I didn’t want to say the wrong thing, but I didn’t know what the right thing was either.
He put his hands on my shoulders so I just watched daring to look up.
“Whatever you are, I am, it doesn’t matter.”
I don’t matter? The bad doesn’t matter? What? He was still talking to me. He didn’t leave.
“Say there will be no more secrets. No matter what.”
I can't promise that.
“Say it already!” he demanded.
“Calum, I didn’t know I’d meet you when I came here. I arrived with secrets. If I’d known I would know you, I’d have never…”
He put a finger to my lips. “Say it!”
I jumped internally at his tone. It was a rare event for me. “I will try to never hide another secret. You’re only the second Hunter I’ve ever met.”
His expression changed to mischief, “And I assure you anything after will be a solid disappointment.” He inched up a smile and then hid it. “And that had better be a long time on the secrets.” He slowly traced the length of my arms and bent his face down to mine and let it hang there, hovering above me. I watched his arms move up and stop on either side of my face forcing me to look in his eyes. All the while, the pain and ache spreading.
His lips pressed against mine. Again. And his eyes closed with mine when his lips stayed this time and the kiss turned deeper. I was lost in him for the moment. Really lost! His kisses made me forget the pain.
Sometime later, his lips parted, raw and swollen like mine. Holding each other closer than we ever had before, I had to ask one question and hear him say it. “Are you sure?”
“Surer than I’ve ever been surer before.”
I offered a soft laugh.
“ Calum Green. Right now, I have to focus on my brother. You are a great friend, but I--
"Friend?"
I stared at him holding the oddest expression, "You don't want to be?"
His head shook without an answer, “We need information. We’re walking in the dark on this and I’ve just been enlightened. You should’ve told me about Lee. And going to get your brother. But beyond all that now, we will decide together.”
He played with my hair a while and moved his hand around to my stomach, moving my shirt up and putting his huge hand across my belly. Afraid to move for fear of him feeling rejection, I stiffened in all the appropriate places. Hey, and there wasn't any fear rolling off him?
He pulled my hand down and rolled my index finger over his, finding Rigel.
“The rest makes no sense to me still. We’ve always been told the factions should be enemies. Confession, I climbed out the window tonight wanting to turn you in. And then I remembered it was you. This,” he pressed my stomach in, “is very real. And I can’t live with you being my enemy."
"So don't make me one."
He frowned, but conceded without a response. Normally I would have told him it was my turn for the rolling “tell me” statements. But I couldn’t give that to him now, and he knew that.
When he moved away, I shivered.
“Are you cold?”
Speaking about something less heavy, “I wasn’t a second ago.”
He smiled and looped his fingers in mine.
“I think you have a lot to tell me still. And I want to know everything before tomorrow comes.”
“Okay! I think we should include Lee.” I wasn’t sure about his place with him yet, but hoped as I held my breath.
“I want to know that he’s just a friend.”
He’s not blind. “I liked him when we were fourteen, Calum. He’s not the same guy at all. He’s the only boy I’ve ever really known well other than you and my brother. He…wants more…but I can’t give him that.” My finger dotted his chest.
“He wants more?”
“I imagine he just drummed up old feelings when I showed up here one day, on his turf. He was taken away rather fast at our court. He knows how I feel and respects it. I trust him.”
“But do I?” he said under his breath.
Not answering, we headed back to the dorms.
Chapter Twenty One Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize…
We both climbed in, him after me. Lee was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, waiting.
I sat on the edge of Calum’s bed, still not past the idea that I was sitting on the bed of a person I’d kissed every time I’d come in here.
Calum sat beside me. Lee reeled up his gaze to watch us, holding his breath. Calum took my hand in his and said the last thing I’d have ever guessed would come from his mouth.
“She’s mine. We clear on that?”
Lee’s face flinched only slightly, “Yeah, got that from her already. Done deal.”
I knew this was hard for him. I tried to look sympathetic. In a den of wolves, there was only one alpha.
“What now?” Lee asked.
“You two tell me everything you know and suspect. Then, WE figure out what to do next.” He paused. As if reaffirming it, “I won’t lose her.” He squeezed my hand.
“I understand.” Lee’s eyes looked haunted.
Calum walked to the desk, bent down and threw the soccer ball at Lee. He caught it. “Game tomorrow! You gonna be there?”
Lee nodded accepting the inevitable.
We spent three hours telling Calum everything we knew up until now. He wasn’t happy that the two of us snuck out last night and went driving around in dark places.
The Were involvement scared both boys. I’d only ever interacted with them involving my knife in their chest and that was only one. I’d heard of their leader, but he was young. My age. And an egotistical playboy who doesn't want to give any of the factions the time of day.
All said, Lee excused himself to the bathroom. At two o’clock in the morning and a warm comfortable kiss goodbye, I crawled through the window.
Calum called to my back, “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I’ve had everyone fooled until now.” I was just being honest.
