Chapter 29
Angelo liking me was the most hilarious thing I heard in the past few weeks. It’s not that Angelo is ugly—he was damn attractive, kind, a literal boy-next-door type since he’s my neighbor. I admit that he’s likable. But what am I? I’m just a half-blood and he’s a pure werewolf. A type who wasn’t interesting at all.
I never had the chance to ask him what are his reasons for why he liked me. I wish it was a joke, but he looked so serious about it. If I let myself attach to the thought, I wouldn’t be able to focus. My goal was to find the ones who killed my parents and help Mila, who’s still on the verge of thinking that the alpha was the one who killed hers. I wasn’t here to break my virginity and have a relationship.
Chaz let us grab a set of bow and arrows. I never knew I would be practicing archery. If I would be part of a school’s sports team, I’ll join cross country and not freaking archery. This time, we had to learn it as a weapon. I don’t know what’s the point with this when it was easier to point a gun than to use a bow and arrow.
He asked us to find a partner. For the first time in my life here in the town of Dusk and Dawn, it wasn’t Gelo. I asked Stacy. I thought she was more reachable and fluid than Skip. I don’t want to get involved with Gelo right now. Not because he confessed to me, though it’s one of the micro factors, but because I wanted to ask Stacy for information about the alpha.
The trees were at peace when we got out. Stacy pasted the printed paper with a mocked target on a huge tree, thrice my height.
“You and Gelo are quarrels?” She walked back beside me. Leaves were crunching on her way.
I frowned. I instantly released the arrow from the bow. It barely hit our target. It hit the tree but not the paper. “What is that?”
“Uhm… It happens between lovers. A small fight that would to a sweet night of making love.”
I cursed again. My innocent mind couldn’t handle the things she was saying. “We’re far from lovers. Just friends and neighbors.”
She chuckled. None of what she said was funny at all. “Oh, my mind’s kinda messy. Forgive me for saying that. It’s just this is the first time you chose me over him.” She stretched the string of the bow and released it. It hit the target not perfectly but nearly.
I trudged towards the tree, my feet were sliding on the rough land. I picked up the arrows and turned back to her. “I want to experience something. Like a new companion.”
“I lived for more than eighteen years, had a few boyfriends, and kissed guys before. Gelo was certainly not my type. But I witnessed that you didn’t talk to him since the start of the lecture. I may not be your friend but you can trust me. I like silly stories about quarrels.”
I rolled my eyes. Stacy was pushing me to tell her about what happened when Gelo and I had a picnic. “Fine, fine. He confessed to me. And it’s awkward to approach him again.”
“I don’t understand why cliche girls like you would ignore someone just because he confessed. Isn’t wonderful that with your jagged jeans, uncomfortable smile, and thick glasses someone has feelings for you? You don’t appreciate him, don’t you?”
“I do. As a friend, I do appreciate him.”
She crossed her arms. “But you don’t like him?”
“What’s the definition of liking?”
“Am I talking to a twelve-year-old child?” she said annoyed by my fake innocence. Of course, I do know the definition of liking. I just don’t want to accept or reject the idea that I like Gelo. I don’t know what my feeling says about it.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
“It’s not difficult to like Gelo. He has the qualities of the best boyfriend in the world. He wasn’t my type so don’t you ever ship me to him. My type is a dangerous one. I love dangers and threats.”
“Skip?”
“You should stop saying these my now. It pisses me off. He wasn’t my type. It’s Sage.”
My jaw dropped. Gelo’s brother! How could Stacy look at Sage as a dangerous one? Have they met before? All I know about Sage is that he doesn’t go out of his room whenever he’s home. He fully dedicated himself to the job. Stacy shot her arrow again and barely hit the target, which wasn’t her usual performance.
“Now that you know the person that I like, better shut your mouth to others.”
“It’s not that I’m going to tell that to everybody.” I shot my arrow into the target, it didn’t hit the tree. When am I gonna hit the target? “By the way, do you have any ideas about the Alpha?”
She quickly killed me with her glance as if I said a word that shouldn’t be muttered. Was alpha the new sacred word in this town? “Why do you ask about that evil man? Don’t get me wrong. My family is safe. I wasn’t affected by his crazy rules in this town. I heard a lot of evil stories about him. It’s absurd for people like me who wasn’t part of their pack. He was mayor-ish of this small town. If we want to stay here alive and well, we had to follow his rules. And one of his rules was not to talk behind his back.”
“Gelo had told me stories of the alpha before. I just discovered that I’m a werewolf and I want to know more about us.”
“Asking about the alpha isn’t the right way to go. If you want to save yourself and the people you love, don’t talk about the alpha again. If you dare to…” She pulled the string of her bow and released it. It shot the center of the target. “Make sure you can do what I can to save yourself.”