Crescent Wolves - G. Bailey Page 0,31

an introductory class?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. They said she transferred. I think maybe she wanted to be in the same class as her brother.”

“They usually don’t let anyone change classes,” remarks Silas.

Hazel gives him a look. “Come on. This is Amelia Ash we’re talking about.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “Who is she?”

Hazel turns to me. “Her father is one of the board members. Human, but powerful. If anyone could get their schedule changed like that, it’s her. Still, I don’t know why she would…”

Landon cuts her off, his expression going sour as he sits up and looks over my shoulder. “Well,” he says, “speak of the devil.”

Chapter 13

I turn around, fully expecting to see Amelia coming after me and wondering once again what I’ve done to piss her off so much. Instead, I’m mildly surprised not to see her, but her brother, Hunter, making his way toward us across the quad. “Yikes,” mutters Hazel, fidgeting slightly. “I wonder what he wants.”

There’s only one way to find out, and I try my best to look non threatening as Hunter approaches us. He has an awkward, uncomfortable expression on his face, and he looks even paler in the sunlight than he did back in the classroom. Almost sickly. “Hey,” he says, coming to a stop in front of us and looking down at me. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Uh…” I glance behind me at the others, who sit there, looking bewildered. “Sure,” I say, shifting to make room in the circle. “Do you want to sit down?”

He shakes his head, swallows, and chews his lip for a moment before saying, “Listen--about earlier, in Huxley’s class…”

I raise my eyebrows, wondering where this is going.

“I just wanted to apologize,” he says. “My sister, she’s…” He rubs the back of his neck like he’s looking for the right word. He sounds almost… sheepish. Embarrassed. A far cry from the dark, stoic guy I sat next to just this morning.

“A handful?” I supply, feeling a strange sort of sympathy for him, but I can’t put my finger on why. Maybe it’s because he, like me, can’t seem to get the hang of shapeshifting.

Hunter chuckles without much humor. “You could say that, yeah,” he replies.

“Why is she in your class?” Silas asks, shifting a little in the grass. “She’s supposed to be past the beginner level.”

“It’s a long story,” Hunter replies. “I don’t really want to get into it right now. I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for her,” he continues, looking back at me. “You didn’t deserve to get called out like that in front of everyone. You didn’t do anything.”

I blink, feeling myself relax just a little. “It’s okay,” I reply, giving him a small smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Glancing over at the others, who seem as bewildered as I am, I ask, “Do you want to come sit with us?”

“I…” Hunter takes a nervous glance over his shoulder. “Okay, sure. For a little while, anyway. Is there room in the shade?”

“For you, vampire boy, always,” Landon replies, scooting over.

Hunter is just making a move to sit down when a yell pierces the tranquility of the quad. “Hunter, what the fuck are you doing?!”

We all look up to see Amelia making a beeline towards us, seemingly out of nowhere. How did she even know we were here? “This ought to be good,” Landon mutters, getting up. The rest of us follow suit, and I dust the grass off my behind just as Amelia approaches, looking fit to be tied.

“Amelia,” Hunter begins, “I just came over here to--”

“I can’t believe you,” she says, her eyes flashing. “I literally just had this conversation with you. What did I say about hanging around the hybrid?”

Her pseudo-maternal tone seems to light a fire in him, since Hunter crosses his arms, his expression going cold again. “Amelia, I’m nineteen years old,” he snaps. “And the last time I checked, you were my sister, not my mom.”

Amelia isn’t fazed. “And the last time I checked,” she shoots back, “Dad told me to look after you, and that means keeping you away from her.” She nods in my direction.

“Listen,” I plead, not wanting this to escalate, “I don’t know what I did to you, but I’m sorry. I really don’t want you to think that I’m--”

“Was I talking to you, hybrid?” she demands, rounding on me. I feel my heartbeat pick up a little. “My brother has been here for six months, and