Chapter 9 Out for Distraction
nine
Out for Distraction
*FELIX*
Our run lasted late into the night, and once we returned, I went straight to bed, sleeping like a baby. Helps that it’s the weekend, and I don’t need to be on campus. My goal is not even to think about any lectures or tests.
To my shock, however, Dario is studying when I finally seek him out later in the morning.
“How long have you been up?” I ask.
Dario turns in his chair to look at me. “Probably since 7 a.m.,” he smiles. “So, you are feeling better?”
“I think I recovered,” I say, tossing myself on Dario’s bed.
I am not sure if that’s true, but I do feel a bit better. Sometimes I feel these lows and insecurities, only to later wonder why I felt so down.
Even if I am stupid, I have other things going for me!
“I am so glad,” Dario says softly. “I was starting to worry about you.”
“Well, for one, you are always worried-“
“Not true,” he argues. When I raise my brows at him, he chuckles. “Okay, maybe a bit true.”
“For the other, I’ve decided not to think about college and how my brain doesn’t seem to work properly.”
“I am not sure if that’s a real solution,” Dario says quietly. “But I support your positive mindset.”
“I am sure I will work something out.”
He smiles. “I know you will. You always do.” He leans back. “Are you going out tonight?”
“Yeah, I got an invitation to a beach party,” I say. “Well, beach is a stretch, it’s more like a lake shore, but I think I will head there.”
“A surfing event?”
“Nah, if anything, it would be kitesurfing as it’s the kite surfing club organizing it, but it’s a party for everyone.
” Activities and sports involving water have always intrigued me.
I have been surfing for years, and recently also took up kite surfing and kayaking.
I used to be very focused on water sports, until I had that severe accident and spent a year in rehab.
I took up other sports during that time of recovery and discovered a love for hiking. “Do you want to join?”
“Are you going to be mad if I say no?”
“You know, I would never be mad for such a reason,” I assure him.
“So many people at once are just not my thing,” Dario says.
“I know. I would love for you to join me, though.” There was a time Dario barely got out at all and only did so if I begged him to join me. He is not as reclusive anymore, but I think it really depends on who comes along.
“Maybe we can do something else next week,” he offers. “I wouldn’t mind going to a bar or a small club.”
“Really?” I perk up. “I’d love that.”
A knock against the door interrupts us. Even before he enters, I’ve already recognized his scent. It’s our brother-in-law. “Come in,” Dario says.
Arden opens the door, blinking when he sees me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“You didn’t,” I reassure him. “Actually, I am the one interrupting.”
“You are not,” Dario says.
Arden is my sister’s mate and will be at her side when she takes over the pack in a year.
Since our oldest brother, Liam, became alpha of a different pack and gave up on his birthright, Dad chose Aurelia as his successor.
I couldn’t be happier! Aurelia has always had a soft spot for Dario and me, and doted on us. Plus, she is a kickass warrior.
“You asked me for some books,” Arden says, sitting down at the extra chair. “Here you go.”
“Oh, you got them?” Dario immediately perks up.
“Yeah, I had them sent to me from Paris,” he explains.
“Is it really okay if you give them to me?”
At that, Arden smiles. “Of course. I am happy someone else is interested in it.”
When Arden hands him the books, I glance at the titles, noting they are written in French, but I judge by the covers they’re probably science-related stuff.
Arden is a genius; the guy literally knows everything, or at least almost everything.
He is going to be so great with Aurelia when they take over the pack.
“Do you mind if I stay a moment?” Arden asks. “I just came from a meeting. Aurelia headed right into the next one. I have no idea how she does that.”
“Sure, stay,” Dario says. “I don’t get that, either. Dad and Liam are the same. They never seem to get tired.”
“I bet they do,” I say. “They just have different strategies for dealing with it.”
“True,” Arden agrees. “You two just continue talking; I need a moment of calm.”
“Aren’t we bothering you then?” I ask.
Arden smiles. “No.”
Dario and I do as he said and chat a bit about our weekend plans, while Arden switches off his hearing aid.
He told me once that he does that because sometimes he needs the silence to think, and to put some distance between himself and a problem he is dealing with, or when he spends too much time in a huge crowd.
When he switches it on again, he looks much more relaxed. “That was good,” he says.
“Anything you are dealing with?” I ask.
Felix! Dario links me. Too direct!
Oh! Right! I didn’t notice.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” I add. “Just thought it might be pack-related stuff.”
“I didn’t take it as prying,” Arden reassures me. “I deal much better with direct questions than beating around the bush. And it is pack-related.”
Now Dario is intrigued, too. “How come?”
“It’s Aurelia’s cat,” he says.
“Titan?” I blink. “You still don’t know where he came from?”
“No. Aurelia and I have been researching this for a year now, and your mom is on it, as well.”
“Wait, Mom doesn’t know either?” Dario asks. “Then it’s weird!”
“I agree, after all, your mother is,“ Arden pauses, his voice trailing off. “Your mother knows everything,” he corrects himself. I wonder what he was about to say. There are many mysteries surrounding Mom; she and Dad barely talk about them, but when it’s about something mystical, Mom usually knows what’s going on.
“What do you know, by now?” Dario asks. “I am sure you know something.”
“Well, we assume that Titan is a demon in cat-form,” he explains. “That much we can say for sure.”
Dario and I nod.
