by G. Bailey
I glance over at the wolf shifter, Shade, who is sitting on the kitchen counter and examining his fingernails. His overgrown blond hair is wild from sleep, and he is more stunning each time I look at him. I feel my stomach turn over when he abruptly looks up, raising an eyebrow at me almost imperceptibly, the corner of his mouth twitching in a knowing smirk. Damn him. In spite of his attitude and constant teasing, he’s been here for me more than I could have ever expected over the past few days -- in more ways than one. A chill runs up my spine as I remember the feeling of his skin on mine on that rooftop, the night air whipping at our hair as we pressed desperately against each other, our lips locked. “I wasn’t,” he quips. “Boots and Thyme can handle themselves.”
“‘Boots and Thyme’,” Landon repeats, grinning. “Sounds like the name of a detective and her sidekick.”
“Who said you were the sidekick?” I tease back, giving him a gentle nudge with my elbow. “I’m not nearly competent enough to be the detective.”
“Oh?” The siren shifter raises his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s funny, because I could have sworn you were the most competent person I knew. The stunning good looks don’t hurt, either.” As joking as his tone is, I can’t help but flush a little at the praise. A surge of powerful emotion suddenly wells up in me, and for a moment I’m brought back to a few nights ago, when we were trapped in our room at the Boston school. That, I think, was when I realised just how deep my feelings go for all of these guys, and it’s a revelation I’m still reeling from days later. Part of me feels like I’ve forgotten how to conduct myself like a normal person in the aftermath. Do they realise what kind of effect they have on me?
“If you’re done flirting with Boots right in front of me,” Hunter speaks up, his voice sounding both strained and sharp, “we could stand to figure out our next move.”
“Hey, take it easy, Ash,” Landon retorts, putting his hands up. “I’m just having a little fun. We could use some levity now, right?”
I watch the vampire shifter press his lips together, his eyes flashing red for a split second -- almost too quickly for me to catch it. Landon’s ribbing only serves to make him more tense, and a heavy silence follows that makes my stomach drop. It’s fine, I tell myself. It’s normal. We’ve been cooped up here for days -- everyone is stressed. One look at Hunter’s steely expression, though, and I’m not sure I totally believe it.
Ruby clears her throat. “Any trouble on the way to the store?” she asks, moving to help Landon and I unpack the groceries.
I swallow. “We ran into someone on our way back.”
“More like, they ran into us,” Landon adds.
“Who was it?” Shade asks, a slight crack appearing in his unflappable exterior.
“I don’t know,” I reply. “She wasn’t wearing an Academy uniform. She was human, though, and she knew about shifters.”
“Shit,” mutters Hazel, running a hand through her honey-coloured hair. “They’re getting closer, aren’t they?”
“It could just be a coincidence,” Xander offers, although he seems doubtful. “Maybe just a holdover from the convention?”
“In this part of town?” Hazel asks him incredulously. “They must have seen us around, or…” Her eyes go wide. “Unless they have a witch tracking us.”
“Do you think they do?” Ruby asks.
“If I find out they planted a tracking charm on us while we were back at the school,” Shade begins, shaking his head.
“Look,” Silas says, “it doesn’t matter. Humans are after us, and they’re getting closer. We need to move.”
“Move?” asks Shade. “Move where? Last time I checked, we don’t exactly have infinite resources.”
“I don’t know,” the dragon shifter admits, “but we can’t stay here. We need to find somewhere we can lay low until we’re ready to take on Hawthorne.”
“Take on?” asks Hazel. “I don’t remember volunteering to take him on!”
I sigh. “We might not have a choice. We can’t just hide from the Academy forever.”
“Why not?” Shade asks. “That suits me just fine.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Hunter mutters dryly.
Shade rounds on him, looking like he’s going to say something, but then he shuts his mouth.
“Look, like it or not, this fight has gotten bigger than any of us,” I say, feeling I have to motivate them somehow. “And until we can find a way of stopping these experiments, we’ll never be able to go back to the Academy.” There’s a long pause, and I take a shaky breath. “We might never be able to go back there.”
“Which means we need to find somewhere else,” Xander finishes, sighing. “I get it.”
“Where, then?” asks Hunter. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“Out of Boston,” I reply, crossing my arms as the others look at me. “Preferably out of the United States altogether.” My cell phone feels suddenly heavy in my pocket, and I bite the inside of my lip to keep from saying something rash. Too dangerous, I tell myself. Too many unknowns.
“We’re not far from the airport,” Silas says, glancing at the TV once more. Tomorrow we can walk there, get a flight back to the U.K., and find somewhere to figure out our next move.”
The others glance at one another, no one else speaking until Hazel finally gives a firm nod. “That’s good enough for me.”
That issue seemingly settled, the group disperses, ready to turn in for the night now that everyone is safely back at the motel. I watch as Hazel, Xander, and Ruby file out of our suite and into their own, leaving me standing there with the guys’ eyes on me. I feel unexpectedly put on the spot, and blush a little, ducking my head and turning away from the others. “I, ah… I’m pretty tired,” I announce. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit.”
