Flesh, Blood, and Rejects

I was brought back to reality when Josh coughed loudly.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, slightly embarrassed. “How long was I gone for?”

Todd laughed and shook his head.

“About fifteen minutes.”

I slapped my forehead with my palm. I needed to have better control of my thoughts if the war was coming, and especially if I’m… the chosen one. I gulped loudly.

“Now, back to what I was saying before Miss Space-Case came back down to earth.” Josh sneered at me, and I suddenly got the urge to punch him in his face. “I say we get all of the Hunter families to come together. I mean, there’s no other way.”

Lawrence and I shook our heads and Todd barked a laugh.

“Never in the history of the Hunting families have they all joined forces.”

Josh frowned.

“Just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it can’t happen.”

Todd frowned, too.

“Ya know, he does have a point.”

I stood up, flinching as my chair squealed against the floor.

“I say we go and talk to William. He knows much more than any of us about what’s going on. He of all people has to have at least a few of the answers to our questions.”

“If the wonderful William knew oh so much,” Josh said under his breath, “How come he never told us about you being the chosen one? Or that the war is so close? Maybe he doesn’t.”

I was still shaken from my day-nightmare, and I jumped when I heard Lawrence snarl.

“You insolent brat! If you ever speak another ill word about Master William, I will not hesitate to rip one of your arms off.”

I rushed up to Josh’s chair and luckily I got there before Lance did. I stood between the two creatures, my arms extended so I was touching both of them. I felt Josh stiffen, but I didn’t even think of looking at him. I gazed up at Lawrence, pleading him with my eyes to calm down.

“Please,” I mouthed and he nodded, but his upper lip stayed curled.

“Look man, I’m sorry for badmouthing your boyfriend, but-“

In three quick movements I turned to face Joshua, pulled back my arm, and slapped him across the face.

Josh leaned back, falling out of his chair. He looked up at me, his eyes wide in anger and shock. It was then that I felt the ugly face I had on. I could feel the fury and other horrible emotions spread on it, and I erased them as fast as I could. The room was dead silent except for my heavy breathing. I straightened up, let my arms fall to my sides, and made my face go blank. I’m glad I had been trained to let go of emotions because I had done something very out of line and something that might let my secret out.

“I think I’ll go to my room,” I said in a monotone. “I don’t feel so well.”

I could feel their eyes on me as I briskly but surely walked out of the room. I could hear only a few of the hushed words they exchanged.

“Crazy bitch.”

“…the hell is her problem?”

But I heard the most important voice in the world the loudest: “Leave her alone.”

I sighed as I trudged my way upstairs to my room. It was five in the morning and I decided that it was as good a time as ever to get ready for bed. I tried to not think about anything while undressing, showering, and then putting on my night shirt and boy shorts.

When I finally rested my head against my pillow and closed my eyes, I felt a light breeze blow across my face. Because of my gift I knew that whoever was in my room wasn’t out to get me in any way.

“Miss Moore? Am I allowed to enter?”

My eyes snapped open and I turned my head sharply to my left. Standing above me next to my bed stood Lawrence. I tried to fight off the anxiety attack.

“Aren’t you already in?” I asked in a slightly breathless voice. I got up so that I was resting on my elbow and angled toward him. Because he was standing in front of my window, it was hard to see his face. But I had memorized it long ago, so I didn’t need much light to know what I was looking at.

He chuckled softly and I smiled.

“May I sit?” He gestured his arm down at my bed. I nodded and curled my legs against my body. He sat where my knees bent but at the very edge of the mattress. I frowned a little. Was he trying to not touch me? When had that ever been a problem before? In our team, he was the one I was closest to, my best friend. Plus, it’s not like we have the normal problem humans and vampires have as an issue. Along with his eyes and lack of bags under them, Lawrence was different in another way: he’s not freezing cold. When you hug him for a long time you don’t get the chills (I only know that because it happened the night I left my family), and touching him for a little bit doesn’t do any harm.

