"We'll have to piss her off after her period," Jake reminded them. "Just to be sure if the problem is gone."
"Say anything about giving her to Boulder again, joking or not, and I'll still rip your throat out," Jason threatened and Raven frowned when the haunting memories flooded her mind. Jason gave her a quick reassuring reminder of where she was with a small squeeze hug and she tried her best to block out all thoughts of Boulder. She took a few deep breaths and kissed the top of his head to thank him.
"Sorry," Jake shrugged his broad shoulders. "It was the first thing I could think of."
"Considering you're high," Elaise reminded him. "Maybe you should have thought about getting high later."
"Too late," he grinned.
"Either way, I'm taking Raven out of here," Jason announced. "Before we both bite your head off."
Raven jumped to her feet before he could pick her up and she turned, holding her hands out for him. He accepted the minor help up and Eliza gave the blonde girl a soft hug.
"Take it easy, okay?" the golden-eyed girl smiled.
"I'll try," Raven promised.
Before Jason could steal Raven away from them all, Elaise climbed out of Der' lap. "Hang on," she muttered. "Jason, now that I finally have the chance away from other humans to talk to you, I need to ask you something."
"Okay," he blinked down at her. "What's on your mind?"
"The day you grabbed Katie," she slowly pulled her silver necklace from her pocket, "you grabbed my necklace to prove you weren't a werewolf… Now that I know you are, why didn't it burn your hand?"
She had a point, Raven thought and looked up at Jason. He simply smirked. "It did."
"No it didn't," Elaise chewed on her lip. "I didn't see it burn your skin at all."
Eliza rolled her eyes as Jason held his hand out for the chain. Raven instinctively reached forward and grabbed his hand, pulling it away from the necklace as Elaise moved to give it to him. She didn't want to see him burn!
"It's okay," he whispered to her and softly pressed his lips to her forehead, gently pulling his hand free. "I'll heal right up."
Raven frowned but slowly nodded, letting him take Elaise's necklace in his palm. He held his hand open for the two human girls to see and Raven waited, not seeing his skin burn. The other werewolves sat back looking jealous and Raven blinked. Was he somehow immune to silver? She shook her head; he said he'd heal. So what was going on?
"Well?" Elaise looked equally confused and Raven looked up at him, seeing him mouthing words to himself.
"Ten," he smiled and Raven finally heard the loud sizzle and smoke rose up from his skin. She saw his skin starting to shrivel and burn and he winced. She snatched the chain out of his grasp and gave it back to Elaise, turning back to inspect the injury. She found herself holding her breath when she saw several layers of skin charred and peeled back, revealing bright pink skin underneath. No blood.
"Why did it take so long?" Elaise asked, observing the damage her necklace caused.
Jason grumbled to himself and flexed his hand. Raven gently held the edges of his hand, feeling her heart race as his skin suddenly began to heal. The layers stitched themselves back together and the smoke stopped rising. She could still smell the tang of burnt skin but the sight of his hand as normal as she remembered it made her force herself to breathe. She brushed her fingers over his fully-healed palm.
"See?" he smiled. He glanced over to Elaise. "While I was with the coven, Evan forced me and Boulder to train ourselves with silver. The vampires would pin us down and put silver all over us and we had to try and resist it as much as we could. Boulder can still only manage six seconds before it burns him. I can go ten seconds before silver takes its toll on my skin. I was easily able to throw you off your suspicions."
"Until we found out the hard way," she snorted.
Jason nodded grimly. "Let's just hope neither of you have to go through that again. Can I steal Raven now?"
"Yes, but Raven and I have Science homework to do later," Elaise told him and smiled at the blonde. "Brave enough to sleep in our own dorm tonight?"
Raven thought about that for a moment. She hadn't slept in her own dorm since the night Boulder kidnapped her, Elaise and Sally. Not only that, she hadn't slept in her own room since Kyle had his way with her. Could she sleep in the dorm with Elaise? Without the secure feeling of Jason nearby?
"I'll make sure nothing happens to you during the night," Jason whispered in her ear. "If you don't feel safe just open your door and I'll be there in seconds."
She pondered the thought for a few moments and finally nodded. "Okay. I'll see you at dinner, Elaise."
The brunette nodded and Raven grabbed her bag just as Jason swung his over his shoulder. They said goodbye to their friends and left the room, heading down the corridors. They dropped their bags off at their dorms and Jason led Raven over to a door that said "No Entry".
"What are you doing?" she asked as he pushed the door open.
"I want to show you something," he smiled and ushered her through the doorway, shutting the door behind them. Ahead of Raven was a set of stairs leading up and Jason took her hand, pulling her up the steps with him. She moved as fast as she could but bit back a yelp when her toe caught on the edge of the next step. The green-eyed boy chuckled and slowed his pace after her stumble, squeezing her hand. They went up and up until they finally stopped at another door at the top.
"What does this lead to?" she blinked.
