Wanted

by Annika James

  Tre laughed, dragging my attention back to him. He cupped my elbows, pulling me closer to him. For some reason, I couldn’t resist. My power lay dormant, not responding to his threat. His body was an immovable force. He leaned into my right ear, shielding his face from my friends. “Think about it,” he whispered. “I think it would be hot between us. In fact, I promise it would be.”

  He placed his lips just above the pulse in my throat. I froze in terror. It must have been his touch keeping me immobile, because my body wasn’t even telling me to run, though my mind screamed. He couldn’t bite me in the cafeteria, he just couldn’t. His tongue tasted me, breaking the spell and I regained some control, pushing against him. My strength was nothing compared to his; he barely moved.

  He chuckled as he backed away. So much for my protection spell. My power seemed useless against Tre. I had thrown Conor, but I had nothing to defend myself against Tre. My chest ached with the futility of a power that was nonexistent when I needed it most.

  Conor was suddenly there, holding me behind him, protecting me with his body. I rested my forehead on his back, finding my breath again.

  “Tre, man, you and I are friends. I don’t want to get hostile. She said stay away. If you keep bothering her, I’m going to have to do something about it.”

  Tre laughed. “What, Peterson? You’re not her boyfriend. You’re not her protector. You’re pretending. I’m actually attracted to her. I’m not going to hurt her.” He sounded defensive, like he actually meant it, like he genuinely wanted to pursue me as his girlfriend.

  Conor’s body stiffened, tensed. His voice came in a low growl. “Leave. Her. Alone.”

  The tables around us quieted as people took notice of the commotion. I did not want a vamp fight at school. Something had to be done. I lifted my head and stepped between the standoff. I put a hand on each of them, keeping them separated.

  “Let’s just forget it. Tre, sorry, but my answer is no. You’re just going to have to accept that.” I looked him right in the eye, fear of the boys tearing into each other giving me some bravado.

  He shrugged. “We’ll see.” He gave Conor a look over my shoulder and left.

  I turned to Conor, who was glaring after his friend with murder in his eyes.

  “Hey,” I said softly, getting his attention. “Let it go.”

  He looked at me briefly, then moved past me, taking my hand and pulling me along with him out of the cafeteria. He kept walking until we got to my locker where he finally let go.

  I stared as he paced to the other side of the hall and back. On his third trip, he slammed the heel of his hand into a locker. I must’ve made a sound because his green eyes flashed to me.

  “Sorry.” His tone was ragged. His eyes raked my neck, hands curled into fists at his sides.

  I swallowed and tilted my head to the left, showing him my neck. “He didn’t bite me.”

  “I know. I just…” He reached for me, caught himself, and looked at his hands as though confused at their actions. He shoved them into his hair instead.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I nodded my head a little, wanting his arms around me, and lied. “I…I guess.”

  He stood in front of me. “We have a lot to talk about. Meet me at the front door right after the last bell, okay?” Again with the commands. Of course, I couldn’t turn him down. I just nodded.

  Matt, Cora, and Steven approached. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked in the other direction, pressing my hands into the metal behind me, letting the cool sensation ground me. I controlled my breathing and recited a calming incantation under my breath. The need to cry lessened a little.

  Conor walked to Matt, put one hand on his shoulder, and said something in his ear. Then Conor kept walking, disappearing around a corner without a look backward. Matt’s brows drew together as he approached.

  “What did Tre say?” he asked.

  I turned, resting my forehead on the cool steel, my eyes closed. Conor said he’d protect me. He said he wanted me. Yet now when I craved comfort in his arms, when I yearned to feel safe, he left, putting Matt in charge of my protection.

  “He offered to be my boyfriend as well as my protector. He thinks we’d be…hot…together,” I said without emotion. Matt’s jaw clenched. I straightened and opened my locker. “Then he kissed my neck, and I’m pretty sure he licked me.”

  “Eeew,” Cora exclaimed.

  Matt remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. “I’ll be with you the rest of the afternoon.”

