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He perks up, smiling like a schoolboy with a crush. If he were in his wolf form, I guarantee his tail would be wagging. Cue internal eye roll.
“Yes. Well, kind of. I want to be seeing her, I’m just not sure she’s fully on board yet. The few dates we’ve gone on have been amazing, but she sort of closes off at the end of them.” He lowers his head, no longer wearing the overly happy face. “It’s because of our orders. She’s never dated outside of her own, and I think it scares her.”
I get that, to an extent. As long as it doesn’t go past the dating phase, no harm. We can keep our orders pure while still testing the waters, so to speak.
“I don’t know,” he continues. “Got any advice?”
“What makes you think I’d have advice?”
“You dated Siena. She isn’t part of the vampire order, but the girl totally loved you. How’d you navigate that?”
Siena didn’t love me. Liked, sure. Not love. My walls are too high for anyone to find their way through. That doesn’t mean the mutt can’t find something. “Just be patient with her. If there’s a bond, she’ll come around.”
“You think so?”
I glance at him, seeing his ridiculous round puppy eyes. Dogs are so expressive. When they’re happy—which they generally are—they’re extremely fucking happy. When they’re sad, they’re…whatever the hell this is. “You’re already obnoxiously nice,” I tell him. “Show her you care, and the rest will work itself out.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Yeah, well, I have no idea what I’m talking about, so, take it or don’t.”
He laughs, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I guess if it doesn’t work, there are other girls.”
I’m sure he’s just trying to be optimistic, but something in the way he says it causes a flare inside me. Yes, there are other girls. But who, specifically, is he referring to? There’s only one girl that crosses my mind, and I already know they’re close.
She should end up with the dog. He’s probably the only one who can break through and save her from her demons. I don’t know what it is exactly that haunts Sumner so deeply, only that she tries to hide it. Josten is the type of light she needs.
“You have the power to change it,” he says, watching me cautiously. “It may not be a life you want, but you can do things differently.”
Oh, we’re back on me again.
“And if there is a way out of it,” Josten continues, “you’ll figure it out. Just know you have a friend to back you up.”
Him? A friend? This is probably the longest conversation we’ve ever held. Still, it is nice to know if I need him, he’s there.
Unfortunately for me, I see no way out.
Yet.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
SUMNER
“Tell me why we’re doing this again?” I ask, staring into the crowd.
“Because,” Liya starts, tugging me forward, “if we don’t get caught, epic bragging rights. Plus, it’s fun.”
If running into the woods to escape blood hungry vampires while they literally hunt us is her idea of fun, we have very different definitions of the word.
There are so many people here, all stretching out their legs or jogging in place, preparing to be chased like freaking animals.
Vera explained the rules on the way here, and it didn’t help ease me into it at all. Basically, it’s an hour of hell. We get a head start, escaping to the trees while the parasites sit back for a few minutes, giving us the chance to hide, then it’s fair game. Their only goal is to catch and sink their teeth into as many of us as they can. Our only goal is for that not to happen.
“We’re late!” Liya exclaims, picking up her pace. “They’re already starting.”
“Wait,” I call, trying to keep up, “I’m still not sure I agree to doing this.”
“It’ll be fine. Just don’t get caught,” Vera yells, turning left while Liya heads right.
