Filed to story: Kissed by Claw and Fang
Macy sighs, low and long and just a little sad. But then she looks me in the eye and says, “All I was going to say is that Zane’s not very friendly with people who aren’t in the Order.”
“The Order? What’s that?”
“It’s nothing, really.” When I keep looking at her, silently pushing her to continue, she sighs again, then adds, “It’s just a nickname we gave the most popular boys at school because they’re always together.”
I think about the guys Zane walked into the party with and the ones who were with him in the hall when Sebastian was carrying me to my room. At the time, I remember thinking that Zane looked like the leader, but I didn’t think much of it. I was too busy trying not to stare at him.
Based on my recollections, Macy’s explanation is reasonable. Still, there’s something about the way she says it-and the way she’s looking everywhere but in my eyes-that makes me think there’s more to the story than she’s letting on.
Although, standing in the middle of the hallway doesn’t seem like the best place to keep pushing at her, especially since we really are going to be late if we don’t get moving.
With that in mind, I start walking and Macy does, too, but she sticks close to my side. I give her a weird look, wondering what she’s up to, at least until she asks in a kind of stage whisper, “Have you met the others, too?”
“The other guys in the Order?” I feel a little ridiculous just saying the name out loud. I mean, they’re twelfth-grade students at a boarding school, not running a monastery in Tibet. “No. I’ve only met Zane.”
“Only? You mean he was alone?” Now she doesn’t just look worried; she looks downright sick.
“Yeah. So?”
“Oh God! What did he do? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“Zane?” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice.
“Of course Zane! That is who we’re talking about, right?”
“No, he didn’t hurt me. Why would you even think that?”
She throws her hands in the air, frustration and fear evident in every line of her body. “Because he’s Zane. He’s a one-man demolition crew. It’s what he does!”
“He was…” I shake my head, try to think of the right word to describe our interactions. Then go with generic because I figure Macy won’t get it anyway. “Most of the time he was actually kind of…interesting.”
“Interesting?” This time she looks at me like I just said I wanted to bodysurf the Alaskan tundra. “Okay, I’m confused. Are you sure we’re talking about the same Zane?” She pulls me into the nearest alcove, then grabs my hands and squeezes them tightly. “Really tall, really gorgeous, really scary? Black hair, black eyes, black clothes, and a smoking-hot body? Plus the arrogance of a rock star…or the self-proclaimed dictator of a not-so-small country?”
I’ve got to admit, it’s a pretty good description-especially the arrogant part. And the really gorgeous part, even if it doesn’t take into account a lot of the things that make him so attractive. Like his eyes that see way too much and the way his voice gets all dark and growly when he expects things to go his way. Not to mention the thin scar that turns him from merely pretty to sexy. And also scary as hell. “Yeah, that’s him.”
“You know you don’t have to lie, right? You can tell me what happened. I swear I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”
“You won’t tell anyone what?” I’m thoroughly confused now. Because while it might have been a stretch to call Zane interesting, I can’t imagine why the fact that I’ve met him is eliciting this kind of response from my cousin.
“What he did to you?” She starts looking me over, like she’s searching for some proof that I survived a rabid Zane attack.
“He didn’t do anything, Macy.” A little impatient now, I pull my hands from hers. “I mean, he wasn’t Gandhi. But he helped me out when I needed it, and he sure as hell didn’t hurt me. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because Zane Vale isn’t helpful to anyone. Ever.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Well, you should.” She enunciates each word in an obvious attempt to make sure I listen to-and understand-what she’s saying. “Because he’s dangerous, Ivy.
Very dangerous, and you should stay as far away from him as you possibly can.”
I start to tell her that he’s not the dangerous one, but then I remember the way Marc and Quinn fell right into line the second he showed up. It was hard to miss the fear on their faces, and not just because he’d sent them flying across the room.
Now that I think back on it, they had been scared of him. Like, really scared.
“I’m serious. You need to be careful of him. If he really was helpful to you, it’s only because he wants something. And even that seems strange, because Zane takes what he wants. Always has, always will.”
I’ve been here three days and even I know that’s not true. Which is probably why I say, “Zane’s the one who kept Marc and Quinn from throwing me out in the snow, Macy. I don’t think he did it because he wanted something from me.”
“Wait.
He’s the one?”
“Yes, he is. Why would he do that if he’s such a bad guy?”
“I don’t know.” She looks stunned. “But just because he helped you once doesn’t mean he’ll do it again. So be careful with him, okay?”
“He’s not the one who tried to kill me.”
She snorts. “Yeah, well, you’ve only been here a few days. Give it time.”
“That’s…” For long seconds, I trip over my tongue as I try to find a comeback that will show her how absurd she sounds. But in the end, I can’t get past the annoyance her words cause and end up saying exactly what I’m thinking. “A really awful thing to say.”
“Just because it’s awful doesn’t make it any less true.” She gives me a no-nonsense look that seems incongruous with her normally effervescent personality. “You need to trust me on this.”
“Macy…”
“I’m serious. Don’t worry about me being too harsh.” She narrows her eyes at me in obvious warning. “And don’t worry about Zane Vale. Unless you’re trying to figure out how to stay as far away from him as possible.”
Behind her, something catches my eye, and my mouth goes dry. “Yeah, well, that might be a problem.” I barely manage to get the words out past my suddenly tight throat.
“And why is that exactly?”