by Wendi Wilson
Chapter Sixteen
I hummed a peppy little tune as I headed back to my cabin in the predawn light. I’d spent the last several hours right where I wanted to be—curled up in Levi’s strong arms. We’d kept the rest of the night strictly PG-rated, and while I’d been disappointed at first that he refused to take things further, his affectionate attention quickly erased any negativity I was feeling.
Soft strokes of his hand over my hair and skin. Feather-light kisses peppered across my nose and chin. Quiet words of total devotion as I drifted off to sleep.
Levi was amazing. And he was mine.
I crept up the steps of Saka’am, careful to step over the squeaky boards as I approached the door. As my fingers brushed against the handle, it was jerked out of my grasp when the door suddenly swung inward. As I took a startled step back, a wooden board creaked loudly under my weight.
“Good morning, Piper.”
Without waiting for a response, Xander brushed past me and jogged down the steps. I watched him go with my mouth hanging open. I blinked slowly, my brain trying to process what my eyes were seeing. Did he just come out of the cabin? Where a dozen young girls were sleeping? What could True have been thinking, having him in there with the girls? Not only was it morally wrong, it was against the camp rules. Even though I’d broken a few rules of my own last night, this somehow felt different. It felt dangerous, instead of just naughty. The dean prioritized the well-being of the children over everything. After Sarah, he’d warned that any activity that put the children in danger would be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.
True could get fired and sent home.
Snapping my mouth shut, I forgot I was trying to be quiet and stomped into the cabin. The room was hushed, only the sounds of soft breathing filling the silence. With slow, gentle movements, I crept toward True’s bunk.
I stared down at her in the dim light. Her eyes were closed, her face relaxed in sleep. Her lips were parted, and a thin string of drool dripped from one corner of her mouth. I cocked my head, confused.
It was pretty obvious she was in a deep sleep and had been for a while. There was no room on her bunk for Xander to lay next to her, and a quick glance at my bed—the only empty one in the room—proved it was neatly made and had not been used since I left it yesterday morning.
What had he been doing in here? Maybe he came to make out with True, but found her asleep and decided to leave? What made him think that was okay? Had she invited him, knowing I wouldn’t be here?
The questions swirled through my mind as I made my way over to my cubby. Grabbing my shower supplies and a change of clothes, I left the cabin and headed to the bathroom. A hot shower was a great place to get my thoughts in order before I talked to True.
As I massaged shampoo into my hair, a horrifying thought occurred to me. What if Xander hadn’t been there to see True, at all? What if he’d snuck into Saka’am to feed on one of the girls?
Terror streaked through me at the thought, and I rushed through the rest of my shower. Wrapping a towel around my wet hair and twisting it into a turban, I threw on my clothes and hurried back to the cabin.
The girls were awake, speaking in low, groggy voices as they got dressed. I walked up and down the length of the room, speaking to each of the girls as my eyes travelled over them. I checked their necks, arms, and legs for wounds, but found nothing. A sense of relief speared through me, then evaporated as I realized Xander must’ve been here to see True.
I walked over and sat beside her on her bunk as she slipped on her socks and shoes.
“Good morning,” I said, making my voice as pleasant as possible. “How was your night?”
“As good as you’d expect, being stuck here alone with twelve bratty girls.”
I flinched, her words and her tone combining to strike me like a whip. “Are you mad at me? You told me it was okay to stay with Levi.”
“I know what I said, Piper,” she said, sighing. “I need coffee. I’ll see you later.”
With that, she rose and stalked from the cabin. I watched the door swing closed behind her, my vision blurring with unshed tears. Did that really just happen?
She’d been so different yesterday. It was like she was back to her old self. But this morning, nasty, grumpy True was back, and I didn’t know what to do about it. We hadn’t been friends for long, but it felt like we’d known each other forever.
Now I was wondering if I even knew her at all.
AFTER BREAKFAST, the dean announced the agenda for the day, my eyes widened with surprise. With everything that had been going on, I hadn’t even realized this bunch was only here for a week, some special session I hadn’t heard about. I’d missed the last hurrah that evening, something that would’ve clued me in. The buses would be here to pick them up soon, and they had three hours to pack their things and say goodbye to their new friends.
Dang. I hadn’t been a very good camp counselor this go-round. I promised myself I’d do better with the next batch.
The mess hall filled with sighs and shouts of protest, which made me smile sadly. These poor kids had so little joy in their lives, I was glad we were able to give them a week of carefree fun. I looked across the table, hoping to catch True’s eye, but she’d been staring blankly at her tray throughout the entire meal, and continued to do so.
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, pushing to my feet.
I was about to grab her wrist and drag her outside, to force her to talk to me, when the dean’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Piper and True, can I see you in my office, please? Sasha will handle your cabin until you return. Don’t worry, you’ll be back in time to say goodbye.”
He walked out, no doubt expecting us to follow. I glanced down at True, and she finally met my gaze, her expression curious.
“I wonder what that’s about,” she said, climbing to her feet.
