by Angela Horn
Declan started to tell her no, but Ella was already moving towards Gigi who stood passively, seeming confused. Then Gigi dodged the Were’s kick and slid down to swipe Ella’s other leg out from under her. Ella fell hard on the mat and gazed up at Gigi who still looked confused. Ella wondered if the blonde was completely faking the dumb act.
Declan was suddenly in the ring and he pulled Ella to her feet. “You’ve taught Gigi how to kick your ass enough for one day.”
Ella studied Gigi who was rubbing her cheek again.
“I want to bring her back here and train her. Not just so you can check out her ass,” Ella whispered. “Gigi is weird and everyone wants to screw her. Something bad is going to happen. Now that I know she can learn, I want to teach her for real.”
Declan glanced at Gigi and his eyes clouded with concern. “Okay, but leave the Vamp at home. She shouldn’t be here. Having our scent on her when she returns to Vampland puts her in danger. Stop being a dipshit, Ella. You need to be more careful.”
Ella frowned at him. “At least we know if Finn gets too frisky on their date, Gigi can protect herself.”
Declan glared at her again, clearly jealous which served him right. He could have easily asked out Gigi on the first night he met her. Instead every other male in the Circle would get a shot at her first, including his baby brother.
Chapter Twelve
Sara told Gigi to wear something casual on her date because being casual would tell Finn not to expect too much. Gigi was still unsure, so Sara picked out a pink tee and blue jeans.
Once Sara left, Gigi listened to Crystal Gayle and thought about Mamma Celeste. By the time Finn arrived at her door, she felt relaxed and her weird day of being punched by Ella faded into happy thoughts about the handsome Were at the door.
Finn took her to a little Italian restaurant where they ordered spaghetti. Sitting across from him, Gigi thought Finn reminded her of the last time she was at the park. His hair and skin were golden like the sun, but those eyes were the color of the storm clouds floating by. The clouds relaxed her and Finn’s eyes did too.
“I’ve never been on a date before,” Gigi said, still staring at Finn. “At least I don’t think I have.”
Finn smiled his soft smile and Gigi felt her skin flush. “I hope it’s a good first date.”
“Oh, it is. I really like you.”
Finn’s smile grew, but his gaze lowered as if he were nervous or shy. Gigi noticed how the girls at the club acted this way when males complimented them. It was a game, Justine said, but Gigi didn’t think Finn was playing.
“How did you learn to fix cars?” Gigi asked, remembering how Justine said to ask lots of questions because Were males loved talking about themselves.
“One of the few memories I have of my dad was him showing me and my brother how to fix his car. I’ve always liked tinkering and I got a job working in an auto shop when I was in high school. Eventually I saved up and started my own shop.”
“Why don’t you have memories of your dad?”
Finn shrugged like it was no big deal, but Gigi could tell it was.
“He died when I was a kid. Turf war stuff. It’s why I never joined a pack. I didn’t want to die to claim a block here or there for some Alpha.”
“Not even for your brother?”
Finn eyed her and she didn’t understand what his expression meant.
“Did Declan talk to you about us going out?”
Gigi shook her head. “Sara just told me he’s your brother.”
“I love Declan, but he really doesn’t need more territory. Even if he did, I don’t want to fight. I like working on cars.”
Gigi nodded. “I’m sorry about your dad. It’s sad that you can’t remember him, but it’s sadder that he died.”
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”
“But he was your dad.”
Finn smiled softly. “Yes, he was. Do you have any memories of your family?”
“I remember a woman who I think was my mamma, but she doesn’t look like me. In those memories, I feel happy and I hope they’re real because I feel like she loves me.”
Gigi felt very sad suddenly and Finn reached out to touch her hand. His long fingers only grazed the top of her hand before disappearing back on his side of the table. Gigi wished they had stayed longer.
Finn swirled the straw in his drink then smiled. “Maybe now that the fake memories are gone, the real ones will come into focus?”
