In Spirit and Truth (In Spiritu Et Veritate Series)

by Reed, Zoe

  My heart raced with the sudden thrill that we might finally catch the mutts, and Luna and I looked at each other, each equally surprised. “Where at?” Luna asked him, swallowing the huge bite of turkey sandwich she’d been chewing.

  “He was going to or from one of his classes I think. I didn’t see him anywhere though, and the halls were so crowded I figured now wasn’t the time to go looking for him.” He opened a bottle of water and gulped down nearly all of it.

  I scanned the cafeteria. Werewolves got to eat, and I was hoping our luck was changing and I’d catch sight of him doing just that. Niko could have followed Jonathan’s scent, but our school was a big circle. He could have followed all day and come up with nothing so long as Jonathan was smart enough to cross his scents at the intersecting halls. I desperately searched every face in the lunchroom, but Jonathan’s was nowhere to be found.

  Frustrated, I stood up, receiving questioning glances from my siblings. “I’m sick of looking and not having a damn thing to show for it. He’s bound to go to his locker sometime. I’m going to wait for him. Even if it takes a week.”

  Both Niko and Luna got up to follow me, but I put my hand on Niko’s shoulder and pushed him back down. “You stay in case he turns up here. Luna will you patrol the upstairs halls? He’s around here somewhere.”

  Luna nodded and we exited the cafeteria. When we came to intersecting halls I pointed to the left. “Go that way. Try to stay off the path to his locker so it doesn’t freak him out, and cross your fingers he doesn’t catch my scent on the way there.”

  I walked as close to the wall as I could as I made my way to his locker. There was a fresh scent on it, but not fresh enough to convince me that he wouldn’t be back sometime soon, and I’d wait there all day if that was what it took. I leaned my back against the locker and shoved my hands in my pockets. The halls were nearly empty as everyone was off campus or in the cafeteria for lunch. All that I could hear was the distant chatter of everyone in the cafeteria and the ticking of the clock on the wall across from me. I glanced at the time and sighed. Still about thirty minutes left of lunch. Every second that ticked by left me more and more impatient.

  A grueling ten minutes passed before I heard faint, lonely footsteps coming down the hall around the corner. I stood as silent as I could as the quiet, light-footed person walked closer. When Jonathan rounded the corner I held back a grin. Success. He came a way I hadn’t taken, and in not smelling my scent he hadn’t yet noticed I was there.

  I stood quiet a few moments, letting him get closer before taking my back off his locker and my hands out of my pockets. The movement caught his eye, and after looking up I could see his body tense, preparing for flight. He looked around as his nostrils flared, searching for the sign of any of my family waiting nearby. Finding that I was alone, he smirked and practically strutted over.

  I stepped aside as he confidently turned his back to me and opened his locker. Cocky son-of-a-bitch, I thought to myself, insulted that he didn’t feel threatened by me. I clenched my fist, debating whether or not I should knock him out and teach him better than that. But I took a deep, relaxing breath, telling myself that he was screwing with me as he closed his locker and turned around.

  “You’re still standing there?” he asked sneeringly. “Why?”

  I glared at him and growled quietly, “Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing? You’re obviously not a moron, so you know you shouldn’t be here. But then again, maybe you are just a stupid mutt.”

  The smirk disappeared from his face for a brief second before he gained control of his temper and reverted to sarcasm. “I’m just trying to get my high school diploma, but you Pack members are so greedy. Don’t want to share a damn thing with anyone else.”

  Frustration burned through me. Not only did his cockiness piss me off, but now he was just provoking me. I glanced around before grabbing the collar of his shirt and throwing him against the locker, pressing myself closer than I’d have liked in order to use all my strength to hold him there. “I’m sick of playing games Jonathan. What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” he repeated, smirking as he eyed me. “Well, I will tell you this. The plan was to take you.” As he said ‘you’ he tapped my chin teasingly, and my heart dropped as I pulled my face away. They wanted to kidnap me? “The loner. The sexy little werewolf that it might’ve taken them days to notice was even missing. We could’ve had such fun.” He growled the last part suggestively and his nostrils flared again, drinking in my scent. I could smell, and to my disgust, feel him getting turned on from the tension. Sick bastard.

