Chapter Eighteen
The three friends sat around, sharing stories from their childhood, as they waited on the Shadewolf team to make an appearance. They listened to Max sprout ridiculous, tall tales about half demons, some Evie couldn’t repeat. Sexual in nature, she blushed just thinking about them.
“I’m telling you the truth! It was this big.” Max held his arms apart about two feet.
Caleb laughed and smacked him upside the head. “Max, we need to do something about your dirty mindedness. You are going to scare poor Evie with your lies.”
“Pfffttt! I’m telling the truth.” Max sniggered. “Don’t get me started on his fangs.”
“Half demons have fangs?” Evie asked, intrigued. “Do you?”
“Depends on what type of demon you come from, but yes, I have fangs. So does Dash.”
“What?” Evie straightened in shock. “Dashiel is a half demon?”
Max’s eyes grew large, and his mouth hung opened in a wide O shape. “Did I never tell you Dashiel is my older brother?”
Once again, Max rendered Evie speechless. Max and Dashiel were similar in color, but Dashiel was taller and broader. While they both shared light colored hair, they looked nothing alike. Evie shook her head.
“Fuck, Evie. I keep dumping surprise after surprise on you. I am the world’s shittiest friend.”
Evie glared at him. “Shut up, and tell me about your fangs. You can buy me popcorn at the movies to make up for your serious lack of communication skills.”
“Deal. Let’s see. Several different types of demons have fangs. But our mother was a Nosferatu. Humans would call her a vampire. We inherited some abilities from her as well as the fangs.”
“Do you drink blood?” Evie paled, realizing what she blurted out.
Max shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t need blood to survive, but yes, I drink blood sometimes.”
“When do you drink blood? Can I see your fangs? What’s it like to drink blood?” Fascinated, question after question rushed out of Evie.
“You remember when I told you about a Surmata’s eyes going black?” He waited for Evie to nod. “The same can be said for the fangs. If you see fangs, run. They only come out if a half demon wants to fuck or fight. Lust and anger drive them.”
“Fucking hell, Max.” Caleb covered his eyes in embarrassment. “Can’t you sugarcoat it a little bit? She’s barely an adult.”
“Please. Evie grew up around hordes of foul mouthed humans her whole life.” Max waved away his mate’s concern. “She’s heard stuff that would make a whore blush. She already knows all males, no matter the species, are dirty bastards.”
Evie bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically. “Yes, and Max helped reinforce that image.”
“Hey, now! Watch it, or you won’t get any of my popcorn,” Max teased. He glanced down at his phone. “Speaking of popcorn, Dashiel sent me a message. They’re waiting for us in front of the theater. We should go, or else he may send a search party out.”
Max sent off a quick text to let Dashiel and the others know they would join them in a few minutes. Depositing their trash in the bins, they scooted out the front door.
The theater was one block down and over a street. As they walked, every person they passed by greeted Max and Caleb by name. Max took the time to introduce Evie to everyone, but names and faces blurred together. Out of the dozen people she met, she would be unlikely to remember who was who, at least until she met them a few more times. Forced to stop every few feet, it took them almost twenty minutes to reach their destination.
The Shadewolf team stood in front of the double doors leading into the theater. Cyne paced back and forth, looking at something on his phone. Dashiel, Aaron, and Jaoel formed a semi-circle, talking amongst themselves. Xander and Jaxon both stood on each side, arms crossed over their chests, their expressions severe. Those two reminded Evie of bodyguards, always on alert for danger.
“Hi, guys.” Evie piped up, happy to see them.
“Half pint!” Cyne turned around, barreled past the group of three men and picked Evie up in his arms, hugging her tightly. “Bout time you got here. What the hay, Max! You said you would be here in two minutes. That was forever ago.”
“Dude! Chill! Everyone wanted to say hi and meet Evie. You know how people in this town are. No one is a stranger and all that proper southern manners blah blah shit.”
“Cyne, put Evie down. You saw her last night.” Jaxon commanded, his voice harsh. But when Evie glanced at him in confusion, the expression on his face was playful.
He reached over, extracting Evie from within Cyne’s grasp. “How you doing, kiddo?”
Evie scrunched her nose up at him at his use of the word kiddo. She may be younger, but she wasn’t a kid, hadn’t been one for a long time. She stuck out her tongue and said haughtily, “Not bad, old man.”
