Soul Mates: Scent (The Soul Mates Series) (24 page)

English ended and my thoughts were still not on school, I doubt I heard a word Madame Lancaster had spoken. In fact I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Jenny waiting in the hall, ready to attack the second we stepped through the door. It probably didn’t help that I walked right by her with out noticing her at all.

“Max!” Jenny shouted.

Anna tugged on my arm, getting me to stop.
Max
you
have
to
talk
to
her.
This
cannot
go
on.
If
I
have
to
spend
the
rest
of
a
school
year
here
with
her,
I
don
’
t
want
to
have
her
pecking
at
us.

I nodded and sighed. “What do you want Jenny? I thought we had said everything there was to say.”

“I… we did. I just… I want my stuff back. And… and I hate you. I wish I never had to look at you again!”

“What stuff?” I asked ignoring the rest of her statement. Something inside of me knew I could be a real jackass and make her wish of never looking at me again come true, but I didn’t want to be that guy. All it would take would be a snap of my fingers and she wouldn’t be able to see or hear me…

Max, as much as I would love to see that happen, you cannot mon amour.

“My pictures, and that key chain I gave you, and the sweater I gave you for Christmas… everything!”

I sort of laughed, I know I shouldn’t have, but I somehow found it amusing that she wanted the sweater back. “Fine, I’ll bring it by tomorrow.”

“Good. And I never want to see you again! So don’t show up at the Sonic after the game!”

“Listen Jenny, I have better things to do with my time than to hang out at the Sonic after the game. You won’t be running into me anywhere, so don’t worry your pretty little head about it, okay?”

“Fine!” Jenny said fiercely and turned on one foot and stormed off toward Algebra.

Anna and I followed her at a slower pace. My thoughts were already back on Frederick and what I was going to do to protect Anna. I checked my hips to make sure Veritas and Aequitas were still there at my sides. They were of course and it made me feel better knowing they were there. I glanced around the room as we entered, making sure everyone and everything was where it should be. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I saw him then, standing in the corner. Cole was there watching over us. I raised an eyebrow questioning him.

“King Auberon wished for me to join you today, just in case you have need of back up.”

I nodded knowing no ones else could see or hear him and therefore I couldn’t actually speak to him. I was happy to have his sword added to mine. I really couldn’t get over the feeling that Frederick was close by. As though he were watching me from a distance. I glanced out of the windows, trying to figure out where the feeling was originating. Cole followed my gaze and moved to the windows to see if he could see what had me on edge.

“I see nothing my Prince. Just a few cars in the lot, all unoccupied. I noticed James prowling the length of woods, but that is all.”

I gave him another nod, but the uncomfortable feeling never went away. I spent the rest of the day being shadowed by Cole. By the end of school I was starting to feel better. Nothing crazy had happened. Well nothing crazy in the paranormal sense anyway.

I didn’t have to start getting ready for the game until five, so Anna and I had some time to go running through the forest. We were quickly joined by Rik and James as we hunted some deer. I suppose if anyone had seen us it would have looked quite bizarre. Who ever heard of a panther, a jaguar, a bear and a wolf hunting together in a pack? The four of us managed to take down a couple of deer, eat and then bury the remains.

We soon wandered back towards the school, I knew I would have to go get ready soon, but I dreaded leaving Anna’s side. We made it back to where we had shed our clothes and quickly got dressed, Anna behind a tree so that the others couldn’t see her. We walked out of the forest together to find Tony waiting with Cole at the edge of the woods.

“How did you know we would be coming out of the woods here?”

“I noticed your clothes laying in piles just a few feet in. I knew you would return to this area to retrieve them,” Cole replied.

“Anything?” I asked Cole. I didn’t have to elaborate, he knew I was asking if he had seen Frederick.

“Nothing so far my Prince. Though he could be hiding in mortal form, I would not know what to look for.”

“I doubt very much that Frederick will attack in mortal form. It will be as lion. He thinks being lion makes him tougher and stronger than all others. He finds mortals very weak and is rarely in that form. Though here he may chose to walk as a mortal to blend in and hope we don’t notice him until it is too late.”

I pulled Anna to me and kissed her. “We will not let him defeat us, sweetheart.”

Tony sighed. “Dude, could you at least act like a normal teenager for a while? We have a game to win, you know.”

I laughed. “Sorry Tones guess I have had a lot on my mind and it’s making me grow up. I promise I’ll have my mind on the game.”

“Great. Now we better get to the locker rooms before Coach reams our asses for being late.”

“Go my Prince, I shall take care of your Consort.”

I glanced down at Anna and smiled. “You better, or you’re toast.” I kissed Anna again, “For luck.”

Love you, mon amour.

Love
you
too.
I jogged with Tony back toward the school to get ready for the game.
Remind
Cole,
no
interfering
with
the
game
if
we
are
losing
.

I
will,
mon
amour
. I could hear her lilting laugh as it lingered in my mind.

Tony and I were the first to arrive to get into uniform. I pulled out my padding and jersey and attempted to put them on. The problem was I was now bigger than they were and Tony noticed.

“Dude… your padding shrink in the wash?”

“Er… not quite.” I frowned for a minute and then decided I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t very well go looking for new padding, there wasn’t any to look for. I’d have to use my Fae magic to fix what I had. I closed my eyes and pictured myself in my uniform, snapped my fingers for effect and suddenly I was completely dressed, padding and all.