“Maybe he found out Xander was in our cabin last night,” I said, my voice a little harsher than I meant it to be.
“What?” she demanded, stopping outside on the mess hall’s porch. “What are you talking about? You were the one out doing God-knows-what with your boyfriend all night. Not me.”
“God, True, keep your voice down,” I hissed, pulling her off the porch and further down the path where little ears couldn’t hear us. “When I got back this morning, Xander was leaving the cabin. I know he was with you.”
“No he wasn’t, Piper. I don’t know why you’re doing this, but you better not tell your lies to the dean to get us in trouble.”
My head flew back like I’d been slapped. Her hand cracking across my cheek probably would have hurt less than her accusations. Before I could recover from the shock, she was gone, stomping up the path toward Dean Purty’s office. I followed slowly behind, trying to make sense of what just happened.
But no matter which way I looked at it, the result was the same—True was pissed at me. And I had no idea what to do about it.
“Thank you for coming,” Dean Purty said as I stepped inside the small office.
True was seated in a chair over by the window, about as far away as it could be from the other empty seat. It was obvious she’d slid it there on purpose as she stared at the two tight fists in her lap.
“Is everything okay?” the dean asked, picking up on the tension between us.
“Everything is fine,” True said, her voice flat.
Dean Purty looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. His eyes danced between us a few times before he sighed and shook his head.
“Okay, I have a lot going on as it is, so I trust you girls to work out whatever this is,” he said, motioning between us. “As you know, the staff has three days off before we have to prepare for the next group of campers.”
I did know that. I’d been here for the last break. During the first one, I’d been back home, attending Coco’s funeral. Pain squeezed my heart in a tight vise at the thought of her, and my eyes darted over to True witho
ut my consent.
After losing Coco, True had been a lifeline for me. A real friend, everything I needed her to be.
This new, catty dynamic between us sucked, and I had no idea how to fix it. I just knew I couldn’t do it by myself. She had to want it, too, and I wasn’t really sure if she did. And that killed me.
“Tomorrow night,” the dean said, pulling me from my thoughts, “there is a dinner party at the Thornberry Estate.”
True straightened in her chair, excitement lighting up her face. I felt nothing but dread, especially after what happened with Warren the last time I saw him. He likely hadn’t forgotten my gift—a swift kick to the crotch—and was probably harboring an epic grudge.
“I would like the two of you to attend… with Levi, of course,” he said.
“I don’t know—”
A squeal from True cut off my words, as she bounced in her chair. “Can Xander come as my date?”
“I don’t see how that would be a problem,” Dean Purty said slowly, his eyes moving over to meet mine.
I shrugged and nodded, giving my tacit approval as True clapped her hands with glee. She was already mad at me half the time. I wasn’t going to be the one to put a damper on her fun and tell her she couldn’t take Xander to a fancy party at the Thornberry Estate. But it would definitely be awkward. I was surprised Warren wanted Levi and me to attend.
“Things have been growing… tense between The Society and Camp Shadow Lake. While there’s nothing specific to pinpoint as the cause, the vampires at the camp can feel it. While the goal here is to go mingle and try to soothe things over with Warren…” He paused to give me a pointed look. “… I also need you to keep your guards up. If you see anything suspicious, tell Levi, and he’ll get you out of there.”
“Yes, sir,” True said enthusiastically. She was damn-near bouncing out of her chair by this point.
“Levi will take you into town to buy the appropriate clothing. And don’t worry,” he said, seeing the panic on my face, “he has access to a bank account to cover whatever you spend.”
I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him I couldn’t spend his money, but True cut me off, saying, “This is going to be so much fun! Come on, Pipes, let’s go find Levi and go shopping!”
She leapt to her feet and dashed toward me. Grabbing my wrist, she tugged me from my chair and out the door. I allowed her to pull me halfway back to our cabin before digging in my feet. She stopped and turned, giving me a confused look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, bouncing from foot to foot.
“What’s wrong with you?” I shot back. “You’ve been pissed at me all morning, and now you’re going to act like it never happened?”
I didn’t know why I was rocking the boat. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and enjoyed True’s excitement, but my emotions were all over the place. I dreaded going to the estate and facing Warren after what happened. The fact that she was so pumped about it grated on my nerves.
“Sorry about that,” she said, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t know what was wrong with me. I think I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Forgive me?”
She gave me a look so pleading, it was almost comical. Despite my best efforts to stop it, my mouth curled up into a small grin at her antics. Relief washed over her features, and she wrapped her hand around mine.
“I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again,” she said, her grip on my hand tightening. “I promise.”
“Okay,” I replied. “I believe you.”
“Great!” she exclaimed, pulling on my hand to get me going again. “As soon as the girls are all loaded up on the buses, we’re going to go find Levi and do some damage. I’m so excited. Date night!”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice unenthusiastic despite my best efforts. “Date night.”
Chapter Seventeen
I had to admit it, shopping was fun.
