Page 12 of Just One Bite

Chapter Eight

Parker

The house round table is the crux of house collaboration. Basically, it’s just everyone gathering on the Central Lawn to play games. While other schools have house competitions, Doxlothia encourages us to collaborate with other houses all the time.

Last year, I spent it getting drunk, but this year, I need to masquerade as a guy who has his shit together.

“Staying out of trouble?” I say to Olivia, who stole my attention when she walked onto the lawn.

The sun is high overhead, so I use my body to block the direct rays from her eyes. Her sisters whisper among themselves.

“Moderately,” she says. “I got these.”

I hide the fact I’m impressed she seamlessly found the fully illegal source for them that quickly.

“That’s perfect.” I fiddle with the blue one.

I forget its name but know just by the shape of it.

“For this one, you really want to try to get it as close to the heart as possible. It will hurt literally anyone you jab with it. With the little pink one, you have a good ten minutes of use before you start throwing up. Stab them with the blue, swallow the pink one, and run.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“I had to swallow one of these when I was eleven. It was part of the self- defense curriculum. Nothing like that in Groveshire?”

Olivia gives me an exasperated twitch of her eyebrows.

I’ve never been to an all-human town or city, but nondonors typically flock there, and that leaves vampires no reason to go.

All vampires are required to enlist in The Donor Program to receive blood when they turn of age, but that doesn’t mean people don’t find exceptions to that rule, legal or not.

That’s why being in The Donor Program is taught as good for all of society. It’s the safest option because it comes with strict governmental laws and regular doctor check-ins to ensure no one is abusing the system.

There must be a reason they’re not in The Donor Program, but Olivia looks uncomfortable enough, so I don’t ask.

There’s a quick flurry of cameras and chatter as a man is being escorted off the lawn toward the gate. I sigh.

“Who is that?”

“Oh, Finn. He, uh … had a run-in with Cane before orientation. I heard he was talking to a professor about it. This morning, they got a tip about him bringing illegal potions to school. Cane is friends with a lot of the Weres on the council, so I kinda saw that coming.”

“You weren’t kidding. They work fast,” Olivia says.

“How did that investigation report turn out, by the way?”

She shakes her head. “I didn’t get the feeling that I’d be hearing much about it. When I went to check on it, she couldn’t find it. Do you think the dean is in on this?”

“I don’t think there’s any way she doesn’t know about it.”

“If my father knew, he’d flip.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“No way.”

She’s got daddy issues too. Noted.

“Well, it would be my pleasure to walk you ladies around and show you the ropes. The house round table is designed to get all the houses working together. You’ll each get assigned a partner from a different house and run through all the games with them.”

I usher them out to the lawn where two houses are setting up for tug-of-war.

“Each house has their activity of choice. Stelliea and Noxx House care the most about tradition so we’ve each had the exact same activity since the school was founded.

Noxx House hosts the capture the flag tournament at sundown, and Stelliea hosts croquet.

Looks like Luxxia decided on tug-of-war this year and Solexxa went all out with a full-on obstacle course. ”

“We don’t get to pick our partners?” Evangeline asks.

“No, it’s a random lottery system that pairs you with someone in another house.”

We line up, and I watch the girls get their assignments.

The council has set up their booth in front of the castle, and Aster and Barrett stand out against the gray stone.

Aster in violet, and Barrett in green. They must smell me as soon as I walk up because they take a break from their conversation to glare at me.

I wish Gavin was here, but he’s prepping for capture the flag.

“How’s Operation: Damsel in Distress going?” Zant’s voice steadies me.

I don’t take my eyes off Olivia and her sisters.

“I’m busy right now. If you’re going to make fun of me, go do it behind my back.”

“What? I think it’s nice you care about those three little humans so much. And, surprise, asshole, I am being helpful. I obviously couldn’t get you paired with Olivia because she’s in the same house, but I did put you with one of her sisters. The little one. Name starts with an E.”

“Really?”

“Yep, and because I knew you’d worry, Olivia got paired with Chase in Stelliea, and her other sister is with Ryker in Solexxa.”

My rigid muscles loosen. Ryker and Chase are both familiar faces and new additions to the Rage team this year.

I’m just about to sing his praises when I notice Aster and Barrett bickering. The hairs on my arms stand on end with the heated air between two Weres. The crowd parts for Barrett making his way toward Olivia.

My blood is hot. Council members don’t participate in the games.

“Why is Barrett going over to Olivia?”

My skin burns at the itch of shifting, and her eyes widen at his presence.

“Oh, fuck this. He did this on purpose. He must have had the same idea I did,” Zant says.

What was his plan? To get her alone? To mark her? I have to do something. She’s got the crystals, but it might not be enough.

“I have to stop this. ”

Barrett has his arms around Olivia, leading her to start the Solexxa obstacle course. Our eyes meet in the crowd, and the panic in her gaze seers into me as he steers her away.

“I think I’m going to kill him.”

“Come on. Let’s follow them!” Emma runs into me, grabbing and ushering me toward the obstacle course. “I’m a little competitive. Fair warning.”

“Me too.” Though, I don’t really give a shit about the house round table when Barrett instructs Olivia to put her arm around his waist while they wait for their legs to be tied together.

I turn to Zant. “Can you watch Evangeline? Make sure Aster doesn’t have any rogue plans?”

“On it.”

Emma and I are close enough behind Olivia and Barrett that I can still see her.

There are various obstacles to move around, and you must do it tied to your partner.

Most of it is out on the lawn, but up ahead, the teams disappear through the trees, laughing and falling into each other.

We tag team it in minutes and the course zigzags into the trees, where a neon string leads us along.

Emma is way shorter than me, so we’re uneven when we walk forward through the obstacle course into the forest. There is axe throwing, but I sneak Emma past so we can skip it.

We’re slow moving because I don’t want to hurt her, but I need to find Olivia.

Once we’re in the trees, I lose sight of her, and adrenaline pushes my muscles to work faster. Barrett is trying to get her alone.

“I don’t see her,” Emma says.

I scent her fear to the west, and it sends the itch of my skin into overdrive, so I snap the rope on our ankles.

“What are you going to do?” Emma asks.

I briefly mull over what I’ll do if I find him with his teeth in her skin while she cries in pain. Nope. Not going to happen. The need to shift draws through me from my heels to my scalp. Not yet.

“I’ll challenge him.”

Because in the end, none of the confusing feelings I have for Olivia matter. She’s mine to protect either way, and if they’re going to try to hurt her, I’m going to fuck them up.