“We also know he isn’t from this world and that there is at least one other ‘pet’ roaming around. A dog who belongs to a pack member of Liam’s pack.” He pauses. “Everything else is just assumptions. We are trying to find out where these two came from and if there are more demons roaming around.”
“Do they all have an animal form?” Dario asks. “I’ve only seen Titan in his demon form once, but it was still more an animalistic creature than a humanoid one.”
“We don’t know if there are demons in other forms, too,” Arden groans. “It’s so frustrating. I have already skimmed through the whole library that the Council here has to offer. But nothing. Now I need to reach out to Paris again and see if they can send me more books.”
“Why is it important to know?” I ask. “Sorry, that’s probably a stupid question.”
“Not at all,” Arden says. Despite being a genius, he never makes me feel like an idiot.
He is a great guy! “It’s important because we don’t know if other demons cross over, and if all of them are as peaceful as Titan.
We don’t know what it means that they leave at all.
To evaluate the situation, we need to know more. ”
I think his words through before I nod. “That makes sense.”
“If there is any way we can help, tell us any time,” Dario offers.
I nod to underline his words.
“Thank you, that’s a great offer,” Arden says. “I probably will when I know where and how to research next.”
That’s another great thing about him. He never dismisses us for being the youngest of the family! Arden stretches his limbs before getting up. “Time to see how I can help my hot mate.” Dario and I grimace at the same time, making him chuckle. “See you later, guys.”
For a moment, I wonder if I should ask him to help me with studying for my next exam or with writing the paper that is due in two weeks, but then I don’t. He has enough on his plate already, and I don’t want to bother him. Usually, Dario helps me, but I shouldn’t bother him either.
Which brings me back to the same old problem.
“Enough,” I say.
Dario blinks. “What’s enough?”
“Nothing,” I say. “I was just thinking aloud. I am going to see which of our friends will go to the beach party.”
“I hope you have tons of fun,” Dario says. “Oh! You could ask Gisela. I bet she would be up for some party action.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” I ask carefully. I sometimes feel like he might be crushing on her, and I would never even look at a girl my brother likes. Granted, Gisela is a friend, so she is on my blacklist of possible dates – I don’t date my friends.
Dario looks confused. “Why would I?”
“Just asking. I am not interested in her, you know? If she joins me, it will be all platonic.”
“Okay,” Dario says, still looking slightly confused. “Felix?” he calls out before I can leave his room.
“Yes?”
“I am really happy you are feeling better.”
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Gisela says after I have parked the car close to the beach house where the party is being held.
“Don’t pretend like you are not happy to be here,” I chuckle.
“I just came out of pity,” she mutters.
“Right,” I grin. “Thank you.”
For someone who doesn’t like to be here, she for sure approaches the house with a lot of energy, even swaying slightly to the music.
It’s a pity she isn’t Dario’s mate. I think they would be great together.
“Oh!” she beams. “There is one of the guys who is doing the same warrior training. Phew, I know someone.”
“Have fun,” I call out to her while she targets said guy. “But not too much.”
“Same back to you.”
I chat a little with some guys I know from the last kite surfing class I did, while letting my gaze skim over the room.
Gisela is talking to the fellow warrior.
Even from a distance, it’s obvious he is hitting on her, but she keeps him at arm’s length.
Much to the dismay of her fellow warriors in the training class, she doesn’t date any of them, always saying she isn’t there to fuck around.
When two girls join her and the warrior, I feel relieved. The last thing I want is for her to be uncomfortable here after I dragged her along, and especially since I am not sure if Dario might be into her.
After a while, I am so hungry I decide to look for some snacks.
I make my way through the large crowd, frowning when I get pushed around by the many bodies moving around.
Kiran is stirring in my mind. Just like me, he usually enjoys being with fellow shifters and having a crowd around him, but it is more crowded than usual, almost suffocatingly so.
People are dancing all around without considering anyone else; there are a lot of drunk guys lingering around, and the noise is so loud I can’t even hear a word without relying on my lycan senses.
There are way too many people for such a small place.
I blame it on the music and the stressful atmosphere that I don’t have my guard up, but before I can stop it, I feel warmth flooding from me and seeping into the crowd.
The atmosphere suddenly gets more comfortable, less stressed.
Those who are dancing slow down their pace, while others put their alcoholic beverages away.
“Felix-” Gisela appears out of nowhere next to me.
“I know,” I mutter. “It was unintended. Kiran didn’t like the intense atmosphere.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone noticed,” she whispers.
“I stopped it before it got out of hand.” I pause. “What about you? Enjoying the party?”
“It’s okay,” she says. “But way too crowded. I don’t usually mind crowded places, but this is a lot.”
“Yeah, same.” Good thing I didn’t convince Dario to come along. He would have seriously hated it here. “I am going to step outside for a moment.”
“Mind if I join you?” Gisela asks. “I wanted to give my mom a call.”
“At such a late hour?”
“Well, she is a free-spirited artist and usually works at night,” she chuckles. “I wanted to catch up with Charlie, too. Why didn’t she join us? Usually, a party like this is her thing.”
“I asked her, but she’d offered to watch her little brother so her parents could go on a date night. She said she might join later if she is still motivated to come.”
Gisela and I step outside into the fresh air.
It makes it easier to breathe here. What’s going on with me?
Sure, the place is a little crowded, but I am usually not that iffy and sensitive.
Another reason why it’s good that Dario didn’t join me.
He would have instantly noticed I am not being myself.
Maybe I was wrong after all, and shoving my problems aside didn’t help make me feel better.