Page 22

I got up, took my bowl of soup and started drinking it. The hot soup was just what I needed to warm my throat, and the tastes were like fireworks for my taste buds. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and gave me that cosy home vibe. But it wasn’t as hot as I was feeling when Kieran plonked himself next to me, grabbed me and planted a big kiss on my cheek.
I had a bit of a wobble when I saw that, but I got myself together again and put the bowl down on the coffee table in front of us. “Kier,” I hissed, but that just made him pull me closer. I was pretty sure my face was as red as Aunt Mabel’s toenail polish. “Kieran,” I whispered, this time a bit louder.
His scent was driving me crazy, and his warmth was enough to make me weak in the knees – good thing I was sitting on this couch, or else I might’ve fallen again tonight, and nobody would like to see that again. I could feel his muscled chest on my back through our thin T-shirts. I could feel his hot breath on my hair and his strong arms around my waist, and it made me feel safe.
“Chill out, Talis,” he whispered in my ear, kissing my earlobe. “Just let me hold you.”
“Yeah, Tali,” Damien said, chewing thoughtfully. “We already know you two are an item.”
“Mmmmhm,” Knox mumbled from his bowl.
“What? What’s going on? I’m lost again,” Elias said, looking at Kieran and I with narrowed eyes. It looked like he was trying to play the big brother role.
If I could, my face would go a deeper shade of red.
“Oh, Elias John, don’t take this the wrong way, Mum,” she said. “You wanted someone for your sister in any case. You said something about her being a prude, and she’s only eighteen.”
“Mom, she’s giving me the death glare,” Elias moaned, pointing to me.
“If any one of us good-looking people is a prude, it’s me you should point the finger at,” Aunt Mabel said, sipping her soup and ignoring our burst of laughter and snorts.
“Please, Aunt Mabel, Uncle Atlas loves you,” I said, gasping and enjoying the chest that was moving up and down in laughter behind me.
After we’d all had plenty to eat, we finally closed up for the night. We all mucked in to help Aunt Mabel clean up the mess, even though she kept protesting. Elias and Tasha left up the stairs while I told Knox and Damien to go home.
When I walked out of the bathroom, I was surprised to see my mother and Kieran chatting in near-whispering voices by the front door. As I got closer, I heard my mum say, “This is what I was afraid of. She can’t know yet.”
I made sure I didn’t make any noise as I went, so they wouldn’t hear me. I hid behind the wall, my heart was beating really fast because I was worried about getting caught. I pressed my back against the maroon wall and looked at the two of them. I had a perfect view of them, but luckily, I was completely hidden.
“I get it, Serena,” Kieran said, rubbing a hand down his face. “You’ll tell her soon, right?”
“Yeah, Kieran,” my mum replied in a reassuring tone, throwing up her hands. “But for now, that’s how it is.”
I heard Aunt Mabel’s footsteps on the stairs. I was worried that everyone would catch me eavesdropping, so I quickly stepped into the hall where my mother and Kieran were.
They did a total 180. My mum threw her hand down and gave me a smile that said she knew what was going on, but she was just being innocent. She moved a bit to the side and ran her fingers through her hair. Kieran quickly straightened his posture and smiled at me too.
“So,” I said, feeling a bit awkward. “What were you guys talking about?”
“About how you should stay with Kieran tonight,” my mum quickly lied.
When I heard her spout that awful lie, I raised my eyebrow, even Kieran looked pretty surprised. His mouth opened wide, and his eyebrows scrunched up together. Kieran just had to add, “We were?” to make it clear that what I said about my mum lying wasn’t just a contradiction.
My mum shot him a quick glare, narrowed her eyes at him, then smiled sweetly at me. “Oh,” Kieran coughed. “Yeah, we were.”
“Yes, she will. I can’t have her sleeping in the house without security. I wouldn’t bother Elias, but he’s with his own wife. I’m sure you’ll take care of my daughter,” she said.
“What?” I yelled a bit. “Mum, you’re really making me sleep over with a boy?”
She stood up straight, tilting her chin up. I could see the indecision in her eyes. “Yeah, sweetie. I trust you and I trust Kieran.”
