The bell rings. Miraculously, I'm still in one piece and so is the school. I rush out of class. My mind is made up: I'm going to see Mason. Vanessa gave me an accurate location of his whereabouts to his apartment number. I have to go as soon as I can; if he moves away before I get to see him, I may not be able to track him.
I tell myself this excuse over and over.
I push open the main door of my school. And gasp.
Someone has sprayed CLEARSLOT! at the bottom of the steps. I linger, reading the threat again and again, while every other person passes by. Some people also linger, but the words don't make sense to them. Soon, they leave.
I walk towards Alicia's parked car before my tarrying at the spot makes anyone realize. Sebastian is making hellish trouble of a scale he isn't aware of. The Imperials may already have more spies watching everyone who belongs to Dean's pack.
A figure is sitting on the hood of Alicia's car. My heart skips a beat. Wild, salt-and-pepper hair; grimy, faded shorts; a fiendish grin; Olligrander looks half enticingly mysterious, and half downright bizarre.
'Hey, Claire. Going on a date?'
'What?'
'You weren't the only one Vanessa paid a visit. She told me where to find Mason too. Best not to go alone,' he says as I reach him.
'Slide off!' I hiss. 'And I'm going with Alicia.'
'So there's already a third wheel. I don't mind being the fifth,' he says smoothly. His smile is difficult to read; it gives me pause.
Alicia arrives from sharing goodbye kisses with Cade. Unlike me, the thought of Olligrander tagging along for the ride doesn't repulse her. He crawls into the backseat through the window, while I take the passenger seat.
I show Alicia the photos. She whistles. 'Mason is hot!'
'Yeah, I know, we kissed,' I respond.
'Oh, ClearSlot,' Olligrander mocks from the backseat. He is looking at the pictures over Alicia's shoulder. He saw the words outside the school and easily connected it to the CLAIRESLUT! on the pictures.
'Oh,' Alicia says in realization.
'Olligrander, I will throw you out,' I threaten.
'This is more reason for the Imperials to have our hides. Thank you, Claire,' he says.
'It's not entirely my fault,' I say. 'Mason has as much blame for this as I do.'
'Claire, if the Imperials say you are to blame, the fault is all yours.'
'What?' Alicia asks.
I explain everything to her, especially the part about the Imperials not taking pictures.
'Holy skies!' She removes a hand from the steering wheel to pick one of the pictures up for her scrutiny. 'Well, there's no reason they'll forgive us now. Thanks, Claire,' she blames.
'Don't pin this on me! It's all Sebastian's fault,' I argue.
Alicia groans and slams a palm onto the car horn.
'Interesting,' Olligrander smiles widely. 'More problems for us.'
Alicia pulls up a block away from Mason's location. We climb out and walk the few steps to the lavish block of apartments. I and Olligrander know the exact apartment we are going to.
'Should we announce ourselves?' Alicia whispers.
'No.' Olligrander digs his claws into the wall and begins to climb swiftly. I scope out the environment belatedly, but no one is in sight. In bare seconds, Olligrander is storys high. When we catch up, Alicia's claws dig out the lock on the back door. We let ourselves in.
Mason is waiting for us. He is sitting on a couch, swirling a glass of red wine in one hand, his mate in the other arm on the couch.
I am dumbstruck. Had Mason been lying when he said his last lover died in her ex's car? Vanessa's memories tell me this woman is Lauren Lucas. This is my first time coming face to face with a lycan, and it is a female.
'Hello, Claire. Mason has told me everything about you.' Lauren's smile is simply beautiful and wicked. Her lips, which never stop smiling at me, are painted as red as the wine she and Mason have in their glasses.
'Olligrander...always so eccentric,' she grins.
'Lauren,' Olligrander acknowledges back with a smile of his own. 'It's nice to see you still have your claws sunk into Mason.'
Olligrander's third-wheel-fifth-wheel remark returns to me. He couldn't have meant anything else besides this. I am the first wheel, Mason is second, Alicia is third and Olligrander is fifth. Our fourth wheel is Lauren.
'He is allowed to date a few naive girls, but his heart is mine,' Lauren explains. She looks at me and tsks. 'Too naive.' Then she mocks me with laughter.
My emotions are trying to come to terms with this development. My face flushes with embarrassment. 'Mason, what—'
'There was never a chance you and I could work, Claire.' He interrupts sharply. 'You are an ordinary girl who was turned, and I am from one of the great lycan families,' Lauren beams at me as Mason says these words. I can't tear my eyes from the pair, nor can I not hear the cutting ice in Mason's voice.
