Deadly Creatures

Chapter 18

The gathering awkward tension between Elli and me is only mounting the longer I sit here in the den, while Caius speaks with Derek and Chase. Angela keeps coming up with short bursts of conversation, but neither Elli nor I care to speak for longer than necessary. Hurry the hell up, Caius. I hear the oblivious boys laughing about something mundane as the three of us sit quietly. Angela shifts uncomfortably as she struggles to find a new topic. "So, the moon is crazy bright tonight," she murmurs, her eyes glancing through the window. Great. The brighter the moon, the stronger the vamps. Although it's a small sliver of a moon, it is bright. "Yeah," I murmur softly, feeling the uneasiness of the reality they don't know exists. "Sure is," Elli mumbles while flipping another page on the book she's merely pretending to read. "Well I'm glad you're back. It's nice to see Caius doing more than obsessing about finding you," Derek chirps as the three boys join our tense room. Finally. Caius's arms wrap around me and pull me to him as he sits down beside me, and I willingly nestle into him, paying no attention to the fuming black-haired girl trying not to be obvious with her dagger-throwing glare. "You ready, baby?" he asks while kissing the side of my head. Hell yes. Get me the f**k out of here. "If you are," I murmur casually, trying not to show him how completely out of place I feel. "Hallow's Ball is in two months," Chase randomly inserts as he sifts through the mail, obviously finding an invitation of some sort. “It's hard to believe Halloween is so close." "Hallow's Ball?" I muse, happy someone is talking about something other than the moon. "It's a local thing. Every year they throw a big masquerade ball at one of the prominent homes. You want to go?" Caius asks while running his fingers through my hair. "That's two months away," Elli scoffs, not enjoying his future planning. "And?" Caius growls, his tone more threatening than his word. She looks down, huffing as she does. Apparently he's warned her not to say anything, and now he's reminding her. It just makes me feel all the more uncomfortable. Chase walks by her, patting her shoulder as he does, and Derek's lips tighten as he too takes notice of her sullen stance. "We'll see," I mumble, suddenly feeling like the girl everyone wishes would just go away. It's obvious they want him with her, and I certainly know this thing between us can never actually work. "It's up to you. I'd like to take you. I've never gone with a date before," Caius murmurs softly, pretending not to notice the sudden uncomfortable shift in the room. "I think we should get going. Nothing in this town stays open too late in the off season," I say with a strained sense of nonchalance. He finally acknowledges my discomfort, and his lips thin into a knowing line. I look away, feeling all the more insecure as his friends cast their disapproving stares to their roommate. Standing, I wave at everyone, feigning dignity, and I walk out without waiting on Caius. Once the fresh air hits me, I fight to keep my composure. With the wind rustling in the trees, and the lake fighting with the shore, I can't hear them, even with my amplified hearing. I know he's probably scolding them for not making me feel comfortable, but that's only going to make it worse. "Out of all the creatures on the planet, humans are the most complex," a smooth voice murmurs from my side, forcing me to shriek a little. "Damn you. Can't you ever just call ahead," I gripe while glaring at Clive who has appeared on the railing beside me. "Sorry," he snickers out. "I didn't mean to startle you." I don't believe that one little bit. "Sure you didn't. What are you doing here? Did you find out something?" I ask hopefully, my eyes glancing through the windows to make sure Caius isn't coming out yet. "Unfortunately, no, but I wanted to check out this town of yours. An associate of mine told me a vicious pack of lycans lives here. He also said he sensed my kind and vampires here. I was worried about you, and I see I was right to worry." "What does that mean?" "You're standing alone on a deck, your mind is completely distracted, and there's not a spell you can cast to keep yourself safe in the open like this. You should be in your house. The spell Justin cast was strong. It even kept me out." My brow arches as I eye him suspiciously. "You tried to break into my house? I think we should discuss boundaries." He smirks, and then his eyes flash to the inside of the house as Caius shakes his head and starts walking to the door. "I suppose we'll discuss them another time. Go out tonight, but don't make a habit of this. I'll keep an eye on you." Before I can say anything, he vaporizes and rides off on the wind. I'm not sure how I feel about a dark user looking out for me. "I'm sorry about that," Caius murmurs while joining me outside, and I turn around to face him, still wondering just how closely Clive has been watching me. He got one hell of a show last night. My cheeks blush, but I shrug at Caius, not giving him any insight to my inner turmoil. "Nothing