by Bailey, G.
“Easy for you to say,” Hunter mutters, looking at the ground.
For his part, Landon just turns to the blond boy. “What did you have in mind, Shade? I’ve already had about enough of this place.”
A sly smile appears on the wolf shifter’s face, and he leans back with mock thoughtfulness. “The seaport is just over there,” he says, nodding over his shoulder in the direction of the highway. “I say we go make some memories of this trip that don’t involve listening to politicians drone on.”
“But the witches-” begins Hazel.
Shade waves her off. “It’s less than half a mile from here. It’s practically in the backyard of the convention center. You think they’re going to notice us if we’re that close?”
I purse my lips. “You may have a point, there.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Boots,” Shade says, giving me a grin that can only be described as… well, wolfish. I feel my ears heat up a little.
Silas clears his throat. “I could stand some time away from the politics, myself.”
“So it’s settled, then,” Shade says, crossing his arms and looking from each of us to the next. “We’re gonna go have some real fun. What about you two?” he adds, turning to the Murakami siblings. “You in?”
Ruby and Xander exchange a look. “I could be convinced,” he says, winking at Hazel, who bursts out laughing.
“Better than waiting for someone else to tell us how kowtowing to the humans is our only hope of surviving,” Ruby adds.
“Right on.” Shade nods. “So what are we waiting for?”
* * *
Shade is right; the seaport is within walking distance, just on the other side of an underpass flanking the convention center. We probably look weird: a group of young adults in brightly coloured uniforms, a tour group that got separated from their bus, maybe. But it doesn’t matter; Shade’s instincts were right on the money. Being outside in the sun is what I needed right now, not being trapped at the conference ruminating over the text I received. A fresh breeze buffets us from over the ocean, bringing with it the smell of sea salt and old wood and putting a fresh spring in my step. It’s less than ten minutes before we arrive at the port, and although it’s not exactly picturesque, with a concrete walkway instead of a boardwalk, it’s a pleasant enough change of scenery. Behind us is a stretch of storefronts and well-tended greenery, and we find ourselves leaning against a rusted railing, staring out across the ocean toward the eastern part of the city on the other side of the channel.
We slowly branch away from one another, unbothered by the distance and each lost in his or her own thoughts. I remain where I am; the wind tossing my hair around as my eyes drift closed, slowly relaxing for the first time since the peace talk.
Landon’s voice breaks me out of my trance. “Looks like those two are getting on like a house on fire.” He nods in the direction of Xander and Hazel, who are standing in the shade of a nearby building; she’s jostling him playfully with one shoulder while he feigns outrage.
“I’m happy for her,” I reply. “Xander seems like a good guy.”
“He does,” Landon agrees, “although with only a week here, I wonder how attached she can afford to get.”
“Well,” I say, turning around and leaning back against the railing, “that’s what phones are for.”
Landon laughs. “Touche, Boots.” There’s a pause, and then he grins at me and asks, “So, do you think that would work on you?”
“What?”
He sidles up next to me, his arm brushing mine. “Oh, you know, gentle touches, long, meaningful looks, telling bad jokes and then pretending they’re the funniest thing in the world… It’s sort of flirting 101.”
“Well, unfortunately I’m not familiar,” I reply, meeting his dark eyes. “But I’ve never thought flirting should be reduced to just those things, either.”
“Thank god for that,” Landon replies, the corner of his mouth turning upward as his eyes sear into mine.
I’m on the verge of asking him what he means when a new voice pulls my attention away. “Look who it is.”
I turn around, and my heart immediately sinks; Lyle is standing behind us, on the other side of a bench. His arms are crossed, and there’s a haughty look in his eye that I don’t like. “What?” I ask, my tone short.
“Just out for a stroll,” he replies, “same as you. Is that not allowed?”
“Depends on your reasons,” I shoot back.
“Don’t flatter yourself, I wasn’t following you,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. “I know better than to pick another fight with the infamous hybrid, right? Knowing when to fold ‘em was always my strong suit.”
“Good,” I reply curtly. “Then you’ll leave me alone.”
Landon looks from me to Lyle, raising his eyebrows. “Is there a problem, here?”
“No,” I tell him, not breaking eye contact with the older student.
“And who might you be?” Lyle asks, turning his attention to the siren shifter. “Another one of her boyfriends? You know, Millie, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were some kind of slut.”
“Seriously?” Landon crosses his arms. “Do people seriously still say things like that?”
“Evidently,” I reply flatly, mimicking his posture.
Lyle ignores the dig, taking a few slow steps closer to us. I can feel myself tensing up, but Landon’s presence steadies me, and I force myself to calm down; I don’t want this turning into another fight. “You know, I’ve been asking around about you,” Lyle says, staring down at me with derision in his eyes. “Call it… professional curiosity. Especially after you sent me packing the way you did after class the other day. They always hype hybrids up, you know? But you’re never expecting them to actually be able to do it.”
“Well,” I reply, “I’m happy to disappoint.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Lyle says, a cruel smile appearing on his face. “I did some digging on you, Brix,” he continues. “By the sounds of it, you stirred up all sorts of trouble back at your home school. What was it I heard, again…? Something about top-secret experiments?”
