Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 41

"So what's it like to get away with murder?"

I stiffen at the voice behind me, pausing in the middle of chewing.

I turn in my seat to see that Ava has walked up to my lunch table. She's standing several paces away, her arms crossed over her chest. There's something eerie in her gaze as she stares me down and I can see pieces of her wolf familiar in her gaze, a hunter staring down their prey. I can sense Indigo sitting up straighter from her place next to me, her eyes narrowing as they focus on Ava.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say calmly, but the edges of my voice still crack from the strain of healing.

A smirk curls the edge of Ava's lip as she glances around the cafeteria, seeking out her audience to watch her toy with me. Even though I'm eating at a later time, there are still a considerable number of students who are still in the cafeteria. A few heads have begun to turn in our direction as they hear her and she raises her voice like she's trying to include them. Heat rushes to my face as she speaks up, her eyes locking back onto mine. 

"You were a witness to both murders, isn't it just too much of a coincidence?" she says as she drags each word out, every syllable a carefully crafted knife that she digs into me.

"Ava, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor if you would just shut up for once," Astrid suddenly fires back from where she sits across from me. 

Relief leaps in my chest, a fizzling flame that steals my breath as I give her a grateful look. But she doesn't acknowledge it, her sole focus is on Ava as her lips press into a flat line. 

Ava smiles prettily as she tilts her head and locks her gaze with Astrid, "Is that a threat?"

A breath of a pause as there is a squawk from Astrid's chair scooting back. I flinch at the noise as a few other students look up in confusion, others staring with curiosity alight in their faces. A fire is about to spark and Ava is fanning the flames. 

"I can make it a promise," Astrid growls as she starts to get to her feet, but I reach out to grab her before she can get out of her seat.

"Astrid, just let it go," I warn her as she tries to shake me off. "It's not worth it, I'll be okay." 

But Ava isn't done yet. I can tell that she knows that she's struck a chord as she narrows her eyes at us and keeps talking.

"It's funny though, why didn't you just bring them back from the dead, Astrid? You've done it before-."

Astrid lunges then. 

I have to dig in my heels to try and stop her, but not soon enough as she manages to lash out with a clawed hand as she drags me behind her. 

She's strong. 

Ava easily takes a step back to dodge her hand as she smiles and laughs. There is a wicked cheerfulness to her, one completely devoid of fear as she grins at Astrid. 

"Did Finn say something to your little friend and you killed him for it? Quite a temper for a Hallewell," she muses as she stares Astrid down.

"Let me go!" Astrid hisses at me.

"Maybe it's you who we should be suspecting, don't you have anger issues since your boyfriend died?" Ava taunts.

Tessa has to reach over and help hold Astrid back as she lunges with renewed fervor. Astrid spits a curse at her and strains toward Ava, the muscles in her arms bunching and drawing taut. I do my best not to hurt her and keep my nails from digging into her skin as I hold her steady. 

"Astrid, she wants you to hit her so you get in trouble," I tell her in a low voice. "We need you here." 

"She's not worth it," Tessa says in a loud enough voice that the other people in the cafeteria can hear her, "everyone knows that you're a bully, Ava, no one thinks that you're cool for it, especially going after someone for something so terrible that happened to them."