Branded

by Neva Bell

  I’m surrounded by muscular and fit men all day long, but they have nothing on Elliott. The tan skin, the tattoos, the lean muscle… And he’s standing here naked in all of his glory in my bedroom.

  “Wow, I feel really overdressed.” I pull the t-shirt over my head. “There, now I fit in.”

  Elliott grunts as he moves toward me. “You lost your chance at a hot shower all by yourself.”

  “Damn,” I say, feigning disappointment.

  After our shower, we spend the rest of the day hanging out in the apartment. The TV is on, but we don’t pay much attention to it. We’re too busy talking and sharing more about ourselves. I almost feel like a normal girl. Almost.

  Elliott confirms Chelsea’s suspicions. “Your sister is right. Your tattoo definitely has more gold in it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. You don’t notice it because you see it every day. But I can tell the gold has come in bolder and thicker.”

  I pull my shirt down over my head before we head out for another group dinner.

  “How is Chelsea handling all of this?” Elliott asks as he laces his Nikes.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This has to be hard on her.”

  I pause. This probably has been a lot for Chelsea, and I haven’t asked her one time how she’s doing.

  “I think she’s doing okay.” I look down at my hands. I feel awful. Chelsea has been so selfless and I’ve never thanked her for it.

  “Hey…” Elliott scotches over next to me. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “It’s not you. I just realized I’m not a very good sister.”

  Elliott pulls me in with his arm. “You’re a great sister. You have a lot going on right now.”

  “That’s no excuse.”

  “I’m sure Chelsea will forgive you.”

  “Yeah, I know.” And she will forgive me, without hesitation. Because that’s Chelsea.

  “Alright then.” Elliott jumps up. “Ready for another testosterone filled dinner?”

  I grin. “You know it.”

  ---

  Saying good-bye to Elliott sucks. A lot.

  “I’ll get you more burner phones tomorrow,” Frank promises as we watch Elliott drive away from my living room window.

  This does little to ease the ache in my heart. I wish I could go with him. Jump in his car and get out of here. Leave all of this behind.

  But Elliott and I both have obligations. Duties to uphold.

  “One day things will calm down,” Elliott told me before he left, “and we’ll be together.”

  I hope he’s right.

  Chelsea and Rory return home from their trip about an hour later. They’re all lovey dovey. Same old, same old. When Rory leaves, I talk with my sister in her bedroom. Unlike my grey walls, she has chosen a pale purple with white trim.

  “How was your trip?”

  She unzips her suitcase. “Amazing! How was Elliott?”

  Hearing his name pains me, but I play it off. “He’s great. We had a really good time.”

  Chelsea smiles. “Good!”

  I pick at my blue fingernail polish. “Hey Chelse, are you doing okay?”

  She gives me a questioning look. “What do you mean?”

  “I know this isn’t the experience you had in mind when we talked about coming to Leviston.”

  Chelsea puts an armful of clothes in the hamper. “Some of it’s exactly what I thought it would be. The classes. Meeting new people. Being with you and Rory. The only things that are different are this apartment, which is fantastic, and the muscular men who watch my every move. The last part is weird, but it’s not awful.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, if you want to, you can move out.” I don’t want Chelsea to leave, but I don’t want her to feel trapped either.

  Chelsea smiles. “Don’t be ridiculous. Miss out on this little adventure? Never.”

  I stand up and give Chelsea a hug. “I love you sis.”

  Chelsea is surprised by my show of affection, but hugs me back. “I love you too Chloe.”

  ---

  The next couple months fly by.

  Halloween is an interesting time at Leviston. There aren’t frats and sororities because Leviston is so small, but we have one giant party everyone is invited to. Chelsea and I had a blast dressing up like the Doublemint Twins in mint green polo shirts and white tennis skirts.

  Thanksgiving and Christmas were different than normal, but we made it work. Mom and Dad came to our apartment for the holidays and brought all of the Christmas decorations with them. Members of the Guard spent the holiday meals with us, which required three times more food than usual. We rang in the New Year with our boyfriends by our sides and kisses all around.

