SIX

“YOU…HELPED ME.” Aden emerged from the school building to wait outside for Shannon—knowing the dreg may or may not want to walk home with him but willing to chance it. Good as he felt, he might have waited for the devil himself. Perhaps he’d even see Mary Ann in the crowd.

The last class of the day hadn’t yet let out, so for now he was alone. He pressed against the red brick at the side of the structure, partially hidden by shadows.

“Why?” he asked.

You want to attend this school, Eve said, and we want you to be happy. Of course we helped you.

“But you hate Mary Ann.”

I don’t, she said. Like you, I want to spend more time with her. She’s a mystery I’m determined to solve.

Well, I do hate her, Caleb said. Girl freaking shoves me into that black hole with barbed wire on the sides. But you like her, and I love you. The last was spoken in a grumble.

“I love you guys, too.”

He’d thought they would fight him every step of the way, screaming while he tried to take the tests, distracting him. Instead, they’d done something they’d never done before: remained quiet for an extended period of time. He’d read without interruption, solved equations without enduring commentary about how he was doing it wrong, and drew no notice from those around him because he was seemingly talking to himself.

He’d more than passed. He’d excelled.

He was smiling as a girl walked past him, her gaze nearly burning a hole in his forehead. She had the same glittery skin the woman at the supercenter had had, and Aden found himself turning away just in case she wanted to talk. And then talk some more. Thankfully, she kept moving.

And who knows, Elijah said on a sigh. Maybe Mary Ann can help us get out of here and into bodies of our own.

What a difference! Only last week Elijah had experienced that “bad feeling.” Aden wanted to ask what had changed, but didn’t, too afraid the answer might sway his companions yet again.

A bell sounded.

I’m proud of you, my man, Julian said. You’re officially a student now. How’s it feel?

Behind him, footsteps echoed. Even from here, he could hear the slam of lockers and the murmur of voices.

“Feels great. But, uh, maybe we could try the quiet thing more often,” Aden suggested.

All four laughed as if he’d just told a joke about Caleb getting hot.

He stepped into the sunlight, watching the front door. Kids spilled out in a rush.

Julian was the first to calm. You, at least, can move around when you’re bored. We’re stuck. Talking is the only thing we can do. Our only distraction.

“H-hey,” a familiar voice said from behind him.

Aden whipped around, not liking having someone at his back. Shannon stood there, peering at the parking lot rather than Aden. Where had he come from and how had Aden missed him? Then he spied other kids coming out of other doors and realized there was more than one exit.

“Hey,” he replied. Bummer. No way he could watch every door for Mary Ann.

“L-listen,” Shannon said. There was a hard gleam in his eyes. Rough first day? “I know w-we don’t like each other and y-you’ve got no reason to trust m-me, but we’ve only g-got each other h-here. And, well, if you’ll guard m-my back, I’ll g-guard yours.”

His eyes widened with shock.

“So, truce?”

Seriously? He didn’t know if a truce would mean they’d also look out for each other at the ranch, too, but he didn’t care. “Truce,” he said. Honestly, could this day get any better?

“Shannon, you forgot your syllabus.”

Aden recognized the lilting female voice, but it was the surge of needle-sharp wind over his skin, the moans—and then the silence—that told him exactly who approached. Mary Ann. The day could get much better, it seemed.

His gaze quickly found her. Her arm was extended, a piece of paper clutched between her fingers.

Shannon turned. His shoulders immediately hunched, as if he wanted to hide inside himself.

Aden’s heart began slamming against his ribs. Finally. He was with her again.

The sun gleamed behind her, framing her in gold. She tripped over her own feet when she spotted him, her skin leaching of color. Thankfully, she didn’t hit the ground, just slowed her step and lowered her arm.

“Aden?”

“Hello, Mary Ann.” The urge to hug her returned. So did the urge to run. Caleb would have said she was heaven and hell wrapped in the same pretty package. A friend and a foe. Both a hunter and the prey.

Wary, she stopped in front of him. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

Had she preferred it that way? Her neutral tone gave nothing away. “As of today, I’m a student here.”

“That’s wonder—Your eyes,” she said, blinking up at him. “They’re blue. But I thought they were black. Or rather, lots of colors then black. Not one solid color.”

So. She’d noticed the way they changed each time one of the souls spoke. He fused his top and bottom lashes, blocking the color from her view. “They change with what I wear,” he lied. A lie he used often.

“Oh,” she said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

How could he ever have mistaken her for his brunette? he wondered. Even momentarily? Yes, they both had dark hair and yes, both were pretty, but up close, he could see that Mary Ann was more planes and angles; Vision Girl was more curved. Mary Ann even had a few freckles scattered over her nose, while Vision Girl had none.

