After their conversation, which lasted until almost midnight, she felt more in the loop about what was going on. She understood the politics better. Though she still had a lot more to learn.
But even after everything she had learnt that night, she still couldn't stop thinking about that damn kiss.
Her gaze, that had been fixed on the slithering Silverback River, shot up at the faces of her friends. Their eyes were studying her in an invasive way she did not like. A knowing smile was on all their faces -apart from Ronnie who was too busy working out if a small blue stone he held in his hands was worthy of his collection or not. She focused on him, avoiding their inquiring eyes -her cheeks hot with embarrassment- as she watched him squatting by the edge of the river, oblivious to what was going on. She pretended to appear as ignorant.
Alf practically jumped on her, wrapping his muscular, bronze arm around her shoulder like a big brother teasing his smaller sibling. He squeezed her into his firm chest. “Who were you thinking about, Skin?”
Skin was something they'd become accustomed to saying, and she'd gotten so used to being addressed by it, that now it was strange whenever she heard them refer to her as Jaz outside their circle. Only Skye still called her Jaz amongst her little group of friends.
“Only you, Alf. Always and forever,” she goaded, playing Miss Unfazed.
He grinned his flashing-white, teethy smile.
She rolled her eyes.
“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a crush on someone?”
She eyed him, her playfulness swiftly turning dark.
Alf wiggled his golden brows suggestively.
Jaz gnawed on her sulky lip in response.
“A crush?! Ooooo. Who's he talking about, Skin?” Kenna asked, rushing towards them.
“His dad. I think he wants me,” Jaz muttered.
Alf froze in astonishment and Kenna sniggered behind her hands at the sight of his face. Kelda bit down on her top lip suppressing a laugh.
Jaz saw Skye eyeing her brother, not focusing on the conversation.
No. Not at Ronnie, Jaz realized. Skye was looking somewhere else, beyond his head. Something about the way she was standing, so stiff and alert, made the hairs on Jaz's neck stand up.
“Cheap shot, Skin,” Alf said by her ear. “You've met my old man once. I don't even think someone as pretty as you could work your magic that quickly.”
Jaz saw Skye's eyes were fixed on the edge of the forest across the river.
What is she looking at? Jaz thought, her heart pounding erratically.
The current of the Silverback was so strong that the sound almost drowned out voices that weren't raised above normal level, making it near impossible for Jaz to listen out for anything untoward. What that might be she didn't know, but she couldn't ignore the sickness in her gut and the goosebumps on her skin.
Jaz then noticed Ronnie wasn't playing anymore, staring in the same direction too, his eyes wide and wary.
“Skin, what is it?” Alf asked, his voice low and alert as he sensed the tension in the air.
She took one step forward, towards the river's edge, shortening the space between herself and Skye and Ronnie.
“Skin?”
“Shhh!” she shushed him.
Alf grabbed her arm. “What is it?” he hissed.
“I don't know,” she whispered in a high, distracted voice.
He sniffed something in the air and his nose wrinkled. “Shit.”
The sound of his voice made Jaz snap her head round to gape at him. She'd never seen fear in his eyes, but right then, it was there, and it sickened her to her stomach.
She swung back to face the river, hearing heavy, booted footfalls before she was overwhelmed by the sight of a twenty or so strange, threatening Weres lining the length of the trees across the river.
The five of them were outnumbered.
“Kelda,” Alf whispered, barely moving his lips.
Jaz saw the muscles around Kelda's eyes tighten beneath her thick, blonde fringe.
“Go. Now.”
It took Kelda half a second to make up her mind and as fast as she could, she turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, ripping through the trees back towards the village.
Jaz gawked after her, then looked back across the river, expecting an attack.
A dark-haired, olive-skinned Were standing in the middle of the line of intruders, had his arm out to stop his comrades chasing after Kelda. Jaz saw his mouth form the words, “Leave her.”
She frowned. Something about this was very, very wrong. Worse than she had at first presumed. Why didn't he attack? What was his intention?
A sense of foreboding polluted the air; its invisible talons crept up Jaz's spine.
Skye was inching towards Ronnie. Ronnie gripped hold of his blue stone so hard his hand turned white. When Skye stepped forward again towards him, some of the Weres stirred. She froze.
The olive-skinned man Jaz presumed was the Pack Leader, swaggered forward, ahead of the scattered line of his comrades. He called across the rushing water in a booming voice, “Which one of you is Nikolas Driver's mate?”
Jaz stared, trying to keep the trepidation from erupting into her limbs.