It didn’t help that Hanna didn’t go into detail about how she and Aiden met. Aiden took her lead and avoided talking about Conner or how he’d abused her. She was Aiden’s first girlfriend, this was his first date, and with all this heaped on top of it, he wanted to sink into the seat of the car and disappear.
Every time he wondered if this was a bad idea, Hanna would smile at him and he’d forget about the embarrassment for a moment.
Once in the theater, they split up and Aiden breathed a sigh of relief to finally be away from his parents. “I can’t wait to get my own car.”
Hanna laughed. “It was kinda awkward.”
They stepped into the dim theater and made their way to a pair of empty seats with a good view. The movie had been out for a couple of weeks, so it wasn’t packed. With the drinks in the cup holders and the popcorn bucket on his lap, he reached out for her hand. Her shy smile made his stomach flutter as she took his hand.
“This is nice,” she said in a hushed tone. “I’m not worried about making you mad.”
Conner. That asshole. “You never have to worry about that, or about me hurting you. I would never hurt you.”
She squeezed his hand and leaned against him as the previews started.
It was hard to concentrate on the movie with her so close. She took her hand away to eat popcorn and leaned forward to take a drink from her cup, but she always settled back against him. He thought about how nice it would be to watch a movie at home where the couch would be much better for cuddling. Then he thought about his parents hovering around, and it soured the idea. Too bad he didn’t have an amazing setup in his room like Dylan did.
When the movie was over, she shifted to look at him. “I liked it.”
What he remembered of the movie had seemed to be good. “Me too.”
Her expression sobered. “Hey, can we stay a minute? I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure.” His stomach tightened.
Hanna waited until most of the people had left. “So, um, my parents don’t know I’m on a date. They think I’m at your house to study.”
“Why didn’t you tell them?”
She looked at the floor. “I’m only supposed to date werewolves.”
“Your parents are like… racist?” His words echoed in the empty theater.
Her face scrunched up. “It’s not the same. Well, I guess maybe it is, kinda. It’s complicated.”
“So your parents approved of Conner?” That made his stomach turn, full of pop and popcorn.
She turned, eyes wide. “They didn’t know he hurt me. I never told them. It took almost a month for me to tell them we broke up, and I wouldn’t tell them why. I made up a story that he dumped me so at least they’d think he was a jerk.” She swallowed. “I don’t think he’s admitted to his parents why we really broke up. I’m worried that my parents will talk to his parents… The packs are allies. Oh God, this is such a mess.”
“Hanna.” He took her hand. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“I’m worried that if they find out, they’ll be so ashamed of me.”
“Why would they be ashamed of you? Conner hurt you— it’s his fault.” If her parents were like that, no wonder she put up with Conner’s abuse. Did Shadow Valley have some kind of Child Protective Service?
“It’s not that. They’ll be upset that I didn’t fight back. That I didn’t kick his ass the first time he hurt me. They want me to be strong, but I’m just not.”
“Hey, being violent and physically tough isn’t the only way to be strong.” He put a hand on her cheek, thrilling at the touch even during such a serious conversation. “I don’t like to fight either. I have panic attacks in gym because I’m so afraid of magic.”
“But you don’t seem weak.”
“Neither do you. If you’d told me last year that you were a werewolf, I would have been terrified. Well, actually I wouldn’t have believed you, but if I had, I’d have been scared.” He’d been scared of everybody when he first came to Shadow Valley, but it was surprising how fast he started seeing his fellow students as normal. Even though he was afraid of magic, he wasn’t afraid of the people. With Dylan around, he wasn’t even really afraid of bullies like Conner.
Hanna smiled, ducking her head. “I forget that to the outside world, I’m a big scary monster.”
“Although you’re very pretty for a monster.”
That made her laugh and she kissed his cheek.
His heart raced as she pulled back, wondering if he should kiss her lips. What would a real kiss be like? Warm and soft and wet probably. Then a rumble interrupted him as a worker wheeled in a garbage can to clean the theater. “I guess that’s our cue to leave.” He was disappointed but also a little relieved.
As they walked out, he said, “Hey, what about the ride home? My parents are supposed to drop you off.”
“I told my parents they would. They think we’re coming from your house and your parents are being nice to take me back. It just means we can’t hold hands or kiss or anything. Actually, it would be best if you stayed in the car.”
Forbidden love was the kind of thing that sounded good in a story but was much less fun in real life. “But then my parents will think it’s weird. You saw what a big deal they made out of this being my first date.”
Hanna nibbled her bottom lip. The sight made him warm all over. “Maybe you could give me a good-bye kiss in the car? Before we get to my block?”
That sounded fantastic until he remembered that meant he’d be in the car with his parents. Having his first kiss with them watching was too embarrassing. “On the cheek? Not that I wouldn’t like to… I mean, I would, but my parents will be right there.” He made a face.
“I guess you can save that for later. We’ll have to find a way to be alone.” Whether it was deliberate or not, her voice dropped on the last word, and it sent a pleasant shiver through him.
