Catching Genesis Page 6

  “So, we're thinking, maybe we'll go see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them today,” begins Reese.

  “And everybody is okay with this?” I ask curiously, looking at Penny.

  “Yeah, I love J.K. Rowling, so I'm okay with it,” answers Penny happily. Penny's usually very picky with movies.

  “Then we'll head off to the beach later,” announces River with a big grin.

  “It'll be fun! But don't worry, we'll make sure you'll be home before four this afternoon, so you can get ready for your date tonight,” says Penny.

  I groan...just great Penny.

  “You have a date tonight?” questions Mom excitedly. Yep, just as I suspected, now Mom's all excited.

  “With who?” interrogates Autumn and Dad at the same time.

  “His name's Kevin,” Penny eagerly answers for me.

  “Kevin? Do we know him?” inquires dad again.

  “He's human,” answers Reese.

  “Oh…” says Autumn, looking unimpressed and suddenly losing interest.

  “Well, if he's a good kid, then that's great, sweetheart,” says Mom, patting my shoulder.

  “It's not like that, Mom,” I try to explain. “He's just a friend.”

  “Oh, he likes to be more than her friend.” Penny reveals, sounding as excited as my mom. “He wouldn't stop asking her out until she said yes.”

  “Oh, a persistent admirer,” exclaims Mom. “I'd love to meet this young man.”

  Reese and River are about to burst out laughing while my dad is pretending he didn't hear anything.

  I wish I could strangle Penny into silence.

  ***

  It's great to be spending time with my friends. We had a good time at the movie and the beach. The only problem is, I can't stop thinking about Constantine. I don't understand why I can't get him out of my head.

  I just had my shower, and now I'm sitting in my bed with Penny doing my nails. She insists on helping me get ready for my date tonight. Reese and River took off somewhere after dropping us off at my house.

  “You know this date is nothing special, right?” I ask Penny just to be sure that she understands. I have no interest like that at all in Kevin. I intend to tell Kevin that we're going to stay friends and nothing more.

  “I know, but you should always look great. Give it a chance, you might have a good time tonight. You never know. Besides, Kevin is way better than Logan jerkface.”

  “Everyone is better than Logan, right now,” I state. “You're sounding just like my mom. Have you two been discussing this?”

  “Well...your mom's been worried about you, Gen.” Penny's smile looks guilty. So the two of them have been plotting together. My mom and Penny are a bad combination. Dangerous, even.

  Penny insists that I wear a deep purple dress she found at the back of my closet. I bought that dress two years ago. I've grown quite a bit since then. It was meant to be a bit loose and fell just above my knees. Now it's quite figure hugging and reaches a few inches above my knees.

  I let my hair air dry to its natural wave.

  Penny does my makeup, lining my eyes really dark to enhance my light hazel eyes. Then she adds some purple to my eyelids and some pink shiny lip gloss to my lips.

  “Put these babies on, and you're ready,” she announces as she hands me a pair of black pumps.

  Just then the doorbell rings. He's right on time.

  Mom is already at the door when I get downstairs. She smiles widely at me as she opens the door wider for Kevin.

  “Wow! You look really good, Genesis,” says Kevin after he picks his jaw off the floor. Boys!

  Kevin is looking nice in his light blue button-down dress shirt and dark jeans. He looks nervous as he hands me two dozen red roses.

  Mom looks giddy as I hand her the roses to be put in the water. I almost roll my eyes at her.

  Kevin is being really sweet, opening the car door for me and everything, making me feel bad about what I'm about to do.

  “You told me the other day that you like Italian, so I made a reservation at Toni Marino's. I hope that's okay,” he inquires as he makes a turn, blending into the traffic.

  “Yeah, that's fine.” I smile.

  Kevin is not the smartest guy, but he's nice. He's not bad looking and he treats me like I was precious. Like I matter.

  I stare at him as he tells me about how his dad made him clean out their garage so that they can work on a 1970 Dodge Challenger they found. His blue eyes shine as he talks about what they're planning to do with it.

