Matt kissed my neck, and I turned my face into the pillow to give him better access. He trailed kisses down my throat, then along my bare collarbone. My t-shirt already lay in a heap on the floor, along with his. We spent the first part of the afternoon watching movies and talking, but that had quickly devolved into making out.I ran my hands up his bare back, his muscles rippling as he shifted his weight onto his left arm. He dragged his wide palm up my bare stomach until he reached my breast. He cupped me through my bra, his hot mouth finding mine.A soft groan escaped my lips, and he smiled.I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back a little. He leaned onto his side to give me some room, and I sat up to take off my bra. I could feel his eyes on me as I undid the hooks and threw it to the floor. We hadn’t seen each other naked since the night in the hot tub, but I hadn’t been me then, not really. I wanted him to see me now as me, Celeste, and no one else.I undid the button
“The Schreibers,” she said, her voice laced with anger. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized what she meant. “Who else?”My gaze flew to Matt, but he was still looking at Nina. “How many?” he growled.“Three, but I took care of it. One got away.”“They got some good shots in,” he said.She glanced down at her bandaged torso. “Yes, well. They caught me off guard.”Matt ran his hands through his already messy hair. I took a slight step away. I knew this wasn’t my fault, but I still felt guilty. The Schreibers were still my family. Dear God, what if my brother had something to do with this? I suddenly couldn’t look at Nina.“Did you recognize any of them?” Enzo asked.Matt turned away from us and stared hard at the window. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were distant. I looked at him for a moment before letting my eyes drop again.“No, but they were wearing masks. I called Seth to take care of the bodies.”“Seth?” I couldn’t help but ask. He was on the hockey team with them.Enzo
The fans filed out of the hockey rink with downtrodden expressions. The team took a hard 5-1 loss, and the play had been brutal. Matt got more than a few penalties, and Seth had to be taken off the ice after a brutal hit into the boards. A fight broke out while Seth was still on the ice, and it took a few minutes for the refs to separate the players before they could get him back to the bench. Matt was in the penalty box at the time, and he’d hit the glass so hard with his stick, the entire structure rattled.I hovered to the side near the closed concession stand, waiting for the crowd to leave and the players to emerge. It was easily their worst loss in a while, and I was glad I was there to comfort Matt. Fiona waved goodbye and left with a tall blond boy I didn’t recognize. Apparently, they met in one of her labs.Across the room, Sabrina stood in a huddle with a few of her friends. She gave me a dirty look, but I just dropped my eyes and did my best to ignore her. She was free to h
I stared into a pair of red eyes, my body frozen in place.Something in my head screamed at me to run, but I couldn't get my limbs to move. The rogue stared at me through the trees, nothing but its eyes and its faint outline visible. A shiver ran down my spine. What if it attacked me? There was nothing I could do to protect myself.The rogue growled, the sound making goosebumps rise across my skin.The rogue moved forward, and I stumbled back, landing hard on my ass in the dirt. The wolf shifted even closer, the long lines of its pelt coming into view as I scrambled back. My hands fought for purchase in the mud as it took another step. I pulled myself to my feet and sprinted for the house, my heart drumming a relentless rhythm in my ears. I couldn’t think, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even scream.I scrambled to get the back door open with shaking fingers. To my luck, the door swung open, and I fell into the dark basement. I closed the door behind me and locked it. When I looked
MattI waited until I was sure Celeste had run for the house before I shrugged off my leather jack and shifted. Enzo would find it, or I’d come back for it. My phone rang, and I stiffened. It was in the pocket my jacket, and the rogue’s ear pricked.The rogue growled low in its throat, flattening back its ears, but I made sure to stay between it and the house. I growled back and lunged for it, but it was already running. It was much more agile than the last one, and it turned on a dime, taking off at a sprint. I immediately sprang into action, grateful that it was at least heading away from Celeste and the party. The thought of Celeste being anywhere near it made panic tighten in my chest.I was still angry that she came out here alone, and I let that anger drive away the panic. She could have been seriously hurt. She could have been killed.The wolf was faster, almost as fast as me, but the longer we ran, the more I closed the distance between us. I couldn’t let it get away. It would
Matt found me an hour later, wearing a different pair of jeans and his leather jacket. His expression was subdued, and he barely looked at me when he took my hand.“We should go,” he muttered.“Okay.” I tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn’t look at me. There were a few scratches on his cheek, but nothing too serious. Not that I could see, at least.He let me by the hand through the crowd, his other arm pressed close to his side. I kept sending furtive glances his way, but if he noticed, he pretended not to. Something was wrong, and unease pooled in my gut. What happened out there? Obviously, they took care of the rogue if Enzo and Matt could leave, but then why did he seem so upset?Enzo met us at the door. He gave Matt a long look that Matt ignored.“Drive safe,” he said, his eyes still glued to Matt’s face.“Sure,” Matt murmured. He squeezed my hand and led me outside after him. A cool breeze rustled his dark hair, and a shiver moved through him. I tightened my grip on his hand, b
