“Listen. Thanks for saving me from your…pack member. But I really don’t want to deal with this right now. My leg is throbbing, my head is pounding, and I think a healthy dose of morphine would do the trick. The reality is: My father left my mother with two young children. She’s spent our entire lives scraping by, working her ass off. I don’t care if he was a werewolf or a wereshark or even a wereunicorn. We’ve moved on without him.”
Arii’s voice turned chilly. “Kitane did what he had to do to save his people. He was a loyal father and a fair and brave king. He had to choose. Don’t think it wasn’t hard for him to leave you behind, Kia! He was a good man. And you’re heir to the throne, whether you care to acknowledge it or not.”
“I don’t want the damn throne,” I ground out. “Let Sikta or whoever the hell she is have it. I don’t want it! I don’t want to turn into some sort of beast. Besides, if I really was half-whatever, wouldn’t I have changed by now? Don’t werewolves turn by the light of the full moon?”
“The moon isn’t strong enough on this side,” she said. “You’d need to come to our side to feel your first change.”
“Then essentially I’ll never turn into a wolf as long as I stay here?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
I cut her off. “Then that’s what I choose. I deserve to have a choice.”
“Kia, please… You don’t understand— Kitane’s been missing for a little over three months. We need to accept that he’s not coming back and move on. And that means assigning a new Alpha. You have the Sight. Without a strong leader to oversee them, our solders and hunters aren’t nearly as capable as they could be; without an Alpha we’re sitting ducks if Kanzi decides to make a move.” Her voice was soft, but rising in pitch, her eyes worried.
Kanzi. That had been the name of the great wolf king’s mortal enemy in the tales Dad spun. It wasn’t a coincidence. I was probably really part werewolf, even if I didn’t want to admit it.
“Let Sikta lead. She wants it, obviously enough to try and eliminate me. Like I’m a threat.” I snorted, then sighed, sagging against the pillow.
“Arii… I’m sorry. But I don’t want what you’re offering me. I like my world. I love my family and the people here. I’m not the kind of person who can step up and take charge of a situation; I never have been. I’m sorry.” I met her eyes.
She looked at her hands. Then she stood and tugged down the hem of her T-shirt. “If that’s your decision…”
“It is.”
“I hope you feel good about condemning an entire colony of people to death,” she snapped, then strode from the room. She slammed the door behind her for good measure, though I felt it was a little dramatic. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes, which were watering. Then I pressed the call button. A few minutes later, I was given some painkillers and slowly drifted into dreamland.
I dreamed about wolves tearing each other apart.
***
Mom looked guilty Monday morning, decked out in a clean set of scrubs, her hair pulled into a tight ponytail and her mouth cast downwards.
“I’m sorry, Kia, but Chad needs me in early. Can you get Greyson to take you?” She meant to school; I usually walked, but walking was damn near impossible with an injured leg. I was clumsily getting along on crutches and I didn’t think a mile walk to Rockfell High was such a great idea.
“No problem, Mom,” I said, reaching out to give her a quick, one-armed hug. She kissed me on the forehead and I pulled out my cell as she hurried out the door.
A minute later, I heard her Ford rumble to life and the garage door go up. Then she was gone. I pushed speed-dial on my keypad. The phone rang twice, then Greyson answered in his usual chipper tone.
“Hey, Mom had to go into work early and I wanna know if I can hitch a ride to school.”
Greyson hadn’t ended up visiting me in the hospital, but as soon as I got home, he was waiting on the porch. He’d inspected my wound with a soft whistle of approval. “No problemo, Kia. Shae need a ride too? There’s room for both of you.”
“I can ask. Thanks, Grey. I really didn’t wanna hobble to school on crutches.”
He chuckled. After hanging up, I shoved the cell into the recesses of my jeans pocket and hobbled to the hallway. “Shae? Grey’s coming to pick us up if you want a ride.”
The bathroom door popped open and Shae peeked out with a whoof of hairspray. Her hair was blow-drier poofy and she’d only managed to outline one eye with brown eyeliner. “Nah. Tate’s dropping by to walk me to school.” She disappeared back inside and I shrugged.