Jason said nothing as he opened the door and led Raven out into sunlight. She squinted her eyes as the bright light threatened to blind her but when she regained her sight, she gasped when she realized where they were.
The slight breeze was almost enough to sweep her off the roof of the school as she and Jason stood there, looking down at the school below. Her breath escaped her and she stepped closer to her protector, recoiling at the thought of falling.
"I won't let you fall," he assured her as if reading her thoughts. "I usually come up here to think."
"What about?" she dared to ask, hoping she didn't sound like she was trying to pry into his mind.
"You," he answered, glancing down at her. "Me. My past."
Raven took a deep breath and sat down. Jason sat beside her and held her hand firmly. "Your past is all it'll ever be," she whispered. "The past. It's behind you now."
"But it'll haunt me for the rest of my life," he frowned and held his spare hand out, his palm up. "All those people I murdered for the vampires… Not even God could cleanse all that blood off my hands."
The blonde girl was silent for a few moments. She didn't know what she could say to try and make him cheer up. What could she say to a werewolf that grew up slaughtering everything that was put in his path?
She squeezed his hand and looked up at him. "The maybe I can do something about that. You've already half cleared your conscience when you rejected your life with the vampires; that's a start."
He nodded slowly and sighed. "I just have to finish it."
"You will," she lifted his hand and kissed the top of it. She wasn't sure why she did it, but when she saw him smile, she didn't worry about it.
"Thank you," he breathed. "You know, when Elaise told me about your dad, it really got me thinking."
"About what?" Raven chewed her lip. "How much did she tell you?"
"She told me everything," he looked out at the forest. "And I've thought about how strong you are to have made it through so much. After what he did to you… You're still standing tall."
So Elaise told him about the rape, Raven thought with a frown. Haunting memories entered her mind and she forcibly shook them away. Instead, she choked on a dry laugh. "Standing tall? I've been terrified my entire life. After me and Lorna ran away, I've spent every day of my life waiting for him to come looking for us, to find us and hurt us again. I've only ever done what I could to free myself of the memories but every time I think back to it… I keep thinking about the well and how I tried to claw my way
out so I wouldn't drown in blood… That was the scariest day of my life. I was sure I was going to die."
Jason frowned and released his hand from her grip, wrapping his arm around her. "Was that before or after he… had his way?"
"After," she admitted. "I wasn't able to do anything about the things he didn't because Lorna never believed me until she saw it for herself. I guess, in a way, she knew I was telling the truth but because we had nowhere to go she didn't want us to be completely homeless. But I would have preferred that than get raped and dumped in a well."
She leaned her head on Jason's shoulder and she felt his cheek press against the top of her head. "The past is behind you now," he reminded her. "Things can only improve from here and I'll make sure nobody hurts you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "I've never met a guy that's so sincere and caring like you."
"I'm a lycanthrope," he reminded her. "That might be why."
"But you grew up in a killing environment," she pointed out.
"I know," she felt him slightly nod. "I'm still trying to communicate with people better so I don't lose my temper… like I did with Katie."
Raven was still surprised to find out Jason had grabbed Katie by the throat. What had she done to piss him off so much? Should she ask or leave it so it didn't upset him more? She shrugged it off and closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm always here to help you."
"Thank you," he mumbled.
She smiled and thought for a moment. "You think about me when you're up here?"
"Yep," he replied smoothly. "I always think about you…"
"As well as how much my eyes remind you of Taylah," she dared to say, but when his muscles tensed she knew she was right.
He was quiet for a few moments and he took a deep breath before his voice became audible. "When I first saw you after we bumped into each other, the first thing I noticed was your eyes. I thought I was looking directly at Taylah. You stared at me with shock and I was almost positive; I expected you to recognize me and run down the hall screaming. When I finally smelled the difference between you and her, I was able to relax. For the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about you and when I saw you with Jake, I pulled you away because I didn't want you getting mixed up with the lycans."
"Which is why you got angry at me when Jake kissed me on the oval that night…" Raven whispered. He nodded.
"And it's why I got angry when you had Kyle's attention and we argued in the hall," he explained. Raven remembered that; Jason had been angry that all the guys were trying to hit on her and she tried saying she didn't need his protection. They had argued so much that she was furious with him until she spoke to him again. "I wanted to keep you away from my kind, but you seemed to draw them in so much that I gave up. I protected you from Kyle and Jake because of how they are with pretty girls, but I let you be near Der and Eliza. I was sure things were going to be okay, but then I saw you breaking curfew alone the night Boulder almost grabbed you… I was so scared and I wasn't able to relax until you came to my dorm where I knew I could protect you. If I hadn't of been there then Boulder would have killed you just like he killed Taylah."
Raven tried to remember how to breathe. If she had known all of this from the beginning then maybe she wouldn't have been so confused. To find all this out now just made her feel guilty that she ever got angry at him for protecting her. It all made sense now.