Everyone but Jaxon laughed at her antics. His eyes heated, not in anger, but some other emotion she couldn’t read. As they walked into the theater together, he leaned down and whispered, “Stick that tongue out at me again, and I will take it as an invitation.”
He smirked as her face turned bright crimson.
Evie’s heart beat wildly in her chest, and her eyes dropped to his backside as he turned and walked toward the waiting guys. Max caught her eye and gave her a smug look. He caught her checking out Jaxon’s ass. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, ‘who could resist’.
The movie was some new thriller recently released. Not Evie’s ideal form of entertainment, but with only one screen, they really didn’t have a choice. It was this or nothing. Evie consoled herself with the fact she sat between Cyne and Jaxon. Cyne wouldn’t stop talking to her, even after the previews ran, the lights dimmed and the movie began. Ten minutes into the movie, Dashiel asked her to move to the seat between him and Jaoel. Jaoel, mostly quiet up to this point, offered her a small smile when she sat down.
Max made good on his promise to share his popcorn. He, along with Caleb and Aaron, raided the concession stand, each coming back with their arms full. Drinks, candy, and multiple tubs of popcorn were passed down the line. Evie shared with the men on either side of her. At one point, Dashiel placed his arm across the back of the seat, resting it there for the remainder of the movie. Evie lost all concentration on the movie then, too busy fighting the urge to lean into the virile male next to her, his heady scent intoxicating.
When the lights came back up, Evie was of mixed emotions. She wanted to stay there, surrounded by the guys. At the same time, she needed to put some space between them to give herself a few minutes to deal with the tremulous emotions they inspired in her.
“Shit. I’m still hungry,” Xander exclaimed, standing and stretching.
“Let’s head over to the pizza place. Grab an early dinner,” Aaron suggested.
Evie wasn’t hungry, but she could eat one slice if it meant spending more time with the guys.
“Fuck, dude. I can’t eat another bite. Caleb and I are gonna head back.” Max yawned loudly and forced a smile. The sadness from earlier still shadowed his eyes when he glanced at her. “Are you coming with us, Evie?”
“Mother trucking son of a biscuit. You’ve had Evie all day.” Cyne exclaimed, his tone light but his expression serious. “She’s coming with us.”
Max held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Sorry, sweetheart. Looks like you’re stuck with the guys.”
His playfulness didn’t ring true. Sadness hung around him like a man who lost a loved one and the helplessness Evie felt scared her. She wanted to help, needed to fix him. She would do anything to bring the light back in Max’s eyes. Would do anything to chase those shadows away.
Turning to his brother, Max demanded, “You will make sure she gets back to her room safely?”
Dashiel nodded. “Of course.”
“Alright. We are outta here. See you assholes later.”
Troubled, Evie watched Max and Caleb exit the theater arm in arm.
~
Due to the early hour, Evie didn’t expect the pizza parlor to be overly crowded, but there were quite a few groups of people already seated. The host, a young man around Evie’s age, led them toward a circular table that would accommodate their large group.
Everyone took a seat, Evie sandwiched between Xander and Aaron.
“What type of pizza do you like, Evie?” Xander inquired, his eyes on the menu in front of him.
“Pepperoni, please.” Evie answered absently. A hand appeared in front of her face, snapping fingers calling for her attention. Her brow scrunched up in confusion. She’d been lost in thought, but she didn’t think anyone had noticed her momentary distraction.
“What’s up with you?” Xander asked, concerned eyes locking with hers. “You’ve been quiet ever since we left the theater.”
Evie offered him a slight smile. “It’s nothing. Really.”
“Bullshit, Evie. Talk to me.” Xander’s voice rose, calling the attention of all the guys around the table.
“What seems to be the problem?” Dashiel’s calm voice washed over her from across the table, relaxing her instantly.
“Something’s wrong with Evie, but she’s not talking.” Xander shrugged his shoulders when she glared at him.
“Little Bit, spill or else,” Cyne commanded from two seats over, his jovial eyes serious, no humor present.
Not ready to confess, she hedged a little longer. “Or else what?”
“Or else, I’ll have Xander start singing.” He pointed at his friend. “Believe me, it’s torture. Now talk.”
Evie sighed, her earlier mood gone. “I’m worried about Max. He’s upset. Something must have happened with Cammie recently to set him off. He said he was fine, but he was lying.” Evie bit her fingernail as she declared her concerns.
