Samuel simply nodded.
“Wait…How do you know Kedar?” Samantha looked up, scrunching her face up in confusion.
“I knew his grandfather back when I was an alpha. We were friendly. It’s very… Interesting that he said those things to you.” Samuel took a sip of wine, which he hadn’t touch all dinner.
Samantha put her fork down, “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. It’s just interesting.”
Samantha frowned deeply. Somehow she thought that there was a story behind what Samuel had said. However, she wasn’t about to ask him. She highly doubted that he would tell her anyway. She didn’t say a word and she, her brother and father finished the rest of their meal in silence. Afterwards, Samantha helped Jaden and Samuel clean up the kitchen. It was almost unbearably quiet as they cleaned the dishes and Samantha could feel a certain level of tension in the air. She didn’t dare speak, so she continued to dry the plates as Jaden handed them to her. When that task was complete Jaden and Samantha went out onto the front porch and sat on the steps together.
“So, what was Liv up to tonight?” Samantha asked softly, leaning her arms on her knees and leaning forward slightly.
“Her and Meghan were moving her grandmother into their house,” Jaden responded as he kicked a rock off of the step below him.
Samantha nodded and then hesitated for a moment, “Did Riley tell you where he was going to be tonight when you talked to him?” She almost didn’t want to know, but another part of her wasn’t sure why it was bothering her so much.
“He said something about getting on the basketball team.” Jaden shrugged.
Samantha looked at Jaden, shocked at first, and then she raised her eyebrow, skeptical, “We don’t exactly have time for extracurricular activities right now…”
Jaden nodded in agreement, “Trust me, Sam, I know…”
Samantha shook her head and sighed loudly. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked away from Jaden. He placed his hand on her shoulder, unsure if she was upset. She was, and she was sure that her body language was portraying that. She didn’t want to come right out and say that she didn’t believe Riley’s excuse, but the truth was that she didn’t. Colin would have made it very clear that joining the basketball team should have been at the bottom of the list of Riley’s priorities and would have demanded that he put it off until next season. She rubbed her temple and closed her eyes.
The front door opened behind them and both Jaden and Samantha turned to look at Samuel who was standing in the doorway.
“Could you both come inside for a moment?” He requested, smiling softly.
Samantha glanced towards Jaden, who wore an aggravated expression. Despite his apparent displeasure he stood and went inside. Samantha followed in suit and they both turned to face their father as he closed the door behind him. He led his two children into his office and went into one of the drawers in his desk.
“I would like to give you both something,” He began as he shifted through the drawer. He finally pulled out two red satin bags, which were very small; probably only big enough for a few quarters to fit inside, “I know both of your birthdays are a long ways away, but since Christmas is coming up you can consider these early Christmas presents.” He handed one bag to Jaden and one to Samantha. She turned to Jaden and watched him open his bag before opening hers.
Jaden’s face was weary as he pulled the miniature bag open. Inside was a white gold ring with a wolf’s head adorning it; an alpha’s ring. The weariness turned to aggravation in an instant and Jaden quickly put the ring back inside of the bag and shoved it into his pocket. Samantha had a feeling that when she left Jaden and Samuel were going to exchange some strong words. Samantha slowly opened her bag, expecting to see a very similar ring. She was correct. She pulled an identical-but-smaller ring out of her bag. She frowned slightly, confused.
She looked up at Samuel, “You do know that Jaden and I aren’t alphas, nor will we ever be. Why give us alpha rings?” Her voice was tense as she posed the question.
“Regardless of whether or not either of you will be alphas you are still my children. Once upon a time I was an alpha, it’s something that runs in your blood, and only a few are born to lead. The rings are merely to symbolize that and to show your ties to me, rather than to indicate your rank within the pack. The gems aren’t the color of any pack within the Head’s territory, so it shouldn’t be an issue.” Samuel pointed to the topaz gems on Samantha’s ring, “They’re your birthstones.” Samantha pursed her lips, her birthstone was not topaz, it was peridot, but she wasn’t going to say anything. She wasn’t very surprised that Samuel didn’t know when her birthday was. Samantha dropped her ring back into her bag and she closed it.
