“To where?”
She stopped walking and glanced around her as though checking to see who was within hearing distance.
I hurried to catch up to her. “What’s going on?”
“Somebody brought a spirit board,” she said under her breath. “It’s our perfect chance to rile up those idiots. They’ve only been sniffing around us because of Margo. You know they’re going to act like we don’t exist as soon as we see them again. Sowe’regoing to teach them a lesson.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Fake out a ghost, of course,” she said scornfully. “Sometimes I wonder about you, Dor.”
I followed her out of curiosity. The adults had relaxed after we finally mingled and gone inside, but that was probably a bad idea.
“Where are we going then?”
“Your house,” she said.
“No! Mara, not my place. Nathan will freak.”
“We’re not bringingeveryoneinside, don’t worry! Besides, Nathan’s a soft touch on you. You’re the safest bet. Come on. It’s the adults’ faults for not taking better care of us.” She laughed. “Live a little for once. Your new best friend is already getting dragged along.”
“Really?” I brightened. “Maybe it won’t be a complete disaster then.”
Mara patted my arm. “Don’t get too close to her. I like her, but she’s one of them, and you know it. You’ll be the one who gets hurt.”
I hated when she talked like that. “Maybe this one will be different.”
“It doesn’t matter how different she is. She’s not a wolf. She’s not foryou. Nathan and Perdita are the exception, not the rule. And we have a responsibility to keep our bloodlines strong, no matter what the alpha says about integrating. You could end up with a decent wolf, like Alison even, so don’t waste time on people who don’t belong with us.”
“I don’t want Alison,” I protested.
“We’ll find you somebody. You’re supposed to be trying to fit in, remember? Best way to show you’re useful and reliable is to settle down with one of us, someone the alpha wants to keep around.That’syour future. I’m not telling you to hate Margo or even to ignore her, just to remember that it won’t go anywhere. She’d never understand you.” She looked at me, letting me see a brief flash of pain in her eyes. “Us.”
But I felt more comfortable around Margo than even Mara, and that said so much to me.
Mara dragged me into my own house, where a dozen teenagers were standing around the living room, looking awkward.
Margo was already there, gazing intently at the spirit board on the coffee table.
I squeezed in next to her. “Lame, eh?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah.” But her gaze never reached mine.
“You believe in this stuff or something?” I asked nervously.
She finally looked at me, straightening her hunched back. “Of course not.” She grinned. “Let’s see who freaks out first.”
I glanced around the room. Emma’s hands were visibly shaking. “My money’s on your girl over there.”
Margo giggled. “Or your boy.”
She meant Victor, but he trembled with excitement, not fear. The thought of getting one over on the other side of town was almost too much for him. I cast a wary look his way, ready to haul him out of there if he lost control.
The room was full, too small for so many tense werewolves and unsuspecting humans. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. I opened my mouth to ask Margo if she wanted to leave when Emma stood and called for quiet.
“All right then,” she began. “We all put a finger on the cup, we ask it a question, and we let it move.” Her eyes sparkled as she exchanged a look with Chloe. “No cheating.”
I tasted her falseness in my mouth but held in a smile. If both groups were trying to pull the same trick, nobody would come out on top. I glanced at Margo. “Ready?”