"I'm sorry," she pressed her lips together in a fine line. "I got angry at you for looking out for me at the start. I didn't realize-"
"It's okay," he assured her. "We're passed that now."
"Alright," she let it go. "At least I understand it all a lot better. Thanks for clearing it up."
"You're welcome," he chuckled.
Raven shivered as the wind picked up and clouds suddenly covered the sun. She cursed herself for not having a jumper and goose bumps rose up on her arms despite the warmth from Jason's skin. The green-eyed boy seemed to notice and he took his arm away from her, kicking his shoes off and pulling his shirt over his head.
"What are you doing?" she murmured when he gave his shirt to her. She understood quickly as he grinned and suddenly shifted into a werewolf. He lied down on his belly with his front paws in front of him, using them to rest his head on. Raven took the time to admire his tail but frowned. "That's not a good idea," she warned him. "What if humans walk onto the oval and spot you? Or come up to the roof?" He simply snorted and flicked his ears, clearly not bothered. She had to admit there was no one in sight; everyone must be inside the buildings.
She shook her head at him when he turned his golden gaze on her, a mocking gleam shining deep within. She smiled and leaned against his side, his dark fur with his shirt in her hands. Warmth engulfed her and she snuggled up to him. She jumped when he curled his body around her, flicking his tail over her like a make-shift blanket. She smiled as his fur sent tingles across her skin but she almost choked on a laugh when he was half-rolled onto his other side, exposing his belly. She glanced over to him to see if he had done it purposely but his eyes were closed and his ears were relaxed, not worried about his surroundings.
She giggled when he quickly raised his head and sneezed multiple times, his head shaking with each sneeze. He looked like a dog and it reminded Raven of the time he was sneezing in Home Economics when she first teamed up with him to cook.
When he finished sneezing he growled and nudged her with his nose. She reached forward and patted his muzzle. "Bless you," she laughed and he closed his eyes again, resting his muzzle on her leg.
She patted his head for a few moments before she sneakily grabbed his tail and waved it in front of his muzzle, tickling his nose with his own fur. He raised his head and sneezed again, glaring at her playfully. She poked her tongue out at him and scratched his belly. His ears shot up and before she knew it, she was pinned on her back, looking up at the mocking green eyes of Jason, his bare chest heaving as if he had just run a marathon.
"Bitch," he chuckled. "Do you purposely get me excited when I can't get what I want?"
"Maybe," she smiled. "I know your weakness so I can easily use it against you."
"I swear if you do that in the middle of classes I will drag you back to my dorm there and then," he threatened.
"I dare you to."
"Okay," he smiled and prepared to pick her up but they both turned their heads to the sound of the roof door opening. Jason snarled as a blur shot forward and tackled him but it came back and Raven was quickly grabbed by the shirt. She yelped as she was suddenly held at the edge of the roof and her feet nearly couldn't touch the edge at all.
"Wait!" the newcomer snapped as Jason was about to make a move to help Raven. She quickly recognized Kyle. "One more step and I'll drop her."
Raven's heart raced and she risked a glance down, seeing the ground several stories below her. The wind blew her hair out of her face and she gripped Kyle's arm tightly, secretly hoping that if he dropped her, she'd be able to hold on. She looked over to Jason who was staring wide-eyed at her and his face lost all color.
"Kyle don't do it," Jason growled. "Don't drop her."
"Why shouldn't I?" Kyle growled. "If I can't have her then why should you be allowed?"
"She doesn't want you!" Jason was chewing his lip, his eyes scanning for any possible loophole that would prevent the bigger lycan from dropping the blonde. "Why can't you let it go?"
"Brittany likes you," Raven squeaked, trying to keep her feet attached to the roof, knowing full well that if Kyle let her go she would plunge to her death. "Why not go for her?"
Kyle ignored her. "Drop your claim on Raven or I'll drop her," he growled to Jason.
"Let her up and we can talk this out," the green-eyed boy tried.
"I take that as a no," Kyle snorted. "Very well. If I can't have her, neither will you."
Raven was released and the last thing she saw was Jason run forward to try and grab her. The wind rushed past her as the plummeted down to her death.
Death S
entence
She felt like she was flying as the wind rushed past her. She dared not look at the ground as it rose to meet her at which point she would greet death. She suddenly wondered if she would go to Heaven. Was God real? Would he embrace her warmly and welcome her through the golden gates? Would all her sins be forgiven as the Bible foretells? Or would she be thrown deeper than the ground and be welcomed by Satan? She silently debated with herself where she would rather go; Heaven or Hell. Heaven definitely would have a better view of Earth and clouds sounded more comfortable to spend eternity on than the solid floor of Hell. If she joined Satan, would her soul be tortured for the rest of time? Would her head be used as a bowling ball like she had once seen in an episode of The Simpsons? She quickly prayed that she would go to Heaven; she liked the idea of being given a halo and maybe angel wings better.
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