by Angel Leya
Wes seemed to swallow some words, taking a deep breath before stepping back and holding his arm out. “There. Now go.”
Trevor gave Wes a curt nod, keeping his eyes on the were as he exited the room. Wes barely waited for Trevor to clear the doorway before he slammed the door closed again. He was still breathing hard, and Kenzie approached him slowly, her arm hesitantly outstretched.
“I thought I asked you to get rid of him,” Wes said, his eyes trained on the floor.
Kenzie stopped her approach and lowered her arm. “I thought I told you I could handle him myself.”
“Did you know he was going to kiss you?” Wes asked, finally looking up, his eyes still bearing the red glow of his were powers.
“And if your telepathy is working so well, then you’d know I was just about to tell him I have a boyfriend, thank you very much.” She crossed her arms and glared.
Wes exhaled like the wind had been knocked out of him. His eyes stopped glowing, and he put his back on the wall and slid to the floor, his head hanging between his knees.
Kenzie knelt beside him, her hand on his arm. “What’s the problem? You’ve been all claws for weeks.”
Wes rubbed the back of his hand, and though he wore those near-constant fingerless gloves, Kenzie knew it was the hand with his Hunter tattoo. “Do you ever feel like you made the wrong choice? Like it was just too convenient, and you couldn’t help yourself, or maybe you were forced down a path you never intended to take?”
Kenzie settled onto the floor next to Wes. The comment hit far too close to home. She couldn’t admit it, though. She still loved Wes. She still thought of them as having a future. Would he give that all up? Did he blame her for becoming a shifter and losing everyone he’d considered family? The Hunters were his home, his life, his everything. He’d grown up hating shifters and vampires and selkies. Now he was a shifter. He was dating a selkie. And that selkie had a very close vampire friend. Maybe he was having second thoughts.
Wes sucked in a sharp breath, then half-smiled at Kenzie. “Sorry to get all philosophical on you.”
Kenzie did her best to smile back. “Ah, what are deep words between lovers?”
Wes’s grin faded, and he focused on the floor again. “You know what makes you hanging out with Trevor so scary for me?”
Kenzie shook her head, her eyes wide.
“It’s because I can hear what he’s thinking. Sometimes. But I can’t hear what you’re thinking.”
Kenzie’s brows raised. “Never?”
Wes shook his head. “Not once. You could be totally into him, and my only clue would be the occasional vibes I get through our link.”
“Do you . . . get a lot of vibes?”
Wes flinched. “Yeah. Don’t you?”
Kenzie shook her head. “I used to, I guess, but these days . . . I don’t know. Maybe the link gets less strong with age?”
Wes cleared his throat and stood. “Whatever. I was going to suggest we go out for a bit this afternoon—”
“I’d love to,” Kenzie said, standing too. The imp probably wouldn’t show up until evening, anyway.
“—but I’m feeling kind of . . .”
“Tired?” she guessed.
Wes nodded. “Yeah. Tired.” He bent over and kissed her on the forehead. “Love you,” he said, then slipped out of her room.
Kenzie put her face in her hands and crashed onto her bed. What a mess. Of course Wes would choose that moment to walk in on them. Trevor had been so close, and she’d thought about letting him kiss her, if only for a moment. Maybe it would clear up her muddled feelings. Or maybe it would make them worse.
Regardless, Trevor had feelings for her. She wanted to stop him in his tracks, but she still had the little helper problem. She’d have to be firmer in the future, draw boundaries and lines in their relationship. She could do that. She owed it to Wes—and to herself—to do that. But can you, really? It seemed curiosity might kill the cat’s girlfriend this time.
Her stomach growled, and she decided she’d draw those lines later. Right now she needed to eat. And then she needed to hang up some Christmas decorations.
KENZIE WAS IN THE MIDDLE of decorating her room when a voice sounded in her head.
“Kenzie? Are you there, baby?”
Kenzie chuckled. “Hey mom.”
“Honey, how’s it going?”
Kenzie shook her head. “Fine. Everything’s fine.” Mostly. She could practically feel the mom-look coming through their magical connection.