  “Tre’s not going to hurt me. He actually wants me,” I protested. Unlike other, black-haired, green-eyed vamps I couldn’t get out of my head.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Matt said roughly. “You’re stuck with me.”

  I grabbed my books. “Yeah, why would my pretend boyfriend feel the need to protect me now that his secret is out?” I couldn’t help letting the hurt in my voice show.

  I linked arms with Cora and pulled her with me. “Try to keep up!” I called to Matt.

  “Tre is kinda hot.” She giggled at me.

  “True, but he is totally creepy, and never even looked at me before all this started.”

  She made a sound of agreement. “Okay, definitely creepy. But hey, three hot guys all wanting to own you? Don’t you feel lucky?” She remarked with a laugh.

  “Uh huh, lucky me,” I said dryly. Matt coughed behind us, as if to remind us he was listening.

  I glanced back at him. “Matty, what would we have done if Conor had never sensed the power I have, huh? If I’d never run into him last week?”

  Matt shrugged and looked past me. “Guess some things are just meant to be.”

  I scoffed. “Meant to be a pain in the ass.”

  * * * *

  Matt was my escort for the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t see Conor until after school where he had told me to meet him at the front door.

  He leaned against the wall in the entryway. The afternoon sunlight streaming in the doors shone on his hair. Vamps and the sun—more myths. He didn’t sparkle, and he wasn’t bursting into flames, he may have been glowing, but that was probably just my infatuation.

  My breath hitched a little as everyone else around me faded and my whole world focused on him. It was a dream come true, right? The hot guy I’d had a crush on for months suddenly wanted me. He’d said I was pretty, he’d kissed me. So why did my stomach churn with apprehension as I approached him?

  He pushed away from the wall as I came up to him—no smile, no greeting—and walked with me to his car. He opened the door for me, as always, and I got in, my anxiety increasing a notch. Why the silence? Was he done with this? Was I just not worth the trouble anymore?

  I could sense his apprehension and tension radiating off him in waves. I tried to swallow. “Are you going to talk to me?” My mouth was dry and the words seemed to stick to my tongue. I forced a half-smile. “It’s going to be a long eternity together if you never talk to me.”

  His mouth twitched, the only break in the tense lines of his body. “I have a lot to say. I didn’t want to start in the car.” He kept his eyes on the road.

  “Well, you could at least say hello,” I suggested.

  His full-out grin helped me relax. “Hello.” He glanced at me, his emerald gaze searing in its intensity.

  “Hey.”

  “So your decision is made?” His soft question seemed loud in the tension-filled car.

  I blushed. “Well, Matt bowed out, so that leaves you…or Tre, I guess. That one’s obvious. I mean…if you still want…I guess, maybe you changed your mind…” My voice trailed off, revealing my biggest fear at the moment. My face was on fire and my stomach threatened to churn up lunch. Luckily I hadn’t eaten much.

  He pressed his lips together, not saying a thing. A dead weight settled in my chest, squeezing the air out of my lungs and constricting my heart.

  “Oh,” I mumbled, staring at my hands twisting together in my lap. Awesome. I suddenly didn�
��t want to go to his house. I didn’t want to hear the words of rejection come out of his mouth. My face flamed with humiliation. Damn. I had told him he’d probably get tired of me after awhile. Of course, I hadn’t expected it to be a matter of days.

  I bit my lip and stared at the houses flying past, my eyes burning with unshed tears. Well, there was always Matt. Maybe I could learn to love Matt in a more-than-friends way? Maybe once he bit me, I’d feel something romantic for him, like my mom suggested.

  Conor pulled into his driveway and parked in front of the three car garage. I followed him through the foyer, vaguely wondering if my mom’s high school sweetheart was somewhere in the massive house. If Conor and I managed to stay friends, I’d have to ask him about his dad and my mom.

  I dragged my feet up the stairs as Conor led me into a small den-like room. At least it wasn’t his bedroom. Or the library where he’d kissed me.

