AllFreeNovel
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I’ve never met a woman like her.
Then again, not everyone stars in a Vegas show. Only the best of the best.
And it’s clear Lark is the best.
During a break I ask her if anything is getting better at home, and she just sighs.
“Not really I’m walking on eggshells.”
“That stressful?”
Lark laughs. “Well, yeah, but there are literally eggshells everywhere. Some protection spell that consists of broken eggshells and ground coriander, sprinkled on the floor. I’m telling you, it’s strange.”
“She must really care about you if she’s going to that much trouble to make sure you’re okay.”
Lark leans her head into my shoulder. “Maybe. I know she loves me, in her own way, but we haven’t spoken in a month. And you know how long the rehearsal days are. Most of the time I get home and collapse in bed. I don’t know how you guys do it, keeping watch.”
She loves to give us a hard time about shifting into hawks outside her window.
“We take shifts,” I say, laughing. “God, I miss you, Lark.”
“I know,” she moans, nestling herself in the crook of my arm “I heard the show date is getting moved up again.”
“Which means the distraction rule might be lifted permanently?”
She looks up at me, our eyes meeting, and it feels so fucking good to be seen by her. Just then Melanie calls us over. The director Tanya is here and wants to make an announcement.
“Good afternoon,” Tanya says, “I want to make sure you are all aware of the new performance dates? They’ve been emailed and are in your contracts, but I want to make sure you understand that we have opening night in two weeks. Two. That means it’s go time, folks.”
The background dancers nod and clap. Everyone is pumped for SOAR. I’m fucking pumped too. We’ve been rehearsing on the main stage for the past few weeks and it’s really amazing how the big stage and sound system turns this into a real show.
“And listen, you need to take the weekend off–I’m looking right at you, Lark.” Lark’s face flushes red, and I know she hates being called out like this, but I’m glad the director said what the guys and I have been thinking.
“You need to take a few days off and remember to have some fun. Understood?”
The room nods and claps, thanking the crew for everything they’ve done to get us to this point, and then we break.
I ask the guys what they are thinking we should do tonight, and it’s unanimous.
“You heard the director,” North says. “Lark needs some fun.”
When we suggest going out she frowns. “I don’t know, guys. I should really–”
I cut her off. “Really–listen to the director. She said you need to have some fun. So, we’re in Vegas– let’s go have some!”
“What kind of fun do you have in mind?” she asks. “Dancing. Gambling. All the Vegas things,” I say.
She nods. “I’m game, but I have to go home and change first.” “You know we’ll escort you anywhere you wanna go,” Vaughn
says.
“I’ll ride with you,” Arrow offers. “Don’t want to let the star ride alone.”
18
Lark
I get in a cab with Arrow, happy that he offered to come with me. He always seems to be watching out for me,
and maybe he could sense I’ve been having a hard time at home. “I’m going to apologize ahead of time for anything that my
mom might say.”
Arrow reaches for my hand. “Don’t apologize for your family,” he says. “At least you have a mom.”
“You don’t have any family?” I ask.
“When Gaia found us we had been abandoned after a terrible fire killed our families. We were so young, so alone in the world, but she looked out for us.”
I swallow. “It’s still strange to think about you as shifters.” I want to see them shift, watch as their bodies change form, but it feels intrusive to ask.
“I know, it’s weird for me too. It’s like, I’m part of the human world, but not entirely. Always set apart.”
“That’s how I’ve felt too,” I admit. “Mom always made sure I kept my distance. It made for a lonely childhood.”
“Maybe it’s not all bad though, Lark, that she was so protec- tive of you. I mean, it’s the same thing as what Gaia wanted us to do. Maybe your mom isn’t just superstitious–maybe she has a reason to be so paranoid about you.”
Arrow comes across as so intelligent and wise, not spouting off about emotions or letting any rivals get in the way of his words, and I want his opinion “Do you think I’m being a brat, refusing to talk to my mom?”
Arrow laces our fingers together. “You want my approval?” I shrug. “Maybe?”
“But it’s your life, Lark.”
“So, what? You’re at my service, or whatever. Sent here to watch over me and I get to call all the shots?”
