by Elle Scott
Contents
copyright
Dedication
Title Page
THURSDAY noon
THURSDAY afternoon
THURSDAY early evening
THURSDAY evening
FRIDAY morning
FRIDAY mid-morning
FRIDAY noon
FRIDAY afternoon
FRIDAY late afternoon
FRIDAY early evening
FRIDAY evening
SATURDAY early morning
SATURDAY morning
SATURDAY late morning
SATURDAY late morning & noon
SATURDAY noon
SATURDAY afternoon
SATURDAY late evening
SUNDAY early morning
SUNDAY afternoon
SUNDAY early evening
SUNDAY evening
MONDAY morning
MONDAY late morning
MONDAY before midday
MONDAY noon
MONDAY afternoon
MONDAY late afternoon
MONDAY early evening
MONDAY evening
TUESDAY after midnight
TUESDAY early morning
TUESDAY morning
TUESDAY noon
TUESDAY noon cont'd
TUESDAY early afternoon
TUESDAY afternoon
TUESDAY afternoon cont'd
TUESDAY late afternoon
TUESDAY evening
WEDNESDAY morning
WEDNESDAY morning cont'd
WEDNESDAY noon
WEDNESDAY noon cont'd
WEDNESDAY early afternoon
WEDNESDAY afternoon
WEDNESDAY late afternoon
WEDNESDAY early evening
WEDNESDAY evening
WEDNESDAY late evening
WEDNESDAY late evening cont'd
WEDNESDAY almost midnight
THURSDAY early morning
THURSDAY morning
THURSDAY very early morning
Free Book
works
acknowledgements
review
Copyright ©2020 Danielle Burrows
Published by DJB
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher—exception: for use of brief quotations in book review.
First edition, 2020
www.ellescottbooks.com
For my cousin, my confidant, my best friend, Alicia.
For being my safe place to fall.
Leila
Hunger. Blood-lust. Revenge.
Repeat.
Leila watched her best friend, Gabby, stare at a sheet of paper she was holding. Her brown eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared in and out, synchronized with her hastened breath. It seemed, to Leila, as though anger boiled through the marrow of Gabby’s bones.
“Breathe deeper,” Leila said, calmly raising her hands. “You can’t exactly shift into a wolf right here at school.”
Gabby peered over the paper and shot Leila a piercing glare. She took a long breath and dropped her hands, holding the paper loosely in her grasp. Leila glanced at the bold red lettering on the top right corner of the page.
“B plus, Leila. How can I get a B plus? I can’t keep my scholarship on grades like that,” Gabby wailed, scrunching the edges of the paper. “There has to be some mistake. I’m gonna kill that teacher.”
Leila darted her eyes around the busy locker hall, hoping no one heard Gabby’s impulsive threat. She knew Gabby didn’t mean it, but who knew who was listening and how they’d react?
The corridor was abuzz with hungry teens. They slammed their lockers shut and rushed towards the cafeteria like vultures. Leila sighed with relief. She’d felt a little self-conscious lately, as though all eyes were on her, waiting for her to slip up and show her true self. A lion, as it were. She tried to be careful. Riley had rules he expected them to obey—rules she wasn’t sure she could obey, considering she’d just broken one without even thinking.
No talking about their Guardians in public… especially at school. Oops. That one always seemed to slip her up.
No shifting in public… especially at school. That rule was Leila’s favorite. She laughed when Riley said it. As if any of them would do that.
No—what was the third one—oh yeah, just act normal… especially at school. She imagined Riley saying that last one with a wave of his hand, as though it was the easiest thing in the world to pretend they weren’t shape-shifters. He’d be looking over the black-rim of his glasses with a glint in his eyes. Those eyes—those light-brown, like autumn leaves hit by the setting sun, eyes.
“I think...” Leila said, turning back to Gabby who was on the edge of breaking all three rules. “In this instance, a simple maiming could suffice. Save the killing for when you get a B minus.”