“Fuck!” Jaoel exclaimed, shaking his head. “Speak her name, and she appears as if summoned.”
Everyone turned toward where Jaoel indicated with a chin nod. Cammie walked in the front door, along with a group of people unfamiliar to Evie.
“Quick, operation fake girlfriend now!” Cyne whisper yelled.
Hands grabbed Evie and lifted her from her chair. Another pair joined the first as she found herself passed over and dumped onto Dashiel’s lap. Too shocked to speak, Evie looked around her at the guys like they’d lost all common sense.
“What are…” Evie sputtered out, only to be interrupted.
“Hi, Dash. I thought you said you had a date tonight.” The sexy purr came from over Evie’s shoulder.
“Evening, Cammie. As you can see, I’m here with my date.” Dashiel’s arm snaked around Evie’s waist, pulling her in tighter against his broad chest. “The rest of the team decided to join us at the last minute. They wanted to get to know Evie better since she’s my girlfriend.”
“This human is your girlfriend?” Disdain dripped from the other woman. “What, did her momma pay you to take her out, like a pity date?”
Before Dashiel had time to speak up, Evie turned her head toward the woman, interjecting, “My momma’s dead, and speaking of dates, you should be glad I’m here with Dashiel.”
“Oh, yeah? And why is that, little human?” Cammie sneered, her face an ugly slash.
“Because if I weren’t here, I’d be curled up between Max and Caleb, continuing our discussion about those fangs of Max’s. How they only come out when he fights or fucks. Guess which demonstration he offered me today?”
Dashiel stiffened underneath her, but didn’t retract her lie. Cammie deserved some payback for the hell she put Max and Caleb through.
The Surmata female hissed, “So, you are nothing more than a slut. Being passed around between brothers, no less.”
Evie smirked up at her. “This coming from a woman who’s had more pricks than a second hand dartboard.”
“Is that jealousy I detect, human?” Cammie sneered.
“Not at all. At least my men can actually hit my bullseye.” Evie smiled brightly while the guys around her laughed.
Cammie snarled, her face turning a violent shade of red. “Have fun with your human, Dash. When you break her, you know where to find me.”
Evie watched the other woman retreat back to a table further back in the restaurant where her friends were gathered.
“Holy hell, that was funny as shit, Evie.” Xander exclaimed, wiping tears from his eyes.
“Who knew someone so small could be so feisty.” Cyne’s shoulders bobbed in silent laughter.
“You do realize who that was, don’t you?” Jaoel asked, his expression giving nothing away.
“Yes. I’m just so angry with how she’s treating them. They are both wonderful men. Why would she do something like that?” Evie felt guilty, but then remembered Max’s melancholy expression.
Dashiel rested his chin on her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. “Don’t worry about it, dove. Max and Caleb will discover the truth. They have stepped aside for now, but their patience will end soon. When it does, Cammie will find herself on the receiving end of Caleb’s belt. He won’t let up until she admits the truth.”
Wide-eyed and filled with trepidation, Evie asked, “He would beat her?”
All the guys chuckled. Dashiel shook with mirth when he explained. “No, dove. Not that kind of beating.”
Evie blushed, finally understanding what he meant. “Oh.”
The waitress chose that moment to walk up to the table. “Hiya! What can I get for you tonight?”
Orders were quickly given and the woman walked off, calling back over her shoulder. “I’ll get this order in and be right back with everyone’s drinks.”
Evie took the opportunity to excuse herself from the others and headed to the ladies room. Finishing up quickly, she was washing her hands when a noise caught her attention. It came from the last stall. The sound of a person smothering a small cry. Concerned, Evie hesitantly knocked on the door. “Are you okay in there?”
“Go away,” came the muffled response.
Even muted, Evie recognized the silky voice. Taking a deep breath, she announced, “Open the door, Cammie.”
“Fuck off, human.”
“Cammie, open the door right now, or I will call the others in here.”
A shuffling sounded, then a small click as Cammie released the lock. “There, are you fucking happy?”
Evie pulled the door outward and glanced inside the stall. Cammie sat on the closed toilet lid, tissues in one hand as she hastily wiped away the evidence of her crying. Her makeup, artfully done, was now a distant memory. Black marks skated down her cheeks in little rivers of diluted mascara, her lipstick completely gone, and her hair unraveled from her braid like she pulled at it. Cammie was a hot mess.
