What Lies Inside (A Blood Bound Novel, Book 1) (27 page)

Unable to quell the intrigue that gripped me at witnessing Ty’s power in manipulating dreams, I asked, “A dreamscape? So that’s what this is?”

I dropped back down against the evergreen. Ty followed, taking up position beside me. Even though he wasn’t quite touching me, his skin sent a flux of heat across my arms and legs. It was so warm I could have been right beside an open fire.

“I’m still learning,” Ty said, as the song changed to ‘
Yours to hold
’. “So, I’ll get better eventually. But we don’t have much time now.”

Am I yours to hold?
I wondered. There was nothing I wanted more than to have his arms around me. But I still needed the rest of his vindication. “I’m ready.”

Ty nodded, eyes lifting to mine for a split second before looking away. His voice was rough and gravelly. “Like I said last time, Marika is a werewolf. But there is more to being a werewolf than you’re aware of.” Ty paused and took a deep breath whilst shaking his head. “Lycanthropes are able to transform their appearance to match another person’s, creating a temporary doppelganger. Marika used Dorian to keep tabs on us. It was her plan all along to force us apart. She had intended to act during the sleepover. When the opportunity presented itself at the auction, she decided to put her plan into action early. She imprinted your essence, taking on your form. And well…you know the rest.” Ty reached out as though he were about to touch me. At the last second he froze, hand curling into a fist. “If I even thought for a second it wasn’t with you—.” The desperation rose steadily in his uneven voice and he turned his head away. “Amelia, you have to believe me. I didn’t know.”

Like a fragmented puzzle, all the pieces fused in my mind. Troy and Marika’s argument at the party and her sudden interest in Dorian had been part of the plan. She’d been overly eager at Dorian’s sleepover idea, probably because she’d planted the idea herself. At the auction, she’d disappeared after Ty went inside to make the call to his father. After the fact there had been her guilty pleas for forgiveness from Ty. Then she’d suddenly dumped my unsuspecting brother, no longer needing the ruse. Two things still puzzled me though.

“Then why doesn’t she have the same scent as you and Troy? And her eyes…” I trailed off in thought. Her irises had been deep brown at the start. Only they hadn’t stayed that way. Before Kendrick and Ty faced off yesterday in the cafeteria her eyes had been brighter, almost hazel. “She was wearing contacts?”

Ty nodded and cringed, muttering what sounded like a curse and someone’s name that I didn’t quite catch. “And she’s been marked by an alchemist’s tattoo. It works like the elixir, but is more permanent. It masked her scent and made it indiscernible, even to me. Had I known or even suspected…” Ty broke off again, shaking his head.

In his silence, I remembered the golden filigree of crossed wavy lines backing Marika’s neck. A barely audible whisper escaped my lips. “I believe you.” Relief cascaded across Ty’s face and he blew out a long breath. “How did you find out it was her?”

Ty’s eyes darkened, turning stormy as he stared away. “After you ran from the room, I looked back to the girl in your bed. She leaped up and flew to your bedroom window. But imprinting is extremely draining. As she made her escape, I saw her morph from blond and pale to dark and tan.” Ty reached out with caution, slowly lowering his hand to rest above my own. His pained eyes shifted to meet mine. “I was gutted when I realized what had happened. What I had done and what you must have thought.” He trailed off, looking away and squeezing his vibrant eyes shut.

“Marika and Troy, they were both in on it.” I reached out to graze Ty’s cheek. “They know what I am, don’t they? And they hate the thought of us being together?”

Ty hesitantly curled his arms around my body, pulling me against his hot, sculpted chest. The touch of his naked flesh spiked my beating heart. “It doesn’t matter how they feel.” He pressed his scorching lips to the crown of my head. “They will never interfere again. I’m their alpha and have ordered them to butt out. They
cannot
disobey me.”

There was no doubt in my mind that everything Ty had told me was the truth. Still, the revelation wasn’t about to make my life any easier. A solid mass had risen up my throat and my stomach turned. I reached for a stray leaf and began tearing small confetti pieces off it. There was nothing I wanted less than to have to ever speak to Marika again. But I needed to confirm the facts before spewing all my secrets out to Dorian and Kendrick.
Kendrick.
Knowing how much hearing the truth would injure him caused my heart to ache. There was already so much friction between us. I could just imagine the backlash my confession would create. With a mental shake, I swallowed my fear, pushing the solid mass back down. “I need to hear it from Marika.”

