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But I’m going to try my fucking best. For her.
They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I’m going to keep her enemies so close, I’ll be the first to know if they dare make a move on her again.
“Penny for your thoughts?” a voice whispers from over my right shoulder.
I flinch and turn, only relaxing slightly when I see Catherine in a fancier-looking version of the black dress she was wearing earlier. It’s satin, I think, with tiny straps that emphasize her slim shoulders.
“It’s okay,” she whispers, coming to stand beside me, staring out over the party. “I know you’re going undercover and shouldn’t be talking to Variant scum, but I’m a counselor.” She lifts the red badge she wears on a lanyard around her neck. “You can always say I was reading you the riot act about being late for a mandatory school function.”
“I needed to clear my head,” I say.
“Oh, I don’t care about your tardiness,” she says, her gaze still fixed on the crowd. “I just wanted to assure you that I’ll take excellent care of Juliet tonight. I was in charge of bullet removal for my father’s unit before he insisted Alexander and I come get an education. He’s a resistance fighter in a war-torn part of the shifter world I promised I wouldn’t speak of once I got to school. But it’s bad. There were lots of bullets that needed to be fished out of tricky places and not many nurses left close to the front lines. I’ll probably do a better job than the on-campus medical staff would have done anyway.”
“I’m not too worried about that,” I say, honestly. “Shifters can take a lot of damage. I’m more worried about…after.”
She hums low in her throat. “As you should be. But she’s a cool customer, our Juliet. I think she’ll handle herself well. She’s not the kind to fly off the handle or give in to a panic-induced adrenaline rush.”
I hesitate for a beat, loyalty to Juliet warring with my concern for her safety.
In just a few seconds, concern wins out. “She has night terrors sometimes. She’ll wake up screaming and go catatonic for a while after. What if she starts shifting during something like that and it goes too far? She’s a phoenix. The consequences could be ugly.”
Catherine nods. “Juliet expressed her concern about that when we spoke before the party. I’ve already had Layla move her bed to the far corner of the room for fire safety purposes, and I’m going to put the anti-shifting device in a locket Juliet can wear while she’s sleeping for as long as she needs it. We won’t let her go full burn.” She’s quiet for a moment before she adds, “But even if she did, I’m sure she’d remember you. Eventually. No matter what happens, the ones who matter most are always in our heart of hearts, Ford. I believe that.”
“I’d prefer not to take any chances. And I’m guessing Juliet feels the same way. So, thank you. For the locket. That’s a good idea.”
She glances up at me with a smile. “You’re welcome. See? Alexander and I are good allies to have. Remember that if the Alpha Wolf Club power trip starts to go to your head.”
I snort. “Don’t worry. It won’t.”
She twirls her lanyard at the end of its string. “Beck’s father is surprising all the wolves in the woods tonight with champagne, filet mignon prepared by a chef from France, and diamond-crusted rings for every member of the New Lupine Brotherhood. He had to clear the plan with the president’s office, first, so I know all the privileged details.”
My lip curls. “Gross.”
“Indeed,” she agrees. “But keep the ring. You can hock it later and buy Juliet something pretty for her birthday. Even traumatized girls with rage boiling in their veins like sparkly things. Trust me on that.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” I say, deciding I like Catherine. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. And look up at the Variant roof tonight as you come back from the woods. If the surgery’s been a success, I’ll leave one lantern burning on the ledge, so you’ll know everything’s okay.”
“And if it’s not okay?”
“No light,” she says, lifting a hand to someone in crowd. She turns back to me with a stern look and a wag of her finger. “But that won’t happen. Stay positive. And don’t be late again, mister. Mandatory events are mandatory for a reason. We’re building community here. And if you don’t hurry, you won’t get a pineapple fizzy drink and you’ll be sad.”
I actually will be sad. After my run, a pineapple fizzy drink sounds good.
Pulling Juliet aside to talk to her, holding her, and telling her I’ll bail on the wolf run and sneak up to the Variant roof to be with her during the procedure sounds even better. But she deliberately avoids looking at me as I make my way into the thick of the party, even when I set my fizzy drink on a café table right in her line of sight.
It feels like she’s pulling away from me, even as the connection I feel for her gets stronger with every passing minute.
Not strong enough to let you know she was in danger until it was almost too late…
But Ididknow. I sensed it, and I knew exactly where to find her.
I like to think I would have gotten there in time, but I can’t know for sure. Thankfully, Alexander’s been patrolling the less-traveled parts of campus. He knew Beck and Ferris were on the hunt. He overheard some of the New Lupine Brotherhood boys talking about using their free time during orientation to show Variant girls the “only thing they’re good for.”
I honestly can’t believe they’re so open about their toxic prejudice. Even back home, people didn’thateJuliet or think she was subhuman. They didn’t want to hurt her; they just didn’t want her to be Alpha of our pack when she didn’t know what it was like to be a wolf.
Or maybe I was simply too naïve back then to read between the lines and see what they really meant.
