Esmeralda Smith was very beautiful. At eight teen she had emerald green eyes and long thick red hair. Her skin was a gorgeous ivory and her lips were full and red. looking at her you would think she was a stuck up bitch but really she was quiet and shy. Her perfect small frame was very feminine and she wore designer clothes. Mostly she wore skirts, dresses and heels but was more comfortable in jeans and sneakers.

Her strong affinity for music was the only thing that gave her some comfort at home. Hours of practice on any instrument of her choosing provided her with the escape she was so desperate for. Currently she was standing on the school stage with her violin as she nervously shifted from foot to foot. "Play whatever you want sweety. I don't expect it to be perfect." Ms. Sutton said gently.

"I've never preformed for an audience before." Esmeralda said shyly.

"It's okay. No one will judge you." Ms. Sutton encouraged. Esmeralda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Raising her violin into position she began to play. The music range out soft and melancholy as the hushed whispers died down. The long sweet notes told a story of loneliness and turmoil. When she was done playing there was only silence. Esmeralda heard a soft sniffle in the crowd and spoke into the mic.

"Sorry."

"No that was beautiful." Ms. Sutton hurriedly reassured her. "How long have you been playing the violin?"

"Fifteen years."

"Well you get an A for the day." Esmeralda smiled as she left the stage. Her mother and stepfather we're never so kind about her playing instruments. They had banished her to a room in the basement for practice time. But Esmeralda didn't care. If they couldn't hear her playing then she couldn't hear the confrontations that always dissolved into violence.

She didn't notice the large man standing right behind her as she secured her instrument. "I'll have to bring my guitar tomorrow." She said happily. "Maybe I'll sing some Taylor Swift.". She stood up and turned only to bump into a solid wall of pure muscle. As she toppled backwards strong arms wrapped smoothly around her waist.

"Careful." A deep male voice said in an almost worried tone. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have coughed or something."

"No I should pay more attention to what is going on around me." Esmeralda said as she opened her eyes and looked up at the man that held her close to his chest. He had a strong jaw and ice blue eyes. His skin was sun kissed and his nose looked like it had been broken at some point in the distant past. His body under his shirt was well defined and she knew he could probably snap her in half if he decided to. For now he was holding her in the protective cage of his arms gently as her feet hung at least six inches of the floor. "Could you put me down please?"

"No." He said simply and his full pink lips twitched into a crooked smile.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to." Just then another tall well built man approached them.

"Put her down, Derick." He sounded almost angry. "She asked you to put her down."

"Simon, I don't understand the math homework. Could you please help me with it?" She asked the familiar boy.

"Sure thing Essy." Another boy said from behind Simon. "By the way this is my twin brother Callin. And Derek is our ring leader."

"I can help you with the homework. I'd love to help you with it." Derik smiled hopefully as he put one arm under her butt and she sat on it. She had only asked him to put her down for proprietary sake. She loved how he made her feel safe and protected.

"Okay. Sounds good."

"Derik! Seriously! People are starting to stare! Put her down!" Callin hissed.

"What if there's a fire? She would break her ankle trying to run in those heels." Simon snorted at Derik's hypothetically fire situation.

"Oh no! That would hurt and I would die. Guess you're going to have to carry me then." She giggled.

"Look, Callin, she's not really trying to get away from him. It's fine." Simon interjected. He said something else that Esmeralda didn't hear because Derik was making his way down a row of seats.

"So what's the homework? Callin and I were in an important meeting this morning and missed math class." He said as he sat down and adjusted her in his lap.

"Pages fifteen and sixteen." Esmeralda said as she took her bag from Simon. Or was it Callin? It would take her some time to figure out which was which. "Thank you." She said meekly and pulled her math textbook and note book out of her backpack. They started on the homework and in a matter of minutes she was actually understanding it better than she had in class.

"So can you do the next one?" Derik asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I think I get it now." She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you for helping me. I know you have your own homework to worry about." She said apologetically.