“Remember, you can’t lie to me when we’re talking like this.”
Oh, she could lie, she just had to convince herself, too—but Mom didn’t need to know that. Kenzie pictured a kitten video she’d recently stumbled across, and let that happy feeling wash over her. “Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind, with Christmas and school and everything. It’s good to hear from you. What’s on your mind?”
Mom was mentally squirming. “I called to talk about you, not me.”
“Remember, Mom, you can’t lie,” Kenzie chided, wearing a smirk.
“Okay, fine. Has Ren talked to you lately?”
Kenzie’s brows rose. “Well, yeah, I guess. He teaches math class, and I see him around.”
“Not you, too! You two are keeping something from me, and it’s driving me nuts.”
“And what if it’s a Christmas present? Do you really want to ruin it for him?”
There was a mental sigh. “I suppose not. But, can you give me a hint?”
“Let’s just say it involves a middle-aged man who thinks you’re into his bad jokes.”
“Oh, honey, when you’re my age, you’ll come to appreciate a man who can make you laugh. Even if that laughter is at hilariously horrible puns.”
Kenzie chuckled. “Okay, Mom. I’ll take your word for it.”
Mom’s happiness flooded their connection, and Kenzie gave a contented sigh. She loved how sure Mom was with Mr. Suzuki. The two seemed like a match made in heaven, even if the kitsune was more devilish than angelic.
“Okay, so I should probably let you go. You probably have some big plans with your friends tonight.”
Kenzie turned on the mental kitty video again. “Yeah, Mom. Big plans.”
“All right. Love you, baby.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Kenzie sighed as the connection dropped and rubbed her sore cheeks. That was probably the worst magical call in the history of magical calls. She wanted to tell her Mom everything, so badly, but she didn’t want to ruin the woman’s happiness. Maybe she should give Gram a call.
Maybe.
Kenzie tried to put the conversation out of her head as she continued decorating. It wasn’t much—a fake miniature tree with cheesy ornaments, a bit of garland, and a string of lights. She’d considered leaving the Christmas lights out, worried the imp might find something more devious to do with them, but she loved the soft light they cast. They were worth it, even if it was only for one night.
She strung the lights around the mounted headboard, and just finished wrapping it around the legs of the bed like it was a suped-up car, when a knock came at her door. Kenzie checked the tablet on her desk, surprised to see it was nearly dinner time. Where had the day gone?
“Come in,” she shouted, plugging in the lights as the door pushed open.
June took a sharp intake of breath. “Whoa, you’ve been busy.”
Kenzie smiled. “Of course! You didn’t think I’d give up, did you?”
“Psssh. Nah. You’re way too cavalier to take threats like that seriously.”
Kenzie chuckled. “You bet.”
“So, Leya and I were thinking of heading topside to do some Christmas shopping. Want to come with?”
Kenzie shrugged. “I usually wait until the last minute.”
“Are you nuts?” June asked, her brows raised. “I’ve been in hiding for a while, but even I know it’s a mad house the day before Christmas.”
Kenzie grinned. “Exactly.”
/> June rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t quite suppress her smile. “Whatever, I guess. So, what? You’re just going to hole up in your room all weekend?”
Kenzie sat on her bed, idly tapping one of the ornaments on the tiny fake tree and watching it swing. “Yeah. I’m not feeling the best, so I figured it might be a good idea to stay here. I’d hate to infect everyone else.”
“We have harpies for that, you know. And don’t you have healing spells or something?”
Kenzie puckered her lips for a moment. “I believe I’ve told you too much. Time for a memory erase spell.”
June squealed, “Back, witch!” throwing the empty plastic bag at Kenzie. It fell woefully short, sending both girls into fits.
“Don’t you know I have magic, woman?” Kenzie asked when she finally found her breath. “Your Jedi tricks don’t work on me.”
June let out an amused huff. “Seriously, though, is everything okay? You’ve been kind of . . . distant, lately.”
“Oh, nothing a heaping mound of chocolate and some Christmas music won’t fix.”
June smirked. “You and your food.”
“Hey, the hips don’t lie, so I figured I’d better keep them around.”