“Not so top-secret now, I guess,” Landon remarks dryly.
“How the hell did you find all this out about me, Lyle?” I demand, staring defiantly up at him.
The older boy sniffs. “It’s not that hard to find information, if you know where to look. Working for the school administration doesn’t hurt, either.” He turns back to me. “You know, it’s almost enough to make me feel bad for you. Almost. A poor little human girl, abandoned by her parents, left to the whims of a bunch of sadistic human scientists… it almost makes up for the fact that you’re just like all the other girls at this school.”
My eyes narrow. “Abandoned? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Boots,” Landon says, taking hold of my arm and tugging at it gently, “leave it. Just ignore him.”
I shake his hand off, taking a step closer to Lyle. “What the fuck are you saying?”
Lyle raises his eyebrows. “You mean… you didn’t know? Your boys here didn’t tell you? Granted, they were just babies then, too, so I guess they wouldn’t know either, but still…”
“Know what?” I can feel my nails digging into my palms, my heart leaping to my throat. I’m taking the bait, and I know it, but I can’t help it. There’s something in Lyle’s eyes that gives me pause - a look that says he knows that he has the upper hand.
“Boots,” Landon warns me again, “he’s not worth it.”
“I think that’s for her to decide,” Lyle says, not breaking eye contact with me. “What do you think, Brix?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask him. “What did you find out about my parents?”
“If you thought the humans took you away from them, you were wrong,” Lyle replies, his tone sharp and cutting. “Your parents were the ones who gave you up. They abandoned you.”
Chapter 39
“You’
re…” I swallow the lump in my throat, trying desperately to fight off the dreadful sensation I can feel rising in my chest. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” Lyle crosses his arms. “I took a little field trip to the registrar’s office. I’m an RA, so they won’t let me look at everything, but… I saw enough.” There’s a pause, and he furrows his brow thoughtfully. “It’s funny, though. The one thing I couldn’t find any information on was the witch shifter - you know, the baby. You’ve got one of every form, so there had to have been one. It would’ve had to have been a girl, since witches are always girls, but it sounds like she’s long gone… Although maybe that suits you just fine, Millie. This way you don’t have to share the rest of your little boy toys with anyone else.”
“Shut up.” My hands are clenched into fists, and I realise that I’m shaking, although not from anger, but from dread. “You don’t know anything about me, Lyle.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asks, advancing on me. “I know enough about you, Millie Brix. Enough to tell you with complete certainty that you never had any chance of having a normal life. I guess that’s what happens when your parents don’t want you, though, right?” He shakes his head in a mockery of sadness. “Poor, sweet, little Millie, with no one to love her… except for the people who had their powers dumped on you.”
“Knock it the fuck off, Lyle,” Landon tells him, his voice venomous as he comes to stand by my side. “That’s enough.” I see his eyes flash green, and I can tell he’s on the verge of shifting. One panicked look around us tells me that would be a recipe for disaster; there are humans everywhere, and we’re no longer in the safety of the convention center. I grab his hand, giving him a warning squeeze as I shoot my eyes over to his. That seems to calm him a little, his eyes going back to normal, although he still looks like he’s ready to kill Lyle with his bare hands.
“Easy there, tiger,” Lyle says, holding his hands up and taking a step back. “I’ve had my fill of siren songs for one lifetime, thank you very much.” His eyes dart over to me. “I just figured I’d come share the love. That’s what you guys are all about, right? Sharing the love.”
“Leave. Us. Alone,” I tell him, and although I’m trying for dangerous and intimidating, my voice quivers in spite of myself. It’s enough to make me want to cry, and I bite down hard on the inside of my lip.
“I’m going, I’m going.” The vampire shifter backs up another few steps and turns to go, but not before giving me a venomous smile over his shoulder. “See you around, Millie. I’ll be curious to see what ends up happening to you.” And with that, he saunters away, holding up a hand in a jovial wave, as if we were old friends parting ways. The fucking nerve.
Still trembling with anger and fear, I drop my shoulders and fall onto the bench with a hard thud. I can feel Landon’s eyes on me as I run my hands through my hair, my face flushed and my heart pounding. I can hardly bring myself to look at him as he comes to sit beside me, putting a gentle hand on my arm. “Boots,” he says quietly, “are you okay?”
I take a shaky breath and turn to him, swallowing hard. “No, Landon,” I reply flatly. “I don’t think I am.”
* * *
“He went through your records?” Hazel’s eyes flash as we walk back in the direction of the convention center. “How is that even allowed? He could get expelled for something like that, couldn’t he?” An air of tension has fallen over the group in the aftermath of what happened, and I can see the guys looking at each other. The question on all their faces is clear: they’re wondering whether saying something will make it better or worse. I don’t blame them; hell, I don’t even know the answer to that question.
Hunter sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Privacy rules don’t apply to shifters, Hazel. You know that. He works for the school - he can pretty much dig up whatever dirt he wants.”
“How is that fair?” She shakes her head, her blonde curls bouncing around her face.
