Chapter 5: Selene

Dante didn't show up for breakfast.  According to Arias, Dante had left not long after I'd gone to see Lux.  He hadn't said anything to anyone about where he was going.  He'd just left.

Breakfast was mostly silent.  Arias had let us make whatever we wanted, not stepping in at all.  Ray and I cooked while Lux showered since Ray was a little tense about the events of last night.

While we cooked, I filled her in on some of the basic details of my time alone with Dante.  I wasn't quite ready to divulge the more...serious details with Arias watching.

"Do you think you could locate him?" Ray asked me.

I thought about our parting words and how he'd left us so quickly and quietly.  "I think we should leave him alone for awhile. Give him some space.  He's gotta be really upset about last night to walk out like he did." I replied.

"I know.  I just think that negative emotions and werewolves don't mix very well.  Don't you think?" Ray cast a side glance at me as she poured egg yolk and cheese into a hot pan on Arias's stove.

I chewed my lower lip, catching her meaning.  I could picture him now, the anger turned toward himself turning him into a wolf, sending him on a killing spree.  But, I knew Dante. I've known him my whole life.  All of us have.  I trust him.  I know he can control it.  If only he had something of a clear head, he could stop himself from going off and killing and infecting people.

"Give him a few days.  He'll be fine."  I think I said it more to myself than to her.

We left Arias's apartment not long after breakfast.  Rayonna and Lux thanked the warlock and climbed into the cab he'd called for us.  He held me back for a moment and handed me a business card with his address and phone number on it.  I looked at it briefly before slipping it into my back pocket with my phone. 

"Thanks." I said to him, my eyes caught on his.  I wondered if his icy eyes were any kind of hint to his warlock ones.

"There's something I should warn you about." Arias whispered, twirling a lock of my long hair around his index finger.

"And that is..." I trailed off.

"That incident last night is going to bring demons to your door.  They know your weaknesses now.  Sure, you're a warlock, but they've known that the whole time.  You glamour is weak.  But, they saw how helpless you were last night.  Any normal warlock would've easily saved their friend from getting killed by a werewolf.  You didn't.  Now, the demons are going to come to you.  They're going to come for blood.  You need to be ready, Selene."  His eyes were as cold and sharp as the tone in which he spoke.

"How do I know that this isn't just some trick to get to me to say yes to your offer?"  I looked at him skeptically.

"I honestly don't care about that.  That's your choice.  I'm just warning you.  You only have one person who can even try to protect you when those demons come knocking: Ray.  Her parents aren't faeries.  They'll die in the blink of an eye.  So, be warned.  If you don't want me to help you discover your powers, work on it yourself.  Your apartment burns, don't say that no one warned you."

We both knew that that last part was his final pitch for his offer to teach me.  I smiled a little to let him know I'd caught on.  He grinned.  

"What's the card for?"

I already knew, I just wanted to know that I was right.

"Call me when you make your decision.  If you need help you can call me or text me or come find me.  Or..." - he smirked - "If you wanna come by and hang out or something like that, my door's always open to you." he winked.

I was at least part right.  "It's only open to me? Not to Lux or Dante or Ray?"

"Them too.  I'm just not as comfortable with the idea of werewolves tearing up my furniture and faerie trickery." Arias admitted.

"Hey!" Ray yelled out the cab window.  "I'd like to get home today!  You two can text later and flirt all you want!"

I laughed.

Arias did too. "My kind of girl.  Doesn't mind sharing her feelings."

"I should get going." I told him, heading for the cab.

I looked back after I'd gotten myself a seat in the back of the cab, my seat-belt on.  Arias shoved his hands in his pockets, his shirt rippling over his muscles.  I smiled and he returned it with one last wink.  

As the cab drove off, the warlock's eyes shimmered and I could swear I caught a glimpse of aquamarine - colored reptile eyes.

Back at home, Ray dragged me to our room immediately, slamming the door behind us.  Ray's parents were out shopping and weren't back yet.  She'd already texted them while we were in the cab, explaining why we hadn't come home last night.

"I need all the juicy details. Right now." she demanded.

"About what?" I asked innocently.