“Well. Thank you, Samuel. But, I should really go.” She said, smiling awkwardly up at him.
“It was great to see you Samantha, please come by again soon.” Samuel responded, putting one arm around her in a loose hug.
Samantha nodded, “Likewise, and I’ll try…” Jaden took her by the arm lightly and he led her out to the front of the house, down the walk and to her car. He gave her a careful hug, bid her goodnight and went back inside. She got into her car, dropping the satin bag carelessly into her cup holder. She pulled her phone out of her purse and hit speed dial number 2; calling Kedar.
He answered almost immediately, “What’s up, Sam?”
“Hey, are you doing anything tonight?” Samantha asked as she fastened her seatbelt.
“No, I just put a pizza in the oven and was going to watch a movie or two.” Kedar responded, “Why?”
“Would you like some company? I’m sure you won’t be able to eat that whole pizza…” Samantha laughed lightly and she twirled her hair around her finger. She knew that he wouldn’t say no to her.
“Hmm. Share my pizza, or eat it all myself… I guess I could share. I’ll see you soon then?”
“Yes, sir!”
After fifteen minutes Samantha was pulling up to Kedar’s house. She parked her car behind his and when she turned to get out Kedar was already standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. She smiled to herself and walked up to him. He stepped aside to let her in and closed the door behind them. She slipped off her shoes and took off her lace over-shirt, revealing her white spaghetti-strapped tank-top. She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up as she giggled lightly. He put her down and they walked into the kitchen together.
“Just in time, the pizza is almost ready,” Kedar said as he stuck his head in his fridge. He took two sodas out and handed one to her, “What was the special occasion?” He asked as he indicated her not-so-casual outfit.
She looked down at herself, “Oh, I went and had a light dinner with Jaden right after work. I never changed.”
Kedar tensed, becoming visibly aggravated, “Oh, Jaden?” He took a long sip from his soda.
Samantha nodded, “Yeah, his father made dinner and he invited Riley, Olivia and me. But I was the only one who was able to make it.”
Kedar nodded and finished his soda, tossing it into his trash bin that was dedicated to recyclables.
“What’s the matter?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Nothing…” He mumbled, rummaging through his fridge again.
“Are you jealous of J?” She asked, almost laughing.
“Nope.” The oven went off and Kedar took the pizza out, setting it on a cooling rack.
“Then why are you suddenly so upset…?” Samantha stepped over to him and caressed his cheek with the back of her hand.
Kedar moved away, “You should go, I remembered that I have stuff to do. Maybe you should go see ‘J’ again.”
“Oh. My. Lord. He’s my brother Kedar. Remember?”
“Oh…” Kedar blushed lightly, feeling very self-conscious, “I forgot…”
Samantha rolled her eyes, but then she stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around h
im in a hug. He couldn’t help but hug her back and kiss her forehead, breathing slowly as he took in her scent. She smelled like the forest after the rain with just a hint of musky wood. It drove him crazy to smell him still on her. He just held her against him, continuing to breathe her in. After a moment she stepped away from him.
“Are you good?” She asked as she touched his chest.
He nodded in response, “Let’s just eat…”
They sat down and ate in peaceful silence. Samantha thoroughly enjoyed the homemade pizza, although she was only able to eat a small slice as she was still full from her dinner earlier. When they finished Kedar insisted on cleaning the kitchen by himself and sent Samantha to go wait for him in the living room. After a few minutes he joined her, sitting beside her and pulling her against his side. He draped a throw blanket over them and searched through the twelve channels of basic cable that he received before going to his bookshelf and picking an old horror movie off of the shelves.