  The angrier I got, the more I had to breathe and suppress the growing need to Phase. This is what I’d spent so much of my childhood practicing. Controlling the wolf when it was the hardest, but the way Jonathan provoked me made it extremely difficult. Deciding provoking him in return would be a calming satisfaction I raised an eyebrow and smirked semi-suggestively, as if I liked his idea, before kneeing him as hard as I could in the groin.

  Blood rushed to his face as he buckled over and groaned from the pain. “You stupid bitch!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I whined mockingly and smiled, as seeing him in pain succeeded in reducing the tingling in my fingertips. “Did I ruin the fun?” Again I grabbed his shirt and pulled him up. “Why are you turning so many people?”

  He opened his mouth, and his eyes glittered. “We’re hardly having fun. Yet.” He barely managed to sound sarcastic as he wheezed through the pain, but after another deep breath he seemed to recover, grinning at me evilly. “Don’t you want to know if I’m planning on taking you anymore?” I gritted my teeth, trying not to let the building sense of fear get to me. Jonathan didn’t seem to care that I had him pinned. Didn’t seem to feel threatened.

  “I’m undecided, see, because you aren’t such a loner anymore,” he continued when he decided I wasn’t going to answer. “Some girl came along. You know the one? Cute brunette, southern accent.” My fist tightened around his collar, and when I glared at him he just smiled. “The first time I saw you with her I figured, hey, the loner’s just being nice to the new girl. But then I saw the way you looked at her.”

  He studied me after that, but whether he was looking for a reaction at his knowing my feelings or for surprise that he’d been watching me, I couldn’t be sure. “Once I saw how you looked at her I just had to see for myself what was so appealing about that fucking human. So I went to her place.”

  “Answer my question asshole.” I glared at him now. I didn’t want him talking about Kyla. Didn’t want him thinking he could use her to get to me. “Why are you turning people?”

  “I think I know what it is now,” he said, ignoring my demand as he continued with his explanation. “She’s got the laugh of an angel. Right?” I pursed my lips, clenching my fist even more so I wouldn’t beat the shit out of him. Then he leaned in closer to my ear, the smile clear in his voice. “I’ve ruined a few angels, you know.”

  I nearly snarled as I pulled my fist back, but before I could send it flying at his face I froze. The heavenly scent that I adored made its way to my nose, and I didn’t have to turn my head to know that Kyla was standing there, confused and probably horrified. So I stood there, panicked and frozen solid.

  “Speak of the devil.” Jonathan laughed amusedly at my panic-riddled face and leaned closer to me again so Kyla couldn’t hear. “If you want, I wouldn’t mind giving her a little nibble. Be a shame to leave her in such a delicate state.”

  My grip tightened further as I white-knuckled his shirt collar, growling through my teeth. “You’re not going to touch her.”

  He chuckled an evil laugh as I stood there for another second, torn. I couldn’t let him out of my sight because I knew he’d run, but I could feel the terrified gaze that fell on my back, and I knew Kyla would want an explanation. Or what if she tried to break Jonathan and me up and got hurt?

  Releasing my grip on Jonathan’s shirt, I turned and stepped back so I co
uld see Kyla and at the same time keep Jonathan in my line of sight. “Kyla.” There were no words I could think to say. So… I’m a werewolf and this guy’s evil? That would scare her even more.

  Kyla stood there, wide-eyed and just as frozen as I had been. “Camille, what’s Jonathan–”

  Instant pain shot through my jaw as Jonathan’s fist connected with my mouth. I hit the floor face down, the harsh, coppery taste of blood saturating my tongue.

  “Oh my god!” Kyla rushed over and lightly shook my shoulders. “Camille. Camille.”

  I pushed myself onto my elbows, my forehead still resting against the cold floor, willing away the pain. A couple seconds later, once the shock had worn off and my head stopped spinning, I jumped up.

  “Where’d he go?” I asked angrily.

