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“I don’t think I should,” she finally mumbled, the words so low they should have been lost in the loud cafeteria, but they were as clear as if she’d spoken them into my ear, every one of my senses attuned to her.
My gaze swept over the room, finally noting the curious gazes, as I said dismissively, “They don’t matter. Not to us.”
I followed behind her, smiling in approval when I saw her turn so her back wasn’t to me. Her instincts were good, if rusty.
“You’re a teacher,” she murmured, her gaze flickering toward me like I should understand.
“And you’re a student,” I retorted, amused by her reasoning. “Is that your argument for not sitting with us?”
“No,” she responded quietly, before meeting my gaze directly for the first time since we’d walked in the cafeteria. “But it should be yours.” She reached blindly for the first thing on the lunch station, seeming surprised when she came back with a pizza.
I edged closer to her, irritation at her assumption rising inside me. “Don’t mistake this invitation as more than it is,” I warned her, my voice taut as I detected her heartbeat increase at my proximity. “Caleb asked you yesterday.” The excuse sounded flimsy even to me and she didn’t buy it for a second.
“At your request,” she replied boldly and my eyes narrowed as she dared to question me. “I admit I don’t get why you want me to sit with your group when it’s clear you don’t invite strangers.”
“You’re more clever than I gave you credit for,” I admitted, hiding how pleased I was by the fact as I stepped around her frozen frame. “I have no doubt you’ll figure it out fast enough,” I paused before adding, “If you sit with us.” I tossed the dare out in the hopes that her own curiosity would be enough incentive for her to follow.
I filled two plates while she stood there, indecision clear on her face. When I moved to the tables centered in the middle of the room, each with a clear view of the entrances and exits, I heard her sigh.
I kept my expression intentionally blank as she set her tray on the table, and resisted the urge to engage her in conversation. I forced my attention toward Caleb instead, who gave me a bemused stare as he nodded at Jess.
“Success,” he murmured over our private link. “You definitely got everyone’s attention.”
I spared a glance for the room, seeing the open mouthed stares, and winced when I came to Laura’s stiff expression.
Lauren Dyson.
A persistent teacher who was determined to make my life hell after I’d rejected her for the hundredth time.
“Fuck,” I muttered to Caleb, knowing Jess had been right. I’d drawn the wrong kind of attention to her and to our group by singling her out. “She was hungry,” I said, in an attempt to defend myself.
“And now she’s got a target on her back,” he replied with a little hum, as I started to shovel food in my mouth. “Did you have to tell Ms. Dyson you wouldn’t date her if she was the last woman on the planet?”
“The universe actually,” I corrected miserably, suddenly regretting my harsh words as my attention strayed back to Jess, not that it ever completely left her.
“Anna,” she murmured, a certain inflection in her voice hinting at regret.
“I was just curious about you. Caleb said he invited you to our table. We don’t get a lot of new people,” Anna’s words spilled out in a rush, as she sent me a faintly questioning nudge over the Pack link.
“Speak freely with her,” I answered over the link, not bothering to lift my head as I eavesdropped on their conversation.
“I gathered that,” Jess replied to Anna, and I felt her gaze drift over me.
“I don’t know what to say,” Anna whispered softly and Jess leaned closer to her. “I’m not used to talking to outsiders.”
I saw Jess grimace at Anna’s reply as I watched them from the corner of my eye. It didn’t take her long though to take advantage of Anna’s talkativeness.
“Why is that?”
“Why is what?” Anna repeated in confusion.
“Why aren’t you used to talking to outsiders?”
Anna shrugged, answering honestly, “We just don’t really. It’s not something we do. Sometimes people leave and will bring new people back with them, but by then they know.”
“Know what?” Jess questioned sharply, and I could sense a mix of frustration and excitement in her voice.
“Who we are,” Anna replied ingenuously and I almost laughed as Jess withheld a sigh.
“Are you really going to eat all of that?” She questioned, motioning to Anna’s second plate, and I took a perverse pride in her observation.
“You know it’s rude to ask people about their eating habits,” Anna retorted and I hid a grin, surprised by her sense of humor. She rarely spoke during Pack runs or meetings, often fading into the background, and I had a feeling that was a mistake on our part.
