by Elle Scott
He’s going to kiss me.
But Sadie wasn’t sure whether she was ready to be kissed, yet. The thought had crossed her mind—as Cap was homing in on her, before Sebastian saved her life—that she was stupid for not having kissed anyone yet. But now, with Damien looming over her with wanting eyes and parted lips, she truly wasn’t sure.
She’d never had a real relationship before, flirting was as far as she’d gotten. Did she know him well enough? Should there be a second date? Were they better off as friends? It would be awkward to the others in their clan, if they didn’t work out.
Maybe we should wait, she thought. Just to make sure they we’re on the same page before committing.
She opened her mouth to suggest they slow things down—
Her movement became an invitation and Damien closed the gap, pressing his lips over hers. He kissed her in the moonlight, with tender strokes and gliding tongue. Sadie stared at his shut eyelids, too close to see properly, and followed his direction—closing her lips when he closed his, opening when he did, too. She didn’t do the tongue thing, though, but let his inside her mouth whenever he deemed appropriate. By the way his fingers clutched through her hair, and the way his chest pressed harder against hers the longer they kissed, it was obvious he’d had much practice. It was nice, she guessed, compared to nothing else.
When he pulled away, he let his hands rest on her waist. She gave a small smile in appeasement.
Dammit.
It was too late to say anything, now. They weren’t just on different pages, they were reading completely different books.
Leila
Leila clutched her back-pack strap as her feet hurled along the pavement. She couldn’t imagine a time where she didn’t love running—it made her feel free, fierce, in charge. Every now and then, she could sense her lion Guardian close to her, begging her to shift so it too could feel the freedom. That wasn’t an option here in suburbia, but sometimes on a weekend, she would make her way to the forest edge and let her inner Guardian out among the trees and nature.
From her house, Riley’s place was almost the same distance as the school—in the opposite direction. But as it often did, love defeated logic. It was their morning ritual. She’d run across town to his house, his mom would serve them hot pancakes for breakfast, then he’d drive her to school.
Leila knocked on the front door, moving her legs on the spot to warm down. A flash of movement to the side caught her eye. As she searched for what made the noise, Riley’s mom opened the door.
“Well, good morning!” Gail beamed, as though Leila’s appearance was a surprise. The sides of Gail’s dark-blond hair were pinned up and she wore an apron with a dusting on flour on the front.
“Good morning,” Leila puffed, catching her breath.
“Did you have a nice run?” Gail asked, before quickly adding, “Hang on.”
She ran inside. A few moments later she returned holding a broom. Bypassing Leila, Riley’s mom charged off the front step, waving the broom. A small gray cat with tabby stripes scurried over the fence and into the neighbor’s yard. Gail turned around, fixing a loose strand of hair, and returned to the porch.
“That darn cat won’t take the hint. It’s been hanging out all week like our lawn is a resort for felines…” Gail’s eyes widened as she realized her gaff. “Uh, no offense to you and your Guardian, sweetheart. You’re always welcome.” She cleared her throat. “Are you hungry? Come in.”
Leila smiled at Gail’s slip-of-the-tongue and stepped inside. The waft of maple syrup and sugar filled the living room. She watched Gail rush across the open space to the kitchen bench, and with a cheeky smile, Leila said, “I’m so famished I could eat a whole gazelle.”
“Ha!” Gail snorted. She picked up a batter-coated wooden spoon and waved it in Leila’s direction. “I see what you did there. Riley’s in his room.”
Leila’s heart skipped at the sound of his name. Sure, she’d seen him the day before, and they spoke on the phone before bed, but that was almost ten hours ago. Leila took the few steps to his room and swung herself around the door frame. “Hello, handsome.”
Riley looked up. His arms criss-crossed in front of him as he held two ends of a tie around his neck. A smile lit his face, brightening his cedar-brown eyes. “Hey, you.”
Beside Riley, sitting on the end of his bed, Leila was shocked to see Ren.
