1
Everett
June 15th, 2022
Ileaned back in my chair, my hand gripped around the black coffee, ignoring the looks of the girls in the booth a few yards away.
I had just gotten done with a short assignment, hunting down three Initiates who had decided to go rogue. Lucky for me, their trails led me only a state away from a certain engaged couple. It was a whim, coming here.
A stupid whim.
And I would have left 15 minutes ago had I not had a certain charm digging into my thigh.
God, what was I doing?
“This is strange.”
I glanced up, taking in the blonde-haired male as he took aseat across from me. “Did you tell them?”
“You ordered me not to,” Jeremy replied, searching my eyes. “I don’t know why. Grey and Em are my family. Yours too.”
“The Family and your family are two very separate things,” I explained evenly. “The fact that you could even compare the two just shows how different our lives are from his.”
Jermey’s eyes hardened. “Greyson is a good man.”
“I never said he wasn’t.” I took a drink. “We simply come from different worlds. It’s good. We need someone like him in our lives. Keeps us…human.”
Jeremy lifted and dropped his hands. “Is that why you came to me? To figure out how they’re doing? Because the answer is—”
“No,” I replied, glancing towards the window. This city reminded me too much of Seattle. Not in weather, but the people. All strange and… unpredictable. For the first time in my life, all I wanted was to get back to Colorado. Back to her.
“Then I mean no disrespect, but why are you here?”
My eyes shifted back to his. He was guarded, which I could understand. I wasn’t particularly ‘friendly’ with the Initiates, even so, I respected Jeremy. If we did open up that school, I would push him to go through the extra years so he could train to be one of us. A Shadow. I wasn’t sure if he would make it, but there was a possibility. “I have a question.”
Jeremy’s eyes lifted. “A question?” He eyed me warily. “About what?”
I regretted this with everything I was. “Everything I say here is confidential, you understand that?” I asked, my expression hardening. “That includes your little family.”
He searched my eyes for a moment before nodding. “I understand.”
My hand tightened around my cup, my heart picking up. Fuck me, what was I doing? “I’m…” My lip curled, my stomachtwisting. I shouldn’t have come here, this was a fucking mistake.
I shook my head and shoved the cup away. “Goodbye, Jeremy.”
“You’re lucky,” he said when I went to get up.
I froze, half standing, my eyes finding his, my heart racing. “What?” I said through my teeth.
His eyes had softened, understanding coating them. “Finding someone that gives you the desire to shift.”
I watched him for a heartbeat and a half before returning to me seat, my jaw clenched tightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I got it. You know, I’ve always been jealous of Grey. He makes it look so easy being that vulnerable. Watching the rest of you guys, it’s like you guys would rather pull out your own fingernails than admit that something softened your heart, but Grey? It’s more difficult than he makes it look. Takes sacrifice, vulnerability, bravery. Jack sort of found it with Rae, I’ve seen it, but this?” He gestured to me, causing my expression to dry. “You’re acting as if you’d rather peel your own skin off than take the next step. It’s kind of sweet,” he smiled.
I glared at him. “I’ll kill you.”
He shrugged. “At least I’ll die happy. So, you met a girl,” he smiled, his eyes shining. “What next?”
