Mom suggested I sleep on the couch until we could get my window replaced. One minute spent in my room, the cold air rippling the plastic sheet over the window eerily, and I quickly agreed with her. I slept on the couch and dreamed of the kiss Arii and I would someday share.
Chapter Six
The bleep of the text and the cell vibrating itself across my dresser made me open my eyes and reach for it. Greyson, most likely, excited about his first true date with Sam Shepherd. I rubbed my eyes with my free hand, then flipped the cell open. I blinked a few times against the glare of the screen, before my eyes focused on the black text.
We need to talk. Can we meet somewhere? Arii… I quickly texted back yeah, and we agreed to meet at the corner of the school.
I took a hot shower, so quick that the bathroom mirror didn’t even have a chance to steam up. I toweled off, pulled on a pair of jeans and a red hoodie, and headed down the hall.
Shae was sprawled on the couch, the remote control in her hand, and she was paused on some documentary channel. She glanced up to look at me, and seemed a little put off that I’d caught her watching something good for her brain rather than mind-rotting. She quickly flipped the channel where a puppet was singing in a high falsetto about the alphabet. Lord.
“Where you headed in such a hurry? You never take a five minute shower.”
“Gotta meet Arii at the school.”
“At 10 am on a Saturday?” Her brow quirked up.
I didn’t answer her; I just scarfed a bowl of granola and inhaled a very ripe banana, washing it down with a glass of milk. I pulled the hood over my head, stuck a piece of cinnamon gum in my mouth, and headed for the door.
“I’ll be back.”
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll be sure to lock the house.”
“Har, har.” I snorted, pulling the door shut behind me. The walk to the school wasn’t a long one—it was actually refreshing, the chilly wind touching my face and leaking through my jeans. I scuffed the toe of my sneaker on the pavement, picking up speed until Rockfell High loomed in front of me. My eyes scanned the parking lot, then the front doors and I saw Arii sitting on a park bench, legs crossed at the ankles.
Her scruffy gray jacket was zipped all the way up and her hands were sheathed in stretchy gloves, placed in her lap. Her blonde hair had been pulled back and pinned up, making her look almost like a faerie or something. I smiled and slid into the seat beside her, my knee bumping hers.
“Hey. You alright?” She looked a thousand miles away.
She smiled at me, looking deep into my eyes. Then she tugged off her gloves and took my hands in hers, cold against warmth. “You know I like you, right? Like, a lot. I do. I’ve really had fun these past few weeks. You and Grey are awesome, and Shae’s like a sister to me.” A heavy ‘but’ hung on the end of that sentence, so heavy that my heart constricted.
“Yeah? I’ve had fun too, Arii,” I said, squeezing her fingers gently. “You’re…wonderful, beautiful. I never thought I’d be able to talk to a girl like you so freely. But you’re so familiar. Family.” Someone I wanted to hang on to. Call it a shot in the dark, but this was the girl I wanted to date through high school and produce an engagement ring on her birthday and ask her to marry me. To live together, maybe someday have a kid of our own. Would the child be wolf, too? Did it matter? Silly how I could be with a girl for less than two weeks and want her to be mine forever.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t where she was going with this.
“I can’t stay here, Kia. This isn’t my world.” She dropped her gaze, looking down at our hands. “I’m born of a world where technology is slim to none, where we run the forests and hunt as animals. I miss it. This isn’t my place…” She paused, a grimace on her beautiful lips.
“What we are…is beautiful. I’d love for it to evolve and take shape, but I can’t. I have to go home; my brother is there, all alone, and I’m all he has. Yeah, I know he’s a big boy and can take care of himself, but he’s bullied. He needs me.”
My heart hammered in my chest. I reached over and tucked a strand of bangs behind her ear. She looked so sad, so lost. My mind spun.
“You’re leaving, then? When?” I could understand why—I just didn’t want to. I didn’t want this to end.
“Tonight. Now. I’m being called back.”
“Will you ever…visit me?” A lump formed hard in my throat and I swallowed thickly.
