Chapter 14
Callie
“How was dinner and the football game last night?” my aunt asks, as she twists another lock of my hair around the curling iron.
“Good,” I answer, sitting in one of the kitchen chairs we nabbed from downstairs and attempting to keep my head still. I never really thought about how much I fidget until a hot curling iron became involved. “There’s a pretty good Chinese food place on Main Street that will either welcome us with open arms as their favorite customers, or they’ll cower in fear and try to lock the doors the next time they see us. The boys really know how to pack it away.”
Mildred laughs. “I believe it’s a rule that all teenage boys have hollow legs.”
“Did you just call the guys fat? I’m so telling,” Felix taunts from the threshold of the bathroom, hover-leaning against the doorframe. He’s been enjoying giving a running commentary, since he knows I can’t say anything back.
My aunt is blocking my view, so I can’t even get a good glare in.
I continue, ignoring Felix’s comment. “I didn’t really understand much of the game past ‘get the ball to the other side of the field,’ but we won, and there was a pretty big turnout considering it was an away game. The snack shack seriously needs to step up their coffee game, though.” I make a bleh face. “I think it was Folgers instant. By the time I was able to make it palatable, I’m pretty sure it was more sugar than coffee.”
“Should’ve gone with tea,” she replies, the smirk evident in her voice.
“How very British of you,” I chuckle, watching her unravel the now curled strand. “And you’re not wrong--then there’d be no need for cream or sugar.”
She shudders over the thought of taking tea plain, and a smile steals its way across my face. This is… nice. More than nice. Mildred offered to help me get ready for the party tonight, and even though I’m nervous about my first party that doesn’t involve Barbies or a piñata, there’s a warm glow inside me thawing out a few more of those harsh ice chips. It’s hard to describe how I feel-- only that this is an experience I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to have.
“Almost done,” Mildred promises, setting the curling iron down on the counter. She grabs a purple aerosol can and lightly mists my hair. “That’s a flex hold hairspray, so it shouldn’t feel crunchy.”
“Thanks for all of this, Aunt Mildred,” I say sincerely, biting my bottom lip. My aunt applied a tinted lip gloss, and it doesn’t taste nearly as gross as lipstick.
I get up and look in the mirror, happy with the final results. My hair rests around my shoulders in soft, shiny curls, and my makeup looks so much better and less drag queen-esque under Mildred’s more reserved hand. She concentrated more around my eyes, using subtle pinks and beiges with black eyeliner and mascara for “a bit of drama.”
“You look smashing, my darling,” she assures, looking in the mirror with me. “Absolutely smashing.”
“She’s right,” Felix murmurs, his warm timbre low and soft. “You look really amazing.”
My chin dips down, hair spilling around my face, and heat flushes my cheeks. I pull on the sleeves of the silky, lavender robe my aunt let me borrow to keep my new shirt from getting dirty.
“Thank you,” I mumble, embarrassed by the flattery.
Mildred looks down at her watch, a beautiful piece of jewelry that looks more like a bracelet than a watch. “My goodness,” she cries, “you said your friends are supposed to be here at eight. You only have a few minutes. Go finish getting ready.” She shoos me out of the bathroom.
“Going. Going,” I chant as I hurry down the hall, Felix trailing behind me.
“Now, what should I wear to a party where no one can see me?” Felix muses, following me into my bedroom. “Should I go for comfort, not that I can feel physical discomfort, or more for style? Can a ghost suffer for fashion?”
I chuckle from near the closet, retrieving my new boots and leather jacket. I saved them both to wear for the first time, tonight. Throwing the jacket on my bed, I sit down to lace up my boots.
Glancing up at him, I ask, “What do you normally wear to these things?”
“What part of my nerdy self says high school parties to you?” he scoffs with a smirk. “Parties have always been more of a Nolan and Donovan thing. Mostly when they went to parties, Kaleb and Connor would come over, and we’d play video games.”
Surprised, I stop and look up. “Oh,” I swallow and utter softly, “Nolan wasn’t kidding when he made a big deal out of Kaleb and Connor going, then?”
