Show-off.
“No fair.” Kyle pouts. “She was asking me.”
“Well, you’re too slow, human.”
“Come on in, then.” Clarissa gestures to him after wiping her face, which also got wet from Theo’s big splash. She turns to Sebastian. “You, too.”
“No, thanks,” Sebastian mutters while Kyle glances at her and shrugs. He starts removing some of his clothing.
“Come on,” Clarissa urges. “It might do you some good, you know, help you cool off.”
Right, Sebastian. Go on. Let your guard down.
For a moment, they fall silent, staring at each other. Then Sebastian sighs.
“Fine.”
As he pulls off his shirt, I grin.
Now.
I pounce.
Sebastian falls to the ground, my claws digging into his skin. He gives a whimper but then throws me off, getting back on his feet and baring his fangs.
Theo starts climbing out of the water.
“Stay out of this,” Sebastian tells him. “This is between me and the Cat.”
Theo stays still.
I chuckle. “What? You think you can take me, mutt?”
He growls.
“Stop!” Clarissa shouts.
Still, Sebastian charges at me. I leap out of his way and pounce again only to land on Theo’s back, Sebastian pinned down beneath him.
“Clarissa told you to stop!” he shouts.
I step back. Taking on a Wolf, and at Alpha at that, head on, is hard enough. Taking on a Bear and an Alpha? Let’s just say the odds aren’t in my favor. Besides, while I have many things against Wolves, I have nothing against Bears. Like us, they keep to themselves and like their sleep. They’re pretty agreeable, actually, unless they’re protecting something.
This one is protecting Clarissa and I better not bring out the beast in him. Let sleeping Bears lie.
“Get off me!” Sebastian growls.
Theo gets off, standing between Sebastian and me like a wall. It should be enough to prevent Sebastian from charging, but not from glaring. He’s still tense, as am I.
“What the hell is going on?” Clarissa asks, standing knee deep in the water still, arms crossed, looking absolutely furious.
“He started it.” Sebastian points at me.
Clarissa shakes her head. “Who’s acting like a kid now?”
I can’t help but laugh, though I stop when Clarissa turns to me.
“You.” That look of betrayal in her eyes is enough to make me want to scurry away. “You’re...one of them?”