Gabby looked at Leila sideways, then burst out laughing. The French braid resting on her shoulder, bounced up and down with the movement. The lime green ends that offset Gabby’s jet black hair caught the lights, sending them fluorescent.
“By the way, I like your hair,” Leila said.
Gabby pinched the end of her braid and glanced down. “Don’t mind it. Think I prefer the red.”
Leila used the distraction to tuck her own paper into her locker. But as she did, Gabby caught a glimpse. “You got an A? What the heck, Leila?”
Shrugging, Leila tried not to make a big deal out of it. The thing was, it kinda was a big deal. Since Leila became a Guardian three months earlier, she’d excelled in all things academic. What once was Gabby and Riley’s thing, belonged to her too. She’d even joined Advanced Math.
Leila swung her locker door wide. It was a complete mess. Rolls of film, Polaroids tacked to the inside of the door, hair ties, a library book she hadn’t read, the schedule for school events stuck to the back of locker.
She hoped Gabby would be relieved to see it. At least that part of Leila hadn’t changed. She was still a hoarder of eclectic goods.
Gabby sighed, looking at the bold B plus that taunted her. Leila knew that she’d changed, too. But whether it was for the better or worse was another thing entirely. She seemed distracted a lot—less interested in studies and more invested in perfecting her broody stare.
Grief did different things to different people.
“Leila! Gabby!” Sadie called from across the hall. She sprung towards them, smiling brightly at people as she passed. Sadie was the smallest of the three. Leila often wondered if that was why she tried so hard for everyone to like her.
Today, Sadie’s golden locks were swept up in a messy bun. Leila smiled to herself. It looked effortless but knowing Sadie it probably took a few minutes to get it looking that way. Her uniform was impeccable bar one side of her collar rolled up against her neck. She made a conscious—sometimes too conscious—effort to be her best self at school in front of everyone. Leila and Gabby were the only ones she allowed to see the real version of her. Which, truth be told, wasn’t much different. A little more self-conscious than she let on, with a touch of judgment and a splash of whimsy.
She folded her arms around the two, and even though they weren’t quite long enough to reach the whole way, she made it seem like they were being embraced by a loving grandmother.
She let go, and as she sighed, the weight of her mask fell. “Mr Robertson is the best, isn’t he?”
Gabby rolled her eyes. “You’re pathetic.”
Leila smiled. She knew Sadie better than that. Sadie crushed hard on people, but when it came down to it, she was after a connection and held out for something deeper. Somet
hing meaningful. And she wasn’t giving herself up for anything less. Even if Mr. Robertson made a creepy move, Sadie wouldn’t have a bar of it.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Sadie cocked her chin up in faux defense. “If you liked boys, you’d know. Right, Leila?”
Leila shrugged and took her lunch bag from her locker. “I have to admit, he is kind of a hottie now.”
“I’m telling Riley.” Gabby glared.
Leila feigned shock. “You wouldn’t!”
“What’s this?” Sadie’s petite fingers grabbed a hold of Gabby’s paper. As she scanned the mark, she gaped. “B plus? Is this yours?”
Clenching her teeth, Gabby snatched it back. She hissed, “Yessss, it’s mine.”
Sadie’s wide eyes glanced at Leila then back to Gabby. “Oooh, okay. It’s good.” She winced as if waiting for Gabby’s rebuttal.
Leila melted. The air in Sadie’s voice always made it hard to be mad at her. Even Gabby, who could keep a grudge for eternity, still couldn’t stay mad at Sadie.
Gabby scrunched the paper up and pushed it deep into her pocket “Just peachy. Only my livelihood rests on good grades. You know what this school is like, they’ll drop my scholarship like a bag of rotten potatoes. Before you know it, I’ll be sitting on the bus heading to public school.”
Sadie shuddered theatrically.
Leila closed her locker and began walking for the cafeteria. “I love you Gabby, but you’ve got nothing to stress about. A B plus is good, okay?”
“That’s how it starts. A B, then a C, and before you know it… well, you know the rest.”
