Beating Heart

Chapter 8

"Can I borrow anyone's charger?" I ask, dangling my dead phone in one hand. I am spread across Seth's fancy couch, worn out.

   They'd discharged me this morning. According to the doctors I would make a complete recovery, my minor injuries would heal on their own time. With nothing else for them to do, they'd let me go.

    "Sure, I'll go get mine" Miles volunteers and runs out of the room. Leaving me with Abson and Seth, both pretending the other one didn't exist. I stare down at my phone. I don't really make that great of a use of the device. The only people I truly communicate with through texts or calls are the girls, Andy, and my mom.

     My mom.

     I swear out loud and sit bolt up right, making both men in the room jump.

    "What's wro-" Seth starts saying, clearly worried, but I won't let him finish.

    "Shit, my mom. The house, it was completely wrecked. She must've freaked" I murmur more to myself than to anyone in particular. Sinking into the fluffy couch, entranced, I place a hand on my chin, contemplating my doom. The fact that I have no idea how long I've been here strikes, "How long have I been here?"

     Seth opens his mouth to respond, but Abson beats him to it.

"You got here on Thursday, so three days."

     My head snaps back to Abson. "What? No, that's too long. She must think I'm dead or something. And school! My friends-This is such a mess" I finish and rub my face with my hands.

     Seth opens his mouth only for Abson to speak up first, again. I can't help but smile and look at Abson disapprovingly. God, this old man could really act just like another teenage boy sometimes. Even though he was probably 250 years old. An annoyed growl rises from Seth's throat and I can feel him tense beside me. I clap a hand on his knee, squeezing it, making his growling stop immediately. He looks down at my hand then me and our eyes meet for a couple of seconds. Then Abson starts talking again.

    "Oh, honey, it's all taken care of. I handled your mom. You're hanging out with your grandma up north and the pack fixed up your house" Abson waves me off. I just nod, my eyebrows raising. Impressive. Although, I don't have any grandparents. But bursting Abson's bubble doesn't seem like a good idea at the moment.

     "Catch!" Miles enters the room and does a fancy throw across the room to me. A white jumble of cords fly toward me. Thanking my reflexes, I catch the charger. Seth had simultaneously reached for it, clearly under the suspicion that I wouldn't be able to catch it. Now he was watching me with an awed and bemused expression.

     "Mine" I murmur, a smug smile on my lips. He chuckles and we both fall back down on the couch, nodging each other. 

Our momentary relapse into the friendship we'd had - God, it was just a few days ago - ends quickly. With my giggling dying down and Seth's eyes wandering elsewhere. Damn it. Despite everything I couldn't stay mad at him, I couldn't hold my grudge. It was too much of a second nature to joke and be competitive and relax around him.

I untangle the charger and plug it in. Setting my phone on the table, I return to the exchange that is happening behind me. Miles is clapping Seth's back, taunting him.

    "She hasn't even shown us what she can really do. Don't worry, Beta, we won't laugh if your girl is better than you at everything."

    "Yeah, right. That won't happen" Seth laughs, clearly thinking the idea ridiculous.

    "You never know. We've never tested it before, have we?" I turn around to Abson.

    "No we have not. But you should watch out, Wolf. She's more dangerous than she lets on." Abson sneers and winks at me. Everyone proceeds to mock Seth, including Abson.