Chapter 6

Griffin silently cursed himself all kinds of foolish as he moved to sit beside Selene, trying not to be obvious as he took in the real life version of her.

Selene’s gray eyes appeared almost silver, and she held herself with a regal poise. She was as beautiful in broad daylight as she was in his dreams, but Griffin had to remind himself that he could be looking at a killer—not an angel.

She flinched as he’d raised his arm to drape it casually along the back of the bench behind her. A tiny movement, miniscule really, and he would’ve put it down to their strained relationship if he also hadn’t managed to catch a stray thought that escaped her mental blocks, allowing him to briefly read her mind.

Someone had hit her. The realization screamed through his mind. Selene had been struck frequently enough to unconsciously recoil from physical contact as well as lose a small amount of her incredible control. Griffin wasn’t prepared for the instant rage that pounded through him at the idea of anyone hurting her. As angry as he was with her, the thought of harming her had never crossed his mind.

“You sure seem to attract jerks,” Griffin muttered. What he’d wanted to do was put his arm over her shoulders and ask if she was all right. But that was a bad idea for many reasons.

Selene shrugged. “I guess so,” she replied, grimly. “Why are you talking to me, anyway? You didn’t want to let me into your dreams. Clearly, you decided you’re too angry to talk. So what do you want?”

Frustrated, Griffin ran a hand through his hair. He hadn’t meant to come over. He’d been watching her as she studied, and for the last two days, he’d been watching John and his friends ogle her. She’d been oblivious to the attention. In fact, she appeared to be oblivious to everyone around her.

“It looked as if you needed some help with that guy,” he mumbled.

Selene raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Well, thanks, but I was just about to handle him. No damsel in distress here.”

Griffin glanced away as he clenched his jaw. Of course she could take care of herself. She was a stunning woman. Obviously, men would be interested, but he didn’t realize how much it would bother him until he saw it play out in front of his eyes. Then, like a moron, he had rushed over, as if she needed his protection.

“Won’t happen again,” Griffin muttered, staring at his shoelaces.

He felt her gaze like a brush against his skin and raised his gaze to catch a small smile hovering around her mouth. “That’s an impressive new skill you’ve developed,” she said, changing the subject. “You’ve managed to make your shield hide you entirely, huh? Invisibility is certainly a handy power to have. I’m jealous.”

How had he managed to forget, even for a second, exactly who and what she was? Telepathy got him nowhere.

“Stop trying to read my mind,” she suddenly interrupted his mental gymnastics.

“Wait. Are you reading my mind?” Griffin’s stared at her, deadly serious. He leaned closer, his eyes narrowed. “Are you using my power against me, Selene? Because if you are…”

She held up a hand, stopping him mid-growl. “I can’t read minds or use your powers,” she said, shaking her head. “It didn’t take those skills to figure out exactly what you were thinking, though. You were staring at me as if you could burn a hole right into my brain.”

Irritation rode through him, along with a wave of anger. Mostly with himself for being so easy to read. He jerked to his feet. “Just stay away from me and my family.”

“I’ll stay away from them if they stay away from me.” Selene lowered her blocks for a moment, allowing him to hear the thought as he stalked away.

Griffin ignored her and kept walking.

* * *

Selene had mixed feelings as she watched Griffin’s departing form. She’d intentionally baited him, knowing it would drive him away. As much as she’d wanted to reach out to him, Griffin would never accept her—that much was obvious. She couldn’t handle that rejection again. Not now. What she needed was unconditional love and support, something he was clearly incapable of giving her, not after what she’d done to him. So she’d deliberately taunted him, pushed him even further away. But as he left, an achy loneliness set in and she wanted to bring him right back. Her head recognized how hopeless her wishes were concerning Griffin. Now she needed to convince her heart.

A shiver ran down Selene’s spine and she frowned. She felt, for the briefest moment, as though she was being watched by someone or something. The feeling was similar to how she used to feel around Gideon. A faint queasiness passed over her, but she shook it off, reminding herself that he was dead. She had nothing to fear from him anymore.

“That last comment was for you, too, Ellie,” Selene spoke aloud.

“How’d you know I was listening?” Ellie’s sheepish voice sounded in Selene’s mind.

She glanced up at the branches of the tree above her and smiled at the black falcon perched there. “Because I let you.” She patted the bench beside her. “Go shift and come grab a seat. I’ll show you.”

Ellie spread her wings wide and leapt from the tree, gliding silently away. Several minutes later she strolled over, human once more, and sat down. She dropped her backpack on the ground and grinned.

“Where were you keeping that?” Selene wondered, with a nod at the backpack.

“Gotta have some secrets.” Ellie winked. “Now come on…show me.”

Selene held out her hand. Ellie grasped it and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, she raised her eyebrows, visibly impressed. “That’s a handy skill to have. You can see the glow when someone is using their power,” she said.

Selene gave a half-hearted smile. “It has good points and bad points.”

“That was a pretty mean trick you played on Griffin, you know,” Ellie said.

Selene blinked but didn’t say anything.

Ellie propped her elbows on the back of the bench. “Bringing up your powers to make him leave. Why’d you do it? He was treating you like a normal human being for once. You were making progress.”

“What if I don’t want to make progress with Griffin?” Selene kept her expression neutral.

Ellie shook her head. “No way. I don’t buy it. Why else would you choose to come to this school? It has to be because you wanted to be friends with us. Griffin is the biggest roadblock to that. Am I on the right track?” She raised her eyebrows.

Selene nibbled at her bottom lip. “I can’t be friends with you.”

“But you want to, don’t you?”

Selene fiddled with the book in her lap but said nothing. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t lie to this woman or her family.

“Yeah. I thought so,” Ellie concluded before she paused a moment. “I have a great idea! Come dancing with us tomorrow night?”

Selene gave a surprised laugh. “I don’t think so. Griffin would go ballistic. In fact, you’d better watch it, or he might see you talking to me.”

“Oh, pooh.” Ellie ignored that worry with a careless wave of her hand. “Anyway, he’s blowing off steam now. He’s nowhere near here.” She gave Selene a once-over. “Are you really going to let my oh-so-cautious brother dictate your actions?”

Selene chuckled. “Nice try. But after years being dictated to by my own brother, I won’t let anyone influence me. You included, Miss Ellie Aubrey.”

Ellie held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers, flashing her engagement ring. “Soon to be Mrs. Jenner.”

Selene’s eyes lit up at the news. At least one of the people she’d risked so much to protect was happy. “Congratulations!” she said with absolute sincerity. “But I won’t upset your family just for a chance at some new friends in my life.”

“Well, I won’t stop asking,” Ellie insisted as she stood up. She leaned over and gave Selene a swift hug. “And next time Griffin isn’t biting your head off, I suggest you don’t immediately push him away, sweetie.” Ellie picked her backpack up off the ground, and with a wink and a wave, she walked away.

Selene sat in stunned silence—hugs had been few and far between in her life. Ellie’s effervescent friendliness could become addictive. With a mental shake, Selene forced herself to return to her studies. She did manage to read the words on the page this time, but the beauty of the day had dimmed.