Ty’s arms tensed around me, biceps bulging. “Of course. But don’t expect any apologies. She’s adamant in her reason for causing all of this.” Ty’s warmth around me began to fade, and I peered up. “Sorry, I have to go,” he whispered, his body turning transparent and sizzling touch fading. He inclined his head, pressing his lips to mine. Around us the music and surroundings blackened into cold darkness.

Entering the cafeteria after geography the following day, I collected my lunch—a single chocolate bar—then headed for Dorian and Kendrick at our new table. With anxiety making my heart skip, I set the tray down and gave them both a stern frown. “I need to speak with Marika, and I want you
both
to butt out.” Dorian turned his attention from a blond across the room, his eyebrows raised in question. “I can’t explain now,” I said, waving him off. “So don’t ask.”

“I’ll be watching Ty,” Kendrick mumbled, shoving away his snowboarding magazine. “He’d better not try anything.”

Across the room, Marika sat alongside Troy, her shoulders visibly tense. Guess she knew what was coming.

Ty glanced up at my arrival with a resolute smile, which I returned before looking pointedly at Marika. Her eyes were focused down on the tabletop, unwilling to meet my accusing stare. “Can I have a minute, alone?” Without waiting for a response, I stalked past their table to the glass doors that led outside.

Marika rose, not bothering to tug down her micro-mini, and Troy reared up beside her. She caught his arm. “Don’t. I can take care of myself.”

Troy nodded, face hardening as Marika turned away. She followed after me, through the doors and past the aluminum benches. A set of curved, concrete stairs led to an isolated courtyard of paved squares. The space housed a single picnic bench. Thick shrubbery hedged the space, veiling us from prying eyes. Their branches danced with the force of a flesh-biting breeze.

I perched atop the aluminum bench and waited for the bitch to sit. With slow and obvious reluctance, she lowered onto the edge of the bench. Sitting as far away from me as possible, her body hunched and her head turned.

I placed a rigid had on the table in front of her. “Tell me you did it,” I demanded in a low, raking hiss. “Tell me it was
you
who imprinted my appearance to seduce Ty.”

Marika peered up through a curtain of wavy-black hair, hazel eyes insolent. “It’s true. But I will
never
regret what I did. And if you’re waiting for an apology, don’t hold your breath.” Her face brightened for a moment and she tapped her lip. “On second thought, please do.”

Her arrogant words boiled my blood, which suddenly felt like liquid lava streaming through my veins. She had disrupted not only my life, but Ty’s, and she didn’t even regret it, could only make snide comments and aggravating jokes? “I can’t believe you,” I spat. “What you did was despicable, and disgusting, and…”

“And what you’re doing isn’t?” Fierceness edged her tone and her eyes rippled gold. “You’re not meant to be with him. It’s wrong and disgusting. After everything his family…” Her sentence cut off and she narrowed her eyes at me. “It doesn’t matter. All that does matter is that Mr. Malau will
never
accept this. None of us will.”

Rage bubbled inside my chest, and I had to struggle to hold back the urge to roar in anger. A strong part of me felt like ripping her throat out with my fangs. The rest felt like tearing the flesh from her bones with my bare hands. Neither was a good choice. My lips pursed together. I curled my fingers into fists, nails biting into my palms. In seconds, any and all self-control I had would vanish. With my body beginning to tremble with restraint, I forced myself from the bench. “If you ever come between us again, I will…”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak the dark and enticing words,
kill you
. Instead, I shot back up the concrete stairs and into the cafeteria, before I could change my mind. I could feel the weight of Ty’s eyes bearing down on me along with Troy’s, Vanessa’s, Dorian’s and Kendrick’s. In my state of rage, I couldn’t afford any of them a single glance. She’s wrong.

I glared down at the blue-checked tiles as I passed Ty’s table, making my way into the girl’s bathroom. My hands curled in a vice grip around the edge of the porcelain sink. A crack sounded with the appearance of thin, hairline fractures. With great effort, I pulled back the gripping urge to crush the porcelain to pieces, and peered up.

