Shifting Shadows (Sparks Collide Trilogy) (9 page)

He got in my face “Not anyone here,
no.” No one at home either, I was sure of that. I swallowed back another shot,
ignoring him in front of me. “God Jay, I’m trying to help. You don’t have to do
this here. I’ll take you home. This shit isn’t going to help.”

I went to pour another shot but the
freaking bottle was empty. “You know what, you’re right. I’m out.”

Will
nodded
“Let me get
Trent
’s keys, I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t bother, I don’t need you to
drive me anywhere, I can get myself from point A to point freaking B just fine
without you. Peace.” I pushed myself off the chair.

“Jay” he sighed frustratingly.

“Oh, and don’t follow me or send anyone
else to. I need to do this alone, that’s the least you can do for me.” I
deliberately walked around him, standing steadily on my two feet out of sheer
determination. Luckily I was used to shifting while drunk, it took more energy
but I had plenty of practice.

I headed to the door and noticed I had
been wrong when I thought Kira was with Annabella and Mena. I saw her in the
crowd of people, dancing with that Daniel guy. They were both smiling and
moving in sync with the music and each other. I watched her grab his hands and
hold them. I turned and left the apartment and if the door was slammed so hard
it loosened the hinges, it’s not like any one noticed or cared.

One dance had turned into two and so on
as Daniel and I moved to the music. I liked Daniel well enough but I loved
dancing so that was why I stayed. Dancing always managed to lighten my soul.
The truth was, even when I tried to feel something for Daniel, I couldn’t
because he didn’t seem right to me. I felt awful thinking that about him but I
couldn’t help it.

He’d tried to place his hands all over
me again but I prevented it by grabbing them and holding onto them. I’d learned
that trick a little while ago and it allowed me to be in control but seem nice
about it. I didn’t like how grabby he was so I decided even dancing to take my
mind off of things wasn’t worth it.

I went to tell him that I was going to
get a drink or something when I saw Jay shooting out the door, leaving it
slamming behind him. I was reminded then that no matter how hard we try to
distract ourselves, the things we’re avoiding always manage to catch up to us.
I shook my head to clear it and turned to Daniel.

“Hey,” he said “You stopped dancing.”

I tried to smile but I don’t think I
succeeded. “Yeah, I’m gonna catch up with some friends that I came with and see
what they’re up to. Thanks for the dance.”

Surprise of surprises, he grabbed at me
again. I had to wonder what I’d been thinking dancing with him in the first
place. This whole situation was clearly not going to work. “We’re having such a
good time. Do you want a tour of my place?”

I tried to break free but his hold was
too strong. “No thanks, I’m actually ready to head home.”

He rolled his eyes and pulled me in
closer, whispering in my ear. “Let me get you a drink, you just got here.”

I attempted to keep my voice calm.
“Really, I’m leaving now so you need to let me go.” I was trying not to
overreact but I felt trapped. He wasn’t hurting me and I didn’t want to look
like an idiot or a drama queen yelling for help for no reason but he wouldn’t.
Let. Go.

Then he pushed me against the wall, one
arm wrapped itself around my back, barring me from leaving and that hand
grabbed my arm. His other hand began to slither down my body. “You’re cute when
you’re playing hard to get.”

I began to struggle in earnest, not
caring if it caused a scene. He couldn’t honestly think he could do this in
public and get away with it. “I’m not playing at anything. Come on. Let me go,
Daniel.”

The groping continued as his other
hand’s grip tightened, becoming painful. “You can’t be serious. You’re having a
good time with me.”

I attempted to push, kick, and pull at
him but I was immobile, locked in between him and the wall. I was fuming,
furious. I debated using a quick spell. It would hardly take more than a tiny
speck of magic to zap him enough to let me go. It would take less than a second
to do but I knew I couldn’t risk it. I can’t use magic anytime I feel like it.
I had to exhaust every option first.

“Oh, no. It’s you who can’t be
serious.” a harsh voice called over my shoulder. “Let her go. Now.” this last
part came out as an angry growl and Daniel pushed me away from him but I didn’t
stumble, I held my ground.

I turned to see Logan, Brandon, and
Trent behind me. I’d never seen them look so…deadly. Smooth Logan, goofy
Brandon, and laid back surfer boy Trent looked capable of anything in that
moment and all three were zeroed in on Daniel with looks of death.

I tried to distract them. I didn’t want
to fight. I just wanted to leave before magic started flowing out of me
uncontrollably. “Hey guys, thanks for helping me out. You ready to go?” I asked
breathlessly.

Annabella, Mena, Max, Will, and Demi
came over to where we were standing. “What’s going on?” Demi asked and the
crowd of dancers around us began to stare. There was no preventing this, we
were making a scene. People were starting to talk and my friends were trading
looks, summing up the situation.

I cut everyone off “I’m going to head
out now. If you want a ride, you can join me. Otherwise, goodnight.” I stepped
towards the door and prayed they would follow and not beat Daniel into
oblivion. Not for his sake but for my friends having to deal with it at all.

Logan
turned to Daniel, who stood there
arrogantly like he had no problems in the world. “I’d wipe that damn smirk off
of your face if I were you. You go anywhere
near
her
again and you’re dead. I don’t care if it’s an accident. I see you in the same
store or walking on the same street and you will be dead before you can run.”

I watched Daniel start to tremble
slightly but whether it was in fear or anger I couldn’t tell. He did nothing
but turn to head deeper into his apartment.
Logan
gave a vicious smile.

