Chapter 68

Eric

I felt Rowena stiffen beside me as Heather sauntered up to me, her hips swaying hypnotically with each step—like a snake preparing to strike. I knew what was coming, and a knot of dread twisted in my gut.

“Eric,” she purred, running a perfectly manicured fingernail along my bicep, “I I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Victory Dance.”

I stole a momentarily glance over at Rowena, and her pained expression seared itself into my mind. I swallowed hard. “Heather, I…”

“Yes…?” She arched a perfect eyebrow up at me expectantly.

Squaring my shoulders, I steeled my resolve. “I’m going to have to decline your invitation.”

Heather blinked at me for a moment before letting out a high, tinkling laugh. “Oh Eric, you’re such a tease.” She batted her eyelashes coquettishly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have a night you’ll never forget. It’ll be just like old times.”

“You misunderstand me,” I said flatly. “I don’t want to go to the dance with you. With anyone, really.”

The mocking smirk drained from her expression, leaving behind her true face hiding beneath the facade: fury and entitlement. “Excuse me?” she hissed. “You can’t be serious.”

I shrugged and folded my arms across my chest. “Dead serious.”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “And why, pray tell, would you turn down the chance to be my date? Every warrior in this camp would kill for the opportunity.”

“I’d rather go stag than with you. Ask someone else, if everyone is scrambling to be with you.”

An ugly sneer twisted Heather’s features. “Fine,” she hissed, flipping her golden ponytail over her shoulder. “But you must be suffering from some kind of… sexual dysfunction, because no sane man would ever turn me down.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, but I bit back the caustic retort burning on my tongue. Losing my temper would only give her the satisfaction she craved. Instead, I simply shook my head.

“Think what you want,” I muttered. “I really don’t give a shit.”

With that, I turned on my heel and stalked away, letting out a shuddering breath. I needed to get away from her before I said or did something I would regret.

My feet carried me through the milling crowd, my eyes scanning the bleachers for any sign of Rowena. I needed to see her, to make sure she was okay after that whole fiasco.

But unfortunately, fate seemed to get in the way that afternoon.

“Eric!” a familiar voice called out. “Eric, wait!”

I turned to see Alex jogging toward me, holding something in his hands: my trophy. And just like that, the crowd surged to congratulate the day’s winners, photographers clamored to get shots of all six of us posing together, and…

Before I knew it, hours had passed with no sign of Rowena. It wasn’t until much later, after the hubbub of the competition had died down, that I finally found her in her office. Knocking on the door, I stepped into the room to see her sitting at her desk.

“Hello, please sign the sheet if you need to be seen,” she said.

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain to her that I had turned down Heather, but then…

A sudden, heady scent enveloped me, seeming to swirl through the air as though intended straight for me. I froze in my tracks, my hand still on the doorknob. Rowena’s scent. It was unlike anything I had ever smelled before, and I felt my wolf roil inside of me, practically feral.

I wanted her. No… I needed her, like lungs needed air or fish needed water. Now.

Finally, she lifted her head, one of those delicious curls around her face falling into her eyes. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and shot me a surprised look. “Eric?”

Animalistic instinct roared to life inside of me at the sound of her voice, an all-consuming urge to take, to claim, to... mate. I moved without conscious thought, slamming the door shut behind me, flicking off the light, and lunging across the cramped space in a single smooth motion.

Rowena gasped, her back hitting the opposite wall, but I was already upon her, caging her trembling form with my arms as I crushed my lips against hers in a searing, desperate kiss.

An inarticulate whimper vibrated in her throat, but I swallowed it greedily, my hands roaming over the swell of her hips, the dip of her waist, the tantalizing curves that even her loose clothing couldn’t fully conceal.

I was vaguely aware of her shoving ineffectually against my chest as I hoisted her up onto the exam table, but my mind was a haze of pure, ravenous need. I wanted her—no, once again, I needed her in a way I had never needed anything before.

And I knew that she needed me, too. I could feel it in the way she tangled her fingers into my hair, momentarily allowing herself to pull me closer. I could feel it in the way she bucked her hips against the heat of my groin, and the way she tilted her head back to allow me access to her throat.

But then, just as suddenly as the onslaught of desire had struck, a harsh shove sent me reeling backwards, gasping for air. Rowena was on her feet now, chest heaving, as she fumbled for the light switch.

The stark fluorescent lights blinked to jarring life, and she fixed me with a look of pure revulsion as she dragged the back of her hand across her swollen lips. Her scent dissipated just as quickly as it came.

“What the hell was that?” she spat, her words laced with a combination of anger and visceral disgust, although I could still sense the feral want in her eyes. “These... feelings we’re having... they’re sick! Unnatural!”

The fog began to lift from my mind, clarity crashing back over me. No… She didn’t know that she wasn’t truly my sister. And she couldn’t know. These momentary snippets of her wolf rearing its head, between her ankle healing and her scent enveloping me, would only make her realize the truth.

I had to do something. For her protection.

“We need to tell our parents,” Rowena continued, her voice shaking ever so slightly with barely restrained emotion. “Both of us... we need treatment before this gets even more out of hand. Obviously, there's something psychologically wrong with—”

“No!” The word burst out of my mouth before I could stop it. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let her... “Please, Rowena. Don't do that.”

She opened her mouth, gearing up to argue, but I pressed on before she could get the words out.

“Look, I know things got... intense for a second there,” I managed, carefully avoiding her gaze in case her beautiful blue eyes made me go feral again. “I know it was wrong of me. But please, let’s just... keep this between us. For now, at least.”

Narrowing her eyes in a burning glare, Rowena crossed her arms over her chest—an unconsciously defensive posture.

“And why the hell should I do that?” she bit out through gritted teeth. “After what just happened... after you…” She trailed off, swiping a hand over her face as though my lips had burned her.

“Look, I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, the words tasting like ashes on my tongue. “I don’t know what came over me, I just…”

“Was this another one of your pranks?”

Her eyes bored into me, equal parts accusatory and expectant. Finally, I sagged in resignation.

“Yeah,” I said with a smirk that didn’t reach my eyes. “It was a prank. Nothing more. I’m sorry.”

Rowena recoiled slightly, the color draining from her face.

“Oh my god,” she breathed. “Eric, that’s so…”

I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “I know, alright? I know it’s messed up. But please, Rowena, I swear I’ll keep my distance from now on. I'll control myself. Just... don't tell Mom and Dad about this. Please.”

She stared at me for a long, agonizing moment, conflict and uncertainty warring in her eyes. At last, she gave a terse nod.

“Fine,” she relented with a curt sigh. “I won’t say anything to them... yet. But if you so much as look at me the wrong way again, and I swear I’ll have them lock both of our crazy asses up for treatment faster than you can blink.”

With that final ultimatum lingering in the air, she brushed brusquely past me and wrenched the door open. I watched with a heaviness in my chest as she stormed out into the hall.

Only once she had rounded the corner did I finally let out the breath I had been holding, squeezing my eyes shut against the torrent of shame and self-loathing crashing over me. I was supposed to be the strong one, in control of my instincts and urges.

I knew what I needed to do: the serum. The one that would hide my wolf. Put him to sleep, temporarily. Just until…

Shoving a hand through my disheveled hair, I turned to head back out into the hall. But before I could take more than two steps, movement in my peripheral vision drew my attention.

My blood turned to ice in my veins as I spotted that Dr. Reynolds peering back at me through the window of the head combat manager’s office.