I tilted my head, considering it. The tortured look on his face sealed my decision. It wasn’t like Alistair was going to ask me, so there wouldn’t be any fanning the flames of their competition.
But before I could speak, Dean beat me to it.
“Look, if you’re hesitating because of Alistair...”
I looked up sharply. “What?”
“I was thinking, if he asks you, and I meanif,we could both take you,” he said grudgingly.
It took me a second to process what he was actually saying, since it seemed so out of character, but that made it all the more touching.
“What?” he grumbled.
I leaned up and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise and he touched the spot on his cheek. “What was that for?”
“For being sweet,” I said, smiling.
He heaved a big sigh in protest and mumbled, “Yeah, whatever.” But the damage to his “reputation” was already done. He might have been a werewolf, but he was one of the kindest people I’d ever met.
Chapter 18
Alistair
Three setsof soulless blue eyes stared back at me from across the rooftop. The winter air bit at the exposed muscle on my face since my mask had gotten knocked off by the last wraith’s attack.
Before stepping into the simulation, I overrode the safety protocols to set the difficulty level to maximum, so every wound I sustained here would leave its mark when I left. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but wraiths were known for carrying silver weapons, and the three apparitions before me were no exception.
A vampire would never heal from a wound inflicted by silver. That, I knew all too well.
I adjusted my grip on the three steel shuriken tucked between my fingers on both hands and ran forward, unleashing the targeted blades the moment I sensed movement in my opponents. Two of them hit immediately, my targets turning to ash that blew into my face when the direction of the wind changed, making it impossible to dodge the third.
Shit.The wraith’s silver dagger cut into my bicep as I sailed past, and I rolled to a stop just before the edge of the rooftop. By the time I turned around, the deathly pale creature was crouched and ready to spring once more. Its unnaturally large mouth opened wide, and it unleashed an ear-piercing shriek.
It had been years since one of these simulated enemies had gotten a hit on me. Fortunately, it wouldn’t be counted against my scores for the Task Force since it was just an extra training session, not one that was being recorded.
As an upperclassman on the Elite track, I had more freedom in my coursework than most--and the freedom to conceal carry weapons, in the event of an emergency. I’d gone through most of the lectures already, save for a senior seminar on advanced regulatory policy, so I spent most of my days either sparring or taking part in increasingly realistic simulations. Since moving in with Bells, I had given up my habit of squeezing in extra sessions at all hours. Tutoring her felt like an infinitely better use of my time, even if it meant putting up with Dean's smartass remarks from across the room, but lately, I’d been avoiding our block.
The winter formal was coming up, and I hated myself for how much I cared. It wasn’t as if I’d ever participated in the other non-mandatory school functions. All of a sudden, I cared about things like dances, even if it was only because of her.
I figured making myself distant would at least make things less awkward for her. I was also sure Dean had already asked her, and even if he hadn’t yet, it was only a matter of time. The choice was obvious, and removing myself from the equation would save us both time.
If I told myself that enough, maybe I’d believe it.
Out of shuriken, I drew the long blade clipped to the belt fastened around my thigh. It was a mistake to load a simulation with the safety off when I was already so out of sorts, and I knew I needed to end this before I could make another stupid mistake.
The moment I plunged the dagger into the wraith’s heart, it let out another scream before dissolving in a cloud of ash. I paused to catch my breath as the highly detailed simulation broke apart into a glowing green grid. When I sensed I wasn’t alone in the room, I spun around, my blade raised.
When I saw the werewolf standing by with his usual cocky expression in place, I grabbed my mask and hastily put it back on.
“So you do have some self-preservation instincts,” he mused. If he’d seen the extent of my injuries, he didn’t let on. I was pretty sure he’d never let it go if he had. Just something else he could hold over my head.
“Are you insane or just an idiot?” I snarled. “The security parameters are off. You could’ve been killed. How did you even get in, anyway?”
He shrugged, seemingly not offended in the least. “Like you said, the security parameters are off,” he said, knocking on the doorframe he was leaning on.
I scowled in irritation. I’d have to figure that out for next time. “Right,” I muttered, instinctively wiping the dust off my clothes even though it had faded with the rest of the sim. “What do you want that couldn’t wait for tonight?”
“Hey, I’m here for Bells. Not to be a dick, for once,” he replied, surprising me with his sudden self-awareness. “So you can drop the attitude.”
