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I gave him a pointed look and punched him playfully. It was just a little punch, but he went flying through the air and landed on the floor, holding the arm I’d punched. My eyes opened wide with horror. I didn’t even punch him that hard!
“Ouch,” Elias said, letting out a string of curse words.
I knelt next to his figure on the ground. “I’m really sorry, Elias! I didn’t realise it was going to be so challenging!”
“Oops, Talia, I was only messing around! Wow, you really hit like a man! You’re more of a woman,” Elias managed to wheeze out.
I thought for a moment. “That didn’t make any sense.”
“You’re as stupid as…”
“And you’re a panty!”
“She-Hulk.”
“Twig.”
“PMS Monster.”
“Hey, I’m Elias. I got hurt by a girl, and it’s pretty rough.”
Hi, I’m Talia. I can swing my legs when I’m sitting on the curb.
“Are you saying I’m short?” I gasped.
“Wow, do you need me to slow down and explain it to you?”
“Would you like –”
“What’s happening in here?” Aunt Mabel’s strong southern accent filled the room. She wiped her hands on a small rag and knelt on the other side of Elias with her eyes wide open. “Let” is the word.
I can see your arm.
“Nah, I’m actually fine,” Elias began to say, putting a hand on his arm.
“Oh, pipe down. It’s bigger than a cow’s hide.” Aunt Mabel gave Elias’s arm a little smack and slowly lifted his shirt sleeve. Elias flinched when she accidentally touched it. She whistled. “Oh boy, is that a winner.”
I looked at the huge, circular, black and blue bruise already starting to form and felt guilty. I didn’t even strike him! I’ve never hit anyone like that before, and I’ve hit them as hard as I could. I gasped, making an ‘O’ with my mouth. “Shit,” I said.
“What happened?” Aunt Mabel asked.
“Tali hit me!” Elias moaned, pointing at me like a five year old.
I glared at him until Aunt Mabel burst into a little laugh. “Oh, my, you’re shaking like a dog trying to pass a peach pit. Chill out. Did a girl hit you? Man up,” she said.
Elias stood up slowly, patting his jeans. I laughed, and he looked pretty annoyed. “Why don’t you go and see your boyfriend? I guess he’s probably worried that his girlfriend’s been kidnapped or something. Not that it matters, but you hit like a man and would probably get away quickly,” Elias muttered to himself.
I felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of Kieran being called my boyfriend. The slight redness of my cheeks didn’t exactly help my case against Elias at the moment.
I opened the front door and yelled out, “I. Don’t. I’ve got a boyfriend!”
“Tali!” Aunt Mabel’s sweet voice called out. I looked back at her before stepping out into the cool night air. She gave me a wink and I just knew what she was going to say. I groaned and flipped off Elias as he collapsed in a fit of laughter.
Just to let you know, I’ve gone ahead and marked this as *****.
I had this weird feeling like someone was watching me when I knocked on the wooden door of the Pack House. I quickly scanned my surroundings and silently prayed that someone would open the door soon. I did my best to keep it together. I felt like I was going to explode soon.
You know that feeling when you finally find someone to talk to about something that’s been bugging you, and once you see them, you just burst into tears? Well, that was exactly what happened when Kieran opened the door.
I could see him through my lashes and he was wearing basketball shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt that showed off his arm muscles. I would have been drooling right now at how hot he was, but I wasn’t in the mood for that.
“Tali?” Kieran’s concerned voice rang out, only making my sobbing heavier and louder. He hugged me, pressing my face into his shirt.
I held the fabric and took in his scent. His warmth enveloped me as he hugged me tighter, bringing me into the house and shutting the door with his foot. I couldn’t help but notice how well his body fit against mine, as cliché as it sounds. Somehow, everything about him was comforting, even that irritating, cocky smirk of his.
“Shh,” he whispered, running his fingers through my hair. He backed off, leaving me feeling a bit cold. His warm fingers gently lifted my chin, drawing my gaze to his crystal blue eyes. “What happened?”
I started to say something, but then I stopped when I heard Lila’s voice. She was really alarmed. “Tali? Hey Tali! What’s wrong?” She ran up to me, giving me a hug. I looked up and saw Cruz and Beck, who looked pretty worried.
The three of them turned around and looked at Kieran accusingly. They all spoke at the same time.
“What the hell, Kieran? What did you do to her? What kind of man are you? Hurting woman!” Lila gave a little scoff, crossing her arms. “You’re such an idiot! Apologise now!”
“Hey man, you’re not my bro anymore,” Beck said, shaking his head.
“You…” Cruz threw his arms up, clearly frustrated, and said, “You guys are a disgrace!”
I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw Kieran’s expression when the three of them cornered him. They all looked at me, and their eyes showed they weren’t sure what to think.
“Guys, chill. He didn’t do anything,” I said, smiling a little and reaching into my bag for the picture. My hands were shaking a bit as I gave it to Lila. “There’s not much to say. Hopefully, this will explain just about it.”
I watched the boys read the picture over Lila’s shoulder. They looked pretty freaked out. Kieran turned around and punched the wall, making me flinch. He grabbed his hair and groaned, feeling frustrated.
Cruz and Beck tried to calm him down while Lila gave me a hug. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m really sorry to interrupt,” I sniffed. Then I noticed something. “Where’s Knox?”
“On a hot date,” Beck said, licking his lips. “She’s a total babe.” I couldn’t help laughing when Lila gave him a smack on the head.
“Tali, you’re more than welcome any time,” Lila said, smiling reassuringly. “We were just watching movies. On that note, Beck and Cruz, we’ve got to finish that bet. Let Tali calm down a bit before we get started.” I raised an eyebrow, wanting to know what bet they were talking about. “Oh, we’re watching The Exorcism. Whoever lasts the longest without getting scared wins and treats the other two like bitches.”
I laughed at that, but I couldn’t help laughing anymore when Cruz said, “Yeah, and Beck lost already.”
Beck’s face went a bit pink. “Shut up. Who cares if I lost? That means I get to chill with Tali.”
Lila shot him a pointed look and nudged his arm. I looked at her questioningly, but she gave me a guilty smile. “Come on, Beck…” Lila started thinking about it, trying to think of an excuse. “Don’t you want to hear Cruz scream like a girl?”
I’ve already got that sorted.
“Oh, come on, let’s go with them.” I was starting to think they just wanted Kieran and me to spend some alone time together. I gave them some pretty pointed looks as they came back to the room they’d been in before.
“So…” Kieran gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s go outside?”
I just nodded and followed him through the back doors into the Chili Night. I could already smell the burning wood and see the fire dancing in the dark. It wasn’t long until I spotted a bag of marshmallows and sticks. “So, you were out here earlier?” I asked, while taking my seat next to Kieran on the log.
“Yeah,” he said, taking a puff. He handed me a stick and put the bag of marshmallows in the middle between us. I stuck a fluffy pillow on the end of the stick and started roasting it.
“So, how’d you hear me knocking?”
He laughed a little. “I could smell you from miles away, and I’ve got really good hearing, you know.”
“Right.” I was still getting used to being a werewolf, to be honest.
“The Moonfire Pack has this week to patrol your house,” Kieran said in a grumpy voice after a while. I looked at him and saw his jaw clench. “Who’s doing it tonight?”