On that same hand was the ring my dad had given me. It had a red stone that occasionally emitted flashing, swirling lights. It had originally been my grandmother's. The ring I did not like, but my dad insisted I wear it for some reason.
I found Abel's number and pushed the send button. After several rings my anxiety eased. Maybe he wouldn't pick up.
“Hello?” a jovial voice answered . . . a jovial voice that did not belong to Abel.
“Of course you would be the one to answer,” I grumbled.
“And how are you, Xoe?” Devin's voice replied sarcastically.
Devin was Abel's number two, and that was most of what I knew about him. I also knew that I didn't trust him. Devin struck me as the type of man that was only out to serve his own purposes. I was pretty sure the only reason he'd supported me becoming a pack leader was because he'd placed bets on the situation. The odds were not in my favor, and he'd won a good chunk of money.
“Put your almighty leader on the phone, please,” I replied, ignoring his question.
Devin snorted. “The almighty one is unavailable at the moment.”
“Is it his nap time?” I joked grumpily.
“You know how cranky he gets without it,” Devin replied. “I assume you're calling about the murder in your area?” he added.
I was so surprised that I couldn't think of a witty reply, and instead just stood with my jaw agape and the phone pressed to my ear. I heard the front door open and close in the other room, but couldn't focus on it as I tried to think of what to say to Devin.
“I'll take that silence as a yes?” Devin prompted.
“You people really do know everything, don't you?” I said finally.
Devin laughed. “What kind of werewolf secret society would we be, if we didn't stay well informed?”
I took a deep breath. “Well I guess I didn't need to call after all.”
Chase came into the kitchen behind me, then seeing that I was still on the phone, took a seat at one of the stools at the kitchen counter.
“Not really,” Devin replied. “I'll be seeing you soon enough.”
I almost dropped the phone in surprise, then fumbled it back up to my ear. “Come again?” I asked, hoping I'd misunderstood.
“My flight leaves in a few hours,” he explained. “I don't imagine you'd like to pick me up from the airport?”
I shook my head even though Devin obviously couldn't see it. “Why are you coming? I highly doubt you normally investigate every murder that comes along.”
“Not every murder,” he said happily, “but one in the hometown of our favorite little demon? I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
“I don't have a car to pick you up in,” I replied, giving in to the inevitable. “Take a cab.”
Devin sighed loud enough that I could hear it clearly over the phone. “Can you at least promise that you won't be hiding out in demon-land when I get there?”
“How did you . . . ” I trailed off, not liking the fact that he already knew I'd been hiding out in the demon underground.
“What kind of werewolf secret society would we be, if-” he began.
“I get it,” I snapped cutting him off. I rattled off Allison's address, then added, “I'll try to be here, but I make no promises.”
Devin sighed again. “I'll call you when I arrive.”
With that, he hung up. I pulled the phone away from my ear with an angry huff and turned my attention to Chase.
“Is Abel coming?” he asked.
“Devin,” I groaned. “And he wants us to be here to meet him.”
Chase snorted. “Good luck with that. I'm sure your dad will be here any time now to pick us up.”
“Why is he so worried?” I asked, frustrated.
Chase rolled his eyes and stood. “You've almost died several times on your dad's watch. I don't blame him for being a little paranoid, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried too.”
I crossed my arms and glared up at him. “And why on earth are you worried?”
“Why on earth are you not?” he countered. “A girl your age, in your town, gets murdered in her bed, and it looks like a vampire kill.”
“So you think it has something to do with me?” I asked, even though I agreed with him.
Chase shrugged. “I'd say that the chances of it being a coincidence are very, very slim. Even if it isn't a direct message for you, it might be some sort of challenge to your pack.”
I leaned my back against the wall to brace myself for what was coming. “Is this where you tell me that I need to run and hide?”
Chase gave me a look like I was being silly. “No, this is where I tell you that we need to get to the bottom of this. We can't just sit around and wait for things to get worse.”