“Nope,” he declares. “I mean, this isn’t their first party or anything. They’ve been dragged out a few times, but loud music and drunk teenagers aren’t really their scene.”
Guilt worms its way into my stomach. “They’re only going because I wanted to go, aren’t they?”
He rubs the back of his neck and offers me a gentle smile. “Probably, but don’t feel bad about it. They’re big boys who can make decisions all on their own. Besides, it’ll be different because they’re with you. We’ll stick together, and it’ll be fun. If all else fails, we can hang out in the corner and make fun of Nolan and Donovan working the party.” He snaps his fingers, but there’s no sound. “I know. I can pop up behind any girl they’re hitting on and just ruin any of their attempts at game. Hard to be cool with me making funny faces and saying the dumbest things I can think of.”
I giggle. “Thanks, Casper. I feel better.”
“I aim to please,” he replies with a bow. “Now, seriously, what should I wear? Infinite possibilities here.”
“Hmmmm,” I hum, crossing my arms and doing a slow sweep of his appearance. He’s wearing jeans, vans, and a fitted, black t-shirt that says This is How I Roll around an image of several different dice. Gallantly, I offer, “Wear whatever makes you happy.”
“That is… unbelievably not helpful,” he grumbles playfully. “Just for that, it’s Saturday Night Fever Travolta for you.”
There’s a small flash of light, and then Felix is wearing the most hideous, white disco suit ever and posing with one hand pointing in the air and the other off to the side in the trademark pose.
“My eyes! My eyes!” I wail, covering my face. “I take it back. I have an opinion-- it’s anything but that!”
“Anything, huh?” he taunts with another flash.
I peek through my fingers, and he’s dressed like Legolas from Lord of the Rings-- long blonde hair, pointed ears, and all.
Pulling my hands down, I smirk. “I can work with that.”
He chuckles and with another flash, he’s back to what he was wearing.
“I like what you’re wearing now,” I tell him honestly and pick up my phone from where it’s charging on the nightstand. I type in Men’s Fashion into the search bar and flip through the images. “But if you want to dress it up, wear this over it.” I show him a picture of a black, casual jacket that has lapels.
In less than a moment, Felix is wearing the jacket from the image on the screen and has his arms splayed to the sides in a what do you think? way.
“Looks good. Very geek chic,” I compliment. “Now, I have to finish getting ready before the guys get here.”
The doorbell rings, and I groan.
“Don’t worry about it,” he chirps. “I’ll pop down and keep them busy.” Then he Nightcrawlers away.
“Oh, that must be them,” my aunt shouts from her room. “I’ll get it.”
“Thanks!” I shout back. “I’ll be ready in just a sec.”
I quickly finish tying up my knee high boots, shuck off the robe, and throw on my black leather jacket, slipping my wallet, keys, and cell phone into the upper zipper pockets. Racing out the door, I briefly steel myself at the top of the stairs before hurrying down, and I’m at the front door only moments after Mildred opened it.
“Hello,” my aunt greets. “It’s wonderful to meet some of Callie’s new friends. She’s told me so much about you.”
“Only good things, I hope,” Kaleb’s deep baritone floats in from the threshold.
At the door, Connor stands with his hands in his pockets, dressed in his typical flannel shirt, jeans, brown boots and hooded jacket, and there’s an odd expression on his face--- a combination of perplexity and suspicion narrowing his amber eyes. What’s he smelled now? Or does he think-- crap, I hope he doesn’t think my aunt is the source of all the weird shit going on with me. I mentally sigh, knowing I’ll have to give the guys some clues to my past, if only so my aunt remains in the clear.
Kaleb stands next to him dressed in a light blue, button up shirt with a charcoal grey, V-neck sweater thrown over, dark wash jeans, and black boots. His gentle smile is in place with kindness in his eyes. He, at least, doesn’t seem to suspect my aunt of anything.
