“Something to do? Like… like what?” Cindy bit her bottom lip.
Again, I moved just a little bit closer.
“Like… maybe kiss me?” she whispered, her chin lifting.
“I’ve been thinking about it all summer.” My heart drummed in my chest. Would she say yes?
“Maybe you should stop thinking and start doing.” She leaned toward me and laid her hands on my arms before stretching on her tiptoes to meet my lips.
My chest pounded and blood roared in my ears as I bent toward her.
“You’re so beautiful.” The words escaped before I could stop them. I probably sounded like a lovesick puppy. Whatever. I was about to kiss the girl of my dreams — finally.
My mouth touched hers and electrons whizzed through my body. After a brief moment, I withdrew to catch my breath.
She opened her eyes and smiled. “That was nice.”
“You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to do that,” I rasped, dying to dive in for more. But I had to be cool, so I wouldn’t scare her away by acting like a total perv.
“Probably not longer than I’ve been waiting,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. “But that’s not how they do it in the movies.”
“In theater, they’d probably call that the teaser.”
Her big green eyes widened as I yanked her against me and fastened my mouth to hers. She opened for me, her tongue tangling with mine — which ignited a world of desire as fireworks hit my bloodstream and moved to places better left unmentioned.
If I’d known it could be like this and that she’d wanted it too, I would’ve kissed her ages ago. I mentally kicked myself for wasting all those weeks when we could’ve been doing this the entire time.
Her hand crept up under my shirt and her fingers trailed along my back. Goosebumps danced on my skin. She pressed closer against me and I took the kiss deeper, letting loose my weeks of pent up craving for her.
I didn’t think life could get any more perfect than being with Cindy. And I no longer yearned for a normal life. I wanted things to stay exactly as they were at that moment. With my Cinderella.
Forever.
A soft moan erupted from my throat when she angled her face to take the kiss still deeper. I slid my arms around her waist and the tips of my fingers inched up underneath her tank top.
She shivered.
But it wasn’t a usual shiver. Her whole body began to tremble and I nearly lost my hold on her. I pulled back. Cindy’s eyes grew huge and her pupils dilated.
She threw her head back, her limbs vibrating as she growled. No, not a growl. It was more like a dull roar, full of pain and anguish. Was she… was my Cindy about to turn into a werewolf? Or was it something else? Maybe if I held her again, whatever was happening to her might stop. I lunged for her.
“Get away from me!” Sobbing, she shoved me back, but in the process, one of her claws raked across my chest.
I flinched, as blood beaded on my skin. A little scratch wasn’t going to stop me though. Not when Cindy needed my help. I stepped forward again.
Her lips curled up, exposing long, growing teeth and she shrieked. Yeah, she’d hit werewolf maturity all right. But she hadn’t completely morphed. Just her teeth and nails. Maybe if I calmed her, she could prevent it from progressing. I wrapped my arms around her waist, as I’d done just moments ago, and pulled her close.
She shrieked again, then searing pain shot through my arm.
Werewolf bite. Oh, crap. My dad was going to kill me… unless the werewolf virus beat him to it.
The forest spun around me and I couldn’t keep my eyelids up. My muscles went lax and when the ground rose to slam against me, I didn’t feel a thing.
Chapter Three
Cydney
Three years later…
“Cinderella! Aren’t you ready yet?”
My little brother Gavin had long since learned to pronounce my name correctly, but since the car crash two weeks ago, his old habit had returned. I didn’t mind. Right now, I needed the familiarity of the nickname. Apparently, Gavin did too.
“Cydney Ella Marsten! You’ll make your cousins late if you don’t hurry,” Aunt Mina called from upstairs.
“I’ll be right up.” My eyes swept across my new room one last time. I’d trashed the place during the night. My blankets were half on the bed, half off. I’d knocked the chair over and the clothes I’d piled on it the day before were now littered across the wood floor. Several stacked boxes I’d never unpacked were toppled over. My desk was pressed closer to the wall and the little white lamp knocked on its side. Oh, well. I’d straighten up when I got home. Just like I always did.
I tied my hoodie around my waist, and grabbed my cell phone and backpack. I left the safety of my basement room and bolted up the stairs to the first floor.
“Shot gun!” Beatrice shouted. My cousin thought she was more mature than me just because she’d been born two months earlier. But she was still a senior, just like me.
I followed Bea and my younger cousin, Winnie, out the front door, then we all piled into my aunt’s silver Audi. I sat in the back with Winnie — my brother between us, as usual.
Winnie was a grade behind Beatrice and me. Up until the last year or so, she’d been painfully shy and, even now, acted like she still lived in Bea’s shadow. That’s probably why we’d always gravitated toward each other. We both felt like outcasts.
I glanced at Gavin who clutched the backpack wedged between his knees and the front seats. I’d been so self-absorbed these past few weeks, I’d barely thought to ask how he was doing. Our mother’s death had to have been rougher on him. Gavin’s dad was still alive, but he’d made it quite clear he didn’t want custody of Gavin.
“How ya feelin’?” I asked.
His little shoulders thrust upward briefly, touching the tips of his dark blond hair, then dropped. “Fine.”
