Broken (48 page)

The decorations inside the
pavilion were amazing. Swathes of
silk gave the open-air
building an ethereal feel, while candles
and other
light sources created a soft illumination. I didn't have to possess
preternatural hearing to catch whispers about the city having
received a very large, very anonymous donation just a few days
before. The committee had obviously chosen to spend it on
decorations.

My newfound height put me closer to Alec's
ear. I only had to tug on his arm a little bit to get him down to
where I could whisper to him.

"That was you, wasn't it?"

"What if it was?"

"It's too much. I mean it's really nice,
incredibly gorgeous in fact, but it must have cost you a
fortune."

Alec shrugged, "A paltry sum if it helps
ensure a perfect night for you."

"You've done so much. I mean the dress, the
shoes, and now this. Thank you, but you really shouldn't have."

His smile was back, and for some reason it
nearly pulled tears out of me. "I'm glad you like it. The fact that
everyone else gets to participate is nice, but really it's all for
you. Of course I did make a couple of stipulations."

The music started up before I could ask what
he meant. Almost before I realized what was going on, I found
myself twirling through some kind of modified waltz. For the first
time in my life, I was glad Dad had drilled me for all of those
weeks when I'd turned twelve. My first dance had still been
complete and utter misery, but at least I managed not to trip over
my own feet as Alec led me around the room in time to archaic
music.

The rest of the pack fell into formation
around us, all dancing much more proficiently than me. James and
Dominic led the way, with Jasmin and Rachel dancing off to our
left. Amazingly enough, Isaac and Jessica were far and away the
best; he was leading her through steps that were at least twice as
hard as anything we were trying.

For maybe the first time I'd ever seen,
Jessica was happy. She seemed completely in her element, utterly
oblivious to the number of people watching her every move, and I
felt just a little of my resentment dissolve.

"You're all such good dancers. How did that
happen?"

Alec released my waist and
spun me out and back in without missing a single step. I wished I
could be so lucky, only the fact that his arm was like an iron bar
allowed me to keep my misstep from resulting in a fall, or possibly
a sprained ankle. "Donovan has very inflexible standards when it
comes to some things. Dancing happens to be one of them. In fact, I
don't think I'll ever forget the expression on Jasmin's face when
he told her she could go clubbing all she wanted
after
 he judged her
suitably proficient in real dancing. He said he wouldn't have her
'seduced by throbbing beats and soulless contact' before he'd at
least exposed her to proper dance steps."

I felt a giggle surge past my lips, and
pressed them tight before I could completely embarrass myself.
"That's amazing. My dad thought knowing how to dance would make my
first dance easier. It turned out to be a complete waste of time.
Nobody asked me to dance and his lessons wouldn't have helped even
if they had. Still, now I wish I'd done a better job of
learning."

Alec nodded, but there was a distracted air
to the gesture. I waited while we made another quarter of a
journey, him gracefully, me not quite so much, around the floor,
before opening my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.

"I don't suppose either of us talk about our
dads much. I'm not pushing, but if you ever need to talk about him,
about what happened, I'll listen. I'll even try to suppress the
natural male instinct to present advice or solutions."

I missed another step, but I wasn't fighting
off a panic attack, I was just shocked that his words hadn't
triggered one. Maybe it was just a function of the simple passage
of time, but somehow that didn't feel like the right answer.
Wrapped inside his right arm as I was, the pleasant tingle surging
through me wherever our skin touched, it seemed utterly impossible
anything could ever have that kind of power to hurt me again.

I regained my footing, and it wasn't until
Alec ceased moving that I realized the music had stopped. "Sorry,
the stipulation was two decent songs, and then the DJ could play
three of whatever he was in the mood for."

"It's ok, I actually need to sit down for a
minute." The words came out as a reflex, designed to let boys
gracefully bow out of having to keep dancing with me, but a slight
tremor in my legs put some truth to the polite lie. I really was
tired.

