Intertwined

Poor Mary Ann. She obviously liked the boy, yet Aden knew that wouldn’t end well for her. One day soon she would find herself running through the woods, tears streaming down her cheeks, Riley the wolf chasing her. To hurt her?

Or maybe to comfort her, he thought suddenly. Stranger things had happened. Obviously.

“I’ll explain in a moment. Introductions are in order first, I think,” Victoria said, breaking the awkward silence.

How could he have forgotten? “Victoria, this is Mary Ann,” he said. “Mary Ann, this is Victoria. Everyone but me already knows Riley, apparently.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mary Ann said.

Victoria nodded, her gaze darting between Mary Ann and Aden. “You, as well. I’ve heard much about you.” Her tone was far from welcoming.

Was she…jealous?

“I don’t see any…I mean…” Mary Ann’s cheeks bloomed with color. “Never mind.”

“They are retracted,” Victoria explained. “They elongate when the hunger comes upon me.”

Mary Ann covered her neck with her hand. “Oh.”

“She won’t bite you,” Aden said.

Victoria didn’t offer an assurance of her own. Maybe she was jealous. He wanted to grin.

He studied each of the people around him, marveling. How diverse they were. A beautiful vampire, a mysterious shape-shifter, and a seemingly normal teenage girl. They hadn’t known each other long, not really. Strange how he’d already come to feel so close to them. Well, two of them, anyway.

“You told me werewolves were vicious,” he said to Victoria. “If that’s the case, why is one guarding you?”

Her mouth kicked up at one corner. “He is vicious. To everyone but me, that is. And that’s exactly why he’s my guard.”

Excellent point. That didn’t mean he liked it. “What about Mary Ann?”

“I told you. I would never hurt her,” Riley said, offended.

“That’s good to know. But if you ever change your mind, I’ll make you regret it.” He stated it matter-of-factly. Because that’s what it was: a fact. He didn’t have many friends, and those he had he would protect with his life.

Riley traced his tongue over his sharp, white teeth. “Are you threatening me, little boy?”

“Hey, now,” Mary Ann said. “None of that. You two need to play nice. Riley, Aden is only looking out for me. Aden, you remember how Riley helped you last night, right?”

“Yes,” he said grudgingly. Between her questions about the wolf, Mary Ann had told him that when his birth certificate arrived, they were going to hunt down his parents. As grateful as he was to her and as brilliant as he found her plan, he wished he were more excited about it. Actually, any emotion besides dread would have been welcome. But he just couldn’t work up a single ounce of enthusiasm at the prospect of meeting the people who had abandoned him.

“Since we’re on the hurt-a-girl-and-pay subject, you should know that I take my job seriously,” Riley said, the warning clear. “Harm Victoria, I won’t just make you regret. I’ll hang you by your own intestines while you’re still alive.”

Mary Ann’s eyes rounded, as big as saucers. Had the wolf scared her? Part of him hoped so. She needed to know what kind of person—thing—she thought to call friend.

Riley noticed her expression and offered her a half smile. “Sorry. I’ll make it quick and painless, okay?”

“You shouldn’t threaten,” she said. Rather than fear, he heard anger in her voice. A whole lot of anger. So why was she looking at Victoria now, rather than Riley?

Aden replayed the conversation through his mind and realized she hadn’t liked the way Riley had rushed to the vampire’s defense. Jealousy must be contagious, because they all seemed to have caught it.

“I would never hurt Victoria,” Aden assured him. “You, on the other hand…” He would not back down and Riley needed to know that. He had his daggers, and he wasn’t afraid to use them. Even here.

Victoria stepped forward and placed her hand on Aden’s shoulder. He felt the burn of it, the sweet sizzle, and his attention swung to her, the werewolf momentarily forgotten.

Her ocean-water eyes glowed. He couldn’t have turned away to save himself from a bullet to the head. Just then they were the only two people alive, transported back to their pond, splashing and laughing and brushing against each other. He’d held her, had almost kissed her.

“He will not attack you here,” she said. “You have my word.”

A gust of wind swirled between them, lifting her hair and casting several locks in his direction. They danced across his cheek, tickling.

“Now. Let’s talk about something other than your intentions toward each other,” she suggested.

“I’m all for that,” Mary Ann said. Her anger appeared to have drained. “What are you guys doing here? Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy you’re here.” She flicked Riley a glance. “I just can’t figure out why you are.”

A tremor moved through Victoria and she dropped her arm, focus wavering between Aden’s face and his neck. “You know how I told you that my people sensed you?”

He nodded. Was she thinking of drinking from him?

“Well…we weren’t the only ones. Others have arrived.” Concern radiated from her as she leaned into him, careful not to make contact. “Goblins, fairies, witches,” she whispered. “They’re searching for the source of the lure.”

Dear God. More creatures? And they were searching for him? Aden shook his head, wishing the bombshell Victoria had just dropped could be dislodged and lost. Wishing he could forget the trouble that was sure to come. How much more could he take?

“We were raised among them and know how they operate,” she continued. “They’ll want to capture you. Study you.”

“That’s why we,” Riley said, butting in, “are here to protect the two of you from being taken or injured by these creatures.”

He laughed until he realized the werewolf was serious. “I can take care of myself.” He’d been doing it his entire life.

“Regardless.” Riley shrugged. “Orders are orders. Vlad doesn’t want you harmed before he’s had the chance to meet you.”

Aden tossed up his arms. “Why can’t he meet me now?”

Riley ignored him. “And you,” he said to Mary Ann, “are Aden’s closet friend, which means you could be used to get to him. Which is why you’ll be protected, too.”

She nodded and it looked like she was fighting a smile.

So did Riley. “The good news is, Victoria and I are now students here. You’ll be seeing a lot more of us.”

Victoria, with him all day? Okay. Maybe being hunted by goblins, fairies and witches wasn’t such a bad thing. Still…“I haven’t seen anyone suspicious.” Or different, for that matter. Wait. That wasn’t true. The old lady at the shopping center, the girl that first day here at the school and then the boy pretending to be John O’Conner. They glittered and pulsed with energy.

What if they were goblins, fairies or witches? But they hadn’t tried to hurt him or Mary Ann.

Again, Riley shrugged. “You might not have noticed them, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t seen you.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “What do those creatures want with me?”

“The same thing we did, I’m sure.” Victoria twirled her ponytail around her fingers. “To figure out how you blasted that energy, how you hurt them with it. And how you’re still humming with a strange sort of power. Except,” she added, tilting her head, “when you’re with Mary Ann. Only then does it stop. Well, except when Riley is with you. Why is that?”

“I don’t know.” But he wanted to figure it out. “What can you tell me about those I’m up against?”

“With witches, you must be careful.” Victoria clasped his hand briefly in warning. “They can smile while cursing you. Goblins enjoy eating human flesh. Unlike vampires, they do not take only a few pints of blood and walk