Page 2 of Scapegoat

Atlas was the closest so he waded over to the edge of the sinkhole, and that’s when I saw it. All the ways he was no longer a boy; all the ways he was becoming a man. Muscles flexed as he gripped the soft crumbling stone and he hauled himself out with little effort. Water dripped on the leaf litter.

But where there was one Campbell, there were three. Xavier tried to get out next, but Jayden grabbed his brother’s shorts, dacking him in a smooth move, then cackling as he used Xavier’s embarrassment to shove him out of the way and take his place. He was up and out of the water, running towards me, before I could even throw my hands up.

“No, Jay, no—!”

Any protests I might’ve made were cut off immediately as he wrapped his arms around me, plastering his wet flesh against mine, soaking through my clothes.

This interaction represented our relationship perfectly, as he swung me around, laughing at the sounds of my shrieks, then threw me in the air. I stiffened my body on purpose, like a gymnast, to make sure I flew higher, that exhilarating sensation of soaring through the air consuming me entirely: because with them I was freed from the constraints of my everyday life. Free to feel. I knew Jay would always catch me, his arms would lock around me, snatching me back from the air even in opposition to gravity, making sure I was safe, before setting me down on my feet. Just like he did now.

“You came…!”

As if there was any doubt. We’d been thick as thieves since we were kids, our mothers having been childhood friends. Mum had encouraged the relationship further when she saw how big and tall the boys were growing up. Jenny, their mother, had managed to attract mates who were much further up the pecking order than my family were. The boys’ dads were big men, strong men, much more than my dad, and when it became apparent that the boys might be alpha contenders, Mum had shoved me much more conspicuously towards the Campbell boys.

But I was supposed to take Anna with me whenever we met up.

“Of course, I did,” I said, punching him on the arm. “It’s hot as balls and—”

“Time for a swim then,” Jay said, who swept me into his arms and, while I was still squeaking, tossed me to his brothers. Xavier grabbed my wrists, and Atlas took my ankles, the two of them ready to engage in a familiar game.

“Guys…” They both grinned like demons as they heard the tremor in my voice. We used to do this all the time when we were kids, but they were bigger, stronger now.

“Count to three, Kaia,” Jay said, appearing in my field of vision.

“One,” Xavier announced as they swung me back and forth.

“Guys, you don’t have to…I wanna go in for a swim. I’m all sweaty and gross and…” I stammered.

The trees felt like they rushed up to meet me, then I was swung back towards the water hole.

“Two,” Atlas said, his smile widening.

“I’m going to go in anyway!” I jerked against their grip, trying to get free, but they held me fast, like they always did.

“Yeah, you are,” Jay said with a wink. “Three!”

They let me go at the top of the swing, sending me flying through the air, arms and legs flailing, right before I went crashing down.

Water, clean, with a strange earthy aftertaste, filled my nose and my mouth, first of all as I sank down and then again as I kicked for the surface. More splashes let me know that I wasn’t in the waterhole on my own anymore. When I emerged, gasping and spluttering, the three of them cackled.

“You didn’t need to throw me in!” I yelped, rising up on my tiptoes, then punching Atlas in the bicep. He just looked down at the small red mark I’d left and cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘Is that it?’

“Need, want, it’s all the same to us,” Jayden said with a shrug, then reached for me, ready to dunk me in the water again. I let out a low growl, wrapping one of my legs around his and then his knee out from under him, his brothers laughing as Jay went down.

“Don’t mess with my girl.”

Half the female population at school would’ve swooned if Xavier Campbell said that to them and I admit, I did too. Just right deep down where no one else could see. I cocked a hip instead, looking at Jay through slitted eyes as he began to rally.

“So it’s like that, is it?” Jayden growled.

“It’s always like this,” Xavier shot back. “Ready, Kai?”

Chapter 2

Some hours later we were out of the water and lying on the hot stones by the waterhole.

“There’s a party on tomorrow night,” Atlas told me with a hopeful little note to his voice. “We could go.”

His brothers were lying with their eyes closed, ostensibly asleep or not caring about what we were talking about, so perhaps that’s why he reached out, his hand sliding into the space between us. Just a tiny little brush of his pinkie finger against mine was enough to bring me to full attention, my eyes flicking open.

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