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Elias
Istood in the forest, spinning a knife in my hand. The metal shimmered as it twirled at a high speed, eliciting a warbling sound. A quick toss in the air, I’d catch it blade side, then throw it at a tree, hitting the same mark every time.
I’d been waiting in this spot for half an hour, passing the minutes with target practice.
Dannika wasn’t late. She didn’t know I’d be here.
For the last week, she’d been working closely with Bianca, learning the ways of our House. Customs, history, our worldwide locations. And for that week, she’d been mostly avoiding conversation with me. Avoiding eye contact. Every night, we had dinner, sitting at opposite ends of the table and barely speaking. I lacked a topic of conversation that was intriguing enough to pique her interest, though it didn’t stop me from trying. She hummed a lot. Gave vague responses. Nova seemed to sigh in annoyance at Dannika’s side.
I couldn’t read her.
I hated it.
For a week, she’d been this way. Ever since we’d had dinner and shared pieces of our life, and our losses. I had no idea what I’d said to change her demeanor that night, but that was when she’d closed herself to me.
Today would be different.
Tilting my head, I listened. Animals chittering and birds calling. Wind rustling the leaves. Finally, I heard what I was waiting for. Dannika’s careful footsteps, and Nova’s paws pressing into the soft earth. They stopped, and she called out carefully. “Hello? Who’s there?”
I paused for a moment, waiting, but not answering. I stepped out from the trees just in time to hear the whistling of a knife as it sailed through the air. Leaning back, I caught the blade before it hit its target.
“Aiming for my eye?” I asked, then hummed. “Good throw.”
“I’m so sorry—” Dannika threw her hands over her mouth, mumbling beneath them. Then she dropped them, balling her fists at her side. Her brows furrowed. “What the hell are you doing here? I could have killed you.”
I chuckled. “Not likely. If I had lesser reflexes, it’d take some time for that eye to grow back. Painful, for sure. But not dead.” I returned the blade to her. “What if I had been someone else?”
“Then they’d have a knife in their eye, and they’d deserve it for trying to sneak up on a woman and not responding when I asked who was there.” She glared at me, tucking it away into a sheath. She rested a hand on Nova’s side, and the wolf shook her head, almost as though she were laughing. “What is it with guys wanting to follow me in the woods, anyway?”
My skin prickled at the notion of being categorized alongside Markus in any capacity. Brushing it aside, I pointed north. “Bianca mentioned in passing that you were scoping out rock climbing locations and that you were looking for the waterfall. I thought I’d join you.”
“Does she report everything we talk about?” She frowned, her mouth turning down.
I lifted a shoulder, tilting my head to that side. “She would if I asked her.”
“And you don’t?”
I shook my head. “No. Why should I? You’re entitled to privacy.” Danni’s features softened, and she released a small laugh, clearly relieved that I wasn’t spying on her. I wondered how she’d feel if she knew I occasionally scanned the security cameras for her. Not to spy. Just to know where she was. That she was okay. That the boy hadn’t stepped out of line again. “It was a simple question,” I explained. “I saw Bianca in passing and asked her where you were. She said you were hiking to the falls. I wanted to join you.”
“You mean you wanted to play games and act all mysterious,” she said, pressing her lips into a smile.
“Perhaps.” I shrugged, taking a step closer to her. Her scent was everywhere, permeating the air surrounding us. It was truly intoxicating. I wondered if she knew the effect she had on others . . . on me. “Maybe I just wanted you alone where no one could hear us.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she stumbled over her words. “Why—I mean, what—um, what does that . . .”
“We have a lot to talk about. And you’ve been avoiding me.”
And I don’t like it.
Her mouth formed into an ‘O’ shape, though no sound came out. “I, um . . . I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” She stepped aside and began walking on the trail toward the waterfall.
“That much is obvious.” I wasn’t going to let that be the end of our conversation. I reclaimed my place beside her, then pointed to our left. “Turn here. It’s a shortcut.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How did you get here so fast?”
“Vampire. I’m faster than you,” I said lightly. She twisted her lips, considering me. “I also drove,” I added, gesturing in the general direction where I’d parked Ysa’s truck on the 4x4 trail leading here.
“Cheater,” she muttered, and I laughed.