She turned halfway in her seat so that our knees were pressed against each other. With a small, tender smile she looped a leg around mine.
“Kia…I want you to come back with me. You don’t have to take the pressure of being our king, not at first. You can just learn our ways. Things don’t have to change. You’d be accepted by our people. You’d be free, and when you’re ready, you can step up. This doesn’t have to end.”
For just a minute, I thought about it. I thought about following her to whatever realm she’d come out of. I thought about taking her hand and letting her lead me into a place where the fantastical was real and where you howled to get your point across. The thought of curling up with her every night, warm and secure in her arms and her in mine…it was a temptation.
And then I thought of everything I’d lose: Mom needed me. I’d planned on getting a job and helping her pay the bills so she wouldn’t have to work as much overtime. Shae…she was my little sister. Like Arii had to protect Aliel, I had to watch out for Shae. And Greyson… He’d been my best friend since, well, forever. My heart ached with the thought of never seeing them again.
I looked at Arii, and she looked away, as if she knew the answer already. I held her hand to my cheek.
“I can’t. I really like you, Arii—hell, it might even be love. But my family, my friends? My entire life is here. That would be like me asking you to stay here for the rest of your life, without goodbyes to your people or your brother.”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly, but the smile was to hide the tears brimming in her clear, blue eyes. I reached my arm out and hugged her against my side. She laughed softly, sadly.
“I understand, Kia. I’d like to say I could break away and visit you, but honestly? What kind of love could we share? It would be long distance, maybe on holidays. But in the end? You’re going to be happier with a girl who you can settle down and be yourself with. A human girl. A girl you can have children with and not worry about them being wolf. And me? I guess I need a mate who will be there for me, to protect me and love me and hunt with me.” Her voice cracked, just a little. I hugged her tighter.
“So…this is goodbye for good, then?”
“I’m so sorry…” Her hand reached out, fingers brushing my cheek. I felt a thickness in my throat, like cotton I just couldn’t swallow back. My heart flopped like a dying fish in my chest. I didn’t want to let her go. She slowly pulled out of my touch, and stood up. She pulled the hem of her jacket down and stuffed her gloves into the pockets. I stood as well, feeling more awkward than I had when we first met.
“I’ll never forget you,” she said with a wistful smile. “My first almost-kiss.”
I stepped forward then on pure impulse, wrapping my arms around her, securing her against my chest. She gave a soft mewl of surprise as I dropped my head and our lips met in one searingly beautiful moment. Her eyes widened and she stiffened a little. I pulled back, heartbeat racing in my ears.
“Your first kiss,” I amended hoarsely. “I’ll miss you. I know Grey will too.”
“Tell him goodbye for me. Tell him I had to go back to Alaska.” She laughed lightly. “And tell Shae she’s awesome. Bye, Kia.” Her voice was a murmur as she turned away, shielding her face from me.
I stood there, feeling a little numb as she walked away. She slid past the school and she just sort of shimmered there, and a moment later she was replaced by Delilah, my Del, her long tail flagging the air as she took off at a lope.
She didn’t look over her shoulder, but I knew she felt me watching her. I didn’t look away until sh
e was just a speck, and the cold wind turned bitter, taking my heart and icing it over. I collapsed back on the bench, rubbing my face with both hands. I’d just let her go, back to a world where I’d never see her again. Damn… Was I a fool? Should I’ve gone with her? Did I make the right decision?
I sat there for what seemed like forever, head in my hands, taking each breath slowly. A wave of ache spread across my heart, hurting somehow worse than the wound given to me by Sikta. The only thing I had to remember this entire thing by was the scar forming on my calf, the pictures Arii had taken, and the kiss. I touched my lips, smiled a little.
I wouldn’t forget her for a long while, that was for sure.
***
“I can’t believe she dumped you,” were the first words out of Greyson’s mouth when he came over later that afternoon. I’d told him everything via texting, and he’d been incredulous. “You can still text her, right? Talk to her on Facebook? It’s not a forever goodbye. If she truly loves you, she’ll come back.”
