Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1)

by Lanie Jacobs

  “You two need to get a room,” Khalida smirked as Vega laughed as they fell into place next to each other, each boy greeting each other but not long enough to let go of their partners.

  “You need to wipe off your boyfriend’s lipstick covered face,” Vega threw back at her.

  “I think it suits me, don’t you Razi?” Luke said coyly as he wiped his mouth.

  The night flew by in almost no time all. Khalida reveled in the night and for the first time in a month, she was normal. Khalida almost forgot everything that had been going on until the DJ announced the dance was ending in thirty minutes. Tearing herself away from Luke’s hold, she gave Luke the excuse she wanted to get some punch. The truth was she didn’t want him to know she was upset. Khalida was enjoying herself, just having fun and being normal, but now the night was ending and all too soon; she would have to face her reality.

  “Hey, Toot, don’t take too long,” Luke spoke but she could tell he was probing through her mind, looking for a reason for the sudden pull back.

  Khalida had spent the past few days learning how to mentally block her thoughts from Luke’s thought-seeking gifts, and Luke didn’t know. It was hard, but she finally managed to hide some of them well without him being able to read her. At the very least, it gave her piece of mind knowing she could keep some things to herself.

  She found herself wondering over to the punch table and could feel Luke’s eyes following her as she crossed the room, watching every move that she made. Khalida couldn’t help but smile to herself as she stood at the table, pouring her drink. She was about to take a sip of her red punch just as a lonely junior tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Would you like to dance?” he stuttered politely.

  Khalida looked past the eager junior in search of Luke only to find him in full conversation with a bleach blonde, unmistakably Lacey...no other blonde had been throwing themselves at him. Disappointment grew in her gut as she realized he was no longer watching her. In fact, he was paying no attention at all to what she was doing.

  “Khalida?” the boy persisted.

  “Sure,” she mumbled, “as long as you take it easy on me. I’m not too good.”

  “Uh, Yeah, sure,” the guy said with a little too much enthusiasm.

  Grabbing her hand, he walked her out to the dance floor as he formally placed a hand on her waist and one on her shoulder. As they swayed back and forth, Khalida searched for Luke in the crowd and when she couldn’t find him, she wondered what he was up to and where he had gone, making a feeble attempt to hold the junior’s light conversation. No longer able to focus, her eyes began darting across the dance floor expecting to see him dancing with the bimbo, but he wasn’t on the floor either. He had just disappeared.

  Fear gripped her chest.

  Did he leave me?

  Khalida still danced but she was no longer paying attention to her partner. She had only one thing on her mind and that was Luke. Her eyes searched until they landed on someone standing off in the shadows of the gym. She knew it was Luke when she saw his eyes through a glimmer of light from the dance floor, even though the shadows covered most of his face. As her eyes adjusted, she could see his lips pursed tightly, his chest heaving up and down.

  Jealous?

  Staring at him, the corner of his pursed mouth curved up but he gave nothing away.

  She broke away from the junior.

  “I have to go,” she said, and left him standing there with no explanation. Khalida moved towards Luke, knowing he was watching her every move. Stopping halfway to him, she could see the corner of his mouth curve up.

  Mine.

  At that moment, she knew no matter how much she tried to push him away, she would always be his. She looked at him with desperation in her eyes. It wasn’t that she could hear his thoughts, nothing like that surprised her, anymore. She was desperate to be with him. She wanted him close to her. He took a step out of the shadows, moving to where Khalida stood. When Khalida saw him moving forward, she followed his lead moving one step at a time, getting closer to him until she was standing in front of him.

  Her heart was about to explode out of her chest, and her body ached for his touch. Luke silently stood before Khalida with a wicked grin spread across his lips. Khalida couldn’t help but notice how dark and mysteriously handsome Luke was at that moment. She always had an unstoppable attraction to Luke, but tonight, he pulled her to him with a simple glance, his eyes boring deeply into Khalida’s, taking the sight of her in. Khalida wanted to reach for him, but she was taken aback by the electric current that went shooting throughout her body. Luke hesitantly reached out his arm, softly placing his hand tenderly behind Khalida’s neck, pulling her to his lips. Even though moments before she was fuming at the possibility that Luke was dancing with Lacey, she didn’t pull away or try to fight with him. Instead, she pushed that out of her mind and took him in, almost losing herself in him.

  He intertwined their fingers together, connecting them as he pulled her to the dance floor.

  “I believe you owe me another dance,” he smirked.

  Khalida let him lead her to the floor, wrapping her arms around his waist, holding him as tightly as she could. Khalida couldn’t see Vega, but if she saw the events that just took place between her and Luke, she knew her best friend could surely be seen jiggling and wiggling with happiness.