Definitely something to look forward to.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
An odd mix of happiness and discomfort stayed with Aiden all the way home. He’d kissed Hanna on the cheek in the car before they were in sight of her house, just like they’d discussed. They both talked about how much they enjoyed the date, partly for his parents’ benefit. Aiden didn’t know how long they could keep this up.
His parents asked him if he wanted to walk Hanna to her door, but the look she gave him made it clear that wasn’t okay.
“She doesn’t need me to.” That sounded awful, so he added, “And it feels weird with you watching.”
So Hanna went up to the house on her own, pausing with the door open to wave at them. At least that fit the story, a thank-you to his parents for driving her home. They really needed to figure something out, because Aiden couldn’t keep doing this.
When they got home, he didn’t notice the black car in the drive until his parents pointed it out. The dark color stood out against the snow in the yard.
“I think that’s Mr. Johnson’s car,” Dad said.
Of course, who else would come to their house? A nervous flutter filled Aiden’s stomach. He hadn’t seen Mr. Johnson since the incident in the woods. Had Morgan caused trouble? Was he here to tell Aiden he’d changed his mind about keeping quiet?
Mr. Johnson stepped out of the car and waved as they pulled up. “Good morning. I know it’s late, but could I talk to Aiden for a while?”
Here it comes.
“Sure,” Mom said. “Come in and we can get you something to drink.”
“Actually, I’d like to talk to him privately, if you don’t mind.”
His parents looked curiously between Aiden and Mr. Johnson. “Okay,” Mom said, and they both headed for the house.
Mr. Johnson waited until the door was closed. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” he lied, waiting for the bad news.
Mr. Johnson studied him. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m keeping my word to you and Dylan. No one knows you were involved.”
; That was one worry out of the way. “What about Morgan?” Just asking the question made his heart race.
“The dark fae hasn’t been seen. All the wardens are out looking, but he’s lying low.” Mr. Johnson studied him. “You haven’t had any dreams about him, have you?”
Aiden swallowed. “Some nightmares, but not the super realistic dreams. I mean, I don’t think he was actually in my dreams. I keep the dagger under my pillow to make sure he can’t get back in.” He checked it every night before he went to sleep and renewed the spell regularly.
“Good. Hopefully he got what he wanted out of you and he’ll leave you alone.” He leaned against the car. The long black wool coat made him look even more serious than usual. “How is school?”
“It’s… fine.” Aiden studied the pavement for a while, wondering if he should admit what was really going on. Mr. Johnson was the only other person that knew what had really happened, and Aiden couldn’t really talk to Dylan about it. “Actually, um, I’ve been having problems with magic.”
“What kinds of problems?”
“Ever since… what happened, I’ve been afraid of strong magic, especially fire.” Aiden held his hands up. “Not that I blame Dylan. I know he didn’t mean it, but I can’t stop the fear. I fainted in gym— I mean Major Magical Control. I told Ms. Yang about it, and she sent me to the counselor.”
Mr. Johnson arched an eyebrow. “You told Ms. Yang about Morgan’s escape?”
He brought his hands up again. “No, no! I told her Dylan hurt me while we were practicing. I mean, it’s close enough to the truth.” Aiden hated lying, and it seemed he’d been doing a lot of it since his magic first manifested almost a year ago.
“So Ms. Yang knows Dylan hurt you, and I assume the counselor knows as well?”
Aiden nodded.
“I suggest not telling anyone else. For Dylan’s sake.”
“I won’t.” Ms. Yang liked Dylan, and Mr. Emery was supposed to keep things private, so they might be safe, but he couldn’t be sure anyone else was.
“Have you talked to Phoebe about this?”
“No, she’s been on vacation with her family the past few weeks. She’s coming back on Sunday, I think, and we have a training session Thursday night.”
Mr. Johnson looked off down the road, eyes distant. “You can discuss your fear of magic, but leave any mention of Dylan out of it. Make something up if you must, but if you want to ensure his safety, no one else can know.”
Aiden nodded. This was going to hang over them until they graduated. Maybe forever.
* * *
Dylan found the place by smell. Even after weeks, the wild scent of Faery lingered. So did the fallen-leaves and crisp-night scent of Morgan’s magic, and the candle-wax and old-books smell of Mr. Johnson’s. Traces of Aiden’s magic might be overpowered by the strong smell that came out of Faery when the portal opened.
There was no hint of burning wood or heated rock. The traces of Dylan’s power had been erased. If Dylan were the kind to see magic in colors or to feel it, he thought there would be nothing for him to sense either. Somehow Mr. Johnson had removed it, like washing away a stain.
Snow had covered the circle, but it was still clearly marked, several inches lower than the snow around it. Dylan stepped from the taller part into the depression, footprints marking the smooth white surface. Even animals hadn’t walked here. The scents got stronger as he neared the center. This was where he’d used blood magic to open a portal, to fulfill his end of the deal with a dark fae. If Aiden hadn’t tried to stop him, if the fae had been true to his word, Dylan would be out there right now, free.
Part of him wished he’d never met Aiden, never become friends with him. Caring about someone else made everything much harder.
The crunch of snow made him spin around, arms held out and ready to attack.
