by Holly Hook
I get to school before Noah, so I head to first period after visiting my locker and rearranging my books in a daze. Once I enter Mrs. Connors's class, I spot Cayden already seated. That's not unusual. He gets to class early so he can shut people out. It's his defense mechanism.
But he's not alone. Olivia has taken the seat next to him. Complete with her dark hair curled and her purple lipstick applied with perfection, she flutters her eyebrows at Cayden as I enter.
Yes, she flutters her eyebrows.
"So were you the lead in all the plays back at your old school?" Olivia asks. "I bet you were."
Cayden stares her down. "You know nothing about me."
I hold back a snort. He has that right.
Olivia leans closer. "Come on. Tell me. You had to have gotten the lead every time with the way you sing and dance."
A flare of ugly green jealousy rises. I clench my fists as I stand there, unable to sit down at my table. Olivia peers at me from the corner of her vision.
And so does Cayden. His nostrils widen for a second. It's as if he can sniff my emotions.
Dogs can sense fear and other emotions. Why can't werewolves? But instead of reassuring me, the thought causes a flare of red hot anger to mix with the jealousy. He won't even admit the truth when it's obvious I know and that he knows I know. I even laid out a bare truth to the guy. We're not even and I don't think we ever will be.
I sit at my desk and turn away as Olivia continues to bombard Cayden. I've almost had it with him.
It's hard to focus when Noah comes in and tries to recap yesterday's rehearsal with me, and even harder when Mrs. Connors starts class and Olivia stops trying to pester Cayden. But then Mrs. Connors gives us a partner project, and it turns out that Cayden and Olivia are working together. I try to put everything into working on my questions with Noah, but behind me, I know that Olivia and Cayden sit inches apart. Their faces are close.
What's wrong with me?
Once the bell rings, I wave to Noah. "I'll see you at lunch. Got to run to the restroom."
I stalk away before Cayden and I have the chance to make eye contact. I'll give his treatment of me back to him.
"Brie," Cayden says as I reach the corner of the wing. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I say without looking back.
"You don't sound fine. I know you're not telling the truth." His footsteps follow me like a ghost.
"Well, that makes two of us," I say, upping my pace and taking the corner. I hike my books up and don't look back.
* * * * *
I don't even have the energy to do so much as mouth 'what a brat' when I'm supposed to be singing other lines. Rehearsal goes fast, and at least Olivia doesn't trip me and then fake sweetness. At least dancing helps me to cool down and burn off useless anger. I feel bad about snubbing Cayden earlier, but it's only fair that if he wants to keep the truth from me, I can do the same to him. Maybe it will make him realize what he's been putting me through for the past two weeks.
Overall, rehearsal goes better than yesterday, though the circular dance around Olivia and Cayden gets me every time. I keep stepping on Ryan's feet and apologizing, and Mr. Saffron shakes his head each time it happens. If I don't get this down, I might get demoted to an extra to mill around town. Noah has a good point. My parts aren't terrible. Some people don't have singing or dancing roles at all.
"Much better today, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Saffron says. "There are still rough patches, but I'm sure we'll iron those out."
Olivia gives a bow. I look away before the toxic green cloud returns.
"Is it okay if I stay and practice a little more?" I ask.
Mr. Saffron eyes me. "Sure. I'll lock up, so when you're ready to leave, make sure you don't leave your car keys."
Olivia sends me a smirk. "Try not to be clumsy."
Not wanting to look stupid in front of Cayden, I avert my gaze from her.
And at least she's not holding onto Cayden anymore. He seems to have vanished.
"I'd stay," Ryan says, "but I have to meet my brother for something."
"I want to stop stepping on your toes," I tell him.
"Hey. I appreciate it," Ryan says with a grin, taking off.
The hope butterfly, I find, still lives inside me. There's always the off chance Olivia will get sick or break a leg, and I'll get promoted. That's not bad.
Being alone on stage will give me the chance to sing some of Belle's lines without her watching and waiting to make fun of me. Her presence is toxic and needs to go.