  His reddish brown hair is cropped really short. He has a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and a bit on his cheeks. I find that kinda adorable.

  Maybe I can make this work. Maybe I can learn to like him if I just give us a chance.

  As soon as we step inside the restaurant, I know something is about to go wrong. I can smell Logan and his friends.

  I look around, but I can't see them anywhere. Maybe they were here earlier, I reasoned with myself. The scent is still very strong, so they can't be that far.

  We are shown to our seats and our waitress promptly brings out a basket of warm breadsticks.

  “This is nice, Kevin.” I smile at him warmly. It is a very nice place. The ambiance is amazing, and the smell of food is mouthwatering.

  I sense most of the people here are werewolves.

  “Hello, Genesis. What a surprise to see you here,” says a familiar voice.

  Logan.

  Kevin frowns as he notices the group of popular boys from school are here, crowding around our table.

  “Good choice, Kevin. This is a nice place. The food is good too. You don't mind us joining you, do you?” Logan says as he pulls another chair from a neighboring table. He slides in and pulls his chair closer to mine. Our thighs are touching.

  “Logan,” I growl warningly.

  “Yes, sweetheart?” Logan smiles, casually popping a piece of breadstick into his mouth. He sits back comfortably, while his eyes are looking at me and Kevin lazily.

  “You know what Kevin? Let's go somewhere else,” I say to Kevin. I grab his hand in mine, trying to get him out of there.

  Logan grabs my wrist tightly, almost painfully. “Stay, sweetheart.” He is smiling, but his tone is commanding. The smile doesn't reach his eyes. I grit my teeth, staring at him defiantly.

  “This table is too crowded,” I announce.

  “If you haven't noticed, Genesis and I are on a date. So if you'll excuse us,” declares Kevin, putting his other hand on top of mine.

  “Is that so?” Logan smiles wolfishly. “There must be some mistake. You see Kevin, this one here is mine. She knew she's not supposed to go out on a date with anyone else.” He curves his arm possessively around my neck.

  I try to squirm out of his arm, but he's too strong.

  “Screw you, Logan!” I burst. I can't take it anymore. He just has to go and ruin everything. “I'm not yours. Just leave us alone!”

  His patience seems to snap at my outburst. He grabs me by the back of my neck roughly and smashes my lips against his. His canines graze my lips, so I know his wolf is not far above the surface. His wolf must be going crazy wanting to mark me. It's natural for his wolf wanting to mark its mate especially when there is a threat of other males around.

  Tears pool in my eyes. This date is over. I can taste my own blood on my lower lip where his canines puncture it.

  “Take her home,” he instructs one of his boys.

  “I'll do it,” offers Hunter.

  Two of his other boys are holding Kevin by his shoulders.

  Kevin is well muscled, but Logan and his friends are werewolves. It's not going to be a fair fight. They could kill him pretty easily.

  “Let her go!” yells Kevin, but nobody's listening to him.

  Hunter tries to pull me out by my waist, but Logan pushes his hands aside and drags me out to the car himself. I struggle in his hold.

  We're drawing attention, but he doesn't seem to care. r />
  “No! No! No! Let me go!” I smack his chest and his shoulders ineffectively. “Don't hurt him. You hear me? Logan! Don't you hurt him!”

  I sit quietly in the car, trying hard not to cry. Hunter drives silently. I'm thankful that he doesn't say anything or ask any question. However, halfway through the thirty-minute drive, my dam breaks. I cover my face with my hands and sob the rest of the way quietly.

  After he parks the car in front of our house, Hunter quietly gathers me into his arms and lets me cry it out. It's nice to be in his arms, but he'll get into trouble if Logan smells me all over him.

  “Why is he doing this? He doesn't love me. Why can't he just let me go?” I ask finally.

  “No...he doesn't love you,” agrees Hunter with a sigh. “But werewolves are very possessive of their mates, especially the alphas. Logan is also having a problem with his father. They are both very stubborn. Logan has been arguing and rebelling against his dad at every turn since he was very young. His father wants him to mate with you, so that makes him even more determined to mate with Mia.”

