I opened my mouth, but Nick said, “She can’t.”
Tom looked at me, but I just stared at Nick. “Why can’t she?” Tom asked.
“She’s going out with me that night,” Nick said.
I’d never seen him look so scared or sick. Why was he telling Tom this? He hadn’t asked me out.
“You sure, Sarah? I bet I’d be a lot more fun.” Tom goaded.
I smiled at Tom. “Maybe another time.”
Tom kissed my cheek. “Count on it.”
As soon as Tom walked away I turned and stared up at Nick. “What was that about? You didn’t ask me out?”
“I panicked.” He admitted as he turned away and ran his hand through his hair. “I tried to ask you yesterday, but he interrupted and…I’m sorry. If you want to go with Tom I won’t stop you.”
“Nick.”
He turned and faced me. “What?”
“Do you want to go out with me? Because if you’re just doing it as my Guardian, please don’t.”
He stared at me for a few minutes and then asked, “Will you go out with me?”
“Only after I take her out,” Gary said from behind us. “I always knew you were a follower instead of a leader.”
Nick growled and moved towards Gary, but I grabbed his arm. “Nick.”
He glared at Gary and then bared his teeth. “He’s just jealous that you spend so much time with me.”
Gary smiled. “You’re right. I am, but I know you’ll be more jealous when…” Gary moved forward and whispered into Nick’s ear before walking away. “Just think about that Monday.”
“What did he say?” I asked Nick.
Nick stared at his hands and shook his head. “Nothing. Come on, let’s eat.”
I didn’t get why they were being mean to each other or why they’d all suddenly decided to be interested in me. I knew I should have been happy, but I only felt worried.
3
I stood on the sidelines with the other cheerleaders, stretching our legs out as we prepared for our routine. The stands were filling up, and I waved to Dad and the Alphas as they took seats behind me. Alfred winked at me, and I spun around, deciding never to look back there again.
The football team paraded out on the field, and we cheered wildly, shaking our pom poms and showing our spirit for the team. The night became a blur of cheering and football. At half time I was tossed in the air and everything went according to plan. I tried to enjoy the game, especially getting to watch the pack boys tackling the other team with ease, but I could feel the vampire in my head.
The game ended with us winning, of course, and the crowds began dispersing. I walked to Dad and leaned against his side.
He smiled down at me. “You did great today.”
“Yes, you were by far the most beautiful one out there,” said Alfred.
I did not like the way he was looking at me, and apparently Dad felt the same. “You should remember that she’s underage, Alfred, and not interested in a mate. I would hate for there to be an incident between us.”
Alfred smiled innocently. “I wouldn’t dream of anything like that.”
I heard Nick and the others approaching, so I stepped back from Dad and walked to them. I held up my hand, and the group high-fived me. “You were awesome today,” I told them.
“Thanks, but that pyramid toss was pretty sweet,” Mason said as he draped his arm around my shoulders.
I smirked. “You’re just jealous because you want to throw me up in the air like that.”
He grabbed my arms. “We could try now.”
Nick growled. “Let’s not.” His growl dissipated, and he smiled. “At least not on the concrete. The pool is a much better idea.”
The pack laughed, and I shook my head. “Boys are so dumb sometimes.”
“Sarah,” Dad said. “We need to talk to you about removing the mark.”
“Can we do it at home?” I asked as I looked around at the students staring at our strange group. “I’m pretty hungry.”
Cherry walked up to me. “How do you stay so skinny when you eat as much as them?”
I smiled. “I get in a lot of cardio.”
The boys snickered, and I refrained from elaborating on the fact that I was constantly running from them and the children in the games that we played. They never tackled me, until today, or hurt me, but it was really the only way for me to play with them.
“Are you going out tonight?” she asked hopefully.
I shook my head. “No, sorry.”
She sighed and then whined, “You never go out drinking with us, anymore.”
“Drinking?” Dad asked as he walked over to us.
Cherry smiled innocently. “Yes sir, drinking root beer floats. Why? What drink were you thinking of?”
Dad pinched her nose. “I’ve known you ten years, Cherry. You can’t lie to me.”
She put her hand against her chest and made an “O” with her mouth in mock horror. “I would never think of doing such an awful thing.”
Dad laughed and then tilted his head to the side in a sign that it was time to go. The pack dispersed towards their cars, and I hugged Cherry. “See you Monday.”
Mason pulled me against his side and walked me to Nick’s truck. “You want me to ride with you in case she jumps out?” he asked Nick.
Nick laughed. “No, I think I’ll be okay.”
Mason smiled. “Next time she runs, I get to tackle her.”
Nick nodded. “Deal.”
I kissed Mason’s cheek. “Thank you.”
He winked. “Anytime.”
Nick growled. “I didn’t know you liked Mason.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Mason and my relationship is purely siblingly.”
“That’s not a word.”
“Is, too. I just used it.”
Nick climbed into his truck and I climbed in beside him.
“You did really well tonight,” I said with a smile.
He smiled back and then flexed his biceps. “Well, what else did you expect from someone as great as me?”
