I’m making my way out of my last class—eyes glued to my phone as I punch in the address of the school for a ride request—when Zheng calls out to me in the hallway.
“Hey.”
I slow my steps and wait for him to catch up.
“Hey.” I smile.
He tugs on the straps of his backpack, a nervous smile on his face. “Got any plans this weekend?”
I shrug. “Not really. I’ll probably just hang out at home and get caught up on homework.”
He nods and sucks on his upper lip, his eyes shifting nervously. “Well, there’s a party this weekend. A bunch of us go out in the woods and camp for the weekend before the holidays come around. It’s a chance to let our beasts out. Maybe go on a run through the woods.”
“Is it Pack only?” I ask, giving him a speculative look.
“Nah. It’s an all school sort of thing…” He shrugs. “They like us to mingle outside of school. Bond and all that, you know?”
“Oh. Cool,” I say, not really sure where he’s going with this, because the idea of a bunch of unsupervised paranormal teenagers sounds like trouble just waiting to happen.
He tilts his head, a question in his eyes, but I’m not sure what response he’s looking for. He runs a hand through his dark hair and shakes his head. “So, uh, would you maybe want to come? With me, I mean? I can pick you up if you’re cool with that…” He trails off and looks away, a slight blush on his otherwise pale cheeks.
Oh. Oh! “You’re inviting me?” I squeak. As soon as the words leave my lips, I want to smack myself.
The corners of his mouth twitch into the beginnings of a smirk. “Yeah. I think it’d be fun. If you came, I mean. I think you would have a lot of fun. I know you don’t have a Pack here but,” a shrug, “it might help you to, you know, be around other shifters. I promise I won’t bite.” There’s a playful glint in his eyes that tells me that last bit might not be true.
I chew my bottom lip. I want to go. My wolf desperately needs to run. The inability to shift has been grating on my nerves. It isn’t healthy but I haven’t had much choice.
Just the thought of shifting and running through the woods has me panting. I can already feel the earth beneath my paws. The wind in my fur.
Zheng is the only person who talks to me, and he’s a Siberian tiger of all things. I’m banking on him being my one and only friend while I’m stuck here, and it would be really great if we could be shift buddies. I’ve been scoping out locations to let my wolf free, but he’d have firsthand knowledge on safe spots so I didn’t inadvertently cross into another faction’s territory.
But worry nags at me. What if Brian says no? I don’t want to disappoint Zheng by being forced to turn him down. If I do, this offer might not come up again. How would I even go about asking my bio-dad? I haven’t seen him all week. Literally not once. He’s always working, and his meetings seem to run late every night.
“Um….” A prickling sensation like I’m being watched has me glancing around the hallway. I catch sight of Rafael, Jordy, and Des. All three of them stand by the exit, eyes trained my way with matching scowls on their faces as they watch our exchange, likely eavesdropping. I still don’t know what their deal is with Zheng. And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to.
Thankfully, this time they keep their distance.
Zheng follows my gaze and spotting them, his grin quickly morphs into a grimace. “Are you interested in Rafe?”
I’m a little thrown by his question. “What? No!” I rush to say.
He considers me for a moment like he isn’t quite sure whether or not to believe me. “You sure? I mean, I get it. You’re a wolf. He’s a wolf. All the girls at Hellbound High want him, especially since Rafael will be the Southwest Pack’s next Alpha.”
“Good for him. But yeah, I’m sure.”
His nostrils flare and I fight my annoyance that he actually feels the need to scent if I’m lying. After a few seconds he releases a relieved sigh. “That’s good. Rafael’s used to getting his way and he can be … intense. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”
I don’t argue because, well, he is, and the fact Zheng’s concerned about me is kinda nice.
I pull out my phone and shoot a text off to Natalia.
Me: Do you think my dad will let me stay with a friend this weekend?
Natalia: Dates, Times, Location?
I turn to Zheng. “My dad’s assistant wants to know for how long and where we’d be going?”
He lifts a brow. “Assistant?”
“Yeah. I know it’s weird, but I’ll get a faster response if I go through her rather than trying to track him down.”
He nods like he understands. “Shadle Creek. Today until Sunday morning.”
I shoot her the information and watch as the three little dots appear. Then they stop. Then they appear again. Urgh. Come on. Answer already.
Natalia: Human friend or … ?
I stare at the screen, thrown off by her question. Instinct has me wanting to lie to her though I’m not sure why.
Me: Yes. Human. Is that okay?
Natalia: That’s fine. Your father says to use the credit card he gave you if you need anything. He’ll schedule a dinner with you when you get back.
Me: Great.
I roll my eyes. I love the idea of having to schedule a dinner with my dad. Some support system he’s been. I shove my phone back into my pocket and turn to meet Zheng’s expectant gaze. “I’m in.”
His dark eyes brighten. “Really?”
I nod.
“Awesome!”
Zheng gives me a ride home and follows me inside. He sits on the edge of my bed,
