They all looked at me, sensing my attitude shift and I turned before any of them forced me to talk. “I need to also,” Brandon said. “Are we going out to eat?”
I continued walking, trying to control my jealousy. I shouldn’t be jealous of Brandon, for all I knew this was the first time he had done anything like this. I didn’t even know what happened to his parents, if he had any. I needed to be happy for him.
Brandon caught up to me and said, “We won.”
“Yes, you did great. It was probably the best game I have ever seen.”
He smiled. “Thank you. So, what did he say to you at the restaurant?”
“Not going to let that go, are you?” He shook his head. I sighed. Better to get it over with quickly. I told him the entire conversation we had had, even my parts truthfully. Brandon listened quietly, but the more I said, the angrier he got. We stood in front of the locker rooms with players and cheerleaders talking happily and heading out to eat before the party. I waited for two minutes and then asked, “What are you thinking?”
He met my eyes and I saw gold roll over them. “That I am going to have to kill him soon.”
That was not the response I had expected. I stepped back from him in shock. “What? I mean I know he is sort of twisted about killing me quickly if ordered to, but he’s probably the only one on their side who doesn’t want to kill me.”
“He wants to steal you away and make a pack with you,” Brandon said, “Or did you actually consider it?”
I laughed. “You’re forgetting the part about me being a hybrid that he didn’t like just like you. He’s not going to take me and I don’t want him anyways.”
“You don’t want him?” Brandon asked.
I shook my head. “Of course not.”
“Who do you want?” he asked with his stupid smirk as he stepped closer to me.
I glared at him and turned away before I tried to punch him. Stupid jerk. I changed quickly and then walked out to where Sarah and the others were waiting. “Have you had any issues since the attack outside the restaurant?” Mark asked.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, but not attacks. Brandon can tell you about it later. For now, let’s go get food, I’m starving.”
Dad put his arm around my shoulders. “That’s my girl, always hungry.” He looked around. “Your mom didn’t come?”
“She doesn’t come to anything, Dad. She’s too busy with her life,” I said as I headed towards the parking lot.
“Well, Brandon’s here now to watch you,” said Sarah.
“More like I’m here to watch him. No one looked at the cheerleaders tonight with him creaming the other team.”
“I watched you,” said Bob from the roof top of the library we were walking by.
Everyone spun towards his voice and growled. I was surrounded by them and before I could say anything Brandon jumped up onto the roof. “Leave her alone. She doesn’t want you.”
Bob smiled. “You’re only saying that because you don’t want her, but you don’t want anyone else to have her either. You are selfish. Can’t you see that she’s in pain?”
“What?” Brandon asked in shock.
Bob shook his head angrily. “You’re all too worried about keeping your precious rabbit safe that you don’t see how miserable she is.” He looked at me. “I know how to fix you. I know how to make you happy.”
Mark and Dad growled and jumped up onto the roof beside Brandon. I looked around nervously, hoping no one had seen them jumping up onto the roof. It was definitely not natural to do that and we really did not need human attention right now. Luckily it seemed like we were the only ones around this area.
Bob smiled. “See, none of them wants you to be happy. They just want to keep you for themselves. You are just their pet, Victoria. After I fix you we could be together as a mated couple and I would treat you like an equal. That’s what you want, right? You want to be an equal.”
He was right. He knew exactly what I was feeling, but how?
“You have two seconds to leave before I order my pride to kill you,” Dad said quietly and calmly.
Bob looked at me. “I met with an ex-hybrid. He told me how to fix you. I’m leaving for a few months, but I will find you sometime when you are alone and show you.” He smiled at the pride. “Soon she won’t want you or need you. You’ll see. And then you will know what kind of pain she has been dealing with.”
He jumped from the library’s roof to the main office and ran off into the night. Dad held Brandon and Mark back. “Let him go. This isn’t the place for that.”
I could not believe he had just done that. Brandon hopped down from the roof and walked towards me. I turned away from him and linked arms with Sarah. “Let’s go eat.”
It was the first dinner where everyone wasn’t overly rowdy. I was sure that what Bob had said was making them all think about me and how they treated me. Part of me was happy, but another part of me was scared that they would start treating me differently. Bob had been right about so many things, was it from the hybrid he met with? Could he introduce me to him? And what was an ex-hybrid? How could you become not a hybrid anymore?
“Victoria,” Mark said softly.
I looked up and realized they were all standing out of their chairs, getting ready to leave. “Oh, sorry.” I stood up and leaned against my Dad’s side as we walked out. He smiled down at me and I smiled back. “Are you guys staying tonight?”
He shook his head. “We need to get back to the pride. You know they can’t be alone without the top three for too long without getting in trouble.”
They dropped us off at the house and I said goodbye to them. I waited until they turned the corner before walking into the house. Brandon stood at the bottom of the stairs, blocking my path to my room. “Excuse me,” I said politely.
He looked up at me. “Is he right?”
“Huh?” I asked, caught off guard.
He met my eyes. “Bob, was he right? Are you in pain?”
