Page 50 of Blood Moon
“Whoa, whoa.” I stepped between them. “Really?” I said, directing my attention to Seven, but he wouldn’t look at me, too focused on watching how Julian would react.
Gently, Julian placed an arm out to move me to the side—an action that set Seven off. Suddenly, they were face-to-face, chests heaving as Seven stared down at Julian. “Don’ttouch her,” he growled.
Julian smirked, tilted his chin toward him. “Too late for that.”
My mouth fell slack as I gasped, appalled by the obscenity of this. Neither noticed me, too focused on each other. Like a child, I stomped my feet, making a sound of disgust. It took all of me to resist shoving them into the grass.
Seven was the one who broke first. Even in the brilliant sunlight, his colorful eyes darkened. It wasn’t a second later that he sent a blow to the center of Julian’s chest. The hit barely knocked him off his feet, and he came back like a spring, mouth twisting in a sneer.
Students shifted in whispers around us as they formed a circle. Some pulled out their phones while others watched with wide eyes. I was moments away from yelling before someone—a boy I’d seen on the football team—pulled Seven by his letterman jacket. Seven didn’t give, and another player joined, hauling him back.
“It’s a neutral zone,” one of them whispered.
“We’ll deal with it elsewhere,” the other one said.
Seven twisted out of their grip, adjusted himself, only to spit in Julian’s direction. “Next time, I’ll end you.” He left after, and I watched as he pushed his friends away.
Julian reached for me, and I backed away. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Mira, I’m s—”
I stormed away, frustrated by the reminder that Julian was as awful as he’d said he was, and burned by the new reality that Seven wasn’t as gentle as I’d made him out to be.
CHAPTER26
The moonlight conspired for us to be together.
Article VII, Lost Letters from Aadan the First
A bouquet of flowers sat in a vase outside my dorm room, blooming with pink and coral petals. An envelope was secured between two of them.
Stevie and Em gasped simultaneously. We’d all just come from dinner. “Flowers,” Stevie said, a hand to her chest. “From whom?” She plucked the envelope from the bouquet, finding my name printed on it.
“Forme?” I said, my brows squishing in the middle of my face.
Em picked up the bouquet while I opened the door. “It’s probably from one of your boyfriends.”
I sighed. “Not a thing.”
“Mira, we all saw the way Seven looked at you at the party the other day. And then Julian carried you in his arms—like, in his arms,” she motioned after we were inside. “Why else would he do that? We could have carried you out fine,” she said, and she flexed. She was right; I’m sure they had it under control.
“God, I don’t know,” I said, pulling my hair out of the ponytail it’d been in all day.
Em set the flowers on the table and stared at the paper in my hands. “The anticipation is killing me.”
“Yeah, open it,” Stevie agreed.
I slid my finger between the fold, pulling it out quickly to break the seal. A dark red met me upon release, blood splattering onto the paper and the petals below. “Oh,” I muttered, dropping the envelope.
Stevie rushed for a tissue, and Em scurried backward, face blanching before she covered her mouth. Stevie and I shared a look of bewilderment.
“Are you okay?” Stevie asked.
Em looked away. “I’m super squeamish around blood.”
“Do you want to sit?” I asked.
Em considered it for a moment, brows knitting together. As we awaited a response, Stevie hurried to grab our trash can, placed it close to where Em stood.