I wrangled up a bowl of Rice Krispies, complete with sugar and milk, and sat at the kitchen table to eat with my leg stretched out in front of me. I pocketed a couple of painkillers because I had the feeling it was going to be a long, grueling day.
At seven-twelve, the doorbell rang. Before I had a chance to get up, Shae was padding down the hallway in a skirt, hoodie, and chucks. She swung the front door in and welcomed Tate with a bear hug. She came into the kitchen and hauled her book bag up on her shoulder, then offered me a smile.
“Okay. See you after school. Good luck with the crutches,” she grinned. I watched as she bumped shoulders with her boyfriend and slid her small hand into his big one.
Damn, if it didn’t make me think about holding hands with Arii.
No.
That bridge was pretty much burned. I shook my head. Her acidic last words had stuck lodged in my head and even though I’d deserved it? I regretted it just a little. No, I didn’t want to become some high and mighty werewolf king, but… I had really liked Arii. It would’ve been nice to share the simplicity of holding her hand. Or kissing her.
I felt my cheeks burn and hastily put my cereal bowl in the sink. It clattered against the metal basin and I ran water for a moment.
I don’t know how long I stood there, propped up against the counter, but I nearly jumped out of my skin when Greyson appeared out of thin air. “Geez, man. Take a chill pill. It’s just me.” He ran a hand through his scruffy hair and shot me a grin.
I laughed weakly and leaned on my crutches. “Let’s get this over with.”
Luckily, his mother’s SUV was roomy, so getting in wasn’t difficult. Greyson chatted my ear off the entire six-minute drive, even though I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to laugh at his comments. He found a close parking spot and together we hobbled—or rather, I hobbled and he walked slowly so I could keep up—through the front doors of the high school.
Plenty of eyes were on me as I awkwardly managed the stairs to my first class, but none of them were the ones I wished for. Arii wasn’t at the lockers near the girl’s bathroom. She wasn’t in calculus, either.
My heart sinking, I gave up looking for her. I guess I’d secretly hoped I could apologize for Saturday morning. Maybe I even hoped that something could come of it, werewolf-chick or not. Greyson caught my eye in the halls as we passed each other, and he offered a sympathetic shrug, as if he knew. That, I was thankful for.
Lunch came too fast. I quickly sized up the situation. Plastic trays filled with Rockfell’s famous spaghetti and meatballs plus my crutches equaled an impossible disaster. I helplessly cast a glance around for Greyson, but he was already several people up in line. I stretched my crutch out and tested putting weight in my injury. Pain slammed into me like an iron fist and I took a deep breath until I stopped seeing stars dance along my vision. Hell.
“Need a hand?” Her voice made my heart skip a beat. I spun to see her—red plaid skirt and flowing cream blouse that hinted around to the point of her cleavage. I forced my gaze to her face, because I didn’t want her to think I was a perv. Her eyes held their hint of normal curiosity, but were wary around the edges. I let my breath out and smiled.
“Thanks,” I said, unsure if I should apologize right away or wait until we were sitting. She didn’t give me the chance; shrugging her slender shoulders, she got in line. I was right behind her. The lunch lady—a woman with a smoker’s cough and a
frizz of gray hair—plopped a pile of probably luke-warm spaghetti and pasta sauce on a tray, put a crusty breadstick on top of it, and handed the tray and silverware to Arii without a word. Together, we headed for the table I regularly sat at.
Greyson was already there, hunched over his spaghetti. He lifted his eyes to greet us, a smile quirking his lips.
“Kia. And…I don’t believe we were properly introduced,” he said around a grin as he met Arii’s gaze. He scooted out two chairs with the tip of his sneaker. I flopped heavily down in the plastic chair and stretched my leg out, leaning the crutches against the table. Arii glanced to the open chair, hesitating. I pushed it out farther.
“Hey. This is Ariiantha. Arii, my best friend, Greyson Meyer. There, introduced.” I paused, looking up at her and picking up my plastic spoon-fork-combo. I offered a sheepish smile. “You wanna join us for lunch? Stomaching Rockfell food is sometimes easier in groups.”
