by Katie Dunn
Fredrick waits until Dean is gone before he says anything. He flashes me a small grin. "It's been too long, Britt."
I return his grin. "Yes," I agree. "Too long." Fredrick and I hug each other.
Believe it or not, Fredrick used to babysit Isaac, Derek, and I when we were little. We used to have a lot of fun. My brothers and I could hardly wait for our parents to leave the house, just so Fredrick could come over. Fredrick has always been fun and kind—he obviously got the better end of the gene pool.
Fredrick and I let go of each other. "So how have you been, Britt?"
"I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off is how I've been," I say. "How have you been? I heard you're going to law school now."
Fredrick nods. "Yep. It is a little challenging, but it's totally worth it. I hope to be up there with my dad someday."
I wonder why he would want to do that.
"Britt," a voice calls.
I glance over to spot Riley hurrying my way. I return my attention back to Fredrick. "We'll catch up some more later?"
He nods. "Of course."
I start in Riley's direction. "Oh, and Britt," Fredrick calls. I look over my shoulder at him. "Yeah?"
"Let me know if Dean gives you any trouble," Fredrick tells me.
I nod. "I will. Thanks."
I turn and start toward Riley once more. We meet halfway down the sidewalk. "How do I look?" she asks. "Good enough for Derek?" Riley wears the green satin dress we had talked about two days before.
I nod in approval. "You look amazing."
She smiles and embraces me. "You do too." We pull away from each other. "So why are we out here?" she asks.
"Oh, we came out here to get away from the old people," I explain.
"Oh," Riley mouths.
I loop my arm through hers, and we take a stroll. "Did your parents come tonight?" I ask.
Riley nods. "Yep." The look on her face tells me her parents have already done something to embarrass her. "They're conversing with your parents about the antique shop."
I glance at her. "Don't worry. I'm sure my dad will quickly turn the conversation to his motorcycle shop." We both chuckle.
I notice Derek and Troy approaching. "Here come our dates." When Troy and Derek near, Riley greets them. "You are so handsome," she says to Derek.
He gives a small smile. I imagine he blushes, but I can't tell for sure in this light. "Thanks."
Riley gazes at Troy. "You are also handsome, Chase."
Troy nods in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Riley."
Troy offers his hand to me. "Britt, would you like to dance?"
I blush and take his hand. "Yes, I would love to."
Troy and I make our way inside, while Derek and Riley walk to the gazebo chatting.
Troy and I join the other dancing couples. A classy looking DJ plays a new song as we reach the dance floor—more specifically, "Feel So Close" by Calvin Harris. Personally, I'm shocked Melinda would allow this kind of music.
Unsure of how to dance to a song like this, I just hold on to Troy's hands and sway to the music. Troy appears to be uncertain as to how to dance to fast-paced music as well. "Come on!" I scream to him over the music. He smiles and begins to sway with me, so I don't look like an idiot.
Halfway through the song, Troy's smile grows wider. I smile, too. "Why are you smiling?"
"This is fun," Troy replies.
"So what? Do I have to drag you out on the dance floor to make you smile like this more often?"
Troy's smile becomes a smirk. "Nope. I just like spending quality time with you."
My heart flutters at his words. I don't know why. There are several people in my life that like to spend time with me. It's not really that big of a deal, but somehow Troy's admission is different. It makes me blush and become speechless. I wish I could explain it, but I can't.
Troy stares at me like I'm the only other person in this world. Like the people surrounding us aren't even here. I acknowledge them, but otherwise pay all of my attention to Troy. That is, until someone else catches my attention.
Tom stands across the room, watching us with a miserable look on his face. It is obvious that he is crestfallen because I'm with Troy tonight and not him. I feel horrible for making him feel this way, but at the same time, I can't deny I'm having a lot of fun with Troy.
Troy realizes my change in mood and glances over his shoulder. After he takes a look at Tom, he turns back to me. "Stay right here." I frown in confusion, and Troy crosses the room to Tom. They share a brief exchange of words then Tom crosses the room to me.
