Chapter 10: Sierra’s Protector

Chapter 10: Sierra’s Protector

When I heard that someone was forcefully pursuing Sierra, an inexplicable surge of fury ignited in my chest. Sierra was gorgeous, and under normal circumstances, I had no problem with guys trying to catch her attention. But relying on intimidation, stalkerish tactics, and sheer force crossed a line I wasn't about to let anyone slide on.

Perhaps it was because I now possessed fifty percent of Chloe's Aurelian Defensive Kata. After putting it to the test just moments ago in the classroom, I'd seen firsthand how terrifyingly effective its mechanics were. The hesitation and doubt that usually weighed me down were completely gone.

“Sis, come home with me,” I said, my voice low and laced with heat. “I want to see exactly who thinks they have the nerve to mess with you.”

The students in Sierra's homeroom were still staring at me in absolute, wide-eyed shock after watching me flip a three-hundred-pound lineman across two rows of desks. A few of the girls were whispering, their eyes practically sparkling as they took in the sudden change in my attitude.

“Sierra, where on earth did you get such an intense cousin?” one of her close friends whispered loudly, voicing the question everyone in the room was dying to ask. “How come you’ve never introduced him to us before?”

Sierra stood there flushed and completely at a loss for words. Truthfully, she was just as baffled as they were. How had her normally quiet, underachieving younger cousin suddenly transformed into someone who could dismantle a room in five seconds flat?

Her friends kept pressing her, giggling as her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of crimson. Eventually, their teasing shifted from calling me her "cousin" to referring to me as her "protective boyfriend." No matter how many times Sierra tried to deny it, her flustered explanations only made her sound even more suspicious to her classmates.

Walking a few paces ahead, I caught every single word and had to fight back a secret grin. Then a stray, ridiculous thought crossed my mind.

If a girl as stunning and sweet as Sierra actually became my girlfriend, how incredible would that be?

By the time Sierra and I left Bellevue High alongside a small crowd from her class, the campus was mostly empty. The campus security guards and teachers on duty had clearly heard about the commotion earlier in the hallway. Knowing I’d brought a bit of trouble to their front door, I offered them a polite, nonchalant smile as we walked past.

Not far past the main school gate stood a group of seven or eight guys looking like absolute delinquents. Even though they wore Bellevue High jackets, they rocked garish platinum-bleached cuts and shock-white hair, covered in silver piercings and smoking cigarettes right out in the open.

The moment they spotted Sierra walking out with me, the guy leading them gestured to his crew, and the entire group began strutting aggressively toward us.

The duty guards near the gate seemed completely accustomed to this sort of off-campus nonsense. Seeing that the vast majority of students had already cleared out, they hastily shut the main iron gates and retreated inside the security office. If a fight broke out on school property, they’d be held liable. But once it spilled onto the public street outside, it wasn't their problem anymore—they preferred to look the other way and pretend they saw nothing.

“That guy with the white hair is Ethan Drake,” Big Greg whispered in my ear, leaning down as the crowd approached. “He’s the one who's been relentlessly harassing Sierra. The rest are his crew.”

Big Greg clearly hadn't held a single shred of resentment against me for getting thrown earlier. If anything, he looked at me now with genuine respect.

I gave him a brief nod, my eyes narrowing as I locked onto Ethan.

I noticed the bulky outlines inside their heavy jackets and rolled-up sleeves. They were definitely hiding something along their forearms and belts.

I kept my guard up. I’d been in a couple of messy middle school scuffles before, but those were nothing compared to this. This was shaping up to be a full-scale street fight.

Ethan and his crew approached in a broad, intimidating line, making a grand show of their presence. Although our side technically had more people, Sierra's classmates were just ordinary high school kids who weren't built for a brawl. Facing Ethan’s hostile gang, every single one of them looked visibly nervous.

Even Sierra trembled slightly beside me. Instinctively, she grabbed hold of my jacket sleeve, hiding half her body behind my shoulder.

To be honest, my own heart was hammering against my ribs. Facing down an aggressive crew for the first time made my adrenaline spike. But feeling Sierra trembling against my arm immediately burned away any lingering fear, replacing it with pure, cold resolve.

If I backed down now, it meant leaving Sierra at the mercy of these thugs.

There was no universe where I’d stand by and let anyone lay a finger on her.

When Ethan saw Sierra holding onto my arm, a cold, vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He came to a halt about three feet in front of us.

“Hey, kid,” Ethan sneered, looking me up and down. “Who the hell are you? You’ve got some nerve getting cozy with the girl I’m pursuing.”

“Boss,” one of Ethan’s crew pointed toward the curb, “that’s the guy who dropped Sierra off this morning! Look, his beat-up scooter is still parked right over there.”

Ethan glanced over at the scooter, his expression darkening into a menacing glare.

“Care to explain yourself, punk?”

Although he asked for an explanation, the look in his eyes made it crystal clear that talking wouldn't change a single thing.

Besides, I had zero intention of explaining anything to a scumbag who intimidated girls.

You bullied my sister. That alone means you're begging for a beating.