by Melissa Haag
“What happens when I fight here?” I asked.
“You will not be expelled if that is your hope. If it proves too much for you on your own, I will assign someone to stay with you at all times while you’re at the Academy. I believe Oanen is already in most of your classes.”
The idea of Oanen with me every minute of the day made my insides go funny.
“No, I think I can manage on my own with minimal carnage.”
“Good.” She stood, and I knew we were done.
Leaving the room, I wandered toward the main halls, lost in thought. Although I had issues here, they were far less than at a human school. I’d get small flashes of irritation, but not full bursts of my true temper. Unless Aubrey was around.
“Hey, Megan,” Eliana said when I reached the main hall. She straightened from the spot where she had been leaning against the wall.
“How’d it go?” We started toward our first session together.
“Okay, I guess. Adira wants me to start attending daily.”
Eliana’s face lit up with excitement.
“That’s great. I can pick you up and drop you off every day. There’s this new show I’ve been dying to watch but not alone.”
I grinned knowing where this was headed.
“Yes, you can hang out with me after school.”
Her smile widened, showing perfect, white teeth.
Further down the hall, a voice rose above the rest and ignited my temper. As my steps faltered, the back of Eliana’s hand touched mine. The contact was enough to calm the heat of my anger so I didn’t charge forward.
“I don’t care what you need to do, just keep her away,” Aubrey seethed, glaring at Oanen who didn’t look the least bit upset.
“I didn’t do it, you know,” Fenris said softly beside me, making me jump.
“What?” I turned my head to meet his earnest brown gaze.
“Kill that guy. I couldn’t care less what everyone else thinks, but I want you both to know I didn’t do it.”
For whatever reason, I believed him.
“Okay,” I said.
“Good.” He gave me his best boyish smile. “You still owe me a spaghetti dinner. What about this Wednesday?”
I glanced at Aubrey, who still spoke in a barely hushed, vehement tone to Oanen.
“I don’t know, Fenris. Aubrey already has it out for me the way it is.”
“That’s exactly why you’re going to say yes.”
I sighed and playfully grinned back at Fenris.
“I’ll see you Wednesday at five.”
The bell rang, and Eliana and I headed to our first session.
As the minutes dragged into hours, I couldn’t say I looked forward to a whole week of Academy time. Sure, I liked hanging out with Eliana, but as Adira had pointed out, the rest of my sessions were with Oanen.
When I saw him after the first session, he didn’t ask about my headache and acted completely normal. He quietly sat beside me in class; and in the hallways, he kept me from losing my cool whenever my temper spiked. I only had to report to Adira twice that day for two separate girls. I didn’t bother going to her every time Aubrey set me off, though.
By the end of the day, I was more than ready to escape and beat Eliana to her car by less than a minute.
“How’d you do after lunch?” she asked, backing out of her spot.
“Not too bad. Thanks for making me something, by the way. It was way better than having to wait in line. I’ll need to remember to pack a lunch tomorrow.”
“I didn’t do it; Oanen did. He thought you might want to avoid the crowd in the cafeteria. What’s up with you and Fenris? I thought that was just a friend thing.”
“It is.”
“I don’t know. Remember what I said about sensing emotions? There’s a whole heck of a lot of lust coming off of him. Although, to be fair, he’s always sending off waves of the stuff.”
“He knows where I stand. I can’t do relationships. I’d be bad for any boyfriend’s health.”
Overhead, a griffin cried out, reminding me our conversation wasn’t exactly private. Neither Eliana nor I said anything else the rest of the way home.
* * * *
“I don’t understand why Adira and the Quills are forcing it so hard,” Eliana said, gripping the steering wheel tightly in frustration. “I proved that I could feed. Why can’t that be enough?”
“I think they’re afraid that if you get hungry enough with a ready, willing food source nearby, you’ll snap.”
“I haven’t snapped on you.”
“That’s because you’re not pulling lust or passion from me. I’m the wrong food group.”
She sighed and shook her head.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“You have time. You said it yourself. Adira’s telling you now so you can wrap your head around it. The end of term is a long way off, and you get a break before the new term and your deadline. Plenty of time.”
“What about you and Fenris? Ready for tonight?”
“There’s nothing to be ready for.”
She snorted.
“Every time he’s near you, he’s sending off waves of sexual energy. I’m betting he’s going to make a move tonight.”
This time I snorted.
“I’m betting he shows up at school with a black eye tomorrow, then.”
She laughed and parked in front of the house.
“We can watch a few episodes of our show before I have to start dinner,” I said.
She killed the engine and came inside to keep me company until four. Granted, she teased me the entire time and bailed as soon as I pulled out the pot to start browning the meat.
“Good luck,” she said, giving me a tight hug.
“Don’t need it. I don’t plan on doing anything you wouldn’t do.”
She laughed and left me to get dinner ready on my own.
I only enjoyed about thirty minutes of quiet before Fenris knocked on the front door. Since I was in the middle of draining noodles, I just called for him to come in.