I linger and head to the bathroom while Mr. Saffron and everyone else clear the stage. As I return to the empty stage, I hear the auditorium door closing. Silence falls over the school. There might be a janitor or two somewhere, but I hear nothing here. A single light shines on the stage, and in the dark, I can imagine an audience sitting out there, watching me.
I should practice the dance. Once I'm sure I'm alone, I step into the single light, crack out my practice book, and suck in a breath. Turning to one of Belle's scenes, a duet, I raise the book and sing.
My voice projects over the empty auditorium, flawless to my ears, as I sing about the terrible beast who's brought me in and turned out to be a kind soul. I don't care about singing to an empty auditorium. There's no Olivia here. Pretending brings a tingle of satisfaction over my skin as the cool air washes over my arms. The loneliness is familiar. Right now, it's comforting.
I pause at the break in Belle's words, at the part where the Beast is supposed to sing.
But instead of nothing, Cayden's perfect, deep voice rings out to my left.
I jump and watch as he walks into the light, spreading his arms and stepping towards me with quiet, graceful footsteps. He draws close, holding me in his hazel gaze as he sings about his twisted face and how he doesn't deserve love. Then as he finishes his lines, he slips his hand into mine and squeezes, sending a new wave of tingles up my arm.
Stunned and caught in the heat radiating off Cayden, I lift my book, take a breath, and find my next lines. Despite Cayden and my earlier anger at him, there's something in his warm, noble gaze that urges me to finish. I sing, not missing a word, as we dance together, his palm pressing against mine. We drift over the stage, a pair of ghosts inhabiting the ring of light, as Cayden sings of love and beauty within. Our feet tap together. Our voices and echoes resonate over the auditorium, blending into one.
And then silence falls.
We stand with our faces inches from one another's. Our gazes meet. Cayden's body heat merges with mine. There's nothing in the world except for me and him. No Olivia. No secrets.
I lean forward.
And Cayden pulls back. "I thought we were just rehearsing the song?"
Heat fills my cheeks and breaks me out of the trance. Taking my hand from Cayden's, I turn away and gather my backpack from the edge of the darkness. My heart races with horror. What am I thinking? This is just practice and I'm the understudy. Cayden has to dance with me and Olivia to do all the rehearsing he needs.
And then I tried to kiss him. Sure, it's in the act, but it wasn't necessary without an audience.
"Where are you going?" Cayden asks with innocence.
Does he not realize? Begging my face to cool, I throw my backpack over my shoulder, glad the heavy books can distract me. "I'm exhausted," I say. "I have to be going. When you also have an after-school job and a bunch of homework, things catch up with you after a while." Instead of anger, terror and humiliation fill me. Will this ever end?
I race for the door, climbing down the steps. Pushing it open, I squint as I peer into the late afternoon light.
Cayden's hand wraps around my wrist with a gentle grip.
I stop, forcing myself to face him. I ran, but without much sound, he caught up with me. This is just like the first time we met in the store. But Cayden doesn't tighten his grip. If I wanted, I could pull out. His soft gaze tells me he's giving me a choice.
"Cayden," I breathe. I allow the door to shut behind
me. But before it does, the light shines in his eyes.
And this time, instead of the noble beast, I spot something different in them.
Something vulnerable. Something scared. Someone lonely. It's as if Cayden is showing another side of himself for the first time.
We face each other in the semi-dark for an eternity. Only the exit sign shines overhead, casting us in a red glow.
This is the moment.
I have to know.
Then, forgetting my embarrassment, I place my hand on his cheek, reassuring him. "You can tell me the truth."
Cayden trembles. He swallows. Hesitates. Then he shakes his head. "It's not safe for you."
"I don't care about safe." Safe is being left in the dark, on the outskirts. Safe is standing aside and out of the spotlight. Safe is always wondering and never facing the truth. "And I care about you."
He stiffens and places his palms on my cooling cheeks.
