Wicked Encounters (The Wicked Series: Season 1)

Five

Patting her knee and brushing my palm over her curls, I sit next to her on the edge of the mattress. My relationship with Lorelai is purely platonic, but it doesn't mean that I like seeing her worry about me. All the fussing just adds to my uncomfortable state. "Stop. It's all right. We're here now, and we will make the best of it. The rash will settle down, or I'll get used to it. One way or another."

Lorelai raises an eyebrow and cocks her head to the side. "Orrrr...you know what else helps it?"

I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling. "Oh, god. Please don'—"

"Feeding on human blood...straight from the source."

Sarcasm dripping from my voice, I ask, "Please enlighten me; where would I find human blood on an island of paranormal creatures?"

"You know where. Is that why you followed her out of the house last night? Were you looking for a little nibble?"

I groan and slide my hand down my face. Lying would be the easier option here. If I confess I followed Cordelia because I was enticed by her scent, the conversation ends. But I've never been a skilled liar when it comes to Lorelai.

"No. I had no intention of feeding from her."

"Then why did you follow her?"

I fall back on the bed and wind the drawstring on my pants around my finger. "She wasn't sleeping well. All night I could hear every moment her heart would start racing and wake her up. I couldn't stop myself from going to check on her the final time when it pounded like a drum. She was already running down the stairs before I opened my door."

The mattress dips as Lorelai lays back beside me. She is so slender that she hardly puts a dent in the bed, and she smells like water lilies and salt water. Her presence is a calming balm to my frayed nerves. Except for when she goes into interrogator mode—a thousand questions until she gets the answer she needs. "Oh, shit. You can hear her heartbeat? You've never told me you can do that before."

"I can hear any nearby human's heartbeat, but I've learned to block them out over the decades. But there is something about Cordelia's that sings to me. It's like a new favorite song that I want to listen to over and over again." I rip my gaze from the ceiling and Lorelai's eyes meet mine. "I'm sure it's just that I've not been so close to a human for such a long period of time."

Lorelai just stares at me for a moment before she releases a long breath. "Holy shit."

"What?"

A smug smirk turns up the corner of her lips. "It 'sings' to you? You like her, that's what."

"I also like rap music and modern art; it doesn't mean anything. She's beautiful but a little too demanding for my taste."

She furrows her brows and purses her lips. "'Demanding'? How so? That sounds made up. I haven't seen her be demanding at all. In fact, she kind of wants to be left alone. Explain."

"I just... she... Fine, maybe demanding is the wrong word. She is bold. Stupidly bold. Why would a human come here, and then run out of the safety of her room? She could have been attacked by a shifter or lured into a promise with a fae. It's like she is seeking out trouble."

"Have you ever considered that she had no idea what she was getting herself into? And that possibly she never even knew supes existed before this weekend? Maybe she still doesn't know? And from what she told me...she didn't feel too safe in her room." Lorelai turns her head toward me and meets my eyes again. "Was it possible she wasn't safe in her room, Elias?"

I consider all the options, and none of them are solid. The only thing we know for sure is that someone in this house is a murderer. Could they want to hurt Cordelia? Absolutely. Could they want all of us dead? It is likely. Is Cordelia safer in her room or running outside at night? I can't say.

"Anything is possible, Lore."

"Then let's not give her too hard of a time for being scared, yeah? In fact...I think maybe we should have dinner with her tonight."

"We will all be having dinner together every night," I point out.

"True, but tonight, dinner is supposed to be served outside on the beach. They want to..." She clears her throat. "Continue cleaning the dining room. There will be smaller tables set up all over. Let's sit with her, okay?"

"What is this, some human teen movie and we are dubbing ourselves the cool table?"

She sits up and shakes her head while walking across the room. Before she opens the door, she glances back at me. "I've always been at the cool table. You should feel grateful that my coolness extends to you. Now pass it on and let Cordelia feel cool too. Besides, I like her."

"So she is a potential match for you?" I ask.

"Not a chance. You should have seen how she eyed the troll boys today."

I wrinkle my nose and curl my lip. Trolls are just as terrible as legends carve them out to be. They like hiding in dark, damp areas and have a habit of collecting things they like and hoarding them away. Including people.

"All right," I say with a sigh. "We will have dinner with Cordelia."

Lorelai flashes a stunning smile at me before swinging the door open. "Perfect. I'm sure we will have a night to remember."

I force a smile back at her. This is my best friend's trip, and I'm just along for the ride. Never would I be the reason that she doesn't have a memorable summer. Not that anyone could forget the time the host of a singles' gathering got his throat cut on the first night.

I want her to have a good time, hook up with whoever she wants, maybe find a long-term relationship, all without having to worry about finding someone for me. And I think I know exactly how to make that happen.