Lukas picked us all up at my house. My car was too small to ferry the lot of us—me, Katelyn, Peter, and Tara—to Harper’s place. Ashley had to stay behind; she was drowning in textbooks and lecture notes for some test she had coming up.
“Elle’s back in town!” Tara was nearly vibrating with excitement as she belted out the news. She was always a fan of the Preston sisters, but Elle held a special place in her heart. She was an idol to a lot of girls, Tara and Ashley included.
Katelyn grinned. “Ooh, Justin, I remember you having a little crush on Elle.”
Peter laughed from the back seat. “Justin is too young for Elle.”
“I’m older than she is, you know,” I shot back, somewhat defensively.
“Yeah, I know. That’s what makes it a little sad,” Peter said.
I tried not to show how much that annoyed me. Peter had actually gone on a few dates with Elle back in high school. Nothing ever came of it, but I remember seeing them holding hands once. It stuck in my head, for reasons I didn’t fully understand back then.
Thinking about seeing Elle again made my pulse quicken. I needed to ask her about last night, about what the hell was going on. But there was a nagging worry in the back of my mind that she’d evade me again, and worse, that I’d enjoy it. Was I asking these questions because I was genuinely concerned, or did I just want another excuse to have her kiss me?
Katelyn broke into my thoughts. “Elle was always so smart. She let me copy her history notes in class.”
Lukas, who was driving, looked genuinely surprised at that revelation. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Peter jumped in, “Elle was in my study group. That’s actually how we started dating.”
“A study group led to dating? You’re so romantic, Peter,” Katelyn teased.
We finally arrived at the Preston house, and as Lukas parked the car, I took a deep breath. I had so many questions and so many emotions tangled up, it was hard to make sense of it all. The front door swung open, and we were greeted with warm smiles and the comforting aroma of pizza.
“Hey, we brought some extra movies!” Lukas announced.
The moment I walked into the dining room, my eyes zeroed in on Elle. She was seated beside a guy, and it took me a split second to recognize him. It was the same guy from the car crash, the same guy I’d seen hit her. A bolt of rage shot through me, hot and uncontrollable.
What the hell was he doing here? Why was he sitting at the dinner table, sharing pizza and laughs with them as if he belonged?
Elle looked up and smiled, but it was that smile—the one she’d worn the night of the crash after her ex had hit her. My heart started pounding in my chest, drowning out the chit-chat and laughter around me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I lunged at him.
My werewolf strength gave me an edge, and I landed a few solid hits. But then Carson started muttering something, his eyes glowing an eerie shade, and unleashed a burst of magic. Plates shattered, chairs overturned, and a chandelier in the hall crashed to the ground. The lights flickered and then went out, plunging the room into darkness.
“Enough!” Lukas roared, pulling us apart. “Both of you, calm down!”
Lexie, taking command in the chaos, announced, “I’ll check the fuse box. One sec.”
But even in the dark, my blood was still boiling. I wanted nothing more than to leap at Carson again, to make him pay for what he’d done, for daring to come into Elle’s family home like this.
Lukas’ grip tightened on my arm. “Justin, you need to calm down.”
Calm down? How could I possibly calm down when that guy was here, sitting with Elle as if he had every right to be?
The lights flickered back on, illuminating the shocked faces around the dining table and the debris of what had been a pleasant evening. I could smell Elle’s fear—it was potent, a visceral scent that filled the room, an invisible yet unmistakable sign that all was not as it seemed.
And then Elle laughed. The sound was jarring, unsettling in the tense atmosphere, like a bell tolling at the wrong time.
“It’s just a lovers’ quarrel, everyone,” she said, her voice light but with an undercurrent of something darker. “I’m used to men fighting over me, but please, let’s not do it in the house. How about we take it outside?”
Confusion spread across the room like a fog. Harper, her eyes wide and searching, finally asked, “Elle, what’s going on?”
“You know how jealous werewolves can be,” she said, throwing me a glance that I couldn’t read. “Justin, you really shouldn’t get so worked up over a little kiss.” Before I could find my tongue, Elle had taken the lead. “I need a moment with Justin and Carson.”
Elle steered us toward the front door and out onto the lawn, far enough away from the house that our conversation wouldn’t carry.
Once the door had shut behind us, and the night had enveloped us in its darkness, the sweet, calm demeanor Elle had shown in front of the others vanished.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she snapped at Carson.
His eyes narrowed, a glint of malice showing through. “Are you seeing him? Were you cheating on me with him?” He scoffed, disdain dripping from his words. “Figures. I always knew you were nothing but a gold-digging whore.”
Before I could even react, Elle had stepped between us, pushing Carson with surprising strength against his car. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just met me in Ashbourne tonight like you were supposed to!”
Carson laughed, the sound grating against my ears. “So, this little getup,” he said, gesturing to Elle’s dress, “was all for me? You thought fucking me tonight would get me to forgive you?” He reached into his pocket, producing a small USB stick. “Remember our deal. I can always come back here, and when I do, it’s not just going to be the fuse box that breaks.”
I roared in fury, making a move toward him, but Elle held me back with a surprising force.
Carson smirked. “Go ahead. Tear me to pieces, wolf. See how Elle reacts.”
“What is he talking about?”
“It means, if anything happens to me,” Carson said, “the mark on Elle’s neck detonates by the next full moon. She’ll bleed out faster than a pig in a slaughterhouse.”
I felt the blood drain from my face, my eyes darting to Elle’s neck. With a final laugh, Carson jumped into his car and sped away. The roar of the engine seemed to mock us, leaving a chilling silence in its wake.
My body vibrated with fury, the urge to chase after Carson overwhelming. Yet, before I had the chance to make another move, Elle turned to face me, her eyes wild but resolute. “Justin, listen to me. I have this under control.”
“How? Elle, what the hell is happening?” My voice was a hoarse whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me about this? About him?”
She exhaled slowly, her gaze dropping to the ground. “I can explain everything, I promise. But right now, I just want to get out of here. And please, whatever you do, don’t say anything to the others. Let’s just… let them think it’s some twisted love triangle.”
Her vulnerability was something I hadn’t witnessed before. It struck a chord within me. Seeing her like this, pleading, made me realize the depth of her situation.
“Okay,” I said, albeit hesitantly. “Okay, Elle. We’ll go somewhere and talk.”
She gave a slight nod, grateful for my concession. “Thank you. Come on, my car’s parked out front.”
We walked side by side, the tension palpable between us. I could hear the faint hum of conversation from the house, everyone likely still in shock from the evening’s events.
“Justin!” It was Lukas from the front door, concern evident in his voice. “You okay?”
I turned, glancing at Elle as we both piled into the car. She looked far more shaken than I felt.
“Yeah,” I began, choosing my words carefully, “Elle and I just… We need to talk.”
Lukas raised an eyebrow. “About what? Can’t you just talk upstairs?”
Elle smiled easily. “The walls aren’t very thick in that house, Lukas. Do you really expect me to have sex with Justin while you and his siblings would be able to hear from the first floor?”
Before Lukas could respond, she had already started the car, and with a rev of the engine, we sped away. The night seemed to grow denser around us as we drove, the only light coming from the occasional streetlamp.
“Where’s your house?” Elle’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I gave her quick directions. As we pulled into my driveway, the full weight of the night settled in. Turning off the engine, Elle leaned back in her seat, her face illuminated by the dim light from my porch. It was then that I truly saw her—raw, unguarded, and more serious than I had ever seen her before.