Deceitful Circle (Silent Circle Book 2) Read online

  He turns to look at me and I know that she’s convinced him. Even though he doesn’t want to do this, protecting someone else is more important. He won’t allow somebody to get hurt if he has the power to prevent it.

  And I, apparently, have no say in this. With Caiden’s acquiescence, they act like it’s a done deal. Before I can come up with any convincing arguments to the contrary, we’re being herded toward the door.

  I follow Caiden to his car, mentally building my case. I can’t go into school on Monday and pretend that Caiden and I are going out; it would just confirm everything Sebastian accused me of. And what will Olivia think? I’ve been protesting all week that I have no interest in Caiden, and now I’m supposed to tell her I’m dating him? She’ll think I was lying to her the whole time. In fact, the way she was glaring at me in the cafeteria today, I’m sure that’s exactly what she thinks.

  When Caiden pulls up in front of my house, I finally broach the subject.

  “Caiden, we don’t have to pretend we’re dating. Caroline’s just paranoid. Nobody is going to care that we’re seen together; this is ridiculous.”

  “No, Em, it’s not. With the werewolves hunting you, you’ll need constant protection. You may be strong, but you don’t have enough experience to fight them off. Not yet. So from now on, wherever you go, I go.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we have to tell people we’re a couple. Let them come to their own conclusions. No reason to go and shout it off the school roof or anything.” Disdain laces my voice, but he doesn’t budge.

  “Caroline’s right — everyone already assumes that we’re dating. It can’t hurt to encourage the rumor.”

  “Oh yes, it can! You think what Sebastian did today was bad? That was just based on suspicions! If you go and confirm those for him, it won’t be me who needs the protection!”

  “I told you, I can handle him.”

  “The way you handled him today? Sure, you were able to throw him off you after he pummeled you a few times, but just you wait. He’ll jump you again, and this time he’ll have Josh and Chris join in.”

  He cocks his head to one side, and gives me a strange look.

  “Em, I didn’t throw him off. I was trying to get inside his head and force him off me, but you stopped him before I could.”

  “Me? I didn’t do anything.”

  “You threw Sebastian off me. When he had me pinned down?” He looks at me like I’m slow.

  “That was me?” My stomach drops, the blood draining from my face.

  His brow furrows. “Yeah. And if you didn’t do it on purpose, it must have been instinctual. Like that time with Sarah.”

  “I attacked Sebastian? Oh my God, how could I have done that to him? I thought I was getting control of this... What if I had hurt him?”

  Images flash before me, all the horrible things I could have done, all the ways I could have accidentally hurt him, killed him... My stomach lurches, bile rising up.

  “Emerson, it’s alright.” Caiden looks at me in concern. “You are gaining control. You used just the right amount of force — you didn’t even break the windows.”

  “But I didn’t mean to...”

  “Sometimes our instincts just take over. The fact that you controlled it so well is really impressive. There’s nothing to be worried about. We’re going to start working on honing that ability of yours. You’ll get better control over it so you don’t use more force than you want.”

  I shake my head, reeling, and climb out of his car. Hone this ability? I want to get rid of it before I accidentally hurt someone else.

  As I shut the car door, Caiden calls out, “We’re training tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

  Chapter 4

  It’s eleven o’clock on a Friday night and I’m sprawled across my bed, staring up at the ceiling. This is pathetic. I called Olivia a few times, but it kept going to voicemail, so I’ve just been lying here thinking over what Caroline said about my mom the other night.

  When she first explained it, it sounded reasonable, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes.

  Last week she made it seem like my mom was paranoid for thinking someone was hunting her, but now she tells me that my mom wasn’t crazy after all, that the Silver Lake Pack was stalking her, so she killed herself to keep me hidden.

  But if that was her plan, why did she pack bags for us? Caroline claims that my mom asked her to look after me, but Caiden said my mom was angry at Caroline the night she died. Why?

