Six Branches

by Jeanne Allen

  To me, it’s worth it.

  I started working there as a freshman two years ago, fresh out of the system and still grieving over the loss of the only person who ever cared about me. The owner, Leeli, took a chance on me, filled the hole in my heart I hadn’t been aware of until I met her, and secured herself the title of Best Friend for Life. She’s one of my only friends, and I don’t know what I would do without her.

  “Rosie!” Leeli’s the only one I let call me such an awful nickname.

  I grin at my friend as she opens her arms for a hug. I don’t do casual touching, but it’s alright with her. She knows not to push my boundaries and usually stops after one light squeeze.

  Today, though, she holds on a bit tighter, her thin arms caging in my own unmoving limbs. She just returned from a vacation in China to visit her parents. The bar, Kitty Kat Café, was closed while she was gone, so today is my first shift in a month.

  Leeli breaks away, her almond-shaped eyes studying me critically. She can tell something is off, but she lets it go for now. One of the things I love best about Leeli is she lets me get comfortable before demanding answers to questions, and she always has the best stories. I often vicariously piggyback off her crazy experiences. She doesn’t mind; she loves having an audience, and I’m happy to provide one.

  “How was China?” I prompt, settling into one of the mauve armchairs centered around small glass tables in the back of the room.

  Leeli sits across from me and frowns. “No, you first before you get me talking and I forget to make you spill about your first week at Woodrow.”

  I sigh, slightly annoyed she saw through my plan. Maybe she only sometimes lets me get comfortable before demanding answers. “It was good. I met a few guys and—”

  I realize my mistake and stare at Leeli, wide-eyed. Unlike with Danika, I don’t mind Leeli’s squeal of excitement. “Guys? You, Rose Anastasia Christensen, met and presumably talked to human males?”

  My whole face heats up at the shock in Leeli’s voice. I’ve pretty much avoided male contact since I was ten, but I hadn’t realized how obvious it was.

  She gapes at me like a fish. A cute fish, though, so I throw her a bone.

  “I think, uh… I think I made a friend or two,” I venture softly.

  Or six. A shudder runs down my spine as I imagine her reaction to the whole soulmates dilemma. I like Leeli too much to give her a heart attack.

  Recovering quickly, she smiles at me warmly. “Well, that’s awesome, Rose! Bring ‘em around sometime so I can decide if they’re good enough to share you with,” she says genuinely.

  I smile back and nod in agreement.

  That’s what makes Leeli and I the perfect pair. She doesn’t pry into my secrets, and I’m more than happy to keep hers.

  “So… China?” I remind her.

  I’m rewarded with a broad Leeli smile as she leans over. “Oh, my God, Rosie, you should have been there…”

  It takes almost a full hour for Leeli to recount everything that happened while we were apart. She couldn’t use texting or social media in China, and she hates email, so we had a lot to catch up on.

  As she tells me how she traded a months’ worth of toilet paper for a ride in her neighbor’s helicopter, we’re interrupted by a screech from the small stage set on the other end of the room, kitty-corner from the bar.

  I glance up and spot a tall man with shaggy brown hair who gives us an apologetic wave.

  “Hey, Long Pete, is it time to open?” I call over.

  Long Pete checks his watch and nods, holding up both hands to indicate how much time we have before the doors open at five. Long Pete runs sound and maintenance for Leeli, but his most important job is being the only one of us who wears a watch. The other employees won’t arrive until after we open, so Leeli and I almost always chat while we scramble through getting the bar ready for customers.

  Most people think Long Pete got his nickname from the long red beard he’s so proud of. I don’t think he minds the assumption, but I’ve worked at the Kat long enough to know the real story.

  Leeli met Pete ages ago when she first got to Minnesota from her hometown in Kunming. At the time, she was still learning English, and Pete was her tutor assigned by the University. Pete’s last name was too long and difficult for her to pronounce, so she started introducing him as Pete Long Name. Their friends picked up the nickname and it eventually got shortened to Long Pete. They’ve been together ever since, though I’m pretty sure her parents are under the impression he’s just a friend.