Tony’s eyes widened as he watched the padding stretch and disappear only to reappear on my body under my jersey and pants. “Dude, that is like the best trick ever.”

I grinned. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

“What’s pretty cool?” Dean asked as he came through the door.

Tony just stared at me, not sure what to say.

“I was just telling Tony that Anna and I are engaged.”

Tony’s eyes got wider and his jaw dropped open, but he quickly recovered and agreed that we had been discussing Anna. “Yeah, pretty crazy too!”

“Geez man, you just met the chick this week. How can you be engaged to her already? I mean you dated Jenny for years and never got engaged.”

“It feels like I’ve known her my whole life. She’s just the One.”

“Well, good luck with that man. Personally, I’m not getting married at all, ever. Too many gorgeous honeys to hook up with you know?”

“Yeah well, I don’t need any others. I’ve got Anna.”

“So are you psyched for the game? I know I am! We’re gonna take those Huskies down!” Dean said as he punched my shoulder.

“Yeah, can’t wait to get out there on the field,” I replied grinning like an idiot.

I shut down the worried part of my brain that was focusing on Anna and who was keeping her safe and started concentrating on football. I knew Anna was safe, that Auberon and his guards would take great care of her. I didn’t have to worry for the time being. It took some doing, but I finally put all thoughts of Frederick out of my head and listened to the coach explain the plays we were going to start with. My thoughts only drifted once when I felt Anna get irritated with Cole.

Everything okay?

Oui, Cole spilt his soda on my shoes. I was only annoyed for a moment. He fixed it quickly mon amour.

Remind them, no magic around the humans!

I
will
mon
couer.
Now
go
concentrate
on
your
football.
I could hear her giggle and feel her amusement.

I will. Love you.

Love you too. Good luck mon amour.

I turned my attention back to Coach and finished listening to the plays we were going to run. Then it was time to hit the field. I could hear the crowd going wild as they played the school song waiting for us to run through whatever crazy obstacle course the cheerleaders had set up for us. Being the Quarterback I ran out first, leading the team.

I pushed through the paper and tripped over a set of cones Jenny had set up hoping I would land on my face. Luckily I caught myself before I made a fool of myself and with a glare at Jenny I continued on to the field.

I could see the Huskies gathered on the other side of the field, not looking anywhere near as nervous as I wanted them to look. I called for the team to huddle up and we got down to business.

“Steve, you go do the coin toss. If we win, we want offense.”

“Got it,” Steve replied and hustled over to the ref.

“We’re gonna go for play number six, everybody know what they’re doin’?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s get ‘em!”

“Those Huskies are gonna be eatin’ dirt!”

“Huskies won the toss, but they chose to kick off,” Steve called as he rejoined us.

“Okay, you all know what to do!” I said with a grin. “Break!”

We got into position and waited for the starting pistol. I could feel my heart pounding and I worked to slow it down, to calm myself and concentrate. I narrowed my eyes and watched as the Huskies’ kicker ran at the ball. I knew Dean was going to be in perfect position to catch it if I could just get the way clear for him we could get at least twenty yards, if not more on this play.

I had only seconds before the kick happened, “Tones, go for twenty-seven, I’ve got thirteen!”

The play happened exactly as I’d seen it in my head. Tony and I cleared the way and Dean made it all the way to the twenty. It was a beautiful play. The crowd was wound up, hootin’ and hollerin’, cheering us on. It felt good being out here on the field.

We quickly set up the next play, Steve snapped me the ball, I passed it to Dean and he ran it to the end zone without being touched by a Husky. The first touchdown of the game and we were on a roll. It didn’t stop there, by half time we were crushing them, twenty-eight to seven.

I started to get a bit suspicious when just before half time their Quarterback dropped the ball. I had this eerie feeling there might be some Fae interference… even though I had specifically told them to keep their Fae magic to themselves…

Anna?
I called out to her as I walked off the field and pretended to grab a drink of Gatorade.

Oui, mon amour?

Anna, are Cole or Daire messing with the Huskies?

I told them not to interfere if you were losing, Max.

And being Fae they took that to mean they could interfere if we weren’t losing, I’d bet my helmet on it! Ask them if they caused the Huskies to drop the ball.

I waited a few moments and I felt Anna’s amusement rise. I knew I was right before she even answered.

Oui, mon amour, Daire made the Husky drop the ball, and Cole caused number twenty six to have that sneezing fit just before that ball hit his helmet earlier.

I shook my head and sighed as the team ran down to the locker rooms.
Would
you
ask
them
to
please
stop?
I
appreciate
the
thought
behind
their
help,
but
we
would
like
to
win
all
on
our
own,
if
they
wouldn
’
t
mind.

I will relay the message mon amour.

Thank
you,
sweetheart.
Are
you
feeling
safe
otherwise?
Any
sign
of
the
lion?
I glanced around the stadium, but it was a sea of faces and hard to make out particular individuals unless you knew where to look.

I haven’t seen him so far, but there is quite a crowd here tonight, mon amour. He could be here and I just don’t know it yet. I will keep my senses open to looking for him.

Good,
stay
safe
Anna.
I could see Tony coming back up the ramp from the locker room looking for me. I knew I was going to have to go join the team for our half time briefing with Coach.

I will Max. You stay safe too!