“It smells amazing in here,” he said, walking into the kitchen.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure how much to make and think I overdid it. Hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving.” The husky note in his voice was the only warning I had before his arms wrapped around me, and he hugged me tightly from behind. His hands didn’t grip anywhere inappropriate. In fact, other than his arms, and his nose sniffing in my hair, he didn’t touch me. Still…
“Er, Fenris? This doesn’t feel like just friends.”
“Sorry.” He pulled away. “I was just really looking forward to this.”
I put the noodles in a bowl and drizzled them with oil before setting the dish on the table.
“I bet you were. More Aubrey avoidance time?”
He gave me a sheepish smile.
“Something like that.”
“Well, sit down. I think I have everything just about ready.”
After his hug, I thought things might get awkward. Instead, dinner progressed in a relaxing stream of conversation. I learned a bit more about the Council’s weak investigation into the body I’d found, and Fenris got to hear all about the shows Eliana and I were watching because I didn’t have much of a life beyond that. He didn’t seem to mind, though. He listened attentively and asked questions as if he was actually interested.
It didn’t seem like an hour had passed until he sighed and looked at the clock.
“I better get going.”
“An hour is all she gives you?”
He chuckled. “If I’m lucky. Hopefully, she’ll leave you alone. It helped that Oanen was here last time she showed up.”
I said nothing as I walked him to the door. He surprised me again with a tight hug and his face buried in my hair.
“Thank you, Megan. This meant more than you know.”
He turned and left before I could respond. Watching him get into his junkie car, I hoped that this di
nner with him didn’t mean more than I wanted it to.
* * * *
“So,” Eliana said when I got in the car, “how was dinner?”
“Nice.”
“Well? Was I right? Did he try to put any moves on you?”
“I don’t think so. He hugged me when he got there and hugged me goodbye, but I think it was mostly just friendly. I don’t hug many werewolves so I’m not sure. He sniffed my hair.”
She snorted a laugh.
“Are you serious? That’s funny stuff.”
“It was a little weird; but other than that, he was a gentleman. It doesn’t sound like his father is any closer to ferreting out who might have killed Jesse. All the adults are accounted for, and none of the underage wolves had left the barrier that night, not even with adult supervision.”
“Honestly, I don’t think the Council’s too worried about it,” Eliana said. “They sent a few guardians to affirm the guy’s disappearance wouldn’t be questioned. I guess he was into bad enough stuff that no one will really care if he just goes missing. And because of what he meant to do here, he apparently had been pretty quiet about where he was going when anyone last saw him.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that no one seems to care that there’s a human-eating creature here?”
She laughed.
“The gods made us all differently. Some feed off of humans without killing them, like I do. Or like I would do if I wasn’t so hung up on feeding. Some creatures, like Oanen, are just here to protect. And some others? Well, they like flesh. They have found ways to satisfy their hunger for it without killing every human they come into contact with. It was hard for me to come to terms with all the different ways we use humans. Obviously, I’m still hung up on a few. But, I keep reminding myself, no matter how one of us feeds, we all still need to eat. It’s not any of our faults we were made the way we were.”
“So you’re okay with the occasional dead body?”
“If it’s humans like Jesse? Yes. His death prevents the death of innocent humans.”
She had a point.
When we got to school, Oanen was waiting in the parking lot. His steady gaze swept over me and settled on the bag I clutched in my hands. On Tuesday, he’d packed another lunch for me. I had assured him he didn’t need to keep making meals for me, and even though his expression hadn’t changed at the time, I’d felt that telling him so had somehow disappointed him. Now, I felt the same thing as he stared at the bag hiding my leftover spaghetti and garlic bread.
“I can smell it!” Aubrey screeched.
I looked to where Fenris and Aubrey stood near their car. He had her arm firmly clasped in his hand to keep her from running this way.
“Calm down,” he said.
“You said you had spaghetti at home. Why do I smell it here?”
Something tugged the bag from my fingers. I turned my head forward again and blinked at the up-close view of Oanen’s snuggly fitted shirt. He didn’t say anything as he looked down at me and slipped a paper lunch bag into my hand.
My pulse increased the longer he stood so close. I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing, but the moment his gaze dipped to my lips, I forgot what I meant to say.
“I should have known it was you,” Aubrey said from behind me.
Oanen broke his gaze away first and looked at Aubrey. I turned, ready to confront her, but Oanen quickly anchored me to his side by the weight of his arm settling over my shoulder. My confiscated lunch dangled against my arm.
“Morning, Aubrey,” Oanen said.
Her gaze shifted to the bag that hung from his fingers to the brown paper bag that I clutched in my hands. Oanen had once again covered for Fenris. Or maybe me. I still wasn’t sure who he was actually helping.
“Hey, Oanen,” Fenris said. “I forgot to ask. You guys going to be at the Roost on Friday?”
“Of course,” Oanen said.
Fenris looked at me and Eliana for confirmation, too.
“Sure,” Eliana said.
Aubrey glared at me. I grinned.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I said.
Fifteen
“Sessions were boring without you there today,” Eliana complained. “How did you get Adira to allow you to stay home?”