  Long Pete is one of the few guys I feel comfortable around, partly due to him being Leeli’s significant other and partly due to his chill vibe. He’s the calm to Leeli’s chaos, and I don’t mind being a citizen of their weird little universe.

  They’re certainly some of the only members in mine.

  Leeli and I finish up prep, and she shoos me off to the kitchen so she can open the doors.

  In the kitchen, I find Chloe, the cook, coming in to start her shift. I smile in greeting as I get out a bag of frozen wings. The Kat offers simple bar food, nothing fancy, though Chloe always bakes some kind of scrumptious dessert for Open Mic nights, like tonight.

  Leeli claims it’s to sweeten people up to listen to bad poetry and mediocre covers all night. She’s lying, of course. The Kitty Kat is famous for having some of the most talented regulars on Thursdays. People drive up from the suburbs to catch the performances.

  Though it feels like only a few minutes, five hours pass and it’s time to close out the kitchen for the last order. After washing up the last few dishes, I step out the door and head toward the bar where Leeli watches a couple onstage perform spoken word.

  While the kitchen closes at ten, the Kat won’t lockup till midnight, and usually, I spend the rest of my evening performing whatever tasks Leeli needs me to do. Moments from sidling up to my friend, I pause, spotting a familiar head of curly blond hair in the crowd.

  Sebastian.

  He sits casually in the middle of the room, watching the poets perform. As soon as I recognize him, he turns toward me, homing in on my location despite the dim lighting in the room. He catches me near the bar, standing with my hands awkwardly clasped to my sides.

  Smiling sweetly, he turns his attention back to the stage.

  Okay, I might not be up for smoothest operator of the year, but even I can tell Sebastian is here for me. He didn’t happen upon the Kat; it’s pretty hard to find unless you know where to look.

  I glare at his side profile, miffed that he’s still smiling, the corners of his mouth twitching like he won a game of Where’s Rose?

  I’m still glaring when Leeli comes over to whisper, “Who’s that guy?”

  “What guy?” I try for oblivious, forcing my face to return to neutral.

  Leeli’s too perceptive, though. “The guy you had the moment with a second ago. C’mon, Rose, you obviously recognized each other.”

  She’s barely whispering by the end. Excitement turns Leeli into a human megaphone and nothing gets her more animated than my nonexistent love life. I grab her elbow and haul her back behind the bar where she’s supposed to be working.

  I grin wryly as Pete turns up the sound on the mics to mask Leeli’s talking. He knows there’s no use trying to make her use her indoor voice; she doesn’t have one.

  “Oh, Sebastian? He’s someone from one of my classes.” My valiant attempt at nonchalance sounds forced even to me. I hand Leeli a tumbler and roll my eyes at the exasperated look she gives me.

  Rachel, the Kat’s only waitress, drops off an order and Leeli starts mixing drinks, somehow blocking my escape from the bar with her tiny body. I hand her supplies as I wait for the interrogation to continue.

  “You know his name. There’s gotta be more—” She stops, her eyes pop out of her head as she puts two and two together and whisper-yells, “Oh, my God! He’s one of your new friends!”

  Her eyes narrow, no doubt assessing Sebastian more closely now that sh
e knows he and I talk.

  She arranges the drinks on the tray for Rachel to pick up, and after a long moment, she nods in approval. “He’s really hot. Good job.”

  I’m pretty sure half the room hears Leeli’s judgment on Sebastian, including the man himself. I squint in his direction, and sure enough, his mouth twitches again.

  Heat licks at my cheeks as I duck away from the bar before Leeli says anything else. Thankfully, she can’t leave until last call on drink orders, allowing me to easily make my escape.

  I don’t even realize I’m heading toward Sebastian until I sit at his table. We stare at each other with what I’m sure are mutual expressions of shock.

  Sebastian recovers first, giving me a welcoming smile, no twitchy corners. “Hey, Rose.”

  “Hey,” I choke out, my mind still reeling.