As the song changes, he takes my hands in his. "Want to dance?"
I give him a look. "You know the answer to that," I say. Tom grins and we begin to dance. As we do, I notice dancing with Tom is not nearly as wonderful as dancing with Troy.
Troy watches us from afar, smiling. I can't tell for sure whether his smile is forced or genuine. Genuine because he's happy that I'm happy. Forced because I'm currently happy with Tom and not him.
Thank you, I tell him telepathically. Even though I've spent more time with Troy lately, I've missed having this quality time with Tom. Troy nods, telling me he received my message. For what it's worth, I was having a really nice time with you, I add.
Whatever Troy's smile was before, it grows into a genuine one now. He lingers where he stands a few more seconds, before he slips away. I don't know where he goes, but I know he won't wander too far from me. I hope he won't get too bored or lonely without me for the next ten minutes.
Looking at Tom now, I realize Troy is on my mind more than Tom has ever been. Guilt courses through me. I love Tom, but I spend more of my time these days with Troy. What kind of a girlfriend am I? Either a bad one or a really bad one. But I can't decide which I am more of.
When the song ends, I tell Tom I have to call home and check on the boys. I move away from the music and dig through my bag in search of my phone. I glance up every few steps to ensure I don't bump into anything or anyone. But of course with my luck, I do.
I accidentally bump into a tall, imposing man with black hair and emerald green eyes. He appears to be in his early twenties. I admit, he is quite good-looking. I immediately apologize to him. "I am so sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
He stares down at me for a moment before smirking. "Not at all," he says in a Russian accent. His presence sends goosebumps down my arms, and I find his voice oddly familiar.
"What is your name?" he asks.
I lose focus, trying to place his voice. "Uh, my name is Brittany Thompson. But my friends call me Britt."
He offers his hand to me. "It's nice to meet you, Britt. I'm Nikolai. Nikolai Eridov."
I take his hand to shake it, but the touch sends visions flitting through my mind—something that has never happened before.
The first vision is of him and some other men murdering a dog. A dog I used to know as Sunny. Sunny's blood splatters onto the Brighton sign, and Nikolai has the nerve to smirk. But before I have time to register what I see, the vision blurs into a new one.
Nikolai and the other men chase a young couple down the road. They don't stop until they capture the couple and brutally kill them.
The vision blurs once more, and I recognize the hall Nikolai slowly walks down. He opens a door and steps inside. He kneels beside Emma's bed. It's better this way, his voice fills and echoes through my mind. Though the words didn't come to life in the vision, Nikolai didn't want to see the light leave a child's eyes. That's why he killed Emma in her sleep.
When the images disperse, I slightly jump away from Nikolai. He stares at me questioningly, and I quickly tell myself that I can't let myself seem too fearful of him. Who knows exactly what he would do to me, if he knew that I knew he was a skinwalker.
Nikolai gently grabs my arm. "Are you all right, Britt?"
I force a smile and try not to flinch at his touch. On the inside, my heart beats out of my chest. "I'm fine." I may not be all that good at
lying, but maybe I'm just good enough to play the flirtatious card.
I step closer to him even though I want to get far away from him. "So Nikolai, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new to town?" I ask with a sudden burst of eagerness.
He smirks again. "I've been here for a couple of weeks, now."
"Mmm. Maybe I could show you around. Brighton is a different kind of small town."
Nikolai steps closer to me. "Maybe I'll take you up on it. How about right now?" I think my heart goes from beating really fast, to not beating at all. I know he's only playing this game so he can get me alone and kill me—not because he's interested.
I am fairly quick to think on my feet. "Okay," I keep up the flirtatious note in my voice. "Just let me go freshen up my makeup, and we'll go."
As you'd expect, Nikolai doesn't let me just walk away. "There's no need for that. You look absolutely stunning, Britt."
I quickly come up with an excuse, but my mouth hesitates to say it out loud. "Yes, but I really do need to run to the restroom. I think my mascara is running."
Before he can protest, I hastily turn and walk away in search of Troy.