JackJack put his head in his hands and sighed. He’d been waiting for an hour already, and his grandfather showed no signs of letting him in. Jack knew he was being punished, but he didn’t know what for. He did everything he was supposed to. It’s not his fault they went after Nina without him. If they had included him, he might have suggested taking more than three people to attack a werewolf. But he wasn’t the one in charge.“Wow, stop sulking,” his cousin Freddy said.He was leaning against the wall beside their grandfather’s office, a sneer on his face. “Fuck off, Freddy.” He was the oldest cousin, and their grandfather’s favorite. As a result, he thought he was so much better than everyone else.“You’re pathetic,” Freddy drawled.“I’m surprised you even know who I am. You’re too busy kissing the big man’s ass to pay attention to anyone else.”He took a step forward. “Watch yourself.”“Whatever, man.” Jack was way too tired to deal with him. He couldn’t remember the last time he go
I woke up in Matt’s arms.He lay curled against me, his leg wedged between mine. His arm was draped over my stomach, the other acting as a pillow beneath my head. I could feel his soft breaths on the back of my neck, and the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back.Soft light filtered around the curtains, lighting up the motel room. It looked worse in the daylight, everything well-worn and over-used. I didn't mind where we were, though, as long as we were together. Last night, Matt barely spoke. He just got ready for bed and curled up against me. I didn’t talk either, just held his hand until we both fell asleep.I snuggled closer to him, and he tightened his hold on me. I was worried about him, but I didn’t want to force him to talk until he was ready. What happened was terrible, and I knew he needed time to process everything. The most important thing was being with him. Even if it meant incurring Jack’s wrath.Matt sat up suddenly, his breathing hitched. I turned over and
EpilogueThe sounds of plates clinking together, and the low hum of chit-chat, merged into the background as I listened to Fiona describe her latest assignment. She was stuck in a geography class that she needed for distribution, and it was driving her nuts. Her professor was a mean, curmudgeonly old man, and a notoriously difficult marker.“He gave me a C–. A C–! That was not a C worthy paper.”Jack nodded. “I read it. It was pretty good.”She rounded on him. “Pretty good?”He put his hands up, a small smile on his lips. “Really pretty good?”She huffed but turned back to me. “Your brother is a pain in the ass.”I smiled. “You’re telling me.” They’d only been together for a few years, but they already bickered like an old married couple. Matt and I were actually married, but we didn’t even bicker like that. It was as endearing as it was exhausting.Matt sank into his seat beside me and slid me a cup of coffee. I threw him a grateful look. Our peacekeeping duties had kept us late the
MattThe nerves made me jittery, and I bounced my knee so hard it rattled the bench. Seth gave me a knowing look before bending over to finish tying his skates. I focused on taping my stick, letting muscle memory take over. All the guys knew what I planned to do tonight, and they kept throwing me knowing looks as I tried to stay calm.It was the last home game before playoffs started. A part of me kept thinking that I should wait, but an even greater part of me didn’t want to wait one more second. If life had taught me anything, it was that we didn’t know how much time we might have. I didn’t want to waste another second of it. I especially didn’t want to waste time just because I was afraid.“Dude, stop vibrating the bench,” our goalie James called. “I’m trying to focus.”“Sorry,” I answered. If there was one rule in hockey, it was to not mess with the goalie, especially right before a game. If he needed to focus, then I just needed to find a way to chill the fuck out.Enzo gave me a
The arena was buzzing with energy as Matt got the puck and darted forward to take advantage of the breakaway. He sent the puck into the corner of the net, and I jumped to my feet. Beside me Fiona screamed so loud, heads turned in our direction. Jack cringed slightly, throwing her a bemused look.It was the first home game of the year, and Matt was giving everything he had to make sure the team got a win. Around us, the school cheered as he skated by, knocking fists with his teammates. It was his second goal of the night, his first a tricky tip in after Seth’s initial shot rebounded. It was 3-1 with only four minutes left in the third period.“He’s playing great,” Nina said from my other side as the cheering died down, and we took our seats again.“He is.” Over on the bench, Enzo stood in a dark suit, his head bent as he talked to one of his players.He and Nina were staying one more year. Even though Nina graduated in the spring, her father was giving her the year to clean up the town