Sadie and Leila shared a glance. Gabby wasn’t usually that dramatic. She was the rock of the friends—level-headed and controlled. She’d always been a little punchy, but these days, her moods had been unpredictable. Ever since Riley found her crouched over her stepfather’s lifeless body.
Sadie swung an arm around Gabby, stretching further than what looked naturally possible. “We’ll get through it, together.”
As they ascended the wide staircase, a familiar jock in a gray and blue letterman jacket bounded down as if he owned the whole school. Sebastian Weir used to be nice. Then, he was a grade A jerk. Now, well, Leila couldn’t quite figure him out. There were moments of goodness, wrapped up in the bad.
Seeing the girls, Sebastian slowed, and a mischievous twinkle hit his eyes. “Well, if isn’t my favorite trio of juniors.”
Sadie grinned immediately. She tilted her head into what Leila liked to call her flirty, cute look. “Have you heard how Morgan is at her new school?”
Ignoring her, Sebastian declared, “I’ve got nicknames for all of you now.” He winked at Sadie. “You’re Itsy—’cause you’re a tiny piece.” His gaze drifted to Leila. “You’re Bitsy—’cause, well, you’re bits of everything, remember?” His eyes rested on Gabby. “And … Gab, dark souled, lesbian Gab, you’re Spider. Together, you’re…” He moved his hands as though conducting an orchestra. “Come on, say it with me, Itsy Bitsy Spider.”
Gabby rolled her shoulders back, clenching her jaw. Her eyes flashed green as she half-shifted. Leila was quick to hold her back.
Sebastian tutted, wagging his finger. “Careful Spider, you’re wolf is showing.”
“Bite me,” Gabby hissed, fighting against Leila’s grip.
“I would,” Sebastian replied. He sighed and took a few steps down. “But I’ve got better people to waste my time with. Later.”
He ruffled Sadie’s hair as he passed them. Her gaze followed him as he leapt the last three steps and greeted his friends. Leila tried not to laugh as Sadie rubbed her bottom lip over her upturned collar.
“I don’t know how you girls can like him.” Gabby huffed, crossing her arms. “Did you hear what he said? Or are you just looking at his well-shaped face?”
Leila scrunched her nose. Yes, she heard what he said. It wasn’t cool, but she couldn’t help but look past his facade. “I don’t necessarily like him, not what he shows us anyway. But I still have hope for who he is on the inside.”
Sadie composed herself and straightened her collar, patting it against her blazer. “He did save my life.”
“Yeah?” Gabby shook her head. “And everyone loved Cap—but that didn’t stop him from killing a bunch of innocents. We have to draw the line somewhere, and being a racist bigot is my line. Fair warning, if he does it again, I’ll rip his throat out.”
“You asked about Morgan before,” Leila said, taking a seat at a spare table.
Gabby slid into the chair next to Leila and dropped her tray onto the table. A few tater tots jumped from their spot on the plate and rolled onto the steel table. “Dammit,” Gaby muttered scooping them up and throwing them in her mouth.
Sadie took a spot opposite Leila and leaned closer. “How is she?”
“Settling into her new school. She said it’s much nicer to sit in class and not be reminded of Cap every day. She sent me a photo of her scar.” Leila flicked through her phone and placed it on the table.
The screen showed a photo of Morgan in her new cheer uniform. She held one side of her top up, baring the skin from her hips to her under boob. Purple marks formed the shape of a mouth where Cap’s teeth punctured her skin.
“She was lucky to survive the bite.” Sadie shuddered. Leila knew it was because that could’ve been her.
Damien — eagle Guardian, muscles-rippling, over-confident — Damien, sat down next to Sadie, his eyes only on her.
“Seriously girls.” Riley placed his tray at the end of the table and leaned over it. With a loud whisper, he scolded, “How many times do I have to tell you about the rules? Stop talking about it in public.”
“Especially in school,” the three girls harmonized together.
“Okay.” Riley straightened. “That is not what I sound like.”