  January is usually a rough month for me because nothing exciting is happening. This year, however, I’m too busy to be bored. My magic has improved exponentially. I’m no longer allowed to practice my fire skills indoors for fear I’ll burn the training facility down. With Dean Lucas’s help, I can freeze people and objects for a solid two seconds. The gold in my tattoo has spread noticeably. My white hawk is becoming more beautiful with each passing day.

  Frank is working on reaching out to fellow witches who can help me learn new skills. This is easier said than done because he has to be one hundred percent sure the witches who meet with me won’t reveal my identity.

  Chelsea is doing great too. Her healing powers are a sight to see. Our Curing teacher told us compassionate people are the best healers, and this is true of Chelsea. Helping others is her nature.

  Rory is his usual uber-genius self. He is constantly pouring over text books and rambling on and on about witch history. I should be listening closely to what he’s saying, but after classes and my workouts, I’m ready to veg on the couch and watch mindless TV.

  It’s the Friday before Valentine’s Day weekend and the nervous energy is back. Elliott is coming tonight and I want to hit the fast-forward button to make him get here sooner. I haven’t seen him since New Year’s Eve and I’ve missed him every single day. The weekly phone calls just aren’t enough anymore.

  “What are you and Rory doing for Valentine’s Day?” I ask Chelsea over breakfast.

  “He told me on the phone earlier to pack a bag. He’s picking me up in a little while. I have no idea where we’re going.”

  “Somewhere warm maybe?”

  Chelsea sits down at the table with a bowl of Frosted Flakes. “I don’t think so. My guess is he’s taking me back to the cabin we went to in the fall.”

  “It’s not Miami Beach, but I’m sure it will be nice.”

  “I really don’t care where we go as long as we go together.”

  I make Chelsea giggle when I pretend to gag myself with my spoon.

  An hour later, Rory stops by to pick up Chelsea. He barely says “hi” before insisting Chelsea get her things.

  “I don’t want to hit traffic,” he whines.

  I give Chelsea a good-bye hug. “Have fun!”

  She squeezes me back. “When will Elliott be here?”

  “He’s supposed to show up around 7:30.”

  “Is he staying the whole weekend?” Rory asks as we walk toward the front door.

  I’m beaming. “Yep. I get him until Sunday afternoon.”

  “Well, we won’t be back until Sunday night. You’ll have the place all to yourself,” Chelsea says with a grin.

  I smile. “Yeah, I know.”

  Rory shifts his weight and gives me a pointed look. “Aren’t you going to be late for training?”

  It’s clear Rory is trying to get rid of me. “I’m heading that way soon.”

  Rory turns to Chelsea. “Let’s hit the road.”

  “Okay.” Chelsea gives me another hug. “Tell Elliott we said hi.”

  “Will do.”

  I watch Rory and my sister walk down the hallway toward the elevator. Chelsea laughs about something and takes Rory’s hand. She looks at him like he’s the most handsome man in
the world. I don’t get it, but he makes my sister happy. That’s all I need to know.

  Rory glances over his shoulder and catches me watching them. He smiles awkwardly and puts his hand up to acknowledge me. Chelsea turns to see what he’s looking at, and when she sees me, waves good-bye. I return her wave, then scurry to get my workout clothes on. Rory was right, I’m going to be late.

  ---

  Chelsea

  We’re twenty minutes away from campus when I realize I left one of my bags on my bed.

  “Rory, I forgot my toiletries bag. We need to turn around.”

  He gives me a sideways glance from the driver’s seat. “Do we have to go back? Can’t we stop at Walgreens?”

  “The thing is, that bag has all my bathroom items in it and I don’t want to buy new stuff.”

  I leave out the fact that his Valentine’s Day gift is in the missing bag too. I really want to give him the brand new watch I bought him. Rory loves watches and I think he’s going to love the Tag Hauer I picked out.

  “C’mon Chelse. We’ll stop at a drug store and get you some things. We’re only going to be gone two days.”

