Roane placed her on her feet, but he didn't let go. "I get that you don't like her. I don't care. You will treat her with respect or you will be sent away. Let's not forget the last time you tangled with one of them. Talia wasn't as forgiving, was she?"
She shrugged of his touch. "That wasn't about you. Let's not forget that either or what I lost to be loyal to you."
He rolled his eyes and moved to refill his drink. "If that's how you think of this, you can leave. You made your choice long ago."
She growled, but didn't move. Her hands remained against her sides as she clenched and unclenched them into fists. With fevered eyes and a tight jaw, she struggled not to lash out and then gave up the fight. She burst out, "Tracey's coming here! She's marching with the new Roane hunter. I found out from some soldiers who defected to Gavin's Family. What are you going to do when they get here? We aren't ready for an entire army."
Roane glanced back. "Am I supposed to be surprised by this? We've known they would send an army. We've always known. They already captured you with a small clan, but Davy released your bonds. Did you know that?"
She froze for a second, and then shrugged. "So what?"
He turned back to the window and found Davy below; laughing with the girl who'd had a crush on him. Then he murmured as he sipped his drink, "I'm sorry that Tracey is coming here. I truly am. I know what she meant to you."
With those words, her anger was gone. She groaned. "Why do you do that? You make me so mad and then, nothing. It's all gone. You're a dick sometimes."
Roane grinned, but didn't look back. "We will deal with the army. Look around, Wren. Everybody here has come to join us. We're not powerless."
"She should be testing her powers. She should be figuring them out so she can control and use them. We will need her in the end. We won't win without her."
His jaw hardened. "She's living a normal life. That was the deal. We stay and hold this off as long as possible and she can be normal. It's what she's always wanted."
"We should be running."
He whirled back to her and pinned her against the wall. His face was inches from hers. "You didn't want to run before. You wanted to fight. Wish granted. This is what we're doing. Now you're going to bolt? Are you going to go to Tracey when she gets here?" He waited a beat. "Are you going to betray me, Wren?"
"NO—I—" She closed her mouth and looked away. "I don't think we'll win, Lucas."
His eyes softened and he let her go. "Trust me?"
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and hung her head. "I always have."
"Then please continue."
It broke her and she lifted her eyes back up. A renewed determination was in them. "Until I die."
Roane didn't respond, but clenched his jaw. It meant more than he had expressed to her, but he knew that Wren was terrified. She wanted to fight, even when the odds were against them. For her to come and request for them to run meant others were scared as well. Fear was dangerous. It was intoxicating and maddening. And he knew he'd have to do something to diffuse it.
"For the record, the reason why I don't like her isn't because she took Talia's place." Wren moved to the door.
He lifted piercing eyes to her and waited.
She finished, "Because you don't think clearly when it comes to her. And for god's sake, if you want to see her, just go! Make up some excuse."
Roane didn't tell her that he already had.
As Wren shoved through the door, it swung open and revealed an athletic looking vampire with golden curls. His blue eyes smirked in amusement. "You don't have to knock me unconscious, Wren. I'm yours for the taking."
She brushed past and growled, "Get lost!"
Gavin chuckled as he walked inside and helped himself to a drink. He cast a cursory glance over the vampire at the window. "Hope you don't mind, Lukey dear. I was a bit parched. I haven't fed in a long while with how fast we were urged to get here. Really, Luke. It was breakneck speed. I think I should earn some points for being the bestie I am to you. How many other complete armies have gotten here? What's that? Oh, right. One. Me."
"No welcoming hug? No hello? No, 'what's up mate?' Nothing? I'm hurt."
A grin teased the corners of Roane's mouth. "You can have Wren for the night."
Gavin burst out laughing. "Oh yeah. I can imagine her reaction at that order. Even if you did try to enforce it, I wouldn't make the night alive or with my balls intact."
"You're interested," Roane shot back.
The blonde vampire shrugged and poured a second drink. "Who wouldn't? She's hot under all that black leather. Has no one told her the vampire cliché look is outdated? Look at me; most humans think I'm a professional athlete. I get more pussy looking like this than I ever would wearing leather chaps. No vampire magic needed."
"You did wear leather chaps. Assless."
"Still." Gavin shuddered and crossed to stand beside Roane. He looked out the window. "What are we looking at? Is that her down there?" He gestured with his drink and Roane glanced down.
His eyes fell on Davy, who was bent over laughing with a hand over her mouth. Her mate had been telling a story with hand gestures that grew bigger with each drink she had. By the look in Davy's eyes, she knew her roommate was properly drunk, but she didn't mind. Roane knew that had been Davy's intention, to make her friend forget her troubles. And he wondered if she had wanted to do the same thing.