“You’re not the only one,” Landon agrees, yawning. One by one, the five of us bunker down in our makeshift nests on the motel floor, turning on the lights and curling up in silence. The only sounds are the air conditioning and the guys’ breathing. The feeling of their bodies next to mine fills me with more comfort than I can possibly articulate, but even as my eyes drift closed, I can’t help but feel like things are only going to get more complicated.
Chapter 3
I don’t sleep well that night, and not just because I’m sprawled out on the hard motel floor. My dreams are restless and impossible to remember, a nonstop parade of incomprehensible, anxious fragments; I’m reminded of a time back when I was still in human school, the night before one of my most difficult final exams. It was pre-calculus, as I recall, and I’ve never been what you would call mathematically inclined. That was back when I was living with one of my worst foster parents, a man whose temper and perfectionism extended past his own children and to me as well. Afraid of the outcome, I spent the night thrashing around in bed until my sheets were drenched with sweat, equations, graphs, and numbers floating through my mind one after another. I ended up sleeping so badly that I nearly drifted off during the exam, but I was lucky enough to be moved to a new foster home before having to face the wrath of my then-caregiver.
This time, it’s different. Instead of maths running through my mind, it’s images of fire, destruction, and death. There’s Silas, half-dead and strapped to a laboratory table; the convention centre going up in flames; Hawthorne and his goons closing in on us from all sides…
This last one is what jerks me awake, my breath coming in fitful gasps as I put a hand to my chest, closing my eyes and counting to ten. It’s only as I come to that I realise where I am -- or rather, who I’m currently curled up next to. Hunter has me safe and secure in his lanky arms, pressed against his lean chest with his body curled protectively around mine.
Slowly, I feel myself start to relax, my heart rate returning to normal as I lean into the warm embrace of the vampire shifter. His breath is slow and quiet, the movement of his chest soothing against my back, and for a moment I wonder if he even intended to hold me like th
is. Did he sidle up to me before he fell asleep, or is he clinging to me subconsciously, trying to keep me safe even as we all slumber? A bright spot of warmth pools in the pit of my stomach at the notion, and I can feel my skin flushing even in the darkness of the room. Hunter has always been the more reserved type, although what I once mistook for a bad attitude has turned out to be years of insecurity about his own power. I’d like to think I’ve been able to defrost him a little, and it’s true that with my help he’s finally, finally learning how to harness his abilities, but he has a long way to go before he’s fully come into his own.
Part of me feels guilty. Whether I chose to be or not, I was the catalyst for everything that’s happened to these guys. Their lives are never going to be the same because of me, because of what they were put through to make me what I am, and now we’re on the run together because I can’t seem to stop sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. The idea of something happening to Hunter because of me makes my blood run cold, especially when he’s the least skilled shifter of all of us, and yet here he is, comforting me in my sleep. It’s enough to make my heart melt, and I find myself shifting a little so that I’m facing him, subconsciously tightening my grip on him.
The movement is enough to make him stir, and his bright blue eyes open a moment later. “Sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He hums, still half-asleep, and whispers back, “That’s okay. I’m a light sleeper.” A moment passes, and then, seeming to realise that he’s holding me, his eyes go wide, and he lets me go. “I’m sorry,” he says hastily. “I didn’t mean…”
I raise an eyebrow. Even in the darkness of the room, I could swear it looks like… “Are you… blushing?” I whisper teasingly.
“What? No,” he retorts. “Vampires don’t blush. Obviously.” We lapse back into silence, and I can feel his body tense up next to mine. “You just looked like you were having a bad dream,” Hunter explains at last. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I was just trying to get you to calm down, but then you came closer, and I…”
“Hey.” I crane my neck to look at him, but he’s deliberately not meeting my eyes. Blushing or not, it’s clear that he’s embarrassed. “It’s okay,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
Hunter hesitates for a moment, and then rests his chin on the top of my head, his hand coming up to brush my arm. “I should be the one thanking you,” he tells me. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to hold Lyle off.”
Thinking back to the battle at the Boston Academy, when the two vampire shifters went head to head, I’m struck with a fresh surge of affection for him. “It was a team effort,” I reply.
Hunter squeezes my arm for a brief second. “The thought of that bastard hurting you, Millie…” His voice trails off, and he pulls back to look at me; my heart is already pounding in my chest, and I’m thinking back to the time he kissed me, the feeling of his lips on my own.
But then one of the others sits up on the other side of the room. “Get a room, you two.” I recognise Shade’s voice, and bury my face in Hunter’s chest to stifle my laughter. I can feel him tense up with embarrassment. Things could be worse, though; considering I kissed the wolf shifter not long ago, he’s taking my closeness to the other guys rather well.
As for the others, well…
Now isn’t the time to think about that, I tell myself, allowing my eyes to drift closed. Snuggled against Hunter’s muscular frame, I let sleep consume me once more, and this time, there are no nightmares.
“All right, lovebirds, up, up, up.” I’m roused by Landon’s teasing voice, struggling to separate myself from Hunter as I open my bleary eyes. The siren shifter is standing over us with an amused smirk on his face, his hands on his hips. “Looks like you two were up to more than just sleeping,” he teases.