There was something else about her appearance Evie finally noticed. Something she hadn’t seen before. Allowing her eyes to unfocus, Evie scrutinized the woman’s aura. She needed to confirm what she suspected. The Surmata female’s aura was a slash of colors. Reds and oranges, tinged with deep blue and purple. Concentrating, Evie finally spotted what she was looking for. A dark mark, the size of a large fist, infected an area just over her heart.
Guilt from her earlier assertions set in. Cammie’s tears were because of her. Remorseful, Evie asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I got some bad news is all. Why the fuck do you care?” Cammie snarled, her holier-than-thou attitude firmly in place.
“I lied, Cammie. Max and Caleb are friends. Max is my best friend. There is nothing more between us. As far as I know, they haven’t touched another woman since they met you,” Evie confessed, hoping she made the right choice. Cammie exhibited all the symptoms of a mentally unstable woman. Her personality changed at the drop of a hat.
“You lied?” Cammie whispered. Her eyes darted up to meet Evie’s, full of suspicion. “Why?”
“I was mad. They’re your bondmates, and I didn’t like how you treated them.”
At Evie’s words, Cammie panicked. “I wish those two would stop spreading lies. We’re not bondmates.”
Evie folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Lie all you want, but I know the truth. I also know why you refuse to acknowledge the bond, and why you’re trying to drive them away.”
“Oh, really. You must be a fucking genius as well as a mind reader,” came the snarky comment.
Evie leaned against the doorway of the stall. “You’re protecting them.”
“Seriously? Protecting them? From what?” Cammie stood up and shouldered her way past Evie. Placing a small bag on the counter, she extracted a compact and went to work on removing all evidence of her breakdown.
Evie lingered where she was, only turning around to face the mirrored reflection. “From yourself. You’re afraid of what you’ll do. Afraid you’ll hurt them.”
Cammie’s eyes widened with disbelief. “W-what makes you think that?”
Putting her hands in her front pockets, Evie shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
“Do me a favor, human.” Cammie threw her compact back in her bag and stormed toward the door. As she walked out, she threw over her shoulder, “Keep your stupid thoughts to yourself.”
The door swung shut, leaving Evie alone. As she exited the bathroom, a clamor came from the backdoor of the restaurant. The door, slightly ajar, bounced against the metal frame. The wind must be picking up outside, and someone hadn’t latched the door properly.
Reaching out, she held one hand on the door and the other against the wall to peer out into the darkness. She didn’t want to accidentally lock them out if they were taking out the garbage or on a smoke break. Not spotting anyone, Evie shut it, double-checking to make sure the lock engaged before she walked back to the table.
~
Dinner passed too quickly. All too soon, bellies were full, and Dashiel barked out orders to his team. “I’ll see Evie home. The rest of you have work to do. Jaxon, you and Xander check in with the Samson Kaveri. See if they found out anything about the man who attacked Evie this afternoon. Aaron and Cyne will head to the prison. The two humans who Max and Caleb took down are there in the infirmary. I have questions and want answers.”
“What should I do, Soma?” Jaoel asked, his stare stoic.
“I need you on research, brother. We need to know how that human was able to use a teleportation rune. Once I drop Evie off, I’ll speak with Inian. He may have some knowledge he’s able to share.”
Cyne sauntered over to Evie, hugging her closely. As he rocked her back and forth in an exaggerated motion, he whispered, “Dream of me, Short Stack.”
Evie giggled and whispered back, “Always.”
His smile deepened impishly. When she stepped back from his embrace, another set of arms immediately went around her.
“Bye, Evie.” Xander released her to Jaxon.
“Night, angel.” Jaxon kissed her cheek, inhaling her scent before letting her go.
Aaron and Jaoel each waved, calling out, “Night, Evie. Thanks for joining us.”
The five Surmata split up into their assigned groupings. With a flash, they disappeared from Evie’s sight.
“W-what!” Evie stared at the empty piece of sidewalk. “Where’d they go?”
Dashiel chuckled at her expression. “They teleported.”
“Oh.” Entranced at witnessing magic for the first time, Evie found herself at a loss for words.
Dashiel moved closer, taking her hand. “Are you ready to head out?”
“Y-yes. Where’s your car?” Evie glance around, trying to spot it in the parking lot.