I catch my breath as he closes his eyes, leaving his incoming lips. They meet mine, and the world opens as I taste a wild expanse. My breath escapes, leaving me dizzy as we press together. A low growl emerges from Cayden's throat, but it only sends a new wave of tingles down my spine.
He removes his lips from mine, and I expect him to break away, but instead, he rests his forehead against mine. "You were right about me."
"Right?" My heart races.
So does his.
"What you think is true."
"Just say it."
"I'm..." Cayden says. "You're right. I am a werewolf." He loosens his grip, giving me the option to run. His hazel eyes lock with mine as he waits, holding his breath.
But I don't run. The overwhelming sense he needs me remains.
If he wanted to kill me, he would have done so by now.
I take his arm and pull him closer. "I don't care."
And then I kiss him again, putting my hand on the back of his head and pulling him to my lips. My fingers caress his hair as our lips meet a second time. I breathe in his smell, tasting him—
Cayden pulls out of my grasp. With his strength, I'm unable to stop him.
"Are you—" I start, hurt squeezing my chest.
But Cayden faces the door. He's alert, not angry. Even in the dim light, I spot his pupils widening, trying to gather as much information as they can.
"What is it?"
"There's a scent in the air," he says. "I don't like it."
My heart races, this time from fear. I sniff, but there's nothing.
Cayden watches the door as if expecting something to burst through, but there's only silence. Then he sniffs again. "It's gone now."
So it's true that werewolves have heightened senses, even in human form. Before I can ask about it, Cayden rubs his hand through his hair, as if trying to feel my hand that's no longer there. "I know this is a lot for you to take in, Brie. I understand if you want nothing to do with me. And with this."
"Cayden." I take his arm as he faces me again. Then I go for Round Three. When we come up for air, I whisper, "We can deal with any problems when the time comes."
Cayden nods. Relief fills his eyes and his shoulders drop. "Let me walk you to your car and tell you goodnight," he says, eyeing the door again. "And you can't tell me no."
Chapter Fifteen
Magic fills the next few weeks.
Rehearsals smooth out and my ill feelings towards Olivia vanish as if Cayden's presence has dissolved them. She continues to stun Mr. Saffron as she always does, but she can have Mr. Saffron. Noah continues to ogle her at every opportunity, and the two even dance a few times since he's Cayden's understudy. And it's clear from the way Cayden gives her the silent treatment when they're not rehearsing together that he's not into her.
He's very into me.
Cayden and I still don't sit together in class thanks to the seating arrangements, or in the cafeteria, either. He continues to eat lunch with his family, who he explains would get pissed if they spotted the two of us together. So during school hours, we keep our relationship a secret, exchanging smiles in the hall and an occasional wink.
But our after-school rehearsals are different.
Cayden doesn't have a part in a few of the scenes, and servants aren't needed in many of those same scenes, so we sneak into the musty old props room twice per rehearsal, close the door, and make out.
"You know," I ask when we come up for air. "What excuse do you use for being in the play?" I lean into Cayden as he holds me from behind, hands resting on my stomach. We hide behind a rack of old dresses, just in case someone opens the door.
"Everly knows, but the rest of my family doesn't," Cayden says, referring to his twin sister. "I'm supposed to get tutoring after school and then I'm supposed to be patrolling the woods." He takes my cheeks, turns me around, and we go for another round. Cayden never likes family talk to go too far.
Or the reason he patrols the woods after school. I get he's a werewolf and they like the woods, but what's going to threaten one? Human hunters, maybe, but it's not as if people believe in mythical monsters anymore. I want to ask, but a part of me enjoys the mystery.
Talking about it doesn't create a good making-out atmosphere, anyway.
"Want to go for a walk in the woods tonight?" Cayden asks as our break draws to an end. The chorus of the angry mob wraps up out on the stage.
He's never asked me that before. "I'd love to," I say, heart racing at the thought. "If you're supposed to be there, anyway." I recognize the invitation for me to ask. "What are you patrolling for?"