  What am I doing here? I’ve avoided thinking about the guys all day. Jackson called earlier and Lucas texted, but I didn’t respond to either. I don’t even know how they got my number since I hadn’t texted any of them yet. I’m still knee deep in my own analysis of the situation, nowhere near ready for whatever else they want to dump on me.

  But Sebastian gives off the same serene aura he had at the house yesterday. It’s calming and comforting, and I’m secretly glad he’s the one who’s here tonight to stalk me.

  “How did you find me?” In for a penny, in for a pound. I’m here; I might as well get some answers.

  Sebastian turns his baby-blues on me. “Jackson tracked your phone. We wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  He says it so simply, like it’s totally natural to track a girl you met yesterday, who also happens to be your student. His demeanor is nonchalant, like he’s stating facts, not defensive or apologetic.

  Unable to gather the energy to protest, I try a different angle. “Safe from what?”

  Sebastian sighs, a heavy sound at odds with his baby-face appearance. “Can’t explain anything without telling you more than you need to know right now. Trust me when I say that until you Awaken and Bond with us, you’re in danger and it’s our responsibility to protect you.”

  I stare at Sebastian, admiring the way the red-hue of the table lamp sets his curls on fire.

  Then something he said catches me. “What do you mean when we Bond? I never agreed to this.”

  I don’t like the assumption I’m okay with all the forever stuff they threw at me yesterday. I might be warming up to the whole mutant thing—superpowers aren’t so bad—but Bonded forever to six strangers is not something you get used to in a day. Or ever.

  Sebastian’s eyes flash, and his expression morphs. Gone is serene, welcoming Golden Boy. His eyes turn to hard ice as he regards me coolly. “You will Bond with us, Rose. You’re ours; we will not let you go.”

  He speaks with such cold assurance and authority that I take back my internal assessment of Sebastian being the sweet one. The man before me, for all his physical appearance as someone younger than myself, is pure Alpha Male. My palms sweat and tingle, my brain turns to mush, and embarrassingly, a good part of me is turned on by the Ice Prince.

  The sound of a chair dragging across the lacquered wooden floor breaks me from the hold Sebastian’s ice eyes trapped me in. Looking away, I’m relieved to discover Leeli dragged a chair over to join us.

  She still bounces with excitement at meeting my new friend, but she holds her tongue as the spoken word couple clears the stage. While she’s distracted, I watch Sebastian’s eyes change from Ice Prince back to baby-blue, his Golden Boy persona sliding into place.

  After the couple leaves and the last act of the night starts to set up, he graces Leeli with one of his angelic smiles, and she melts.

  “I’m Sebastian, Rose’s friend from school,” he says over the din of Pete fiddling with the sound system.

  I shoot Sebastian a look at the word friend, but he ignores me.

  Leeli grins at me before eagerly shaking Sebastian’s outstretched hand. “I’m Leeli. I manage this bar, and I’m Rose’s best friend.”

  About to respond, Sebastian’s face blanks for a second before he turns to me, clearly panicking.

  Before I ask what’s wrong, he addresses Leeli urgently. “Is there any way Rose can get off early tonight? Like, right now?”

  Leeli must think his expression means something else because she raises her brow at me, her eyes brimming with innuendo. “Sure. Pete and I can handle closing duties. You kids have fun.”

  Despite my awareness of the panic on Sebastian’s face, I snort at Leeli’s dismissal. She’s only five years older than me but likes to pretend it’s more like twenty-five years older.

  My humor dries up as Sebastian grabs my wrist, pulling me out of my seat. The warm feeling I get from his touch shocks me enough to allow the contact. “Get your coat and meet me back here.”

  He releases my wrist to slip on his worn leather jacket. Mesmerized at the view I glimpse when his t-shirt rides up, I shake my head. I thought Sebastian was thin, but he’s not. He’s built like a swimmer with long, lean muscles. I should have guessed there were no weak mutants.

  “No? Rose, we don’t have time to discuss this. We need to leave now.” His growing alarm jumps me from my admiration.

  I shake my head again, this time adding words. “No coat.”