"You and Dante.  You and Arias.  Everything from the club up to now.  I know you were holding back.  I know the difference between you telling me everything and you filtering things out for later, Sel." Ray snapped.

"Nothing happened at the club." I began.

"Okaay.  What about after the club?" The faerie girl flung herself on her bed and started to change into comfortable clothes.  Unlike Lux and I, Ray hadn't gotten a shower or change of clothes today.

I bit my lower lip, remembering how Dante had gripped my thigh and kissed me so hungrily, the way he'd moaned and said my name....

"Oooh.  Something did happen." Ray purred, pulling me out of my thoughts.  "Tell me, tell me, tell me!!"

I spilled every detail to her then, from the time I woke up to the time I'd left Dante this morning.  Ray listened intently the whole time, lying on her side on her bed, now in a pair of pink shorts and a white camisole, her dark brown hair up in a ponytail.

When I finished, she was laying on her back.  She didn't say anything for a moment.  Then she said, "God! That was like Fan-fiction."  Ray would know, of course.  She loved Anime and Fanfiction.  She rolled back onto her side, facing me.

"Which one do you like most?" Ray wiggled her eyebrows like a best friend fishing around for for delicious secrets you haven't told yet.

"Dante or Arias, you mean?" I clarified.

She nodded, a conspiratorial grin crawling over her lips.

"I'm not even sure I feel anything for Arias." I admitted. 

"Honey, you know you do.  You know he's gorgeous.  You were figuratively drooling over him from the second you woke up." Ray gushed. "Did you not see his body?!  The way his shirt was so tight across all his muscle? Ugh.  I mean..." She looked at me, her eyes rolling with the pleasure of picturing him.  "If you don't want him, I'll gladly steal him.  I wouldn't mind him laying me."

I nearly laughed at the idea of Arias with Ray.

I should note that Ray's "experienced" too.  At least five boys slept with her in the past couple of years.  Ray saying that Arias could lay her is her secret way of saying she'd tear him up, make him feel like no other girl could ever be as good as her.  But, knowing that he was a warlock that was over two hundred years old, he'd probably been with countless girls every year.  Ray would probably be nothing to him.

"You don't even know him, Ray.  I don't know him, either." I said.

"In other words, you want a little more time to decide how you feel about him." she replied in a bored tone. "You can just say it, Sel.  I understand.  As it is, I'm pretty sure he likes you.  Take all the time you need.  You have forever."

*****

Two quiet, awkward weeks passed and Dante still didn't show.  Each day that passed made me ache more and more to use my power to find him.  At the same time, Lux got more and more fearful of his first Change.

I came over to his place after a little more than a week had passed since we'd seen Dante.  Lux's parents were at work and Lux was pacing the living room with his shirt off, clawing his scalp.  "It's coming, Selene." he breathed.  "The Change.  I feel it.  It's tonight.  The full moon is tonight."

I sat on the couch watching him pace.  "Breathe, Lux.  Calm down.  The Change feeds off of your emotions."

"It's too hot in here.  I can't breathe."  Lux moved to turn down the thermostat.  It already felt like thirty degrees in the living room.  I was surprised I couldn't see my breath.

Lux really was feeling the Change.  I hopped up from my seat and grabbed him by the arm.  His skin was scorching hot and moist with sweat.  He looked at me.  "Let go, Selene."  The gray-green of his eyes was partly consumed by the gold ring.

"Lay down.  Stop pacing so much." I said calmly.

"I can't.  The Change...it's making me restless.  I feel like if I don't move...I'll burn up."  Lux was shaking now.  His skin seemed to move on its own.  He needed to calm down or the Change would take over now rather than later.  It couldn't happen indoors.  He'd tear the place to pieces.

"Lay down, Lux." I whispered.

Lux shook his head.  "No." 

"Yes." I insisted, pulling him toward the couch.

"Selene..."

"Lay down.  Relax." I insisted, pressing my palms to his burning chest.

He fell onto the couch with a thump.  His eyes closed tightly and he bit his lip.  His arms came up, crossing over his forehead, making his sweaty skin ripple over his ribs.  I wondered when he'd last ate a decent meal.

