasn't at home," I say over the noise.

"Shit! You shouldn't have said it," Delaney laughs. "They might think I am a genius."

We laugh together.

"Let's go to Declan. He must be at the poolside," Delaney says, taking the lead.

We make our way to the poolside, weaving through the maze of teenagers because Delaney has been here three times before. We step out into the cool night air.

"There he is!" Delaney spots Declan by the water.

Declan is talking with a group of tall boys. Delaney walks straight up to him. I trail far behind her, keeping my head down. But suddenly, something catches my eye, and my steps come to a dead halt.

I notice a large crowd cheering wildly.

I turn around. In the dead center stands Ryker Maddox.

He wears a black blindfold, black jeans, and an unzipped sleeveless black jacket. He is not wearing a t-shirt inside, putting his bare chest and intricate tattoos on full display. The look gives him an extremely hot, dangerous appearance.

The girls giggle as he moves around, walking closer so he can catch them at any time.

He is playing a blind man's buff dare. His friends are drinking while having fun with the game, treating it as a dare for him to hunt down and catch a girl.

My eyes widen in pure terror when I see he is wandering directly into my path.

I desperately attempt to step back, my sneakers slipping on the concrete. However, he keeps coming straight toward me.

I turn around when he is almost there, scrambling to escape. But before I can move to the other side, a large hand shoots out. His long fingers clamp firmly around my wrist.

He yanks me forward, pulling me flush against his hard chest.

The boisterous crowd instantly falls dead silent. The cheering stops.

I freeze. The shocking, sudden intimacy paralyzes my muscles. I can feel the heat radiating off his bare skin.

Ryker chuckles, a low sound that vibrates against me. He bites his lower lip as if he can physically feel my frantic heartbeat pounding against him.

My gaze locks onto his mouth. He has a small mole in the center of his lower lip. Surrounded by the tension, it strikes me as the world's most beautiful sight. I am mesmerized.

Slowly, he lifts his hands and takes hold of the black cloth. He pulls the blindfold from his eyes.

But the exact moment his vision clears and he sees who he has caught, his triumphant smile vanishes.

"You!"