I peer around each corner and attempt to stay out of Nikolai's sight. I do pretty much okay until a hand grabs my shoulder. I almost squeal but realize it's only Tom and manage to stay quiet. "Is everything all right?" he asks. "You seem shaken."
Without even really thinking, I blurt out my next words. "Go home, Tom."
His eyebrows furrow. "What? Why?"
I have no time to argue with him. "Just do it, Tom. Go."
"I don't understand," he says. "What's going on?"
I sigh in frustration. "Tom, I promise I will explain it to you. But for now, go home."
A look of hurt flashes in his eyes. He thinks I just don't want him here, but that's not it. I only want him to be safe. And as long as he and his parents get inside their home and don't invite anyone in then he will be. "Tom, there's some really bad people here, and you need to go home where it's safe."
Tom doesn't seem to believe me but agrees to go. "Okay." Without another word, he reluctantly turns and leaves. I breathe a small sigh of relief and hope he makes it home safely.
I continue desperately trying to find Troy. In some areas of the mansion, I have to shove some people out of my way. I relax a bit when I finally spot Troy. He stands on the opposite side of the room, but immediately glances at me at my arrival. Leave it to Troy to spot me in a room full of people without even trying.
We meet in the center of the room where we had danced earlier. "Troy you're not gonna believe what just happened!"
"Do you want to dance?" he asks as the music switches over to a slower song. "We haven't slow-danced yet."
I know I have to tell Troy about my encounter with Nikolai, but I can't resist a slow dance with him. I decide to tell him while we dance. It would only take me a minute to explain everything anyway.
Troy takes my right hand in his left and places his other hand on my waist as I rest mine on his shoulder. I have never slow danced before and soon realize Troy has more knowledge of it than I do. I follow his lead since he seems to have an idea as to how to slow dance. His moves sweep me off my feet, especially when he twirls me.
My heart races, but differently from my meeting with the D'yavol pack leader. My heart beats rapidly in a good way, a way Tom has never made possible. I'm not saying Tom makes me feel bad, but he hasn't once made me feel like I'm the most wonderful thing in the world. Troy does that. He makes me happy and excited to start the day. To wake up and enjoy life. Looking at him now confirms it.
"What did you want to tell me?" he asks. There goes the moment. Of course with my luck I only get a perfect moment that is just that, a moment. I quickly recount my run-in with Nikolai to Troy. When I finish, Troy slightly panics. "What?" His panic is only for me, not for himself. We abruptly come to a standstill. "I was able to get away without him suspecting anything," I explain. "But we need to get my family and go home."
Troy nods in agreement. "There is only a slight problem. It'll take forever to find everyone and regroup." Troy quickly attempts to concoct a plan to get us all out of here—without drawing too much attention to ourselves—and to the boys in the fastest way possible.
I promptly spot Riley in the distance, and a little plan of my own comes to me. "Riley!"
Troy glances at her as she makes her way over. "Where's Derek?" I ask worriedly.
"He went to find your parents," she replies.
My heart drops desperately hoping he's found them. I try to shake off my anxious state and keep calm. I turn to Troy. "Troy, will you go find Derek and my parents, and get them away from here?"
Riley's eyebrows furrow. Even I realize that I said Troy instead of Chase. "Troy?" she asks out of confusion.
I hear her, but don't take the time to give her a rundown of Troy's true identity. "Ri, will you give me a ride to my house? I have to get there now to check up on the boys. It's important."
Riley stares at me with a confused look on her face, but doesn't ask any more questions. "Yes, of course."
I turn to Troy. "Sound like a good plan?"
Troy nods. "Yeah." Before I become aware of it, he leans in and kisses my cheek. "Please be careful," he says with a pleading and already worried voice.
I nod. "I will. You, too."
With that, we part ways.
Riley and I hurry out to her car and race down the road. I try to call home, but no one answers, leaving me even more terrified for the boys. I know Lenny is good with magic, but I don't know if he's quite good enough to defend himself and the twins from the D'yavol pack. I pray that he is, or at the very least I hope he can hold them off until I get there.