  This room was paneled in dark wood the same color as the wood floor. A leather couch lined one wall. Across from it sat a large ornate desk with one of those executive-type leather chairs. A large flat-screen TV took up the far wall, surrounded by different electronics. I recognized one as a DVD player and one as a game console; the rest was foreign to me.

  I sat in the desk chair to keep my distance and spun to face him. I clenched my hands, hopefully the only outward sign of my nervousness.

  He had paused in the doorway, not quite looking at me. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “Sure. Um, water, please?” My throat was pretty dry. He left. I didn’t move, just studied the leather couch across from me. It was the same color as Conor’s hair—black as a raven.

  I hoped he took a long time coming back; I didn’t want to talk to him anymore. I didn’t want him to put into words what I could already see on his face. I really just wanted out of the suddenly oppressive mansion. I was done. I needed Matt, his comfort, his solidity, his reliability.

  I stood, firm in my decision to leave. Forget this heartache. I jogged down the stairs, eyes on the front door and freedom. Voices stopped me dead in my tracks. Holding my breath, I flattened myself against the wall and strained to hear their words.

  “She’s here? Have you convinced her?” It was a woman’s voice, cultured, smooth, full of power.

  “No, Mother.” Conor’s voice was full of formality, but it was a different tone than usual.

  “Well, you’re running out of time. The Council wants you to bite her on Friday. For goodness’ sake, seduce the girl. Have you forgotten? You must do this for me, Conor, for us. I am counting on you.” She bordered on shrill. My vision shrunk to a pinpoint, black blurring the edges.

  I tried to exhale quietly so I could fill my burning lungs with oxygen. I was afraid I might heave right there on the stairs and wondered if I could make it to the door without them seeing or hearing me.

  “I understand. I’m doing my best to convince her. It’s…complicated.” Conor’s voice was steely now. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was his freaking job? My earlier dread drained out of me, replaced by anger and the need to be as far away from this place as possible.

  “Complicated?” Her voice rose. “You said she harbored affection for you. Get it done. Do not fail me.” Ice queen. Conor’s dad had moved from my mom to that? The woman sounded heartless.

  “Yes, Mother.” Conor’s voice was just as icy. I wondered if he and his mom didn’t get along.

  Why did I care? I was so out of there. The sound of shoes on the wooden floors faded deeper into the house and I seized my chance, bolting for the front door.

  Once free, I sucked in fresh air greedily, continuing to run down the block, ignoring the fancy houses and gated driveways, tears flowing freely.

  Goddess, I hated when I was right! He didn’t really like me after all. He was being pressured by his mom to make me his familiar. I slowed as the mansions gave way to slightly smaller Victorians and dug my phone out of my pocket. I wanted to call Cora, but she didn’t have a car. I called Matt.

  “Ash?” He answered. “I thought you were with Conor.”

  “Matt. Will you come get me? I’m like…” I looked around and gave a hoarse laugh. “I’m in the same place you picked me up on Saturday.”

  Everything in my pathetic life had come full circle in a matter of a few days. This was where it had all started, and now, where it was all ending. I stopped walking and tried to catch my breath, eyes hot from tears. My chest tightened, my stomach churned with nausea. I was a hot mess.

  “What’s wrong?” His voice over the phone sounded alarmed.

  I shook my head, fighting back sobs, before I realized dumbly he couldn’t see me.

  “Just…come…get me…please,” I begged in between heaving breaths, trying not to cry on the phone. I ended the call and tucked my phone away, looking up to the bright blue sky, so like Matt’s eyes, unblemished by clouds.

  I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes, willing myself to calm. I could sense all the life around me. The large, old trees lining the street, the lush green grass of the lawns, and farther the faint traces of the people in their homes. If I concentrated, I could sense each person nearby. Once I grew more familiar with someone and knew them better, it took less effort to feel them. If I really concentrated, I could tell how far away Matt was right now.

  I needed more distance from Conor. I started walking again, throwing a furtive glance over my shoulder, not seeing Conor’s black SUV anywhere. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not. What would he think when he went back to the room with a glass of water, only to find me gone?

  Reluctantly, I retrieved my phone and decided to text him.