"It's fine. I'll just copy your answers since I know their right." He said in a conspiratory tone and kissed her neck. "By the way how much do you weigh? like eightynine pounds. Seriously I could carry you all day."

"I'll have you know I weigh one twenty." She said in an offended tone.

"Okay. Bull shit." She could feel him smiling against her neck. "You weigh one oh five at the most. And that's with the heels."

"Fine you got me. I weigh a hundred three." She sighed.

"Wow. I think that's the first time I've seen a woman offended by someone guessing under their weight." One of the twins chuckled. "Carry the three Callin."

"So your Simon?" The words slipped out before she could stop them.

"Yeah. I'm the good looking fun twin and Callin is the uptight hard ass." Simon smirked.

"Well you're going to feel my bone butt wrath next."

"Do you even have bones in your butt babe?" Derik smirked.

"Of course I have bones in my butt!" She wriggled and felt something hard press against her ass.

"Don't do that." Derik sounded stressed suddenly.

"Why not?" She smirked. "do you not like it?"

"I like it. I like it too much." He growled in her ear. "But I don't think you want to get fucked right here." Esmeralda went bright red when she realized what was pressing against her ass. His arms wound around her waist and tightened painfully when she tried to get up.

"Got a boner, Derik?" Simon laughed. "Omagod he does!" He shouted jouvielly when Derik growled. Esmeralda flushed even redder at his enjoyment of the situation and whimpered in distress.

"I'm not laughing at you, Ezzy. I'm laughing at him. He wants you and can't do anything about it." Simon reassured her.

"She wolves do that little wriggle thing to indicate a willingness to mate." Callin chimed in. "It is not something you should be doing in public. You don't want that kind of reputation."

"Esmeralda!" A shrill voice range through the auditorium and Esmeralda went pale.

"I-i have to go." She whimpered and managed to free her self from Derik's hold. She picked up her back pack and rushed to where she had left her violin. when she got to her mother Ruth was pissed.

"Who is that boy?" She demanded harshly.

"Nobody. Just a friend. Don't worry about it." Esmeralda tried to wave her mother's concerns away dismissively. "Let's go." just then the bell rang and everyone started to gather their things.

"We'll just see about that!" Ruth hissed angrily and started towards Derik.

"You don't have to go with her." One of the twins stated as they approached her.

"Yes I do." Esmeralda sighed and examined her feet. Derik listened intently to what Ruth was saying to him and snarled something in response.

"Ezzy, are you safe with her?" Simon asked gently. Esmeralda opened her mouth to respond. "Please don't lie to me." Esmeralda closed her mouth. Simon hadn't accused her but she couldn't tell him about her life at home. He couldn't help her. No one had before so why would he?

"She's my mother." Esmeralda finally said quietly.

"That doesn't matter. Esmeralda we can help you if you ask." Callin responded. "Are you safe at home?"

"You can't help. Even if you could you wouldn't."

"That's a no." Simon half growled. "Ezzy let us help you."

"You don't understand. No one ever does." Just then Ruth came up behind the boys with Derik trailing behind her looking pissed.

"Stay away from these boys, Esmeralda! You won't find a god fearing husband to take care of you with their sort hanging around." Ruth sneered. "Let's go Esmeralda!"

"Ezzy, please don't go with her. Let us help you." Simon looked like he was about to cry.

"I'm sorry Simon. I wish you could." She turned and walked out with her mother. She looked back just as Derik punched the auditorium door, leaving it dented. The sound it that the steel made could only be discribed as a loud shout of pain. She flinched when she heard it and silent tears started to run down her beautiful face as she watched him storm off in the opposite direction.

"Violent bastards, the lot of them. Stay away from those wolves Esmeralda. You'll end up in a shallow grave otherwise." Ruth hissed. Callin was saying something to Simon who looked pathetic and helpless.

"Yes mother." Esmeralda said as she wiped away the tears. She wanted nothing more than to run to Derik and beg him to not leave her. Alas it was never meant to be.