While I stood there gawping like a fish out of water, my mum pushed us out of the house before she could change her mind. Even Kieran looked surprised, as his constant blinking made it obvious. As she shut the door, I heard her yell, “Please, take care of her, and I don’t mean in bed.”
Oh no, save me!
Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.
“So, um, we’re here,” Kieran said, scratching the back of his neck and looking at the spot between my eyes.
Is this boy being serious? He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white the whole way here. He barely said a word to me on the ten-minute drive to the pack house, and it was driving me nuts. Actually, I think the only thing he said to me was, “I hope you don’t mind staying at the pack house.” Lila’s the only one there. “Well, we had to leave our house because of, you know, the situation with our dad.” It was more like stuttering. I just gave a sigh and rolled my eyes.
I strolled over to the wooden door of the yellow pack house, with Kieran following a few feet behind. I yawned and my eyes were starting to feel heavy. It was probably already two in the morning and I was worried we might wake up a sleeping Lila.
So, I just went in without knocking. Look, I know this might sound a bit harsh, but I really didn’t want to wake Lila up, especially after everything she went through tonight. Kieran seemed to have read my mind – wait, I forgot, he could read my mind – because he quietly shut the door, the little click ringing through the silence. Then he switched on a lamp nearby so that I could see.
Just as Kieran was about to say something to me, opening and closing his mouth a few times, Lila walked in with her head in a book. Her black hair was a mess and she was wearing a bright pink pair of pyjamas. “Hey, finally, your home,” she said, clearly picking up on my scent. She looked up, shut her book, and ran over to me, giving me a big hug.
My breath was taken away as Lila raged on. “Wow, Talia, are you OK?” She asked, moving back from me a little, inspecting my arms and legs. “I heard what happened. You know – pack stuff. I wish I’d come over as soon as I heard the news, but I didn’t want to make things any worse. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
“Lila,” I yelled over her rant, gripping both of her wrists. “Chill out. I’m fine.”
She let out a sigh before giving me another hug. “I’m just worried about you. Anyway, why are you here? I’m not saying I don’t want you here, because I do. I just thought your mum would’ve wanted you home.” Her thin eyebrows were scrunched up, leaving a crease between them. She looked over to Kieran curiously before scratching her face.
I watched them silently, seeing their faces change expression every few seconds as they looked at each other. It didn’t take me long to see they were having a chat by the pack link. I crossed my arms over my chest, not liking the fact that I was out of the loop once again.
“Okay,” Lila sighed, clapping her hand once. I stood up straight as her blue eyes got bigger and she smiled at me in a way that made me feel a bit uneasy. “You two have fun. “I’m just going to hit the hay now, because I’m absolutely shattered,” she said, stretching her arms and faking a yawn. Good night, mate. I hope you enjoy your stay. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”
She hurried up the stairs after giving me a quick hug. I looked at Kieran, giving him a hard stare, and he just shrugged. “OK, I think you’re probably tired. So, follow me,” Kieran said, breaking the awkward silence.
I followed him closely, and I could see that his shoulders were tense. When we opened the first door on the right, we found a room that was clearly Kieran’s. The walls were a sort of greyish blue colour and his king-size bed, which was neatly tucked in, was in the middle of the room. The sheets were black and shiny, almost glowing from the light that was coming from the white lampshade by his bed. It was obviously black silk, and for some reason that made me feel really excited. The carpet was white and shaggy, which made the room feel really cosy. Even his sofa was white. There was a black door on the left wall, and it was clearly his bathroom. His massive mahogany desk, perched under the window on the right wall, was spotless. Everything in the room was tidy.
I looked like a fish out of water, but quickly stopped myself from saying anything as I realised Kieran was watching my reaction. I cleared my throat and said, “Nice room, Kier.”
“Cheers,” he replied before going to a mahogany dresser and rummaging through it. He got out a grey t-shirt and some blue basketball shorts. “So, I hope you don’t get my drift. I know you’re feeling a bit awkward in that shirt that you were sweating in all night, and those shorts are covered in little bits of glass. We’re both hoping you won’t feel awkward tonight. He handed me the items, but still didn’t look me in the eye.