Even more surprising was the way that Alec
held onto my hand as he led me over to a line of chairs. He was
normally so careful not to prolong physical contact.

Rachel and Jasmin were waiting for us as we
reached the chairs.

"Big brother, will you please take Jasmin out
on the dance floor so she can get some practice following. I tried
to lead last time and she kept tripping me."

Alec gave me a considering look, and then
nodded as I faked a smile at him and gestured my assent. Rachel
turned to me as I suppressed a stab of jealousy.

"I swear she's going to explode if Ben
doesn't show up. Considering that dances are about the last place
he'd ever go of his own free will, I think the odds are better than
even that she'll leave little pieces of herself all over the park
before the night is over."

The revelation was like being hit by a Volvo.
Somehow I'd assumed that all of the things Brandon had told me were
lies.

"Wait, she really does like Ben? I mean
Brandon said she did, but I just assumed it was a lie like
everything else he told me."

Rachel patted my hand. "Brandon's lies are so
convincing precisely because he's so careful to mix a healthy
serving of truth in there to go along with the false. She's liked
Ben for almost as long as I can remember. I think it all started
when they both ended up at the school nurse together with broken
bones due to 'falling down the stairs.'"

I felt a shiver course through me at the
thought of what Rachel was implying. Watching Jasmin twirl through
moves that seemed to be a modification of East Coast Swing, it was
hard to believe anyone so self-possessed could've had that kind of
childhood.

I thought about asking for more details, but
it felt wrong, like reading someone else's e-mail. Besides, I was
pretty sure Rachel would tell me it was Jasmin's story, and I'd
just have to go to her with my questions.

The music picked up slightly, and Jasmin and
Alec sped up with it. They were moving so quickly now it almost
seemed they were better than Isaac and Jessica. A quick visual
search laid that question to rest though. I could just make out
Isaac's towering form across the pavilion in the corner where
they'd apparently gone to find room for some of their more
impressive moves.

It seemed amazing to me that they were
willing to move so quickly around normal, uninformed humans, but
apparently they figured professional dancers were at least as
quick. I shook my head and turned back to Rachel, only to feel my
throat constrict as I saw Britney.

Not only was she wearing a tight, black dress
that made her look at least twice as hot as me, she also happened
to be draped across Brandon's arm. I was so caught up watching
Britney that it took me several seconds to notice the differences
in her date. Brandon had always exuded a sense of confidence, but
sometime since I'd last seen him, it had morphed into something
even more aggressive. He still cut through crowds, but people
weren't moving out of his way out of deference anymore. Instead
they were dodging away to avoid being run over.

I felt the fine hair on the back of my neck
start to stand on end, but was distracted by Alec's return before I
could figure out what else had changed about Brandon. Jasmin pulled
Rachel to her feet, and gently pushed her towards Alec before
casually taking a seat next to me.

It was a careful act. I'd
spent way too much time with the pack to believe any of them had
failed to notice Brandon's entrance. My gaze wandered back to where
Vincent and Cassie were arrogantly walking through the door. Where
Brandon had chosen a fairly traditional black tux, Vincent had
selected a silvery masterpiece that probably cost only half as much
as the former's outfit,
but which practically screamed
for attention.

Cassie trailed along half a step behind
Vincent, in a gray evening gown that was equal parts material and
skin. Backless and strapless, combined with some fairly daring
cutouts. She could probably have made a run for royalty if she
hadn't topped the dress off with a scowl. She didn't look happy to
be on Vincent's arm instead of pressed up against Brandon.

Jasmin elbowed me in the ribs, distracting me
before I could start in on whomever it was that happened to be
following along behind Cassie.

"Just ignore them. Even Brandon won't try
anything with this many witnesses around. It's just more dominance
games."

I nodded. It made sense, but it was all I
could do to keep my eyes grounded despite the cold prickles running
up and down my spine. Actual conversation was just too much, so I
sat quietly with my head slightly bowed while the song ran its
course.