I walked out to the parking lot,
embarrassed and at the same time grateful. There’d been no fighting, even
though my friends had been willing to go to bat for me. I saw them all exiting
the apartment behind me. Annabella caught up to me. “Are you ok?” “What
happened?” Her eyes filled with concern.

“I’m fine, I’m infuriated, obviously
but I’m ok.”

She placed her arm on mine. “What a jerk.
Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Well, I just feel stupid. I wish I
could’ve handled it on my own.”

“Hey, there’s no reason for you to feel
stupid because you didn’t cause any of this. That guy should’ve let you go when
you asked. End of story.

“I know but Trent and Logan and Brandon
and well, everyone hates that guy because of me. I don’t want them to have
enemies over something this insignificant.”

“Kira, you don’t get a choice in how
we, as your friends, think. We’re going to dislike him on principle for being
an idiot. If that was me in there, would you like that guy?”

No, I thought, I’d probably have
impulsively spelled him into a punching bag and placed him in the nearest gym.
“No, you’re right. I’m glad you guys were there for me. No one’s ever had my
back like that.”

“It’s what we’re here for.”
Logan
said, as he and everyone else came
over to my car where Annabella and I stood.

“You’ve done a lot for us and a lot
more for…
well,
you’ve done more for all of us than you
can possibly know. This was nothing compared to that.” Demi added.

“Well, thank you…and I’m good now but I
really do just want to go home.”

“You sure you don’t want me to kick his
ass because I’m really itching to.”
Brandon
said.

Trent
nodded “Same.”

I shook my head “No, please don’t. He
made a mistake, he’s an idiot and not used to girl’s saying no. I wouldn’t
waste my breath on him.”

“She’s right” said Demi decisively,
“Let’s go home.”

Trent
looked around “Sounds good but
where’s Jay
?” Will clapped him on the shoulder and shook his
head slowly. No one spoke as we got into the cars. I got into in mine and
everyone else got into
Trent
’s and Maxes. It was a terrible way to
end the night but I had this feeling that whatever Jay was going through, it
was worse.

I threw a punch with my left hand and
met with a particularly bony jaw. Before he could retaliate I moved out of
reach and readjusted my stance. I was pissed at myself for having gotten into
this. True, I had started the fight when I hit on his chick at Ember, the club
where Werewolves and occasionally other supernaturals hung out but I hadn’t
expected it would take this freaking long.

I told him to meet me at this place
because it was safe for fighting and what do you know, the bastard showed. When
I fought someone new it was clear from the get-go whether I was winning or
losing. As it turned out we were almost equally matched. Instead of feeling
grateful that I would have a challenge, I cursed my luck. Beating the hell out
of someone and getting the hell beat out of me could be equally as satisfying
when I was in one of these moods.

Unfortunately this clash wasn’t
allowing for either and I wasn’t about to give in. It went against my nature.
No matter how much I wouldn’t mind going numb for a while.

The werewolf was from a pack in
Michigan
, I was told and he had been summer
vacationing in the
Sunshine
State
. He was an up and coming Alpha and a
few of his pack mates were watching from the sidelines. I was alone for once
and I liked it that way.

He kept coming at me but his pacing was
getting slower. He had chosen to fight me in our human forms so if he was
losing stamina, then that was his problem. Wearing an opponent down was stupid,
you either beat him at his prime or not at all. I saw the opening and I took it
while he was still in it enough for me to feel like it was a true win. Between
one breath and the next, he was knocked out cold. Face kissing mat, and the
body to match.

The brief pleasure at having won barely
touched me. The emptiness always won out. This fight had gone on too long and I
was late to the council meeting. Not that I cared.

I pushed
Michigan
’s fans out of my way as they came
rushing toward their Alpha. Not even stopping when the guy’s girlfriend, the
reason for the brawl, came up to me. She was batting her eyelashes and placed
her hand on my arm. I moved it and kept going, ignoring the unladylike huff and
sound of stilettos stomping away.

If I waited any longer to get home they
would send someone after me, probably Trent but it’s possible it could be Will
or someone equally as annoying. Showering, then, was not an option. I changed
forms and sped away from the dilapidated building. It was an abandoned house so
disgusting, drug addicts wouldn’t even live in it but it worked just fine for
underground fights.

Eventually I got to the woods behind my
father’s house and noticed the clouds looming dark in the sky as I shifted
back. I glanced down at my cell phone,
6:30a.m.
Just as well, I thought. I had missed
the
5:00am
run and subsequent meeting. At least I
hadn’t missed breakfast.

I walked in to the smell of bacon and
an absolutely full but silent dining room. My father took one look at me from
the head of the table and snarled. I kept walking, ignoring all of the eyes
around me that ranged from pitying, my friends, to outrage, my father, to glee,
the elderly who couldn’t wait to see the ‘young rebellious fool’ get the beat
down.

“Hey, pops. How’s it going?” I
sauntered over to the buffet table and starting blindly piling on food, not
caring what it was. A fist slammed onto the oversized oak table and it shook
the whole room. I didn’t turn around.

“Get in my office, now” my father’s
voice so horrifying I turned just to make sure he wasn’t mid-change. As
suspected his eyes were a burning yellow but his human features remained,
though just barely. Careful not to make any sudden movements, I walked slowly
into the hallway and into his office.

As I congratulated myself on managing
to bring the food with me, my father came up behind me, threw the plate against
the wall, and locked us both inside. “I was going to eat that, Dad.” I spit the
last word out with enough acid to dissolve a house.

“Sit down” he whispered. The rage had
turned quiet and undeniably lethal. I sat and waited. And waited some more. Ten
minutes must have passed before my father stopped pacing and sat in his own
chair.

“You’ve been fighting again.”