“I hope so. I really want to find Mamma Celeste.”
Finn studied her, but not in the intense way so many others studied Gigi. He seemed sad maybe.
“It bothers me to think someone would mess with your mind and then dump you in a place like the Circle. Maybe Michael could find something out?”
“I want him to find Katia. He says there’s nothing to find out. When he told me that, I just stared at him and he finally agreed to keep looking. I think staring at him is the key to making him do stuff. It seems to annoy him.”
Finn laughed which made Gigi smile. Usually people laughed at her, but she actually tried to be funny and he laughed.
“You do have a way with Michael,” Finn said with a grin. “I think you should ask him for help though. Someone must be looking for you, just like how you’re looking for Katia.”
“Maybe it’s related? Sometimes on TV, things that don’t seem related are related. Then they all come together at the end when the detective gets an idea. That or the bad guy kidnaps the good guy and tells him everything.”
Finn was grinning again. Gigi wasn’t sure why, but she liked when he smiled. The soft smile made her skin warm.
“Do you have any other brothers or sisters?” Gigi asked after their food arrived.
“No. Sometimes Were females have trouble staying pregnant. I guess it happens to humans and witches too, but my mom was pregnant six times and only had Declan and me. Once my dad died, she worked a lot and never remarried, so more siblings were out of the question then.”
When Finn looked sad, Gigi did what he had done earlier and reached across the table to touch his hand. Unlike Finn, she didn’t pull away quickly. Finn gazed at her hand then his eyes found hers. She saw something warm in his eyes and she didn’t want to let go of him. She knew touching people for too long was annoying though, so she forced her hand away.
“I like you,” Finn said then shook his head as if he was confused. “Well that was dumb.”
“Why?”
“I wouldn’t have asked you out if I didn’t like you.”
“But you didn’t know me then. You know me more now, so I’m glad you still like me. I still like you.”
Finn grinned. “I’m horrible on dates.”
“How come?”
“I grew up watching guys like Declan and Anton dating girls and nothing they do works for me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“They’re Alphas and I’m not. They have something extra.”
“That’s just about fighting.”
“No, it’s more than being tough and fighting well. It’s an inner strength other Weres can sense. Wolves naturally like being in packs, but they don’t naturally like being bossed around. They submit when their leader is worthy of submitting to. Anton and Declan just have a way of making others feel like they should listen.
“Normally in the Circle, Alphas get killed by their own people in a power struggle or someone turns on them for the benefit of another pack. While the three packs fight every few years, no one has made moves on the three Alphas in that time,” Finn said then sipped his drink. “Well no one has successfully made a move on them. A few dead Weres probably tried.”
“I wish they didn’t have to go to war.”
“Me either.”
Gigi thought about Anton. For some reason, she knew if Declan and Anton fought, it wouldn’t be Declan who died. The thought of Anton dying made her sad, but she focused on the beautiful male across the table from her.
“If y
ou’ve only been here a few weeks, you haven’t experienced a magical surge yet, have you?” Finn asked while eating his spaghetti.
“No. Sara said it’s some kind of magical clusterfuck and I should hide in my house when it happens.”
Finn laughed which made Gigi smile, even though besides the cuss word, she wasn’t sure what was so funny.
“She’s right about not going out during a surge though,” Finn said when he stopped laughing. “Did she tell you to never invite a Vamp into your home because during a surge they could return looking to feed?”
“She said even if Dahlia is my friend, she might hurt me during the surge.”
“Vamps and ghouls go nuts. Weres all shift. The only good thing is how witches can’t use their power during this time. It’s the only time when witches are vulnerable and the only time we’re really safe from them. As a human, you need to stay inside during a surge.”
“Are Weres dangerous during surges?”
“Most of them aren’t. We just shift and can’t shift back until the surge ends. You probably have a keypad in your apartment by the door. It’s for Weres when they shift, so they won’t be trapped. If a surge hits, stay inside and don’t let anyone into your apartment.”
