Page 28 of The Blood we Crave

Time to accept this new life. The consequences we may face and the future that may come.

We all did.

“How was the coast? You sick of Rook yet?” Briar asks, and Sage smiles.

I follow her eyes, seeing them stuck on the brunette a few feet away. His arms are hung loosely around both of his friends’ shoulders. Thatcher and Alistair look like they would rather be dead than touched, but they let him hang there.

A wide grin lights up his face as he laughs about something, causing both boys on either of him to either smirk or shake their head. I might not understand all the inner workings of their group, but I know Rook is the light.

The one who uses jokes to make light of his pain. Who laughs and brightens the room. He is the boys’ light, and he is Sage’s. The one that led the way from the darkness she’d found herself in, and the love on her face for him makes my chest ache.

To love and be loved.

It’s all anyone really wants.

Violently. Passionately. Wholly.

Well, mostly everyone.

My gaze flicks to Thatcher for only a moment before I return to my friends.

“I don’t think it’s possible to tire of him. I might want to kill him, but I’m not tired of him.”

“I hear you talking about me, baby. Make sure you let them know about that new piercing you got in San Diego,” Rook hollers, joy in his tone with a hint of lust.

Sage’s eyes slit, her hand lifting to flip him off before she addresses us. “I take it back. I take everything I just said back.”

We laugh, continuing to chat, when Thatcher’s voice lifts an octave so we all can hear him, demanding attention.

“Why are you two so nosey? I told you I was busy. Not to mention, I wasn’t the only one who was late. Why aren’t you pestering dearest bug queen about why she was late?” He tosses his head towards me, pulling everyone’s gaze in my direction.

I see the silent question on their faces, curiosity a quality we all share.

Where have you been?

Uncomfortable with this many eyes on me, I just give a small awkward wave. “Sorry, I was finishing up a project.”

“With Conner Godfrey?” Alistair says with a raised eyebrow, daring me to lie to him about it. Every time I’m under his gaze, I feel like a student called to the principal’s office.

“He’s just a friend, a teacher,” I say, looking warily at all the eyes pointed towards me. “He’s been helping me this summer with my collection and species identification.”

“Yeah, and when he isn’t with you, he’s busy helping Stephen Sinclair abduct and sell girls.” Rook’s jaw ticks, and I watch as Sage curls her arm around his, leaning closer to his body.

“We don’t know that yet, Van Doren.”

“Spare me. Who else could it be? He’s basically wearing a sign that says, ‘I’m doing sketchy shit.’ That entire family is fucked. I guarantee they are all involved.”

Alistair rolls his eyes but doesn’t exactly disagree when he says, “It’s not like we can show up unannounced and start asking those kinds of questions. We are beneath the police radar right now, but we aren’t untouchable, and going after the Sinclair family is asking for a prison sentence.”

“Nah, not untouchable. But we are unfuckwithable,” Rook says, his smirk wide.

“That is not a word,” Thatcher bites out with annoyance riddling his tone.

“Doesn’t make it any less true,” he replies with a shrug, barely affected by his friend’s attitude.

“I’ve not seen anything suspicious about him. He’s been, uh, nice to me. Kind.” I clear my throat. “If he was involved, don’t you think I would have already been taken by now? I mean, I’m a perfect target. I have no family that would come looking for me, a quiet loner. People wouldn’t notice me missing.”

The stark truth of that should bother me, knowing there would be no one searching for me if I didn’t turn up for class. I’m a ghost to this town and those who live in it. My presence would not be missed.