Page 83 of Blood Moon
“They?”I pulled away from him. “Are they here? Where?”
Julian searched the crowd again, head cocked at an angle like he was listening for an alert. When he redirected his focus, he said urgently, quietly, “Whatever happens, just promise me you won’t be alone with him.”
I scurried to look around at the bodies of people enjoying themselves. “What?With who?” Julian didn’t repeat what he’d said. He looked at me with this wide stare, as if to say,You know this, and I shook my head more times than I meant to. He was referring to Seven, my date, my friend, my ride home. “Why?” I asked, and I pressed my arms to my center.
“Nothing here is as it seems,” he mumbled, but before he could say more, Seven approached, a look in his eyes. It wasn’t jealousy, or anger. Rather, he looked concerned. He stepped between Julian and I, and I grasped his sullenness as he looked from Julian to me.
“Everything okay?” he asked, but I knew he was talking to me. Only now, I was in a state of astonishment, unsure what to do. What did Seven have to do with any of this, and why would Julian warn me not to be alone with him? He wouldn’t be so wrecked about this … unless Sevenwasn’thuman.
And that was when it clicked. The world constricted into a thin, swallowing line, and I screamed internally.Oh, my god. Oh, my god.The feud between the two of them. The promise of payback. Seven’s friend mentioning how the campus was a “neutral zone.” He was a wolf, probably from a different pack, and it all made sense now. How had I missed the signs before?
I regarded Julian, hoping he would say more, hoping he would pull me to the side and explain himself. I wanted him to be straight with me, to confirm what I’d only just understood. Instead, his body tensed, and I could see he was restraining himself. I sighed, realizing he was only letting me down again. “Yeah, everything’s okay,” I finally said, and I took Seven’s hand. He held it tightly as we walked away from Julian, and I snatched it from him, making a sound.
“Seven, what the hell? That hurt.”
His brows dropped. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said, stammering. “I didn’t realize how tight that was. I was just trying to get you out of that situation. Was Julian bothering you?”
“No,” I said, even though the answer was yes. What bothered me was the fact that Julian was leaving me in the dark again.
Seven looked toward where Julian and I had been on the dance floor, biting down hard. “I don’t trust that guy.”
But I was unsure if I still trusted him, too. “What’s up with the two of you, anyway?” I asked, hoping he’d tell me since Julian wouldn’t, but the odds were low. If Seven was bound to some oath in the same way Julian was, he wouldn’t be permitted to say anything.
Seven shook his head. “I’d rather not talk about it,” he said, and of course.Of course.He relaxed his shoulders, took a breath. “Want to dance?”
I scowled. More secrets. I hated that this kept happening, but now I felt divided. Really, what reason did Julian have to lie to me about Seven? If he were being untruthful, why would he choose to do so today, of all days? It didn’t add up. And if Seven really was a werewolf, was he even safe for me to be around? I was so unsure. I felt trapped.
“You sure everything’s okay?” Seven’s voice was almost a whisper compared to the music, and this time, when he held my hand, it was gentle. I glanced at the crowd, the tables, hoping to catch the familiar face of one of my friends. I could use them as an excuse to be distant and catch a ride home while I figured this mess out.
However, the longer I looked, the clearer it became that my friends were nowhere to be found. At least, not in the main hall. “Do you know where my friends are?” I asked, bypassing his last question.
“They said they had a plug, and I guess one of them didn’t want to go alone, so they all went.”
I grumbled, exasperated by literally everything. “Do you know how long they’ve been gone?”
Seven pushed his lips to the side, shrugged. “I don’t, sorry.” He looked at me again, brows pressing in as a sadness came to. “Mira, you seem upset.”Heavens.What was I doing? What if I was wrong about Seven? What if everything was fine and I was overreacting? And then, what if I wasn’t?
I swallowed. “I just need a second,” I said, and I turned and hurried out of the ballroom before he could stop me. I headed for the nearest distraction while I contemplated what I’d do. Even Julian had left, scurried away like a freaking scared dog, so if I wanted to ask him for clarity, I had no way to access him.
I stood in line at the drink table, grabbed a cup of whatever punch was provided. I kept my vision on the entrance, in the hopes that my friends would stroll through. But after a few minutes, nothing changed, and Seven appeared with a hesitant smile on his face.Shit.
“Ready for another dance?” He held his hand out, and I kept my free hand pressed to my side. I felt bad for leaving him on the dance floor, and the dread in his eyes told me I needed to fix this, only I didn’t know how.
And it was that look—thatinnocence—that made it hard to understand why Julian wanted me to stay away from Seven, when Seven had been the highlight of the evening. Not long ago, while we danced, I’d convinced myself of the ease of him, how he could be someone who was good for me.
I looked at him again, remembering the times he’d made sure I got home safe, the late-night walks we’d had, the way he checked on me frequently, without a reminder. He was sun in my rainy forest, water in my endless desert. How could this guy, standing in front of me with those wide eyes and dimples, be someone to fear? It wasthat—all our history—that advised me I could trust Seven. He’d been a good friend, and at times, more than that.
I gulped the rest of my drink down. “You know, you were right. I’m not feeling too good.” It was a different plan, one that included a lie. A lie I felt awful about, but a plan that would at least take me back to my dorm. From there, I could stay with Bobby for the weekend. He wouldn’t question me too much, but hewasBobby. I’m sure he’d find a way around it.
Seven’s face dropped. “Oh,” he said, assessing me. “Um, I can take you back to campus, if that’s what you want.”
“You sure?” I asked. I wanted to give him an out, or at least a reason to change my mind. “I’d feel awful because there’s still so much of the event left.”
“No—” He nodded. “It’s okay, please don’t feel bad,” he assured. Another reminder that he was earnest, that he had a good heart. “If you don’t feel well, I want you to be able to take care of yourself. I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Okay.” Already, I felt lighter. Seven seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, too.
The evening left a wetness on the black pavement and a chill that emitted a dense fog. Seven placed his suit jacket promptly over my shoulders to keep me warm. While we walked, he told me how much fun he’d had, even if it was for a small amount of time, and he wanted to know if there was anything he could get me to help me feel better. He even offered to watch a movie with me once we returned.