Gigi nodded which made Finn frown.
“Maybe you should leave the Circle? I know you have a job here, but this place is dangerous for humans.”
“Like Katia.”
Finn nodded, his gaze darker now. “Like Katia. People disappear everywhere in the world, but here in the Circle, no one really cares if humans go missing. If they’re killed in the open like by a feral Were, then it’s news. If they just disappear, everyone goes on as if it never happened. It’s not a safe place for you to live.”
“I have to live here.”
“Why?”
“I have rules in my head that I have to follow. Living here and working at The Moon Rises are two of them.”
“Rules by whoever messed with your memories?”
Gigi nodded, finishing her meal. “I want to know who I really am, but I really want to know who took Katia. I’m worried whoever took her might take my friends. I wish Michael could find out what happened to her.”
“If he could, he would. It sounds like too much time passed from when she disappeared. Her trail has gone cold.”
Gigi sighed sadly, worried about Sara and Justine and all the human girls at The Moon Rises.
“I’m glad I met you at the grocery store,” Gigi said, smiling. “I never would have found those English muffins.”
Finn laughed and Gigi was glad they weren’t talking about dead fathers or waitresses or missing memories.
Deciding to keep things casual, Gigi asked him lots of questions about his favorite shows, books, movies, and anything else light. Finn tried to ask her the same questions, but Gigi didn’t have the answers. She just turned around and asked him more questions about his favorite cars.
By the time they reached her apartment, Gigi knew what Finn’s favorite everything was, but not what her own favorites were. She felt guilty for making him listen to her non-answers, but he seemed happy to be with her. Ella said Gigi’s beauty made males stupid and needy. Without having a personality to fall back on, Gigi was never happier to be beautiful than when Finn hinted at another date.
Standing in her hallway, next to her door, Finn watched her with his soft gray eyes and Gigi smiled because she felt happier than she ever remembered feeling before. Normally she would remind herself how her memories were barely a week old, but right then it didn’t matter. She was happy and her heart thumped harder when he leaned down to touch his lips to hers.
“You are so beautiful,” Finn said and she believed him. Gigi would believe anything he said as he stared at her with those eyes. He could tell her the sky was green and the grass was blue and she would tell him he was brilliant. Finn sure looked brilliant as he leaned down to kiss her again.
This kiss was longer and his lips spread softly over hers. His lips first stroked her then his tongue slid gently against her mouth.
If someone had asked Gigi that morning if she wanted someone’s tongue in her mouth, she would have thought they were insane. Now she just wanted more.
His tongue touched hers like they were dancing and Gigi moaned. When his lips left hers, she saw something new in his eyes – a hunger maybe. Watching her, Finn leaned down. This time his lips didn’t find hers, but her throat. Gigi leaned her head back, wanting to be touched, needing to be desired.
Little kisses down her neck, feeling so perfect. Then his tongue tasted her throat and Gigi’s body seized up with terror.
Finn tasted her like a monster tasted its prey. Like the monster who ate Katia probably tasted her. Gigi’s body clenched then trembled. Finn pulled his mouth away and watched her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in barely a whisper.
“I want to go inside,” Gigi muttered, truly afraid for the first time ever. Remembering how she was honest with Simon and he decided not to bite her, she hoped Finn would back off too. “I’m tired and I want to be alone.”
Finn blinked a few times and the corner of his mouth twitched. “Did I move too fast? I wasn’t expecting anything.”
Gigi refused to look him in the eyes, knowing predators were easily spooked. Finn stepped away from her and stood awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, Gigi.”
Nodding, she reached for her door and trembled while she unlocked it. Gigi forced herself to look back at him to say goodnight. Her gaze though remained on the ground, away from his face.
Gigi shut the door on Finn who stood in the hallway looking lost. Locking the door, she backed way from it and felt a strange urge rising up in her. Her eyes burned and she realized she was crying. The ghost was suddenly next to her, looking upset in her ghost way.
