The Vow: Dangerous Suggestions Book 1 (13 page)

“
No, that is not the only
reason. I like you, and Mason likes you. I don’t want you to think
we only want you here because of what you can do,” he said,
watching me. He sounded sincere, but I was a poor judge of emotions
at the moment.

I smiled nervously and pulled away
from him. I felt odd looking in his eyes. It felt too intimate. I
wasn’t entirely sure what it meant to be intimate; I just didn’t
feel like I should be so close to him. It seemed like something two
people who liked one another would do. I wasn’t ready to admit that
I liked him as more than a friend. I was just learning what it felt
like to have a friend, and I didn’t want to complicate that.
“Everything is so different now, compared to what I am used to. I
am not quite sure how to act.”

He smiled. “That is understandable.
Are you ready for dinner? I brought take out,” he said, like he was
trying to tempt me.

“
That sounds good,” I
said, a little relieved. I felt a little better after talking to
him. I still had the small amount of doubt at the back of my mind.
I knew how people who wanted something worked. Sometimes they would
say anything to make sure they got what they wanted.

I followed him out of my bedroom, and
down the stairs. We walked into the dining room where Mason was
already seated. He was eating without us. “You could have waited,”
Dawson chided.

“
You were taking forever,”
Mason said grumpily.

Dawson looked like he was fighting the
urge to roll his eyes as he took his seat. I smiled as I watched
them interact. They acted like true brothers. Dawson offered me one
of the containers. “So, do you think Deek could be right about your
origins?” he asked casually.

I shrugged as I accepted the
container. “I don’t really know. I suppose the siren had the
ability to persuade humans to do things, but other than that I do
not see any other similarities.”

“
Are sirens even real? I
mean, I have never seen one,” Mason said skeptically.

“
Just because you haven’t
seen one doesn’t mean it does not exist,” Dawson chided. He sounded
like Mason’s father, at times, instead of his brother.

Mason actually blushed slightly. “I am
just saying - it seems a little far-fetched. I have heard of a lot
of odd things, but never a siren.”

“
Deek wouldn’t have
mentioned it if he didn’t know it was a possibility. He knows
something,” Dawson said softly. He sounded a little like he was
contemplating the possibility.

“
Why don’t you and Deek
get along?” I asked, for the sake of making conversation. I was
curious about their rivalry. I wondered if it was simply because
they were both alpha males. Maybe there was an old feud between
them. There were so many possibilities. It would be nice to know
what really happened.

“
We have different views
on a lot of things. We do not live by the same code. He would do
anything to gain power, and that includes hurting others. I was not
raised to be that kind of leader,” Dawson said, like it was
simple.

“
So that is it? You guys
don’t like one another because you don’t agree?” I asked, a little
confused.

“
Basically,” Mason said
amused. “They have been enemies since they were young.”

Dawson shot Mason a dark look. “What
do you know about it? If it wasn’t for me, you would have been dead
or worse a long time ago, thanks to Deek.”

Mason got the same look he did
earlier. Dawson was chiding him again. “I know. You don’t have to
be so angry,” Mason mumbled as he focused on his food.

“
I’m not angry,” Dawson
said quietly, as he turned his attention to his own food. He didn’t
sound convincing. I could tell he had a lot on his mind.

I had a lot on my mind as well. I was
trying to figure out if I could fit in with Dawson and Mason. It
wasn’t going as well as I’d hoped it would. The doorbell rang, and
Dawson looked up from his plate. He didn’t look like he wanted to
go answer the door.

“
I will get it,” Mason
said, as he got out of his seat. He walked out of the dining room,
leaving Dawson and me alone.

“
Would you like to watch a
movie after dinner?” Dawson asked, trying to sound as casual as
possible.

I wasn’t sure if he was asking me just
to be nice, or if his intentions were more than just friendly. “I
guess that would be nice,” I said, smiling. I didn’t want to say
no, and make him feel bad. I was a little nervous about watching a
movie with him. I didn’t know why. When I thought about it, it was
a little silly. I pushed the thought away, deciding I wasn’t going
to read too much into his invitation.

Mason walked back into the dining
room, followed by Lena. The room suddenly went from calm to tense.
Mason looked like he was caught in a bad spot. It was obvious he
didn’t like being the reason for the awkwardness.

Dawson glanced at me before settling
his gaze on Lena. “What are you doing here, Lena?” he asked calmly.
I’d thought he would sound more annoyed then he did.

“
I was hoping you wanted
to do something tonight. Maybe watch a movie or something,” she
said quickly. It was obvious she was nervous, and she was planning
on being rejected.

I didn’t think I would be able to do
what she was doing if I were in her position. I would probably try
to avoid running into Dawson, if I were her. I wouldn’t be able to
stand the way he looked at me, if he looked at me like he looked at
her.

“
I have plans tonight,”
Dawson said, dismissing her. His tone was much colder than normal.
The last time he spoke to her, he’d had more emotion in his tone
then he did this time.

I was a little surprised. I’d
half-expected him to invite her to watch a movie with us. I had a
feeling he really didn’t want to work things out with her. I didn’t
understand why he didn’t just break her heart instead of giving her
hope.

“
Oh, ok. I guess I will
go, then. Maybe another time,” she said nervously, as she glanced
at me. I didn’t understand why she was looking at me. Maybe she
could tell something from my expression. I decided to focus on my
food to try to avoid the awkwardness.

“
Maybe,” he said softly.
He sounded a little emotionless, almost like he was making an empty
reassurance. He had no intention of doing anything with her, and
she knew it.

She turned and hurried out of the room
without saying anything else. We were all silent. It was a little
awkward when she came around, especially when Mason was
present.

