27. Maya
Maya
“You just flew to freakin’ L.A. for the weekend? I need pictures!” Jordan said as she plopped down next to me at lunch. Henry made a frustrated noise, but I smiled at my red-haired friend.
“We did.” I nodded before offering her a sad sigh. “I didn’t get any pictures though.”
“Oh honey,” she said with a sly grin. “That’s okay—you didn’t need to.”
I raised my brows as she slid her phone towards me, showing me the headline ‘Moretti’s Shared Mistress’ in some sort of social media app. I snorted and Jordan nodded, amused.
“I sort of like those photos,” I said, even though they were clearly meant to make me look bad.
“I do as well,” she said, then crossed her arms on the tabletop, looking at me. “So what are you doing after school today?”
“I’m working.” I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress my excitement for my first day.
She snorted and looked at the three men at the table, all offering grunts I didn’t understand. “Where at?”
“Clara’s Crafts.”
“No shit? That’s my grandma’s shop!”
“Really?” I smiled. “I love that.”
“I work Tuesday through Thursday, so we’ll have joint shifts,” she added.
I went to respond when a shadow shifted over us, a squeak of surprise escaping as Henry’s arm wrapped around me tight and a growl came from his mouth. Even Jordan stilled as I looked up at…Seth, was it?
“Maya.” Seth said by way of greeting. “Jordan.”
“Seth,” Jordan warned, “you know this is a terrible idea.”
He grinned and shrugged. “Can’t live without asking.”
“Asking what?” I frowned. Malloy was sitting quietly nearby, watching Seth with a frustrated expression I didn’t fully understand.
Seth tilted his head. “Would you like to go on a date, Maya?”
“What?”
Ledger stood up and snarled. “Get the fuck out of here, Seth.”
“Not until I get her answer.” Seth didn’t look bothered at all, or scared of Ledger’s tone, which considering the animosity radiating off my mate was probably a miscalculation on his end.
I frowned. Date? Like when a couple went out together? I had never gone on a date with my mates. Did that mean we weren’t a couple? Or couples? Okay, now I was just confusing myself.
Malloy seemed affected by his words because my friend—yes, actual friend—got up without a word. Seth’s cheerfulness seemed to fade as he watched him walk away. What was I not understanding here?
“I don’t understand—why would we go on a date? I mean, it sounds nice—I haven’t been on a date yet—but why would we go on one together?” I asked, turning to my mates for help. Anani muttered a curse and Seth barked out a laugh.
Henry was there then, in his face, gripping his shirt. “I’d highly suggest you get out of here. Now.”
Seth tossed me a wink and threw up his hands. “If you ever want to be treated right, let me know, Maya. Bye, Jordan.”
My friend sighed, and Henry sat back down next to me. Jordan stood and squeezed my shoulder, looking over the three of them. “I would highly suggest you show her what a date is, boys. You’re making it far too easy for someone else to sweep in.”
“We’ve been busy,” Ledger muttered, my chest squeezing defensively at his expression.
Jordan was gone, following after Malloy and Seth, and I quirked a brow. “If dates are for couples, why have we never gone on any? Or am I wrong about what they are?””
“You’re right, and we clearly need to change that,” Henry stated.
“Why do all of you look upset?”
“Did you want to go on that date with Seth?” Anani asked seriously.
I frowned. “If you’re asking if I like him how I like you, of course I don’t,” I reasoned. “But I think he’s nice. He’s never done anything to hurt me and, except for today, hasn’t caused problems.”
“Oh, he’s gonna be a fucking problem,” Ledger muttered.
I opened my mouth. “I really don’t think so. Malloy and him…”
It really wasn’t our day, because Lorn interrupted my thoughts. This one actually made me angry. I frowned as he narrowed his eyes at the boys before tossing me a sick smile.
“I heard you’re a fugitive, killed mommy and daddy.”
“Does your father know you’re looking through his files?” Henry snapped.
Lorn put his hands up. “Just saw it on the news.”
I believed that. As predicted, when we’d gotten home, the police had been there, waiting.
“Now Maya, we need to know exactly what happened.” It was one of the shifter cops. Marco had told me to tell them the truth while he talked to the human police outside.
So I told them. I told them everything from the moment I left the church until now.
I trusted that I could, because these were the same two men who’d watched outside my trailer and kept me safe.
I had learned that one was named Richard and the other Steven.
Both had kids under the age of ten, and I could see how much my story upset them.