“Oh, hi.” She straightened, slightly embarrassed about her dramatic entrance. “I didn’t know you were in town.”
Ren didn’t smile at Leila’s arrival. Though, she didn’t let it bother her, he rarely smiled. Leaning forward, Ren rested his elbows onto his knees and ran his fingers through his gravity defying mohawk. There were other things that defied universal laws with Ren. Things like the fact that his face looked young and could pass for a seventeen-year-old, yet there was a wisdom behind those eyes that only came with age. He was old, Leila guessed, but how old? His real age had never been discussed. Ren tended to only speak when absolutely necessary. He’d seen things, experienced things. But what exactly, remained unspoken.
“I called him. I thought he might be able to help with Gabby. He thinks we should…” Riley turned to Ren. “Well, you explain it.”
Ren cleared his throat and sat up straight. “I think you should visit the Elders of the Veil.”
Leila looked between Riley and Ren, trying not to laugh. “The what now?”
A wince shot across Ren’s face. Riley glared at Leila—an almost unnoticeable shake of his head told her that she’d over-stepped the line. Ren had turned Riley and it was known that he was very selective about who he turned. How many? Again, no one knew. The only thing Leila knew, is that it was a privilege to be a part of his sire line and that demanded respect.
But had her almost laugh offended him? Leila couldn’t quite tell what each of his expressions meant. Was he annoyed she seemed to mock the Veil or was he amused that she had no idea what he was talking about?
Ren tucked his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket and pulled it across his torso. Looking at Riley, he said, “You didn’t tell her where her Guardian comes from?”
“She’s a terrible listener,” Riley offered. He spun on his heels and opened his closet to retrieve his blazer.
“I listen!” Leila protested, placing her fists onto her hips. Turning to Ren, she proudly recalled the lesson. “The Veil. It’s where our Guardians live, like an alternate dimension.”
Ren flashed a grin and just as quickly snapped his mouth shut. “I wouldn’t call it a dimension. More like a hidden part of our world that only we can see and… gain access to.”
“You’re saying we can go there?” Leila clasped her hand around the bag still on her back, as if she was readying herself.
“Yes.” Ren stood. He was slightly shorter than Riley, a little less muscular, too. But he was svelte and stood in such a way to indicate he knew ancient martial arts. With a glint in his dark eyes, he explained. “Just like we can bring our Guardians over, we can also use them to move through the Veil.”
“Don’t forget to tell her about the Elders,” Riley enthused, sifting through his sock drawer.
“The Elders are who created the first Guardians. They live in the Veil, watching, ordering, shit like that.”
Leila balked at the unexpected curse word as it flew effortlessly out of Ren’s mouth. He really was an enigma to her. And, judging by the hint of a smirk, he reveled in her shock.
He continued, “The Elders used to have more of an impact on Guardians. That guidance ceased when the Fallen rose…” He stared past her, eyes clouding over as though recalling a memory. A short moment passed, and catching himself, he blinked and shook his head. “Anyway, they know things. They might be able to tell you how you were able to clear those kids of their Guardians.”
“And then we can replicate it for Gabby?” Leila straightened her arms and let her backpack slide to the floor. “I’m in. How do we do it?”
“What abo
ut school?” Riley hopped across his bedroom, struggling to put his shoe on.
“I’ll talk you through it,” Ren said. He glanced at Riley, bemused. “But you should go to school. I haven’t visited the Veil in eons, there’s something I’ll have to organize first.”
“Breakfast!” Gail called from the kitchen. “Ren, I’ve made enough for you, too.”
Ren nodded at Leila with his best poker face and brushed past her. “You’re amazing, Gail,” he cooed. Leila could definitely hear the smile in his voice. “How did you know pancakes were my favorite?”
“He’s so weird,” Leila whispered to Riley as he stood beside her.
They hovered in his doorway, watching Ren greet Gail with a hug. He sat at the table, piled five pancakes onto a plate, and drizzled copious amounts of maple syrup over the stack. Such. An. Enigma.
