Chapter 28

“You have to keep pretending with him. For your sake and everybody’s.” he said and then he pursed his lips.
“I can’t do that. I feel sick when he touches me.”
He zipped the bag and handed it to me. “You have to.”
“Thank you Lee.”
He nodded and stood by the door. “How do I look?”
“Nice.” I said.
“Just nice?” he asked in such a tone of voice that I had to reassure him.
“Maybe a little attention grabbing…” I whispered. “But don’t tell people I said that.”
“Why.” He looked genuinely interested to know.
I smiled. “it's weird.”
He walked out chuckling and I followed behind him.
“Peter.” I said the second I got in the car with Milton.
“Hmm ...” He responded to my thought.
“Are you anywhere near Stephaney right now?”
“Yes.” He said. “Why do you ask?”
“Tell him to visit me on Friday night.”
“What about your family?”
“They’ll all be out on a pack meeting.”
He was quiet for a while and then he said with humor in his voice. “He’ll be there.”
“What’s wrong?” Milton said. “You’re oddly quiet.”
I ignored him and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or it was my mind playing tricks with me. Peter and I were on an island. The sky a cloudless blue, everything was colorful. We were lying on the sand side by side our hands locked together. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
I felt someone pinch me on the side of my hip sending the thought in the back of my mind. I groaned. I really wanted to see what would happen next. Every moment with Peter – even in my dreams – was worth it.
I opened my eyes slowly and saw Milton smiling at me. I closed my eyes again and tried to ignore the fact that he had his hand out for me to take.
“Let’s go.” He said.
When I heard his voice, I opened my eyes again wishing that I were blind. I didn’t want to see him, or his face or his ostentatious car.
“Okay.” I said getting out the car and ignoring his hand. “That should never happen again.”
“What?” he asked innocently. Nothing was innocent about the smirk he wore or the way he looked at my body.
“You… coming to my house, holding my hand, or talking to my parents.”
“I won’t come to your house but I’ll hold your hand.”
Was he for real?
He walked away whistling. When he was a few minutes away he said, “I’ll take you home after school.”
I wanted to skin him alive and before I could actually bring herself to do it, I heard Peter laugh.
“Is he a werewolf?” he asked.
I sighed. “Yes he is.”
“What’s his name?”
“Oh Peter, I hate it when you think you can just kill anybody.”
I imagined him having my favorite crocked smile that made all my worries fade away.
“What a great imaCallstion you have.” He chuckled so that I could hear it. “It’s always a pleasure to see things from your eyes.”
I bit my lip and dabbed my eyes. I forgot that he was always listening.
“I’m glad you came into my life at the time you did…” he paused for a second. “ Now I know that my soul went to the right place. You’re my peace of mind and everything I tried to find but only you had it all.”
My toes felt strangely cold but my cheeks were burning up. No one has ever made me feel like that before. How could a Wendigo make me feel things I didn’t know existed?
“It’s time to go to class.” He finally said.
I wouldn’t help but wonder how I looked to everybody else standing there like a statue.
I nodded and then remembered he couldn’t see me. “Aren’t you at school?”
“Yes I am but my students can wait.”
I chuckled and I got weird glances. “I don’t want to be held equitable when your students don’t make it at the end of the year.”
“Don’t worry about that.” He said. “They can manage that all on their own.”
“you’re students are stupid.”
“Don’t let them hear you say that.”
I smiled. “I didn’t.”
School was in and out before I could gasp the idea.
The ride home was painful. I had to sit through deafening music as Leslie played ‘the polotones’ repeatedly. My ears were hurting and when he finally pulled over the driveway at home I jumped out with the engine still running.
When I walked in Callie attacked me with a hug.
“What was that for?” I asked dropping my backpack on the floor.
“For having a mate…” She said excitedly.
I rolled my eyes. “Milton isn’t my mate.”
She looked confused for a second. “He makes you happy right?”
I closed my eyes and pretended she was talking about Peter.
“Yes he makes me happy.”
“Dad was right.”
“About?”
“You do smell kind of funny. Beyond all that perfume I can still make out a funny smell mixed with your scent.”
“What kind of funny.”
“Sneeze causing, funny.” She smiled. “I must be crazy. The only thing I’m allergic to is a Wendigo’s smell.”
I smiled uneasily. “Yeah, you’re crazy.” I said nervously.