  They didn’t stop dancing even as the song ended. Luke still had his hands around Khalida, and neither pulled away until they were interrupted by her bubbling best friend.

  “Need a bathroom break?” Khalida asked, looking at Vega, “you know I don’t like going by myself.”

  Luke and Razi laughed as their dancing partners walked away. Vega headed straight for the mirrors, checking her make-up and hair as the two entered the restroom.

  “Oh, stop it,” Khalida grumbled, “You look perfect.”

  She put her hands down and looked at Khalida with sadness in her eyes.

  “I love you,” she said, placing her arms around Khalida’s neck.

  “What is this? What’s wrong?” Khalida said, stunned at the emotion coming from her best friend.

  “I just wanted you to know.”

  “I love you too, Duck.”

  Khalida’s attempt to make her friend laugh failed miserably.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I just hate to think about what could happen at any time. I know I’m just being emotional and probably over reacting, but I feel really bad about the other day. That thing got so close to you,” Vega poured out.

  Khalida hated to think she blamed herself.

  “Everything is going to be okay. We’re not going to think about that tonight. It was nobody’s fault. You’re a great friend, and I love you more than life itself. Let’s get back out there and enjoy our last night as seniors, okay?”

  Vega smiled grimly, “You’re right. I know I shouldn’t worry. I’ve seen you kick some ass. I know what you can do. Let’s get back out there.”

  As they walked out of the restroom, Khalida saw that Lacey was hanging around, strutting her business out there, again. Only this time she was on the dance floor with Luke. Khalida watched as her patience grew thin, fury instantly shooting through her when Lacey tried to rub against him, laughing as he took a step back, but that didn’t stop her. She flung her arms over his neck, trying to pull him into a kiss while Khalida seethed with anger.

  “If she touches Razi, the skank will die,” Vega gritted through her teeth.

  Enough was enough. Khalida walked up to the blonde who was still gyrating on her Luke, a look of relief immediately washing over Luke’s face as he saw her approaching.

  “This isn’t a gentleman’s club, Lacey. I know it must be difficult, but try to restrain yourself,” Khalida growled.

  A roar of laughter came flooding through Lacey as she lightly brushed off Khalida’s threat.

&nb
sp; “I’m aware of where I am Khalida, and yes, you can go back to the restroom,” she said sourly.

  I know this bi…oh, hell no, she isn’t talking to me like that! Who the hell does this chick think she is?

  Khalida reacted before anyone expected it, her fist flying into Lacey’s face. Before Khalida realized what she was doing, her fist flew again and again until the blonde flew back on the floor. Her arms and legs flailing about like a human crab.

  “Keep your filthy hands off him!” Khalida shouted as Lacey wiped the blood from her nose.

  Luke grabbed Khalida by the arm, and like a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, he tossed her over his shoulder. Luke began rushing forward but came to a sudden halt with Khalida still over his shoulder. Looking around, he caught Razi’s eye and knew Razi had caught the scent, too. Lacey’s blood had a sweet scent to it. They knew she wasn’t one of them but she wasn’t human either. They nodded at each other and moved forward through the crowd. Luke carried Khalida away from the blonde who was still sprawled out in the middle of the dance floor as fast as he could. Could he have missed something? He never caught wind of anything out of the normal with that girl other than she was just aggressive.

  “Where are we going?” Khalida managed a strangled growl, still wanting to take her frustrations out on the no good hussy that kept throwing herself at what was hers. She finally got to give that wench exactly what she had coming, and she was excited. In her book, it was long overdue.

  “It’s time to go,” Luke said as he carried her out of the gym, not daring to stop or put her down until they got to his car. Vega and Razi were following right on their heels with Vega laughing wildly at the events that had just gone down.

  “Can you go anywhere without making a scene?” Luke said jokingly, “you do have quiet the right hook, though. I’ll give you that.”

  “Don’t even get me started! And what were you doing letting her throw herself at you like that?” Khalida tried to sound upset but her feeble attempt fell short. She was just too alive at the moment.

  “Whoa, Mike Tyson, chill out,” he said innocently, “I stopped her advances before it could get out of hand. I was only being polite.”

  “Well, next time, don’t be so damn polite,” she threw up her hand in protest as her mouth took on a mind of its own, “how in the hell would you like it if I go and find someone to be polite with?”

  Khalida took a step back as she heard the low rumbling growl coming from Luke’s direction. With a look of pissed off determination across his face, she knew she crossed a line. Instead, he was silent. Torturing her with no words was much worse than anything he would say.

  Luke tried to open his mouth but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Throwing Khalida a wink he flipped it open.

  Good. He winked. I’m not in trouble.

  “Yeah,” he said into the phone.