“I’ve noticed that it’s not the greatest,” Arii said. “Lemme go get a tray.” Spinning on her heel, she strode off with all the grace of an angel. Or a wolf. I nearly choked on a mouthful of half-chewed spaghetti. Greyson pounded on my back with his hand.
“Geez. Don’t get choked up about it. She’s just a girl,” he smirked.
Arii sat in the chair beside me, her legs crossed at the ankles and her spork twirling the red-stained pasta around on her plate. An awkward tension sprawled in acres between us. Greyson looked at me, then at her and back to me again, as if silently willing me to say something.
I knew better; the conversation Arii and I needed to have wasn’t meant for Greyson’s ears—or anyone else’s for that matter.
So Grey took the situation into his own hands. Pulling out his cell phone, he was silent for a moment, then grinned. “Okay, here’s one. How do you get 100 babies into a bucket?” He paused, Arii’s eyes widening at the words, and he laughed. “With a blender.”
Arii snorted so hard that I feared spaghetti would dangle out of her nose. Her shoulders shook as she tried to contain her laughter, clapping a hand over her mouth. “That’s horrible! Who comes up with stuff like that?”
“ChaCha,” Greyson said, shooting me a smug look. Well, I’d give him credit; the tension around us eased with Arii’s surprised outburst. He stood up, his chair scraping across linoleum. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta hit the john.” He shot me a ‘stay here and behave’ look (or maybe it was a ‘stay here and ask her out’ look) and quickly sped away, his lunch tray in tow.
I looked at Arii, holding my breath. “Look—”
“Don’t worry about it.” Her hands were clasped together in front of her, fingers tapping absentmindedly against one another. Her nails had been bitten to the quick, red and bloodied around the edges. I frowned.
“It was wrong of me to assume you’d just…accept it without a second thought. I understand your reluctance to trust me. I’m no more than a stranger to you.”
“Then why do you feel so damn familiar?” I groaned, burying my face in my hands, propped up by my elbows on the tabletop.
Her voice softened, taking on a lower, huskier tone that laced chills down my spine. “You’re half wolf, whether you admit it or not. Werewolves are pack animals. They need their own kind to thrive. You’re reacting to me because I’m the first wolf—heck, probably the only wolf beyond your dad—you’ve ever been in contact with. It’s a natural reaction.” She offered a tiny smile. “And maybe a little bit of it is natural attraction.”
“Not like I can deny that.”
Her grin widened. She slid her hand across the table, her fingers brushing against the sleeve of my shirt.
“Maybe I’d like to try again? Not as wolves. Just two normal teenagers who are undoubtedly attracted to one another.” She spoke as if we’d had something before the whole werewolf fiasco.
“Friends?” I was a little dizzy as she slid her fingers across my arm, stroking the skin for a moment. I wiped my palms against the knees of my jeans, both blessing and cursing Greyson for leaving me alone. Maybe Shae was right: I was clueless. I felt like my head was barely above water.
“For now.” She shot me an ornery smirk, then stood up. She stacked my tray on top of hers, empty milk cartons and plastic sporks balanced at the summit. “I’d offer to walk you home after school, but…” She eyed my crutches.
“You could help me study for English?” I barely got the words out. “Grey’ll give us a ride to my place.”
“Only if you scratch me behind the ear before I leave. And kiss me on the nose like you did when I was Del.” Her eyes twinkled teasingly.
I thought of my husky, the dog I’d fallen in love with without knowing she was a person beneath the fur coat. I frowned, thinking of my hands in her scruff, thinking of rolling the leather collar between my fingers. Thinking of all the kisses and cuddles I’d given that little stray.
I met Arii’s eyes—Del was there, just beyond their sapphire depths. Blue as a summer sky. A little part of me missed her, although I knew I never really had her to begin with.
“We’ll see,” I mused softly, gathering my crutches and hoisting myself to my feet. She nodded quickly, as if sensing my thoughts, and disappeared into the sea of students. I watched her until I could no longer see the top of her blonde head. Then I sighed and headed to my next class, my heart both heavy and light at the same time.