I’d never been a girly girl, or one who spent my weekends at the mall. Coco and I had gone from time to time to pick something up for a dance or occasion, and Mom had taken me a few times, but I couldn’t remember if I’d ever done a day-long shopping trip like this one. I didn’t admit this to True as she pulled me from store to store for fear she’d take away my girl card.
The day had started with Levi picking us up in the sleek black car he’d used to take me to The Society the first time. It turned out the car belonged to him, something he’d purchased and stored in a garage off-site. When I’d learned that little tidbit I was shocked, but then quickly remembered he was no child. He’d been around for over forty years. Plus, with all he’d been through, he deserved a badass vehicle.
And I got to ride in it. It practically purred as he navigated the streets toward Portland.
The large mall True wanted to go to was forty miles away from the camp, so the three of us had enjoyed an hour in the car together, chatting, listening to songs, joking, and generally enjoying each other’s company. True seemed like her old self again, happy and bubbly.
Bubbly True really was a thing. But so was Pissed-Off True, and I never knew which one I was going to get.
I was glad today was a good day.
The mall was massive. We flitted from store to store, looking at all the dresses and trying several on. She had us in fitting rooms next to each other and would call out “Ready?” before ripping the curtain back so we could both reveal our latest dress. Then True would study mine, shaking her head or tilting it to the side as if to consider the cut from another angle.
She looked amazing in everything, but insisted on continuing to look long after I’d announced that the dress was “the one.”
“We need to have bigger aspirations than the mall,” she said, tugging my arm as Levi followed closely behind.
“Where else would we go?” I asked, staring down the mall’s long hallway at the many bright shops and storefronts. “There’s got to be something good here. Or we go back to the first store. What about that pink number at Daniella’s? You looked smokin’ hot in that one.”
“Piper, do you think The Society ladies get their dresses at the mall?” She arched an eyebrow knowingly.
I shrugged and then glanced to Levi who followed a few steps behind.
He held up his hands in defense. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never shopped for dresses before.”
“What about the one that showed up on my bed for the last society event?” I asked him.
He smiled. “Sasha picked that out. My taste isn’t quite that sophisticated.”
I slipped my hand in his, letting him know with a glance that I appreciated all he was doing for us. He gave me a genuine smile back. He didn’t seem to mind following us from store to store. Not in the slightest. Score another best boyfriend point for Levi Kass.
“Don’t worry. I came prepared,” True said, pulling out a piece of paper that appeared to have been printed from the ancient computer in the camp office. She handed it to Levi. “We need to go here. It’s only five miles away.” She jabbed her finger at the paper a few times to punctuate her point.
I glanced from the paper to her face. “If you knew where you wanted to go, why did we come to the mall?”
She grabbed my hand, a huge smile on her face. “Because shopping is fun, Piper. You remember fun don’t you?” She gave my hand a shake before dropping it and whirling toward the exit. “Let’s go.”
Levi and I watched her flounce off for a moment before I turned to him. “Sorry about this.”
He smiled, tightening his grip on my hand. “I’m just happy spending the day with you two. After three weeks climbing mountains with two bad-tempered vampires, this is a dream.”
“Do you have some sort of manual that tells you the exact right thing to say?” I asked, blinking up at him.
He laughed. “No, I’ve just never enjoyed being with someone as much as I do with you. We could be at a landfill, and I’d still be having a blast.”
I pressed up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I don’t know
what magic I cast to snag you, but whatever it is, I’m going to keep doing it.”
Levi smiled, but I went suddenly stiff. I hadn’t done anything witchy to make Levi mine, had I? No. It couldn’t be. I hadn’t seen any evidence of my “powers” since my vision of Coco. I’d never cast a spell on someone, right?
My thoughts switched from that topic to another that had been weighing on me as we walked behind True toward the exit. “Are you worried about the event at the estate at all?”
His jaw clenched. “The dean told me I need to be on my best behavior. The Society practically owns the camp, and Thornberry practically owns The Society so…” He shrugged. “I’ll be a good boy.”
“Don’t worry. If Warren comes anywhere near you, I’ll just use the patented Piper Takedown.”
His jaw relaxed slightly. “Seeing you kick him in the nuts was one of the best moments of my life.”
“Glad it made you happy. Just let me know if you need a repeat performance.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
As we got to the exit doors, Levi stopped and whirled me toward him. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” He sighed heavily. “It seems like there’s no time like the present.”
“What is it?” I asked, my heart beginning to pound. Was it something to do with my dad?
Levi dropped his head, shaking it. “I wanted you to know that if you…” he swallowed hard before continuing, “wanted to be with Warren, I wouldn't stand in your way. He’s rich, powerful—”
“Stop.”
His mouth clamped shut as his eyes found mine.
“I do not want Warren. Don’t even think that.”
His brow creased. “You don’t owe me anything,” he whispered.
“It isn’t about that,” I said, leaning into him. “Besides, I owe you everything.”
I pushed up onto my tiptoes again and pressed my lips to his. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.