Gavin watched the two in the booth and then watched his best friend of five hundred years. When Roane's eyes shifted and a darkness replaced the shimmer of emotion that had been too brief to be caught, he already knew what the real story behind this war was.
He decided to change the subject. Further investigation would need to be had. "Tracey's coming, you know. What are you going to do about that?"
"She's the enemy."
Gavin choked on his drink. "The enemy? Are you dense? Tracey's not the enemy. She's Talia's sister. Oh no no no. She is not the enemy. She'll never be the enemy."
"She defected to the new Roane hunter. She's coming with their army."
Gavin rolled his eyes. "And you have Wren. She's the ace up your sleeve. Use her to get Tracey back with us. They were bosom buddies for years. Best friends, right?"
"I won't use Wren that way." Roane's voice was hard. "If she chooses to pursue a relationship with Tracey, then so be it. If she wants to bring her to us, then that is her choice."
"Oh fuck, buddy." Gavin sat down his glass and grabbed the bottle. "You still have that stick up your ass, huh?"
A smile flashed over Roane's face. "I've named it. It's called 'Gavin.'"
"And your humor is piss poor. You know what your problem is? You're too noble. You need to not be so damn noble. Fuck up, once in awhile. Make a mistake on purpose."
"I did make a mistake."
"Not that, you didn't. You had to leave. You were ordered to leave." Gavin sighed as he saw how Roane's eyes hardened. There was no getting through to his best friend now. "Leaving Talia wasn't a mistake."
"She died because of it."
"There was more to it and you know it." He swung his eyes and watched the girl below. She had an aura around her. Gavin understood why Luke was captivated. "No one really knows what happened to bring that about, do we? It probably would've happened even if you had been there and you might've died because of it."
"Or I might've saved her life."
"Lucan found this one, didn't he? He would've found Talia. He would've bit her and he would've gotten her powers. This one stopped it. She was supposed to get the thread when she did."
"Maybe." Roane tossed the rest of his drink down his throat. Gavin handed him the bottle and soon the two were going back and forth, sharing drink for drink. When Luke excused himself, not long after the two girls left, Gavin resolved to meet this new Immortal. She had too much power over his best friend, more than he was comfortable with.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Over the next weeks, Pippa and I became friends. Emily started attendi
ng a grief counseling group, plus I persuaded her into taking over my hours at the hotline. Heaven forbid. I shuddered at the thought of spending more time in that building. Everything seemed normal until Emily left Pippa and me at the library.
"Hi, guys!" Brown drew next to our table. She panted and brushed a chunk of her sweaty hair off her face. She wore a bohemian dress that clung to her, all the way to her little toes that were in brown leather sandals. "Man, it's hot. Are you guys as hot as me?"
Pippa looked at me for a second. "I'm actually a little cold."
Brown laughed. "You're so funny. Werewolves aren't ever cold. At least, I didn't think they were."
We both sat up straight at that statement. "You know what she is?"
"Of course." Then she looked alarmed. "Wait, you didn't know? Oh my gosh. I am so sorry." She looked at Pippa and bit her lip. "You aren't going to eat me, are you?"
The wolf's mouth hung open. Not only did Brown know who she was, but she just blabbed it like it was the weather. Then she slammed her with a stereotype right after.
I laughed.
"I can't do this." Pippa gathered up her books and left. Her back and shoulders were rigid at she went to the door.
Brown took her seat. "I did something wrong, didn't I? I have this problem. I speak without thinking sometimes."
"Really?"
She nodded. "I do and sometimes I overstep boundaries that I should know are there. I had no idea you didn't know. I'm sorry to you too. You're handling it really well. Do you know what that means, that she's a werewolf? They exist. Trust me."
"Brown." I leaned across the table. I wanted to make sure she heard me. "You need to stop talking about being a witch, or about werewolves, or about vampires. Ninety percent of the population doesn't believe in that stuff and the ones who do are going to be uncomfortable around you. A lot of people don't know about that world and you're here, just chatting away. You're either going to get a reputation as being crazy and no one will talk to you or someone is going to be hurt you." I leaned back. "So shut up."
Her eyes went wide. "Really? They'd think I was crazy?"
"I'm surprised it already hasn't happened."
"But it's just the truth. I lived in a community where witches and all that stuff were common. Everyone knew about it. People really don't know about it here?"
I shook my head. The girl was going to be an outcast.
"Oh my gosh. I have to tell you this. I haven't seen you since that last time I was at your room and by the way, here's the book I meant to take to you that day. Everything got so chaotic with my powers that day; I was in such a rush that I forgot to leave it for you."
"You brought that book to me?"
Then she produced it from her bag and it fell with a thud on the table. "Here it is! And don't worry. I did a little spell so you can walk through the door. The alarms won't go off. Promise. I've been in and out with this book many times since then." She caressed the tan dusty book in a loving gesture. "It has so many interesting tidbits in here. But you wanted it to learn about wolves, right? Probably because of the one that was just here, right?"
