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“I’m an only child too,” I tell him.
He grins. “Maybe your dad can adopt me.”
“But then you couldn’t call me Vixen anymore.”
Blaine chuckles. “True. But I only call you that to get under Parker’s skin. He thinks I have a crush on you.”
“I know you don’t,” I tell him.
He nods. “You are beautiful, but you were right. I won’t date anybody until I meet my mate. The last thing I want is to end up like my parents.” His grin widens. “But who knows—maybe we will end up being mates.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. “I thought you could only mate with a wolf shifter.”
“Hybrids exist, Vixen. And they exist because the mate bond doesn’t care what species somebody is. Wolf shifters mate with other supernaturals all the time,” he says. “And since the mate bond doesn’t show until supernaturals are in their early twenties typically, sometimes people will be mated to somebody they’ve known their whole life.”
My heart aches. What if I am Parker’s mate? But just as quickly, my stomach sinks. It could just as easily be any girl in his pack.
I’vereallygot to stay away from Parker.
I glance over at him and see his blue eyes glancing my way. Butterflies fill my stomach and I know at that moment there is no way that I can stay away from Parker.
Somebody steps in front of me, blocking my view of Parker. I look up and see Will standing there, his brown eyes narrowed at me.
Blaine touches my arm, so I turn to look at him. “I’m going to go welcome Ben to the pack.”
“Bye.” I turn my attention back to Will.
Will crosses his arms over his chest. “Henley, why are you here?”
Knowing that I’m getting under his skin, I decide to tease him. “I’m here for you.”
He huffs. “That’s not funny.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m here because my friends are here. Ithoughtyou were included in that group.”
“If we were friends, you would have listened to me when I warned you to stay away from Parker,” Will says, his tone low. “Do you not get that I’m not saying this because of him? I’m saying it to protectyou. You’re going to get hurt if you continue down this path.”
Tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. “So what am I supposed to do? Spend time alone in my house all the time? Not have any friends at all? Because that’s what my life was like before I came here. I can’t be friends with humans. I can’t even talk to them without having seizures.”
Will frowns. “We can be friends. I’m not saying we can’t be. But Parker has a lot more than friendship on his mind. And it’s easy to see that you feel the same about him. And if me being mean to you is what it takes to get you to open your eyes and see the truth, then that’s what has to happen. I’m sorry.”
My chest aches at the harshness of his words.
“The pack is all I have,” I admit to Will. “Parker, Blaine, and you are the first friends I’ve ever had. Here, I have a shot at being normal. I’m just tired of being lonely.”
Will’s face hardens. “Go home, Henley. We will see you at school tomorrow. We can be friends. But you can’t come to pack events. People are going to start questioning it. Parker has enough on him already without you adding to his stress.”
A tear makes its way from my eye and runs down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away. Will’s face softens, but I turn away before he can say anything else. He’s said all he needs to say. He doesn’t want me here. I only make things more complicated for Parker.
I glance toward where Parker is. He’s talking to an older pack member, not glancing my way. I take the opportunity to make my escape. I head off toward the woods, to the path that leads to my house. As soon as I’m out of earshot of the party, I let the tears flow. A sob escapes my throat as I remember the harshness of Will’s words.
It’s dark—darker than I realized, especially in the trees. And it’s cold. My thin cardigan isn’t cutting it tonight. I shiver, crossing my arms tightly over my chest, trying to keep myself warm.
I wish I was home already, but I’ve got a long walk.
My eyes are suddenly blinded by a bright light. There is a warmth that surrounds me. Just as quickly as the light appeared, it disappears. I shake my head as I realize that I’m home. Moments ago, I was a few hundred feet away from Parker’s house. Now, I am standing in my front yard.
I look down and realize that the smoke smell is coming from me. My arms, legs, and torso are on fire, but it doesn’t hurt. My clothes aren’t even burnt. The fire slowly goes out and the only evidence that there ever was a fire is the smell that lingers in the air.