Mr. Johnson appeared through the trees. He was downwind and the circle was so full of his scent Dylan probably wouldn’t have been able to smell him coming anyway. “Hello, Dylan,” he said as if they’d run into each other on the street. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“You weren’t home, so I looked around a bit. Your footprints weren’t hard to follow.” He stopped at the edge of the circle, hands stuffed in his pockets.
“So what do you want? Come to collect that favor?”
“Not yet. I wanted to know if you’ve had any other dreams about the dark fae.”
You mean am I still conspiring with him? “No. If he does show up, I’ll tell you right away. Just like I promised.” No one was ever going to trust him.
“Good. I’ll keep my end of the bargain as long as you keep yours. And when I do come to collect that favor, I expect you to do it, no questions asked.”
“This favor… You’re not going to ask me to hurt someone, are you?” Dylan didn’t trust Mr. Johnson, and not just because he was a warden.
Mr. Johnson smiled like Dylan had told a joke. “I think you’ve been watching too many movies.”
“That’s not an answer.” He hadn’t questioned it when he first made the deal, but there hadn’t been much time to think.
“That deal bought you time, Dylan. If you don’t do what I ask when the time comes, then I’m going to tell the wardens what you did.”
That pissed him off, but in the next moment he realized something. “Wait, won’t that get you into trouble too? For covering it up?”
“Yes, and Aiden as well. We’ll all go down together, except I have favors to call in. You and your friend don’t.”
Dylan glared, wondering what the hell the man was up to. What was so important that he’d risk getting into trouble with the other enforcers? What had he been planning when he made the deal in the first place?
Had Dylan gotten himself into an even worse mess?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lost in thought, Aiden opened his locker. He worried about Hanna, how they should act around each other, if it was too much of a risk to hold hands at school. It wasn’t fair. She was his first girlfriend, and he wanted to do all the stuff couples were supposed to do.
He hung up his jacket. One thing he could say about Shadow Valley High, they did have good-sized lockers. No more stuffing in a winter coat that barely fit. He might have been able to squeeze two coats in this one. He switched around textbooks and notebooks, gathering the ones he needed for his early classes and putting the others away.
A sensation of fur brushed across his skin, but it wasn’t pleasant. Like a beast standing over him, ready to strike. Aiden turned to see Conner and his werewolves marching toward him. All of them had yellow eyes. Oh God, he knew. How had he found out? Did someone see him and Hanna at the movie theater? Aiden should have picked a less public place. That was stupid, reckless.
Would Conner attack him? If Conner hit him, Aiden wasn’t sure he wouldn’t panic and react like he had the first time. His magic had lashed out, throwing the older boy across the hall. What if it was worse this time?
Aiden tried to keep a tight leash on his magic as his heart raced and it got hard to breathe.
Conner stopped not two feet away, looming over him. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Uh, what?” That was an odd question.
Conner growled, his teeth growing longer and pointed. “Dylan. Where. Is. He?”
“Dylan? What do you want with Dylan?” What did Dylan have to do with him and Hanna dating?
“Don’t fucking play dumb with me. We know he did it.”
Aiden held up his hands and backed against the locker. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What did he do?” Had Dylan done something stupid? They hadn’t talked all weekend.
Conner clenched his jaw as if deciding to answer him or just punch him. “Dalton disappeared. He went for a run by himself Friday night and he never came home. I know Dylan did something to him.”
Some of his fear dropped away and he got angry again. “If Dylan was going to beat him up, he�
�d do it somewhere public where other people could see it. Or at least in front of you guys. He wouldn’t go sneaking around.”
“Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?” One of the hall monitors came over and put an arm between them.
“His friend did something to Dalton.” Conner glared at the hall monitor.
“Mr. Mays, I suggest you leave the investigation to the police and get to class. Or would you prefer to have detention?”
“No… ma’am.” Conner stepped back and the others moved with him. They went down the hall slowly, and Conner shot Aiden a glare just before he stepped into a classroom.
Well, lunch was going to be fun.
* * *
Aiden had warned him in the locker room about what happened earlier. Dylan was hoping to burn off some of his anger in a match so he’d be a little calmer for lunch. He stood in his usual spot, waiting for class to start and Ms. Yang to call his opponent. He wished Aiden would get better soon. Dylan missed facing off against him. A sharp pang of guilt went through him.
An adult stepped into the gym. Dylan recognized her as one of the hall monitors. “Dylan Galloway, come with me, please.”
“What? I didn’t do anything.” He hadn’t even seen Conner that day.
Ms. Yang walked over. “What’s this about?”
“I’m sorry for the interruption, but I need to escort him to the office.”
Ms. Yang looked none too happy. “All right.”
Dylan considered fighting, running. But that would just make him look guilty. Besides, he’d promised Aiden to try his best in school and graduate. Fighting students was one thing. Fighting a hall monitor might be enough to get him kicked out.
Glaring, he stepped out of the wards and followed the hall monitor out of the room. “Why do I have to go to the office?”
“The principal asked to see you. That’s all I know,” she said, waiting until he was ahead of her.
The 7 Bad Habits of Slightly Troubled Monsters Page 5