“Yes,” his face pouted. I’d never seen him pout. Ha! “But our time will run out now that we are on to them, and we don’t know what comes next.”
Chapter Twenty Two …how close they were to success when they gave up.
The next day was like the first day. Forgetting the real danger I was in, I felt free. Calum, my eye within the hurricane of chaos and all in between, knew the real me and he was here, standing right outside the dorm door, waiting for me. The crooked smile was there, a bit reserved waiting for my reaction.
Honestly, my nerves aside, my burden of holding secrets lifted, I was a new person. The one person who really new me, had no secrets between us.
“Good morning you,” he leaned and raised the eyebrow. I watched it rise.
“Good morning to you.”
“How do you feel?”
“I feel free.” I smiled, lips twisting.
“Free?” He blinked at me, agony displayed across his face.
“I see you, your face, your smile, the eyebrow, the way you lean just how I like, and here, waiting for me, and I have no secrets. I feel free.” I laughed. I counted in my head rather quickly how many times I’d told the truth since coming here.
“Free. I like it.”
“I’m glad.” I rocked on my heels hearing my boots heels click on the sidewalk.
“Enough of the past. This is today. I want my girl to shine. She is tougher than any girl or guy, except one whose been holding out on me. She has powers I plan to quiz her about tonight, alone.”
I gulped. Not just at the quiz, or the alone time, but the tougher than most. He knew I’d held back. And he was openly being humorous about me being not a Hunter. Almost as if he’d changed his mind full circle and was enamored by it.
“And she’s still behind in her chemistry homework which means she has to spend extra time with me after school and give me her night in addition.”
I gave a lamented grin, “That is a
n awful lot of time spent together. With pleasure.”
He imparted a sneaky grin indicating. “But?”
I gave him my best but what look.
“She has to go on a date with me. A starry night. Since I’m seeing all of her for the first time.”
I got it. “She says yes.”
ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ ℓ
In lit class, things heated up for my new found wings of freedom. Dracula was ending now and we were debating the issue of choice. Did Dracula have a choice in his role in life? Did Mina?
And I just had to give my undying opinion.
“Dracula has no choice. He can’t change it no matter what he does, except death. And maybe he should choose it, but there isn’t a choice. You are who you are.”
A drop of a pin could be heard.
The red headed boy Barry spoke, “Of course you are right. None of us chooses who we are. Our paths were chosen for us for a reason, and sometimes I think we don’t know the reason till precisely the right moment.”
How right he is!
He watched me with intensity I didn’t know he was capable of being right on target like he was reading me.
One of the hotheaded girls that sit in front of me in my chemistry class laughed. I didn't know her. “Dracula didn’t choose his path, just chose others, their future for them. Sometimes we can’t avoid the future. It just slams us in the face and BAM, it’s there.”
Yet another prissy one let us be privy to her wisdom, “Dracula wasn’t anything but a two-timing pig of a man with sharper teeth. Nothing different than the norm.”
Yeah, no animosity there!
The teacher spoke, “Enough class. We are all very aware of Count Dracula’s forthcomings. Now we will move on to A Midsummer’s Nights Dream on Monday. Please have it read by then. We will cover Frost and Poe poetry until then in class. Three poems in all.”
The class stood and started exiting. I glanced back at Barry who gave me a superstitious look. I nodded my appreciation for his backup comments and left.
Classes were fine. I laughed a little more than usual. The study date was better than it ever was, and the night out under the stars eating cookies was the best ever. It was all just good fun, but I knew it had to end. Knowing my brother was hurt didn't help, but I couldn't blow my cover. We’d decided at weapons class to meet in the boys’ dorm to plan what next.
Chapter Twenty Three The pen…
Lee felt awkward at first, but after the plotting began, his Hunter side hunger for danger kicked in. Too much testosterone in one room, I watched as they expelled their feelings through violence. Calum started banging fists and hinting at a little extra nighttime sparring with Lee so I announced bedtime for the girl Valkyrie surrounded by Hunter boys and who knows what else.
The plan. Lee would sneak around for more information. The three of us would make another visit to the warehouse called “the rack” in two nights when the whole dorm sneaks out into the woods, with us unnoticeably gone. Calum made sure to remind Lee and me that he would be with us this time. I would call my father with an update with as little information as possible. I’d argued that I had to give him something or he’d question not only my abilities, but my effectiveness of being there. I proposed the idea of removing me and pondered where they might move me if I’m ineffective. That closed the subject quickly.
At lunch the next day, Calum came with me to my dorm room to call my father. I heard every sound magnified ten times. The click of the door shutting made my head boil.
As odd as it was to have a guy in my room, I was comforted even when he started going through the things on my dresser touching everything.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing the real you.”
Funny! “Even more of me. Sure about that?”
He stopped in mid-turn with my favorite lavendar scent in hand, “Very sure princess. All of it! I’ve dreamed of sneaking in here.”
“What?”
“You’re not the only sneak,” he publicized, his eyes never leaving mine.
Says a Hunter!