“I—I should g-go,” Shannon said to him, acting as if Mary Ann weren’t present.

Mary Ann hugged the paper she held to her chest. Her gaze darted between them. “You two know each other?”

Both he and Shannon nodded.

“OOh.” Fear sparked in her eyes, and she backed up a step.

Was she frightened of him? Why? She hadn’t seemed afraid of him at the coffeehouse.

“You live with…Dan Reeves?” she asked.

Ah. Now he understood. She knew about the ranch, feared the boys inside…and what they’d done to be sent there. He didn’t want to lie to her—again—this girl he so badly wanted to befriend, but he didn’t want to confirm her fears, either. So he ignored the question. “My official first day here is tomorrow. Maybe we have a few classes together.” Hopefully.

“S-see you at the h-house, Aden,” Shannon said, clearly done waiting. He ripped the paper from Mary Ann’s hands.

She gasped as Aden said his goodbyes. “See you, Shannon.”

Shannon walked away without another word.

Aden and Mary Ann stood in silence for several seconds, kids rushing around them, brushing their shoulders, eager to reach the buses or their rides.

“He’s shy,” Aden said to excuse the dreg.

“I noticed.” Mary Ann squared her shoulders and her pretty features glazed with determination. “Look, I’ve felt bad for the past week about the way I treated you at Holy Grounds. I’ve wanted to apologize over and over again.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me,” he assured her. She might have been in a hurry to ditch him that day, but she hadn’t called him a freak or made him feel like one. In his world, that was, like, the royal treatment.

“I do,” she insisted. “I was rude. I would have called, but I didn’t have your number.”

“Seriously, no worries. I would have called you eventually.” He stared down at his feet, realized what he was doing, and forced himself to straighten. “I just, well, I was sick. I spent six days in bed.”

Sympathy softened the angle of her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks.” He smiled over at her. This was the longest conversation he’d ever had with someone. Well, without being interrupted by his companions or losing track of what was being said. He never wanted it to end. “Maybe we could meet here tomorrow and you could show me around.”

Mary Ann hooked a lock of hair behind her ear, cheeks suddenly blooming with red. “I, uh, well…”

Had he pushed for too much too soon? Had he made her uncomfortable again? Suddenly, he hated not being able to talk to Eve. He needed advice. Needed to know the best way to befriend a girl, the right things to say.

In the end, he opted for the truth. “I’m not trying to score or anything, I swear. Besides Shannon, you’re the only person I know at this school and I could really use a friend.”

“A friend.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“Only a friend,” he said, and he meant it. Vision Girl was the only one he was looking to date.

The chewing continued as she shifted from one foot to the other. “I have to tell you something, but I’m afraid it will hurt your feelings. And you may not want to be my friend once you know.”

That sounded bad. Really bad. His stomach twisted into a thousand knots. “Tell me anyway. Please.” He could take it. Whatever it was. Maybe.

“I feel…strange when I’m with you.” The color returned to her cheeks. “God, that sounds even worse out loud.”

He wondered…was it possible? Did she feel the wind and the sickness too? “Strange how?”

“I don’t know. Like I’m being pummeled by a freak wind and my skin is crawling, and I know that’s a horrible thing to say, and I’m so sorry. I really am. But then when that sensation finally fades, I have the weirdest desire to first hug you like you’re my brother or something and then—”

“Run,” he finished for her. It was possible. They had the same reaction to each other.

Her eyes widened. “Yes!”

“I feel the same way.”

“You do?” she asked, relief and confusion giving way to insult. Her mouth curled into the cutest grimace.

He nodded, unable to stop his grin.

“What do you think it means?”

Both attracted and repelled, he thought. Like the magnets he’d played with as a child. One side possessed a positive pole. One side possessed a negative pole. When two different sides were pressed together, they bonded. When two like sides were pressed together, they created pressure, repelling each other. Were they like magnets?

And if so, did that mean she was like him? Or his opposite?

He studied her more intently. Did she know anything about the supernatural? If she didn’t, and he started babbling about raising the dead and trapped souls, she would call him a freak. He would ruin his chances with her.

“I have to get home,” he said, opting for escape. Hopefully, he would have figured this out by morning. “I’m on curfew, but I would love to talk to you tomorrow and—”

“Mary Ann,” a boy suddenly called. Footsteps clomped, then an arm was wrapping around her waist. The owner of that arm was wide and as solid as a boulder. “Who you talking to, babe?”