  It just doesn't make any sense, even if Caiden seems to buy it. But he didn’t know my mom any better than Caroline did if he believes she would kill herself and leave me unprotected when she knew I was in danger.

  There’s more to this story, I know there is. I will find out the truth. And apparently I’ll be doing that on my own from now on. I somehow doubt Caiden will be very tolerant of any more of my half-cocked plans — not after what happened at Ashwood Creek.

  I gaze at the photograph on my nightstand, the one I stole when Caiden and I broke into Madelyn’s house in Ashwood. Madelyn, my grandmother, stares back at me with her violet eyes.

  Why would she live out there, so close to Silver Lake territory? And what were those two werewolves doing prowling around her house? Is she even alive still? I can’t imagine that she is. Those two weres who attacked me and Caiden must have known that Madelyn was a witch — they probably killed her a long time ago. That or she fled, went into hiding like my mother.

  I roll onto my stomach, feeling antsy. I wanted some time alone to think about everything, but now I’m sick of thinking. If I don’t get out of this room and do something, I’m going to explode.

  I get off my bed and begin pacing around the room, feeling restless in a way I haven’t felt since the months right after my mom died. Back then, my strategy for dealing with this sort of gut twisting irritability was to skip class and drink in the woods until I couldn’t see straight.

  I flee my room and go downstairs to raid my dad’s liquor stash, seeking its numbing effects.

  Who needs to worry about werewolves and suicide conspiracies? I’m seventeen, dammit. All I should be worrying about right now is which party to go to and what dress to wear to homecoming.

  I stand in front of the antique liquor cabinet, fingering the key my dad keeps “hidden” in the kitchen drawer. Unlocking the wooden door, I stare at the assortment of spirits, debating whether I really want to go drink in my room by myself.

  As I pick up a half-empty bottle of Absolute, I picture Caiden’s disapproving face. If he were here, I know he would lecture me on the irresponsibly of getting plastered when I have a full pack of werewolves hunting for me.

  Hell, even if it weren’t for the werewolves, he still wouldn’t approve of me getting drunk like this. It’s stupid, idiotic. I know this, but I still fondle the vodka longingly. All I want is a few hours where I don’t have to think, don’t have to worry about all the shit that’s been happening recently.

  My mouth twisting into a grimace, I put the vodka back on the shelf.

  As I turn the key to lock the cabinet back up, “Shots” by Lil John starts blaring from my phone. Olivia, finally.

  “Hey,” I answer, eager for a distraction.

  “Em! Wassup? Where are you?”

  She’s slurring her words together, a clear indication that she’s well into a bottle. There’s music blaring in the background, people shouting.

  Olivia starts laughing. “Stop it, I’m tryin’ to talk here,” she giggles to someone. To me, she says, “Why aren’t ya at Bianca’s? Too good for us now that you’re with Credence?” Her voice would sound snotty if she weren’t so drunk.

  “What are you doing at Bianca’s?”

  Bianca is a senior at our school, one that we don’t normally hang out with. She’s into some pretty hardcore drugs.

  “Duh, everyone is here. Why aren’t you? Credence don’t let you out to play?”

  Whatever Olivia’s had, she’s wasted. I can
barely understand her.

  “I said stop, Dan!” She giggles again. “Wait ‘til I’m off the phone!”

  “Dan? As in that asshole who tried to force you into bed last week, Dan?”

  “Wassit to you? He’s cute. And at least he doesn’t lie to me like you!”

  This doesn’t sound good. She’s trashed out of her mind and this Dan creep is trying to take advantage of her. I can hear him in the background urging her off the phone, trying to get her to go for a walk.

  “Olivia, I’m coming to get you. Do you understand? Stay away from Dan. I’ll be right there.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you, you jerk face. Just stay away.” She hangs up

  Crap! I grab my purse and sprint outside. As I jam my keys into the car door, someone grabs my arm.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  I don’t think, just react. By the time Caiden’s voice registers, I’ve already hurled him through the air. He lands with a thud on my front lawn, ten feet away.