I grinned, though I felt shaky with nerves. “Are you saying you'll be the Watson to my Holmes?”
Chase laughed, easing some of the tension. “Only if I get to wear a cape.”
Allison walked into the kitchen, followed by Lucy. “I'd say we've got more of a Scooby Doo thing going on,” Allison commented as she took Chase's vacated stool.
Lucy crossed her arms and glared at Allison. “You better not be implying that I'm Scooby.”
Allison shrugged. “You do have a tendency to turn furry.”
Ignoring Allison, Lucy turned to look up at me. “When does Devin arrive?”
I would never get used to werewolf hearing. “He said his flight leaves in a few hours, but I didn't think to ask for an exact time.”
“So you'll stay here this evening then?” Allison asked, not stating that if I was remaining above ground, I really didn't have anywhere else to go.
I shrugged, feeling morose at the reminder of my mom not wanting to see me. “I have to talk to my dad first. It was difficult enough to get him to bring us up to begin with.”
Allison snorted. “Like you're any safer in the demon underground? You've almost died there on multiple occasions.”
I shook my head. “Don't ask.”
I lifted my cell phone once again to call my dad, then walked back into the living room for a little privacy. Lucy would hear everything that was said regardless, but at least I had the illusion of privacy.
He answered on the first ring. “Alexondra, I was just about to call you.”
“Maybe I'm developing psychic powers,” I joked.
“What?” he questioned. “Oh, you're joking,” he went on before I could clarify. “What were you calling about?”
He sounded nervous, and I didn't like it one bit. “What aren't you telling me?” I pressed.
“Nothing,” he said a little too quickly. “I have quite a bit of work to do here, so I was just thinking that perhaps you and Chase could stay with your friends tonight.”
My eyes widened in surprise. Here I'd thought I had a huge argument ahead of me. “You know, most parents don't encourage coed sleepovers.”
My dad laughed, but it was strained. “Oh please, like anything would ever happen between you and Chase.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, slightly offended.
“He's five years older than you,” he replied like it was obvious. “You can't date someone five years older than you.”
I snorted. “Uh, Jason is like a hundred years older than me.”
My dad was silent for a moment. “You know, I hadn't really thought about it like that,” he answered finally. “You haven't already started dating Chase, have you?”
He'd asked the question in a joking way, but I could tell he actually wanted an answer. It was the question of the day, apparently. “No,” I answered simply.
“And you don't plan on it?”
I could feel a nervous blush creeping up my neck. If one more person questioned me about Chase, I was going to scream. “No,” I answered again.
“What was that hesitation?” he asked suspiciously.
“There was no hesitation!” I shouted. “I'll see you tomorrow.”
“Xoe!” he shoute
d before I could hang up.
I took a deep breath. “Yes?”
“You'll just be staying at Allison's like you promised, right?”
“Ye-es,” I said tiredly, drawing the word out for emphasis.
I could almost hear my dad nodding to himself. “Be careful,” he said finally.
“I will,” I replied, just before the phone went dead. My dad wasn't telling me something, but I didn't have time to think about it as Chase walked into the room.
“Lucy and Allison are ordering pizza,” he began until he saw the look on my face. “What's wrong? What happened?”
I shoved my phone angrily into my jeans' pocket. “Nothing,” I mumbled. “Hey Lucy!” I shouted, though I didn't really need to shout for her to hear me.
She came into the living room, phone in hand.
“Don't order yet,” I explained. “Let's go out.”
Lucy nodded and turned to go back into the kitchen. Chase looked at me like I'd lost my mind, but I hadn't. I'd simply chosen to focus on the task at hand. The first step to solving any crime is digging for gossip, and we weren't going to hear anything of the sort shut up in Allison's house.
Shelby's local pizza place, Irvine's, was also Shelby's only pizza place. It was therefore always filled with teenagers. In other words, gossip central. Maybe my teenage high school life wasn't over after all. It was a mixed blessing, at best.