“We weren’t,” protests Hunter. “I-I mean, it’s not like-”
“Relax, I’m just fucking with you.” Landon laughs as he steps over us to draw back the curtains, flooding the room with sunlight and making me blink.
Elsewhere, I can hear Shade groan in protest, but as I sit up and look around, I can see that Silas is already in the kitchenette, staring down at his phone. Slowly, the five of us begin to rise, Landon and Shade bickering as they stretch while Hunter pulls me to my feet. I share a small smile with him before turning to my hastily packed bag. We left the American Academy in a hurry, and I left most of my stuff behind, but Hazel and I went on a run earlier to pick up some basic necessities: clothes and toothpaste, mainly.
“Has someone gotten up Hazel and the others?” I ask, pulling out a t-shirt, jeans, and a bra.
“I will,” Silas volunteers, straightening up. “We need to get to the airport. The sooner we leave the country, the less heat will be on us.” He leaves out the unspoken let’s hope, but we all get the message.
I watch as the dragon shifter disappears into the hallway before making my way to the bathroom, nearly bumping into Shade along the way. “Sorry,” I say. “Figured I’d go get changed.”
“Bold of you to assume you can’t change in front of me,” the wolf shifter replies with a wicked grin, and I feel a surge of butterflies in my stomach as he leans forward, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ve been thinking about that night on the rooftop,” he murmurs, the feeling of his breath sending a shiver up my spine. “I’m always thinking about it, Boots.”
Sure that my blush is giving me away, I give him a playful shove, not wanting him to know how much he’s getting to me. Laughing, he reaches out to ruffle my chestnut hair before turning away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. I’m left to watch him go, still trying to get my composure back, before taking shelter in the bathroom. Take it easy, I tell myself as I struggle out of my sleep shirt and shorts. You’ve got more important things to worry about than romance.
I finish getting dressed and have my hand on the doorknob when the sound of Shade’s jovial voice leaks through. “So what were you doing, spooning Boots?”
I hear Hunter let out a muffled growl of frustration. “For fuck’s sake, guys, we didn’t do anything.”
“Hey,” Shade protests, “more power to you if you did. Is it true that vamps are cold when they’re… you know…?” There’s a pause, and then the wolf shifter bursts out laughing. “The look on your face!”
“Not funny,” Hunter growls.
“All right, guys, take it easy,” comes Silas’ voice.
There’s the sound of the door opening, followed by Hazel: “I picked us up some breakfast. There’s a bakery on the corner.”
Only the idea of food is enough to get the guys to stop bickering, and they descend upon the breakfast like they’re starving. My stomach lets out a rumble, too, and I realise just how hungry I am; shifting is taxing on the body, and my little stint with Landon yesterday must have drained me more than I thought. I push out of the bathroom and walk up to the kitchen counter, where Hazel has laid out an array of pastries. “Damn,” I observe, grabbing a croissant. “You really went all-out.”
“I sure did,” she replies proudly. “If we’re going through hell, I’m not about to let us go through it with subpar breakfast foods.”
“You goddess,” Xander says through a mouthful of danish, grinning boyishly at the other siren shifter. Ruby rolls her eyes, but it looks like she’s struggling not to smile. The others continue to talk amongst themselves as I wolf down my food, hardly believing how many croissants I’m able to put away; if we weren’t on the lam, I would be worrying about my waistline, but I’ve got bigger problems than putting on a couple of kilograms.
I notice that Silas is back to leaning against the counter, staring down at his phone. I sidle up to him and put my hand on his arm, and he tenses up for a moment before seeming to realise it’s me. “Sorry,” he says.
“Don’t apologise,” I tell him, crossing my arms and peering over his shoulder. “What are you looking at?”
“A map of the city,” the dragon shifter rep
lies. “We’re going to need to find a discreet route to the airport.” There’s a pause as he shifts from foot to foot, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve also been doing some research,” he adds. “About getting my powers back up to par.”
“They seemed pretty up to par earlier,” I remark.
He shakes his head. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew how much of a struggle it was. I’m starting to wonder if I’m ever going to get back to where I was.”
“Hey,” I say, tugging at his arm to make him look at me. “Don’t say that. It just takes time.” Spontaneously, I lean forward, touching my forehead to his as I meet his dark eyes. To his credit, he doesn’t look away, and the smoldering look he gives me worms its way into my stomach. “We’re going to be okay,” I murmur.
Silas closes his eyes for a moment, leaning into my touch. “Let’s hope you’re right, Boots.”
Chapter 4
It’s becoming clear to me that Boston isn’t a city meant for walking. Between the winding cobblestone streets and the oppressive summer heat, I’m sweating by the time we step outside the motel, having packed up, checked out, and paid cash. Silas was right, though; the one saving grace is that we’re near the airport which should minimise the amount of time we spend wandering the roads of the city. Still, I’m on edge. Every person we pass is a potential threat, and I find myself holding my breath every time we round a corner, half expecting an Academy representative to spring out at me. The area on the waterfront is sketchy and rundown, not unlike the neighbourhood where I ended up after running away from my last foster home, although at least this time I have more people on my side.