Channeler's Choice (6 page)

“
Tell me all about it.” Caitlin exclaimed.

Aiden laughed at the surprised look on Fane’s face. Fane glared half-heartedly at him before plunging into conversation with Caitlin. He told her all about his father’s family, even going into what Virgil and Camilia had done to first get exiled from Romania.

“
Will you walk me to the admin office? There’s a class I have to take care of and I’d love to finish this conversation,” Caitlin said as she pushed her tray back.

A huge smile spread across his face and his eyes widened. “Of course, I’d love to escort you,” he said.

As Caitlin stood from the table, she paused to stare pointedly at Eren before nodding her head in Aiden’s direction. Mind still on the conversation about the Moldovan’s, Eren had no idea what she was trying to hint at. Grumbling, Caitlin mumbled something that sounded like ‘bloody hell.’

“
Aren’t you going to tell him about the class?” she asked.

Oh, that’s what she meant. Eren nodded and smiled. A thought occurred to her as Caitlin and Fane walked away and she called after her.

“
You should walk home with us.”

Caitlin smiled; her over-lined eyes and dark red lips making her look almost sinister. “I should,” she agreed before Fane whisked her away.

Aiden pushed his tray aside and gave Eren a curious look. Avoiding his gaze, she took an excessive amount of time to chew the last bite of her apple. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell Aiden, it was just that she wasn’t sure how she felt about it, so she wasn’t sure what to say. He cleared his throat to make her look up at him. He sat with his elbows on the table, chin propped upon his fists, staring. Without even trying he managed to look so cute that it sped her heart up and swept her doubts away.

“
Starting tomorrow I’ll be in the advanced fighting class,” she blurted out.

“
That’s great, E. Your instructor must be really impressed with how you’re doing. You can come to the matches then,” he said as he stood from the table.

He stacked her tray on top of his and walked around to her side of the table, leaving the trays in the drop off cart along the way. Unconcerned about the voyeuristic stares being cast their way; he leaned down and kissed her cheek. He picked up her backpack and put an arm around her as they turned to leave.

“
I knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world saw how fantastic you are,” he whispered to her.

To hear him say such sweet things made the whole situation seem a lot less frightening. He had so much faith in her that it was staggering at times. But she understood it because she felt exactly the same way about him.

“
A Rector couple must bond to solidify their Society.

Beware of those who would hinder the bonding.”

~from
Life In A Society
.

Chapter 4

For an entire mile on the walk home, Fane and Caitlin talked about the fighting tournaments.

“
Eren is quite the fighter. You should see her in action. She’s a natural,” Fane said.

Eren laughed. “He’s exaggerating.”

“
Not at all. I saw her fight at the Halloween party and she was spectacular,” he insisted.

The memory of that night made Eren shudder.

“
You don’t have to compete in the tournaments if you don’t want to,” Aiden was quick to say.

She loved that he knew when to change the conversation. Hand gripping his tighter, she shot him a smile.

“
I’m flattered Fane, really. But I have a lot to learn and I want to take things slow,” she said.

Just as they reached the first of the businesses that indicated they were getting close to the center of town, a girl stepped off a side street and ran over to join them. Caitlin wrinkled her nose and glared. The girl was wearing clothes far too skimpy for the frigid weather, even for a channeler. Her skin-tight half-shirt plunged down to the bra line and her little plaid skirt was nearly a foot above her knees. She had platinum blond hair that was fashioned into an overly long bob.

Eren bristled as the girl’s hazel eyes crawled all over her boyfriend. It was all she could do to keep her energy from lashing out at her. Just the thought of such an unusual response was enough to quell it.

“
Aiden, I’m glad I caught you. My mom wanted us to stop by the store and pick up some things for dinner,” the girl said.

Though it was irrational, Eren couldn’t help hate the girl’s high soprano, saccharine sweet voice. The way she appeared to be trying to undress Aiden with her eyes didn’t help either.

“
Guys, this is Bridget. The Murphy’s daughter,” Aiden said. By his rigid stance and tight lips, Eren was guessing he didn’t like the girl much.

She knew the Murphy’s had a child but she’d thought it was a
child
. This girl looked like she was only a year younger than them.

Bridget’s eyes widened comically as they turned to Fane. “Oh my God! You’re Fane Moldovan. You actually kind of look like Luke,” she exclaimed.

Seething, Eren took a step toward the girl. Aiden’s hand tightened around hers, reminding her to keep her cool. Bridget’s flinched back, recovering with a confused look.

“
How dare you say that?” Eren snapped.

“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult,” Bridget said in a whiney voice.

Pulling Eren back to his side, Aiden put his arm around her and pressed close. It had an instant calming effect. The desire to blow the girl to bits faded.

“
Well it is. Wait across the street for me,” Aiden told Bridget as he turned his back on her.