  I pout. “Please Rory?”

  I’m shocked when I see agitation cross Rory’s face. But as quickly as the annoyance appeared, it is gone.

  He smiles at me. “Sure, let’s turn around.”

  “Thank you,” I say, rubbing his shoulder with my left hand.

  “Be quick about it okay? I want to get to the cabin at a decent time so we can go out to dinner tonight.”

  “Okay.” I dial Matthew’s number, who’s following in a car behind us, to let him know we’re turning around.

  The trip back to campus is bizarre. Rory seems annoyed, but when I engage him in conversation, he smiles and responds. Why is he acting like this?

  Then it hits me.

  He’s going to propose!

  He’s anxious to get to the cabin because he wants to pop the question. Which is why he wants to be sure we get to dinner tonight.

  I smile to myself and relax into my seat. I’m feeling much better by the time we pull into the parking lot of our apartment building.

  “Want me to go up with you?” Rory asks.

  “No. You stay in the car. I’ll run in to get my bag and be right back down.”

  “Be quick,” he tells me again.

  I close the car door and jog up to the apartment building. I try to disguise my giddiness. I don’t want Rory to know I’ve figured out his big plan.

  Matthew rolls down his car window and yells, “How long will you be?”

  “Not long at all!” I yell back. “Stay in the car. Two minutes. Tops!”

  Matthew nods and rolls his window up.

  I forego the elevator and take the steps to the fourth floor. I’m winded but excited as I reach our apartment door and burst through it. I’m giggling to myself as I picture Rory down on one knee.

  Will he propose at the restaurant? Or the cabin?

  Will he have a long speech prepared? Or will he get right to it?

  None of it makes a difference to me. I’m going to say “yes.”

  I’m on cloud nine as I jog into the living room. Then I smell it. A rustic, woodsy smell. It’s not a bad smell per se, but out of place in our apartment.

  Something is wrong. My excitement kept me from sensing it sooner. I turn for the front door, but it’s too late.

  Standing in our living room are three men. All in black jeans, black boots and leather jackets. I step backwards involuntarily and bump into the wall.

  “Chloe…we’ve been waiting for you,” growls the tallest man. He has salt and pepper hair and hasn’t shaved in a while. His eyes gleam like emerald gemstones.

  The other two men are younger. One with a bald head and the other with spiky black hair. Like the older man, their eyes shine an unnatural emerald green.

  I don’t have to ask who they are or what they want.

  They are werewolves. And they think I’m Chloe.

  I summon all of my strength. “Wanted to meet the Verhena face to face, huh?”

  All three growl in response. The hair on my arms stands up. My heart is in my throat. Where is the Guard? Why aren’t they here?

  As if reading my mind, one of the younger wolves, the bald one says, “Don’t bother screaming. We shut the power off to the building, so the cameras aren’t on. And by the time your security gets here, you’ll be dead.”

  The three men approach. I wait for them to transform into their Were forms, but they remain human.

  The tall man speaks again. “Are you going to beg for your life?”

  My mind is racing. I could tell them I’m not Chloe, but what good would that do? They’ll kill me anyway. And maybe, just maybe, if they think they’ve killed Chloe, they’ll leave campus and Chloe will be safe. I have to keep up the charade. I know exactly what Chloe would say if she was facing these men.

  Standing tall, my chin held high, I channel my sister. “Fuck you.”

  Chapter Seven

  Chloe

  Frank lets me off the hook today.

  I arrive at the training facility to find him dressed in khakis and a camo green Under Armour polo shirt.

  “What’s up? Where’s your workout clothes?” I ask.

  Frank smiles. “No workout today. Just a quick lesson with Dean Lucas.”

  “For real?”

  “I don’t want to beat you up the day my brother comes to town. A black eye isn’t sexy.”

  I punch his arm. “You’re gross.”

  Dean Lucas promises to keep our session brief, but tells me, “I have something new to show you.”

  I watch in amazement as Dean Lucas puts her hands on the cinderblock wall of the gym and starts climbing. It’s like the woman has glue or suction cups on the bottom of her feet. When she makes it all the way to the top, she crawls across the ceiling.