“Hey,” I chirp from beside Mildred, slightly breathless. A nervous energy buzzes through me taking hold in my hands. I stuff them into my pockets to try and hide the slight tremors. “Ready to go?”
Felix looks up at the sound of my voice from his position back and to the side of the others, his playful smirk falling to stunned. I feel even more nervous about the black lacy shirt, worried that it’s not proper party attire.
“Perhaps introductions first?” my aunt requests with a teasing smile.
“Right,” I blurt, pulling my hands from my pockets to tuck my hair behind my ears. It just slides right back into my face, the curls making it more unruly. “Aunt Mildred, this is Connor Lopez, Kaleb Ward, and-- yeah, uh, the other guys we’re meeting at the party,” I fumble, forgetting my aunt can’t see or hear Felix. “Guys, this is my Aunt Mildred.”
Connor nods his greeting, while Kaleb holds out his hand to shake my aunt’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine,” she replies, taking his hand.
I catch a slight tug to her eyes and brow in her profile, but it’s quickly smoothed away before I can decipher her feelings.
She turns to me, petting my hair, and continues in a pleasant voice, “Now, don’t stay out too late and be safe. If you need anything, call me.”
I nod, chewing on my lip. “I will.”
“Good,” she smiles. “Now, go have fun.”
I slip around my aunt, and she closes the door behind me.
“Callie, your…” Connor starts but drifts off from his low murmur.
Looking up, I notice Connor and Kaleb are wearing matching surprised expressions.
“What?” I fret, looking down at my clothes. “Is this not okay?”
Kaleb regains his senses first, swallowing heavily, and stutters, “Uh, no… I mean yes, what you’re wearing is fine. Better than fine. It’s…” He releases a deep breath, calming himself. “You look lovely, Callie.”
“Smokin’, pretty girl,” Felix chimes in, his eyes giving me a once over. “You look smokin’.”
Connor makes a throaty hum in agreement.
“Thanks,” I reply with a small smirk, both pleased and embarrassed by their compliments. There’s a chill to the air, and I zip up my jacket. “Well, uh, let’s head out.”
“Yeah, about that,” Felix says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Cars and I don’t always get along with the whole potential of falling through them, so I’ll meet you guys there. Nolan doesn’t live too far from where the party is, so he and Donovan should be there by now.”
“Okay, see you there, Casper,” I confirm with a small wave goodbye.
He returns it before popping away.
“Would you like the front seat?” Kaleb asks as we walk towards Connor’s car.
“No, the backseat is fine,” I assure him. “I’ve got short legs, so I don’t really need the space.”
He nods, and when we reach the car, he opens the door for me. Again, right before I’m about to reach up to climb in, Connor picks me up with a muttered, “Watch your head,” and deposits me onto the back seat. I’m starting to wonder if there’ll ever be a time I get into his car on my own. Outlook: Doubtful.
The party is on the other side of town, and the drive takes over twenty minutes. Kaleb and I idly chat about an English paper coming up, and I thank him again for picking up and bringing over my books earlier today. I’d forgotten to retrieve them after all the stuff in the parking lot on Friday.
Connor parks a block away from the very nice house that must have every light on with how much it glows, and possibly every teenager that goes to our high school in attendance, if the crowd on the front lawn is any indication. As we’re making our way over, the music audible even from this distance, I realize I have no idea whose house this is.
“So, where are we exactly?” I ask, glancing at both Connor and Kaleb, whom I’m once again walking in between. Not that it bothers me, but it’s a little odd that I’m always in the middle.
“Bree Whitaker’s place, she’s a cheerleader and her brother, Brett, is on the football team,” Kaleb answers, his gaze strangely focused on the front lawn.
“Will they mind that we weren’t officially invited?” I question, trying to also figure out what has Kaleb’s attention.
He finally looks down at me, his face softening, “I doubt they’ll notice, but if it helps, I always have an open invitation to these things. Captain of the team and everything.”
I bite my lip and nod, that nervous energy coming back.