Sadie
Sadie rushed to her locker. She needed to be quick. Three tasks: Grab her things; get to class; avoid Damien. There’d be no waiting for Leila or Gabby like usual. She couldn’t risk running into Damien and any awkward conversation he’d start about their date. Or worse yet, he’d try to kiss her again.
She grabbed her history book out and clutched the side of her locker. Her gaze drifted down, seeing two legs right beside her. The body and face were hidden by her locker door, but she had an inkling of who they belonged to, and she cursed herself for not even being about to get one task done. Sighing, she closed her locker and who she came face-to-face with surprised her.
“S…S… Sebastian?” she stuttered.
Immediately, she felt stupid. There he was, the boy who saved her life, the most popular guy at school, leaning against the locker beside hers, looking at her with his dark blue eyes. And she was… what? Nervous?
Sadie shook herself out of it, urging herself to just be cool. “Do you need something?”
“Is Summer here today?”
Sadie shrugged, eyes darting to Damien’s unoccupied locker. “Who knows with that kid.”
“You don’t know if your own sister is at school?” Sebastian scoffed, brows lowering.
Meeting his gaze, Sadie frowned. “Well, they stayed at your place and I literally just got here, so, no I don’t know.”
“Wait! Backtrack.” With one hand still pressed against the locker at the side of her head, his free hand tapped his chest. The scent of dirt and soap wafted between them. “They didn’t stay at my house. Imogen told me they were staying at your house.”
Sadie internally moaned. Summer was up to her old tricks again—lying and skipping school. “Guarantee they didn’t.”
“Dammit.” Sebastian dropped his hand from her locker and ran it through his hair. He took a few steps backwards and pointed at Sadie. “If you see either of them let me know, yeah?”
Sadie watched him rush off down the hall, scanning his eyes along the locker walls. His concern surprised her. She knew he was capable of caring, obviously, but the way he stormed away, head jerking from side-to-side showed a warmth to him.
A gentle hand cupped her shoulder, followed by a quiet; “Hello, there.”
Sadie closed her eyes. Oh, nuts. Thanks to Sebastian holding her up, she’d now have to face Damien. She opened her eyes and turned around slowly, smiling. “Oh, hi.”
“How did you sleep?” Damien leaned his shoulder onto a locker and looked down at her with dreamy eyes.
Sadie cringed inwardly. He really was a nice guy. Letting him down was going to be hard. Placing her best cheery expression in place, she said, “Good. And you?”
“Perfect.” He lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked her skin with his knuckles. Then, he leaned down, eyes on her lips.
Heart rate rising, Sadie watched him go in for the kiss. As he pushed forward, she pulled back. “I, uh, it’s good to see you but I’m late for class.”
She shuffled out of his grasp and turned. Running down the hall, she heard his voice echo through the corridor, “The bell doesn’t go for another ten minutes!”
Leila
School didn’t much feel like it used to for Leila. Everything became easier, as though a secret compartment in her brain had opened up for her to store as much information as needed. Some classes took more time to retrieve the information though; the harder ones—like calculus. But Mr. Robertson said if she kept it up, she’ll move into Riley, Damien and Gabby’s advanced math before the end of semester. The way he’d said it sounded like a threat, but that didn’t mean much when most things he said sounded like a threat.
Mr. Robertson sat with his feet crossed on top of his desk, intently picking at his fingernails with an apple slicer. Leila wondered if he realized what class he was teaching. Math, or earth science, or history. Leila darted her eyes to the textbook in front of her… math, it was math. She’d completed it so long ago, even she’d forgotten. When Leila glanced back up, she found her teacher watching her. He lifted the slicer to his forehead and saluted.
Leila gave a grim smile. She wasn’t sure whether the work was easier or if he didn’t care for teaching as much. Maybe a bit of both. If she was different as a student, so was he as a teacher. Becoming a Guardian had opened his eyes to a whole new world, and teaching wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do with his life anymore. But he also seemed lost, like he didn’t know what to do with all the extra ions zinging through his veins.