  “Yes, Mom. We are all okay,” Luke gave them a serious look.

  “Okay, we’re on our way,” he said as he hung up the phone.

  “We have to go. Razi. Vega. Follow us back to the house,” he demanded.

  “What’s up?” Razi asked aware that something major was going on.

  “There was a problem at the animal shelter where Khalida use to work. The manager was found with his throat ripped out, and the building was set on fire,” Luke said nervously. “They’re here, and they’re looking for her. We have to get her home now.”

  Razi nodded his head and led Vega to his car. When Khalida got into Luke’s car, she thought of Mr. Spears. He had been a total jerk, but the fact remained that he was now dead, and that sent shivers down her spine. Khalida’s wonderful night had begun to spiral downward. Sensing her despair, Luke reached over and squeezed her hand as he sped out of the parking lot, taking his foot off the gas only as they reached his house. He didn’t fully relax until his car was parked in front of his house.

  “They’re here, Khally. We can’t afford to be careless any longer,” his brow burrowed down with worry.

  “I refuse to stop living my life here. You can’t ask me to do that, Luke, and it’s not fair.”

  “I’m not, Baby. It’s just getting more dangerous. I can’t have anything happen to you,” Luke said, letting go a slow and steady sigh. “Go away with me, we can leave tonight,” he said, grabbing her face with both of his hands and pressing her lips to his, begging her with each kiss to leave, to go anywhere, just somewhere that they couldn’t be found.

  “We can’t leave, Luke. You have your family here. My family’s here. Besides did you say they could probably find me anywhere I go?”

  “Don’t you understand? I would give all of this up to make sure you’re safe!” he said, sounding desperate, pleading.

  “I know you won’t let anything happen to me,” Khalida tried to reassure him.

  “What if I can’t stop them, Khalida? Have you thought about that at all?” His grip on her face tightened and she could tell he was desperate.

  “How do they take someone’s gifts away?” she asked, not really knowing if she wanted to know the answer.

  “I can’t even think about that, Khally,” Luke replied, letting his hands fall from her face and settling back into his seat.

  “Tell me, Luke. Don’t I have the right to know?” now she was pleading. He just sat there, staring straight ahead. Khalida knew he was thinking about the end result that could happen. His face was cold, giving no emotion.

  “The person that is drinking your blood the moment your heart stops beating is the person that claims your gift,” he finally spoke.

  “So if they get their hands on me, you have to make sure I’m dead before they bite me,” her voice croaked.

  He looked at her and cocked his eyebrow with a slight cocky smile forming at the edges of his mouth. “It will never happen. I’ll protect you at all cost, Love, even if it takes my life. Now let’s go inside, we have a big day tomorrow,” Luke’s desperation had been replaced once, again with his self-confident wicked grin.

  CHAPTER 9

  It had to be well past two o’clock in the morning and sleep had yet to claim Khalida. She couldn’t hear anyone outside her new room at Luke’s, which meant they were all asleep or downstairs. Khalida’s head was pounding with intensity, making irritation grip at her gut. Irritation tensed her body as she strained to keep her nerves in check. Every scratch and scrape of the tree branches against the window made her jump. Every sound she heard made her clench the muscles in her stomach. Khalida felt panic sweep through her veins as her vision began to blur. Instinctively, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying unsuccessfully to clear her vision. Her methods did nothing to help and only left her with a smudged version of everything. Trembling, she rolled over to the edge of the bed and slid off of the side until she felt her knees hit the hard wood floor. Khalida rested her cheek on the cool cotton sheets as she sat, wishing her head didn’t hurt so much. After a few painful moments, Khalida realized the headaches had started to hit her more over the past week and nothing seemed to control them.

  Slow deep breaths… have to make this stop... need fresh air

  Squeezing her eyes shut, again, she took a deep breath and rolled back on her heels to stand. She tried turning, taking an awkward step into the darkness towards the window, holding her hands out in front of her, walking blindly as the pain from her head continued to pound away, weakening her with dizziness. She reached out searching for the window until her hands landed on the cool smooth glass. She reached for the window, gripping the sill to steady herself before she tumbled over. After finding the seat of the bay window, she fumbled with the locked window until it snapped free, allowing her to open it wide. The cool night air rushed in and dried the sweat that had saturated her face just moments before. She opened her eyes as the mysterious headache vanished and her vision returned, sharper and clearer than ever. She sat there for a long moment, wonder
ing how strange it was to lose sight for such a short period of time when a sudden movement from across the yard caught her attention. A cat sprang from the bushes and skillfully scaled one of the trees bordering the yard. It disappeared into to the branches, hiding like it had been chased. Khalida held on to the side of the window and leaned out, trying to focusing her eyes, staring past the willow tree harboring the animal.