Alec's fingers gently pulled my chin up as
the music ended.

"Dance with me?"

I mustered a brave smile as I nodded and let
him lead me out onto the dance floor. It was a slow song this time,
and Alec didn't protest when I abandoned all pretense of actual
dancing, and just leaned into him hungrily. The reassurance I was
seeking was weaker than normal. The solid feel of his body was just
as permanent as always, but there was no tingle where our skin
touched.

Almost as though sensing my thoughts, Alec
hugged me tightly and buried his chin in my hair. "I know you don't
want to hear this, but it isn't too late for you to change your
mind. Even now, it'd be a relatively simple thing to have you
halfway across the country by the time the challenge actually
occurs."

The thought of what was coming filled me with
dread, but I shook my head. As scary as all of this was, I knew
flying away and never knowing what'd happened would be worse. Alec
was probably going to die, and all of the rest of us with him, but
if he didn't, if the pack somehow managed to survive the coming
crisis, I wanted to be there.

Alec was more than capable of sending me
away, and then never letting me know he'd survived. There was a
constant war inside him over what to do with me and I couldn't
afford to give up my one advantage. He seemed less able to
contemplate cutting me out of his life when I was around. I planned
on playing that card for all it was worth. I was staying and that
was it.

Alec sighed, presumably in resignation, and
then suddenly my legs were thrown up in front of me as he picked me
up with inhuman speed. Only the steady pressure of Alec's arm
around my waist kept me from screaming, and then I was back on my
feet, and being carefully, but firmly shoved through a tangled knot
of bodies.

My shoes had never been intended to allow
ankles to withstand that kind of punishment. Even just walking had
been risky, so it wasn't a surprise when my right foot slipped, and
a sharp knife of pain shot through that ankle as it collapsed under
me.

Dealing with blinding agony hadn't ever been
my strong point. I opened my mouth to scream, only to find that no
sound would come out. The world was still spinning, but I was
oriented just enough to realize that Dominic had her hand over my
mouth and nose.

I pulled at her arm, but the effort was
completely futile. Rising panic over not being able to breathe made
me hammer at the iron bar pressing me against her, but she never
looked away from whatever had captured her concentration.

Rachel suddenly appeared off to my right, and
she put her finger to her lips, and then sunk all ten fingernails
into Dominic's arm. The sudden absence of the support I'd been
unconsciously using to keep weight off of my right foot resulted in
tear-jerking pain as the damaged appendage touched down, but I
gritted my teeth and managed to keep it down to a hiss.

Rachel draped my arm over her shoulders, and
then dragged me forward a couple of awkward, hopping steps. A
couple of heartbeats passed before I realized the pool of shadow
before us was Jessica. She had her eyes closed and was rocking back
and forth as Rachel carefully pulled her to us.

I mirrored Rachel's actions, wrapping my free
arm around Jess as I whipped my head back and forth in an effort to
figure out what was going on. We were pressed up against one corner
of the pavilion, with what I assumed was the rest of the pack
between us and everyone else.

For a moment the wall of bodies precluded
figuring out what was going on, but then Isaac shifted slightly to
the left, and I saw Brandon and Vincent through the gap. The pools
of black where Vincent's eyes should have been finally made me
aware of the prickle of energy arcing back and forth between the
two rival groups.

I couldn't imagine what it must feel like
where Alec or Brandon were standing. Even just the fringe of power
dancing over my arms and shoulders was enough to make me profoundly
grateful I wasn't any closer to the epicenter.

Vincent's sadistic smile sent shivers down my
spine, but it was nothing compared to Brandon's expression. I'd
known for a couple of weeks now that what the outside world saw was
nothing more than a mask, but I hadn't realized just what was under
the facade.

Now I knew. It was like he'd spent the last
few days peeling back some of the layers that'd hidden him, and the
sheer inhumanity waiting underneath completely distracted me from
the throbbing in my ankle.