She closed her eyes for a moment and pushed out a firm breath. “Tucker, this is Aden. One of the new students and my…friend. Aden, this is Tucker. My boyfriend.”

Friend. She’d called Aden a friend. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Nice to meet you, Tucker.”

Tucker’s iron-gray gaze flicked to Aden’s shirt and the insulting words scribbled there. He chuckled. “Cute.”

Aden lost his grin. He’d been flying so high all day—passing tests, making truces and friends—he’d forgotten about the T-shirt. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t you beat feet and join your friend S-Stutter.” It was a command, not a question. “Mary Ann and I have things to discuss.”

Message received. He and Tucker would not be friends. That was fine with him. Only person he cared about right now was Mary Ann. Well, and Vision Girl, but she wasn’t here. Where was she? What was she doing?

“See you around, Mary Ann,” he said.

She smiled, and it was warm and genuine. “I’ll meet you here in the morning and show you around.”

A muscle ticked under Tucker’s eye. “I’m sure he’s busy. Isn’t that right, Crazy?”

Aden knew his next words would define the type of hate-filled relationship he and Tucker would have. If he agreed, Tucker would feel superior, assume Aden was properly intimidated and taunt him for his weakness. If he didn’t, Tucker would view him as a competitor for Mary Ann’s attention and attack every chance he got.

He couldn’t afford another enemy, but he raised his chin, refusing to back down. “I’m not busy at all. I’ll see you in the morning, Mary Ann.” He nodded to them both and ambled away as if he hadn’t a care.

 

MARY ANN WALKED TUCKER to the football field for practice, calmly but firmly explaining that calling people names like “Crazy” and “Stutter” was how they developed complexes and why they later needed therapy.

“You should thank me for the future business, since you want to be a shrink,” he said, rounding on her.

She was so shocked by his response, she stood with her mouth hanging open. He’d never talked to her so sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed. “Well, I’m waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

“First, for that thank-you I mentioned. Then you need to tell me you won’t see that guy again. I don’t like him and I don’t like the way he was looking at you. And if he ever does it again, I will knock his teeth right out of his mouth.”

The menace radiating off him was like needle pricks in her skin. She actually found herself backing up. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way? “You’ll stay away from him, Tucker. Do you hear me? I don’t want you hurting him. And just so you know, I’ll be friends with whoever I want. If you don’t like it, you can…we can…”

“You are not breaking up with me,” he growled, crossing his arms over his chest. “I won’t allow it.”

That hadn’t been on her mind, but she suddenly found herself contemplating the idea. The Tucker standing in front of her was not the Tucker she knew. This Tucker wasn’t making her feel pretty or special; this Tucker, with his scowl and his threats, was alarming her.

This was the Tucker who had somehow helped throw a snake at Shannon—which she still needed to question him about. This was someone who had laughed at another person’s fear. This was a Tucker she didn’t like.

“You can’t stop me if that’s what I decide,” she said.

To her surprise, his expression immediately softened. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have butted in like that. I just want you safe. Can you blame me for that?” Oh, so gently, he reached out and traced a fingertip along her cheek.

She moved away from his touch. “Look, I—” she began, but one of the football players called for his help.

Oblivious to the tension still rolling through her, Tucker kissed the cheek he’d just caressed. “We’ll talk tomorrow, all right?” He didn’t wait for her reply but rushed off.

Reeling, she turned and headed toward the parking lot. What was she going to do with that boy? The way he’d treated Shannon and then Aden, and then callously excused his behavior…the way he’d expected her to thank him…she ground her teeth together. Yeah, he’d apologized. But had he meant it?

Penny’s Mustang whipped around the corner just as Mary Ann stepped from the curb. There went her ride. She could call her dad and wait for him to come get her. She could walk home alone—and perhaps be a tasty bit of wolf bait—or she could chase Aden down.

“Aden,” she called as she rushed forward. She couldn’t see him, but she knew he couldn’t have gotten far.

The sleek black wolf, taller than she remembered, bigger than she remembered, jumped out in front of her the moment she passed the line of trees that blocked off the school. She screamed, hand fluttering over her heart.

He gave an irritated growl, his green eyes bright. Settle down. I won’t hurt you.

The word yet hung in the air, unsaid but palpable.

Though the voice came from in front of her, she whipped around, expecting to see someone behind her. But no, she and the wolf were alone. “Who said that?” The words trembled from her.

As I happen to be the only one around, I think you’re safe in assuming that I did.

