by Elle Scott
Sebastian stormed towards her, swiped the bottle, and emptied its contents into a nearby pot plant. He let his fingertips graze the top leaf and returned to his mom. “I told you that your daughter is missing. Do you even care?”
His mom chewed on her lip, tears forming in her sunken eyes. She lifted her hand and reached for him. He grimaced as she stroked his face. “I’m sorry, my sweet boy. I’m so lucky to have you. You’ll never leave me, will you?”
Sebastian gave a quick glance at Sadie before peeling his mom’s hands from his face. “Get some rest, momma. I’m going to find Imogen and bring her home.”
Sadie
Tension seemed to fill every inch of the car. Sadie felt as though she’d witnessed a part of Sebastian’s life that no-one else had. A part he’d hidden well. She wondered whether his mother’s drinking habit began the same time his personality changed. Long before they knew Guardians existed, something happened in the Weir household.
As they drove down Sebastian’s perfect driveway, Sadie kept her eyes on the window, too nervous to look at him. “Sorry about going into your home.”
“Whatever.“ Sebastian huffed. “Just open the glove box.”
She looked at him then, letting out an apprehensive, “Why?”
Sebastian’s eyes darted to her and back to the road. He sighed, shaking his head. “Just do it.”
Opening a glove box would generally be a normal thing. But it was Sebastian, and the more time she spent with him, the less she realized she knew him. She stared at the latch, hands clasped in her lap.
“What do you think is in there?” Sebastian asked, amusement in his tone.
Sadie shrugged. “I don’t know. Beef jerky, drugs, a severed hand?”
Sebastian guffawed. He rested his elbow on the car door and ran his thumbnail over his lips. “Fine. Don’t open it then.”
Curiosity got the better of her. Sadie clicked the latch and the glove box fell open. A feather, brown and white with a rose-gold painted tip, sat on top of a first-aid kit. She plucked it out—amazed and thankful at first, then disturbed. It was the feather she wore on her date, the one she lost when Damien flicked it out of her hair… right before he kissed her.
Sadie whipped her head around. “You were spying on me?”
“Don’t be vain,” Sebastian scoffed. “I was taking the trash out at work and saw Damien throw something. You looked upset so I searched for what it was.”
Sadie glided her fingertips along the feather. “Is that all you saw?”
Sebastian didn’t reply. He kept his eyes on the road as a small smirk lit his face.
“Oh my god, you saw us, didn’t you?” Sadie slumped in the seat, wishing the world to swallow her whole.
Sebastian sniffed. His smirk dropped as he shot her a glance. He re-gripped the steering wheel and took a left into the main street of Cedar Falls.
“Tell me what you saw, please,” Sadie begged. God help her if the rumor mill started up. It was hard enough avoiding Damien as it was. If Sebastian blabbed, the whole school knowing would make it ten times harder to tell him the truth.
“I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Sebastian slowed the car, eyes scanning the sidewalks.
Sadie swallowed, relieved yet surprised. “You wouldn’t?”
Stopping at a red light, Sebastian tore his eyes from the sidewalks and met her gaze. “Don’t be so shocked, Shorty. I can be a nice person…” He pressed his lips together, hiding a smile. “How was it anyway? You like him?”
Sadie frowned and repositioned herself in the seat. She couldn’t believe this was happening. How on earth did she get stuck in a conversation with Sebastian about kissing. She pointed at the front of the car. “The light’s green.”
The edges of Sebastian’s mouth twitched. Composing himself he put his foot back on the gas. But it wasn’t over. It was far from over.
“Come on,” he urged. “Give me a rating. One to ten.”
“I don’t know… I don’t really have much to compare it to.”
Sebastian pulled into the curb and slammed on the breaks.
“You’ve seen them?” Sadie asked, sitting up straight, looking into the boutique they’d parked next to.
“Sadie Sloan,” Sebastian declared. She shifted her gaze to find him facing her. “That was your first kiss?”