  “Caiden!” I run over to him, relieved to see him sit up on his own. Dropping to my knees beside him, I yell, “Why the hell would you sneak up on me like that!”

  He grabs his head, wincing. “Didn’t you hear anything Caroline said tonight? You know you can’t go anywhere on your own!”

  “What are you doing, stalking my house?” I ask in exasperation.

  “Yes. In case you missed that part of the discussion, the Silver Lake Pack is after you. I’m supposed to be watching you tonight, something you make a little harder by tearing out of your house like this!”

  I jump up in frustration. “I don’t have time to argue with you, I have to go!”

  Caiden doesn’t look injured and I need to find Olivia to make sure Dan keeps his hands off her. I run back to my car, turning the ignition just as my passenger door opens.

  “Dammit Em! This isn’t a joke!”

  “Am I laughing? Olivia’s in trouble –– I have to get to Bianca’s. You can either help me or get out of my way.”

  I shift the car into drive before he can answer and peel off down the road.

  “Bianca’s? What’s Olivia doing there?’

  “Getting trashed, apparently.” I floor it down the road, ignoring the speed limit signs. I have to get there before Olivia gets hurt.

  Caiden doesn’t speak again until I screech to a halt in front of a ramshackle house in the run down part of town.

  “And what’s your plan, exactly?”

  “Plan? No time for that.” I scramble out of the car.

  Even from the street, the beat of the music is audible. I walk in without knocking, quickly scanning the crowd for a familiar face. Straight ahead is the staircase leading to the second floor, to the left is the dining room, a large group playing beer pong on the table.

  I follow the hallway back towards the living room. There are ashtrays and beer cans scattered about on the coffee table and a huge glass bong being passed around. I even see a small baggie of tiny white pills changing hands.

  I don’t see Olivia, so I ignore the stoners and continue into the backyard, Caiden close behind.

  There are a ton of people surrounding a bonfire on the edge of the woods. Josh and Chris are near the front, skimpily dressed girls on either side of them. Then I notice Mei’s black and green hair further back in the crowd and run up to her.

  “Mei, have you seen Olivia?”

  “Hey Em, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She raises one eyebrow at me skeptically.

  “I need to find Olivia. Do you know where she is?”

  “I think I saw her heading upstairs. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, fine,” I mumble, turning around and running back inside.

  I don’t know why I have such a bad feeling about this. God knows this isn’t the first time she’s hooked up with a guy while drinking at a party, but something about Dan just sets off alarm bells in me.

  Racing up the stairs to the second floor, I hear muffled scuffling coming from down the hall. Heading towards the sounds, I burst into the last door on the right. My blood runs cold at what I see.

  Dan has Olivia pinned down on the bed, her hands in a bruising grip above her head. He’s kneeling between her legs, his free hand fumbling at his belt.

  She’s trying to fight him off, her pretty face streaked with tears and running makeup, her teeth bared. I see deep scratches down his arms and neck, bright red droplets of blood dripping down onto Olivia’s pale skin.

  When Dan hears the door open, his head snaps up and a menacing growl rumbles up from deep within his chest. Before he can react, I send him flying off Olivia and into the wall with a sickening crack.

  I shoot over to the bed and help Olivia pull her skirt back down. I spare a quick glance for Dan across the room, expecting him to be knocked out cold, but surprisingly, he starts to stir. He shakes his head and looks me square in the eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing?” He growls and springs towards me, murder in his gold eyes.

  Caiden jumps in front of me, capturing Dan’s gaze. Dan freezes dead in his tracks, his eyes glazing over. Caiden grabs Dan by the back of his neck and slams him face first onto the unforgiving hardwood floor.

  This time, he doesn’t get up.

  “We need to go, now,” he says to me.

  “Is he...?” I ask uncertainly, staring at Dan’s unmoving body. His chest is still rising and falling, so that’s a good sign...

  “He’s fine, just asleep. He won’t remember any of this — he’ll just think he passed out drunk. Now let’s go. Your friend needs help.”