Leila reached across the table and dragged Riley’s tray to the spot next to her. She grinned at him and teased, “It kinda is.”
Riley shook his head and moved behind Leila. He wrapped his arms around her, hands sweeping across her middle, tugging her in close. He nuzzled his face into her neck. “How was last period?”
Gabby shoved her hand into her pocket and retrieved the wrinkled paper. She held it a few inches in front of his face, flaring her nostrils.
Giving her a dubious glance, Riley took the paper and unravelled it. “Wow, that’s unusual,” he said. “Do you think it’s because of—”
“Shhh,” Leila hushed with a smirk. “You know the rules.”
Riley looked over the rim of his glasses and sat down. He held the graded paper out for Gabby, still staring at Leila. “Touché.”
“No, I think you should say it. Because of what?” Gabby took the paper, not as amused as Leila. She crossed her arms, scrunching the paper under her pit. “Go on, say it.”
Riley frowned and turned to his food. Picking at pieces of lettuce, he muttered, “Can we practice this afternoon, after school? There’s no football training yet, we’ll have lots of space.”
“We’ve tried already, a million times,” Gabby moaned, rolling her eyes. “Besides you should celebrate, Leila got an A.”
Riley’s light-brown eyes lit up. “You did?”
Leila tucked her curly hair behind her ear and nodded. She wanted to smile but kept glancing at Gabby so as not to rain on her already miserable result. She stole a tot from Riley, “No big deal.”
Riley swatted her hand away. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing you put fried food in your mouth. Do I need to make rules about eating from my plate?”
Maybe he did. Leila ate healthy. Well, until she was Marked and turned. Every now and then, she got the taste for something sweet, or salty, or deep fried. Sometimes she didn’t even know what she ate until it was already in her mouth.
“Stop!” Sadie cried.
Leila glanced across the table. She chewed on the delicious potato and watched her best-friend flirt. Which would have been normal, except she was flirting wi
th Damien. And that would have been normal, too, because just look at him, except there was touching involved, and Sadie never took her flirting that far.
Damien sat close, so close their shoulders kept bumping into each other. His newfound confidence and posture was never not surprising. He curved his hand around her ear and whispered. Sadie glanced at him side-ways, eyes oozing hunger. She bit her lip and swatted his hand away.
His gaze drifted over her head and locked onto her high bun. With a cheeky grin, he pressed a finger on the mound and squished. “It looks like a bunny tail.”
A muffled laugh filled Leila’s ear. She shot a glance at Riley, who was staring at the scene with his hand covering his mouth. Noticing Leila, he dropped his hand and peered around to Gabby. “Anyway,” he said, all joviality gone in a snap. “About practice.”
Gabby ignored him. She kept her eyes on Sadie and Damien, clearly bemused, and ate her lunch.
Leila sat back and smiled to herself. There they were, the Guardians of Cedar Falls. Plus Sadie, who wasn’t a Guardian at all, but their honorary member.
It was a makeshift clan of Riley’s doing. He was the Alpha but hardly ever pulled rank. Except when it came to Gabby and the possibility of her being a Fallen.
A raucous a few tables down caught Leila’s attention. Sebastian was laughing loud with his jock friends. He leaned back on his chair, throwing chicken pieces at the table of goths. His gaze fell on Leila and his smile disappeared. Two chair legs clunked to the ground as he turned back to his lunch.
Sebastian was, by all accounts, a Fallen. But somehow his humanity overshadowed his darker impulses. He took down one of his own to protect Sadie. Leila considered that he was neither Fallen nor True… he was rogue, a lone wolf.
If he asked to join the group she would let him. But Riley wouldn’t have it. He could barely stand the thought of Gabby being a Fallen. Even though Leila was certain her best-friend who loved country music and could eat a box of donuts on her own in one sitting, couldn’t possibly be a Fallen.
Leila floated between loving her boyfriend and siding with her friends. It was a trapeze act she was becoming quite skillful at. Lucky for both Gabby and Riley, this particular debate benefited both of them.
