Page 64 of The Lunatics

Quit staring at him, weirdo. He’ll be fine,” Mom said.

“Mmhmm,” I murmured, focus still fixed on Michael.

He was on the other side of the bonfire, beer in hand. He wore the same jeans from earlier, but he’d thrown a sweater over his T-shirt: Michael in his most relaxed form. Something about seeing him like this did things to my libido that I was currently suppressing like a sonofabitch. I blamed my lingering attraction on his feigned flirtation. I’d nearly launched myself at him, and he’d been joking. If he ever took to flirting with me for real, I’d be a total goner. Who would have guessed that Michael had moves?

Beside him stood Brian, my alpha, a light-skinned Black man in his midfifties who towered over my mate. The two of them were deep in conversation, discussing werewolf politics. Apparently one of the Southern clans was encroaching on their neighbors’ packland, and Brian was concerned that an all-out war would erupt between the two. Michael had returned to his default mode of aloof politeness touched with a hint of elitism, and while he listened to Brian’s worries with a blank expression, he offered the alpha good counselon the subject. I counted it as an improvement, because at least he was engaging. I doubted he would have a few days ago.

Fingers snapped in front of my face.

I turned to see Gia frowning at me.

“Damn girl, you got it bad,” she said.

I covered her mouth and shot a panicked look at Michael. Mom and Natalie laughed as I dragged her away from the small crowd gathered in my parents’ backyard. I kept dragging her, all the way through the house and into the street beyond.

“You planning on throwing me into traffic?” she asked when I uncovered her mouth.

“Yes.” I paused, looking up and down the road. There wasn’t a car in sight. “I just need to find some.”

She laughed and pulled free from my grip. “What’s up with the two of you? You bone yet?”

“Oh yeah. Every chance we get,” I said, my tone laced with sarcasm.

We walked down the street, away from the glow of my parents’ front lights and into the darkness of the summer night. A gentle breeze lifted my hair. I turned my face into it and breathed deep. Cut grass, heated sap, fallen pine needles, and the scent of rich dark earth filled my nose. The stiffness in my shoulders eased some, and I let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” Gia asked.

I lowered my shields, checking our surroundings, and only when I was sure that no one would overhear me did I answer. “No. I helped kill a vampire last night.”

Gia stopped in her tracks.

I turned to look at her. “Please tell me you don’t think I’m a monster.”

“I don’t think you’re a monster,” she immediately answered. “What the hell happened that led to that?”

I gave her a recap of all the shit that had gone down since I’d left home, minus the secrets I needed to keep for Michael’s sake.

I had to talk this over with someone other than my mate or my parents. Someone I trusted not to repeat any of it. Someone who wasn’t used to the madness of the city and would be just as freaked out by everything as I was. I needed to know that being freaked out was a normal response. And I really needed someone to tell me it would all be okay. In short, I needed my best friend.

Her blue eyes grew wider the longer I talked. When I was done, she blinked up at me. Her heart rate was elevated. A mixture of fear and disbelief colored her scent. “I totally get why you didn’t call me now. Probably best I heard all that in person.”

“What the hell do I do?”

She stared at me, looking lost. “Um…?”

I raked my hands through my hair and paced down the street.

She quickly caught up with me. “Sorry, I needed a minute to process.”

“I get it. Apologies for dumping all of this on you.”

Apologies? Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m even talking like him now, I thought.

“I mean sorry,” I amended.

Gia shook her head, sending her blond curls flying. “Don’t apologize. I’d absolutely drag you into this hell if our roles were reversed.”

“I killed someone.”