"Mom, I think I like Donald." Keegan spit out before she gave it too much thought. She really wanted her mother’s thoughts on it.
"What do you mean you think you like him?” Emerald asked. She pulled away to catch her daughter’s eyes. “As in more than a friend?"
"Yes. He makes me happy and I feel special when he is around." Her cheeks
flushed as she looked down to where her hands were clasped in her lap.
"Keegan, you have met your chosen. You cannot be interested in others."
"Mother, I can't even remember Rourk. He is like a stranger to me," Keegan said. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself up.
Emerald reached over her daughter and pulled a throw blanket from the back of the couch and handed it to Keegan. “You really should give Rourk a chance, Keegan. But, if you are interested in Donald then perhaps you should see where it goes. I do suggest that you take it slow. I don't have to remind you that elves are supposed to partner with elves. You have been dating humans for years so I guess dating a shape shifter is not the end of the world." Emerald gave her a wry smile.
Keegan reached over and hugged her mother. "Thank you for understanding."
With the blanked still draped tight around her shoulders, Keegan headed up the stairs to her room. She was sad at the thought of moving on from Rourk. How many hours had she sat around daydreaming about meeting her chosen and the perfect life they would have together? He was incredibly cute too.
Her phone vibrated and she looked down to see it was a text from Donald.
Night beautiful.
Smiling she replied back. Night and you’re not so bad yourself.
A goofy grin spread across her face while she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. She was excited to see Donald at school tomorrow.
***
When she rolled out of bed the next morning and looked at the clock, Keegan noticed she had better hurry up unless she wanted to be late again. At least she had her Jeep now so she could speed if needed. Of course, she couldn't find her sweater. She misplaced at least one piece of her school uniform every day.
"Mom, where is my sweater?" Keegan yelled out her bedroom door, tearing through the pile of clothes in her desk chair.
"Did you look in your closet?" her mother called back, her voice thin and reedy from down the hall.
"Ugh, of course I did!"
Her mom’s footsteps sounded down the hall and she walked in, moved a couple of things around, and pulled the sweater off the back of the chair.
"I looked there."
Emerald raised an eyebrow and replied, "Obviously."
Keegan rushed out of the house a few minutes later. She still had enough time to make it to school before the bell rang. She wanted to get there a little early to see Donald.
She pulled into the lot of school after breaking several speed limits to get there and went inside. As she was walking down the hall, one of the teachers yelled out, "Keegan, your sweater is inside out."
Keegan looked down and saw the little tag hanging from the inside seam at her waist. She shrugged and waved to the teacher who grinned back at her. "Thanks," she said.
She scanned the halls and didn't see Donald anywhere. Where is he? Spencer and Sam were deep in conversation, so she didn't want to bother them to ask.
Lauren and Anna were at her locker when she got there. "Hey guys."
"Keegan, your hair is a mess. Get over here so I can fix it," Lauren said with a puzzled look.
Keegan ran her hand over her hair and realized she hadn't even brushed it. It was official; she was going mad.
"Just put this clip in and it will be fine." Anna reached into her big purse and pulled out a clip with a huge blue flower on it and passed it to Lauren.
"Let's hope there are no bees in here ‘cause I will surely be attacked," Keegan joked.
"You are just so funny, Keegan.” Lauren rolled her eyes and adjusted the clip in Keegan’s hair. “You'll see. It looks really cute."
“If you say so.”
"Voila!" Lauren moved her hands like Keegan was a piece of art on display.
Keegan glanced in her locker mirror and turned her head from side to side. "It is cute."
The warning bell rang. Keegan waved to her friends and they all ran off in separate directions to their classrooms.
She was bummed she didn’t get to see Donald.
The morning seemed to drag on. Donald was nowhere to be found between classes and she started to wonder if he was avoiding her. It didn’t make any sense, though, because she hadn’t done anything wrong. Maybe he was sick? Hopefully she would find out at lunch.
She was relieved to see a flash of orange hair when she entered the cafeteria. Her pulse quickened as he walked toward her.
“Hey Keegan, nice flower.”
She self-consciously touched her hair. “Thanks, I think. I thought you might be sick or something. I haven’t seen you all morning.”
“Nah, I just woke up late. Let’s go grab something to eat.”
“Umm, sure.” He had never asked her to eat lunch with him before. She wanted to run over and tell Anna and Lauren, but that would be silly. They would figure out it out on their own.
Keegan grabbed a hamburger, fries and some chocolate milk. She hesitated and then grabbed a slice of cake.
“You eat a lot for a girl.”
“I hear that all the time. One of the perks of having pointy ears is I have a high metabolism.”
“Yeah, same for me. No matter how much I eat I can’t seem to keep on any real weight.”
She looked him up and down. “You look fine to me.”
“Well, thank you.” His face was bright red; it made his blue eyes look even brighter.
Keegan had an odd urge to reach up and kiss him. Sure, great idea in the middle of the cafeteria.