Once we reach the house, we find Felix sitting on the curb, leaned back on his elbows and staring up at the night sky. When he sees us approach, he jumps to his feet and shouts, “Oh thank god, you’re here. When I showed up, I ended up on the dance floor and in a couple grinding on each other.” He shudders. “It’s so packed in there, Donovan didn’t see me even though I was a few feet away. Thought it’d be easier to find you guys and not become one with some of my old classmates if I waited for you out here.”
“Don’t worry,” I comfort. “This place looks pretty big, there’s got to be somewhere we can find some space.”
“Thanks.” He smiles.
A circle of people on the lawn notice our arrival, some I vaguely recognize from Friday’s football game, and there’s a chorus of surprised shouts for Kaleb.
He takes a deep, slow breath, his eyes fluttering closed for just a moment, then says, “I better go talk to them. I’ll find you guys inside.”
It’s like watching an actor about to head out on stage as he strides towards them. He squares his shoulders, and his face transforms into a facsimile of excited joy. The girls hug him and the guys pat him on the back in greeting. He laughs and nods, his teeth glowing with his wide grin, and it looks like just what it is--- a performance. Watching as he tries to roll the tension out of his shoulders, sympathy washes over me as it becomes clear why he doesn’t come to these things. I’m tired just looking at it all.
“And then there was three,” Felix quips. “Alright, let’s go see what all the fuss is about.”
Connor leads the way up the driveway, and this time I walk so Felix is between us, hopefully to keep him from being walked through. Just like school, people make sure to give Connor plenty of space to move.
When we finally get inside, there’s a steady din of talking and music coming from somewhere further in the house, and teenagers are all over the place, many with red plastic cups in their hands. The temperature jumps a good forty degrees, and I unzip my jacket, already warm.
When I scan the room, I see Nolan standing near the far wall of the formal living room. He’s wearing a black shirt, shucked up to his elbows, unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, and only tucked in at the button of his dark designer jeans. His hair is styled to look artfully mussed and to partially fall into his eyes.
I’m about to walk over, when I notice the girl he’s standing with. She’s dressed in a short, black floral dress, has dark brown hair that she twirls around her fingers, and looks at Nolan like she can barely believe he’s noticed her.
Nolan leans down with a smirk full of promise and whispers in her ear. She giggles and blushes, as she nods her head, and my stomach sinks. It would be one thing if he liked this girl, but his playboy performance reeks just as false as Kaleb’s good time one outside, but with far harsher results. It feels wrong what he’s doing, preying on this girl, and it’s hard to reconcile him with the boy that I know. The one that escorts me to class, holds my hand when I’m nervous, teases me, and walks a careful line to show me the comfort of being touched. Is there no other way?
“Campbell, you fucking fag,” shouts a large and heavily muscled guy barreling over from the other side of the room, startling me. “Don’t know why you bother hitting on girls. No one’s buying your in-the-closet bullshit.”
The whole room grows quiet, watching as Nolan turns to address the asshole now in front of him. He quirks a brow, his smirk turning cruel, and with the same fluidity of a stalking panther, he strolls to within inches of the guy, his gaze holding him frozen in place. There’s a sexual energy that coils around him, but similar to when Gina crashed our lunch, Nolan’s eyes promise only pain--- pain that the victim will beg for.
The asshole who was filled with vitriol only moments ago, now stands scared and mesmerized at the same time, not daring to move away.
Nolan’s face is so close, I’m sure the guy can feel his breath, as he purrs, “If I want to have sex with a girl, I’ll have sex with a girl, and if I want to have sex with a boy, I’ll have sex with a boy.” His eyes droop, like he’s whispering to a lover, and his hand slowly glides down the assholes arm, Nolan leading the guy’s hand to his own blatant erection. “I think we can both agree who I fuck is nobody else’s business, and my sexuality has no real bearing on my character, right?”
The asshole swallows heavily and nods, his face burning under the crowd’s harsh judgement.
Nolan tilts his head to the side, a perverse frown marring his handsome features. “I don’t believe everyone heard you. You’ll have to speak up.”