They continued to cuddle on the couch, Kedar rubbing Samantha’s side absentmindedly as they laughed and poked fun at the terrible digital effects and poor acting. Samantha looked up at Kedar just as he was mocking one of the actor’s incredibly fake accents, and she smiled to herself. What Samuel had said about Kedar’s remarks about vampires being interesting nagged at the back of her mind and she frowned again slightly. She wanted to ask him about it, but she had this sinking feeling that he would not be too pleased if she did. He looked down at her and he brushed his thumb across her cheek lightly.
“What’s up?” He asked softly.
Samantha stared at him for a moment, debating with herself if she should really tell him what she was thinking of. She decided against it and racked her brain for something to say. There was no way she was going to talk about her father and risk upsetting Kedar. Finally she took a deep breath and she began to speak.
“When I left work today I saw Zach going into the restaurant with a very attractive young woman, who I presume was also a vampire. I don’t know what it was about, but I have this feeling that something was up.” She wasn’t quite lying, that was bothering her too. Just not as much as her father’s comment at dinner.
Kedar’s body tensed and his jaw tightened, “Am I the first person you’re telling?”
Samantha shook her head, “No, I spoke to Charlotte about it but she brushed my concerns off.”
Kedar sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, “Of course she did. That girl is going to get one of us killed.” He snarled and moved away from Samantha, leaning forward.
“Do you think I should bring it up to Colin?”
“He won’t do anything about it. Neither will Malcolm. They’re too preoccupied with playing the waiting game. I’ll figure it out…”
“How?” Samantha put her hand on his back.
“I don’t know. But I will, don’t worry.” He leaned back and pulled her into his lap, “Would you like to stay the night? I’ve got work in the morning, but I love having you here…”
Samantha smiled softly, “I have to ask my aunt first.” She jumped out of his lap and went into the other room, calling Melody. There was no answer on her cellphone. Samantha frowned; it wasn’t like Melody not to answer her phone. She tried the house and still no answer. Samantha took a deep breath and tried her cell phone one more time before she began to panic. After four rings Melody finally answered.
“Sam? What’s wrong sweetie?” Melody answered.
“Oh thank goodness! I thought something was wrong, why didn’t you answer?” Samantha sighed in relief.
“I was on the phone with Chantal about setting up an interview to start the process of getting my fostering license,” Melody replied.
“Oh… Thank God.”
“So, what’s up, honey?”
“I was wondering if maybe I could stay at Kit’s tonight.” Samantha asked.
Melody hesitated, “You spend an awful lot of time with him unsupervised… He lives alone, right?”
Samantha sighed softly, “Yes, he does… Does that mean no?”
“No, but if you guys want to have sleep overs I would feel much more comfortable if the next few were at our house. That way you can have some type of adult supervision.”
Samantha rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple, “Alright, auntie.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed. I love you.”
“I love you too, auntie.” With that Samantha hung up and went back into the living room.
“Well, what did she say?” Kedar raised his eyebrows.
“I can’t stay here but we can stay at my house.” Samantha replied, not attempting to hide her displeasure, “Because we need ‘adult supervision’”
Kedar shrugged, “It’s not a big deal. It’s fine with me. Let me grab some stuff and then we can go. Does that sound good?”
Samantha smiled, “That sounds good…”
CHAPTER 17
Three days before Christmas Vacation Samantha woke at her usual time and got ready to go to school. She text Alex letting her know that she was going to drive herself. All she got in response was ‘K’ and she rolled her eyes. After she showered and dressed she sat at her vanity and brushed and braided her hair. She quickly lined her eyes and put on her lipstick, and then slipped her shoes on and headed out the door. She checked her phone before pulling out of her driveway and she was glad she did; she had a text from Kedar.
“Come to my house after school, I’ve got a present for you!”
She smiled and quickly text him back “I’ll be there but I didn’t get you anything…” She added a sad face to the end of the message before sending it.
