Chapter 164 - Provoked

"Travis, why did you ask me to meet you here?" 

Frowning her deep big eyebrows, Eva grumbled at him fiercely reaching the top of the terrace. Travis was standing firmly, crossing his arms over his chest and devilishly smiling at her. He was leaning his back against the boundary wall of the terrace with a dark gaze towards her.

"I was waiting for you, eagerly." He casually replied in a murky voice tossing a small smirk.

"Why? Are you plotting something against Clara again?" She gritted her jowls in anger, snapping hard at him.

Travis stood quietly for a few seconds and skeptically started chuckling aloud at her sharp query. His facial expression grew much intense as if he was indeed plotting something heinous.

"Why is this punk laughing out like a maniac? Damn... I am feeling worried about Clara." She gulped fretfully, staring invincibly at him.

"You are right, Eva. I have used you as a bait to summon my mutt here and I bet, she must be coming any moment now." Putting his arms in his pocket, he walked a few steps ahead and picked up a thick piece of a wooden bar that was lying on the terrace.

"Wh-What?"

"You really thought I wouldn't punish her after what she did with my best friend Stephie? How naive of you to think that I would let her leave the school without paying a hefty price!" Soon enough he reached Eva walking a few steps closer and tossed a cruel smirk at her, gripping the bar hard on his hand.

Shuddered in fear, she immediately something dreadful was going to happen to them. She tried to take a step back to reach towards the door behind but Travis sensed her intentions quick and forcibly gripped her forearm hard.

"Aeeek! It hurts---"

"I have competed in the national judo tournament, so don't try to analyze my strength. If you don't want me to smack your head with this rod, stay still and wait here till she arrives." Glowering his face, he scrunched his eyebrows before whispering to her. 

"No...don't hurt her! Please, I beg of you...don't--"

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

All of a sudden, hearing the loud shrieking voice, both of them turned their gazes towards the door and saw Clara was panting hard as if she had reached there running out of breath. Her dark eyes were blazing in wrath as she screamed fiercely at him again, "let her go!"

"Clara please go away! I...I can deal with him...You don't have to come here!" Shivered in fear and palpitation, Eva cried out in a crooked voice while Travis was clenching her way too tight.

"Awww, you made such a loyal friend, mutt. I feel like I have raised you well." He stirred a tantalizing look in his eyes, murmuring out hoarsely.

"Don't mess with Eva... I am warning you, Travis! Let her go!" 

"Only on one condition. Come near and kneel down on the ground before me just like my obedient mutt." He remarked with a small simper.

Hearing his provoking words, her whole body was shivering in immense rage building inside her core just by looking at the way he was gripping her hand. The wolf residing in her was getting badly exasperated by him but following Steve's words, she tried to hold herself in. 

"If I do so...you won't harm her, right?"

"Of course!"

Taking a deep sigh out, she walked closer to them and knelt down on the ground obeying his command. She lowered her eyes in shame and distress which Eva could notice evidently.

"Clara, why are you following him again? Why aren't you running away? Go!!" She squealed as her heart was breaking apart for her.

"Good job. Now rub your nose on the ground and beg for mercy for what you did to Stephie." A wicked chuckle appeared on his lips as he fired those words at her.

Clara was tolerating the disgraceful humiliation just for keeping her safe and obeying Steve's words. Clenching her fist in rage, she lowered her head down and indeed rubbed her nose ridge while mumbling in distress, "I am willing to accept any punishment from you...but don't drag her in. You can do anything to me, but don't hurt her." 

Eva was sobbing bitterly to watch her friend going through such disgrace just to keep her safe. Watching Clara kneeling before him, Travis laughed out spitefully and blurted out, "alright. So when you are willing to accept, I am gonna smash your nasty head now. This will be my farewell gift to you, mutt." 

In the flick of a second, he hauled Eva away from him and raised the baton high up in the air before hitting her. Clara shut her eyes tight and lowered her head down tumultuously.

WHAACK!

Suddenly, Clara opened her eyes and froze in fear to watch the sight. Eva jumped right before, hugged her tight, and tried to protect her from the attack guarding with her frail body. But indeed, the wooden baton hit the back of her head quite hard that she immediately started to feel dizzy with the sharp blow.

"EVA!" Clara screamed aloud, holding her tight as she was whimpering in pain, shaky and dazed out. Travis looked a bit confused as if he didn't expect Eva to get hit instead of her. The baton dropped down his hand and gulping his saliva, he frowned his eyes.

Slowly, Eva lost her consciousness and the part of the head where she was hit was throbbing in pain. This was it! The barrier which was holding Clara's wolfish fury against the world finally smashed down watching her blacked out in her arms. Her body started to shiver in wrath and scowling her face, she raised her blazing eyes at Travis. 

Travis could sense it evidently that he had already provoked her to the extreme limit and started squirming in fear. His heart started to pound aloud in dread as he started to retreat back from her.