The mirror spanning the entire blue-tiled wall above a succession of sinks reflected my face. In it my cheeks were tinted with a blood-colored luster and sweat-beads dotted my brow. I splashed cold water up in an attempt to cool the lava still surging through my veins. As I did, the door behind me swung open. Someone entered noisily, the sound of high heels clipping tiles with each step. Even without her vibrant, red mane reflected within the mirror, the sound was a dead giveaway. Only one girl in the whole student body loved fashion enough to religiously wear stiletto heels to school.

Vanessa paused then placed a hesitant hand along my shoulder. “Ty wanted to know if you’re okay. Are you?”

I shuddered and turned, swallowing my hate for Marika. “She shouldn’t have done what she did.” I frowned, studying Vanessa’s sapphire eyes. They revealed no surprise and no confusion at my statement. “You knew, all along…”

“That they’re Lycanthropes?” Vanessa smiled, pixie nose scrunching. “Of course I knew. We all grew up together. I’ve always known.”

I couldn’t control the pang of jealousy that invaded my heart. She was closer to Ty than I was, and they all accept her. Why? What else does she know? I leaned my weight against the sink to block the damage I’d caused. “So, I’m guessing you know why they wanted me and Ty separated?”

Vanessa shrugged, seeming almost disinterested. “’Cause…apart from me, they keep to their own. They don’t approve of Ty forging a relationship with a human. I’m the only one they have ever really accepted.”

Trying to hide my surprise, I brushed the streaked-wet hair from my face. Human? She didn’t know what I was? The thought of her being one of them
had
crossed my mind, but I’d quickly discarded it. She didn’t have their matching honey-glazed eyes, tan complexion, black as night hair, or over-heated flesh. The only similarity, which she seemed to share with Marika, was her lack of scent. For a split second, I remembered a flash of gold. When she’d been hinting at Ty’s hunting expedition during art class, I thought I had imagined it. She’s been marked by an alchemist tattoo. It made sense, I supposed. Though I couldn’t really figure out why she would have been marked when she clearly didn’t seem aware of the monster before her. If any human knew what I was they’d be shit scared. Or running away screaming, I thought. Instead she seemed comfortable and confident. And she had said the word herself. She thought I was just a human.

With a shrug, I turned away from her. In the mirror my pale features were returning. “Tell Ty I’m okay, and I’ll be in touch, soon.”

Vanessa’s reflection nodded. Then she turned and exited back through the bathroom door.

After stalling for a few minutes, I left the restroom to brave Dorian and Kendrick. They both sat staring at me with mirrored looks of suspicion. There was no doubt I would have to explain everything to them. But I needed time to get my thoughts together. What could I say to lessen the impact on both of them?

I sunk into my seat, ripped open the chocolate bar, and took a big bite. “Don’t ask,” I mumbled. “I’ll explain everything…later.”

~

After my last class of the day, Dorian dragged me by the arm from the main building. Math was the only subject we shared, and he’d waited impatiently throughout the whole class. Now in the car park a light drizzle fell, clouding the air. When we reached our cabriolet he released me. “Okay. I’ve waited long enough,” he said, voice sharp as a tack. “Spill…”

With eyes raking over the parking lot, I slumped against our car. Other students were talking in clustered groups, but Kendrick didn’t appear to be anywhere in sight. A breath of relief passed through my lips. Revealing what I knew—along with everything I had kept from Kendrick—to both of them at the same time would be hell. Just telling them would be hard enough without having to endure their matched reactions.

“Fine,” I said. “But you have to promise to keep an open mind.” When Dorian nodded, I drew in a deep breath and blurted out what he needed to hear. “Marika is a werewolf, too. But there’s more to being a werewolf than either of us knew. They can transform themselves to resemble other people. It’s called imprinting. She…” I broke off, choking on my next words that felt like acid in the back of my throat.

“I already knew that,” Dorian said. “Well, the part about her being a werewolf. She might not smell like one, but the heat of her flesh matched what I had encountered when Troy was pummeling my face.”

Disbelief stole across my expression. “You knew? And you didn’t tell me?” Inside I felt betrayed, though I had no right to be. I had kept Ty’s secret from Dorian in the first place. I had been the one to start this deception.

“You already hated her.” Dorian shrugged, winking at yet another girl, this one a pretty brunette from math. “I didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire.” His hand rose to settle on my shoulder. “But what does her being a werewolf have to do with Ty?”