to be sorry about besides making me wait so long on food. I'm starving." He smiles, though he knows I'm simply downplaying the obvious distaste his roommates have for me. “The guys and Angela have no problem with you. I want you to know that. They feel sorry for Elli, but they do like you. I swear." "Sure," I murmur, not meaning for it to sound as sardonic as it does. "Scar-" "It's fine, Caius. Really, I get it. I don't have friends like that, but I've been around others that do." His fingers interlock with mine as we start descending the staircase, and I try to shake off the lingering uncertainties plaguing my every step. "Do you have any friends?" he asks. Trying to find a way to not make myself sound pathetic and unloved, I choose my words carefully. "Justin … though he's more of a father figure than a friend. I suppose I've sort of started considering Nico a friend, but I wouldn't go so far as to room with him." "I wouldn't allow that," he quickly inserts, sounding possessive and jealous once more. My eyebrows c**k up in surprise and defiance. "You really wouldn't have a say in the matter. You live with two other girls, and well… You can't say they're both like sisters. I've met Elli." Though my tone is joking, the context is somewhat serious. He shouldn't get all worked up about Nico when he lives with Elli. "Does it bother you?" he asks, seeming authentically perplexed. "You living with Elli?" He nods. It royally pisses me off. "Not really. It's your life, your choice. It's none of my business who you live with." He winces, and then his grip on my hand loosens. "So it does bother you, but you refuse to be honest with me." "Reading minds now?" "Believe me, I wish I could read minds. It'd make life so much easier," he grumbles, making me laugh a little. "Since I can't read minds, you have to be honest with me. I'll kick her out." My eyes widen. As much as I would love to see him kick her ass out of the house, it's not just his house. It's obvious the others care about her, and they were all friends before I came around. I can't be that girl. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm fine. I was simply saying you don't have any room to talk. I wasn't trying to stir you up." "I wouldn't let you live with Nico unless I was there to beat the hell out of him every time he made a pass." I let a laugh out, and through my snickers, I mutter, "How do you know he's ever made a pass at me?" He rolls his eyes, seeming insulted by the fact I even asked that question. "Because I know how incredibly gorgeous you look. I also know how he looks at you. I f*****g hate it." His jealously is adorable, and Nico definitely tries s**t. He makes it hard to be a good girl, but I managed to keep my pants up even with my hormones on the fritz. "I lived with Nico since we split up in Phoenix, and nothing happened." Well, other than the times he caught me by surprise with his devilishly soft lips. No s*x though. I think I'll keep all of Nico's sneak attacks to myself. Caius looks as though he's ready to combust as it is. He sighs out, obviously not enjoying this conversation any longer. I kept him at my house until nightfall, but that was all I could wrangle him to stay indoors. I wish I could tell him how incredibly dangerous this all is - walking around in the open. I knew this town was crawling with immortals, and then Clive confirmed it. It's amazing at the gravitational pull we all seem to have to each other - even though most of us are forever engaged in blood wars. I dread that part of my future. Right now, there's not a whole lot I'm looking forward to as far as immortality is concerned. "Are you okay?" Caius asks as a single tear rolls down my cheek. "Yeah," I murmur while wiping the wet drop away, trying to be discreet. "I'm sorry. This was stupid. I don't know what I was thinking. With your mom missing, a date is probably the last thing you have on your mind." With my mom missing, everything is on my mind… especially what will happen when I become the new target. As the daughter of Damon Duvall, there's a world full of vicious revenge-seekers just like Mark. Apparently my secret identity isn't as secretive as I thought. "It's fine. I'm just-" "Let's go back. We can just curl up in the bed, watch a movie, eat some burnt popcorn… anything you want." I laugh lightly, though it mingles with a sniffle. Then another tear slips free as I nod appreciatively. "That sounds great actually." "Do you care to stay at my place tonight? I have some stuff to do - work related - and all my things are there." Crap. It's not like I can tell him no. That would raise too many questions I can't answer. "Sure," I murmur as my mind races to remember the protection spell. I'll just cast one around his place. That would actually make me feel better anyhow. I can't cast the one Justin did on my place because they constantly have friends over, but I can cast one to protect against dark magic users and blood drinkers of all varieties. "So no friends at all, besides Nico?" he asks, sneering a little as he changes the subject on our way back to the house. "How is