“I guess so,” I said, though I knew that wasn’t the case. Still I wasn’t going to sit Grey down and go: ‘She’s a werewolf from another realm. She had to go home, to a place where they hunt animals with tooth and claw and don’t have technology. No, I won’t be seeing her again.’ Greyson would either laugh, or consider me insane. Okay, he’d definitely laugh, especially if I added in that I was part wolf too.
“I dunno, man. I mean Sam’s long distance, but we’re gonna try and make it work. At least I have my license, right? I’m picking him up from his place tonight and we’re gonna see a movie. Hey, you wanna tag along?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Don’t lay on the pity, Grey,” I warned good-naturedly. “Just because I have my heart broken doesn’t mean I want to go to the movies and watch two dudes make out. No offense.”
His hazel eyes gleamed. “None taken. But yeah, that’s probably what we’re gonna do.” He grinned and leaned back on the sofa. “So you’re just gonna mope around here? Hang out with—God forbid—your little sister?”
“Meh, I figure I’d watch some TV, play a game. Maybe surf the net. It’s not the end of the world, Grey,” I said, even though it felt like it. I wanted so badly to text Arii, to ask her to come over. I had to keep reminding myself that she was no longer here and I wasn’t gonna pine away like a puss. High school relationships rarely worked out anyway. This was just another casualty.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine!”
“So I shouldn’t bring you a giant Hershey’s bar to drown your sorrows in?”
“What about a Hershey’s bar? Because, yanno, I could go for chocolate right about now because I totally started. Ugh!” Shae flounced in, plopping down onto the seat between us. That simple act reminded me of Arii in a way that made my heart twist.
“She can have mine,” I said.
“Arii broke up with Kia,” Greyson quickly said and I groaned.
“No way! She was totally into you.” Shae frowned and she looked at me like I was some sort of wounded animal who needed her attention. Uh, no.
“She had to move back to Alaska,” I said. “Nothing big. I’m sure we’ll still talk. We left on good terms.” I thought back to the kiss I’d given her, still able to taste the heat of her lips.
“Well I’m sorry, bro,” Shae said, hugging me. “You know, I could always set you up with one of my friends—”
“Nooooo, I’m good, thanks. Your friends are freshman. I’m a senior. Big diff.”
“Huh, well Marley totally thinks you’re hot.” Shae grinned. “I’m just sayin’, I could see you two as a couple.”
Marley Stevens was to Shae like Greyson was to me; I’d practically seen her grow up. And true, she’d matured into a pretty girl—long, dark hair and expressive green eyes, but that would be cradle robbing. I shook my head.
“Thanks anyways, Shae. I think I just need a few downer days. I’ll be good. Don’t worry.” I eyed Greyson, who opened his mouth. “I said I’d be good. Now, do you two wanna play a game or something until Greyson goes to pick up his new boyfriend?”
Grey flushed and got a little flustered—Shae giggled and tickled him with, “Aww, so cuuuuute!” as I got the controllers. We vegged out until Grey had to leave. I tried to keep my spirits high, but it was hard when I felt so damn down. Shae seemed to pick up my tension, because she called off a girl’s night and we huddled on the couch under a blanket together like we used to when we were kids. We watched an exceptionally gruesome horror movie that had us both wincing.
“You’re watching blood and guts again?” Mom groaned as she wandered past with a plate of nachos. She sat down in the loveseat across from us and finished the movie with us.
I passed up dinner, claiming I had a stomach ache—which was more of a heart ache, but still—and I went up to bed early. As I padded down the hall, I heard Mom and Shae’s hushed voices and groaned inwardly. Shae couldn’t keep a secret, but then again it wasn’t really a secret. It was just life.
I fell asleep dreaming about her coming back to me, that broad and easy smile on her face. Her hair dancing behind her in the wind, locks of gleaming gold. I reached out to her, clamped her into my arms, and she promised she’d never leave again.
I went to sleep with tears in my eyes.