I laughed and moved closer to him. “I’m really tired. I hope the meeting with the Alphas is over fast.”
“You’re still having nightmares?” he asked as he put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me across the bench seat to lean against him.
“Every night,” I whispered. “I don’t know what they mean though.”
“Do you want to talk about them?” he asked as he rubbed my arm.
I yawned. “I just want to go to sleep.”
“Talking might help you,” he said quietly. “If I could stop them, I would.”
“You can’t protect me from everything, especially not my own mind,” I said as my eyelids drooped, growing heavier and heavier.
“I can try,” he whispered, “but you have to let me in.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” I said as I fell asleep on him.
I woke up when he parked the truck. It was a short ride from school to home, but I felt like I’d been asleep for hours. “You were snoring,” he said with a smile.
I wiped at my face and sighed. “At least I wasn’t drooling.”
We climbed out of his truck and walked into the house where the pack was slowly gathering. I leaned against Nick as we walked inside, fighting to keep my eyelids open.
Dad squatted down in front of me and smiled. “You’re too tired to do this tonight. We’ll do it tomorrow, okay?”
“Is it going to hurt?” I asked as Nick wrapped a supportive arm around my waist to keep me from falling.
Dad shook his head. “Nope. Don’t worry, baby, we’ll get you fixed up,” he said and then kissed my forehead. “Nick, carry her upstairs.”
Nick picked me up without a word and I curled up in his arms.
“Have I ever told you how awesome it is that you all can do this?” I whispered.
He laughed quietly. “No, but that’s nice to hear.” He held me with one arm as he opened my door and laid me down on my bed. “Kitt
en, can I stay in here tonight?”
“What? Why?” I asked as I adjusted my head on the pillow.
“I want to be here to comfort you when you have your nightmare,” he said softly as he pulled my blankets up over me. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Sleep on the bed. On top of the blankets,” I mumbled.
He shuffled around and then the bed dipped as he climbed on. He kissed my cheek and whispered, “Go to sleep. I love you, Kitten.”
I rolled over so that I was facing him and could smell him as I fell asleep.
The cupboard was dark and I couldn’t see as I hid. I tried to slow my breathing, but that only seemed to make me breathe louder. Something was in the living room and it was scary. Mom screamed, and I heard a weird cracking sound. Dad yelled, and then I heard a loud crash. What was happening? Mom had told me to hide and not come out until they came to get me, but I was so scared and I wanted to know what was happening. Dad screamed in pain, and then there was silence. I shivered in the cold.
“Where are you, rabbit? Where are you hiding?” asked a sinister male voice.
I bit my lip to keep from whining or screaming in fear. Footsteps approached the kitchen where I hid and I wrapped my arms tighter around my legs. “Come out little rabbit. I can hear your heart beating.”
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I couldn’t look. I couldn’t look.
A cupboard door opened, and then I heard something hiss. “Get him!” yelled Thornton, Nicky’s adopted dad.
I kept my eyes closed as I heard fighting and yelling. The cupboard door opened again, and I screamed when a hand touched me.
“It’s me,” Nicky said softly. “It’s okay.”
I leapt out of the cupboard and clung to Nicky. He stood up with me clinging to him and hugged me tightly as he walked out of the house. “Mommy. Daddy,” I whispered.
Thornton took me from Nicky and hugged me tightly against him. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”
I looked back into the house and saw red splashed all over the walls in the living room. I looked at the floor and saw two pairs of feet, one with a toe ring and one with a scar. Mommy and Daddy.
I jolted up in bed gasping for breath and crying. Nick sat up and wrapped his arms around me. “It’s okay,” he whispered. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him with a death grip. He stroked my hair with one hand while he held me against his body with the other arm. “I’m here, Sarah. I’ll always be here for you.”
I sobbed and clung to him like I’d done when they’d found me. He held me and pet me until the tears subsided and I was breathing normal again. “No one is here forever,” I whispered as I pulled back from him.
Nick smiled. “One of the perks of being a werewolf is a longer life. I’ll outlive you by a hundred years at least.”
I lay down and turned away from him. “Being alive doesn’t mean you’ll be with me,” I whispered.
Nick wrapped his body around mine, spooning me. “I’ll be with you as long as you let me,” he whispered. “Go back to sleep, Kitten. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I love you, Nicky,” I whispered.
His grip tightened around me. “I know.”
The sun came out too early. I smacked my alarm clock to silence it and sat up. I looked at the bed behind me, but Nick wasn’t there. I heard talking downstairs and sighed. It was Saturday, which meant everyone was starting chores. After changing and brushing my teeth, I jogged down the steps with a smile on my face. “Morning,” I said to the pack and the Alphas. I was immensely grateful that we had such a large house and kitchen as I made my way past the boys until I reached the fridge. I looked inside and frowned. “Are all of the oranges gone?”
“Yes,” Dad said. “Sorry about that. I’ll get some at the store later.”
I looked at the empty plates on the table and sighed. “I’ll just go into town and get something. I need to get a gift for a friend anyways.”
“Mason will go with you,” Dad said.