He text her back almost instantly, “You can be my present, don’t worry about it”
Samantha smiled to herself and put her phone, backpack and purse in the passenger seat, buckled up, and then drove to school. She arrived a half hour before first period, so she sat on the front steps, pulled a book from her bag and waited for her friends to arrive. Not long after she heard the unmistakable roar of Alex’s car and she looked up. Alex pulled into the spot next to hers and she got out, followed by Charlotte, Jaden and Olivia. Samantha frowned, wondering to herself where Riley was. Alex must have sensed what was bothering Samantha as she walked up because she sat down beside her and patted her shoulder gently.
“Riley went to pick up Heather. Dad thinks that it’s great that he’s making friends in the other packs. ‘It’ll make the packs stronger,’” Alex smiled as she mimicked her father, but frowned when she saw that it didn’t make Samantha feel any better.
“He’s only doing it to piss me off…” She spat.
Alex sighed, “Unfortunately, you’re probably right.” The rest of their friends stood around, clearly uncomfortable.
Charlotte cleared her throat to break the awkward silence, “So. Enough of this negativity. I’ve got presents for everyone.” She said as she took off her backpack. She pulled out four little white boxes, handing one to each of her friends.
“What are these?” Alex asked skeptically as she took the box from Charlotte, raising her eyebrow.
“Just gifts from Zach,” Charlotte replied.
“I see…” Alex grumbled. She opened the box and pulled out a golden cross on a thin gold chain. Samantha and Olivia also opened their boxes and inside were identical necklaces. In Jaden’s box was a men’s version of the same necklace. They all looked at Charlotte wearily.
Samantha raised one of her eyebrows, “Crosses? Really, Char?” Her tone was unconvinced.
“Zach said that they’re going to protect us from vampires and that they’ll be useful.” Charlotte replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
“How was Zach able to handle them, then?” Alex scoffed, turning the necklace over in her hands, inspecting it for any silver.
The look that flashed across Charlotte’s face told the group that she hadn’t posed that question to herself. She stuttered, “W-Well, he clearly still has his humanity,” Was Charlotte’s hesitant res
ponse. “There isn’t any silver, Alex. I’ve had mine on since last night and I’m fine.”
“Right,” Samantha mumbled, pulling on her necklace, it clanking against her mother’s locket. Alex, Jaden and Olivia all pulled on their necklaces as well.
Charlotte smiled, “See? He really isn’t the bad guy…”
Jaden huffed, not even attempting to hide his disdain, “Sure…”
Just then Riley pulled into the school parking lot. Samantha watched as his truck sped past hers and Alex’s, whipping around the corner and going to the lot in the back. Samantha had seen Heather in the passenger seat and it made her blood boil. She and Riley may not have been on the best terms, but he was still her boyfriend and she still expected a little bit of respect. He could at least keep his relationship with Heather under wraps like she did with her relationship with Kedar. She didn’t say anything to the group, but once Riley’s truck was out of sight, she turned and stormed inside.
She walked to her locker, thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn’t even begin to rationalize with herself as to why she was so upset. Yes, he was her boyfriend, but she was with Kedar too. If he was cheating, it shouldn’t make her so upset since she was doing the same thing. She wasn’t even entirely sure if she was still in love with Riley. She felt like such a hypocrite and she knew that’s what her friends thought of her as well. But at the same time it was Heather for God’s sake. She bullied Samantha for being the smallest, weakest wolf in the four surrounding packs for years, practically tormenting her. It wasn’t like he had picked some random girl to cheat with, he knew that Heather would get under Samantha’s skin. She sighed and gathered her books out of her locker, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. She needed to concentrate on school, or at least getting through her day.
“Hey…” Riley said from behind her, placing his hand on her lower back.
She turned around and almost said something incredibly rude, but she stopped herself, “Hey…”
Riley ran his fingers through her hair slowly, stepping closer to her. It was obvious that he was studying her scent. She stepped back, her face portraying her annoyance. Riley tucked her hair behind her ear and just stared at her for a moment before he said anything. He looked sad, remorseful, and it made Samantha’s heart sink.
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