***
The cell vibrated its way across my dresser once again. Déjà vu, just a few hours later than last time. My clock read one pm. I groaned and swiped my cell up, flipping it open. Probably Greyson to talk about Sam, or perhaps even to play pity party again. Not what I needed. I blinked to let my eyes adjust, then read the text. My heart leapt into my throat and pounded erratically there for a few minutes.
Meet me at the school in twenty. I’ve got a surprise for you ;)
Arii.
My mind spun. Did she change her mind? Was she back? I all but leapt out of my bed, dressing quickly and heading downstairs. I told myself to calm down, but it was Arii’s number. It was Arii’s wording. I yearned to give of a yip of excitement as I headed into the kitchen. Voices chirped happily in the kitchen and I found Shae and Marley eating burned pancakes with maple syrup. The smell was sickly sweet.
“You want some?” Shae looked up, saw my grin, and looked damn curious. “What’s up?”
“Meeting Grey at the school. Nothing serious.” I grabbed a couple of flapjacks off the plate. I took the least burned ones and drenched them in butter and maple syrup and threw them in the microwave. I punched in ten seconds to warm them up and ate them with a fork.
“Mm, good cooking,” I said, grabbing my jacket off the hook. “I’ll be home later.”
“We won’t be,” Shae said. “Mar and I are going to see Luck’s Folly play at Hotspot at five.” At my blank look of ‘who the hell is Luck’s Folly’, Shae huffed. “You know Tate’s older brother, Mikey? His band. We’re going to see them perform.”
“Mikey’s adorably cute.” Marley gave a soft squeak, shoving a bite into her mouth.
I turned away. “Well, leave a note for Mom when you go,” I called over my shoulder. I tried to play it cool and stride out the door, but I tripped on the rug on my way out. Shae and Marley laughed.
I shook it off and headed down the street. My feet moved fast, the pain in my calf nearly undetectable over my excitement. My mind relayed my dreams, where Arii always came back to me, happy to see me, showering me in hugs and kisses. I grinned broadly as I turned the corner and Rockfell High came into sight.
A big, silver dog lay sprawled in front of the front doors. Del—had to be. I gave a whistle, fingers in my mouth, but she didn’t look up.
“Del,” I crooned as I edged closer. The dog stood up and looked at me, its wide eyes a deep brown. Not blue. Not Arii. Just a stray keeping warm from October’s chill, no doubt. A set of tags jingled around his neck so I knew he had owners, and I knelt down to reach for them. He backed up before I could grab his collar, taking off for the back of the school.
“Damnit.” I glanced around once more
for Arii. Hopefully she’d still be here when I got back, but I couldn’t just let someone’s pet get hit on the road. So I took off after the dog.
Around the back of the school, the dog disappeared. I whistled low, looking around the band trailers, peering through the chain-link fence that surrounded the high school’s track. Nowhere to be found.
“Dog?” I called softly, bending down to check under one of the trailers.
“Hey.” A masculine voice startled me, and I spun to face him. My eyes darted across his face—young and lean and with a long, jagged scar running from the edge of his cheek down to his throat. And that dog’s deep brown eyes. Werewolf.
I felt a quiver of fear and backed up as he stepped forwards. He grinned lazily and my stomach knotted. “You can run, but I’m faster.”
I turned and bolted.
He was faster. I felt his weight against my back before I could yell for help. I collided with the pavement, hands scuffing across rock, and I felt him grab me. I opened my mouth to scream and something foul was clamped over my mouth. The stench was sickly sweet and intoxicating. I held my breath, struggling out from under him.
Then my muscles went lax and with a soft groan, darkness edged around my vision and took me out like a sniper.
Chapter Seven
This is how a hangover must feel. Cotton mouth, aching limbs, mind spinning as my heart pounded a one-two in the base of my skull, making it throb.
I uttered a low moan and moved my arm off my face. Sunlight beamed in through my shut eyelids and I groaned again. “God…damnit.” I reached for my cell phone on the dresser, to check the time—no dresser. I paused, swinging my arm around blindly before my eyes finally fluttered open.
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