  I just nod. So I'm just a pawn between Logan and his father. He's putting me through all this pain so he can win this fight he has with his father.

  “I'm sorry, Genesis. You deserve so much better.” His voice is heavy.

  I pull back and look into his chocolate brown eyes. I see regret in his eyes and something else.

  “Thank you, Hunter. Thank you for taking me home and for telling me this...for everything. Oh, can you please make sure they don't kill my date?” I fumble with the door handle.

  Hunter looks disappointed, but he nods his head and smiles gently.

  “You're a good person, Hunter.” Impulsively I lean forward and quickly peck his cheek. I jump out and then stagger inside the house.

  I sneak in as quietly as I can. When the light hit me in my bedroom, I'm thankful that nobody saw me when I sneaked inside. Smudges of black eyeliner and mascara are running down my cheeks. My hair is a mess. There's some trace of dry blood on my lower lip.

  My date had gone to the wolves.

  Poor Kevin. He doesn't deserve this.

  Chapter VIII

  My Erasthai

  I hear a beep of an incoming message on my phone at six thirty the next morning. Who would send me a text message at six thirty on a Sunday morning? I pull a pillow over my head.

  But then I wonder if it's Kevin. I called him so many times last night, wondering how he's doing. All of my calls went to his voicemail. I wonder if he's okay.

  Don't do it! Don't do it! Just close your eyes and go back to sleep! Gah!!! I suck! I open one eye and sneak a peek. Then both my eyes were wide open in surprise.

  Constantine.

  My heart races just seeing his name on the screen. I'm wide awake now. How can one person have such power over me? He's not even my mate.

  Constantine : Had a busy night last night?

  How did he know? I struggle with what to write back to his text.

  Me : What are you talking about?

  Better fake ignorance rather than confess, or outright deny. I wait with a racing heart for his reply, biting my lips in agitation and anticipation. Not even a minute later my phone beeps again.

  Constantine : You know what I'm talking about, sunshine.

  What's with him calling me sunshine now?

  Me : What's it to you? We're not even friends.

  There! Let's see what he has to say to that!

  Constantine : No. We're more.

  What??? I fell off the bed.

  Owww. I think I broke my butt.

  So far I think I've been pacing the floor of my bedroom almost forty times. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I'm getting dizzy.

  “Meet me 7 am at the park behind Carson Hill's Public School,” said his last text. I know where the park is. It's near the wooded area where not many people go to anymore, especially on a Sunday morning like this.

  It is now 6:47 am. Should I go? It's not like I don't have enough on my plate right now. I have no business getting anywhere near a lycan.

  Ezra is quiet. No help there. She's been quiet since Friday night when I felt the pain. She was quiet even when we were around Logan last night. I wonder if that means she's sticking to her guns about staying away from the mate who keeps hurting us.

  I shouldn't go meet with Constantine. I should stay away from him. At least that's what the rational part of my brain is telling me. Since when did I listen to my brain anyway?

  I rush to the bathroom, wash my face and brush my teeth in a hurry. Then I run a brush through my hair very quickly and tie it up in a ponytail. I dash back into my bedroom and stare at my phone. Five minutes left. I really should stay away. Lycans are not to be messed with. Werewolves are deadly, but we're nowhere near as powerful as the lycans.

  Nope, I shouldn't go. Lycans are a whole new level of danger. However, something powerful inside of me rebelling against the idea of me not going. It's pulling me to go. It's like the pull of a mate and it scares me as well as excites me.

  Arrgghhh....

  I throw myself on my bed and pull the cover over my head. I pull my hair tie off and hug my knees to my chest under the cover. I close my eyes, and all I can see is Constantine's mesmerizing silver-gray eyes, his beautiful face that's being carved by the hands of a god…or goddess...his smile, his lips.

  Goddess, I'm so going to regret not going and find out what he has to say. I know that for certain.

  I screech and spring out of my bed in alarm when my warm comfy blanket is stripped off of me.

  Constantine.

