Awakening (Covenant College #1) (29 page)

“Yes, but we don’t know it was them.”

“We don’t know it wasn’t either. Why would you take that chance?”

“Even if one of them did it, that doesn’t mean all of them are behind it,”
Brittany
huffed.

I figured that was code for “these are the hottest guys on campus.”

“You’re on your own tonight,” I cautioned her. “I’m not going to rescue you.”

“I don’t need you to rescue me.”

Right.

Brittany
decided to get ready with the girls down the hall. I don’t think she liked the dark looks I kept shooting at her. Good.

After she left, Paris seemed to be tip-toeing around me. She clearly had something to say to me and wasn’t sure how to approach it.

“What?” I finally exploded.

“You know we can’t let her go to that party alone.”

“I don’t know that.”

“Zoe, come on. It’s too dangerous. She’s an easy mark.”

“She makes herself an easy mark.”

“I know she does. Are you going to be able to forgive yourself if something happens to her?”

“I’ll throw a party.”

Paris gave me a disappointed look. “I don’t believe that.”

I blew out a sigh. Neither did
I
.

I grudgingly agreed to go to the party with Paris. “If she does one stupid thing I’m going to drag her out of there by her bottle blonde hair.”

“Look at it this way,” Paris soothed. “We can use the party as an excuse to snoop around and see what they’re doing.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

Paris looked at me with mild disbelief.

“What?”

“You’re a busybody.”

“I am not a busybody.”

“Yes you are.”

I was quiet for a minute. “If we sneak around we have to be careful about it. If they catch us, things could go south quick.”

Paris smirked.

“I am not a busybody,” I muttered.

We watched television in silence for
awhile
. Paris finally spoke. “What are you going to wear?”

“Jeans and a T-shirt.”

“
Your
good jeans and your good T-shirt?”

“I don’t know, why?”

“Well,
Aric
will probably be there. . . “

“So,” I bristled. I hadn’t spoken to
Aric
since he had turned into a block of ice and dropped me off in front of the dorms.
Screw
Aric
.

“I’m just saying
,
he’ll probably be there.”

“Well, good for him,” I grumbled.

Paris gave me a knowing look. I wasn’t that fond of her right now, either.

The Homecoming game was at 6 p.m. Paris and I declined to go. I was even happier about that choice when I saw
Brittany
and her new friends walk down the hallway with their faces painted and clad in college sweatshirts. It looked like the school had thrown up their own colors and it had landed on certain people.
Blech
.

Paris and I got ready for the party.
Brittany
and her new friends were going right from the game to the party. I couldn’t wait to see what that face paint looked like after a few beers.

When we got to the party, I was surprised to see that the entire frat house had been decorated for Halloween – which was a full week away.

“Looks like they’re in the holiday spirit,” Paris mused.

Personally, I found the purple lights, gruesome pumpkins and spider webs creepy. Maybe it was just creepy because the fraternity brothers were spending their days drugging women? That’s all I could think about for a second, though, that the frat brothers were trying to catch these women in their web.

There was a large bonfire in the backyard, and that’s where Paris and I headed. We had brought our own beer. We weren’t taking any chances.

When we got to the backyard, we each popped open a bottle and surveyed the situation. It looked like a giant orgy to me. Couples were either freaking on the makeshift dance floor or pawing each other in the darkened corners.

My gaze landed on
Brittany
– and I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. She had changed her clothes between the game and the party. She was wearing a low-cut top and she was flirting like a madwoman. Unfortunately she was flirting with Will.

Paris followed my gaze and swallowed hard.

“I’m going to kill her,” I seethed.

“Don’t make a scene.”

“Why not?
She deserves it.”

“Yes, she does. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

I was genuinely torn. Paris had a point. It could be dangerous to draw attention to ourselves.
Brittany
was a flaming slut, though. My rage won out.

I stomped up to
Brittany
and gave her a pointed look. She looked surprised to see me. “What are you doing here?”

“Partying.
What are you doing?”

“Just hanging out.”
Brittany
looked uncomfortable. She was going to be a lot more uncomfortable when I put my boot up her ass.

For his part, Will had the grace to look embarrassed. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said in a low voice.

I couldn’t help but notice the victorious look that shot across
Brittany
’s face.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be here long,” I said.

“If they see you  . . .
“ Will
broke off.

“If who sees her?”
Brittany
looked confused.

“I’m not here for them,” I answered shortly. “I just wanted to make sure no one drugged
Brittany
’s drink and took advantage of her.”

Brittany
looked surprised – and touched.

“Don’t get too excited,” I turned to her. “I’m over any protective feelings.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” She looked offended.