“
Okay. I’m sorry,” she said, sounding like a kicked dog.

It didn’t generate any sympathy within Eren. In fact, it only supported her initial first impression that Bridget was weak and needy. Her irritation swept away as Aiden bent down for a kiss. His passion ignited hers and they lost themselves in the taste and feel of one another. It didn’t even occur to her to be embarrassed until Caitlin whistled.

“
They’re always like this, I constantly have to chaperone them,” Fane said with a laugh, causing Aiden to draw back.

While Eren knew Aiden had partially done it because of Bridget’s roving eyes, she didn’t care. She would have initiated it herself if she’d been bold enough. The blush heating her cheeks couldn’t even stop her from smiling. Eren caught a furious glare from Bridget before the girl looked down.

“
I’ll catch up with you guys in a few hours,” Aiden said.

He pulled away from Eren slowly. When his fingers finally released hers, his entire attitude changed. His brow furrowed and the left side of his upper lip rose into a snarl. Not only could she see it, Eren could feel the change in his energy. It was popping and snapping like a broken electrical wire.

As he grabbed Bridget’s arm and pulled her across the street, Eren had to fight not to laugh, especially when she heard him chastising her for insulting his friends.

“
She seemed . . . honest,” Fane commented.

Caitlin looped her arm through Fane’s as they started down the sidewalk again. “I think the word you’re looking for is reptilian,” she said.

Eren laughed and high-fived Caitlin. They chatted as they walked but Eren couldn’t help stealing a glance in Aiden’s direction. While she trusted Aiden, she definitely didn’t trust Bridget. The idea of him living under the same roof with her was disturbing to say the least.

“
Channelers marry for life. A channeler’s life is

a long one, therefore the choice is vital.”

~from
Life In A Society

Chapter 5

Aiden did his best to smile and be polite through dinner, but it wasn’t easy. Except for Bridget, the Murphy’s never really talked to him much, and he wished
she
wouldn’t. They treated him as though he was a border in a bed and breakfast and he didn’t mind. He had no intentions of making friends with them or getting close to them. He didn’t want another family. Eren and her family were more than enough.

In the past, Bridget had been flirtatious and forward and Aiden had made it clear he wasn’t interested. The fact that she wasn’t giving up was tremendously annoying. Today she crossed a line.

Without bothering to offer a reason, Aiden excused himself from the table after a quick compliment on the delicious meal. Mr. Murphy was too quick to dismiss him. Aiden knew he made them uncomfortable, but thought the man could at least try to hide it. Like almost everyone else in town, the Murphy’s were freaked out by the fact that he’d been raised by serial killers. He and Mr. Murphy had almost come to blows the first and only time the man mentioned it.

After putting his dishes in the dishwasher, he hurried to his room in the attic.

This attic was nothing like the plush quarters Eren lived in, but he didn’t mind. For one, it wasn’t finished. Both the walls and ceiling were open beams and lumber. There was room for a bed and dresser and not much more, but it was easily twice the size of his old ‘room.’ When he lived with the Moldovans, his room had been a space under the stairs; this was huge in comparison. The best part was the big window that overlooked the expansive yard.

Floorboards creaked beneath light footsteps on the carpet in the hall below. His pen froze over the page as he waited for the footsteps to move on, but they didn’t. Instead, he heard the groan of someone stepping onto the first rung of the ladder. As they continued up the steps he tried to concentrate harder on the page before him, hoping if he pretended to be busy she would just leave.

He did
not
want to talk to Bridget. Everything that needed to be said had been said on the way home. She’d run off crying after their discussion. The girl made him nervous and he didn’t want to be near her. As absurd as it sounded, he felt like she was a threat to his and Eren’s relationship. Not that he’d ever be tempted by anyone, let alone someone so dense and easy. And he wasn’t afraid of Eren getting jealous either. His fear was based on a bad feeling he got from the girl’s energy.

When she approached the foot of his bed, he noticed her skirt was hiked up from the climb and she didn’t bother to pull it back down. She walked around to the side of the bed and he glared over at her. The dirty look didn’t so much as wilt the smile on her too-red lips. The old springs in the mattress creaked as she knelt on the bed and crawled closer to him, pretending to look at his homework. He was pretty sure it was no accident that she was practically falling out of her shirt. He swiftly looked back at his homework.

“
What are you working on?” she asked.

“
I
was
working on my English assignment.”

“
Want some help?” she asked, ignoring his surly attitude.

She leaned so close she was literally breathing down his neck. He flipped his homework over and slapped it down on the bed between them.

“
This isn’t going to happen, Bridget,” he snapped.

Undeterred, she reached over and tried to massage his shoulders. Aiden’s energy snapped a bit, reaching out to shock her. He couldn’t help it, it just slipped out. Guilt surged through him. She flinched but didn’t let go.