I am the serial heartbreaker's recent victim.
Lauren frowns as she scrutinizes me from head to foot. 'She is not entirely ordinary, Mason,' she gently corrects him. She takes a hurried sip of wine. 'This girl has some of Dean's strength and Olligrander's keenness of perception. Maybe something of Vanessa's too.' Her eyes flicker towards Olligrander. 'All that scientific nonsense Dean picked up from his friends in the science community, is this the result? A composite wolf?'
Mason's eyes narrow at me. It appears Lauren has eyes that see details that no eye should. A grin splits his face He leans backwards into the couch and nibbles Lauren's ear.
'I can tell you that the Imperials will not be pleased with you, Claire,' Lauren tells me. She looks perfect, devoid of flaws. It just isn't fair. Her hair looks like it has never had a split; it spills over the couch like a dark waterfall. Lauren herself turns her lips towards Mason's mouth and they share a passionate kiss. Her eyes are watching me the whole time.
I want to scream, but somehow my throat is frozen up.
Alicia's hand finds mine. She lends me some of her strength as she glares at Mason and Lauren.
'Lookatme,Mason,' I growl.
He stiffens. When his eyes turn towards me, they are the fiery red I remember from times when we madly kissed. There is no passion in them this time. Only rage.
'Do you command me, Claire?' His voice is practically vibrating the room.
'No,' I find myself saying quickly. 'I just have a request.'
'Speak,' Mason and Lauren spit at the same time.
I sigh tearfully and drop to my knees. Alicia looks shocked. Olligrander doesn't. I make a plea of Mason: I will do anything if he will not tell on Dean to the Imperials. Even I know it is a wasted effort. The only recognition Mason seeks is from the Imperials. By destroying his long rival and friend, he may at last find the acceptance that he seeks.
Is this the reason why he is in a relationship with Lauren? Does he think he can sway his family by dating a lycan like they are? Is he using Lauren?
I burst my own bubble of hope. This isn't the Mason I know. Before me might as well be my sworn enemy.
Lauren regards me with a disdainful expression. By kneeling and begging her, I have proven myself to be the scum she thinks I am. And Mason would never date scum. Something about her posture relaxes. 'You can offer yourself up in Dean's place,' she suggests. 'The Imperials will have someone to punish: you. Something like you makes the werewolf community ill at ease. Dean will be given a light sentence for creating you, because you will be taking the heavier one.'
'What is the sentence going to be?' I ask with trepidation.
Lauren doesn't immediately reply. She watches me with those eyes, pleased to see I'm squirming. 'You will never see the sun again, Claire.'
My blood boils, but I am helpless. Dean or me, one of us has to face the anger of the Imperials.
But I am certain that Lauren won't leave me alone if I allow the lycans punish Dean. Sooner or later, she'll come for me. She is the possessive type, and she loves to eliminate competition.
'I...will think about it,' I reply.
Mason watches silently, his expression unreadable, looking neither happy nor sad.
Lauren tinkles with laughter. 'Don't keep us waiting, little wolf.'
The lycan turns and straddles Mason. His face is lost in the curtain of her hair. With a sudden jerk, she rips open his shirt. My breath catches from what little of Mason's body is visible behind Lauren. His abs seem cut into steel.
'That is our dismissal,' Olligrander says. He doesn't wait a second later but goes out the front door. Alicia drags me after Olligrander.
Only a thread is holding my broken heart together. Inside Alicia's car, I finally let out that scream. I really should have foreseen that my beautiful demigod would already have a goddess.
Alicia cuts into my thoughts. 'Claire, you may not have the powers yet, but you are alpha now. What do we do?' She sighs, expectantly looking at me.
Right. I am alpha now. I have to get myself together.
'Olligrander, get rid of the ink and send this to the Imperials. Make sure Augusta Lycaone gets one.' I pass an envelope to him.
'My Claire is back!' Alicia shouts.
'Ooh, Mason is truly fucked!' Olligrander guffaws. He peeps into the envelope, which has the pictures Sebastian is blackmailing me with. A brief, thoughtful expression creases his brows, before his eyes become even more sinister.
Mason has reported Dean to the Imperials already; they'll be coming for him. I know this from a sudden insight into Vanessa's memories I had while kneeling before Mason and Lauren earlier. I'm safe for now from the Imperials because Mason and Lauren didn't erstwhile know what I am; although neither did I.
While Lauren was boring into me with her eyes, I also got something else from Vanessa's memories, something Lauren wouldn't want the Imperials to know.
Revenge has such a sweet aroma in preparation.