I looked around the kitchen. “Wait, where’s Nick?”
“Doing manual labor,” Greg said with a smug smile.
Manual labor while everyone else was eating?
“Why? What’d he do?”
“I think you’d know the answer to that,” Dad said with a scowl on his face.
Hell puppies. He thought we’d done something. “Can I talk to you?” I asked.
He stood, and I followed him into his study. He closed the door and folded his arms across his chest. “Coming to confess?”
“Dad, we didn’t do anything. I…” I looked at the ground. “I’m still having nightmares and they’re even worse now. I can’t sleep well and he stayed to console me when I woke up.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the nightmares?” he asked as he unfolded his arms and his face relaxed into worry.
“I didn’t think there was anything that could be done.”
He dropped to his knees and hugged me. “It’s about that night, isn’t it?”
I nodded and felt tears pool in my eyes. He rubbed my back softly. “Okay, I’ll go relieve him since he was only doing what he was supposed to, but from now on you ask me first. Understand?”
I nodded again and rubbed my face against his shoulder. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
He kissed my forehead and smiled. “It’ll be alright. We’ll get the mark removed and things will go back to normal.”
I smirked. “Our family has never been normal.”
He laughed. “Very true. Now go with Mason to town. I’ll go talk with Nick and keep him here, so you can have time away.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I walked out of the study and waved at Mason. “Come on, buddy.”
Mason jogged over. “Yes! I love road trips!”
I laughed and linked arms with him. “If you’re good, I’ll even let you hang your head out the window.”
He snarled at me, but I just laughed, knowing he wasn’t serious. We climbed into Nick’s truck and I took the keys out of the visor and handed them to Mason so he could drive. He had his own car, but it was in the shop since he’d ripped his door off one day in a fit of rage.
“How are you feeling?” Mason asked.
“Fine, why?”
He shrugged. “We know Nick was in your room…and I heard you crying, so I figured you weren’t feeling well.”
“You don’t think Nick and I did anything?”
Mason laughed. “I know you two better than that. Plus, I know that you’re still trying to fool yourself into believing that you don’t have feelings for him and he’s, well he’s being Nick.”
“I’m not trying to fool myself. I love Nick as a friend and I might have discovered that I have some more than friendly feelings for him, but he hasn’t shown any towards me. He just asked me out.”
“He asked you out?” Mason asked, eyes wide.
I smirked. “So, the all-knowing-Mason didn’t know that?”
“I just didn’t think he’d actually do it. He told me he was planning to, but then he’s been so crabby the past week, I thought he chickened out.”
“He said that Tom interrupted him the first time he was trying to ask me out and then when Tom asked me to go out again on Monday, Nick told him that I couldn’t.”
“So, he didn’t actually ask you out?”
“Yeah he did, after Tom left.”
“So, you went from being single to having three guys dating you. How does that make you feel?”
“Confused,” I said.
Mason laughed and patted my leg. “Don’t worry, it just means that you’ll be able to tell which one you really like by dating the others.”
“That’s so not comforting Mason.”
He smiled and then pulled over in front of Biscuits, the best diner ever. We sat at an open table and I stared at the menu. The diner was small, played non-stop country music, and had stereotypical country people as servers. I loved it.
“So, who are you buying a present for
?” Mason asked.
I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Don’t tell me you forgot?”
He frowned. “Forgot what?”
“Your best friend’s birthday!” I said. “Mason how could you forget that Nick’s birthday is in one week?”
He slapped his forehead. “Oh god! Well it’s good I came with you since I need to get a present too.”
“What’ll you have, darlin’?” asked the old woman who owned the diner.
“Two scrambled eggs and a blueberry bagel, please.”
“You want something to drink?”
“Hot chocolate,” I said and gave her a big smile.
“How about you, handsome?” the woman asked, giving him a cheesy grin.
He smiled seductively at her. “I’ll have a hot chocolate too, beautiful.”
She laughed and walked away. I lifted a brow at him. “Since when did you become the charmer?”
He shrugged. “You’re just blinded by your brotherly love for me. I’ve always been a charmer.”
I laughed. “Well don’t give her a heart attack, okay?”
He laughed at me and then stared at his hands a moment. “Has anyone told you what the decision is?”
“No, everyone said they can’t tell me yet, that I’d find out next year.”
He nodded. “Good. That’s how it should be.”
I groaned. “Mason, you can’t do that to me.”
He smiled. “Sorry, but rules are rules.”
The waitress brought out our drinks and winked at Mason before walking away. I sipped my hot chocolate and moaned in pleasure. “This tastes great.”
“It sure does. Do you know what they have to do to remove the mark from you?”
I shook my head. “No, Dad didn’t tell me.”
He frowned and scooped up a bit of whipped cream. “I hope it’s not anything crazy.”
“Me, too.” We sat in silence a moment in our own thoughts and then I asked, “So what are you going to get Nick?”
He leaned back in his chair and groaned. “I don’t know. You?”
“I have no clue, but I usually find stuff that just screams at me to get him.”
“Like that kitten stuffed animal you got him?” Mason asked.
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