“Are you ready for this?” Jack asked, his eyes trailing over my face, looking for any signs of fear or hesitation. I schooled my features into a blank mask. Sure, I was nervous, but he didn’t need to see that. He already hated that he’d gotten me involved. Too bad I was the only one that could do this, and I’d do anything to get the Schreibers out of our town.I took a deep breath and gazed up at the towering mansion. It was on the outskirts of town, far enough away that I’d never seen it, but still close enough for the Schreibers to cause havoc. The house seemed quiet, but I knew our grandfather lurked inside. Him and whoever survived the fight.“I’m ready,” I said, keeping my voice steady. Matt and the rest of the Peacekeepers had already surrounded the house. They were keeping their distance but staying close enough just in case we needed them. It made me feel better knowing he was out there. I knew, without a doubt, that Matt would do anything to keep me safe. Just like I’d do any
Jack“Hey!” Jack called, running to catch up with Fiona. She stopped walking and turned to give him a curious look. “I’ll walk you home,” he said when he reached her side.She gave him a bemused look. Technically, her place was only five minutes from campus, but that didn’t mean she should walk alone at night. Plus, he hadn’t seen her since she moved back in with her roommate, and he wanted a moment alone with her.“Alright,” she said with a shrug. “If you insist.”He smiled. “Better safe than sorry.”“Bye,” Celeste called, waving at them. She gave him a knowing smile, and he glowered at her. She clearly knew something was going on, but it wasn’t her business. They needed to figure this out for themselves.She and Matt were headed in the opposite direction, back toward the house. Matt was still haunting the halls. Everywhere Jack went, there he was. In the bathroom, when he needed to piss. In the kitchen, when he was hungry. Even in the living room at night, making out with his sister
“I promise to protect this town,” Jack said, his hand over his heart. “I promise to fight for peace, and to not rest until it is achieved. I promise to treat all life as equal. I devote myself to this cause from now until my last breath.”Nina dipped her head in acknowledgement, and Jack let his hand drop to his side. I stepped forward next and repeated the oath. It was the same words every person in this room had recited when they agreed to become a Peacekeeper. It wasn’t something to take lightly, and I didn’t plan to.“I devote myself to this cause from now until my last breath,” I said, stepping back beside my brother. Fiona stood at his other side. She took the oath first, saying the words with the utmost confidence.I locked eyes with Matt, and he gave me a proud smile, his eyes gleaming. Our friends sat around the room, and, as if given some invisible cue, they all began to hoot and clap. They stood up and slapped the three of us on the back. I got pulled into hugs, one after t
Matt closed my bedroom door behind us and leaned his crutches against the wall. He hobbled over to the bed and sank down onto the mattress with a soft groan. “Just as I remember it,” he said, jumping a little. “So soft.”Downstairs, Fiona, and Jack were rifling around in the kitchen. They offered to make us something, but neither of us were very hungry.Matt lay back and stretched his arms over his head, his shirt riding up just enough to reveal the smooth skin along his waistline. His hip bones dipped down into his cargo pants and I bit my lip, desperate to get my hands on him, but still worried about his wounds. Sure, he was up and moving around, but that didn’t mean he should be doing physical activity. I didn’t know a lot about werewolf healing, but I wasn’t willing to risk him.“I missed this room,” he continued, turning to look at me through hooded eyes.The purple bedspread brought back a flood of memories. I’d spent so much of my life in this room. I had so many memories, and
MattI held onto Celeste’s hand, leaning heavily on the two crutches I had propped under my opposite arm. A feeling of intense déjà vu swept through me as I watched Seth step forward and light the pyre. Around us, others did the same until dark smoke rose into the blue spring sky. I hoped this was the last funeral I ever had to go to, at least for a long while.Celeste had a blank expression on her face that worried me more than anything. Beside her, Jack and Fiona stood holding hands. Fiona was crying, and Jack had a stricken look on his face. As one, he and Celeste let go of our hands and stepped forward. They lit the last pyre.“Goodbye dad,” Celeste said, just loud enough for me to hear. My heart squeezed.Jack didn’t speak, he just lowered his gaze and stepped back beside Fiona. She immediately took his hand, but he didn’t look up from his shoes. I understood the warring emotions he was feeling. He hated his father for abandoning him, and he felt guilty that he got killed right i
Those of us still on our feet spent the rest of the day tending to the wounded. God, there were so many of them. Every wound I saw, every cry of pain I heard, felt like a knife to the gut. Everywhere I went, I saw pain, death, and gore.It was all too much.“Hey,” Jack said, giving me a concerned look. “Take a break if you need to.”He was still covered in blood, and I could barely stand to look at him. He’d taken a few minutes to wipe most of it off his face, but he hadn’t stopped to change his clothes. None of us had. There hadn’t been time.“I can’t.”I couldn’t get my father’s face out of my mind. Jack took me to his body shortly after the fight ended, tears in his eyes. I allowed myself to cry only for a minute before I helped him move the body to the small grassy area behind the church. That was where we were laying out the dead before we’d give them all proper funerals.There were already too many bodies out there. Seth had collapsed beside Jenna’s bloody form and hadn’t moved