“It’s not,” Ruby replies, and sighs. “Lyle’s always been an asshole. One of those guys who’s on a major power trip because he’s in the Academy’s pocket.” She blows a stray strand of dark hair out of her face, her expression frigid. “He tried to get me to go out with him my first month here - got all pissy when I told him to fuck off. If Xander weren’t here, he probably would’ve pulled something similar.” She turns to me. “I’m sorry you have to deal with this, Millie. You’re not seeing the best our school has to offer.”
“It’s fine.” I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I guess I should just ignore it, right? Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
“You shouldn’t have to,” Silas puts in. “We came here to see the conference, not listen to a bunch of bullshit about your parents.”
“What if it wasn’t bullshit?” I ask, turning to him. “He said it himself. He has access to my records.”
“Look, Boots…” The dragon shifter runs a hand through his hair, looking like he’s struggling to find the right words. “Don’t listen to him, okay? I’m sure there was a good reason your parents did it. And if not…”
“If not,” Hunter finishes, his eyes meeting mine, “it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s right,” Landon agrees. “We’re your family, Boots. And nothing’s going to change that.”
I turn to look at them: Landon, his arms crossed, Silas and Hunter, watching me with concern on their faces, Shade, who’s been quiet this whole time, and Hazel. The twins are new to our group but slowly creeping into my heart. The family I chose.
“Maybe you’re right,” I say, smiling a little, but there’s still a rotten feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I can’t fight the sense that it might be here to stay.
* * *
“Remind me again why we’re going up here,” I say, breathing hard as I round what feels like the hundredth corner in the narrow stairwell. We might as well have been climbing for hours, given how badly out of shape I feel, and I have to pause and lean forward, putting my hands on my knees.
Shade turns around to look at me, ahead of me on the stairs. It’s embarrassing how much easier of a time he’s having. “Better view,” he replies, not sounding out of breath in the slightest. “Besides, practicing is always more fun when there’s the danger of falling to your death, don’t you think?” He frowns as I continue to suck in air. “Unless… You’re not going to like, pass out or something, are you?”
I wave him off. “No. I mean, probably not.”
“Good,” he says, “because we’re almost there.”
I follow him the rest of the way up, and we finally arrive at the top of the stairs, where a metal doorway waits for us. Shade pushes it open unceremoniously and steps out onto the roof, and I follow a moment later, still struggling to catch my breath.
The view from on top of the academic building might as well have taken my breath away all over again, and my exhaustion is momentarily forgotten as I gape at our surroundings, my mouth dropping open. It’s well past curfew, and going on the roof is against the rules, but neither of those things has ever stopped Shade in the past, and I’m beginning to see why.
It feels like we can see everything from up here. Below us, the grassy hills and modern buildings of the American campus stretch out like a tiny city. I can see the sculpture garden and the student housing on one end, as well as the lot where our group arrived on the other side. Farther out, the suburban houses of the local shifter community surround the campus, with the outline of downtown Boston visible beyond that. The city is lit up for the night, a sea of twinkling lights and shadowy buildings - inside which, right at this moment, politicians could be deciding the fate of our entire species. The stars are more visible from this far out, and a full moon looms overhead, just above the horizon.
The perfect moon for wolf shifting, I think.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts by the feeling of something crashing into me from behind, barrelling me onto the concrete of the roof and making me let out a little yelp. I struggle to get my feet u
nder me, confused and in a panic, until I turn around and see that it’s only Shade, already in the form of a giant timber wolf, his silver eyes now gold and glowing in the dark. “Too slow,” he says, and I could swear, even though he’s no longer a human, there’s still a teasing look on his face.
“What the hell was that for?” I demand, getting to my feet and dusting off my trousers.
“You’re going to have to do better than that, Boots,” the wolf says. “And here I was thinking you were making progress.”
I set my jaw, giving him a determined smile, and close my eyes, reaching for the magic that I’m only just beginning to get a feel for and letting it take hold of me. It takes a moment to get started, but before long I’m shifting into my wolf form, landing on all fours and staring Shade down with my newly acquired night vision. “That’s more like it,” he remarks, and moves gracefully to the left. Slowly we circle each other, two predators under the moonlight, but there’s a playfulness to it that keeps me at ease.
Shade lunges for me, and I narrowly jump out of the way, struggling to balance on my paws. Thinking fast, I feign to the right, sending him pouncing in that direction before springing the other way at the last second, leaping into him and pinning him underneath me. “Not bad,” he observes, but in the instant that my guard is down, he gets control and rolls me over so that I’m under him, our snouts so close they could touch. There’s something animalistic about it… and alluring.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of it, I find my voice and force some humour. “Okay, okay! Truce!”
“Do you surrender?”
“Okay, let’s not go that far.”
He laughs and gets off me, shifting back into human form easily. I follow suit, and we’re left as people again, sitting side by side on the roof. I turn to look out at the city in the distance, and Shade follows my gaze; for a few moments, neither of us speaks. Finally, I break the silence. “You know, I’m surprised you haven’t said anything about what happened today. With Lyle.”
