A dinner for three

***Felicia POV

How to escape a nightmare when you're not even sleeping? That's the simplest explanation I can give of my current life.

The police arrived shortly after Nate came back from the dead.

Alicia's mom, who is a chief of the brigade, didn't hesitate to come to the scene when she learned that I was one of the victims of the assault.

And as for the surveillance cameras...

Oliver had the brilliant idea of erasing the recordings to prevent the police from finding the scene where Nate was fighting.

Or rather, the scene where the Wolf was fighting.

Questions were flying in all directions. It was hard to keep calm, especially after what had just happened.

I was very worried about what Oliver would say to the investigators. Nate and I couldn't stop watching him.

"By the way, Nathaniel, is it?" Alicia's mom asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Garden," Nate replied.

"What happened to your t-shirt?" she asked, looking at the hole inside with interest.

"It must have happened when I was fighting one of the men."

"The hole looks very round. And this blood on your hands, who does it belong to?"

"To Nate. Before you arrived, he passed out and I had to hold him in my arms. His face was covered in blood." I said

"I see. It's strange that he bled so much without any bruises or injuries. We noticed that one of the bars was missing from the window. Do you know what happened?"

"No, he must have lost it. Did you search for it?" Nate replied.

"I think one of them took it with them," I interjected," He was using it to defend himself and avoid being approached. We actually hid it."

"Okay. And, uh, one last question. What were you two doing together?" Alicia's mom asked.

Nate immediately spoke up without bothering to disguise his lie.

"We were supposed to work together and were about to have dinner."

"But you're not in the same field, as far as I know. And Miss Springs' bag was found in your room. Is there something you're trying to hide from me?"

Her gaze became increasingly heavy. I had no idea that investigators could be so intense.

I couldn't help but use this excuse as a way out.

"Mrs. Garden. Nate and I... You see?... And for now, we prefer to keep it discreet."

Nate put his hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him, adding, "We're trying to find a way for him to find out without there being too much damage."

Mrs. Garden replied "Okay, I see. Felicia, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" 

"Sure," I replied, following her.

"What's going on with you? I remind you that you're putting yourself in danger by flirting with him. He's an ex-convict. And today's accident could have been fatal for you."

"I know, Mrs. Garden. But please let me tell Alicia when I'm ready. For now, let's just say I came to spend time with new friends, okay? Please," I said, playing the innocent.

"Okay, but you better stay away from him. Or else you might lose your scholarship. Until we catch these guys, be careful. And don't stay out late at night, okay?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Garden."

"Mr. Sullivan, we'll get back to you later if we have anything."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Oliver joined us without saying a word. He looked at us very calmly and finally added, "Don't worry, I didn't say anything about what you are."

"Thank you."

"But I'm waiting for you to explain how it happened and why Felicia knows before me. I thought we were buddies!"

Ah, that was the Oliver we knew.

"Okay. But tonight you could have died because of me. So I'd like you to do me a favor. Let me take care of it. Don't get involved."

 "If I wasn't going to get involved, I wouldn't have erased the videos of your fights, making sure not to leave my fingerprints on the computers."

"Yes, but that's where it ends."

"We'll talk about it later. Jade and Alicia are approaching."

At the same time, Rose woke up and went to talk to her brother.

"Felicia, my love," Jade said, taking me in his arms.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt?"

"Yes, no harm done."

"But since when have you been hanging out with those two, Felicia?"

"Uh... It's a long story, but I assure you they're not as strange as you think Alicia."

"Sure," she said sarcastically.

"Come on, let's go home." Jade said

As I left, I caught Nate's gaze and felt that this inexplicable thing that brought us closer was growing stronger and stronger.

*** 

All the way in the car, Jade didn't say a word. And the expression on his face when he saw Nate suggested that he didn't like me hanging out with him.

Once inside his apartment, I took a shower and joined him in the kitchen to talk, "So..."

"So what Felicia ?"

"I know you're mad at me."

"Shouldn't I be according to you? You lied to me, Felicia."

"W... what? How?"

"You told me you were with classmates."

"That was the case."

"And since when have you been hanging out with classmates I don't know? I thought you were with Alicia or Jules."

"But that doesn't mean I lied to you. I have the right to have other classmates besides them." I said

"Yes, but if there hadn't been that incident, you wouldn't have told me that you were with that... dealer."

"He's not a dealer. He's not anymore." I exclaimed

"Felicia. You're not a hero. Don't play the super psychologist. That man is dangerous."