  Sebastian narrows his eyes at my thin, long-sleeved black V-neck sweater and skinny jeans. My work wardrobe really isn’t appropriate for September in Minnesota.

  “We’ll have to change that.” Not waiting for a response, he pulls me away from our table. “Is there a back door?”

  I nod, but then realize he can’t see me so I take advantage of my long limbs to outpace him, using Sebastian’s hold on my wrist to direct him in the direction of the back entrance.

  We pass through the kitchen, walking by Chloe who busily preps for tomorrow. She raises her eyebrows at us but says nothing. Thank the Cheese Lord for apathetic coworkers.

  Within minutes, we walk out the back door and into the alley that runs between the Kitty Kat and the office supply store behind it.

  “What’s going on?” I jerk my wrist from Sebastian’s grip, then almost regret the action, mourning the loss of the calming warmth from our connection. I rub my hand against my jeans as I wait for Sebastian to answer.

  “Remember I said you were in danger?” At my nod, Sebastian hesitates, then sighs, resigned to what he’s about to reveal. “The reason I was the one sent to watch over you tonight is because of my Gift. I sense people and their intentions. I’d know if anyone in the vicinity meant you harm.”

  My eyes widen. That’s how he found me so quickly in the bar.

  He gives me a small smile in affirmation and continues. “Originally, it was supposed to be me and Forrest since the twins have practice and Jackson has work, but he’s in New York getting Jin.”

  My curiosity peaks as to why Jin is in New York and why Forrest has to get him, but I’m afraid Sebastian will stop if I ask questions now, so I make note of them for later.

  “And we didn’t think… Well, anyway, the point is there are people in your friend’s bar who intend you harm. We need to go quickly and quietly to avoid detection. Can you agree to that much? I promise I’ll tell you what I’m able to when we’re in a more secure location.”

  He looks at me earnestly, again without hint of defense or apology.

  I’m beginning to understand the different sides of Sebastian. He’s a black and white outlook kind of guy. Things are the way they are for him, like his assurance I’ll Bond with him and the others. It makes him honest and straightforward. Honesty and sincerity are qualities I respect, and I like him even more. My resolve to keep the guys at arm’s length keeps weakening.

  I gesture to Sebastian to lead the way, confident he’ll keep his word and explain the situation more when it’s safe to do so. His eyes soften in gratitude before he grabs my arm and leads me out of the alley.

  We try to walk as quietly as possible down the darkened street. At le
ast, I try. Sebastian’s as graceful as a cat. Eventually, he stops in front of a wicked-looking Harley.

  He shrugs out of his jacket and holds it out expectantly.

  I stare at him dumbly for a moment before taking the jacket and putting it on. As I do, he procures an extra helmet from under the seat before straddling the motorcycle. I remain on the sidewalk, still fixated on the bike.

  “What?” He shakes the helmet at me.

  I take it and shove it on my head, mumbling through the straps of the helmet, “Uh, just didn’t expect you to be the motorcycle type.”

  Sebastian’s back shakes with laughter as I climb onto the bike behind him. “Thought it’d be Forrest, right? People always think the bike belongs to him. But let me tell you a secret”—despite his earlier panic, Sebastian’s voice is light and teasing— “Forrest is a huge pansy. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he doesn’t drive anything unless he has to. He’s scared of the highway and won’t be caught dead on my baby.”

  With a laugh, he kick-starts the beast and waits long enough for me to grab ahold of his back before racing off.

  A laugh escapes as we gain speed.

  We’re safe. For now.

  Chapter 4

  Thanks to Sebastian’s disregard for anything resembling a speed limit, it takes us thirty minutes to reach the Better Homes bachelor pad. A small driveway connects the cute, two-car garage, painted in the same cheery yellow shade, to the front walk of the house. As we pull up, I spot Lyle waiting for us.

  Sebastian rolls to a stop beside Lyle and turns off the bike. The moment he kicks out the stand and settles the bike, Lyle’s arms lift me off. I’m not used to being manhandled and squeak in protest.