We both sat at my kitchen table and munched on some afterschool snacks while I listened to how her day had gone. I’d only woken up and showered a few hours ago. However, I felt zero guilt over sleeping in after putting up with a week of regular anger.
“I told her if she said I had to come in, I’d run for the barrier and keep trying to get out until my hair really did fry off.” Grinning, I recalled the brief pause before Adira had surprisingly agreed.
Eliana chuckled and ate another chip.
“I wish I was as brash as you.”
“Brash?”
“Yep. And don’t even try to deny it. You’re passionate about what you think and feel—when you do think, that is—and you don’t let anyone stop you from anything.”
And that kind of stuff always landed me in trouble, but I didn’t point that out to her.
“And if you were more brash, what would you be doing right now?”
“Probably eating something more satisfying than potato chips.”
She sighed.
“So do it,” I said, stealing a chip.
“Right.” She rolled her eyes at me. “We both know it’s not that easy.”
“Why not?”
She gave me an impatient look.
“Okay. Walk up to Oanen and give him the kiss you know you want to plant on him.”
“What? You’re crazy. I don’t want to kiss Oanen.”
She snorted.
“Succubus, remember? I know you’re trying not to have dirty thoughts about him. Why fight it?”
“Because I don’t want to punch him in the face again. Guys tend not to like that.”
“Exactly. Being with someone I don’t really know just so I can feed feels morally wrong. And, I don’t want to feed off someone I do know because I wouldn’t be able to stand their false devotion to me. It’d be like I’d made a slave out of a friend.”
“Fine. No boyfriends for either of us. Just the crappy excuse for junk food we can find at the grocery store.”
We munched for a minute in silence, wasting time until we needed to get ready for the Roost.
“I think he missed you,” she said.
“Who?” I asked. But, I already knew who.
“Oanen.”
“Closed topic or I rescind your afterschool invitation.”
“Fine. Let’s go get ready.”
“Get ready?” I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt and brushed off a few chip crumbs.
“Yeah. I promised Anwen I’d wear the dress she bought me, so we need to look at your closet and figure out what dress you’ll wear.”
I jerked my head up to frown at her.
“I’m not wearing a dress.”
“Please?”
It only took three seconds of staring at her pleading gaze to cave.
“If I end up getting in a fight and exposing myself because of my attire, I’m not going to be very forgiving.”
Eliana grinned widely.
“It’ll be fine. You’re with me. I won’t let you get angry, remember?”
Thirty minutes later, I sat in her car and tugged at my skirt, a gift from my mother from ages ago.
“I look like a hooker.”
“Yep, you do. Maybe this will teach you to do your own shopping.”
As Eliana drove, I glared at the cute little sundress outfit she wore, complete with a tiny jacket. Compared to my black miniskirt and flashy top thingy that looked like a giant mouse had nibbled holes in the stomach and chewed off the shoulder, Eliana looked ready to go to church. I looked ready to be branded with the letter A.
“I still think we should switch,” I said. “This outfit screams succubus.”
“Oh, it screams all right. I can’t wait to see everyone’s react
ion. This is going to be fun.” She laughed.
“Yeah, for you.”
I zipped up my winter coat and silently swore she’d need to pry it off my cold, dead body.
Eliana pulled up in front of the Roost and parked.
“Why are we here again?” I asked.
“Because you like pissing off Aubrey.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Suddenly the skirt and top didn’t seem as revealing. Getting out of the car, I changed my mind again when a cool breeze brushed way too far up my thighs. We walked toward the door, which Eliana held for me.
“You owe me,” I mumbled under my breath.
I walked inside, head held high and legs exposed from mid-thigh down. The crystals on the strappy sandals on my feet caught the flashing lights on the stage. Tonight they had live singers. The sultry melody tugged at my insides, and I knew they weren’t human.
“Sirens,” Eliana said, answering my questioning look.
“Great.”
I glanced up and caught sight of Oanen and Fenris, talking on the second floor. They stood by one of the tables lining the rail. They already had drinks and company. Aubrey, dressed in a skimpy red tight dress, clung to Fenris’s arm and played with his hair. It didn’t appear that he was enjoying the attention as much as putting up with it. How could Aubrey not see the difference?
“I don’t know how he can stand her,” Eliana whispered.
Behind them, the rest of Fenris’ girls stood in a cluster. None of them approached the trio, but looked at Fenris with longing. After seeing how Aubrey had run them off in the parking lot, I knew she was the one behind their distance.
“She is such a bitch,” I agreed, feeling my anger burst forth even at this distance.
Aubrey stiffened and slowly looked in our direction. Her attention drew the notice of the rest of her group. Her eyes narrowed on us when she realized we’d gained Fenris’ attention when she hadn’t. I grinned and unzipped my coat.
Fenris’ lips moved; and based on Aubrey’s fierce scowl, whatever he’d said had been complimentary to me. Beside me, Eliana let out a small sound of amusement. I ignored her and shrugged out of my outerwear before blowing Aubrey a kiss. She bared her teeth at me and gripped the railing.
“Tonight’s going to be amazing,” I said, glancing at Eliana with a smile.