Riley and I pull into the driveway, and I jump out of the car before she has time to put it in park. I run up to the door and unlock it. I can't hear any screaming or unfamiliar voices, but that doesn't mean anything. I rush inside with Riley right behind me.
All three of the boys sit on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a superhero movie. Lenny glances at me. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost?"
Kendall stands on his knees on the couch. "What's Riley doing here?"
I hurry over to the boys and throw my arms around all of them. I squeeze them all tight and almost refuse to let them go.
"Britt," Lenny says. "You're suffocating us."
I slowly and reluctantly let go of them. "Sorry."
"Seriously," Lenny says. "Is something wrong?"
I glance at Riley and then back to Lenny. Later. After Riley leaves.
He nods.
I put my hands on Riley's shoulders. "Thank you, for giving me a ride and getting me here so fast. I thought something was wrong."
She gives me a smile. "What are friends—?"
"Britt," Lenny cuts her off. I meet his now fearful gaze. "They're here," he says.
SEVENTEEN
LENNY SAYS ALOUD the words I have feared for weeks. The D'yavol pack is here, and I have no freaking idea what to do. My first instinct is to hide the twins and Riley. Lenny and I could fend off the D'yavol pack.
I take Kendall and Casey's little hands and lead them toward the staircase with Lenny and Riley in tow. I place my foot on the first step and a loud boom rumbles throughout the house. They're in. But how? They haven't been invited.
As if all thinking the same thing, the five of us hurry to the hall closet. The closet might not be the best place to hide, but finding a good one would take more time. It's a bit cramped in this tiny closet, but we make it work. Lenny and I are closest to the door, shielding the twins and Riley.
For a moment, the thought of dying enters my mind. Honestly, it doesn't scare me as much as it probably should. At least if I die, I know I tried my very best to protect my friends and family—that is enough to bring me peace in death. I am willing to die fighting for my loved ones any day. I am willing to die protecting them.
When I imagine my death, I see mysel
f sitting somewhere reminiscing to Isaac everything he's missed out on. We'll laugh at some aspects and cry at others. That thought alone, of being reunited with my twin, is plenty for me to not fear death.
"Britt," Lenny whispers, pulling me from pondering my death.
I look at him. "Yeah?"
"The dream," he breathes.
My eyes widen. Lenny's right. My dream has come to life. Me hiding in the closet, Nikolai killing the "traitor," and possibly my midnight run.
We all figured this wouldn't happen tonight because I was going to be out, but we didn't account for me returning home. How could we have not put two and—
The closet doors open.
The man I recognize to be the traitor stares down at us. For a second, I don't know what to do. I freeze and almost stop breathing. I actually do when the traitor surprises me.
"Relax. I'm not going to hurt any of you." His gaze flicks to Riley and his expression becomes pained. "Riley, I'm so very sorry, my child."
Footsteps sound, and with one more sympathetic look to Riley, he closes the doors.
Nikolai screams at the man, accusing him of being a traitor. "So I kill the woman you used to love, the woman you apparently still love, and you question my authority?"
I watch through the crack in between the two doors. I notice that the traitor is much older than Nikolai. He is middle-aged, whereas Nikolai is just a few years older than me. It seems so strange that the traitor would be taking orders from someone almost half his age. "No," the traitor says. "You came here tonight in search of my daughter and her friends. If she were here, you would've killed her!"
I now know why he has apologized to Riley. Why he has called her his child. Because she is his daughter. I glance back at her. Even in the dim light, I can see the tears in her eyes. I'd probably be crying too, if I had just found out my dad isn't my dad and my real father is a psycho murderer. I take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. She manages a small sad smile, but I know it's not at all genuine.
I turn back to the sight in front of me, peering through the crack once more.
Nikolai raises an eyebrow. "Your daughter?" He smirks. "I see now. Eighteen years ago, you had a fling with that woman we killed tonight, and it resulted in a baby girl."
