Call Me Juliet With Mad Ninja Skills
As I'm getting ready for school, I realize that there are a lot of things that I don't know.
Apparently, I don't know my bra size, because right now it feels like my girls are spilling out of my B-cups. Whoa! My jeans are a bit tighter around my bottom area too, though my waist is still very tiny. What happen? Did I gain weight?
Another thing I don't know is, how to break it to my friends that we're moving away from here.
I don't know if Kevin is still alive. If he still is, does he hate me now?
I don't know how I'm going to behave around Constantine today as well. Should I be with him like we were yesterday? Should I pretend I didn't know him like I always did before?
If I am with him, I'll be the latest gossip in school again. Not to mention all the girls, werewolves and humans would definitely hate me.
I really don't know what to do, so I end up trying to avoid him around school. Using my crazy ninja skills again, of course.
I manage to avoid the lycans and the populars all morning, much to my friends' annoyance. They think I'm behaving weirdly. Reese is starting to worry about me. I feel sorry that my friends have to put up with someone like me.
At lunchtime, though, it's hard to stay hidden. I notice that other female lycan, Serena, is with them today.
And I haven't told my friends about my dad's decision to move. They're going to freak. I'm such a coward.
“Did you do something different with your makeup today, GenGen?” asks Reese as she studies my face closely.
“Nope. In fact, I just wore my lip gloss today. Nothing else.”
“Hmm...maybe that's it,” comments Reese skeptically. “Whatever it is, keep doing it. You look better without makeup I think.”
“Are the lycans looking at us?” questions Penny suddenly in a hushed voice.
“Nope, they're looking at something behind us,” I answer quickly even before I begin to look.
Yep, all the lycans including Serena are looking our way. Even I can't pretend they're looking at something behind us anymore. Maybe I should leave the lunch room now. I'm still so hungry, though.
“Are you sure they're not looking at one of us? How can you be so sure?” asks Penny again suspiciously.
“Nope. Not looking at us,” I confirm.
“Oh, but I think Penny's right. I think they're looking at this table,” announces Reese. “Don't you think so, River?” She nudges River's side.
“Why would they be looking at us?” I interrupt before River gets the chance to answer. I get up and dump the rest of my food in the dumpster except for an apple. My stomach growls in protest.
I sneak a quick peek. Yep, the four lycans are still staring at us—or me. My heart thuds faster in my chest. Better run.
“See you guys later... got somewhere to be, things to do, people to see and all that. Ciao!” I wave at my friends as I make my quick escape. I'm such a coward.
I stumble upon Kevin walking with a friend in the hallway. Guilt consumes me. He has black eyes. His lips are busted. One cheek is swollen. One arm is in a cast. One plaster over his eyebrow. There is a huge plaster over his nose too. Other than that he seems okay. I mean, it could be worse, right? I was worried that he might be dead last night.
“Kevin,” I call out.
He stops in his track when he hears me.
“Genesis,” he says in dismay. “I can't be seen with you.” His eyes frantically scan the almost empty hallway.
“Excuse us.” I address his friend as I grab his uninjured hand and drag him into one of the empty classrooms. Then I notice that he's walking with a limp too. Poor Kevin.
I pull out a chair for him to sit, then I sit on the other side of the table across him.
“You weren’t in English lit this morning,” I state. I was looking for him the whole morning actually.
“Well, yeah...I just got here,” he answers, scratching his arm just above the cast.
“I'm so sorry, Kevin,” I apologize.
“I thought Carrington's with that cheerleader or something. Why didn't you tell me that you're with him?” he asks me.
“Well, I'm not with him.”
“Oh,” says Kevin looking confused.
“It's complicated,” I explain.
“He said he's going to kill me the next time he sees me near you. I know it sounds crazy, but I believe him. He and his friends looked really scary that night,” says Kevin.
Oh, I believe him too. I'm surprised that he let Kevin off this easily.
“Look, Genesis, I don't mean to upset you. I mean, I know you like me. I do like you too, but I'm sorry, we can't be together.”
As I look into his serious blue eyes, I thought, oh what the heck. If this is the only time I get to play Juliet in an epic tragic love story, I'll take it.
“I understand, Kevin...but I'll never forget you.” I take his uninjured hand in mine and sorrowfully look deep into his eyes.
Kevin lifts my hand up to his busted lips at the same time the door bursts open.
Constantine is standing there taking in the scene before him with narrowed eyes. His piercing silver-gray eyes zoning in on my hand in Kevin's near his lips.
Somebody clears his throat, and I instantly aware of the other three lycans standing silently behind Constantine.
Wow. This is awkward.