  Kyla jumped, startled at the sharp tone of the question and shrugged as she looked around. I groaned in pure frustration and threw my fist at Jonathan’s locker, denting it beyond further use. I felt hot blood snaking its way from the cut in my lip and wiped it off with the back of my hand. My mind was racing. Jonathan. Kyla had said his name.

  “Wait, do you know him?” I asked, but she just stared at the busted in locker in shock. With a sigh, I reminded myself that she was confused and probably scared, and softened my tone, lightly resting my hand on her shoulder. “Kyla, do you know him?”

  She looked at me, staring for a moment before she grew angry and pulled away. “Yes I know him. Camille what on earth is going on? First you’ve got him in a vice grip against the locker and then he right hooks you? What… I… Who does that?”

  Taking a deep breath I tried to calm the itching that my frustration had brought back. I stepped closer to Kyla, who flinched at the movement. Horror hit the pit of my stomach at the thought that she could be afraid of me.

  “Kyla,” I raised my arm, about to gently lift the frightened girl’s chin, but dropped it as I changed my mind. “How do you know him?”

  She scoffed and shook her head as if warding off a dream. “You don’t think you should explain first?” Her attitude caused my frustration to burn again. I should have chased after Jonathan, but I was more worried about what Kyla would think.

  “I–” I started angrily and then paused, softening my confrontational tone so as not to anger Kyla. The last thing I needed was for this to turn into an argument. I wanted to explain, more than anything I wanted her to know and accept the real me. “I can’t do that.” I lowered my head shamefully.

  It was clear that neither of us knew what to say. Kyla stood there in deep thought, obviously still stunned, before she nodded and turned to walk away. Panic started to grow again in me. Everything I felt about that amazing girl screamed at me not to let her walk away.

  “Kyla, wait.” She turned, walked back to me, and raised her eyebrow expectantly. “Do you trust me?”

  Her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. She glanced from me to the dented locker, and back to me, before she tentatively nodded. “Yeah.”

  I smiled as innocently as I could and motioned for her to follow me. On our way to the car I took the phone out of my pocket and called Luna and Niko, telling them to meet us there. As we exited the school I expected Kyla to protest leaving during the middle of the day, but the girl said nothing.

  “Oh, hey Kyla,” Luna said as we all reached the car, passing a questioning glance in my direction and eyes widening when she saw my lip.

  “Looks like you found her,” Niko told Kyla without looking up from moving things out of the back seat to make room for the extra person.

  I rolled my eyes, annoyed, and smacked my brother on the side of the head. He was lucky I didn’t deck him. “Do you have a brain tumor or something? What the hell’s wrong with you? You knew where I was and you sent her after me?” I pointed to Kyla. “You want to know who else we found?”

  “Ah shit,” Niko muttered under his breath, finally looking up and noticing my lip. “Um,” he glanced at Kyla awkwardly, unable to find anything to say, just as I had failed minutes before.

  “Just get in the car.” I shook my head angrily.

  I carefully helped Kyla into the car, but before I could slide in next to her Luna ushered me to the side. “What are you doing?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me questioningly, though we both knew there was only one reason I’d be bringing Kyla with us. To tell her the truth.

  “I don’t know,” I groaned, knocking my forehead against the tree we stood behind. “Who the hell am I to gamble with her life like this?” I asked, mostly to myself, refusing to look at Luna so she wouldn’t see the shame in my eyes. “What right do I have?”

  She was quiet for a thoughtful minute, and when she spoke her voice was sympathetic. “Just let her go then. Tell her you’re sorry and you wish things could be different.” When I didn’t respond after a few seconds she added, “It’s not too late.”

  “It is for me,” I told her, wiping away a single tear that filled my eye. My world would never be the same if I let Kyla walk away.

  Luna sighed. “It’s selfish.” I could tell by the look in her eyes that even though she was playing the devil’s advocate, she wasn’t happy about hurting me. And I knew no matter how she felt about it, when the time came she’d back me up.

  “He knows what she means to me,” I sniffled, crossing my arms over my chest while I leaned back against the tree. Luna raised a confused eyebrow at me. “Jonathan knows how I feel about her. I don’t think she’s safe anymore. He’ll kill her.”