"Breathe deep a few times." I told him as I pushed his legs over so he'd lay more comfortably on the couch.

Lux did as I asked, inhaling slowly and exhaling.  I carefully climbed over him and hunkered down at his side, half on him, half tucked into the crook between him and the couch.  He opened one eye and saw where I was before closing it again, a faint smile on his lips. 

I remembered how we'd lay beside each other on one or the other's bed and talk about how strange something way or the interesting things that had happened during the day.  I remembered when we were thirteen and I'd been left alone for Valentine's Day.  Ray had gone out on a sort-of date with a guy she kind of liked; Dante had a girlfriend he was out with, Ray's parents were doing their own Valentine's Day thing, assuming I had some kind of plan for the night too.  So, I was left alone in the apartment for the night.  Part of me had been content with it.  Part of me was sad.  I sat in my room reading, drawing, struggling to find a movie to watch.  Eventually, I settled in to go to sleep and then, Lux appeared, knocking on the door.  That night, he had brought a few good movies over and we hung out, even slept together until Ray and her parents came home. 

"Selene," Lux said.

My eyes opened. "Huh?"

"What were you thinking about?"

"How do you know I was thinking?"

"You were smiling."

I looked at him and told him what I'd been thinking about.

Lux smiled as I went over the memory.  "I actually came over that night to ask you out." 

My jaw dropped open. 

"I didn't though, because I figured it might get awkward after a while since we're so close and you seemed like the kind of girl who didn't want anyone until later.  I saw how happy you were when you answered the door that night in your pj's with your hair in braids, living life without anyone like that was all you wanted.  I just decided then that I wouldn't ask you out.  I'd let you be happy like that for a little while longer.

I blinked.

"I never had the courage to ask you after that.  Honestly, I hardly thought of it."

Lux looked down at me and smiled, his arm around my shoulders, and laughed a little. 

"Do you still have feelings for me?" I asked him.

He shook his head.  "No.  I mean - I love you as a best friend, maybe a sister.  I think you're amazingly beautiful, but that's all."

"Oh." was all I said in reply.

***

Five days later, as I lay in my bed sleeping, a knock on my window woke me.  Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I looked at the green numbers on my clock.  It was two a.m.  I went to the window and peered out.  Dante stood on the fire escape.  The tall, lean build was unmistakable.  I opened the window and stepped out, closing it down to a tiny crack behind me.  The night air was a little chilly, but felt kind of nice compared to the muggy days we'd been having.  

I stood behind Dante, waiting for him to speak.  His dark hair was a bit more of a spiky mess than usual.  He wore a navy blue T-shirt and black jeans with a short gold chain around his neck.  He'd been drinking.  I could smell the liquor on him, marijuana too.  He had a blunt between two fingers that he took a hit from every few seconds.  I simply watched, waiting for him to tell me why he woke me.

When he finished with his blunt, he tossed into the street seven stories below and grabbed the railing on the fire escape.  I took in the gorgeous curve of his shoulders as he leaned forward as though he were stretching.  I noted the lines and curves of his biceps, the hard line of his jaw....  I tore my eyes away, looking toward the street.  He'd woke me for a reason and I wanted to know that reason.

"What do you want?" I asked him quietly.

Dante lowered his head onto the metal railing, breathing deeply for a moment.

"Dante," I said.

He straightened and looked at me. "I'm saying good-bye, Selene." he whispered.

I tilted my head to one side, narrowing my eyes at him. "What?"

  "I'm saying good-bye." he repeated.  "I'm going to join a pack and stay away from you guys.  I don't have to worry about killing people I love then." 

"You can't do that, Dante.  Not to Lux.  Not to Ray.  Not to your family.  Not to me." I said.

"I have to." he insisted. "I gave Lux this disease.  I lost control like that." - he snapped his fingers - "I nearly bit you.  S**t.  I tasted your blood.  God only knows if Ray or my family is next."

He looked genuinely worried.  He really was thinking that he'd hurt or kill one of us. 

"Don't do this." I whispered.  "Don't leave us."