“
You don’t have to be so
cold,” Mason said quietly after a few minutes.

Dawson glared at him. He looked like
he was expecting his brother to say something stupid. “I think I
have the right to be whatever I want.”

“
Whatever,” Mason
muttered, as he stood abruptly. He stormed out like he was angry
with Dawson. The whole situation was extremely
difficult.

Dawson looked at me, and I forced a
smile. He looked back at his food without saying anything. He knew
I was trying to be nice by smiling at him. I felt the tension as
much as he did.

I let Dawson pick the movie, since I
didn’t know which ones were good, and which ones were not. I
settled down on the couch, and he sat down next to me. I stayed
closer to the end of the couch, so there was some distance between
us. I wasn’t intentionally trying to stay away from him; he just
didn’t seem like he was in a good mood. I also wasn’t sure if I
could handle being close to him. Something happened to me when he
got too close. I felt things I wasn’t used too, and I wasn’t
entirely sure I liked it.

Mason hadn’t reappeared since storming
out of the dining room. I didn’t plan on seeing him the rest of the
night. It seemed like he had a tendency to disappear whenever he
got upset.

About halfway through the movie Dawson
got up and left the room for a few minutes. When he came back, he
settled down closer to me. I smiled at him, and he laid his arm
across the back of the couch. I felt my heart skip a beat at his
small advance. I found myself hoping he would do something more.
Maybe touch me, or put his arm around my shoulders. I couldn’t
believe I was thinking like that. I had no clue what I would do
next if he made an advance. Romance was an area I knew nothing
about, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to know anything
about it. It seemed like romance did nothing but complicate things.
I didn’t need any more complications in my life right now, and that
was what Dawson was, a complication.

“
What are you thinking
about?” he asked quietly, as he played with a strand of my
hair.

I looked at him, trying to decide
whether I should be honest or not. I decided to make something up.
I didn’t want to discuss what I was really thinking; it would be
too awkward. “The movie, I guess,” I lied. I was trying to focus on
the movie. I could feel his eyes on me. The room was suddenly
getting extremely warm. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention. He
wasn’t even doing anything, but I felt like he was.

“
You know, you aren’t a
very good liar,” he said, amused. “How about I tell you what I am
thinking about?” he suggested.

I smiled shyly, but I couldn’t look at
him. “What are you thinking about, then?”

He cleared his throat, as if he was
buying time, maybe gathering his courage. “I was thinking about how
beautiful you are. I was also thinking about how pretty your hair
is when the light reflects off it.”

I felt my cheeks heat up at his
compliment. I wasn’t sure what to say, or if I should even say
anything. I got tongue-tied whenever his voice went from his usual
light tone to a lower, more intimate one. I had a feeling he knew
the effect he had on me. As much as I wanted to pretend he didn’t
affect me, the truth was, he did. I focused on my hands, trying to
come up with something to say. I didn’t have a clue how to act in
this situation. I couldn’t even turn the discussion to the movie; I
had no clue what was happening anymore. His presence was completely
overwhelming me.

“
Are you ok?” he asked, as
he playfully nudged me.

I smiled nervously and nodded. “I’m
sorry, I am just really bad at this. I have no idea what I am
supposed to say.”

He laughed gently. “Say whatever you
want.”

I continued to remain quiet. I didn’t
know what I wanted to say. I wasn’t sure I wanted to say anything
at all. I was completely content just sitting next to him. He
seemed like he was suddenly in the mood to talk, so I had to come
up with something. “I guess I was just thinking about everything
that has been happening.”

“
I have been thinking
about things, too. I was actually thinking about asking around
about the whole siren thing. Maybe some of the older pack members
have heard something about sirens. I may be able to talk to a witch
or two, as well. They seem to know what is going on,” he said
softly, continuing to play with my hair.

I smiled slightly. “I would like it if
you helped me. It would make things so much easier.” I was glad he
was willing to help me. I wanted to know more about my origins. I
wasn’t sure if the lead Deek gave me was going to pan out, but it
would be a good start. Dawson would help a lot; he knew people that
I didn’t. I wasn’t familiar with the supernatural world like he
was, and in this situation humans would be no help to
me.

“
You really don’t know
anything about your past?” he asked, watching me intently. He
seemed like he didn’t believe it was possible, but it was true. I
honestly had no clue who or what I was.

“
I really don’t. The
memory of my childhood is foggy. I just remember always being on my
own. All I had to do was ask for what I needed,” I said, shrugging.
I never thought it was odd because that was just how it was. I
didn’t know any different, so it never bothered me.

“
I couldn’t imagine being
so alone,” he said softly, as his eyes met mine again. His finger
brushed my cheek, and I felt my skin flush under his touch. My eyes
locked with his. I suddenly realized this was the first time I’d
let anyone touch me like he was touching me. His touch was so
delicate and gentle. It was interesting, considering he was such a
strong man. He leaned forward slightly, but hesitated, like he was
waiting for my permission.

The sound of shattering glass filled
house. The noise was so abrupt it startled Dawson to his feet. He
looked toward the front room, where the sound originated. He cussed
and hurried toward the sound. I got to my feet and followed him. I
wanted to know what was going on as much as he did.

I walked into the foyer as Dawson was
picking up a rock. He scowled at it. There was nothing unusual
about it; it was just a very large rock. “Did someone throw it?” I
asked, a little confused. I didn’t know why someone would throw a
rock through the pack leader’s window.

“
Mason!” Dawson yelled
suddenly. He yanked the front door open and hurried out. He
obviously had an idea of who was behind throwing the
rock.

I decided against going after Dawson.
I figured I would let them work things out on their own. I didn’t
understand why Mason would throw a fit and throw a rock through the
window, but Dawson obviously believed he had.