“I’m going to get another beer.” He walked away from her, pretending he hadn’t seen the petulant twist in her expression. Wandering towards the kitchen, he frowned, realizing Caia and the others had left. Where was she? He strode in, dumping his empty beer bottle in the trash in time to hear her familiar laughter. Following that sound he stopped in the kitchen doorway and watched as Sebastian pulled her along to the end of the right side of the back porch.
“Sebastian, what is going on?” Caia laughed again as the young male pulled her up short and pressed her into the back of the house. Lucien frowned, keeping hidden, but close. He’d had his suspicious about Sebastian’s feelings for Caia, the way his eyes followed her when she was in the room, his constant protectiveness of her. But Caia seemed oblivious. Even now, when Sebastian had her positioned against the back wall and leaning into her, she was smiling up at him without a clue that the boy was about to make a move. Lucien groaned. Sebastian was a good kid... he did not want to have deal with him.
“I thought we should talk.” Sebastian’s grin was loopy, his eyes dazed.
Lucien rolled his eyes. The kid was drunk, too? Goddess it took a lot to get a lykan drunk... how much had he consumed?
“About?”
“You and me.” He leaned in even closer.
Lucien watched as Caia straightened, her eyes narrowing, “Sebastian, how much have you had to drink?”
The boy shrugged. “Enough. That’s not the point, though. I need to tell you something.”
“Well, tell me so we can get back to the party.”
“Caia,” he groaned, and leaned his head against his arms. His bright eyes opened, looking down at her. “Caia.”
“Sebastian?” She was laughing, amused. “Goddess, spit it out. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Lucien smirked, I’ll bet she hasn’t.
“OK.” Sebastian straightened, rolling his neck on his shoulders as if preparing for a fight. “Caia. I want you to know... I want you to know I don’t care that you’re different.”
Lucien frowned. Uh oh, where is this going?
Caia stiffened, glowering at Sebastian. “Different?”
Oh yeah she’s pissed.
He nodded, continuing on foolishly, “I want to be here for you, Caia, when things get rough... and they’re going to. I think we should mate, Caia, before your po-”
“Hey!” Lucien boomed, cutting the boy off before he said something they’d all regret. “What are you guys doing out here? You should be inside enjoying the party.” He smiled for Caia’s sake, but inside he was burning mad. He was going to kill this kid. His step faltered in front of Sebastian and he glared down at him. The boy at least had the good sense to look nervous. “Sebastian, I think you’ve had enough to drink. Why don’t you go inside and start chugging back some water. That’s not a suggestion.”
He nodded blearily, glancing quickly at Caia, before rushing off the porch and inside. Lucien watched him go and then turned back to her.
Her light eyes were wide with confusion. “Did you hear any of that?” she asked.
He nodded and took a breath. He just needed to be calm and smooth, and he would have her thinking nothing of it. “Drink. That’s why there’s an age limit.”
She narrowed her eyes on Lucien, her mind still whirring with Sebastian’s proposal for them to mate. She hoped Lucien was right and it was just the drink talking, but she hadn’t even realized Sebastian had been thinking that way about her. And what the hell had he meant about protecting her when things got rough?
“What was he talking about?”
Lucien shrugged at her and grinned. “Oh, it was just the ramblings of an inexperienced, underage drinker. You guys were supposed to be sticking to soda.”
Caia was unconvinced. His reprimand sounded like a tactic to throw her off the scent. “This whole ‘different’ thing keeps coming up in conversation,” she persisted.
He threw her a look as if to say she was crazy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
She sighed, so sick of games. “I’m talking about secrets. There are secrets here.”
“What kind of secrets?”
“I...” she heaved a sigh, throwing her hands up. “I don’t know.”
“Caia-”