I shifted in my seat. Even I was uncomfortable. "You did a spell, huh?"
"Yeah." She tucked some of her curls behind her ears. "I know it's supposed to stay here, but that clerk really made me mad that day. I decided to take it with me and if he gets in trouble, he deserves it. Plus, I took it to my mom's business and made copies of it. I have three copies, just to be safe." She giggled. I could see she was proud.
"How illegal of you." I grinned and reached for the book. The cover had a velvety feel to it, but she was right."Thank you for the book. I have to head home now, though. Thanks a lot, Brown. Really." As I stood up and grabbed my bag, Brown stood in front of me. She looked uncertain and there was something swimming inside her. I could feel it. It wanted to come out at me, but I didn't know what it was.
Then she folded her hands in front of her. "Do you think you'd like to hang out sometime?" She laughed and her voice hitched higher. "You were right. I don't have any friends. I think it's because of what you said before. I talk too much, about things that I shouldn't. You're the only one who hasn't shunned me."
Oh goodness. She needed a friend.
"I thought, maybe, we could go for ice cream or something? Maybe coffee?" She gave me a tight smile. "I'll pay."
I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe I was going to do this, but there was something about her that I liked, even if she pushed the boundaries. "Okay. Maybe. I don't know. Tomorrow?"
She perked up. "Tomorrow would be great. Awesome! Thanks. I can't wait."
What had I gotten myself into? She flashed a radiant smile and grabbed her bag, which was filled to the brim with books. Then she waved over her shoulder as she ran out of the library. "Thanks, Davy! I'll see you tomorrow." A clerk appeared in front of her, but Brown turned and as she did, her bag bounced on her back and decked the clerk in the face.
She hurried away and he held a hand to his face.
I shook my head and strolled past him with the book in my own bag. No matter what kind of a hyper person she was, Brown was a witch. And she was right. Once that box inside of her that anchored all her magic was unlocked, she'd be a very powerful witch. Until then, I was glad it only let her do a little. She'd be lethal and out of control if it wasn't the case.
As I was walking to my dorm, a sudden wave of urgency washed over me. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gasped. I bent over until my head touched the tops of my knees. I gasped again and felt like I was drowning. Wave after wave crashed over me and I heard a small voice in the distance, "Tell him, please. Tell him."
I gasped against the onslaught of waves. "Tell who? Tell him what?"
Another set of waves rocked my body. The sense of drowning increased. As I closed my eyes, I felt as if I was in the ocean and something held me down. It kept me from getting to the surface. Then, in the break of the waves, I heard the same voice. It was weaker than before. "Roane. Tell him about my daughter."
"What? What daughter?" He had a daughter?
As sudden as it had come upon me, it was gone. I stood there, gasping, and blinked away tears as I felt the campus around me. The air was calm, too calm. There was no ocean. There was only the sidewalk, a few buildings, and green lawn all around me. Then I looked to the side and saw Irene watching me. The angel statue hadn't aged a day since I'd sat beside it. She gave me the same expression she had that day.
I flicked her off. She made me feel crazy and it wasn't any of her business.
When I got in my room, I had closed the door when a voice murmured behind me, "Would you like to tell me why my best friend has declared war against the very Family he has only declared his loyalty for the last five hundred years?"
My mouth fell open and I saw a vampire dressed in gym clothes. He had blonde hair that was cut short with tight curls. He had blue eyes that warned of depths and ominous promises and a lean build that professional athletes had. Something told me this guy wasn't a professional athlete.
"Who are you?" I shut my door with a bang. "Your element of surprise doesn't work with me. Nor do you scare me. If your best friend is Luke Roane, we both know he has no idea you're here because he wouldn't be okay with that. And the fact that I know that means that anything else you might try to scare out of me is useless."
He snapped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw. It was a very manly looking jaw, rigid, tight, but his blue eyes had taken on a lethal look.
Craig had instilled a loathing for all vampires in me. Some of them, like Roane, promised me they weren't all the same. This vampire was like Craig. He wanted to scare me. He wanted to make me quake in my pants. Hell no. I was not going back to that person.
I felt the room shake as my rage built.
He glanced around, but he still seemed nonplussed.
"Get out." My eyes snapped their own warning.
He watched me and studied me intently for a moment, and then something shif
ted in his eyes. "You're the reason why he's doing this. It's not because you're the Immortal, it's because he cares about you."
The room stopped shaking, but then I heard footsteps in the hallway. People were running. This guy didn't seem alarmed. He looked resigned.
"Who are you?" I clipped out and my eyes flashed. I knew he saw the Immortal's whites.
He scratched his forehead and shook his head. "You're not anything like her. I like that. That's okay with me." Then he held