Kevin's eyes are big with surprise and fear. He raises his hands up as if in surrender.
“I didn't touch her. I swear, man,” Kevin declares.
Constantine's eyes are now fixed on me.
Kevin scurries out of there as fast as his limping feet can carry him. I don't blame him. I want to do the same—only I don't think I can get away with it now.
Lazarus pats Constantine's back while Serena smiles softly at me before they both leave. Caspian looks at me in amusement, a slow panty-melting smile growing on his lips. He winks at me playfully before he thumps Constantine's back once and leaves as well.
Constantine never takes his eyes off of me the whole time. We're all alone now.
“Hey?” I say awkwardly. My fingers are fidgeting with the hem of my cardigan.
He looks so good today. Black jeans and a black t-shirt that fit him like gloves. A black leather jacket, thick dark silky hair all mussed up. He looks dangerous and seriously hot. My fingers itch to touch a lock of dark brown hair that curls at the nape of his neck. “Say something,” I plead finally, no longer able to take the silence much longer.
“What do you want me to say, Genesis?”
“I don't know...anything.”
“I seriously don't know what to say. You've been avoiding me the whole morning today. When I found you, you're with another man,” he states calmly and somehow that makes it more threatening. “Alone. With his lips kissing your hand. What am I supposed to think, Genesis?” There's hurt and anger and jealousy in his silver-gray eyes.
Now I'm feeling like a heel. Constantine has always been upfront about his feelings for me. As hard as it is for me to believe that this beautiful, powerful creature feels that way for someone like me. He's not the one being childish. He's made it clear about what he wants. I'm the one being wishy-washy.
What do I want?
“Constantine,” I breathed softly.
He takes a quick sharp intake of breath. It's as if just hearing his name on my lips takes his breath away.
“I'm sorry. I think I just got scared...the way I'm feeling for you...it's overwhelming. It's all-consuming. Nobody ever made me feel like you do. Not even my ex-mate. I don't know how to deal with it,” I tell him.
We're both staring into each other's eyes. Trying to figure out and read each other's thoughts.
The bell rings. The class is starting. A student enters the classroom we're in. Her big owlish eyes are staring at the both of us with curiosity.
We both ignore her. Constantine grabs my elbow and pulls me out of the school through the cafeteria door. We walk past the oak tree and stop not too far into the woods.
I'm not fully aware of my surrounding. All I can see is him.
“Do you want to be with me?” he asks me suddenly.
“Yes,” I whisper softly, but I've never been so sure of what I want until that moment. I truly want to be with him.
“Then be with me,” he says. “I want you, Genesis. All I want is you.”
He's looking at me as if waiting for me to do something. Expectant look on his beautiful face as he stares at me. His arms open. For a minute, I don't understand what he wants.
He lays it all out there. He states what he wants. Now it's my move. I take a step up to him, and a second later I'm in his arms. Jolts of electricity shot through me. His warmth, power, and scent envelop me. I feel weak and strong at the same time. This is where I want to be. In his arms.
“You are mine, Genesis. There's no turning back. I don't share, and I don't let go of what's mine. I won't give you up.” His lips brushing against my temple.
I swallow nervously. The thought of me being his scares me and excites me. It brings delicious shivers down my spine.
***
Constantine and I decided to skip school after that. Well, I suggested it. Constantine seems to be happy to go along with it. I've been so bad lately. With the number of classes I’ve skipped just this past couple of weeks, I'm surprised they haven't called my parents yet.
Constantine takes my hand in his and I'm on cloud nine...again. I see rainbows and unicorns when we're together like this. Well, okay...not really, but you get what I mean. At school or everywhere else, he seems cold and aloof, but he seems so different when he's with me. I don't think I ever saw him smile much before. He seems to be playful, and mischievous when we're alone. His smile and his laughter, my goddess, so amazing, it makes me weak in the knees.
“Come on, sunshine. Get on my back,” he coaxes.
Right now, he's trying to persuade me to get on his back so he can jump to the other side of the raging river. The river is very wide. The rocks are wet and slippery. Even the strongest werewolf wouldn't be able to make a jump to the other side.
“Nope,” I refuse, shaking my head and taking a few steps back away from him.
“Sunshine...” His tone is a warning as he saunters towards me menacingly. Mischief in his eyes.
“Costa..” I fire back in the same tone.
“Costa?” He stops in his track. He raises an eyebrow. Then his lips curve up into a little smile and his eyes glint with humor. “Is that your new nickname for me?”
“Yeah, Costa...Constantine is a mouthful,” I declare. “Why? Would you prefer me to call you Pooh bear? Cutie pie? Sweetpea? Studmuffin? Chunky monkey?”