  “Holy crap!” I exclaim, my head tilted all the way back so I can watch her crawl upside down. “You gotta show me how to do that!”

  Dean Lucas teaches me the spell and shows me the best way to position my body as I climb. After learning the hard way that the gym mats aren’t as forgiving as they look, I don’t dare climb higher than a few feet.

  “Good job Chloe,” Dean Lucas says when I’m too worn out to climb anymore. “You are picking up on new skills quickly. You’re getting more powerful by the day.”

  “Do you think Dean Lucas is right?” I ask Frank as we walk back to the apartment. “Am I picking up on skills quicker?”

  Frank nods. “You are. The stronger you get, the easier new skills will be for you. It’s like compounding interest.”

  I crinkle my nose. “What?”

  “Compounding interest.” When I continue to look at him like he’s talking a foreign language, he laughs. “It’s a money thing. I’ll explain it to you someday.”

  “No thanks.” My focus shifts to Elliott’s visit. “Are we going out to dinner tonight?”

  Frank shrugs. “I’m sure the guys will be game, but that’s really up to you.”

  Before I can tell Frank I definitely want to go out, something catches my eye. Rory’s car is in our parking lot.

  “Why are Rory and Chelsea here? They left a while ago.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything from the other guys.”

  An odd feeling washes over me. My muscles tense and my heartbeat accelerates. I jog over to Rory’s car. He’s staring up at the apartment and jumps when I knock on his window.

  He rolls his window down. “Hey Chloe. Back from practice already?”

  “Yeah. Short day today. What’s up?”

  Rory licks his lips. “Chelsea forgot a bag. She’ll be back down in a minute.”

  I glance over at Matthew’s car. Frank is hunched over the driver side door, the two men having a conversation. I assume Frank is getting the same story I am. I look up at the apartment windows and my stomach lurches. Something is wrong. Very wrong.

  I
take off for the building entrance, Frank yelling behind me. I don’t stop. I run up the steps two at a time. I have to get to Chelsea. My fears are confirmed when I find our apartment door standing open. Chelsea would never leave the door open. She worries too much about someone sneaking in behind her.

  My senses are on hyper drive as I run into the apartment. Everything is moving in slow motion. An earthy smell, like dirt or trees, assaults my nose.

  “Chelsea!”

  I round the corner to our living room and come to a halt. I gasp when I see three men, three werewolves, standing around a lump on the floor.

  “What the hell?” the oldest one asks, looking at me, then back down at the floor.

  I’m struggling to process the scene. Where is Chelsea? I have to find her.

  “Shit!” one of them exclaims. “We killed the wrong one!”

  Did he just say “killed”? My breath gets caught in my throat when I realize the lump on the floor is a body. My vision starts to swim when I see blonde hair.

  “No…” I whisper.

  I faintly hear Frank yell, “Chloe! Wait!” behind me, but it doesn’t register.

  No way that’s Chelsea. She’s probably hiding in her bedroom. Locked away in her closet or under the bed.

  I take a step toward the body, paying no mind to the three men about to pounce. They line up side-by-side, baring their teeth and growling, but they don’t transition into their Were forms.

  “Get her!” the oldest one yells before they all lunge toward me.

  Without much thought or effort, I freeze them. It happens instinctively, just like Dean Lucas told me it would. The men are stuck in place as I continue to move past them. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Frank and Matthew are frozen as well. Frank’s mouth hanging open and his hand reaching out for me.

  It’s an odd sensation to be the only thing moving in a room, but I pay it little mind. I hurry, not because I’m worried about the spell wearing off, but because I have to help the woman on the floor.

  I drop to my knees beside her. She is face down in a pool of blood. Crimson soaking her beautiful blonde hair. The frame of her body is familiar, identical to my own. I choke back sobs as I roll her over to her side. Chelsea’s vacant eyes stare at me.

  A scream escapes my lips. “Chelsea! Chelsea! No!”