“Are we going to sit with the guys?”
“Nope, I want you all to myself today. If that’s okay with you?”
“Of course it is.” Keegan smiled up at him.
Keegan couldn’t believe this was happening. After all this time, Donald was into her.
She tripped and started to fall and her tray flew through the air. Luckily, she caught herself on the way down on the corner of a nearby table. What the heck! What did I trip over? Well, if people hadn’t noticed them together before, they did now. The kids at the tables around them snickered while Keegan tried to clean up the mess.
“Keegan, it’s no big deal. I’ll go grab you another tray of food.” Donald set his tray on the table. “You look super cute when you’re clumsy.” He winked at her and walked off.
Keegan smiled as she picked up the splattered cake. Donald seemed to have a knack at defusing situations. He came back with a tray that had twice as much food as the last. “We can’t have you hungry with the big chemistry test at the end of the day.”
“Thanks.” Keegan looked around to see if anyone was staring at her. Everyone had gone back to eating and chatting, oblivious to the two of them.
“Are you ready for the test?” He asked her as they took seats across from each other at an empty table.
“Sure. I don’t have to study for science and math.” Keegan shrugged and shoved a fry in her mouth.
“Must be nice,” Donald laughed, pulling the top bun off of his hamburger before ripping open a packet of ketchup. “I have to study a lot. My mom would kill me if I got bad grades.”
Keegan was silent while she finished off her fries and watched Donald pile his burger high with vegetables and condiments. He took a bite and seemed to barely chew it before swallowing. “Keegan, do you want to go for a bike ride with me on Saturday? I’d like to show you one of my favorite places.”
“I would love that. I’m not a very good at it so I hope you don’t need me to go mountain biking.” Keegan made a face at him then took a drink of her milk.
“Well, it is in the woods, but we can hike from the road.”
“I can’t wait! Do you want me
to bring lunch for us?”
“Leave it to you to think of food.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Of course, that would be great; we could make a day out of it.”
She tried to be nonchalant about it, but within herself she danced and jumped around. Donald asked me out!
Chapter 8
Keegan was super excited. Today was her first date with Donald; they were going for a hike and picnic. She looked around her room and tried to decide what to wear. It was starting to get cool out so she knew she should dress warm. Of course, she still had to look cute.
Keegan sent Lauren a text: What should I wear on a hiking date?
With your chosen? :)
No, with Donald.
What!?? When did this happen, and why am I just finding out about it?
I’ll fill you in later, what should I wear?
I hope you know what you are doing. Wear your new black skinny jeans and that teal tight sweater to show off your curves.
Oooh great choice! What would I do without you?
Uh huh. Let me know how it goes. Donald? I still can’t believe it.
Keegan got dressed and ran down the stairs, jumping the last two with a grin.
“Where are you off to all excited?” Her mother looked over with a smile.
“I have a date with Donald. Can you throw me together a picnic lunch?”
The smile faded. “Keegan, so soon? Don’t you think you should give Rourk more time?”
“It’s just a hike mom, don’t worry.” Keegan opened the fridge and pulled out a couple of drinks. “What should I bring for food?”
“Well, you should have given me more notice so you’re stuck with sandwiches and chips.” Her mother sighed and pulled out the bread.
“That works. Make us both two sandwiches. I’m really hungry.”
“Aren’t you always?” Her mother sealed up the sandwiches, grabbed some chips, and threw them in a bag. “Here ya go. I hope you’re not gone all day. Your room is a mess.”
Keegan rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you when I get back.” She blew her mom a kiss and slammed the door behind her.
Donald didn’t have his own car so she drove over to pick him up. She blared her radio and sang along to the latest Adele, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. He sauntered out, his hands in his pockets, when she pulled in.
“So where do you want to go hiking? I guess we're skipping the bike ride?”
“You’ll see, it’s my special spot. I’ve never taken anyone there before.”
Keegan grinned. “Really? Not even the guys?”
“No one. I like to go there and think sometimes or just to be alone.”
“I have a spot like that too. It’s my favorite place to take photos. Shoot, I forgot my camera.” Keegan slammed her hand on the steering wheel.
“No biggie, you can bring it next time.” He pulled his cap a little lower and gave her a lopsided grin that made her heart flutter.
Keegan followed his directions and then turned into a hidden driveway. They jumped out and grabbed their lunch.
It was a long hike, and after a while Keegan was tired. “Are we almost there?”
“Yep, just about five more minutes.”
Donald grabbed her hand and pulled her up the last bit of the hill and Keegan stared out. “Wow, it’s amazing.” She looked down over the cliff at the assortment of colors from the leaves changing. “I feel so small up here.” She whispered. “I really wish I had my camera.”
***
Rourk was out on his daily trek in the woods trying to enjoy what was left of fall before winter took over. He still hiked in the winter, but it just wasn’t as enjoyable. He stopped in his tracks and listened intently. He could hear someone talking, which was odd since he couldn’t remember the last time he saw anyone in this part of the woods. It was very secluded.