“Chunky monkey?” His eyebrows rise. His lips twitch as if he's trying not to laugh. He shakes his head as if he can't believe I would think of calling him with any of those names. “I wouldn't mind you calling me Stud Muffin.” He winks.
“Now, get on my back, my sweet pea,” he says as he hauls me onto his back. And before I can say Chunky monkey we're on the other side of the river.
We stop by another cliff this time. We lie on our backs close to the edge, next to each other. This cliff has a 50-foot drop to the river below. We both seem to have a thing for cliffs.
It's a beautiful day. A soft breeze is blowing. The sky is blue and white fluffy clouds drift slowly in different shapes. I swear I could see ones that look like a bunny and fuzzy slippers.
Constantine entwine our fingers together. His thumb is drawing circles, caressing my hand. It's funny how his simple touch can make my toes curl, and my heart speeds up.
“Constantine?”
“Hmmm..?”
I decide to tell him what's been bothering me since last night. “My father decided that we're moving away from here. He's taking us back to his old pack, Cannis Gunnolf Pack.”
Constantine raises himself up on his elbow to look at me. “You think your moving away can separate us, sunshine? You are mine. No matter where you go, I'll find you.”
***
When I reach home, there are boxes in the living room. Some stuff is already packed, ready for moving, but a lot of things are still where they usually are. I'm surprised that my parents only got this far. I'd thought the house would at least be partially empty by now.
When I get into the kitchen, I'm surprised to see mom sitting at the table. She's sipping tea, staring out the window absentmindedly.
“Mom?”
“Oh, honey, you're home.” She smiles brightly. Her smile seems forced. Something isn't right.
“Mom, what's going on?”
Her smile falters. “Nothing to worry about, honey. Do you want some tea?” She gets up to put the kettle on the stove.
“Mom, please. If it concerns me, I need to know.”
Mom sighs. She looks worn. We both take our seat at the table, and she wraps her hands over her mug tightly.
“The alpha called your dad for a meeting today,” she says. “They declined our request. Our application to leave the pack is rejected.”
“Okay...can't we just take off and get Uncle Ashton or Grandpa Quentin to send the paper works later?” I ask. Let them deal among the alphas, it's easier. Some werewolves do that when they travel and find their mates in a different pack.
“Honey, our application is not only rejected, we are prohibited from leaving the pack,” explains mom. “As of now, the border patrol is also aware of our position. I think they even send pack scouts to keep watch, to make sure we don't leave the territory.”
My eyes widen at this information.
“Why?” I blurt out even when I can guess the reason why. This is not a normal thing to happen. They don't make this huge a deal of a family leaving the pack to join another.
Mom sighs heavily as she stares at me sadly.
“Alpha Carrington wants you to mate with his son, Logan,” she states gently as she tucks a piece of stray hair behind my ear.
“But he rejected me, mom. He made it clear he didn't want me.”
“I know, honey.” Mom sighs softly. “But he decided that the party is going to be in three days. You are to be mated and marked by Logan before then.”
“I will not let Logan mark me or touch me, and they can't stop us from leaving,” I cry out in frustration, completely forgetting that I don't want to move out in the first place. “They can't force us. It's not fair!”
“No, it's not fair....but the elders would completely agree with them. It's within their right to prohibit us from leaving. You're Logan Carrington's true mate. You're rightfully his.”
My chest grow hot when I hear this. The heat grows and spreads throughout my body. My vision is turning red. Ezra is protesting at being called Logan's. My whole being is rebelling against it.
“I am not his! ” I spit out in a voice that doesn't sound like mine.
Mom Gasps in shock. “Genesis?”
A screeching sound makes me look down at a pair of hands that don't look like mine. My nails are long and sharp. They just made deep scratches across the dinner table.
“Genesis, your eyes...” whispers mom in fear. “What's happening?”
I withdraw my hands from the table and run. Not a second later, I'm in my room. What's happening? How did I get in my room so fast? My senses are ten times sharper than even when I'm in my wolf form. For a few seconds, my senses are overload.
I look in the mirror and my eyes are all black. No whites at all.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Don't freak out. Don't freak out. I'm freaking out!!!
What's going on? Even when I'm changing into my wolf, my eyes usually still have some white in them.
“Genesis?” Mom knocks on my door hesitantly.
“In a minute!” I call out. That doesn't sound like my voice. My fury is forgotten as I stare at my elongated fingers and the thick, sharp, long nails in curiosity. I'm growing taller as my limbs elongated. I'm still changing.
“Genesis?” mom calls out. The door handle turns. I jump out through the window.