Their laughter quickly subsided, leaving behind an awkward silence. Kenzie glanced at the door, hoping Trevor didn’t walk in on them. She wasn’t quite ready to share that with her friends, either, though if Wes was hearing rumors, chances were they had as well. But if June wasn’t bringing it up, neither was Kenzie.
“Does it have to do with Wes?” June asked again, her voice soft.
Kenzie gave her a half-smile. “He’s been a little . . . off, lately. But it’ll pass, I’m sure.”
“Leya thinks he’s getting ready to run. She says the weres are known for it, and they tend to get a wild look in their eyes before they bolt. I guess they don’t handle breakups too well, considering the whole ‘marking’ thing,” June said, lifting one hand in the air to mimic the quotes.
Kenzie’s brows raised. “Wow, Leya’s an awfully bright ray of sunshine.”
June chuckled. “She and Jesse kinda had a thing going for a little while, but they cut it off. They’re both still hung up. I can only imagine how hard it would be . . .”
Kenzie nodded. With Brett and Piper working for the school, they’d had to put their relationships on hold. Kenzie didn’t envy them. It made sense that they’d seek comfort in each other—and that it wouldn’t last. In a few years, none of that would matter, but as long as Leya and Jesse remained students, they couldn’t be with the people they loved. Not really. Talk about torture.
“What about you?” Kenzie asked, jutting her chin at June. “Ever go out with our resident dog?”
June reddened. “No, and no thank you.”
“You three seem awful cozy.”
June shrugged. “I guess . . . I always kinda wanted a brother or sister. Now I feel like I have both. And . . . maybe I want to keep them close for as long as possible.”
Kenzie pulled June into a hug. “Girl, I hear you. You’re like the little sister I never had.”
June squeezed Kenzie a little tighter. “And maybe I wasn’t including you in that scenario.”
“Hey!” Kenzie said, playfully pushing June away. June laughed, coming back with pouting lips, but Kenzie held out her hand. “Nope. Nuh, uh. Not after you just did me like that.”
June laughed, and Kenzie finally took her hug again.
When their laughter had subsided again, June sighed. “I feel like this is my first real Christmas, and I have to admit, I’m pretty nervous. Do you think it will be . . . magical?”
Kenzie nodded against June’s head. “You bet.” And if it’s not, it’s all my fault.
Chapter 15
The girls hung out a while longer, taking the time to catch up. It didn’t take long for Kenzie to become friends with June when they first started attending. Being the two “only” of their kinds in the student body made for easy common ground, and coming in at the same time provided a little extra incentive. June’s sweet personality—which occasionally reminded Kenzie of the director, aka June’s uncle—made being friends that much easier, despite the age difference. June was cool, and Kenzie liked cool.
What made June even cooler was she knew when to leave. Not that Kenzie wanted her gone, but sometimes other things had to happen. Like Trevor coming over to try to catch a magical imp. And Kenzie really didn’t want to have to explain any of that. But June was gone before any of that. Such a sweetie.
The evening began to wear on, and Kenzie decided to lay down for a bit. Maybe she could take a nap after all. It wasn’t really her thing, but at this hour, maybe it wouldn’t feel so much like a nap and she could avoid the whole hazy, grumpy wake up that usually accompanied a sleep slot any less than eight hours. Ah, who was she kidding? She woke up like that all the time. Mostly. It was just a little easier to shake off in the morning.
“Hey there, sleeping beauty.”
Kenzie’s eyes flew open, and she jumped out of bed toward whatever was in front of her, handing out a good slug before her mind had a chance to catch up.
Trevor. Ah, fudge. Kenzie scrambled to where Trevor lay sprawled on the ground, holding his cheek. “I’m soooo sorry. Oh, my crap. Trevor. Are you okay?”
Trevor smirked at her, wincing in the process. “Nothing a kiss wouldn’t fix.”
Kenzie punched him in the arm, then helped him to his feet. “Is it bad?” Let me see.”
Trevor took his hand off his face, and Kenzie winced as she surveyed her damage. There was a red mark on his cheek, and it looked like the skin was already beginning to puff. Man, she’d clocked him good.