Sadie slammed her palm across her mouth. Had she just told him that? Where was that hole to swallow her when she needed it? “I uh… “
Sebastian waited for her answer, staring at her as though she hadn’t showered in fifty days.
The conversation seemed to be happening whether she liked it or not. Resigning, she threw her hands in the air. “Yeah, sure. All right. It was my first kiss. My first ever kiss was with Damien. There, happy?”
“Happy for you? No. He’s a douche nozzle.”
“He’s not that bad.” Sadie found herself defending him.
Sebastian raised his brows. “Be honest.”
How they got to this point, Sadie didn’t know. But they’d come that far already, so she answered. “Okay, I’ll be honest. I rate it a three out of ten. I’d rather kiss underneath the filthy bleachers than kiss him ever again. Happy now?”
Sebastian grinned and nodded once. He twisted back around, and after a long sigh he slumped onto his seat. “I really have no idea where to look for these little runaways.”
Sadie wasn’t like Summer. She’d never leave home without asking. She didn’t know what it was like to have a rebellious bone in her body… but she did know what it was like to be a female who wanted to escape for a while.
“What’s Imogen’s sanctuary?” she asked.
“Huh?” Sebastian glanced at her like she’d asked him on a date.
“Her sanctuary from the world?” Sadie explained. “Everyone has somewhere they go to get away. Mine’s my bedroom.”
Sebastian thought for a while. “Mine’s the garden.”
“The garden?” Surely he was joking.
“Don’t mock it,” Sebastian snarled. “You have no idea who I am.”
“Okay,” Sadie said, raising her hands in surrender. “Do you know where Imogen’s might be?”
Sebastian thought for a moment longer. “When Dad left, she didn’t take it well. So, I made a thing of brother-sister days. Every now and then, we go to the forest, along the river just up from the falls. We have picnic lunch and just chill. She told me she goes there alone sometimes, when she’s feeling down.”
A glimpse of the old Sebastian, the one from freshman year, shone through. Sadie didn’t know how to respond. But she didn’t have to. Sebastian started the ignition and swung the car around, steaming down the road to the falls.
Ten minutes later, the bitumen turned to gravel and they ascended the mountain in silence. Sadie kept her eyes out the window, searching for any teen that may be living it up in the forest. As they veered around a hair pin turn, Sadie’s gaze dropped to the forest floor.
“Stop!” she screamed, already unbuckling her seat belt.
“What is it?” Sebastian asked, pulling over.
Sadie jumped out of the car and slid down the bank. Underneath the first line of trees, a blue jacket sat on top of a shrub. Sadie picked it up and turned around. As Sebastian scuttled around the car toward her, she said, “This is mine. Summer took it last night.”
All color bled from his face. His expression reminded her of the look he gave, right before he saved her from Cap. She saw the neon blue glint hit his eyes. Seeing his eyes shine in the twilight made her heart pound.
Then, it hit her. Sebastian was a Guardian. A wolf Guardian.
“Can you sniff?” she blurted, holding out the jacket.
He took the jacket slowly, frowning. “I’ve never tried.”
He cracked his neck and fully shifted into his wolf. She placed her hand on a tree, and slowly stepped behind it, bringing space between them. The wolf sniffed the jacket and a moment later, Sebastian half-shifted back. H
e stood up straight, glowing eyes boring into Sadie.
Noticing her hiding behind the tree, he winced. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Summoning all her bravery, Sadie took a few steps forward and shrugged. “Oh no, I’m not.”
“You’re a shitty liar.” As he said the last word, his fangs popped out between his lips.
Seeing Sebastian half-shifted sent Sadie’s brain into overdrive. There she was on the edge of a road in the forest, just like the time when he saved her. When Cap had his eyes on her. When she thought she was going to die.
“It’s just memories.” Desperate to move on from that topic, she asked, “Did you pick up a scent?”
Clutching the jacket, Sebastian tilted his face to the sky and closed his eyes. His nostrils flared and within a second, his eyes burst open. He spun around to the right, and charging across the road, he called, “This way.”
