Maybe Hunter changed his mind and told everyone. Maybe they’re all talking about me.

He found himself wishing he sat in the back of every room, instead of the front.

No, he found himself wishing he’d cut school.

At the final bell, he stormed out the side door. He didn’t want to ride home with his brothers. He didn’t want to work a job with Michael.

Cars were lined up illegally in the fire lane, parents who couldn’t be bothered to sit through the heavier traffic on the other side of school. But trees lined the grounds beyond those vehicles, dense woods that led the way home. Nick headed for the crosswalk. He’d cut through the woods and clear his head. Maybe after three miles of fresh air, he could get it together to spend a few hours slinging pavestone or planting bushes or whatever Michael needed help with.

Heavy clouds swarmed the sky, trapping cold air near the ground. Or maybe he was doing that. He cast his senses far, feeding power into his element. Reckless and dangerous, but he didn’t care. Wind whipped through his hair, feeding on his temper to blow loose debris along the curb. A notebook flipped open to spill papers across the quad. Girls shrieked and scurried to catch them.

Rain spit at his face, and Nick pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt. It kept out the cold and his classmates, especially since not too many students came out this side of the building.

The hoodie didn’t keep out sound, however. A car door slammed; then a voice called out as he slid between two sedans.

“Windy out, huh, douche bag?”

The air brought the words right to him. Nick stopped and lowered the hood. Tyler stood by the curb, two cars up, leaning against his truck.

What was he doing here? Nick gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

He hated that his first thought was to wish Gabriel was here.

Especially when Tyler moved away from his truck to approach him.

Thunder rumbled through the sky overhead. Wind blasted Nick in the face and pulled at his clothes. He called for more, asking his element to rip Tyler’s face clean off.

Nick knew better than to fight him physically. Tyler fought dirty enough to give Gabriel a run for his money. Nick couldn’t suffocate him, either, not with his senses so scattered. The wind pulled his power in too many directions. Thunder cracked and rolled again.

He begged for cold, and the next blast of wind was downright arctic.

“Go away, Tyler,” he said, keeping his voice low. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Tyler laughed in his face. “I’m not allowed to pick up a girl?”

Nick froze. Was Tyler here for Quinn?