  “And if she reacts badly to you telling her we’re all werewolves?” Luna asked knowingly, her tone cautious. Like she was trying not to infuriate me. “The Pack will kill her.” I groaned again and dug the heels of my hands into my eyes, wishing this was all just a bad dream. Wishing the decision was easier. “Then you wouldn’t be able to protect her.”

  I took a deep breath, refusing to look Luna in the eyes. “I could die trying.”

  Everything was quiet for what seemed like minutes, until I glanced up, my sister staring at me in what looked like shock. “You’d do that for her?” I looked away again and nodded. “I don’t like it.”

  “I know,” I sighed.

  Instead of a response, I could hear Luna’s footsteps pick back up toward the jeep. After another deep breath I followed, jumping into the back seat with Kyla. Before pulling out of the parking spot, Niko turned around.

  “I’m with Luna,” he offered as placatingly as he could.

  “I didn’t ask you,” I grumbled moodily, and he just rolled his eyes and turned back around.

  Kyla sat there the entire drive, painfully quiet, and in the silence I could hear her heart still pounding. This was it. This was the end. She was afraid of me, and if she was allowed to know the secret she would never want to see me again. Absentmindedly licking my lips, I was reminded of the cut as a sharp stinging shot through my bottom lip. She saw Jonathan hit me. She’d have to believe that he was the bad guy. Right?

  Head facing forward I moved my eyes to look at Kyla, who sat staring out the window. The last thing I wanted was for her to reject me, but in our situation the only chance I had of Kyla trusting me, the only chance of protecting her, was to tell her the truth. Was I right to make that gamble? My dad’s words echoed in my mind. Listen to your head, and not your hormones. Was I making the right decision? Was I even being rational? It didn’t matter. I couldn’t live with what-ifs. I’d never be able to let it go. Let her go.

  When we arrived at the house I led Kyla to the living room couch. “Can you wait here for one minute? I promise I’ll be right back.” She looked around the room nervously before giving a timid nod. With that I quickly made my way to my dad’s office. “Dad, Kyla has to know,” I told him bluntly as me and Luna barged into his study.

  He chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. I blushed when I noticed Julian who, seemingly intrigued by my statement, had crossed his arms over his chest. “Absolutely not,” my dad told me, and when I didn’t leave he sighed. “Why does she
need to know?”

  “Well I saw Jonathan Symons at school today. Kyla saw us and she saw him almost knock me out.” I pointed to my bloodied lip. “Not only that, she knows him. I think they have a class together. She could help us.” My stomach was churning with anxiety, so I sat down in the armchair in front of his desk as I explained.

  I knew he understood my situation, but with Julian there he had to try to convince me otherwise. “Camille, you know as well as any of us that people can’t know for a reason. Humans aren’t meant for that burden. Think about Kyla. This is a dangerous world, if she knew about you then that would make her a part of it,” he told me, hoping that it would end the discussion.

  But I wasn’t done that easily, and with the guilt card of her being in danger, I knew it wouldn’t take much more pushing. “She’s already a part of it. He nearly knocked me out today and she saw it,” I reminded him again. “Dad, he threatened to Change her. I can’t let that happen, but I can’t protect her twenty-four seven. She needs to be aware of it. And like I said, we could use all the help we can get.”

  His expression softened as he sympathized with my worry, but it was clear he couldn’t say that it was okay with the Alpha’s representative standing in the room. He opened his mouth, but closed it as he tried to think of what to say.

  Julian uncrossed his arms and stepped forward. “Do you trust her?”

  I looked up. The simplicity and shortness of his question surprised me. He hadn’t said much since he’d arrived. It appeared that he was here more to observe and help out where he was needed.

  I nodded, the intensity of his stare causing me to look away shyly. “Yes sir, I do.”

  He looked at Luna expectantly, waiting for her to answer the question as well. It took her a few seconds to realize it before she sighed, and for a moment I was almost afraid of her answer. “Well, I don’t know her as well as Camille, sir, but I know my sister. If Camille has that kind of faith in her, I’d trust her with my life.”