“For what?”
“Aubrey was a bitch. Not the good kind. Stopping her was the best thing you could have done for us girls and for the pack. And, having her away makes life much nicer. I just wanted to let you know we think you're great, even if Fenris spends way too much time watching you.”
I smiled as Fenris came up behind her just then.
“Hey, Fenris. We were just talking about you,” I said.
Jenna’s eyes went wide, and she gave Fenris a sheepish look.
“All good things, I hope.” His gaze slid over my dress before briefly flicking to Eliana and the rest of our group. “You girls look lovely tonight,” he said, once again looking at me. “Any chance that you'll dance with me?”
“You know what? Dancing sounds like a great idea,” I said. I held out my hand for Eliana.
“I think I'm going to sit this one out,” she said.
“What? Why? We came here to dance.”
“I don't think I had enough for dinner.” Her gaze pleaded with me to understand. And I did. When she blinked at me, I could see a brief flash of inky blackness creeping into her gaze. She warned me once before that Fenris had way too much lust oozing off of him. I kept my shock inside as I realized all the lust was because of her.
“Fine, I'll do this one solo.” I turned to Fenris. “Looks like you're stuck with just Jenna and me.”
“I don't mind.” He took my hand, and Jenna's and led us on to the dance floor. Jenna grinned before busting a move in front of me. I smiled and started dancing until Fenris’ arms circled me from behind. He pressed close and inhaled deeply with his nose buried in my hair. Now that I knew what he was doing, I didn’t mind it. However, I was pretty sure Jenna did, based on her expression.
I mouthed “sorry” to her, and she shrugged lightly.
A shiver of awareness ran down my spine as if I were being watched. I looked around the crowded room while still dancing with Jenna and Fenris. A t-shirt, like the ones that Oanen usually wore, fell from above. I looked up, and my gaze collided with Oanen’s as he gripped the balcony rail with one hand. The blue lights reflected off his chest. It was an amazing view that I couldn’t really enjoy because his eyes were golden and very angry.
I stopped dancing.
With a small jump, Oanen launched himself over the railing. His gaze never left mine as he fell, and his wings burst forth to slow his descent. He landed in a crouch, and his gaze shifted to Fenris, who stopped dancing behind me but still had his arm hooked around my waist.
“Looks like you’re not the only one with anger issues,” Fenris said, much too close to my ear. “Because of what you’re doing for me, I won’t hit back.”
Before I could tell him to cut it out and let go, he pushed me into Jenna’s arms. I turned in time to see Oanen’s fist connect with Fenris’ face.
“Oanen, stop,” I yelled. He didn’t. Neither did most of the dancers or the music.
I grabbed Jenna’s wrist and pulled her off of me just as Oanen hit Fenris again. Jenna whined in protest but didn’t try to stop me once I was free. Stalking up to my irate boyfriend, I lifted my hand and caught his next swing with my palm.
His furious gaze shifted to mine.
“Outside, now,” I said.
He jerked away from me, grabbed his shirt from the floor and stalked outside. I followed close on his heels. As soon as the door closed behind us and the music muted to the point we could talk, he stopped. He didn’t turn toward me, though.
“We need to understand each other’s rules so you don’t go around trying to beat up my friends all the time. I mean, are you going to hit Eliana the next time I kiss her?”
“You plan to kiss her again?”
“If she needs me to, yes.” I stared at his tense back in frustration. “Oanen, this isn’t going to work if you have so little trust in me. I was dancing with friends, not having sex with them.”
“You sure? Because it looked like that was where it was headed.”
I lost it. My insides flashed so hot I thought I’d boil alive. Instead, the car right in front of Oanen exploded into flames.
I didn’t care that a piece of metal flew from the car and hit him or that the fire would probably burn him. He could fry for all I cared. I wanted him to hurt like he’d just hurt me.
I took a step forward, ready to spin him around and give him a five-digit present when something hit me from behind.
“Are you kidding me?” I screeched as I went down.
The anger didn’t disappear all at once but in slow degrees. As soon as I was in my right mind enough to know who I was struggling to get off my back, I stopped and just lay there, cheek against the cement.
I closed my eyes, hating myself. Could I get any lower? No. I’d managed to get every one of my friends hurt tonight. I could smell Eliana’s melted dress. Guilt and shame clawed at my insides and ate away at whatever remaining hope I had for controlling the fury growing inside of me.
Eliana pressed tighter against me, and her hand brushed over my head.
“Shh,” she said softly in my ear. “I have you, Megan. You won’t hurt anyone else.”
The last of my anger left me as did every other emotion. I lay there languid in the nothingness I felt.
“Are you okay, Oanen?” she asked.
“Fine. Megan?”
“She’s not injured on the outside. Inside, she’s not okay. We better get Adira.”
Something moved inside of me. I wanted to feel anger toward Adira but couldn’t. It kept slipping away from me. I felt stifled and raw.
“Get off me, Eliana.”
“I can’t. I promised I wouldn’t let you hurt anyone. If I let go, you will. And, I won’t break my promise.”
Again, any hint of the anger or frustration I wanted to feel slipped away, along with my will to shake her off and stand. I continued to lay there as someone called Adira.
I never felt the portal open; it was already too cold on the ground to feel a temperature difference. But I knew the moment she arrived anyway.
“Your parents are on their way, Oanen,” Adira said. “You can get up now, Eliana.”
“It’ll be okay, Megan,” Eliana whispered in my ear.
Her weight lifted off of me. Before I could move, a hand settled on my shoulder. My stomach twisted as Adira’s portal shifted me from the cement to my bed. Suddenly laying face up, I was too disoriented to do anything as Adira leaned over me and kissed my forehead.
Darkness closed over my consciousness, smothering the rage that had once again been trying to consume me from the inside.
“Rest.”
That word followed me into the void.
Twelve
I woke at four in the morning with an instant awareness of what I’d done the evening before. The vision of that piece of metal flying toward Oanen’s torso filled my mind along with the smell of Eliana’s burned dress. Guilt threatened to suffocate me.
“Please let it not be that bad,” I said as I reached for my phone.
I had a message typed and ready to send when I hesitated. If Oanen was hurt and recovering, I didn’t want to wake him. Yet, if he was awake, he’d likely be worrying about me. That was his normal mode of operation. I frowned and looked at the phone. If he was awake, though, why didn’t I have a text from him already? Worried, I sent my first text followed quickly by a second.
Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.
Please don’t give up.
When there was no immediate reply, I told myself he was still sleeping and sent a text to Eliana.
I’m sorry about last night. Are you and Oanen all right?
Instead of hovering near the phone until she answered, I went downstairs to make myself something to eat.