Darren
He knew what was going on; he just couldn't place it.
Darren watched as Maddie left Drew in the middle of the sidewalk and stormed off, her wolf ahead of her. She had finally made the connection to Drew but what the other guy was talking about- and talking very animatedly at that- he didn't know. He could lip read but that only worked when the person was facing him. Drew and Maddie weren't so it was a little difficult.
He knew Maddie was keeping her distance from him. She was probably pissed at him already and he didn't know why. She had been slowly moving away from him since they returned from Dallas about two weeks earlier. He wasn't sure if it was feeling of guilt or of pressure that was making her shy away from him. Not many had done that to him before but he wasn't about to let that get to him.
He watched as she disappeared into her dorm only to reappear a few minutes later with all her archery gear. She was really mad if she was training voluntarily. He had talked to Max about how the girls' training was coming along. The teacher had told him that she had refused to fight him in their martial arts class. When it came to archery, she had a fine eye and always found the target no matter how fast it moved or at what angle she was. It was always a bull's eye.
Staying a few paces behind, Darren followed her to the Rec center. She went into the basement and into one of the big rooms used for archery. It was a little chilly for her to be outside and she knew the others wouldn't want her out in the open. But if he was right, she was mad at the others and didn't care what they said. This was how she was going to take her frustration out.
Sitting in the corner of the room, he watched as she slipped all her gear on. She rarely wore the chest protector because the workout outfit Max had provided her was sturdy. He watched her nock and arrow and released a breath before the arrow flew to the target. Perfect shot. He watched as eight more landed in their intended mark. He was getting ready to get up when an arrow lodged itself in the wall by his head. When he looked up, she was staring at him.
She didn't say a word as she looked at him with that lethal look in her eyes. He didn't see it often but when he did, he knew to stay away. This time he was going to try his luck and talk to her. When he stood, she pointed an arrow at him and dared him to move.
He didn't.
She turned away from him and continued her practice. He could tell she was getting
increasingly agitated the more she practiced.
"Why are you here?" she asked as she walked to the target and started removing the arrows.
"I saw you talking to Drew," he replied.
"Spying? That makes no sense. You should know what I'm doing at all times because you have every Knight you know watching out for me. It's as if you don't trust me to fend for myself."
"Maddie." He sighed and rubbed his eyes as if they were hurting him. "I only did it because we don't know what Casey will do."
"We know what Casey will do. She'll try to kill me. Wait, no, not try. She will kill me."
"That's what we're trying to keep from happening."
"Well, you can stop. I'm going to be fine. So you can quit following me around. I'm not going to be a poor, defenseless victim anymore. So just stay away from me for the time being."
"Stay away from you?"
"Yes, stay away from me."
He grabbed her arm as she walked past him with her gear. He knew she had to head upstairs to the dojo for training with Max. She stopped and looked up at him with a fierceness he had never seen. "We're dating. How can I stay away from you?"
She jerked her arm from his hand and glared at him. "No, we're not. You just said that to get under my skin. I appreciate you going to Dallas with me but I didn't ask you to. Everything you've done since then has just confused me. I like you but I don't romantically at the moment because you're pissing me off. Now leave me alone."
She left Darren standing there after she opened the door then let it slam in his face.
Maddie
I stomped up the stairs to the dojo. How dare he do that to me? I knew he was crazy good-looking but the fact that he was stalking me now pissed me off. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea.
Beca was already in the dojo when I slung my stuff down in the corner and went to
the punching bag. I laid into that thing with such a ferocity I figured she'd come over and put a stop to it. She didn't, smart girl she was.
I let all my frustrations out on that bag until I was tired and sweating. After I punched it one time for good measure, I ducked as it came swinging back at me and flopped out on the floor. This was going to annoy me until I could remember why I had done this in the first place.
Beca flopped out beside me but didn't say a word. She was a good friend but as she lay there calmly, my discussion with Drew came flooding back to me. What was he getting at when he said he couldn't do this with Beca anymore? He seemed as if he really loved her. Well, he could really love but he didn't want her to get hurt if something happened to him. Then I remembered he wanted to die. I wasn't certain if he really wanted to die or if he was just saying everything was about to get ugly.
I rolled over and buried my face in my arms. This was not going the way I thought it would. My head told me not to do it but my heart said it needed to be done. I didn't want my new friends to go through this anymore than I did.
I got to my feet when Max came into the room. He started putting us through our paces without so much as a friendly greeting. It made me feel better to know that someone cared enough not to ask anything.
After all was said and done and my joints were sore, I walked to the stables to brush my horse. It was something I hadn't done but once since I returned from Dallas. Kaia would probably be mad at me.
And she was. She nickered at me when I walked into the tack room. I came back with currycomb because I was certain she hadn't been brushed by anyone since I had been gone. She stomped happily as I came into her stall and started brushing her. The smooth rhythm was comforting to us both.
"I figured you'd be in here." I turned around as Drew stopped by the stall. He smiled slightly and waved. I ignored him. "I know you're mad at me but I'm really trying to help you out."
"I know but I'm not mad at you only. Darren was following me after I left you. I think he saw something," I replied. "I told him I wasn't his girlfriend and I think I upset him."
"Uh, yeah. That boy's had a crush on you since you came to this school but I can understand you being upset with him. He tends to be a little crazy when it comes to girls he likes." I pierced him with a crazy gaze. "Sorry. I just thought you should know."
I shook my head and moved around Kaia's rear, giving her a wide berth so she didn't kick me. "What do you want, Drew?"
"We're having a meeting tonight. Just Simon and me. Sam might show up but other than that no one else will be there. We want you to show up so we can decide on the best option."
"What about Darren and Beca?"
"It's probably better if they don't know. Simply because this would affect everyone and we want you to make the decision without any influences, good or bad. Simon has volunteered to hear out your side and reservations. Sam will be unbiased because he hasn't been around you as long as the rest of us. I'm just going to be quiet. If I say anything, nothing will get done." He patted Kaia's nose gently. She nuzzled his hand looking for a treat. When he didn't have one she turned away from him.
"Are you ready to listen to my side of the story?"
He looked at me then. His face was scrunched up with thought before he shook his head. "Probably not but I'm going to have to live with it if I want to get my way." I grunted at him. "Speaking personally, I'm willing to do whatever you say to get you to leave here."
I stopped brushing Kaia and stepped over the rope keeping her in her stall. He helped me over like a gentleman would. I looked up at him, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or being overly familiar. He tended to be sometimes. So I cocked my hip, brought my hand with the brush up, and looked at him square on, daring him to mess up.
"Are you swearing on the pendant to me?" Everyone else had.
He smiled at me, his lip coming from between his teeth as he snorted. He reached down my plaid button up and pulled out the pendant. It glinted in the pale stable light but didn't give off the charge it did when Parker picked it up. He held it up for me to see. "Funny thing about magic. As the conjuror, it won't work for me but I can always find it. That's how I knew where you were at all times, even when your father had it."
"So you knew where I was all along?" He nodded somberly. "Did you by any chance influence my decision?"
"No, that was where I drew the line. I let your grandfather know who I was and what I was doing. He was okay with it." The smile that answered his unspoken question was breathtaking. It wasn't a fake smile that I now realize he had been using when he was around everyone. "He told me he'd kill me if you weren't safe."
"That sounds like Grandpa." I placed the currycomb back in the tack room and grabbed my coat. "What time is the meeting?"
"It's at nine, after the library closes. We'll be waiting on the far side."
"I'll be there."
"Good. I'll see you later." He leaned in and kissed my forehead, confusing me further. He looked at me for a moment then headed out the door, leaving me to wonder what the hell was going on.