that even possible?" My attempt to not sound pathetic apparently failed - miserably. "Well I did, once, but we grew apart." "Oh? Tell me about her and why you stopped being friends," he murmurs softly, obviously trying to distract my mind from my mother. "Well, his name was Draven. Our mothers used to be really good friends, but they had a falling out. Sasha, Draven's mom, ended up leaving our co… um… I mean our town. She and Mom haven't spoken since. Draven was adopted, and considering his birth parents were rather ruthless, cold, and cruel, he felt like Sasha was not only the mother who took him in, but she was also his saving grace. Devoutly loyal to her, he thought it would be best if he and I stopped talking since it would cause conflict." "What did they fight about?" he asks curiously. "What do women usually fight about? A man." "Ah," he says with a small smile. "So who won the guy in the end?" Sighing, I mumble, "My mother, but he was no prize. He was a total creep, and she kicked him to the curb when she found him peeping in on me while I was dressing." I shudder slightly, and his arm slides around my shoulders in response. "Did Sasha and your mother ever make amends… since she found out he was a creep, I mean?" "No. I doubt Mom ever gave her the satisfaction of knowing. She's prideful like that. She has horrible taste in men, and that includes my father. Everyone in our community warned her to stay away from my father, but she was stubborn and in love. She kept their divorce a secret for years just so she wouldn't hear the I-told-you-so speeches." He lets a small smile free, and I offer a weak grin of my own. I'm not used to so much sharing. "So, did your Mom ever remarry?" If he knew my mother, he'd realize I find that question to be rhetorical. "Many, many, many times," I release with exaggerated exasperation while rolling my eyes and he lets out a laugh. Not to mention the hundreds of times she was married long before dear old Dad. "Do you ever talk to your father? I mean, he sent help to aide you in finding your mother." From an outside perspective, I can see how that would seem like a sweet gesture. Unfortunately, I know Damon Duvall. "One thing about my dad, he's calculated. If he's helping us, there's something in it for him." "What could he possibly have to gain?" he muses, seeming genuinely interested in my f****d up family. Power, release from his solitude confinement, the black diamond of Roth for himself… the list goes on and on. "I don't know, but Da… um, Dad doesn't do anything out of the goodness of his heart." Because it's too dark to ever hold a speck of light. "And I thought I had family drama," he chuckles out. My eyebrows perk up, my interest very piqued. "I thought you said your parents had passed." "I was referring to my current family - Chase, Derek, Angela" "And Elli," I grumble, my nose wrinkling as her name slips through my lips. "Scarlet, Elli is just-" "A roommate. Got it. So, how did you all meet?" I ask, trying to keep myself from sounding possessively jealous. "That's a long story I'll fill you in on at another time," he murmurs softly while kissing my forehead. He opens the door to his home for me, and I sigh as I walk in. "Back so soon?" Derek asks as he walks through with a plate of spaghetti, a noodle slurping through his lips. "We decided to spend the night inside instead." "Cool. The girls cooked a big pot of spaghetti, and the meatballs are pretty badass." Caius smirks as the sloppy boy holds the plate up and pulls another noodle to his lips before slurping it in as well. I guess we were gone longer than I realized. "Thanks. You're making me real hungry," Caius says sardonically. Derek chuckles before walking into the den. My skin crawls as a chill spreads through the air, and I remember I have to cast the protection spell. "Um, can I use your bathroom? I want to check my makeup." "You look perfect, baby." His soft voice is velvet in my ears, making me warm in so many ways. "You're sweet, but I feel like my mascara is running. I'll be right back." He pulls me to him, and his lips graze mine softly before releasing me to rush away. The masculine bedroom makes me smile on my way to the bathroom, and I shut and lock the door quickly while waving my hand over the mirror. A flickering flame appears in the glass, and I draw a circle around it. Though my circle is merely smudges made by my fingers, it'll have to work. Next I pull the safety pin from the hem of my dress, and I prick my finger with the sharp, stinging point. With a small wince, I force the blood out of the tiny opening, and I dab it into the center of the flame. "Protect this home, let no dark pass through. Thresholds be strong, protection be true." Chanting it softly three more times, I open my eyes back up to see the flame coming to life and sparking against my blood, accepting my magic. With a small flash, it disappears, taking my drop of blood with it as the veins of the house pump with a newfound will. I walk out, heading back to the kitchen, and I smile when I see Caius light on his feet as he makes us two plates of food. I stifle