Twice Bitten (Virgin Blood 3)

Dove physically relaxes and her smile brightens once again. I open my mouth to ask her another question when her stomach growls loudly.

Right at that moment Juliet comes up the stairs with Kane hot on her heels, and in her arms is a basket of food. Is she somehow clairvoyant?

“Dove!” she squeals as she comes over to where we are and tries to embrace her friend.

Erik and I have to move out of the way as the two of them embrace. I lock eyes with him and he nods, then all the animosity from earlier fades away. This is the possibility we’ve hoped for and I see it reflected in his eyes now. Could this be what we’ve been dreaming of?

It will be if I have anything to say about it.

Four

Dove

I hug Juliet back and it’s then I notice how much I’ve missed her. It could be because I’m on an emotional overload and she’s the one person I actually know, but she was always so nice to me. We were never super close, but to be honest she was the first real friend I’ve ever had. She didn’t go to my high school or know me as the creepy morgue girl. She treated me like I was normal and I was probably rude to her if I think back on it. I wasn’t used to being social and how to handle people my own age.

“Sorry I haven’t been around,” she says as she pulls back and gives me a warm smile.

She’s so happy she looks like she’s glowing. She was always nice and had an easy smile even with the hard life she lived. After she moved out of my dorm room she didn’t tell the school, so they didn’t fill her spot. She let me have a room all to myself, which was rare. I thought I’d like having the space, but I was wrong. Now I avoid the dorm room until I have to sleep. I’m mostly at the library or my grandpa’s house.

“I haven’t seen you around school,” I respond. “I kinda miss you.”

“I’ve been a jerk.”

“You are not,” Kane chimes in, but she ignores him.

“You were a good friend to me, Dove. You checked on me and everything and then I ghosted on you again. I really am sorry. Things have been a little busy.”

Her kind words make me feel better. I did help her when she asked and I broke a few rules to help her out. I looked for her when she disappeared on me, but I have to admit that half the reason I went to check on her was to get another look at Kane. I needed to see for myself if he was what I’d guessed. It’s also what led to my obsession with Erik and Ezra.

“No, it’s fine.” I shuffle on me feet, suddenly feeling out of place with everyone staring at me.

“Let’s eat.” She pulls me by the arm and I follow her down the hall into a kitchen. The guys follow behind us and Juliet waves her hand away at them. “Why don’t you all let us have some time alone.” They stand there, not moving, and she snaps her fingers. After a moment they get the hint and then finally walk out. “They tend to hover. You get used to it after a while, but you looked like you could use a breather.”

I nod in agreement as I sit down at the high bar stool at the counter. Being near them makes my head swim with questionable feelings I don’t understand. Juliet places the basket between us and sits down beside me.

“So you know,” she finally says, taking a bite of a muffin, and I reach for one.

“Yeah,” I admit sheepishly. “I might have seen Kane attack that guy who was all over you.”

“But you haven’t told anyone?” She tilts her head to the side a little, studying me.

I shake my head and wonder if it’s because people will think I’m crazy or because I think it’s a betrayal of a secret that I should protect. Though after meeting that man today I’m not sure how secret this really is or if I should tell everyone about him. For all I know he’s trying to protect me.

“Do Erik and Ezra have mates?” I blurt out. They mentioned it and it keeps rolling around in my head.

“That’s the one question you ask.” Juliet throws back her head and laughs. Maybe it should have been do they like killing tall, thin, red-haired women? but I couldn’t help myself. “No, neither of them do.”

“To be honest, in the short time I’ve known them it would be weird to see them mated. They’re both so close I can’t imagine them being apart.”

I want to ask more, but I don’t know where Juliet’s loyalties are at this point. She could tell them everything I say. For all I know they could be listening in on us talking right now. I decide to go with what I do know from the few moments that I’ve known them.