“You don’t go after your roommate’s ex-boyfriend,” I said bitterly.

“I wasn’t going after him,”
Brittany
lied. “We were just talking. I can’t help it if he’s interested me.”

“I’m not interested in her,” Will said hastily.

Brittany
looked offended. Good.

“How can you not be interested in me?”
Brittany
was bordering on shrill. “You can’t possibly still be interested in her!”

What was that supposed to mean?

“She’s a total bitch and she was a total bitch to you,”
Brittany
continued.

“That’s not exactly what happened,” Will
said
, looking at his feet.

Well, at least he wasn’t throwing me under the bus.

“We were both at fault,” he said.

“How was I at fault?”

“You know how you were at fault,” Will looked around nervously. “Keep your voice down.”

“You know what? You’re right.” Will
looked
surprised. “I’m done. I’m so done here. I’m going to find Paris and we’re going to leave. We won’t be back.”

I saw
Brittany
start bitching at Will as I left. “Do you think she’s prettier than me?”

Will
looked
like he would rather be just about anywhere than where he was right now.

Paris was still standing where I left her. Unfortunately,
Aric
was standing beside her. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Paris saw me approaching, though. “How did that go?”

“Just how you would expect.”

Aric
turned to greet me. The smile that had been plastered on his face disappeared when he saw the anger radiating from me. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, now you care?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I haven’t heard from you in weeks!”

“You could have called me, too. Or does your phone only receive calls?”

“Why would I do that when you were the one lying and acting like an
asshole.
”

“I wasn’t acting like an asshole.”

“But you were lying, weren’t you?”

Aric
averted his gaze from me.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Huh, another lie.”

I grabbed Paris’ arm and started to drag her away. “We’re leaving.”

“What about
Brittany
?”

“She’s on her own.”

Paris looked like she was going to argue and then changed her mind and followed me.
Aric
just watched us go.

When we got to the front of the buildings, I swerved to the building on the left – the empty one.

“Where are we going?”

“
Shh
.”

I looked around to see if anyone was watching us. Thankfully, everyone was still in the backyard. “We’re looking around.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“They know we’re here, though,” she said.

“I’m done caring.”

I walked up the steps and opened the front door and stepped inside. Paris looked like she was going to balk at first, but then resignation washed over her pale features. She followed me inside. Neither one of us could have been prepared for what we were about to see – or rather the person we were about to see.

“
Omigod
, Tara,” Paris exclaimed.

Tara looked as surprised to see us as we were to see her.

“What are you doing here? We have to hide.”

Thirty-Five

Tara dragged Paris and me into the room roughly, glancing nervously outside before shutting the door behind us.

“What are you doing here?” She turned on us abruptly.

“Looking to see what they’re up to,” I admitted. I saw no sense in lying. There was no lie I could make up that would be plausible.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” she said, looking between us. “Especially you,” she said nodding at me.

“Because I know what they are?”

“Because you know what we all are.”

Paris looked surprised. “You’re a wolf, too?”

“I see you told her.”

“She’s trustworthy,” I said.

“I know she is. Where’s
Brittany
?”

“She’s outside – being not so trustworthy,” I responded.

If she was curious, Tara kept her questions to herself. “You need to get out of here.”

“No way!
I want some answers.”

“I don’t have time to give you any,” Tara argued.

“Do you really think we’re going to just let our dead roommate walk away? Well, walk away again?”

Tara sighed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but there was no way around it.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Paris prodded.

Tara looked like she wanted to argue. One look at our determined faces, though, and she decided against it.

“I had no choice,” she said. “I had to fake my death.”

“Why?”

“I was in danger.”

“From who?”

“The vampires.”

“What vampires?” I feigned ignorance.

“Don’t,” Tara admonished me. “We don’t have time for this. I know you know. Everyone knows you know.”

“How does everyone know that?”

“We are just as aware of what Blake and his cronies are up to as he is of what is going on throughout this campus.”

I didn’t tell her that Blake really had no idea what was going on – especially at the Alpha Chi house. Or, at least he had no idea until I told him. I doubted that little admission would win any points with her.

“If everyone knows about each other, then why don’t they just confront each other?”

Tara shrugged. “That would be too easy, I guess.”

“Why did you fake your death?” Paris asked.

“I told you, I had to protect myself. It wasn’t planned. When I saw Rafael in the bar, though, I knew I was in trouble.”

“Rafael?”

“You know him?” Tara narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “He keeps showing up.”

“Where did you first meet him?”

“Mike’s party – that first night we went there.”

Tara looked surprised. “I was at that party and I didn’t see him.”

“He was on
he
balcony.”