Leila understood that. That’s why she ran. What she couldn’t understand was, why couldn’t he focus all of the extra energy into being a good teacher instead of staring into space wishing he was anywhere but there. Better yet, why didn’t he just leave, go and explore the world, find what it is he was really craving?
Beside her, Sadie tapped her pen against their shared desk. Gazing down, Leila balked at Sadie’s empty worksheet.
“Are you okay?” Leila whispered.
Sadie dropped her pen along with a sigh, as if she’d been waiting for Leila to ask. “Can you keep a secret?”
Leila tried not to guffaw in the middle of class. She curled her hand in a crescent around her face, leering at Sadie. “You’re kidding, right? You know I can.”
“Yes, but even from Riley… and…” Sadie winced, biting the inside of her mouth. “And Gabby?”
“What’s happened?” Leila asked, immediately worried.
Sadie took a long deep breath. She grabbed her pen and began scrawling spirals on her paper. “I went out with Damien last night.”
“Are you serious?” Leila said a little too loud. Then quieter, “I’ve been waiting for you two to get your act together.”
Sadie dropped the pen again, and along with it, her head. She slipped her hands under her forehead and moaned.
Leila lowered her face, resting her cheek on the desk. She urged, “Tell me.”
“We kissed,” Sadie whispered. The way her eyes hooded down at their edges told Leila all she needed to know.
“No good?”
Sadie sighed again and pushed herself up. “The kiss was okay. But the whole thing, just… I don’t think it’s going to work, and I don’t know how to tell him.”
“Oh.” Leila looked over to see Mr Robertson glaring at them. He lifted a blank piece of paper and waved it around. “Pretend to do your work.”
“He leaned into me this morning. I think he thinks he can kiss me whenever he wants.” Sadie began scribbling wildly on the page. She slid it across to Leila.
Can you distract him for a while, until I figure out how I feel?
Leila put her pen to the paper and tapped at her answer with the ballpoint.
Yes.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, Sadie gathered her belongings at lightning speed. She stood up and leaned across the desk. “I’ll be hiding in the library for lunch, just so you know where not to be.”
Sadie scurried to the door, stopping to peer into the corridor. It must have been clear because next moment she was gone, the sound of her footsteps sending echoing thumps into the classroom. Leila piled her things into her arms
and smiled to herself. The things she did for her friends.
Okay, Leila said to herself. Project keep-Damien-from-Sadie is now in force.
She pressed her completed worksheet to her chest, waiting for a few students to pass in front of her. She looked at Mr Robertson, who remained sitting at his desk with his feet crossed. He still had the apple slicer in his hand and flipped it between his fingers, absent-mindedly staring out the window. He seemed so bored.
A crazy thought popped into Leila’s mind. Maybe it wasn’t his choice to stay there? She weaved through the hoard of students all gunning for the door and stopped by his desk.
“Did Kiko order you to stay here in Cedar Falls?” Leila asked.
She knew Ren wasn’t the order giving type, he’d mostly give advice and help Riley when he deemed fit. And even though in Ren’s absence, Riley stepped up as their leader, he certainly would never tell them what they could or couldn’t do. But maybe Kiko was a different Alpha.
Mr. Robertson swung his legs down and peered around Leila. He waited for the last trickle of students to leave the room, and hissed, “Has she said something?”
Leila shook her head. “No. I haven’t seen her in a while. Not since her and Kale moved to Seattle together. I just… well, you don’t seem to enjoy it here. What’s keeping you from spreading your wings?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Mr. Robertson scowled. He planted the tip of the apple slicer into the wooden desk and stood up. “Don’t worry your pretty head about it. I’m here and that’s all there is to it.”
“Okay,” Leila nodded, unconvinced. “But I can look after myself, you know? If she has ordered you to watch over me, you can tell her I’m more than capable of getting by.”
“Leave,” he said, slumping onto his chair and spinning around to his bookshelf. With hunched shoulders he leaned forward and shoved papers into his messenger bag.