4
After Allison got dressed, we all piled into her car. It was lucky that Allison had a car, as both Lucy and I were car-less, and Chase had sold his old, beat up truck for parts once it stopped running for the final time.
I sat in the front next to Allison, leaving Chase and Lucy in the back. We were going to pick up Max on the way, but our pack would be incomplete, as Lela had to work. I had a nervous knot in my stomach as we drove. The streets and buildings of Shelby looked somehow different to me. It was like everything was smaller, making me feel almost claustrophobic despite the open expanses of forest.
The thought of going into Irvine's made me more nervous still. I'd probably see people that I knew, and if I wanted to find out more gossip about Claire's death, I would have to talk to them. The questions about dropping out would be inevitable, and I wouldn't quite know how to answer them. Yeah, see, the thing is, I'm a demon, and other monsters keep trying to kill me, so public high school just isn't right for me at this point in my life.
I was startled as Allison pulled onto a gravel driveway and shut off the car. Had we reached Max's already? I really hadn't thought about how being back in Shelby would affect me, but I felt dazed and a little traumatized.
Max emerged from the front door of his small, modular home and approached Allison's car. Without a word, Lucy slid to the middle seat, making room for Max to sit behind Allison. Max got into the car, then we were moving once again.
As we pulled back onto the main road, Max reached across Lucy to pat my shoulder. “You're looking a little pale there, packmaster.”
“Mind your own business, minion,” I joked back, but my heart wasn't in it. At that moment, I just wanted to be back in the underground, safe in my dad's house. I shook my head. What was wrong with me? The ride to Irvine's was over in a flash, and before I knew it we came to a stop once again.
Max exited the car on Allison's side, saying something to her that I didn't quite catch. Allison laughed, then leaned down slightly to kiss Max hello.
I stood on the other side of the car watching them, completely stunned. The last time I'd talked to Max about Allison, she was annoyed with him because he wouldn't make her a werewolf.
“Did I miss something?” I blurted as I walked around the car to approach them.
Allison turned to smirk at me, not flustered as she predicted my reaction. “You knew we had gone on a few dates.”
I let out a huff of disbelief. “Yeah, but you were just trying to trick him into making you a werewolf.”
Max glared at me. “So the only reason Allison would ever choose to date me is because I'm a werewolf?”
I glared back. “You told me that was the reason she dated you, and the dating ended when you refused to turn her. What else was I supposed to think?”
Max still looked cranky, but gave a curt nod in assent. “Well we've worked out our differences. Get over it.”
I threw my hands up and turned away. “Whatever!” I exclaimed. “We've got bigger problems.”
Max mumbled something I couldn't quite hear, and Allison shushed him. It was better that I didn't hear, as my control over my temper was tenuous at best. Stress made my anger more difficult to control, and I'd had about all of the stress I could deal with for one lifetime.
Max sped up to walk next to Chase, as Lucy and Allison fell behind to walk on either side of me.
“What's wrong?” Lucy asked as she looked up at me nervously, shielding her dark, almond-shaped eyes from the sun with her hand.
“You can't be this upset about Max and I,” Allison added before I could answer.
I shook my head and looked forward, feeling embarrassed for snapping at Max and Allison, given my nerves had nothing to do with them.
“I'm sorry Al, I just didn't realize how weird it would feel to be back here,” I explained. “It seems like it was years ago that we met Jason, but it hasn't even been a full year.”
Lucy stopped walking and smiled bitterly. “I know what you mean. Normal life seems like a distant dream.”
“A bad dream,” Allison cut in, purposefully bumping into my shoulder to make me bump into Lucy. “You guys can't tell me that you haven't enjoyed all of the excitement, at least a little.”
“Oh yes. Allison,” I said sarcastically as I turned to face her. “Almost being killed every month is great fun.”