This time, the words came from behind her. Once more, she faced the wolf. No one was standing beside him. “This isn’t funny,” she said, a little more substance to the words now. Her gaze tripped left, right. Breath sawed in and out of her throat. Hot. Too hot, burning. “Who’s there?”

I love being ignored, I really do. Look, I’m big, I’m black. I’m right in front of you.

She scanned the bright emerald foliage around her. There was no sign of life. “I told you. This isn’t funny.”

You’re wasting time searching for someone else, little girl.

Again her attention fell to the wolf and she laughed without humor. “You can’t be talking to me. You just can’t. You’re a…you are…you’re not human.”

Smart of you to notice. You’re right about the other thing, too. I’m not talking. Out loud.

No, he wasn’t. His harsh voice was echoing inside her mind, she realized, dazed. “This is ridiculous. Impossible.”

One day you’ll laugh about what you just said, because baby, I’m about to open your eyes to a whole new world. Werewolves are just the beginning.

“Shut up!” Mary Ann rubbed her temples. More than ridiculous, this was insane. Utterly insane. Or rather, she was insane. This had to be a hallucination. Nothing else explained it. A wolf—or rather, a werewolf—who had walked her to school and clearly waited for her. A werewolf who was speaking directly into her mind.

What would her father say?

She thought she knew the answer. That she’d been working too hard, not resting enough, never enjoying herself, and this was her mind’s way of taking a vacation. He’d tried to warn her this morning, in fact.

What if, now that she’d fallen over the edge, she needed medication? The thought scared her, and she laughed without humor. She didn’t want this kind of breakdown in her medical files; most likely, it would haunt her for the rest of her life, ruining her chances of landing the internship she wanted. Who would trust her to handle their problems when she couldn’t handle her own?

Bye-bye fifteen-year plan.

But maybe, just maybe, this is real, she told herself, part of her clinging to the hope. There was only one way to find out.

Mary Ann inched forward and stopped before she bumped into the creature’s nose. “There’s a difference between a wolf and a werewolf?” she babbled to break the silence. Do it. Just do it. Gulping, she lifted her arm.

Of course there is. One is merely an animal, the other is capable of being a man. Now, what are you doing?

Though she’d expected him to speak this time, she was still surprised and jerked away with a yelp. If she was wrong, if he was more than a hallucination, he could bite her. Maim her. Kill her. Don’t chicken out now.

“Don’t you already know what I’m doing? Can’t you read my mind? I mean, you can talk inside it.” A figment of her imagination would be able to read her mind, right?

No, I can’t read thoughts. But I can see auras, the colors around you. Those colors tell me what you are feeling, making it easy to guess what you’re thinking. But right now your colors are so jumbled I can’t see anything.

“Well, I plan on touching you. If you’ll just hold still, please.” Great, now she was issuing orders, expecting him to understand. Could this be a joke? Was someone filming this, intending to laugh about her gullibility later? Surely not. No way could someone fake projecting a voice into her head. “If you bite me, I’ll…I’ll…”

He actually rolled his eyes. You’ll what? Bite me back? With those puny teeth?

There wasn’t a reply that would intimidate so irreverent a beast, so she remained quiet. And he remained in place, not even blinking as she reached out again, her index finger ready to poke. She was trembling and hesitant. Finally, skin met fur. Soft, silky fur.

“You’re real,” she gasped out. This was no hallucination. He was real, and he was freaking talking inside her mind, reading her aura. How were those things possible? Even more unbelievable, he claimed he was a werewolf, capable of changing into a human. That was…that was…Dear Lord.

A moan escaped him. Scratch behind my ear.

Still too dazed to process what was going on, she automatically pressed deeper, harder, massaging him.

He uttered another moan, snapping her back to her senses.

Hello. Anyone home? she thought. You’re willingly prolonging contact.

Her arm fell to her side, suddenly too heavy to hold up. “You’re real,” she said again. Which meant she wasn’t crazy. She should have jumped for joy, but couldn’t force her body into motion. She was talking to a werewolf, person, thing, the ordinary world she’d woken up to no longer the world she inhabited. That wasn’t exactly cause for celebration.

For a moment, he gave no response. Just closed his eyes, seeming to enjoy the lingering effects of her touch. Then his eyelids popped open, the green fierce and glittering, and he snarled at her. Let’s get down to business, shall we? What do you know of the boy?

He. Was. Real. “Boy? What boy? I don’t know why you’re following me, but you can stop. You’ve got the wrong girl.” Were there others out there, watching her? Had they always been here, able to communicate, and she just hadn’t known? Wildly she looked left and right, panic building. When she saw no one, nothing, she backed away until she was pressed against the jagged bark of a tree trunk. “Seriously, you can go now.”