“Is there a problem downstairs?” I said, my voice slightly muffled. I was pretty tired and sort of confused.

“No,” he said. “Are you expecting one?”

I shook my head.

“I’m just wondering why you’re here. You hardly ever come into my room unless you want me to break up one of Todd and Josh’s fights.”

He laughed again and before I turned away to lie down and face the wall I saw him shake his head, too.

“I just have a simple question. You do not have to answer it, if you wish, but I would rather you do.” He was purring and I was starting to fall asleep.

“Shoot,” I mumbled.

“How long have you been in love with me?”

I am so glad I was more than half asleep when he asked that. Otherwise, I would have probably fallen out of my bed or started screaming at the top of my lungs.

All my sleepiness could manage was a full-on blush.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I yawned. I was hoping that if I acted as tired as I could that maybe he’d leave.

I felt him move on my bed, but I just scooted to the opposite side so close to the edge that if he push me even a little I’d go crashing down.

“Are you sure about that?” he murmured into my ear. I jumped and flipped back around. I almost completely woke up when I saw that Lawrence was freaking lying on my bed! He was on his side, his elbow on one of my pillows and his cheek in his hand, and I guess he had moved too fast for me to even feel it, since we didn’t bump heads. He’s so tall that his feet were seriously close to hanging off the end, but luckily my bed’s huge.

I quickly flipped back over so only the wall could see the look for horror mixed with drowsiness that was all over my face. I probably looked really dumb. But how could he have known? Was it that obvious? I thought I had been doing a good job hiding my biggest secret!

I gasped, filled with more horror.

Did the others know? What did they think? How did they find out? Was it obvious to them, too?!

“Miss Moore, are you all right?” He sounded concerned, and I put my fist into my stomach, trying to fight off the butterflies.

I didn’t answer for a long time, and I was starting to fall asleep again. I twitched a little when I felt cool fingers move my hair and start to trace little circles on my neck.

“I wish you would just tell me,” he whispered.

I don’t know what got into me, but right before I finally passed out, I whispered back, “I can’t.”

****

I woke up with a jolt that night. Looking at my alarm clock, it said that it was just past six. I growled a little. Everyone let me sleep in. Now, even to me going to bed at five in the morning and waking up at night was weird for a while, but when you hang around people with those hours you tend to pick them up, too.

I sat up, still groggy, and rubbed my fists against my eyes. I had slept really well for a really long time, and I couldn’t remember why…

My eyes popped open.

Lawrence! He had been in my room, on my bed, and touching me! And I had basically said that I’m in love with him! I jumped out off my bed and ran to my bathroom. My decision was to lock myself in there for all eternity, or until someone stabbed him in the heart with a stake.

I slapped my forehead with my hand. As if that would work.

I sighed, hanging my head in shame. There was no use hiding from him. Plus, if he really wanted, he could break down the door easily.

“I’m gonna have to do something about that…,” I muttered.

Sighing again, I decided it was time to get ready for the night. The team and I had to go to William, and there was no telling what the outcome of that would be.

I brushed my teeth and hair and got dressed. Thinking that I should dress up a little, I put on a pair of black skinny jeans and a really nice red blouse that Helen had gotten for me.

I gulped, abruptly not feeling well. My wonderful foster mother was dead, and it was all because of those stupid Rejects. I frowned deeply and walked out of my room and down the stairs. I was still frowning when I got into the living room, and I heard two sets of snickering.

“Suck on a lemon, girl?” Josh laughed.

“Yeah, you like someone broke your favorite dollie.” Then seventeen and eighteen year old freaks high-fived as I walked up to the table.

The two boys had a very strange relationship. Their moods for each other change so quickly and so erratically that it can get really annoying. Right now apparently they were in their “Let’s piss off Sasha as much as we can!” mood.

I hmph’d.

