“It’s not the first.” He blurts out, his voice low and unconcerned.
I grab his shirt and pull him close to me, “What do you mean? Not the first?” I was tired of not being told anything. I still had no idea what I was supposed to be doing here, besides staying away from everyone I seem to meet.
“We’ll talk about this somewhere else.” Clark said, as he tries to pull away from me.
I tighten my grip and pull him in closer. Our bodies are snug, and I hate that he seems to like it, “You’ll tell me now.”
Clark’s lips begin to form a smile as he pushes me back a few steps against a tree. He lowers his head, and for a moment I worry he’ll try to kiss me, because I have no idea if I’d let him. “You’re in over your head, Penelope,” Clark said, breaking the awkward moment. “You’re not here to entertain a bunch of horny vampires.”
I can only stare him down. He’s right, but I’m not about to admit it. My team is back at Nelly’s house, probably moving on with a new hunter. “I’m sure this is part of the reason I’m here.” I keep my eyes trained on him, but nod to where the body is.
His jaw tightens, but eventually, he backs off. His eyes never leave me. But for a second, I feel insecurity in them. Something I’m sure he didn’t want me to see. I push myself off the tree and pass him, having to brush past his stomach. I didn’t need to imagine what those abs looked like – or any other part of him. My cheeks grew red thinking about it.
I walk toward the gaggle of people, aware that all four Stanton brothers had watched the exchange between Clark and me. Their eyes were all on Clark, ready to protect me, I guessed. Given how unimpressed they looked.
I turn back to Clark, “Are you coming?” Maybe this was a dumb move, openly choosing Clark over them, but I had to remember that I was working for Clark’s father. I had a bigger goal than growing feelings for some boys – vampires.
Clark nods for the choice I made as he walks past me. He doesn’t wait till I follow. What an Alpha. I wait till he’s a good ways in front of me, and slowly follow him.
As I pass by the body, I see that the crowd has grown larger. I push through them to see the who it is. I recognize him from class earlier. He had been sitting in the front row, and I had pegged him as a teacher’s pet, not someone who would be found dead.
“Clawed to death.” Someone said from behind me. I turn to see Una, who wipes tears from her cheeks.
“Did you know him?” I hug her, feeling like I should do something, even though I had just met her.
“From around. He was a nice kid. He didn’t deserve this.” Una said, tangling her arm around mine, “Promise me you won’t go out alone.”
I nod, unsure if I will or not. I’ve never been one to back down from a fight and figuring out mysteries had always been a talent of mine. Which was likely why I had been chosen to come here. “They’ll find who did this soon.”
“You should listen to, Clark. It’s easy to get mixed up in all the attention of being the new girl, but things can get dangerous around here very quickly.” Una whispers in my ear. Her tone surprises me with its hint of a threat.
“I’ve done fine these past twenty-three years on my own.” The sharpness of my voice surprises Una who pulls back from my side. Immediately I regret how abrasive I can be. She was just trying to warn me, but I hate it when people tell me what to do. Which was happening all to frequently here.
“You’re not a hunter in here. You’re the hunted.” Una pushes past me through the crowd, and I lose sight of her almost immediately. As I scan the group, I notice several eyes that point in my direction.
Most noticeable are the Stanton boys then a close second is Clark. I move through the crowd to try to lose them but end up bumping into Alexandra – hard. In fact, I almost knock her off her feet. She is the one person that manages to bring instant fright to me. I mumble some sort of apology and continue walking. I hurry along and feel more at ease as her scent fades.
As I reach the outer edge of the crowd and break out into the open, it becomes easier to breathe. The stale stench of death lingers in the air. It’s a smell I’ve become accustomed to, whether I wanted to or not. It’s a mixture of stale mustard and rotten meat. It can take hours for it to leave your nostrils. The kill was fresh, but the body was put there for people to see. There would have been more blood if this was the murder scene.
I keep walking to the dormitories, determined to find my room and my own space away from people. I was use to being alone and preferred it that way. I had a feeling that would be very hard here. I’ve made more friends today than I have in a lifetime - and that wasn’t of my own choice.
As I enter the dorms, there are students everywhere talking about the murder. My head is all jumbled with the pieces of conversation I hear as I walk down the hall. I work fast to put distance between us. My quick getaway is about to be squashed. Ivor stands in the doorway, leaning against the stone door frame. He looks like he’s about to get his picture taken for a
