The Human Luna

Chapter 8

Layla's Point of View

My heart hammered out of my chest at his admittance. The sadness that now coated his features.

Something deep inside my soul ached for him. Begged me to touch him, even if it was just his arm.

So, I did. Curled my fingers around his upper arm in solidarity.

For a brief second, it felt like the world around us slowed to a crawl. Became nothing more than a buzz in my ears.

Caden's eyes flicked over to me, softer than they had been before. Caring and gentle.

"I saw my best friend mauled to death by a wolf in my apartment," I offered up, feeling the desperate need to show him that I understood his sorrow. His pain. That he wasn't alone.

Jordan had shown me I wasn't an island and from the looks of Caden, he needed to hear that reassurance as well.

A small smile almost as bright as the sun itself mounted itself on his lips. Brightened up his glowing red eyes until they almost seemed pink and not red.

And just like that, they shifted back to a deathly red. His smile vanished and he shrugged my hand off of him. A closed book once more.

The small amount of pity I felt for him evaporated like mist under the sun. Left me feeling hollow.

"This doesn't mean we bonded. I was just stating a fact," He sneered, knuckles turning white on the steering wheel again.

I huffed.

Just like that, he shut off again. Shoved me aside like I was an insect, even when I wanted to build a bridge between us. Not that I even knew why. He didn't deserve my pity. Not when he was treating me like this.

"And here I thought you might have a heart," I threw back under my breath.

Caden's eyes slipped toward me for a flicker of an instant.

"You don't even know me."

"And now I really don't want to get to know you. For whatever reason you agreed to my terms to keep Jordan out of trouble, I think this uncanny little affair ends here. I really like him, so I did this for him. But this is where my duty ends. Just take me home."

I could have sworn anger entered his face. Coated it like an oil slick when I told him I liked Jordan. Like it was some crime to like someone that wasn't him.

Truly an arrogant, pompous ass, then. Someone who wasn't used to all the attention not being solely on him.

Although I was still curious as to why he had summoned me to him in the first place, I refused to ask him. Not after the way he stared at me. Almost in the exact same way the wolf had stared at me when I caught it killing my best friend.

Like I was nothing.

"Why do you like him? Because of his normalness? His boyish charm? The easiness with which he can go through life?" With each question, his voice rose an octave.

That was genuine anger sparking inside of him.

Scowling, I leaned back in my seat. "You're jealous of him," I whispered, the wind stealing it away.

A man as powerful as this one was jealous of another man who simply enjoyed life. How utterly ironic.

Caden didn't reply. Instead, he schooled his features into a mask and stared blankly at the road. Sable Crescent finally started whirring past us, people pointing at the car as we went. He barely paid them any mind.

Pompous prick.

To think someone like Jordan worked for someone like him.

Finally, we turned into the driveway of his house. My dad's car stood waiting at the end of it, with a pissed-off-looking Lector standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

With a sigh, Caden switched off the engine beside my dad and jumped out with ease.

That was murder on my father's face. Fury. It tightened my stomach considerably, forcing the milkshake I had to rise up in my throat.

Somehow he had found out about my little stunt with Jordan and now I was going to be the target of his wrath. Which was to be expected, considering I had been reckless. But shouldn't he be happy that I was letting loose a bit more?

Climbing out of the car, I forced steel to cover my insides. Whatever my dad had to say, it was better to brace for the worse.

"Daddy, I know I screwed up but-" I started, making my dad turn his head to look at me.

His gaze softened right before he shook his head. "I'll talk to you about this later. I first need to have a moment with Caden." The way he said Caden's name felt a lot like nails scratching down a chalkboard.

I shivered and stopped. Gaped at him.

Caden also stopped in front of my dad. Barely looked at him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Tell me that you had some common sense about you, boy." My dad growled.

Sharp red eyes snapped up at my father's face. Narrowed into slits as he regarded the older man. He opened his mouth to reply but my dad pressed on.

"I don't give a single s**t who or what you are, you keep my daughter out of it. Whatever urges or instincts you have screaming at you, mute them. Or I will be the end of you, do you hear me?" My dad snarled.

Caden's teeth flashed, like an animal ready to shred into their prey. "Remember who you are speaking to," Caden threw back, every muscle in his body going taut.

The two faced-off with each other. Squared up like two dogs over a bone.

And I was the damned bone.

"Daddy, I'm fine. Jordan is fine. I just want to go home," I told my dad honestly, letting some of my baby voice bleed through. The kind of voice that always got him to do what I wanted. "Trust me, Caden won't be seeing me again anytime soon." I carried on.

Caden's eyes flickered with pain for a second at my last words. Then the pain was gone and replaced by that hard exterior of his.

I barely had time to figure my own s**t out, so I really didn't want to sort out his. Whatever he had going on in his head, he could keep it right there.

"Okay, darling. I just wanted to make sure he was a gentleman with you."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven for stealing his car with Jordan?"

My dad let go of a long, low laugh as he shook his head. "Oh hell no."