"I already told my parents everything." Dante's eyes were focused on the street lamps below, his jaw tight. "They thought I was crazy.  I partly Changed for a quick second and scared the s**t out of them.  They've basically disinherited me.  I want you guys to let go of me too, Sel.  I want you guys to be safe."

"What about Lux?  He's already had his first Change.  What's he going to do?  He has no one to help him."

"I'll tell the pack later.  Someone will come pick him up.  He can hang out with us and learn about how to control his wolf side."  Dante shrugged. 

"So, you're cutting us all off?  Lux can hang with your pack since you made him a werewolf accidentally.  Ray and I just fall out of your life for no reason?" I snapped.

"So you'll be safe!" He looked at me, his eyes wide.

"Bullshit!" I yelled, my chest heaving from all the anger I was struggling to control as I listened to him.

"I don't want to hurt you, Selene.  You most of all."

"You can have a pack and still have us.  That's what the pack is for.  You learn how to control your werewolf side so you can live normally.  You don't have to cut us out of your life."

"I don't know when I'll be safe enough for you guys to be around, Selene.  I don't know how long that will take."  Dante ran his hand over his face and through his hair.

"That doesn't matter.  You can't leave us.  Not after all the things we've been through together." I snapped.  "I know you don't want to lose me, but I can't lose you either."

Dante sat down slowly on the fire escape steps.  It was like he was afraid to me quickly.  Like he was afraid he might trigger the wolf inside him.  He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands.  The memory of that moment in Arias's apartment played through my mind.  I could hear his fast breaths, his moans and growls.  I could feel his soft, warm skin beneath my fingers as I clawed him.  I could feel how it felt to have my lips on his.  My heart fluttered at the memory.  I wanted that again.

I sat on his lap, facing him again.  I pulled his hands away from his face.  His eyes opened.  Dark in the dimness of the night.

"Selene..."

I pressed my lips to his gently for a moment, pulling away slightly.

"We can't - "

I pressed my lips to his again, nipping his lip.

"Stop." he whispered unconvincingly.

I slid my fingers into his soft hair, kissing him harder.  I ran my fingers down his chest, where his heart pounded like crazy, to the hem of his shirt.

Dante gave up protesting then. He kissed back, his tongue sliding into my mouth, circling mine.  He bit my lip and kissed me harder, leaning into me.  I could hardly catch my breath and when I finally got the chance, it came out as a moan.  Dante's hands were on my bare thighs, his fingers digging into my skin, sending dull pain through me.  I pulled his shirt off, bowing my head to nip down his neck, his chest.  I kissed his chest gently, right over his heart, my tongue sliding over a rugged scar there.  He shivered, moving to nip me.  I held him back with two fingers to his lips.  Tracing his scars with my fingers, along his ribs, his muscles, I looked up at him to see his eyes were closed.  He shivered and moaned pleasurably at my touch.

Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore.  He lay me on the fire escape platform and I rolled over on him, straddling him again.  He was starting to breathe hard as he kissed and nipped at my neck.  I kissed him again, nipping his lip and sliding my tongue in and out of his mouth as I kissed him some more.

"Selene," he breathed between kisses.

"Don't you dare." I grumbled.

"We need to stop." he said.

I raked my nails across his back.

He growled almost like an animal.

"I told you not to say that!" I snapped.

"I can't do this right now.  We can't do this." 

"Shut - up." I growled.

"I've tasted your blood once.  I'm not doing it again."

"You're not that dangerous!"

"Yes, I am."

Dante looked up at me, his eyes shimmering half-gold in the street light.  The sadness written on his face in that moment struck me like a stone and I couldn't bear it.  I couldn't fight someone I loved when they were so clearly torn to pieces.  One accident and that sweet, humorous, easygoing boy I loved was gone.  Just one accident.  I couldn't think of anything more to say to stop him from walking out on me.

My heart sank as I got off of him.  I picked his shirt up and handed it to him, looking at the street lamps opposite my window.  He pulled it on and hugged me awkwardly.

"Don't." I whispered harshly.  "Just go.  The next time I see you...don't expect anything.  Don't do anything.  Leave me alone." I opened my window again and slid back into my room, hearing only one thing.  "Good-bye, Selene."  

When I looked back over my shoulder, he was gone.