Blackmail

I don't know how, but I woke up with a smile on my face. My fingers trailed over my lips, and the memory of Damien's kiss still felt fresh. Euphoria washed over me, yet anxiety always lingered, a storm cloud threatening to burst at any time. Every time I closed my eyes, his breath against my skin and his cinnamon scent enveloped me as if he were right there.

Daydreaming?" Kehlani's voice brought me out of my reverie, and I beamed like a moron.

"Yeah," I answered, blissfully oblivious to the fact that it was about to shatter.

Wait!

My eyes flew open, and I sat up jack-knifing into a sitting position, and stared at Kehlani lounging at the foot of my bed.

"W-what are you doing here?" I stuttered, trying to fight a hint of panic rising in my voice.

"Aren't you going to school?" She smiled, enjoying my surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I asked again and with more firmness this time.

"Oh, chill out, girl. It's not like you're new to trespassers," she said smirking as she got up.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, like how Damien was trespassing into your mouth last night." Her smirk never left her face, and I felt my cheeks heat up. I must have been frozen because I didn't move. Well, I couldn't move.

Blackmail? I mean, Damien and I had kissed for less than a minute in some sort of deserted hallway. I wouldn't have noticed if anyone was there, let alone someone who could see us.

"Don't be late for school," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she strode from the room.

I didn't have breakfast for obvious reasons, only breaking out of my funk when Dante sat beside me, placing the cologne in front of me.

"Oh.… Dante," I smiled, so thankful for the distraction. "Thanks!"

"That was the last one, but I was able to get it before my sister could," he beamed.

"Awwww, thanks," I replied a bit too dryly, still trying to shake off Kehlani's words.

“Everything alright?" Dante asked, concern fluttering in his eyes.

"Yeah….why?"

"You just seem jumpy and edgy."

"I do?" I scratched my hair nervously, looking around the class. "I'm just not fully awake," I joked, but even to me, it sounded lame.

"Oh, being there," he said with a nod of understanding.

And just that moment, Damien walked into class, and my heart launched into overdrive.

Shit.

"Are you okay?" Dante asked, squeezing my shoulder as if he could sense the hitch in my heartbeat.

"Er….yeah." I tried to sound nonchalant, but my eyes went after Damien as he moved toward his seat to my left. "H-how much do I owe you?" I asked Dante, who shrugged.

"I dunno. Wanna hang out later?" he asked with a small, hopeful smile.

Oh my God, is he flirting?

"Hey," Damien whispered, catching my attention, and I nodded back with a quick smile. My mouth felt dry, and words caught in my throat.

On my left was the guy I had an unhealthy crush on and had just kissed. On my right was the guy who had just given me a floral cologne and was now flirting with me.

What. a. mess.

Yes?" Dante asked again, trying to draw me back into conversation.

"Ah, yeah." I managed to stammer out before my brain could catch up with me. He nodded and extended his phone.

"Gonna text you a spot later.

I could feel Damien staring at me as I slowly took his phone and typed my number into it, that same feeling of shame creeping back that I had when I thought Aiden had caught Damien and me holding hands at dinner.

After class, Damien packed up his things and just sat there, waiting for me—an awkward silence hanging in the air.

The moment I was done, he snatched my bag and headed out in silence.

"Oh." I stood up and quickly waved at Dante while running out of the classroom after Damien, who was already gone.

By the time I did catch up, he was studying our schedules, frowning.

"Hmmm." was all he said, eyes darting left and right between the two papers.

Why do I feel guilty? I shouldn't feel anything at all. It is not like we are a thing, right?

"So Aiden said there's a pack thing tonight that you have to be at," he said casually as if we hadn't agreed on avoiding pack talk.

"Er…sure." I tried not to put too much interest in his weird attitude. "But wait tonight? I have got a thing.

"A thing?" His eyebrow rose, apparently caught off guard. "Yeah, I'm hanging out with Dante."

"I guess you'll have to cancel," he said coldly.

Is he jealous?

I didn't say another word as he walked off again. I had never seen this side of Damien before, not even when he lost his mom.

Should I be happy or just weirded out?

But when the Pack mansion came into view, I still faced the dilemma of how to act, Kehlani's earlier words suddenly haunting me like a ghost.

What am I going to do about her?

"What's wrong?" Damien asked me as he drove into the compound, cutting off my current train of thought.

"N-nothing. Th-thank you for the ride," I stuttered, deftly avoiding his stare.

“Okay,” he said as I practically ran out of the car.

I face-planted into the mattress as I threw myself onto my bed. Should I go and find him and have a talk with him?

I was rudely interrupted by a knock.

"Who's it?" I called out, but no one answered.

By the time I dragged myself out of bed, Kehlani was standing at the door, smiling wide.

"What are you doing?" I asked, in a tone between being annoyed and curious.

"We never finished our discussion from this morning."

"I'm sure we did," I replied, crossing my arms defensively.

"I'm sure you know that you kissing Damien—" I quickly dragged her into my room and shut the door.

"What the hell is your problem?" I hissed.

"I know you think I'm blackmailing you—"

"And you aren't?" I shot back, trying not to bark at her.

"I'm helping you. Don't you feel it's about time you had an ally?"

I stopped and reflected on what she was telling me. Was she right? Did I need someone in my corner, with all this going on?

"Kehlani, it's complicated," I breathed, passing a hand through my hair.

"Complicated? Please, you're the acting Luna now. This is your chance to stand tall and take control.

"I didn't ask for this!" I returned; frustrated anger bubbling to the surface.

"Maybe not, but you have it. So why not use it?"

I looked at her, trying to find the right words to say. "What do you want?" I finally asked, pretty much cognizant that anything else would not get her to go away.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She grinned, and I knew I felt annoyed.

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