Filed to story: The Rise Of The Lycan Queen
“Hell, no.” The guy grabbed his backpack from the table and placed an arm through it. “MMA all the way.”
“No way.” Part of my training growing up was watching fights to see how to handle hand to hand combat.
“Yeah.” He nodded his head. “If you get near the front, blood can splatter all down your shirt.”
“Ew.” Ella wrinkled her nose and smacked him in the arm. “You’re doing an awful job recruiting her.”
In all actuality, he was making it harder for me to say no. I enjoyed watching fights.
“Okay, then how about this…” He lifted his hand and lowered his head slightly to my side. “Muscular, shirtless guys.”
“But they’re wearing pants.” Ella touched my arm and leaned in. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be comfortable watching my brother fight naked.”
“He said shirtless, not naked.” Sometimes I wondered about her mind.
“Look, I can come pick you up, and we can grab some food beforehand.” She grinned at me and clenched her hands into fists in excitement.
“This is beginning to sound more like a date than a fight.”
“If you guys go home together, can I come and watch?” Alec wiggled his eyebrows at us suggestively.
“That’s a no.” Ella snorted and bumped into me. “Please, will you go?”
“Yes.” The word fell out of my mouth before I could control it.
“Yay. We’ll be there.” Ella sat in the seat Alec just vacated. “There is no backing out now.”
Great, just what I wanted.
* * *
“Where are you heading out to?” Mona stepped from the kitchen into the den.
“Oh, I have some errands to run.” I never left the house unless it was for food, the witch, or supplies. However, none of them would take as long as I’d be, and I hated lying to them anyway.
“Let’s see, your hair has recently been brushed. You have on a royal blue blouse and dark jeans.” Her attention turned to my feet. “And you’re wearing something other than tennis shoes. What’s up?”
“Fine.” I couldn’t lie to them, but I could definitely omit some parts. “I’m going out to dinner with a girl from school and maybe do something after.”
“Hot damn. Has the girl actually made a sane decision?” Kassie walked into the room with a beer in hand. She moseyed over to the worn, leather couch and sat. “I’m kind of proud of you.”
“Honestly, I got suckered into it somehow.” The worst part was that I hadn’t been completely dreading it.
“Good.” Mona sat next to Kassie and grabbed the remote. “I hope she suckers you into more. You need friends and to have a life.”
“Why do I need anyone else when I have you two?” They were the only ones I was letting into my life this close, and really, I didn’t have much control over a decision with them. They’d taken care of me and had become the parents I needed. I would’ve been in foster care without them.
“That’s very sweet but very worrisome.” Mona pointed at me. “We’re in our mid-forties. You just became an adult. You need friends that are closer to your age.”
“So, is this how you’re breaking up with me?” I loved ragging them.
“Hell, no.” Kassie waved me off. “We’re saying you need to add to your circle, not take away from it.”
“Well, see, I’m going out tonight.’ I glanced at my phone. She should be here in ten minutes. “I better go outside and wait for her.” They knew I was strange when it came to boundaries, and right now I didn’t want her to come in. That seemed too much for me at the moment.
“Fine, stay out late and have fun,” Kassie hollered as I shut the door.
Those ladies were crazy sometimes.
I paused and took a deep breath. My nerves were running everywhere. Being nervous made me anxious.
Forcing my legs to move, I stumbled outside to wait for Ella to show up, which should have been any second. It wasn’t long before a dark red Corolla pulled up right in front of me.
Ella rolled the window down and grinned. “Come on. Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
“Yeah, okay.” I climbed into her car and hoped I wouldn’t regret this before the night was over.
When we pulled into a parking spot at the Mexican restaurant, my breathing quickened. This had to be a bad idea. Anything that made me this anxious couldn’t be a good thing.
“Are you okay?”
My body startled as though I’d forgotten I was in her car. My eyes jerked over, and adrenaline pumped through my blood.
Her forehead lined with worry, and she tilted her head. “I just scared the shit out of you. Do you need to go home and change?”
I hated that I was that transparent. “Be glad that I don’t. It could have easily gone the other way.”
“You are so refreshing.” She snorted. “So much better than all the other losers that tend to hang around us.” She motioned for me to come with her. “Let’s eat so we don’t miss the fight.”
“Yeah, all right.” I rolled the window up and took a deep breath. I had to force myself to climb out.
“I have a feeling you’ll like it here.” She ran her fingers through her hair as if it was out of sorts. It contrasted against her midriff black shirt and tight blue jeans.
She opened the door and waved me through. “Since you’re my date, I better treat you nice.”
“If you want me to put out, you’d better behave.” She brought out a playfulness I thought I’d never find.
“Ha. You can’t resist me.” She sashayed up to the hostess. “Table for two.”
“Okay.” The woman bent down to grab some menus and gestured for us to follow her.
Honestly, I hadn’t been out to a restaurant since God knows when. It was packed, and most of the people appeared to be college students like us.
As I passed a table of guys, one of them stood up and stepped in my way. “Hey, gorgeous.” His eyes seemed to be undressing me right here in the middle of the restaurant.
I ignored him and moved to walk around him.
“Hey.” He grabbed my arm, yanking me toward him. “I was talking to you.”