“Yes,” he grunts out, his breath labored.
“Yes, what?” Nolan sneers back.
“Yes,” he stutters, his eyes wide with frightened uncertainty, “who you fuck is none of my business and has no bearing on your character.”
Nolan steps back, tsking in disgust, and orders, “Now, sit down and shut the fuck up.”
He lumbers away in a confused daze, dropping heavily into a nearby armchair.
The girl from earlier walks up beside Nolan, slipping her hand into his shirt and kissing his neck. His playboy smirk falls back into place as he returns his focus to her, but there’s nothing but anger and a disheartening emptiness to his artic blue eyes.
With the show over, everyone goes back to their own conversations, though I notice a lot more stolen looks at Nolan-- from both guys and girls.
And now I know what Nolan meant about charming people.
My tumultuous feelings must be written on my face, because when Connor looks down at me, he shakes his head, leans down and speaks low into my ear, “There’s more to it.” He glances around, then takes my hand, leading me through the room and away from Nolan, Felix doing his best to follow behind.
I concentrate on the feeling of Connor’s skin against mine, his hand warm and smooth, encapsulating my tiny one. I don’t know what to feel. There’s no love lost over a homophobic asshole, and the encounter ended without any violence, which is good, but watching someone’s will be stripped from them is-- difficult. Mixed with the true purpose of Nolan being here, and I can’t help the twisted nauseous sensation in my belly.
Connor leads me through some type of game room, and I find Donovan standing near a pool table with his arm around a blonde girl and a beer hanging from his fingers. Concern furrows his brow when he meets my gaze. He’s about to peel away from the girl when his eyes meet Connor’s. They seem to have some kind of silent conversation, where Connor ends it with a subtle shake of his head, and then continues to lead me through another set of doors and out to the backyard.
The back is huge with a covered swimming pool, hot tub, and still plenty of yard. It’s also, thankfully, far less crowded. We head to a set of empty chairs that sit on just the edge of where cement meets grass. Connor releases me and motions for me to sit, then takes the seat to my right. Felix stands to one side, his hands in his pockets, and a pensive look in his eyes. I tuck my hands between my knees and wait for Connor to start, surprised that he’s taking this task on himself.
He folds his hands together and looks out into the middle distance, as if trying to gather all the words he’ll need to attempt to make me understand. He sighs, then turns his gaze on me. There’s a pull to his brows and press to his lips that asks for my patience--- his expressions often more communicative than his words.
“Nolan’s cursed,” he opens, his voice low but laced with frustration.
Immediately, I feel like my heart has been stabbed with ice, the freezing cold bleeding through my chest. “The spell Gina cast?” I whisper.
He nods, swallowing heavily. “We can’t prove it, but days after he broke up with…” There’s a visible clench to his jaw and his knuckles grow white under the tightening grip. “He can’t drink bagged blood anymore. Throws it up anytime he tries.”
“So that’s why he needs to…” My voice trails off, a sickening rage slowly building inside of me.
Again, he nods. “Before her, he only fed on bagged blood. She was the one to convince him to feed from her.”
“Why? Why would she want that?” I implore.
He expels a weighty breath and runs his hands along his thighs. “Vampire bites feel… good.” His eyes widen, begging me to not ask for further explanation. Oh.
Delicately as possible, I ask, “Is that why he doesn’t feed from you guys?”
He fidgets, his fingers tapping out a pattern on his knees. “We offered, but it’s weird. Only does it if he has to.”
I think about the swarms of girls that cling to Nolan all the time and wonder if he’s fed from all of them, but if he has--- “How do people not know he’s a vampire then? Shouldn’t the bite marks be obvious? Wouldn’t they feel being bitten, pleasurable or not?”
Connor shakes his head, and Felix decides to chime in, “How they explained it to me, vampire saliva slightly numbs the area and also has minor healing properties. By the time he’s done, it looks like they made out with a vacuum cleaner, but no puncture marks. Mixed with the, uh, sexy venom and a little charm skill, the person only remembers the good time.”