  Had 2 go talk 2 u l8r?

  His response came immediately. Had he been waiting for me to let him know something?

  Go where? R u walking? Really need 2 talk.

  Matts coming. nthng 2 talk about

  So his mom had told him to claim me. I wondered what she wanted from me, and if the Council was behind her, or if she was acting on her own. Sorry to rain on all their plans, this witch had decided she wasn’t going to be owned, by anyone, period.

  The Council could bite me…okay, not literally. The Council could go screw themselves. Yes, much better. Screw them and their decision I had to be claimed.

  Conor didn’t text me back so I figured he was either still thinking of a reply or was accepting my excuse. Guys were great at not sending any unnecessary texts. Cora always sent me back one last text, usually just saying ‘k.’

  Matt pulled over to the side of the road and I got in. I really, really needed to stop walking away from tense situations. This scenario was getting all too familiar.

  He looked me over with concern, eyes pinched at the corners, mouth set in a harsh line. “What the hell happened?”

  I leaned my elbow on the door and rested my forehead on my hand. “Just drive. Anywhere. I’ll explain.”

  He obliged. I gave myself a couple minutes to compose my thoughts.

  “I overheard Conor and his mom discussing me.” I finally started. “She was telling him to get on with it, to seduce me already, to use my affection for him.” My voice caught, and I swallowed a sob. Wow. Powerful witch? More like powerful wuss.

  “Check your blocks, Ash. You’re projecting.” Matt’s voice came out strained.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled as I fixed my mental blocks. Like I said—powerful wuss.

  “Are you sure you heard it right?” His voice was back to normal since I was no longer leaking my misery all over him.

  “Yep. Definitely sure. And this was all after Conor wouldn’t talk to me all afternoon or on the ride to his house. I asked him if he was still interested and he just said we needed to talk.” I gave a harsh laugh. “I knew this is how things would turn out. That’s why I was so reluctant to get involved. But he’s good, Conor freaking Peterson. He knows what he’s doing. He had me eating out of the palm of his hand, which, you know, wasn’t hard, since he knew I liked him already.” I wasn’t lo
oking at Matt, just watching the houses go by and venting my frustration.

  “Goddess! He even apologized to me last night in your room, when he wouldn’t bite me. He told me he could seduce me to the point where I’d beg him to do it. I’m such an idiot.” I turned to Matt. “That must have been his plan all along, huh?”

  His hands were white on the steering wheel, his face whiter. “I had no idea, Ash. He told me he was interested in you weeks ago. That you intrigued him, and he wanted to get to know you. I thought…” Matt looked at me, eyes sad. “I thought he was being honest. He’s my friend, and he obviously knew how I felt about you. I didn’t think…”

  He fell silent and pulled the car over, throwing it into park. He slammed the heels of his hands into the steering wheel a couple times. “Motherfucker!”

  I jumped and watched him with wide eyes. He pressed his lips together, hands gripping the steering wheel and twisting. His breath came in loud drags and blows. My own irritation drained as his anger beat at me.

  “Matt. It’s no big,” I tried to calm him. “I promise, I’m fine.” How funny. Here, I’d wanted comfort from him and he seemed more upset by this than I was. I guess he’d trusted Conor more than I had. And he’d trusted Conor with someone he loved, me. Matt didn’t like being played any more than I did.

  My phone vibrated. I dragged my eyes away from Matt digging his fingers into his sandy hair and looked at my phone. It was Conor.

  Will u let me explain? pls

  I glanced at Matt. He was somewhere between royally pissed and kind of depressed. I felt sick to my stomach with a whole lot of “I told you so” running through my head.

  nothing 2 explain. it’s over. tell ur mom sorry.

  Matt had calmed down enough to resume driving, his lips pressed together as he glared at the road.

  I’ll give u tonight, but this is not over.

  I laughed harshly, drawing a curious look from Matt.

  “Conor thinks there’s some way he’s still in the picture.” I held up my phone with a smirk.

  Matt raised a shoulder. “Maybe there is an explanation?”