“Leasheth’asa,” Kenzie said, holding her hand gingerly over the red spot. The tightness in Trevor’s expression relaxed, the redness and puffiness fading as magic flowed through her fingertips. Kenzie closed her hand as the spell finished. “Sorry,” Kenzie said. “Again.”
Trevor sat up, taking her hand in his. “No worries. I like a woman who can handle herself. Just remind me not to sneak up on you again.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
Kenzie chuckled, gently prying her hand from his fingers. “Which reminds me, I’m afraid I haven’t been very clear with you on some things.”
Trevor’s brows rose.
“It’s just that, I’m dating Wes.”
“Oh, trust me, I know.”
“And you do and say things like”—she gestured to all of him, screwing up her mouth—”that.”
Trevor grinned, but his gaze dropped to the floor. “Laying it on a bit thick, am I?” He looked up at her through thick lashes, looking so incredibly handsome she almost wanted to kiss him. Almost. Kenzie hoped against hope that Wes wasn’t picking up on what she was feeling.
“Yes. You are. And if we’re going to keep working together, I’m going to need you to respect the fact that I’m in a committed, content relationship.”
“Just content?”
Kenzie crossed her arms and fixed him with a glare.
Trevor put up his hands. “Hey, just asking. As a friend. Which is what I said I would be, and I’m nothing if not a man of my word. Mer honor, and all that.”
“Ha! I might take your word as a man, but not as a mer.”
Trevor’s head cocked to the side. “Why not as a mer?”
“Because you’re all stuck up, snot-nosed elitists.”
Trevor smiled. “Tell me how you really feel.” He paused, his gaze dropping, the smile sliding from his face. “You’re not . . . including me in that generalization . . . are you?”
Kenzie thought about ribbing him a little more, but decided against it. “No. You’ve done a lot to set yourself apart from the rest. But I have to say, I still don’t understand why.”
Trevor shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Can’t a guy just want to hang out with a cool, attractive girl without any particular agenda?”
“Maybe.”
“Well. I like hang
ing out with you. You make me laugh. You’re a lot of fun, and you’re passionate about things. It’s refreshing. Besides, I’d really like my kind to get over this whole ‘non-mixing’ stuff. I know mixed shifter relationships aren’t always . . . productive, or whatever, but I think the world is a little more interesting when we make honest connections with others, no matter who or what they are.”
Kenzie smiled. “Pretty. Okay, that’s enough of the philosophy crap for today.”
Trevor let out an amused huff. “Fine by me. Why? Rough afternoon with Wes?”
Kenzie gave him the side-eye. “Yeah, I’m not talking about that. And we’re fine, thanks for asking.”
Trevor held up his hands. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry. I just figure we’ve got some time before that thing comes along.”
“Imp.”
“Huh?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s an imp. A smallish creature that speaks in rhyme and causes chaos and destruction—that’s an imp, right?”
Trevor chuckled. “Oh yeah, you mentioned that last night. Better than ‘that thing,’ I guess.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. Any news on the high-tech imp trap?”
Trevor shook his head, smirking. “Not yet. Mike will ping me when it’s done.”
“Tomorrow, right?”
“That’s what he said.”
Kenzie and Trevor sat there nodding, an awkward silence settling between them. Kenzie didn’t understand it. One moment they’d be going on like best friends, and the next they had nothing to say. She almost wished she had a spell to read his mind. Of course, if what Wes said was true, maybe it was better that she leave that can of worms unopened.
“Soooo, what do we do if the imp comes by tonight?”
Trevor shrugged. “Try talking to it? If we can keep it going long enough, maybe we could get it to stay until it changes back. Or at least lull it into a false sense of security. That way when we have the trap, we have a better shot of catching it.”
Kenzie nodded. “Okay. Sure. We’ll probably get pummeled in the meantime, but whatever. End game and all that.”
Trevor chuckled. “You got any better ideas?”
Kenzie shook her head. “I’m just hoping he leaves the rest of the school alone tonight. Last night was a disaster.”