“I thought he liked me, but he just wanted to eat me,” Gigi said, sitting on the couch. “I really wanted him to like me.”
The ghost sat next to her, trying to say something. All her gestures made no sense though. Gigi cried as she thought to what Simon said about Dahlia being depressed when she learned the truth. Gigi didn’t like the truth, not when it came to Finn. No, she wanted the pretty lies.
Chapter Thirteen
Ella bounced up the stairs to Gigi’s third floor apartment. Down the hall, an older woman and her dog were leaving for a walk. The woman smiled at Ella who smiled in return. Everyone liked her, Ella thought. They just couldn’t help themselves.
Opening her door only a crack, Gigi stared out at Ella warily.
“What’s the pill, sweetcheeks?” Ella asked when Gigi didn’t open the door for her to enter.
“I don’t think I can talk.”
“How come?”
Gigi said nothing, lowering her gaze.
“Did your date with lover boy suck? In his defense, I think Finn might be gay.”
Gigi again remained silent, looking submissive as if afraid to challenge the predator at the door. Ella frowned.
“Did Finn hurt you?” she growled. “I’ll kick his ass.”
“I should clean my apartment. I’m sorry.”
Gigi closed the door and Ella heard the locks clicking into place. Furious, the Were marched down the stairs and jumped on her motorcycle, knowing just where she needed to go to kick someone’s ass.
Normally in the middle of the day, Finn would be at his auto shop. Once a week though, he forced himself to stop at Declan’s gym where the older brother would punish the younger one for not being an Alpha. Ella usually felt sorry for Finn, but she planned to give him something to really cry about.
Entering the gym, Ella spotted the brothers in the ring with Finn mainly trying to avoid getting pummeled by his larger and stronger sibling. Declan was giving him some kind of instructions while handing Finn his ass. Both brothers acknowledged Ella as she approached. Declan also stopped punching Finn when the female entered the ring.
“What the hell?” Ella yelled, slugging Finn who barely d
odged getting his nose broken.
“Yeah, Ella, what the hell?” Declan growled, pulling her away from Finn.
“What did you do to Gigi?”
Finn flinched as if she had hit him in the face again. Declan frowned at his brother, but continued to play referee.
“What are you talking about, Ella?” Declan said in his growly voice.
“I went over there to hang with Gigi and she looked at me like I was some kind of monster. Why would she be afraid of Weres all of a sudden unless your boy hurt her? What did you do? I swear if you raped her, I’ll kill you myself. I don’t care who your brother is.”
“Ella.”
Declan growled in a low deep rumble and Ella couldn’t help backing off. His alphaness forced her into submission. She still glared at Finn who had his lost little boy expression. She wanted to slap that look right off his face, but instead bowed to her Alpha’s will.
“Finn, did something happen last night?” Declan asked in a patient voice even if his face was tight with tension. “You seemed weird when you got here.”
“She’s so beautiful,” Finn whispered submissively, feeling as weak as Ella when in the presence of an angry Alpha. “I should have just kissed her goodnight, but she’s so perfect and I pushed too hard.”
Declan moved just a hint, barely at all. His anger mixed with a closer proximity seemed to force Finn to pull tighter within himself. Ella was surprised the younger Were didn’t piss himself.
“Pushed too hard how?” Declan said very quietly as if using every ounce of self control not to break his brother apart.
Ella already knew Declan had it bad for the pretty blonde waitress. The look on his face though, as he inched closer to his brother, proved the Alpha was a Gigi addict. Finn seemed to realize he was in trouble because his face shifted as if preparing for the impending beating.
“I kissed her neck,” Finn said with his eyes focused submissively on the ground. “I licked her neck. I pushed too hard and she got scared. I backed off, but it was too late.”
“Bullshit,” Declan growled louder now.
Ella realized the rest of the gym had fallen silent as the other Weres grew submissive in the presence of their angry Alpha.