“You don’t have to go to school just because I am. If you need more time—”
“It’s okay. If I stay home, I’ll just be sad all the time.”
I understood that a little too well. I leaned into him and kissed him on his cheek. Under normal circumstances, he’d never let me do that. Thirteen was way too old for kisses and hugs from big sis. But it was just the two of us now.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Cydney?” my aunt asked me. “Maybe you should take a few more days.”
I met her eyes in the rearview mirror and rolled my own. “You’re the one who pushed me to go back to school today.”
“Did I push?” She glanced over her shoulder with an innocent look, then returned her attention to the road. “I just thought… well… it’s healthy to return to a routine and interact with other people.”
Or did she just want me out of her way for a change? With me at school, she had the house to herself.
These days, I could never figure out Aunt Mina. I had no clue where I stood. It was easier before, when my mom and I would visit — she’d get time with her sister, while Gavin and I hung out with my cousins. That is, when I wasn’t sneaking off to meet Jack. Back then, we all knew what to expect. We’d enjoy a few days together, then we’d go our separate ways.
But now, with both my parents gone, Aunt Mina was my guardian. At least for the next few months, until I turned eighteen.
“It’s okay.” I took a deep breath. “School will take my mind off things and I want to graduate on time. Can’t do that if I’m not in class.”
Aunt Mina pulled the car to the curb in front of the school and swiveled in her seat, her short, dark brown hair whipping around her cheek. “You sure?”
I nodded and found the door handle.
“If anything changes or if it gets to be too much for you, call me.”
“Thank you. I will.” I gave her a weak smile and turned to Gavin, wishing he were a little older, so we didn’t have to go to different schools. Several weeks ago, I’d been wishing he lived on another planet. I’d been absolutely positive he was the mos
t annoying person ever. When our mom died, everything changed.
“See you after school, Gavin.” I cuffed the top of his head and shot out of the car before he could hit me back.
“You are so dead.” Gavin’s eyes turned to playful slits. “You just wait.”
“Dream on.” I smirked, but my cocky smile faded as Aunt Mina’s Audi pulled away from the curb. I missed Gavin already.
“You don’t have to do this,” Winnie said, scooting up beside me as Beatrice dashed off to join her friends.
Beatrice stood by the front steps with several girls in designer outfits. Her blond hair bounced off her shoulders as she tossed her head and laughed. A pang of envy sliced through me. I wanted what she had. Normalcy.
“Mom would totally let you off the hook for another week if you asked,” Winnie went on.
“I’m fine.” My eyes drifted to the school’s façade behind Bea. Any time we’d driven by the building years ago, I’d been captivated by its old-world charm. But now, the belfry and gargoyles seemed to stare at me, reminding me of a creepy building from a horror movie. Why they needed this mammoth, freaky building for just a few hundred students, I had no idea.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Winnie prodded.
I blew out a breath. “I have to be.”
Her gaze fell to my hands clamped around the strap of my backpack. She gently tugged on it and my frozen fingers uncurled. “I’ll show you to our lockers,” she said.
We entered the eerily dim corridor and my eyes sifted through the crowd of students in the hall, mentally seeking the unique energy that nearly every paranormal creature emitted.
They were all around me. Most of them had very likely already marked me as a werewolf the moment I stepped out of the car.
Did any of these werewolves know about the incident years ago? Had any of them been blamed for what I’d done to Jack? Until this moment, it had never occurred to me that someone else might have paid for my crime. Now that I’d returned, would they figure out that the attacker had been me?
At the very least, the other supernaturals would smell my fear and know something was up, which increased the risk of my crime being discovered.
Fear enveloped me like a dense fog. My lungs felt like sponge as I struggled to deflate them, then fill them again. Very soon, I’d be sitting in my first class. In smaller populations and smaller classrooms, I couldn’t avoid the non-humans. I zeroed in on the main door to the school and everything else swirled in my peripheral vision.
Maybe I wasn’t quite ready for school. But the alternative — staying home and listening to Aunt Mina’s subtle comments hinting that I should get out of the house — didn’t seem much better. I couldn’t hide forever. Eventually, I’d have to confront my fears.
“Cydney.” Winnie grabbed my arm and pulled me into an alcove displaying an elaborately gold-framed painting of a Knight on his horse. “You sure you’re not going to… change in the middle of class? Or right here?”
Winnie’s voice soothed me and my breathing eased. “What? No. I’m okay.”
I hated being different. I hated that my aunt and cousins didn’t always understand me. At that moment, I missed Gavin even more for his quiet understanding. He’d grown up knowing all about my peculiarities, so I never had to explain anything. We rarely even talked about it. Every now and then though, he’d tease me about being a freak. But he always seemed to know where the line was and he never crossed it.
“I don’t know,” Winnie whispered. “You definitely seemed upset.”
“I’m just a little nervous, but don’t worry. That’s not enough to make me lose control. Heightened emotions can bring on the change, but there’s more to it. It’s hard to explain.”
“You can tell me.” Winnie laid a gentle hand on my arm.