He heard laughter and his heart dropped. Had he lost his mind? He could have sworn that it sounded just like Keegan’s laugh. But what would she be doing way up here? Rourk headed in silence toward the direction of the voices, careful not to make a sound so he didn’t startle anyone. He wanted to prove to himself he wasn’t going crazy.
When he got closer, he stopped dead in his tracks. His heart rate skyrocketed. It was Keegan and she was there with the shape-shifter. Rourk clenched his fist and closed his eyes and tried to compose himself. He opened his eyes and stood eerily, still watching. He had to will himself to stay in place. He felt like a caveman and wanted to throw her over his shoulder and drag her away from him, but he knew he couldn’t do that. He should turn and leave; however, it was like he was frozen in place. He watched while she smiled up at him and played with her hair. He cringed when she leaned over to wipe something off his face. Rourk could feel the rage building in him. He didn’t know how to bring it down.
***
He’s so cute, Keegan thought. She smiled and wiped mustard from the side of his mouth. His skin was warm even though the air was cool.
Donald wrapped his hand around her wrist as she touched his face and pulled her toward him. Keegan's heart pounded. She reached up and enveloped her hands around his neck to pull him forward. As she leaned down her head hit the bill of his cap. She giggled, embarrassed, and pulled back. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” she gasped, her face flushed as she looked down at her hands.
Donald chuckled and threw his cap to the side; his bright blue eyes were such a contrast to his pale skin and orange hair. He stared at her. “Come here.” She let his arms encircle her waist; his hands were hot even through her shirt as scooted closer to him.
Keegan’s pulse quickened and he leaned down and kissed her. Their lips met his, and his kiss was soft and light. Keegan pulled him a little closer and he kissed her with more intensity.
All of the sudden Keegan pulled back looking around. “Did you hear that?”
“It was probably just a deer.” Donald smiled and pulled her back into him.
Chapter 9
Rourk decided to check up on Keegan. Seeing her kiss the tiger on Saturday had almost destroyed him, but he’d managed to convince himself she was living in the moment. He felt unbearable jealousy when he found them together in the woods, but had managed to escape back into the woods before they saw him. He longed for a hint from her that she still cared for him.
He closed his eyes and of course, that didn’t work. All he saw was darkness. His hands clenched into fist. He hated feeling so helpless.
Keegan hadn't contacted him since their date. He didn't want to put pressure on her because he knew she needed her space, but it was just so hard to sit back and do nothing, especially when he knew Donald was having success where he’d failed. He wished someone could find a way to bring back their bond. He was obviously doing a poor job of winning her over on his own.
They weren't even supposed to meet until she turned eighteen, anyway, so he had to remind himself to just be patient. He had been given a gift in being able to be with her before their time.
He knew he shouldn't do it, but he couldn't help himself. He closed his eyes and thought of Lauren, and he suspected, Keegan was with her. She was laughing at something which brought a smile to Rourk’s face. He wished his ability allowed him to hear what was being said and to hear her laughter.
He watched Keegan jump up from her chair and run over to the orange-haired boy. She looked so excited. It was like a knife driven into his heart. He opened his eyes; he couldn't watch any longer.
Rourk grabbed his pack and decided to go on a long hike to clear his head. He felt at home in the woods. He was grateful to have work to keep him busy. At least all the training kept his mind occupied and gave him a reprieve from his thoughts of Keegan.
He couldn't help himself; eventually he checked in on Lauren again. Keegan was still there and she seemed to hang on to every word the shape-shifter said. He wished he wasn't capable of feeling the jealousy he felt. On an impulse he pulled out his phone and sent her a text. When he hit send, he cl
osed his eyes to see her reaction.
He watched Keegan look down at her phone and put it back in her purse without a reply. She turned back to the other boy. Rourk’s eyes snapped opened and his heart raced. It was true; she really felt nothing for him.
Rourk started to feel like he didn't stand a chance of winning her back and that maybe he should just leave her alone until she turned eighteen. After all, it was one of the elfin rules. She was obviously not interested in him, and he didn’t have skills in the romantic field. Perhaps if he let her obvious crush on the boy run its course she would be ready to give him a shot later on. It wasn't fair to her to make her choose. He was sure if he asked her to pick he would lose, and he couldn't handle that right now.
Rourk finished his hike and headed back home. He took a quick shower, grabbed a sandwich and read for a little while, and tried to banish the memory of Keegan’s lips touching the shape-shifter’s. After a time, sleep washed over him.
Hours later he woke with a start and knew what he had to do. He threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed the keys to his truck and headed out the door. Rourk wasn't sure where he was going so he looked it up on his GPS. The drive wasn't long and he didn't allow himself to think too much. He was afraid he would change his mind.
It was nothing special. A single glass door and picture window in a strip mall near the center of town. The bell went off as he strode into the room. Without even bothering to look around, he walked straight to the man behind the desk.