Even though not one of them had any physical signs. In fact, they looked almost exactly as they had in high school. Jason stood in front, blond and blue-eyed and all bully-boy energy. That fucking letterman jacket still on his back, like he’d just arrived from central casting for the villain role in an eighties high school movie. Like he’d peaked in that role, and never moved past it.
And it was the same with the two flanking him, Jordan and Tyler. The former too red-haired and pasty-skinned to ever be considered as attractive as the others. The latter with that dough-faced, small-eyed, buzz-cut look the girls had gone wild over, in a way she had never understood.
Hell, she’d never understood whyanyonewent wild over any of them.
They looked like jackals to her.
And even more so now, with that animal energy radiating off them. It made her prickle in places she couldn’t name. She wanted to spray them all with the lemon potion, and watch them smack their own faces instead of hers.
Though really, it was Seth she was most concerned for.
Because it seemed that he was their focus. “Well, hey there, buddy, long time no see,” Jay said. And the others tittered, until a look from Jay made them fall silent. As if some kind of alpha hierarchy did exist among wolves.
But just for these assholes, obviously.
These are the ones Seth was talking about when he said the only other werewolves around here are not good people, she thought, and knew she was right. It was obvious even before he replied. She could feel him urging her to move behind him, so skillfully and subtly she barely knew it was happening. Until his body blocked her view of them.
And he sounded mad as hell when he answered.
“I’m not your buddy,” he said. “So get the fuck out of here.”
But in answer they only sniggered and hooted.
Then just as abruptly fell silent, in a way that had always creeped her out. Like they didn’t really understand what laughter was, and only did it to imitate real human behavior. Just before they did something so soulless, you sort of doubted they were.
And god, she didn’t want to know how soulless they could be, now that they had fangs and superhuman strength and who knows what else. She didn’t want to look at Jay’s suddenly blank, flat-eyed expression, or hear him sneer, “Ooohhh, big talk now that you’ve got your little girlfriend with you.” While knowing that he could probably bite her arm off.
It was too unsettling. And not just because of the horrifying mixture of that coldness, and the high school gibe, and the idea of them being able to do something incredibly brutal. No—therewas also how it affected Seth. Immediately, like they’d hit a button marked sore spot.
“Just shut the fuck up. She’s not my girlfriend,” he said, so fiercely it almost stung her.
Who cares if they think I am, she wanted to say to him.We both know it will never be a thing. But of course she couldn’t. Because doing so would have felt like admitting that she thought it might have been. It gave those three power over her.
And they already had enough as it was.
“Yeah, so you always said. But it’s all these years later and here you two are, thick as thieves. Practically hugging each other in front of us. Flirting in the woods. Being concerned about what the big bad wolves might do to you,” Jason said.
While Seth stood like stone.
For a second, she thought he wasn’t even going to respond. But then he did, he did. “We’re not hugging, and we weren’t flirting, and if you try to do anything to her I might have to slap your goddamn faces off your smug little skulls,” he snarled.
Which, if she was being honest, made even her look at him.
So there was no surprise that his statement got a strong reaction from the Jerks. Jason’s face twisted into an even uglier expression than he’d worn before, all deep furrows above his usually perfect nose, lip curled high enough that she could see how sharp his teeth were. And the other two could barely contain themselves. Tyler actually started barking and snarling; Jordan lunged forward.
Only Jason’s raised hand stopped them. Though even then, Jordan tried to protest.
“Can we get them now? I want to eat her, I’m hungry,” he whined, and two things happened when he did. She thought automatically, blankly,Oh, we are in even more trouble than I initially thought. And Sethsnarled. He snarled and jerked forward in almost the exact way Jordan had done.
Like a dog on a leash, she thought.
Only in Seth’s case, the leash was her.
She put a hand out and grabbed his arm, instinctively. Thenwas pretty shocked when he didn’t yank away. He obeyed her, even though she could feel the wolf inside him, buzzing just beneath his skin. She could sense it pushing against the potion on him, and the potion on her. A little more pressure, and she would be holding on to something decidedly more beast-like.
Though she wasn’t entirely sure if that would be a bad thing, given what they were facing. Because although Jay said, “Okay, cool your jets, nobody is eating anyone,” she didn’t think he was telling the truth. And sure enough the whiny twosome had things to add.
“But, boss, you promised.”