We rarely talked about my alter ego, but I knew I could trust her. Winnie was that kind of person. I leaned against the wall next to the painting and swallowed the lump of fear creeping up in my throat. “Well, I can be mad, but that won’t necessarily make me need to morph. If I’m really pissed off or super frustrated, maybe.” I blew out a breath. “It’s the active emotions, like getting overly excited. It’s a certain feeling, but I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Winnie studied my face, contemplating what I’d said. “Like if you got jacked up on caffeine and went on a roller coaster ride?”
“Yeah, that might do it.” I smiled, grateful that Winnie at least tried to understand me, unlike Beatrice and my aunt who abided by the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell rule.
She returned my smile. “We’d better move or we’re going to be late.”
I did my best to ignore my fellow monsters as I followed Winnie down the hallway, past rows and rows of lockers.
She stopped abruptly. “This one’s yours.”
I pulled the slip of paper from the side pouch of my backpack and scanned the numbers to the combination lock. I committed the sequence to memory, then stuffed the paper in the pouch and opened my locker.
“Active emotions, huh?” Winnie furrowed her brows, as she contemplated the concept, then she lowered her voice. “So what would happen if you kissed a guy and he was an amazing kisser and you really, really liked him? Could you get worked up enough to lose control and shift?”
My stomach churned and I flinched, thinking of poor Jack.
Winnie gasped. “Is that what happened to him, the boy you bit? My mom only told me you’d lost control and hurt a boy. She didn’t say how it happened.”
My eyes pooled as I remembered all the blood… his torn flesh.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up, especially today. Don’t know what I was thinking. C’mon, I’ll show you to your first class. That’s Mr. Williams. Biology, right?”
“I think so,” I replied, trying to purge the memory of Jack’s scream.
“Mr. Williams is okay.” Her words flowed quickly, like she was trying to distract me. “But he takes his class very seriously. You’ll do alright so long as he feels like you’re making an effort.”
I followed her numbly, taking slow deep breaths until she stopped near a doorway.
“Maybe I should call my mom.” She put her hand against my forehead. “You don’t look so good.”
“No.” I shook my head and she dropped her arm. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Okay.” She backed up. “I’ll find you at lunch.”
I nodded and turned toward the door, then forced my legs to move.
“You must be Cydney Marsten,” a forty-something year old man said as I passed through the doorway. He had sandy blond hair and wore black wide-rimmed glasses. A light blue button-down shirt hung over khaki pants and brown loafers. He gave me a look that said he knew I wasn’t human, even though I knew his human senses couldn’t confirm that for sure. He pointed to an empty chair near the window. “You can sit there.”
I scanned the faces of the other students, automatically looking for Jack — now that he’d been brought to mind. But none of the guys resembled the boy I knew from years ago. Not even close.
Jack had been a year older than me and would’ve graduated last year. I wouldn’t see him at my school unless he’d failed a grade. Unlikely. He’d been too smart for that.
If I met him again, would I recognize him? How much had he changed? His voice would be deeper and most likely he’d filled out a bit. Would he be much taller than me? Would he recognize me?
Would he hate me?
I’d spent three summers with Jack. Every day, he’d be waiting for me in the woods, in our special place, wearing a grin. And I’d smile back.
His curly, dark hair had always been messy, but he’d worn nice clothes. I loved his face, especially his amber colored eyes. I’d frequently wondered whether his parents were Asian or black or Spanish. He looked to be a mixture of just about everything. Maybe that’s what made him so mesmerizing.
The first time I’d seen him, he�
�d been lying in the meadow, staring at the trees with his rolled up jacket under his head. He’d given me a startled look, obviously not expecting anyone to happen by. He’d stood and dusted off his clothes, then we made small talk for several minutes. I hadn’t wanted to part ways and, apparently, neither had he.
After a while, he’d asked me my name. Then his hands had shot up, palms out, to stop me from speaking. “Never mind. We can be whoever we want, in our own little world. Who do you want to be?”
I’d giggled and given him Gavin’s nickname for me, Cinderella, since I answered to it anyway and I didn’t have to worry about forgetting it.
He’d grimaced. “That’s a fake name, right?”
“What, you’re not into fairy tales?” I chuckled. “And what awesome name are you using?”
“Today, I’m… Jack.” He laid his arm across his body and bowed to me, before looking up with mischievous eyes. “Of bean stalk fame.”
Back home in Florida, Gavin and I hadn’t gotten out of the city much. Being the only breadwinner, my mom was usually too busy to take us anywhere. She used her vacation time for her trips to visit Aunt Mina here on Ile de Paix. Since our island getaways were all we had, it made anything I did with Jack seem especially new and exciting.
One day, it would be a stream with tiny little fish and another day he’d show me a giant gnarled oak tree to climb. Some days, we’d just talk or he’d whip out a deck of cards and we’d play rummy or war. But no matter what he suggested, I’d always shrug and say, “Sure.” I already felt too young and not nearly pretty enough to hang out with him, and had no clue why he sought me out. Didn’t he have other friends? In any case, I didn’t want him to think I was a dork, so I always contained my excitement.
A Bite's Tale (A Furry Fable) Page 2