"I'm not playing the hero."

"Okay, then explain to me what you were doing at his place?" Jade asked

Welcome to the interrogation that made me miss what to say.

What was I doing at his place?

"Listen Jade..."

"No, you listen to me!" He shouted

He was angry. For the rare times I had managed to irritate him, I already knew what his anger looked like.

He took a deep breath and slammed the fridge door.

"You've been acting strange lately. You sleep late, you're pensive, you're changing your company. And even to have a little intimacy with you has become complicated."

I felt it coming. The fateful question. The one I kept hearing for a few days now.

But this time, it was dressed in another garment.

The tension lowered and his gaze became a little colder.

"Are you seeing someone else?" He finally asked

"No..."

"This Nate Sullivan. There's nothing between you two? Do you like him?"

"No Jade." Looking at the floor

Why did they all have to think that in the end?

"Then explain to me what you were supposed to talk about on Alicia's birthday?"

Oh no, he had gone through my phone.

His question caught me off guard and I didn't know what to answer.

Nate is a werewolf... No, of course, he would take it as an insult.

"Because... Hmmf" I sighed

"I see."

"Listen to me at least, Jade."

"No, it's fine. If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I'm going to bed."

He left me in the kitchen and went to the bedroom.

Well done, Felicia, you're complicating your life.

I sat in the living room to think about everything that had happened, and I remembered that moment with Nate where I felt possessed by his gaze.

I still remembered the feeling of belonging to him.

I covered my face with my hands to hide my distress.

"What's happening to me, damn it!?" I murmured

Maybe it was true, I had to stop hanging out with them.

The next day wasn't any better. Jade barely spoke to me and left for work without saying goodbye.

I was getting ready to go to campus, and once in the halls, the first face I saw was his.

I was already seeing him a little too much lately.

"Nate..." I said with a sigh

"Felicia, we need to talk." Nate said

"Not now, please."

I tried to pass him, but he blocked my way again.

His presence and the charisma he exuded left me in awe.

"What was happening between you and me when I was about to die, what was it? I'm sure you felt it too."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I insisted

"Felicia!"

"Let me pass, please, I'm late!" I said almost hysterically

He moved to the side and gave me the way. Everywhere around me, I felt the looks and indiscreet conversations of the campus students.

They must have been wondering how a girl like me could hang out with an ex-con.

"Felicia, are you okay? You look stressed." Alicia asked

"Don't worry. It's just that I didn't get enough sleep."

"Alright then..."

Later that evening, as I was entering my dorm room, I received a call from the office.

Just what I needed.

"Miss Springs. I heard about what happened last night at the Sullivan's." Ms. Grey said

"Listen, Ms. Grey, I..."

Ms. Grey asked "How are you feeling? I was worried." She interrupted me.

"Um... I'm fine. Luckily, nothing serious happened."

What a surprise... She's not scolding me.

Ms. Grey said "Perhaps you'd like to extend your rest... Your current state could affect your work."

"No, no. I'll be okay, Ms. Don't worry. Besides, the flu was a false alarm."

"So we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. Thank you, Ms."

I hung up and lay down on the bed.

They say that the night brings counsel, so maybe if I closed my eyes, things would be better when I woke up.

"Nate..." I said before falling asleep.

***

Meanwhile, at the Sullivan's, an unexpected visitor was disturbing Nate's tranquility.

The sounds of a conversation between Rose and a man made him come downstairs.

"Rose. Who is this?" Nate asked

"Oh, I was going to call you. His name is Mr. Smith."

"Tyler, please. Mr. Smith makes me feel old, I think." Smiling.

Rose said "Look at this!"

She pulled out an old photo of Tyler and their father at a ranch.

"He's an old friend of Dad's!"

"I'm back in Newcastle after several years, so I thought I could visit Mr. Sullivan's children. You've grown a lot, Nathaniel."

"Take a seat while I prepare dinner." Leaving.

"What do you want?" Nathaniel asked directly

"Oh, I just came..."

"Who are you? It's obvious that you're not ordinary."

He smiled and his azure green eyes turned bright red, "First of all, I'd prefer if you came down the stairs. I don't like being looked down upon."

The fear Nate felt when he met his gaze was so great that he obeyed his request and went down the stairs without hesitation.

"Good little doggie! Shall we have dinner?" All smiling.

"The table is ready!"

How do you escape a nightmare when you're not sleeping? Sunny days would be rare from now on...