Page 15 of Just One Bite
Her words are a knife in the gut. At least someone misses my father’s company. He was a professor for Interspecies Communication. I faintly remember the tapes my mother would show of his presentations. She was his biggest fan. Without my father’s connections, we’d have never been able to pay for the tuition. It was a shock to me when I learned what he’d done. I wasn’t sure what shocked me more, the fact I’d been able to attend the school I’d been dreaming about all my life after spending years coming to terms with the knowledge my dad would never let us out of his sight, or the fact that he’d changed his mind.
I still don’t know why. Emma and Eva never press him on whys, and when I do, I’m the bad guy, so I didn’t and packed up my stuff early summer and laid low in case he changed his mind.
“I do hope he’s taking care of himself.”
“He’s fine.” I can’t hide the flatness in my voice.
She must sense it because she changes the subject. “I see you’ve already met our star Rage captain.”
“Rage?” I’m trying to recall which sport that is through hazy memories of knowledge on supernatural sports teams. I didn’t watch a lot of news or TV in Groveshire. Especially not any sports, and especially not anything humans can’t play.
“It’s where we pass around a puck on the ice and fight each other.” Parker smiles.
“Like hockey?”
“Yeah, but not. It’s rougher. The humans got it from us.”
“It’s a way for many packs to blow off all that energy and gently settle disputes. Here at Doxlothia, we founded Vviveren’s first combined species team with Weres and vampires. We take a lot of pride in our players,” Mrs. Abrams adds.
The memory of Parker’s scarred body comes to mind.
“Parker is this year’s Rage captain. The youngest we’ve ever had.”
“Wow.” I try to hide the sarcasm.
“I had a good captain last year,” he says.
The nurse is busy hooking me up to a blood bag, and there’s no pain to it.She mumbles to me about how far they’ve come in pain management.
Parker stays for the duration of my visit, and I’m thankful for his small talk with the nurse. It helps as the sickness slowly leaves my body until I’m able to function again.
It takes an hour, and I missed the welcome speech, but I don’t mind it.
“Why did you stop me earlier?” I ask, as Parker and I make it out onto the lawn. The night air is brimming with glowing bugs that disappear with the light from the orientation stage coming into view.
“Things work differently here. If you tell the dean that Darien attacked you, he’s going to make your life difficult.”
“More difficult than he’s already made it?”
“Darien is mostly harmless, but his family is on the board of directors, and that, you should be afraid of. He’s on the council. If you do anything to mess with their ability to go to school here, they will find a way to get you sent out of here first.”
“I’m not afraid.”
I’ve dealt with difficult people before. Ballet is full of all types of people. Some are rigid and domineering and will do anything to get to the top.
“It’s not about being afraid. There are just better ways to use your time here than picking fights.”
“You’re one to talk. Sounds like you end up in the infirmary a lot.”
“I do.” He straightens his shoulders and leans in. Then I’m back to thinking about the warmth his skin admits. “Listen, Olivia, Doxlothia is an amazing place. You like to dance?”
“I more thanlikedance. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Then trust me, you can’t get to the top by picking fights with the council.”
“So I’m just supposed to let them do what? Drain me any time they feel like?”
“No. I can help with that. I’ll talk to my pack and see if there’s anything we can do to get you protection for the semester at least.”