Allison rolled her honey-colored eyes. “You know what I mean. We get to know this big secret, and be a part of things that other teenagers will never be a part of. It's cool.”
I snorted. “Destroy your mom's house, help kill your friend's girlfriend, and lose track of your vampire boyfriend, then tell me how cool it all is.”
“Oh you're such a party pooper,” Allison chided, though she grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to soften her words.
“Are you guys coming or what?” Max called out as he and Chase waited near the door to the pizza parlor. They looked an odd pair, with Chase standing at 6'2” and Max barely reaching 5'4”, just like Allison and Max looked an odd pair. Of course, I was a half-demon with a vampire boyfriend. Who was I to judge odd pairs?
We started walking again and quickly reached the boys. Max held the door open for us as we entered the loud, crowded interior, and I realized with a start that is was Saturday. I'd lost track of the days being in the underground. As we walked through the crowd I saw several people I knew. Instead of waving or saying hi, they all gave me strange glances liked they wondered what I was doing there.
“Why is everyone staring at me?” I whispered to Lucy as we waited for a group of departing people to get out of our way.
Lucy cringed. “There may be a few rumors going around school about you.”
The group that was blocking us finally left so we could be seated. Most of the tables were filled, and we ended up with a booth that was yet to be cleared of the dirty plates and empty pizza pan from its previous patrons. Lucy, Allison and I squeezed into one side, squeaking across the red vinyl fabric of the booth as we all tried to fit. Meanwhile Chase and Max sat comfortably on the other side. We all waited silently as one of the waitresses approached to clean our table.
As the waitress walked away, I turned to look at Lucy. “What rumors?”
Lucy shrugged uncomfortably. “Well you kind of just disappeared, and so did Jason. No one really knew Jason, but they'd seen you together around town.”
“And?” I prompted when she didn't continue.
“Everyone thinks that you and Jason eloped and ran off together,” Max finished explaining for her.
I dropped my head into my pa
lms and groaned. Couldn't they have thought of a more creative explanation?
“I'm seventeen,” I mumbled through my hands.
“Your mom could have given consent,” Allison explained.
The waitress came back to take our order while my face remained buried in my palms. I suppose being married wasn't the worst rumor in the world, but I still didn't like it. I looked up as the waitress left, just in time to see something catch Max's eye.
His mouth fell open in surprise as he turned slowly to look at me. “Don't look now, but your husband is sitting at that booth over there.”
I turned around so quickly that I nearly shoved Allison out of her seat. Sure enough, Jason was sitting at a booth across the restaurant from ours. He sat with two other people, all leaned in having what looked like an intense conversation. I didn't recognize his company. One was a man with closely cropped blonde hair and a tall, thin frame. The other was a woman with black hair that fell just past her chin. I couldn't make out many other details with the distance and people walking in between us, but the pair appeared to be in their mid-thirties.
When I recovered enough to think, I made a shooing gesture to get Allison out of my way. Once I was free from the booth, I made my way across the chaotic restaurant toward Jason's table, leaving my friends to sit silently in my wake.
Jason noticed me when I was halfway across the room, and his eyes widened in surprise. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked almost scared. He quickly excused himself from his companions and stood to meet me before I could reach them.
“Let's go outside,” he said as soon as we stood facing each other.
I looked him up and down, taking in his moderately dressed-up appearance. He wore all black, and his hair was actually combed as opposed to it's usual, tousled mess.
When I just stood there staring at him, he grabbed my arm and guided me toward the door. I looked back to my friends for reassurance, but from the angle the only two I could see were Max and Chase. Max looked nervous, and Chase looked ready to jump up and follow us out of the restaurant.
Jason dropped my arm to open the door, and suddenly we were alone in the chilly outside air. I turned angry, hurt eyes up at him as we walked a little further away from the restaurant. I had told myself that once I finally found Jason, I'd play it cool, but as I looked up at his stony expression, I knew there was no way I'd achieve that particular goal.
Forgotten Fires Page 3