A severe blush crosses my cheeks, while I ponder whether I should offer to help. With my healing abilities, any blood loss would be inconsequential and there’d be no evidence of the bite, not even a vacuum sized hickey. He wouldn’t need to use his charm abilities to make me forget, because I’d be a willing donor, but would it be just as awkward to feed from me as it is to feed from the guys? No. No, I’d make sure he didn’t feel bad about it, no matter how it makes me feel. Nolan deserves the right to choose whom he wants to be with, not be forced to so he can survive.
Trying to pull the pieces together and hopefully come up with a more long term solution, I ask, “You said you can’t prove it. Prove what? That there’s a curse or that Gina did it? Witches are supposed to be guardians or whatever, so regardless of who cast the spell, can’t they help?”
“Didn’t ask,” Connor grunts.
My gaze bounces back and forth between Felix and Connor. “I don’t understand. Why not?”
Felix runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. “Bitch’s mom is leader of the coven and mayor of Twin Cedar Pass. She’s got a lot of power, and assuming they could help, she’d want to know who did it. Bitch’s dad is human-- runs the local hospital and is the one that supplies bagged blood to Nolan’s family. Because of the human parent, bitch’s too weak to have cast a spell like the one on Nolan. We think she got her minions to help her, but again, can’t prove it. Nolan’s afraid that if he accuses her anyway, it could lead to a lot of problems for his parents, and he refuses to accuse an innocent person, so…” He shrugs in defeat.
White hot fury rages through my blood. Through gritted teeth, I hiss, “Why the fuck would she do this? Just to punish him?” There’s a loud crash inside the house, and a frenzy of confused shouting.
“Whoa now, pretty girl,” Felix cautions, hands up in a passive gesture, while his eyes dart back and forth from me and the house. “We’re all pissed, but uh, let’s not break something we’ll regret later.”
Connor gently tugs on my arms until I uncross them, then he laces his fingers with mine. I’m still angry, but his touch is enough to help me gain control. I don’t know how I broke whatever it was inside, just like the freak rainstorm and the exploded tree, and it scares me. This is all new, and I hope Kaleb gets answers soon.
I take a deep breath and release it slowly. Attempting to switch gears, I ask, “So what happens to the guy Nolan-- charmed, I’m guessing --earlier?”
Felix snorts with derision. “Let’s just say if he wasn’t into dudes before, he’s going be very sexually confused for a while. Serves the homophobic douche canoe right.”
I can’t deny there’s some poetic irony to the situation. “Why did the guy go after Nolan in the first place?”
He shrugs. “Beats me, but if I had to guess, either some girl he was interested in, or was dating, decided she liked Nolan more. Nolan doesn’t really date anyone, but that doesn’t stop girls from trying-- and pretty much makes every other guy invisible.”
Thankfully, Kaleb has escaped the clutches of the group on the front lawn and plops down in the open chair to my left, a much needed distraction. Both Connor and Felix look relieved to see him.
“Hey,” I greet with a soft smile.
He sighs and offers a tired, “Hey,” in return.
A surprise gust of cold air passes by, cutting right through my lacy shirt. I shiver and slip my hand from Connor’s, so I can zip my jacket all the way up to my neck and once again, tuck my hands between my knees.
I lean to the side so I can bump Kaleb’s shoulder with mine. “You okay?”
Kaleb meets my gaze with a reassuring smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Then he pauses, his shoulders drooping, and admits, “Actually, the group out there is nice but talking to them is exhausting.”
Connor chuckles and mutters, “One word for it.”
I bump him again. “Well, you’re welcome to hide out here with us.” With a wry smirk, I add, “You know, this is my first high school party, and I gotta admit, so far I’m not really all that impressed. Felix told me you guys normally hang out and play video games instead of going to these things. Let’s go with those plans next time.”
They all laugh, and Felix cheers, “I second that.”
Kaleb gently places a hand on my shoulder and whispers, “Callie?”
