Wondering if he was raised to wait for everyone to eat before he starts, I’m about to tell him I’m really not all that hungry when Connor plucks a grape from his lunch and holds it out in front of my mouth.Wow. I must look a whole new level of sick and tired if Connor feels like I have to be hand fed.Not having the energy to argue that I can feed myself, I eat the offered grape from his fingers.
Rand’s shoulders relax, and he happily starts munching on his lunch
So weird.
Sam tilts her head to the side, a slight breeze ruffling her pixie short hair. She has a hard gaze that reminds me of when Connor sees more than the rest of us.
Donovan’s eyes widen, cutting a glance at Nolan then at me. It’s the way he tries to silently communicate with me when the wolf’s weird behavior clicks. Connor didn’t tell him to stay close to me yesterday. It was the damn Call.
According to the old journal from the last recorded Volkov Spirit Witch, my ancestors literally created the wolf shifters from the dedicated and worthy warriors of the time. Bound by the magic that ties the Volkovs to those original wolf shifters, their descendants feel the same need to protect those who carry the Volkov spirit magic—i.e. me.
I expect a lot more hair sniffing in my future. Fun.
Connor’s display with the grape makes me believe he’s already figured it out. Placing my hand over his, I wonder how much of this is him and how much is the Call. I want to believe there’s more to our friendship, but niggling doubt pierces my heart. A small thorn that’s stuck. I’m not bleeding, but the ache won’t go away.
He calls me hisreina. His queen. It sounded sweet and special at the time, but now after witnessing more wolves drawn to me because of the Call, it feels literal and distancing. My wolf. His queen. Servant. Ruler. Not equal.
I burrow into his side, tangling one of my hands in his flannel, while I distractedly munch on the chocolate Nolan gave me. I’ve lost my appetite for anything else.
There’s a heavy silence from all the things not being said. Each of us holding pieces of a larger puzzle, but none of us willing to give up our piece for fear of what the larger picture might mean.
“It’s been a while, Sam,” Nolan comments, clearing his throat. “What’s been going on with you?”
“Well, I recently got a promotion,” she replies with a laugh, while sending a pointed look at Connor.
“Yeah, we noticed,” he murmurs, his gaze sweeping over the wolves sitting at the lunch table. “Congratulations, I guess.”
Connor shifts awkwardly, staring down at his food and not meeting her gaze. His new status as the Alpha of the pack was something he didn’t want, but thanks to me and my magical laser beams, he’s stuck with it.
I can still feel the remnants of the old Alpha like a slick, oily coating on my soul. There was so much ugliness in him. Hate. Anger. Pain. All of it twisted and bent by loss. Even a monster like him had light hidden within, which just makes it all so much worse. I can feel his sorrow pulling at me, wanting to drag me under, and it scares me. I shiver, fighting to stay in the here and now.
Wordlessly, Donovan slips off his leather jacket and hands it to me, interpreting my shivering for being cold, which is almost funny considering the heat Connor gives off. I bundle into it anyway, hoping the familiar scent of musk and leather will drive the chilliness from my soul.
After another obnoxious beat of silence, Nolan tries again, thankfully steering the conversation away from the events of this weekend by digging into their common ground. The past. They quickly all fall into a light conversation that appears normal and comfortable, joking about people I don’t know and places I haven’t been.
Felix does his best to explain with quick commentary about the history behind what everyone is talking about, but it feels like they’re speaking in code, laughing at phrases that don’t make sense. Instead, their significance is buried in, “I guess you had to be there.”
I smile at the appropriate times, while my inner voice lectures that they had lives before me and not to get all huffy about it. My inner voice is kind of a bitch. Especially when she’s right.
It’s not long before the bell rings and everyone gathers their belongings. When I try to hand Donovan his jacket, he tells me he’ll get it from me after school, which makes me worry that I look as bad on the outside as I feel on the inside. I must look like death if Donovan is willing to part with his jacket for the rest of the day.When did I get so bad at hiding my emotions?
Connor helps me to my feet, and Nolan is already trying to convince me that it’s my day to do the U.S. History homework when Sam steps toward me.
“Callie, can I talk to you for a sec?” she asks, her expression giving nothing away, which sets off all my alarm bells.Here it comes.
“Sure,” I reply, putting my backpack on before Connor can steal it from me and carry it to class. Suddenly, I feel weird about him doing these kinds of things for me.
He raises an eyebrow at me and tugs on the loop of the bag. I raise an eyebrow back, gripping my hands around the straps to keep them from being pulled off. Our staring contest only lasts a few seconds, ending with him releasing a sharp sigh and an eye roll that seems to encompass all males’ eternal struggles with stubborn females.
“Girl talk, shoo,” Sam states with a small motion of her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll walk her to class.”
“I really don’t need an escort…” I try to argue, then notice a half dozen wolves staring at me with a clear indication that if I’m not walking with Nolan and Connor, somebody is going to shadow me to class. It’s more that my only choice is whether I know who or not. An amused smirk twists at the corner of Connor’s lips. He’s enjoying this way too much. I sigh. “Never mind. Thanks, Sam.”
Before everyone goes their separate ways, Nolan gives me a questioning look, his eyes asking if I really want to talk to Sam. Knowing that she and I will have to clear the air at some point, I subtly nod that it’s fine. Connor claps a hand on Nolan’s shoulder and leads him away, his complete faith in his second in command evident in how he gives me a nod goodbye before walking away.
Sweat gathers on my palms, and I wipe them on my jeans as we wait for those with super hearing to get lost in the crowd of students. Once the space has cleared, she starts walking, indicating this is going to be a chat on the go.
Following at her side, I steel myself, trying to prepare for the mean girl routine that must be coming my way with Sam being Connor’s ex and all. She’s been nice to me recently, but that’s always been in Connor’s presence. Now that we’re alone, and if the past few weeks have shown me anything, I’m pretty muchpersona non gratato the females of Twin Cedar Pass High School.