More snickers sounded from the man beside her. “We didn’t bring one.”
“We’re walking back?” Suddenly nervous, Evie feared his answer.
“Not quite.” Dashiel’s eyes lit with mischief.
Evie tried again, “A taxi?”
“Scared, little human?” he mocked her.
Not wanting to appear weak, she squared her shoulders. “Does it hurt?”
“Not at all. It can disorientate you until you become used to it. First timers get sick sometimes, but you shouldn’t have that issue.”
“Why?”
“Why, what?” Brows drawn down in confusion, Dashiel looked younger than his years.
“Why wouldn’t I have an issue, since I’m a first timer?” Evie clarified. She needed to understand before she consented.
Alarm flashed across Dashiel’s face, then vanished in the next instant, replaced with his usual confident expression. “You teleported before with Max. You just don’t remember.”
“I did? The same night I found out who he was?” Evie tightened her hold on Dashiel’s hand, unhappy with the holes in her memory. “It sucks I don’t remember that night.”
Dashiel moved in front of her to place his other hand around her waist. Evie leaned against him for reassurance.
“Hmmm.” Dashiel nodded, not looking at Evie. “We’d better go. I really need to visit Inian before the hour turns late.”
Evie breathed deep and gathered her courage. She trusted Dashiel and that knowledge allowed her to utter her next words. “Let’s do this.”
No sooner did the words leave her mouth, then a pulling sensation began in the middle of her belly. Dizzy, she opened her mouth to protest only to stare around in shock. The parking lot gone, they now stood in her room back at the school.
“Wow. Did we really just teleport?” Evie pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Dashiel released her waist and moved away to give her a few minutes to re-orientate herself. “Pretty soon, you will be an old hat at this. We take it for granted and forget how awe inspiring it can be for humans.”
“Surmata travel this way all the time?” No wonder they didn’t allow cars on the supernatural campus. For the most part, they were unneeded by all but the human faculty.
“Most of the time we do. If we have items we need to be transported, we have runes to handle the larger loads. It’s a convenience.”
“I bet.” Not ready to say goodbye, Evie fiddled with the sleeves of her hoodie, searching for more to say. Being surrounded by the guys or even one-on-one with them made her feel wrapped in a security blanket, snug and safe. She was becoming addicted to their presence.
“Now, it’s my turn for a question.” Dashiel sauntered up to Evie, crowding her against the wall. His hands flattened against the drywall on either side of her head. He stooped, his eyes locking on hers like a target. “Was it true? What you said earlier at the restaurant?”
Evie licked her lips, her brain short-circuiting at his nearness. “Earlier?” She breathed out, barely a whisper.
“Yes, little human. When you insinuated Max offered to show you his fangs?”
Evie shook her head back and forth, barely squeaking out a reply, “No, I lied.”
He bent closer, pupils expanding. “Good. I was afraid I would be forced to kill my own brother.”
“Why? For being with a human?”
“No, for touching what’s mine.” Lips crashed down on Evie’s. Firm and insistent, they forced her mouth open. Dashiel’s tongue laid waste to her senses, overwhelming her with sensations as he pressed his body against hers, pushing her tight against the wall. He devoured her mouth, leaving no prisoners in his assault. Like a man desperate for a drink of water, he plunged his tongue in, again and again, exploring her every recess.
Her hands gripped his shirt tightly, desperate for an anchor.
Releasing her mouth, he trailed kisses along her chin, moving under her eye. A hand in her hair forced her head to one side, exposing her throat for his exploration. His lips left a scorching path down her neck. Nipping and sucking as he moved further down, he lightly bit into the flesh where her neck and shoulder met.
Teeth scraped her skin, and she shuddered at the sharpness of his canines against her naked skin. Her body shook as he pulled her skin into his mouth, sucking hard. The slight pain had her clawing at his chest, unsure if she pulled him forward or pushed him away, but the feel of his mouth on her neck became almost too much.
Breathing heavily, he retracted his lips from her neck, kissing her lightly. “You are a temptation, dove. I couldn’t resist another taste.”
Evie raised her palm to her chest, waiting for her heart rate to drop back to a normal rhythm. “Another?” she questioned, not sure what he meant.
Caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, he smiled gently at her. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With another quick kiss, he disappeared from sight. Her body ached, missing his touch.