When I meet his gaze, there’s a drawn sadness in his eyes.
“I want to apologize for what you saw yesterday after school,” he starts, worry coloring his words, “and I hope that I didn’t scare you.”
“Why would you scare…?” A wave of understanding and compassion washes over me. “Oh Kaleb,” I lament, hugging his arm and resting my head against his shoulder, his toned muscles unyielding against me. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Even Captain America loses his cool sometimes, and I promise, you didn’t scare me.” I release a careful breath, as I dive a little into my past. “I understand what it’s like to… need to appear a certain way to others, and because of that, you have to lock a part of yourself away sometimes.”
I sniff, blink several times, the air suddenly feeling thinner, then pull back enough to look into his warm brown eyes. “But I want you to know, if you feel angry or sad or scared, it’s okay to show it around me. After you’re done yelling, or heaven forbid, frowning…” Kaleb laughs quietly. “You’ll still be Kaleb to me. The kind and compassionate boy that heard about a girl who could suddenly see ghosts and knew he had to help her.”
Kaleb clears his throat and murmurs, “Thank you. That means a lot, and you know you can…”
“I know,” I interrupt gently. “Soon. I’ll tell you soon.”
He nods in acknowledgement, forever a rock of patience and understanding.
I sit back up and send a teasing look at Connor and Felix. “That goes for the both of you, too. Connor if you ever feel the need to deliver a long winded soliloquy, I promise to keep it to myself.”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head in response, but there’s a hint of a smirk to his lips.
With all that settled, there’s talk of skipping out on the rest of the party and hitting up the one movie theater in town. Felix jokes that we won’t have to worry about buying him a ticket.
While Kaleb is searching his phone for movie times, a girl with dark hair styled into a pixie cut saunters over and takes the seat on the other side of Connor, Felix dodging her just in time to not be walked through.
I don’t know what to make of this girl who rests her pointed chin in her hand and peers expectantly at Connor. Felix and Kaleb seem neutral over her intrusion, but Connor grows stiff and looks stonily out in the distance.
“Not even going to say hello?” she inquires, crossing her long legs, her pale skin on full display with her short jean skirt. She’s wearing a matching jacket with a black, cowl necked sweater underneath.
She sniffs the air delicately, then sneezes. Glaring at me, she rubs at her nose.
Seriously? Again?
Connor grinds his teeth, putting me on edge, and spits, “What are you doing, Sam?”
She licks her ruby red lips and haughtily replies, “Sitting here, talking to the Alpha’s son.”
He purses his lips and turns so he can glower at her. “Not a good idea,” he growls.
Alpha’s son? But if he’s the son of someone so important, why does he have those shadows in his eyes? Who would dare to… oh. Again, I pray that I’m wrong about what I see. That there’s another explanation beside the one I know too well.
Sam rolls her pale blue eyes and huffs, “It’s a mixed party. There’s supes and humans everywhere. Nothing wrong with me sitting next to you.”
Connor looks pointedly at Kaleb, who raises a single brow in response. “With them, there is,” he grunts.
Now, I’m really confused. The fact that Connor is talking at all means he doesn’t dislike this girl, but why would Kaleb be a problem? Kaleb doesn’t appear to hold animosity for this girl either.
Her delicate features fall into a furious frown, and she glares at Connor’s profile. “You don’t have to be such an asshole.”
“Better if I am,” he replies evenly.
Sam jumps to her feet, fists on her hips and snarls, “You do this to yourself, you know. What’s so wrong with your own kind?” Then she stomps away, surprisingly graceful in her high heeled, ankle boots.
“Anyone want to explain what just happened there?” I inquire, eyes wide and brows raised.
Surprisingly, Connor is the one to answer. “Alpha disapproves my consorting with non-wolves.” He rolls his massive shoulders and sighs. “Pack sticks with pack. Choose anyone else, lose the support of the pack.” His hands curl into fists. “I won’t let go of my friends, so he ordered the pack to reject me. Disobeying the Alpha… ends badly.”