Last time I’ll ask nicely, little girl, and then I’ll start demanding. You do not want that to happen, Mary Ann. Trust me.

First, he knew her name. The knowledge jolted her. Second, the words themselves were threatening. But the way he said them, so matter-of-factly, lent them a truth that all the shouting in the world couldn’t have provided. If she didn’t answer, he would force her. With claws, with teeth. Whatever was required.

He stalked toward her, slow and sure, closing the distance between them. What do you know of the boy?

He reached her and rose up, placing his front paws beside her temples, boxing her in.

The blood rushed from her head and pooled in her legs, making her head dizzy and her limbs all the heavier. “What boy?” she managed to gasp out.

I believe his name is Aden.

This was about Aden? “Why do you want to know about him?”

He ignored the question. You spoke to him. What did you talk about?

“Nothing personal, I swear. All I know is that he’s a new student at my school. You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

Again, he ignored her. What about the other boy? The one you escorted to the stadium.

“That’s Tucker. I’m dating him. Kind of. Maybe. It might be over. I think. Are you planning on hurting him?”

Suddenly the wolf growled, another of those low and menacing rumbles that danced over her nerve endings as delicately as a flutter of wings yet still managed to cut her up and leave her bare. Then she heard why he was suddenly ready to slaughter. Footsteps pounded through the grass, crunching against leaves and acorns. He stiffened and swung around, ready to face the threat.

Aden suddenly burst from the trees, sweat glistening over his face and causing the shirt Tucker had taunted him about to stick to his chest.

“Mary Ann,” he gasped out. “What’s wrong?” Then he spotted the wolf and stilled, ready to defend and protect. “Move around the tree. Slowly.” Gaze never leaving his foe, he bent and withdrew two daggers from his boots.

Her jaw dropped. He carried daggers?

The wolf reared back on its haunches, preparing to attack.

“No, please no,” she cried out. “Don’t fight.” Not once, in all her life, had she ever pictured herself in the middle of something like this.

“Go home, Mary Ann,” Aden demanded. He crouched, determined. “Now.”

Tell him to leave us, the wolf snarled at her without removing his focus from Aden. Why wouldn’t he tell Aden himself? Could he not talk to two people at once? Or did he not want Aden to know what he was? And why was she asking herself all these questions? A battle was about to take place!

“A-Aden,” she began, attempting to move between them. The wolf twisted, blocking her path. “Don’t fight him,” she couldn’t help but plead, suddenly unsure of whom she was speaking to. All she knew was that there would be a bloodbath if one of them didn’t walk away. “Please, don’t fight him. I’m fine. We’re all fine. Let’s just go our separate ways. Okay? Please.”

Neither boy—wolf, whatever—listened to her. They circled each other, intent, panting viciously.

“Stop it, Eve,” Aden snapped, his harsh voice like a boom amidst the silence. “I need quiet.”

Eve?

Then Aden froze, blinked as if confused. He glanced at Mary Ann to ensure she was there, and frowned. “I can hear them.”

She, too, blinked in confusion. “Who?”

Enough! the wolf roared. Tell. Him. To. Go.

“He wants you to go,” she told Aden on a trembling breath. “Please go. I’ll be fine, I swear.”

“You can talk to it?” Thankfully, he didn’t sound horrified. Didn’t gaze at her as if she were insane.

“I—”

Do not say another word to him or I’ll tear out his throat. Understand?

She pressed her lips together, a small whimper escaping. Never had she felt more helpless or scared. She had no idea what to do.

“Is he threatening you?” Aden asked, soft but fierce. Not waiting for her reply, he raised his blades, the silver tips gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. “C’mere, big boy, and we’ll see if you like playing with someone more your size.”

My pleasure.

“No!” she shouted as the wolf leapt forward. Aden met him midair. Only, they didn’t collide. Aden disappeared. Actually disappeared. There one moment, gone the next.

The wolf fell to the ground, twitching, moaning. Both blades thumped uselessly beside him. Mary Ann rushed to his side, unsure of what had happened or how to react. Maybe she was in shock. There was no blood, so he hadn’t been cut.

With a shaky arm, she reached out and brushed her palm against his muzzle. Why are you touching him? common sense shouted. Run! She stayed put, her concern greater than her sense of survival. “Are you okay?”

His eyes popped open, no longer green but laced with all the colors Aden’s eyes sometimes possessed. He jolted to his feet, unsteady, swaying. Slowly he backed away from her.

When he passed the line of trees, he swung around and ran.