  Right here in my bedroom.

  Constantine in my bedroom? I'm not dreaming, am I?

  But he's standing there not five feet away from me. His eyes slowly travel the length of my body. His sexy lips curve up into a tiny smile.

  What? How? I'm standing there with my mouth opening and closing without a sound coming out. Then I notice my bedroom window wide open. The curtains are blowing in the wind. Right. He came in through the window.

  “Nice. Though I prefer to sleep in nothing at all, I like your choice of pajamas,” he drawls.

  I automatically look down at myself, even when I already knew what I put on for bed last night. A baby blue boy shorts pajama bottom with a matching tank top that says, EYES UP HERE across the chest.

  They don't cover much at all. His eyes clearly show how much he's enjoying the view.

  I yelp in horror and dive into my closet for cover. My face, without a doubt, is flaming red.

  He laughs lowly. The sound is deep and sexy. Goddess, even the sound of his laughter is making me weak in the knees. How am I going to function around him?

  “What are you doing here?” I squeak, trying to sound angry. It's easier to talk to him when I'm hiding out in my closet.

  “You didn't come to me, so I came for you.”

  He came for me? The lycan is messing with my head.

  I quickly changed into a pair of gray yoga pants and a black short sleeved v neck t-shirt.

  I peek out slowly through the doorway. It's surreal to have him in my room.

  It doesn't seem like he belongs here, but he's now lying on my bed with his back against the headboard. His arms folded behind his head, looking completely at home. He has black jeans and a tight black t-shirt on. The fabric stretches against his broad chest and flat stomach. His sexy well-muscled body takes over my whole twin bed.

  I try to be mad. I should be mad. He shouldn't be here.

  But oh goddess, isn't he gorgeous? His dark brown hair is tousled and has slight curls in it. His silver-gray eyes always have intensity in them, even when he looks totally relaxed. His sharp chiseled features are out of this world.

  He's studying my room. The pictures of me with my family, and my friends scattered all over the memory board beside the bed.

  He turns his piercing gray eyes on me as soon as I step out of the closet. To have such attention on me is somewhat unnerving. I forc
e down the urge to smooth down my shirt and tuck away any stray hair on my head.

  “A shame.” He smiles playfully. “I much prefer what you had on before.”

  My heart stutters and my cheeks are blazing red again. It annoys me that I feel like everything is out of my control where this lycan is concerned.

  It feels as if he's undressing me with his eyes as they raked me from head to toe.

  “Stop looking at me like that.” I finally snap, looking away.

  “Looking at you like what?” It's clear from the sound of his voice that he finds me amusing. That's another thing that riles me. Me, embarrassing myself at every turn every time he's near, and him, finding me amusing.

  “Like a perv,” I answer him, showing my annoyance.

  “Not a perv when I'm looking at something that belongs to me.”

  My head snaps back up to look at him. He must be joking, right?

  He's gotta be joking. Yet, he doesn't look playful or amused now. His eyes are challenging me to deny his claim.

  “What do you mean?” I manage to squeak out instead.

  “What do you think I meant, sunshine?” he taunts me. “I mean, you're mine so I can look at you anyway, anyhow, anywhere I want to,” he announces. His eyes are watchful.

  My heart flutters crazily at his words.

  No! I shouldn't be happy about this. I should be getting tired of being treated like an object. Logan said that I belong to him, and treats me like garbage. I'm not having another male, treating me like that. I'm a person, damn it! A respectable, strong she-wolf! I have to show him that I deserve to be treated with respect.

  Yeah!!!

  Satisfied with the pep talk I'm giving myself, I steal a glance at the lycan sitting comfortably on my bed. His biceps taut with muscles. His well-defined chest and abs almost visible underneath that tight t-shirt. His hair mused sexily like he just rolled out of bed, well, he's still in bed—my bed. His eyes, his lips...

  Oh for goodness sake! Focus, Genesis!

  I quickly avert my eyes. “Well, you don't own me.”

  “Sure I do...and you know it. You've known that for three years now.”