Sadie ran to keep up with him as he weaved through the trees, running deeper into the forest. In less than a minute, he stopped, resting his hand against the wet bark of a tree. Sebastian closed his eyes, lifting his chin up. Again, his eyes burst open and he took off to the left.
Sadie trailed behind him, sometimes losing sight. Every now and then, he’d glance back to see if she was still following. After a while, he called, “Hurry up, Shorty. Your legs will take us twice as long to find them.”
As she struggled to see in the dimming light, she returned fire, “It’s all right for you and your night vision.”
Sebastian stopped and waited. As she approached, he stared at her and lifted the jacket back to his nose. He closed his eyes and dropped his hands, nostrils flaring as he tried to find the scent.
When he opened his eyes again, neon blues seemed to bore through her soul. Sadie flinched. She hated how on edge she was.
Sebastian tilted his head thoughtfully. “Do they know?”
“Does who know what?” Sadie frowned.
“Your friends.” He began walking again, pace slow enough for her to keep up. “Do they know you’re afraid of them?”
Sadie looked over at him. His eyes remained forward as he waited for her answer. It was weird that he managed to bring them to conversations that she was uncomfortable with. But that wasn’t the weirdest part. The weirdest part was that he seemed genuinely interested in her answers, or that at least, she felt as though he wouldn’t judge her.
She thought for a moment. No, her friends didn’t know that she was afraid of them. She liked being with them and knowing their secrets, but she’d never tell them that their glowing eyes and growing fangs gave her nightmares. It would hurt them too much. And she didn’t do that. She didn’t hurt people. She’d hidden her true self so she didn’t have to do that, amongst other things.
“There’s a lot of things they don’t know about me,” she mused.
Sebastian glanced at her sideways and a soft smile lit his face. “Then, I guess we have something in common.”
Snap.
The sound of a twig breaking in the distance caused them to halt. Sebastian swung his arm protectively in front of Sadie and he scanned the area.
“Summer?” Sadie called.
“Shh,” Sebastian hushed. He dropped his arm and curled his fingers slowly around her wrist. “We gotta go.”
Sadie looked down at his hand and the claws that he strategically pointed away from her skin. “What’s wrong.”
“Now!” he yelled, galloping back from where they came. He dragged her along behind him, dodging trees and broken branches.
Behind them, the sound of more footsteps followed. Sebastian let go of Sadie and propelled her on as he turned around to face their stalker. “Go back to the car.”
Sadie peered over her shoulder. The space between the forest and the road was a good hundred yards away. Shadows of tree trunks made the path obscure. She turned back, hesitating, “But I…”
Sebastian boomed, “Sadie, seriously. You need to—”
“I don’t want to be alone,” she blurted.
Sebastian’s face dropped. “Man. Cap really messed you up, hey?”
Sadie didn’t want to cry. Not in front of the biggest jock of the school. She blinked rapidly, averting her gaze.
A few trees down, two bright pink eyes shone in the darkness. As the last light trickled through the leaves, Sadie made out the shape of a wolf. Growling, Sebastian took a hold of her hand.
Together, they ran back toward the car with the sounds of paws thumping along the ground behind them.
Leila
Leila burst through the Veil door. In an instant, she blinked her eyes open. The sky was dark and street lamps lit up parts of the street. In particular, two sneakers standing on the wet sidewalk before her. Craning her neck, she looked up at Damien. “We weren’t there that long, were we?”
Damien jolted on the spot as though zapped by an invisible current. “Holy crap. When did you shift back?”
“Just then.” Leila sat up, rubbing her head. “What happened? Where’s Riley and Ren?”
Damien plonked himself onto the curb, resting his elbows onto his knees. “You were getting too strong for us. Ren said it was because you’re Imprints and more powerful together. So, we separated you.”
“Right. Well, that explains why Riley disappeared as soon as we got to the Veil.”
Damien nodded politely as though he knew what she meant. Then, he chuckled. “I gotta tell you, seeing Ren walk a massive wolf like a dog down the street was one of the weirdest moments of my life.”