"I'll tell you," Cayden says as a dark look comes over his face.
I think of the second howl I heard in the woods, the one that wasn't Cayden. During these past few weeks, he hasn't wanted to burden me with everything and I decided not to force any more answers out of him until he's ready. Guilt sticks with me about following him through the woods, and even though Cayden's not angry about it, I feel I owe him for what I did.
And the foxglove, too.
The chorus ends, which is our cue to rehearse the final scenes. Cayden and I emerge from our hiding spot. Ellie stands just outside the props room, a smirk on her face.
I hold my finger up to my lips as I pass her, but her smirk remains. She knows, and tomorrow she'll demand all the details. I hope she can stay quiet for Cayden's sake.
The rest of rehearsal seems to slow as I think of getting true alone time with Cayden. At last, Mr. Saffron ends the rehearsal and stands from his desk with bags under his eyes. Cayden and I slip away before Olivia can have a chance to watch us.
Cayden and I head straight for the woods once we leave the school. Slipping his hand into mine, he checks behind us. No one is following. He holds up the vines to allow me to pass.
"We haven't had time to talk yet," I say.
"I know. It's hard when there are so many people around." He pulls the entrance to the woods open and we duck through as he holds a vine-choked branch over his head. "I wish my family were more open."
"You weren't, for a while."
"I still can't be. Not to others, anyway. Though there is one exception." Even in the green gloom, Cayden's smile is bright. "So, what are you doing tomorrow?"
"I have to work," I say. "Whenever I'm not at rehearsal, I work. I'm doing everything I can for my Aunt May."
"Understandable. We all have duties," he says.
"Werewolves have duties?" I ask. Then my mind wanders to his patrols around the woods. For the first time, I'm coming along without having to sneak around behind him. "Are you the only one in your family, or are they all—"
"Werewolves," Cayden finishes for me. "Yes. It runs in my family. I was born a werewolf. So were Everly and Wyatt, the little brother."
"So it's hereditary. That's not what the books said. I thought it was a curse? Passed along through bites?"
"It can be both," Cayden says. "The legends aren't too far off."
"So people who get bitten can turn," I say.
"Sometimes. It depends on how deep the
bite is and how well the infection can get into the bloodstream. Not all bites result in lycanthropy. And not all werewolves go around biting people for the sake of infecting others." Cayden licks his lips. "My family doesn't do that, because being a werewolf is not an easy life."
"So your adopted brother—" I pause, realizing I've asked a rude question.
"Yes, Remo's adopted," Cayden says. "And yes, he's a werewolf, too. But he's the smartest guy you'll ever meet." As he changes the subject, I detect he doesn't want me to pry any further about his brother.
So I don't. "Can I ever meet your family?"
"I don't know."
I wonder why Remo got adopted. Maybe more than one family of werewolves exist, or Remo got bitten and taken in by the Lowes. "Would they accept me?”
“It's dangerous for you to get involved with us.” Cayden tightens his grip on my hand and continues to walk. His gait is quiet. Graceful. Pine needles refuse to crunch under his feet.
“I told you I don't care about the danger.”
“My sister knows about us, but we're twins,” Cayden says. “Twins always have to stick together, you know?”
“I wouldn't know,” I say. My family is Aunt May, and it didn't extend past that. I haven't ever met any grandparents. “Most of mine is, well, gone.” It pains me to say it out loud.
Cayden wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to him. “I'm sorry. I forgot. That must be isolating and it's not fair,” he says. “Can I ask what happened?”
“Car accident when I was little,” I say. “I know it sounds all cliché like a Disney movie, but that's what Aunt May always said.”
“That sounds like a Disney movie,” Cayden says, thinking. “Got to always kill the parents off. What went through Walt Disney's head?”
“Dark things.” The gloom deepens as dead needles snap under my feet. A cloud drifts over the sun. “So, how does it feel to run around as a wolf?”
“It's...different,” he says. “There's a universe around us that humans never notice. The sights. The smells. And sounds.”