I frowned. “I told you all of this before. I told you about how I feel.”
“So, you are in pain? All the time?”
I looked down at my hands, twisting my shirt nervously. “Not all the time.”
“When aren’t you in pain?” he asked, moving closer to me.
I knew it was stupid. I knew I shouldn’t do it, but I wanted to see what he would do. I looked up at him and met his eyes. “I’m not in pain when I am with you,” I said and then before I lost my nerve I pressed my lips against his. He froze for a moment and then his arms wrapped around me. He was warm and it felt good to have his arms around me while his lips were against mine. It was everything I had ever dreamt of in a kiss.
He pulled back and shook his head. Tears flooded my eyes and I flung open the front door. The party was only four blocks away so I headed in that direction, deciding it was better to get out without changing or I would lock myself in my bedroom and cry all night. I heard Brandon shut the door a moment later, but I kept facing forward and turned down the next street. The sound of music led me to Alexis’ house, the richest girl in school and I put on my happy face as I walked through the front door.
People yelled my name and I waved as I headed towards the kitchen where I knew the alcohol would be. Sandy met me with two shots. “Time to catch up!” she said. I smiled and took both shots quickly. The liquor burned a trail down my throat to my stomach and my fake smile turned into a real one. She patted my back and grabbed two more, this time she took one at the same time I did.
I heard people yelling out Brandon’s name and grabbed a fourth shot, taking it just as he walked in. He frowned at me and I turned away, heading out back. “I need some air.”
Sandy followed me out and the football players surrounded Brandon, blocking his way to me. I stepped outside and Devon splashed me with water from the pool where he was lounging. “Bout time you showed up.”
I smiled. “Aw, did you miss me, Dev?”
He splashed me again, hating that nickname. �
��I won the bet. Time to go swimming.”
I shook my head. “Your bet was with Sandy. I had a bet with Brandon.”
Devon wiggled his eyebrows. “You already do yours?”
I was about to make a rude comment when someone shoved me in the back, sending me into the pool and on top of Devon. Devon caught me and kept my head from going underneath the water, but my clothes were completely soaked now. I spun around to glare at whoever it was. “What the hell?!”
Sam smiled at me, his eyes glazed over from what looked like being incredibly drunk. “Miss me?” he asked with a slur.
I climbed out of the pool and pushed him as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards into the house and people moved out of the way. Devon hopped out of the pool and said, “Victoria, calm down, let us take care of it.”
Something wasn’t right with the air and suddenly I was very angry. I could smell something familiar on Sam, but I couldn’t place it.
I punched Sam in the right side of his jaw. “Why do you insist on pestering me?! I have had enough of boys bothering me and ruining my life. I just want to be left alone to enjoy what little bits of happiness I can! Is that so much to ask?!”
I punched him again, this time knocking him down on his back in the middle of the kitchen. “Get off me!” he yelled, fear now evident in his eyes.
“You should have left me alone!” I yelled as the anger I usually kept so well contained surfaced. I straddled his body and began to pummel his face with my fists. Hands grabbed at me and people tried to pull me off, but I pushed them away as I beat Sam. Strong hands grabbed me by the wrists and pulled me up and off Sam. I struggled against them, but was turned around and forced to meet Brandon’s eyes. I pushed at him, getting a hand free and punched him in the jaw.
He grunted in pain and spun me around, trapping my arms in front of me in his steel like grasp. “Victoria, calm down.”
“Let me go!” I yelled as I struggled against him.
Tim walked inside with the same glazed eyes as his brother, looked down at his bleeding and unconscious brother, and charged at me. He hit me in the face just as Brandon released me to try to stop him. I shoved Brandon’s chest, making him fly backwards into three other people and they all fell to the ground in a tangle of legs and arms.
I looked at Tim and smiled. “It’s good to see you. You and I have some unfinished business.” I kicked his knee sideways and heard a bone crunch. Devon grabbed at my arms, but I shoved him back. I spun around and kicked Tim in the stomach. He flew backwards through the door and down the hallway, sliding on the floor. I ran forward and punched him in the nose and then the jaw. Blood covered my fists, but it wasn’t enough. Tim rolled away and kicked my legs out from under me, but I bounced right back up after he swung at me and caught him with an upper cut to the jaw.
People crowded around, but finally no one tried to stop me. I punched Tim three more times, knocking out two teeth and was about to break his collarbone when Brandon tackled me from behind, pinning me to the floor with his heavier body. I clawed at his arms and tried to head butt him. I wanted more blood on my hands. I wanted to see more people who had hurt me bleed.
“Stop. Please, calm down.” Brandon whispered as he held me. I couldn’t control it. I knew this was what the lions called bloodlust and yet it was too intoxicating for me to want to stop. I wanted more. I needed more. “Tori,” he whispered, “Please stop fighting me.”
His nickname brought me back into myself. I relaxed and felt my entire body shudder.
“Is she okay?” Devon asked from behind us.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine. I am going to take her home though,” Brandon said as he stood up with me in his arms. “I would have beat them worse than her if I had seen them first so I am not surprised they made her snap.”