They’d believed me, though, and once they had my statement, they gathered the human cops, both of whom leered at me. Something that Atlas snapped at them about, the whole experience leaving me feeling exhausted and like memory lane was becoming my reality for the night.
Now I sat here, hearing the human version that was spreading through the media. How I had run away because of their abuse but hadn’t seen them since Tuesday night after the police incident. How they were drug users and how Jed had a record. Connecting the evidence.
I was tired of it.
“Listen, Lorn,” I snapped. “You need to leave.”
“Yeah, Maya? Weird how you have so much confidence now, with six dragons backing you up.”
I stood and stepped closer to him, frustration and anger simmering under the surface. His eyes widened as I spoke carefully. “You’re a jerk, Lorn. I don’t know what your problem is, but you need to leave now.”
“Or what?” he bit out.
I lifted a finger and pressed it into his shirt, the fabric sizzling like someone had pressed a cigarette into it. He jumped back, and I watched him scoff but pale.
“Whatever,” he muttered with a snarl, walking away.
“I don’t use the word ‘annoying’ very often,” I pointed out, running a hand over my face in frustration, “but the man’s annoying.”
“Understatement, peanut,” Anani agreed. Henry was looking at my finger in shock, and Ledger had this big, goofy grin on his lips.
The lunchroom doors opened, a very human police officer stepping in. Would this never stop? He immediately started walking towards us, my bravado fading. Lorn was scary, but he didn’t compare to a human…especially one with a gun at his hip.
“Maya?” the officer confirmed as everyone looked at us.
“You have absolutely no right to be here,” Henry stated, his chest rumbling.
“I do. I have permission from the principal,” he said, looking back at me. I heard Ledger get on the phone, and I swallowed as the man sat down across from me, his eyes cruel and sharp.
“What do you need?” I asked quietly.
“I need to know what happened. You understand why it’s hard for me to believe you had no idea your parents were dead until yesterday, right?”
“This is out of line,” Henry snapped. “Maya, you don’t need to say a fucking word.”
Anani’s arms closed around me.
I swallowed. “Jed wasn’t my father.”
His eyes lit up. “So you could say there is some resentment there?”
“Don’t,” Henry warned softly. I inhaled and leaned back into Henry as Anani ran a hand through my hair. My lips tilted as I heard someone shouting in the hall only a minute later, breaking the weird staring contest the police officer was attempting to have with me.
Marco.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” he snarled, the principal scrambling after him. “I can’t even explain to you the shit you’re in. You can expect to hear from my lawyer in the next hour. Officer Truce, get the fuck away from her. Now.”
Every single supernatural froze in response to his voice, and the humans looked around, concerned.
Officer Truce, presumably, jumped, and I couldn’t help but feel a small sting of jealousy at Marco’s ability to elicit that type of reaction.
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live life like that, where everyone listened and respected what you said.
“Marco,” I said in greeting as he rounded the table and leaned down to kiss my forehead.
“I’ll be home in a bit, honey. Henry?”
“Got it.” Henry snarled at the officer and grabbed my waist gently. Both twins nodded a goodbye, and I sighed, sort of missing them already. I tucked myself closer to Henry, who was vibrating with a very dangerous energy.
Once he had helped me into my dark jacket and we left the school building, his voice went rough. “That was a bunch of bullshit.”
“Henry…”
“No, Maya. I have no idea who the fuck he thinks he is.”
“Henry…” I tried again as we reached the car and he helped me into the seat. The car door closed, Henry still mumbling as he walked around the front of the dark car.
I was sort of excited to get home and see Croy. He had taken the guest bedroom, and I wondered where Atlas and Sai were as well. I went to ask, but Henry was still muttering. I sighed.
“Henry!”
Finally, success. I reached forward and grabbed his shirt, leaning over the console and slamming my lips to his.
Surprised for only a moment, Henry let out a smooth hum before he slid a hand into my hair.
I could feel his frantic heartbeat slowing, and I pulled back as he offered me a smoldering look.
“That was naughty of you, Maya,” he whispered, looking down at my lips before letting out a frustrated sound.
He threw the car into drive, and in some ways I felt like I’d instigated something more dangerous.
I shivered as he drove fast and in silence, a melodic beat playing on the radio, smooth and lethal, causing the atmosphere to peak into a heated tone.
When he pulled up to the house, I realized there were no other cars here. Before I could ask, Henry said, “Croy is handling some business, and the other two are at Marco’s office handling the media situation.”
Oh.