a laugh as he pretends to bow to a dishtowel, the finale to his dancing number. "Do you always dance when you're getting dinner ready?" I tease, and his cheeks blush a little. "You weren't supposed to see that," he grumbles, an embarrassed smile playing on lips as his disheveled hair sweeps over his brow just barely. I giggle slightly, fueling his embarrassment, and then he shakes his head. Our light moment is brought to an abrupt halt as Elli walks in from… the basement? That's really the only place that door could go. "Hey," she says, smiling too big when she sees Caius. Then her eyes land on me, and her face falls, disappointment tainting her darker brown eyes. They almost look black right now. "Hey," Caius mumbles with an icy shot, the air bitten by the instant frost in his breath. She glances at me again, and then she rolls her eyes before heading to the side door. "Tell the others I'm going out for a run if they ask." "You should invite Angela if you're going for a run. You shouldn't be out by yourself," Caius murmurs without looking at her. My heart cracks a little upon hearing his concern for her. I shouldn't be such a b***h, but I want him to be callous and cold. "I'll behave, if that's what you're worried about," she almost whispers. Behave? As in she won't go meet any guys? Why would Caius care? "Hey guys," Angela chirps while joining us. "What's up? "Elli is going for a run. I told her to ask you to go with her," Caius says in a warmer tone, his eyes not giving Elli the attention she desperately wants. "Sure," she murmurs. Elli huffs as Angela slips on a pair of shoes. I tilt my head curiously at the odd choice of footwear, considering tennis shoes would be better than boots. As soon as Elli jerks the door open, she slams into an invisible force, and her body falls backwards before she slams into the ground. "What the f**k?" she spews, and my eyes try to pop out of my head. s**t. I messed up the spell. f*****g s**t! Angela bursts out laughing, and Caius turns while trying to stifle his own laughter. "Did you forget you have to walk through the doorway and not the glass beside it?" Angela teases, motioning to the glass she thinks Elli ran into. "I did walk through the damn doorway, or I tried to. I swear something threw me back." s**t! Think. Spell I cast, please come back. I rescind you now, cease your attack. Chanting it in my head over and over, I begin to get nervous the spell won't lift. Discreetly pulling the pin from my hem once more, I prick my finger to draw out my blood. Caius's eyes fall on me as I pull my finger into my mouth to swallow my own blood, sealing the recanted spell's banishment. "You okay?" he asks me, as Angela continues to laugh at the fuming girl still on the ground. "Yeah, just a splinter," I lie. The small bit of metallic bitterness rattles around in my mouth. "I swear!" Elli blares. "Look for yourself!" My stomach knots up as Angela walks toward the door. Caius has lost interest in the spectacle as he comes to draw my finger from my mouth and pulls it into his hand. I look around him, trying not to be obvious as I nervously await the results of my recanted spell. Angela playfully leaps through the doorway and lands on the deck, her laughter roaring louder. I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief. “You lying klutz," she teases, her mocking laughter only growing. Elli grumbles under her breath while pulling herself up, and then she hesitantly checks the doorway before trying to walk out once more. "I swear I'm not that damn crazy," she gripes, her eyes studying the doorway. "It must be out now," Caius says, drawing my attention back to him as carefully examines my finger. "We don't have a lot of first-aide here, but I can get you a paper towel or something for the bleeding." Elli and Angela walk off, though Elli continues to look behind her, and I visibly relax. "It'll be fine. It just stings a little." He smirks, his eyes still on my barely bleeding finger, and then he draws it into his mouth. My breath catches in my throat as he sucks the tip of my finger with his deliciously soft lips, and, without thinking, I part my legs for him to step between them, feeling completely aroused, beguiled, and lost in his touch. His eyes close as he draws my finger in more, and suddenly I'm rushed with an overwhelming desire to rip his clothes from his body as he grips me tighter to him. He finally releases my finger from his lips, and I'm almost left with a painful ache after the withdrawal. "Damn. What was that?" I mutter breathlessly, but he doesn't answer. Instead, he jerks me up from the stool where I'm sitting, and he pulls me to him as he carries me away, promising this night just got a hell of a lot better. His lips claim mine with a bruising force, and the fire courses through my veins as every bit of me throbs to feel him inside my body like I never have before. Ignoring the snickers of Chase and Derek, Caius slams the door to his room once we're inside. He drops me to the bed as he pulls his shirt over his head, and he stares down hungrily at me, making my heart race almost too fast.