  I glance down at Olivia. She’s curled herself into a tight ball, rocking slightly. I breathe out a sigh. Thank God I got here in time. I shudder to think what would’ve happened if I hadn’t.

  I lean down and smooth her bright copper hair away from her face. “Liv? Hey, look at me.” Her eyes squint open and peer at me blearily. “Come on, girl. We gotta go. Caiden and I are gonna help you stand up.”

  “Em?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. We’re gonna take you home. Come on.”

  I gently help her into a sitting position before propping her up between myself and Caiden. She’s unsteady — practically dead weight — but between Caiden and me, we manage.

  We shuffle down the stairs and into the living room. As we get to the front door, I glance to my right, and wish I hadn’t. Sebastian is on the couch facing me, Kayla straddling his lap, her tongue down his throat.

  Sebastian jerks, his eyes flashing open, and looks straight at me like he knows I’m here. His mouth opens in shock and he pushes Kayla off of him. I can tell he’s had a few drinks by the way he stumbles towards me.

  He reaches out to touch my cheek. “Em–”

  I flinch away, uninterested in what he has to say. Then Sebastian’s face twists into a scowl when he notices Caiden beside me.

  “What’s he doing here?” He snarls.

  “What does it matter to you? You broke up with me, remember?” I narrow my eyes at Kayla, standing rigidly behind Sebastian, rage filling her eyes. “And I can see that it didn’t take you very long to move on.”

  “I–” he starts, but then he catches sight of Olivia hanging on my shoulder, and his eyes widen in horror.

  “What happened? Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know yet, why don’t you go ask your buddy, Dan. You were obviously too busy to keep an eye on her.”

  “Dan?” Josh walks up behind Sebastian, his black brows drawn close over his eyes. “Dan did this?” He demands, taking in Olivia’s tear stained face and torn clothing. His voice drops dangerously low. “Where is he?”

  “Passed out upstairs,” Caiden answers.

  Josh’s eyes narrow even more and he and Sebastian share a look.

  While they’re distracted, Caiden and I drag Olivia out the front door, but before we can make it to the car, she bends over and throws up in the grass.

  I hold her hair back as her stomach empties itself a
nd look back surreptitiously at Caiden. Not long ago, he was holding my hair back while I got sick. Has it only been a week?

  When Olivia finally stops, we lay her down in the backseat. She moans with every bump in the road, and I pray the whole way home that she won’t get sick again — I really don’t want to clean vomit out of my brand new car.

  Thankfully, we make it to my house without incident.

  We’re just carrying her up the driveway when my dad’s car pulls up. It must be past midnight by now, but I’m used to him keeping crazy work hours. He slides out of the Jaguar, his normally sleek, sandy hair disheveled.

  “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” He asks, alarmed.

  “I’m fine, dad. Olivia’s sick. We just need to get her inside.”

  I didn’t even consider bringing her back to her own house. Her mother would flip if she saw her in this condition.

  My dad looks at her, and I can tell he knows that by ‘sick’ I really mean ‘drunk out of her mind’. After studying her for a few moments, he turns his eyes on me, scrutinizing my appearance as well.

  “What about you? Are you ‘sick’ too?” He asks disapprovingly, but with an undertone of resignation, like he’d expect nothing else.

  His automatic assumption stings — particularly since that’s exactly what I was planning on doing before Olivia’s phone call.

  “No, I’m not.” I snap. “Can you help us get the door?”

  After a long look, he unlocks the front door and holds it open for Caiden and me to haul Olivia through. We wrestle her into the downstairs bathroom and prop her up against the wall.

  “Liv, you okay? Look at me,” I say, tapping her face to get her attention. Her eyes focus on me and she mumbles something I can’t quite make out.

  “What was that?”

  “I’m gonna be sick,” she slurs again, louder this time. I pull her hair into a quick bun and lean her over the toilet.

  “Can I get you anything?” My dad asks, standing awkwardly in the doorway next to an equally uncomfortable Caiden.