“We’ll take care of them,” Devon said, “Just take her home and get her washed up.”
Brandon walked out of the house and down the road. I stayed quiet for a block and then whispered, “Sorry.”
He tilted his head to look down at me. “For what?”
“Hitting you. Losing control.”
“I would have killed them,” he whispered, “It was better that you were the one fighting, but you were close to killing Tim.”
I shuddered. “I couldn’t help it. I…” I stopped talking, not wanting to tell him. “Set me down, I can walk.”
He shook his head. “Your adrenaline’s all gone so you’ll be all shaky. Besides, you’re really light.” He looked at the road a moment then said, “That was bloodlust, wasn’t it?” I bit my lip and refused to answer. “Your Dad doesn’t know you have that side effect. He would have told me if he had known.” Brandon exhaled. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have kissed you that night.”
I jumped from his arms and pushed his chest. “Don’t. Okay? Just stop talking. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Just listen to me,” he said angrily, “Let me explain.”
“I don’t want to hear it!” I yelled. “Just, drop it.”
“No! You need to know.”
“I already know!” I yelled as I started crying. “I do not need to hear you say it or it will hurt worse.”
He stared at me in shock and then opened his mouth. I shook my head. “Whatever. Let’s just forget about it, okay? I’m not mad at you. I am just tired now. We will forget all about the kisses and be the best of friends for the next month and a half.”
He clenched his jaw, but refrained from talking. It seemed I had finally made it through his thick skull. I walked the rest of the way to my house and he followed me silently.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next day we acted as if nothing had happened and spent the entire day in my tree haven telling stories about the pride. It was the best day I had had with him and the days continued like that. I had become infamous around the school from beating the tar out of Tim and Sam and with Brandon beside me I didn’t have any more problems. Plus he started training me so that even if I got attacked again, I would be able to hold my own, at least against a very strong human. Mom was gone more than she was home and as much as I wanted to talk to her about it, I did not want to hear anything cruel from her so I chickened out every time she did come home.
On the last Saturday we had at my mom’s house we were sitting in the backyard enjoying the warm day. I was incredibly bored. It had been more than two weeks with no Minters pack sightings and even though I wasn’t feeling complacent, I was tired of staying at the house.
“Can we please go do something?” I asked Brandon who was in lion form hunting a squirrel that had wondered into the backyard and was searching for food.
He flicked one ear back towards me, but gave no other sign that he had heard me.
“I’m bored. I know you are too, otherwise you wouldn’t be hunting a squirrel.”
He stopped his hunt and exhaled loudly. The squirrel heard it and scrambled up the nearest tree, looking back down at Brandon in shock, apparently it had not known that Brandon was behind him.
I smiled in victory and turned around, looking out over the koi pond as Brandon changed forms and got dressed. “Fine, we can go out, but I get to pick the places,” he said.
I wanted to argue because I did not really like the idea of him picking incredibly safe and boring places, but just nodded my head. Anything was better than staying here. “Okay.”
He tapped my shoulder to signal me that he was presentable and I could turn around. Instead of turning around I headed towards the house and asked, “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said as he followed me.
I turned around and was not surprised to see his stupid, cocky smirk on his face. “How can it be a surprise if I have the keys and I’m driving?” I asked as I dangled the keys off my finger in front of him.
Before I could react, he snatched the keys off my finger and said, “Because I’m driving, not you.”
I growled and said, “You better not take me someplace stupid.”
He smiled. “I promise you will have fun.”
I smiled back and we walked through the house and to my car. “You know how to drive, right?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “I have a driver’s license. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes,” I answered and held out my hand.
He shook his head. “No way. I am not showing you it.”
“You just offered!” I said as we climbed into the car.
“I was joking about really letting you see it.”
“Embarrassing photo?” I asked teasingly.
“Actually, yes,” he mumbled.
Now I had to see it. “Come on. Let me see it.”
“No,” he said as he started the car.
“You know I will see it eventually.”
“No you won’t,” he said with certainty.
I almost said something sarcastic, but bit my tongue. I would just sneak into his room and take a peek while he was showering. If I said something sarcastic he would be sure to take it with him wherever he went. “Fine,” I said, feigning boredom with the topic.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
Having just changed, I was sure that he was craving red meat. Most lions hunted while in lion form so that they were not so hungry after changing. Some still had to eat right after changing back into their human form even if they had hunted and eaten in animal form. I had ruined his squirrel hunt which meant he was probably irritated even though he would not say so.
“I’m craving a cheeseburger actually,” I said as I looked out the window.
“Good,” he said as he switched lanes to head towards the fast food burger place we often ate at.
We ordered twelve burgers off the dollar menu and two drinks and then I went to work unwrapping his ten burgers so he would not get frustrated trying to open them. I set my two in my lap and then set the bag with the opened burgers on the center console in easy reach for him. He reached into the bag and pulled one out, looking down at the bag suspiciously. “Why are they open?” he asked as he shoved half of the burger in his mouth and took a bite.
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