Chapter Four
“What do you mean you’re not coming?” I struggled to keep my voice low, to keep the nervous hysteria from rising in my tone. I leveled a stare at Greyson as he gathered his books up, sliding them into a canvas bag with a wide shoulder strap.
He looked back at me, offering an easy smile. “It means that you and Arii get to spend a little quality bonding time with each other. Guys and girls do it all the time.” He clapped me on the shoulder. His arm felt like dead weight, but his smile never faltered. “I’m sorry, Kia. Typically I wouldn’t ditch on you twice in a row, but Pops is adamant about getting that barn painted. I get to help, no questions asked. Unless you and Arii wanna help me paint?”
I imagined the three of us in work clothes and smocks. My mind painted Arii in a whirlwind of color and anime-style cleavage, swiping a wet paintbrush across my cheek with a teasing grin. I groaned and shook my head. Studying was probably the lesser evil. Besides, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d manage crutches and a paint brush.
“I’ll take my chances with English,” I said.
“Aw, I feel neglected,” Grey pouted, then laughed. “I’ll drive you guys there. Think Shae’ll need a ride too?”
“Not even worth wasting the minutes to call her. She’s joined at the hip with Tate Sommers.” I rolled my eyes.
Greyson merely smirked. “Who knows, Kia? Maybe in a couple of weeks, that’s what everyone’ll be saying about you and Miss Ariiantha Caldwell.” He hoisted his bag up on his shoulder and reached into his pocket for his keychain. It was composed of all sorts of little trinkets, a different charm for every state he’d visited. That’s how he kept track.
“Yeah, and pigs fly,” I snorted, shouldering into him hard enough to make him laugh and stumble. He caught his balance and shook it off.
I grinned and hobbled along beside him, my bag swung over my shoulder, flopping against my side with each step. I couldn’t help it: My gaze scoured the crowd of students at the front doors, waiting for rides or friends or whatever. When I saw Arii in her too-big jacket, my heart gave a little flip. Get it together, Kia, I huffed inwardly. She’s just a girl.
Arii stared off into space, her brows drawn together in thought as the wind combed fingers through her hair. Her eyes locked into mine and a smile beamed across her face. She hurried our way, ducking behind a small group of juniors who were kicking around an empty Red Bull can.
“Hey. I didn’t know which car was yours, so…” She trailed off, looking to Greyson, who led the way into the recesses of the parking lot. I leaned my crutch against the hood of the shiny SUV, finding myself relieve
d that Grey hadn’t picked me up this morning in his beater Chevy. With dents from a hailstorm and more rust than red paint, the truck had seen better days.
I opened the passenger door and looked at Arii. Crap. How did this work? Did I offer her shotgun and haul my sore butt into the back seat?
She motioned to the passenger seat, then popped the locks and opened the back door. She slid into the car, her bag deposited in the seat beside her. I heard the snap of her seat belt even before I’d managed to get comfortable, stashing my crutches in the back.
“Damn, I look forward to being able to walk again,” I muttered as Grey started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
“So…the dead baby jokes. They’re common?” Her voice was lightly curious and it made me wonder where she was truly from. A world where cell phones and ChaCha were unheard of? I couldn’t imagine life without technology. Did she seriously spend her days in a wolf’s body, hunting and playing like an animal? It really made me wonder what kind of life Dad led.
“You’ve seriously never heard a dead baby joke before?” Greyson asked.
“No. I’m not from around here.”
“Can I be nosy and ask where from?”
She glanced to me with a hint of worry in her eyes and in that instant, I saw my Del with her ears pulled back tight against her head and her bushy tail tucked.
“Alaska,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “I have a tiny hometown. Our population’s pretty small and we don’t really get visitors.”
“And you don’t have ChaCha?”
I grinned. Didn’t everyone know about ChaCha? Text it any question in the world and receive an answer?
“Daddy doesn’t believe in technology,” she quipped, meeting my eye again in a sort of ‘end this discussion, please’ look.
As Greyson opened his mouth to ask another question, probably, I quickly flipped on the radio. Our local rock station blared to life and I shot Arii a grin.
Wolfsong Page 3