Leila peered down the street, imagining the scene. She smiled. Her eyes drifted to the ground and a tiny pool of blood at her side. “Why was I on the ground?”
A grimace replaced Damien’s grin. “I knocked you out. Sorry, okay? I didn’t want your lion to get away on me.” He stood up and reached his hand down. “Forgive me?”
Leila grabbed his hand, looking up to his sorrowful eyes. How could she be mad? His expression almost broke her heart. “Of course.”
Damien gave a soft smile and shook his head, flicking the hair off his face. He hauled her upright. As she bounced to her feet, he stared at her, pupils dilating.
“I… uh…” Leila said, feeling slightly unnerved at his gaze. She casually dusted herself off. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Mmm,” he mumbled, eyes bearing down on her. “Can I ask you a question?”
Leila glanced over her shoulder. She really needed to see Riley and unpack what they’d just experienced. But something seemed to be weighing on Damien and she’d feel guilty all night if she left him hanging. Turning around, she said, “Yeah?”
“Has Sadie said anything?” Damien’s head dropped.
Crap! Leila had completely forgotten about Sadie’s request to keep him away. At least she unintentionally helped. Trying to seem oblivious she replied, “About?”
Damien sniffed and roll shoulders back. “Aw nothin’. It doesn’t matter.” He cleared his throat. “Will you be at the game tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I have to photograph it.”
Damien pressed his lips together in a sad smile. He began walking backward, “Okay, I’ll see you there.”
Remembering their newfound knowledge on how the Imprint surge works, she said, “Maybe before that. I have a mission for us.”
As she turned to run for Riley’s house, she swore she heard Damien mutter sarcastically, “A Leila mission. Yippee”.
Leila tapped on Riley’s half-open door and slid through the gap into his room. He was laying on his bed, one arm propped behind his head and the other stroking a tabby cat that had curled up on his chest. The very same cat that his mom had shooed away earlier that morning.
“That is not what I thought I’d be walking in on,” Leila said, grabbing the edge of the door to close it. Remembering his mother’s rule, she kept it open a sliver. She turned around and asked, “Where’s Ren?”
“He went for a walk to cool off. Apparently, my wolf got outta hand.” Riley propped
up onto his elbows and the cat rolled to his lap. “How are you?”
Leila moved to the side of his bed and sat down. She picked up a thick book from his bedside table. As she absentmindedly flipped through pages, she wondered if she should tell him that Damien knocked her out. “I’m good.”
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Riley stopped patting the cat, his hand hovering above its back. As a revolt, the cat stood and turned, smooching its head into Riley’s hand.
“Absolutely.” Leila gave a curious frown. Keeping her eyes on the cat, she dropped the book onto his mattress. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to Riley and smiled. “I think this time it’s really going to work.”
Riley’s lips lifted into a smirk. “So, you were listening to Samuel?”
Leila playfully backhanded his shoulder. “I listen!” she argued.
She leaned across the bed, eyes on his mouth, and caught him smiling before their lips connected. Almost immediately, Riley tensed.
“Oww,” he cried, pushing her away. He lifted the cat, prying its claws from his thigh.
As soon as the cat was free, it darted to the window. Riley rolled off his bed and opened the window a crack. The cat slid through the opening and ran across the lawn.
Riley walked back, rubbing his legs. “It got me good.”
“Is it yours now or what?” Leila asked. “Your mom was shooing it away this morning.”
“Leilani Belmonte, are you jealous?” Riley teased. He plonked himself next to her and swept an arm over shoulders, pulling her into him. She rested her head on his chest, feeling the deep rumble of his voice as he said, “Don’t worry, you’re my favorite feline.”
Leila pulled herself away and glared at him in bemusement. He gave a wide grin and pulled her back to him again, planting his lips to her forehead. “The Veil was really something, huh?”
“Mhmm,” Leila agreed, letting herself snuggle into his embrace.
“You know, I’ve been thinking. If it works… if we can save Gabby from being a Fallen then maybe—” he paused.
Leila peered up catching Riley running his teeth over his bottom lip. “Are you thinking about your sister?”
