Chapter 7
Margo
On Saturday morning, I headed over to pack ground to meet up with Amelia. She was waiting outside, sitting on the wall in front of her home.
She smiled at my approach. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up today.”
“Sorry if I’m late. Getting away was awkward.”
“Parents giving you hassle? They’ll understand someday, don’t worry.”
I scuffed my shoe against the ground. It wasn’t only my parents, and I was starting to think I needed a break from pretty much everybody around me. “Yeah, or…”
“Or what?” She frowned. “You’re not giving up on me, are you?”
I met her intense gaze. “No, of course not. But maybe we should cut back on our sessions, is all.”
“Then we might lose all of our progress, Margo.” She threw her hands up in the air in a frustrated gesture. “Is this even you talking?”
A shiver ran through me. “Would it be such a big deal if we stopped?”
She took my hands in hers and spoke earnestly. “How will you ever know who you are if you hide from the mysteries within you? We need to understand what it is you do and how you do it. That’s the only way we can use your gift. Right?”
Looking into her deep brown eyes, it was hard to disagree. “I’m not giving up. Promise.”
She beamed, and I relaxed. “Good,” she said. “Let’s get going. We’ve made such amazing progress that I have high hopes for today.”
I followed her towards the woods, glancing back at the houses. Dorian was there, standing too straight and still amongst the other teens who were messing around, passing food to each other, and laughing at whatever joke had been told. Dorian looked tense, as though he had been waiting for me to appear. He met my gaze, but right as I was about to lift my hand to wave at him, he turned away without acknowledging me. Goosebumps raised on my skin.
Amelia urged me to follow. I hurried on before the others noticed, though I was pretty sure Victor was already watching. He was always watching lately, it seemed.
The woods were colder than usual, the bare trees little protection from the chilly wind. We found a quiet spot where Amelia encouraged me to relax as usual. No matter what she said, I couldn’t clear my mind or meditate or do anything she suggested. My head was too full of conflicting thoughts. I wanted to help. I did. But Amelia was so insistent and persuasive, and my mam and Dorian so fiercely against it, that sometimes I wasn’t even sure what I thought.
“Are you feeling cold yet?” Amelia asked in a hopeful tone.
“It’s winter,” I said wryly. “I’m always cold.”
“We’ll keep trying,” she continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “We’ll get there.”
I wasn’t as confident.
Chloe nudged me hard during drama rehearsals. “Your line, again.”
I hadn’t been able to concentrate all afternoon. The fight I’d had with Dorian had been stupid, and he was obviously still mad about it. Deep down, I knew he cared, but I’d seen the way the pack treated each other. I didn’t want to lose control of my own choices because the werewolves couldn’t figure out how to interact with humans without forcing pack rules on them. I’d tried to tell him that, but the words had come out in a garbled string of accusations that I deeply regretted. I needed a good night’s sleep.
I needed to concentrate.
An odd feeling kept creeping around my heart, distracting me enough to miss my cues. The argument had upset me more than I thought. I shivered. The hall was colder than usual. Somebody must have forgotten to turn on the radiators.
Tammie shouted at me once more as I fumbled lines I’d perfected the week before. Finally, she gave up and dragged me into the hallway.
“If you’re not going to take this seriously, then why are you even here?” she demanded. “You’re wasting everyone’s time today.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, mortified. “I’ll do better. I promise.”
“What’s up with you? I thought you said you were ready for this.”
“I did. I am!” I had been. Joining the drama club was the only normal thing in my life. Drama was the only thing just for me, the only place I could be somebody who didn’t have to deal with harbinger or werewolf problems. I couldn’t give that up.