“We have work to do, so you guys need to stop flirting and get serious.”

That totally changed their attitudes.

“Like I’d flirt with him.” Todd pretended to gag.

“Yeah, you probably like them pretty like Lance over there.”

My eyes widened a little in surprise when they looked at me.

“Are you expecting something?” I asked, feigning innocence. I knew damn well that they were waiting for me to freak out about Lawrence.

Josh narrowed his eyebrows and Todd growled softly.

“Guess not,” they muttered in unison.

My head jerked up when the most perfect being in the world cleared his throat.

“If and when everyone is ready, we must leave to see Master William. He’ll be expecting us at eight. You all know how he gets when someone is not on time.”

The three of us who aren’t immortal shivered. William has quite a… well, he has a nasty temper. When he gets angry there’s hardly anything you can do to calm him down and if you don’t know how to, like us, it takes him forever to become civil again.

“Let’s go,” I said, walking toward the front door.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Josh groaned. He and William didn’t get along at all. Todd has a theory that William is Josh’s father, a bastard child from some shifter he met a long time ago, but Lance and I think it’s because Josh is just a jerk.

“Yeah, I guess I’m set,” Todd sighed, standing from his spot at the table. A sly smile grew on his lips until it was a huge grin. “I call driving the Beast!”

I couldn’t help but smile as well when I saw the two youngest guys in our team grinning. Both of them love cars with a burning passion. Whenever we’re given money for whatever reason, like if we did well on a mission or William is just feeling generous, Josh and Todd put a portion of their earnings into a jar labeled “Money for Our Future Sexy Cars.” I personally think it’s absurd. They already have a white and blue 2006 Ford GT (though I’m not enormously into cars, even I think that one’s beautiful), a 2010 Shelby Mustang GT500KR, and a ’69 Mach I Mustang, which is the one they were talking about.

“I’m riding with you,” Josh said, already following the young werewolf to the door that led to the garage.

“Sweetness,” Todd replied as he loped up to the key ring.

I turned to Lawrence who had walked to my side.

“I guess I’m going with you.”

“I guess you are,” he said, looking down at me. My heart melted a little when I saw that he was giving me a small smile.

“Let’s go!” Todd called as he swung open the door. He had grabbed the keys from the ring and you could almost see him and Josh shaking in anticipation to drive.

I laughed, shaking my head.

“We’re coming, we’re coming.”

Todd threw a grin over his shoulder as he and Josh ran into the huge garage.

“Shall we take the Sebring?” Lance suggested as he started to walk gracefully to the open door.

I nodded, following him. I think he knew that the Chrysler was my favorite. Even though the convertible’s a little flashy for my taste, with it being bright red and always looking brand new thanks to Josh’s loving washes, I think it’s pretty and the seats are really comfortable.

I glanced over at Lawrence when I heard him inhale. He looked almost… nervous, which is a very rare emotion for him. It made me a little confused. What would an immortal need to be nervous about?

“What is it?” I had to raise my voice a little to be heard over the roar of the Beast’s engine coming to life.

“Some things might come up, and I’d rather they not,” he muttered so low that I was straining to hear him.

“What do you mean?” I asked, even more confused as I walked into the garage (first, of course).

“You will soon see.” His eyebrows were furrowed in thought, and I was tempted to reach over and try to smooth them out with my finger. I shook my head again and walked to the passenger side of the Sebring. Now was not the time to have stupid daydreams that would never come true.

I jumped slightly when a loud honk brought me back to reality.

“Hurry up, you guys!” Todd whined. “I want to drive this thing ten friggin’ minutes ago!”

I glared at Lance when I heard him chuckle.

“Let’s be on our way,” he said warmly as he unlocked the car and got in.

“All right. Let’s head out, guys,” I said in a raised voice.

The shifter and werewolf whooped and the second the garage door was open they sped off. I sank into the comfy car and when I was buckled in Lawrence shot out into the street.