“O.kay!” I chewed my lower lip. “Have you…been in here before?” He called me princess and knows it now. It suddenly means a little more. Like, I even kind of like it.
He paused for the effect, “No!” He was arranging my dresser again.
My breath released too easily.
“Just in the night, when you’re alone in the dark. At least I dream about doing it.” He didn’t turn around.
I blushed.
“You’re blushing.”
“How do you know?”
“Just do. And I want to know more about your every minute you’re not with me.”
“My turn next. Cool it, Romeo.”
“Okay, Juliet.” He hissed and acted like he was throwing claws.
“MEOW,” I made quotes in the air twitching my fingers back and forth.
He pawed the air again.
“Business now. Pleasure later,” I reminded him.
“Oh, the promises. For which you said you intended to keep. This one included. He held up my pink florescent bra hanging on the knob of the dresser.”
My face boiled, but the edge of a smile leaked through.
“Okay. But I’ll take you up on that promise later, princess.” He replaced it.
He seemed to like the new pet name. “Okay, my hidden in the shady side of things boy.” I was truly happy around him. He made me laugh. I’d never had so much attention given solely to me. He seemed so focused much of the time that I couldn’t help myself when I waited for his next bit of affection even if I was realizing as of late, that he was so important to me, I don’t think I could be anymore to him than I am now. I forced myself last night to picture marrying this boy. And...I couldn’t.
“You haven’t said much about the fact that you knew you’re father was the actual next in line for the Hunter court.”
“Not sure it will pan out. No sense. Call!” he demanded tapping his wrist.
I made a face at him and dialed the number.
“Boy is fine. Tortured. Val court comprised. Spy was within. Possible other breach. Court is in danger of overtake.”
I heard a click after pausing for more than five seconds. Father was gone. Would he understand my message about Dyer in the past or will he assume or know about another? Hard to tell! One thing I knew for certain, the danger was more real than it had ever been for me. Other missions were baby work compared to this. My life was threatened and all those important to me also. How does one deal with that? Head on collision coming right towards you and you have a split second to decide the possible outcomes. What do you do? What do you do?
“Can I ask you something?” Calum interrupted my thoughts.
“Anything!”
“This princess thing. You’re really the missing brother’s princess twin and all the stories I heard. They’re true?”
My eyes wide, “Yes, thought we had this clear. What stories?”
“Don’t have time for them all.” He bit off a bite of leftover cookie from the most recent picnic. “You kill your victims with your knives and carve the family emblem in their skin.”
“WHAT? Who says that?”
“Everyone knows the stories. At least the Hunters,” Calum laughed.
“You laugh. That’s terrible. I’ve never killed anyone like that or killed for thar matter. Maiming is not getting dead anyway.”
His eyes narrowed, “You haven’t?”
“You’re shocked?” my breathing pushed harder.
Hesitating just enough Calum said, “No. But that was the first thought that went through my brain when you told me who you were.”
I was horrified. Although I hated admitting this to anyone, even this Hunter boy.
“And my second thought was that’s not the person I know. So no, I don’t believe most of what I’ve heard. And I doubt anyone else will either when they know that they know the real you.”
My skepticism poured out and
a heartbeat later alarm bells rang. I was alarmed at the idea of others knowing, “They can’t know.”
“Maybe not now, but maybe later.” That terrified me beyond belief.
“With all you’ve been holding back from me, I’d be really surprised any Hunter can beat you.” The ghost of a smile played across his face.
I knew it took a lot for him to admit this aloud, and to me. “I’m no super hero you make me or my family out to be. And I’m only just me.”
“But if I could ‘power up’ on sugar like the Stace I know, to give me the extra edge, I’d be there.”
“It’s more than that.”
Calum was on a tangent now. “Not going to happen for me. You’re strange sometimes and do weird things.”
I snorted. “Says a Hunter!”
“What?”
“Nothing,” I said rolling my lips together.
“What?” he pouted his lip out. This is a hoot since he’s so not the teddy bear type.
“It’s just, you eat, a lot.”
He really pouted this time.
I laughed. “Let’s get to chemistry before we’re late.”
The Jekyll side of Calum told blonde jokes the entire way to class and had me laughing all the way in the door where seventeen other pairs of eyes stopped abruptly to watch. Oops!
“If you’re finished with your obvious attempt to interrupt the education of others, the two of you may find your seat.”
We both grimaced and said several “I’m sorry” whispers as we passed our friends.
Of course, I had to look at Lee’s reaction like the total idiot I am. He held his face expressionless, but I detected pain in the way his mouth curved downward. Felt it.
Derrick was snickering and I caught his mouthed comment to Calum, “About time you are making use of the socks I see.”
Calum’s face angered. He bent over the lab desk growling, “It’s not like that.”
Derrick was so flustered and scared, I almost, almost, felt sorry for him. For I realized then what Derrick had really meant. And to know that Calum was defending my honor was well, awesome. Wow! The fact is no one ever had to before.
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