Where The Wild Things Hide

Chapter 3

"Morning Lils. Sleep well?" Luca stands up and walks over to me, still half asleep.

"I don't know, you tell me. I don't believe grass and hard dirt really make a great bed." I reach up and fix his unruly hair as he looks down at me.

"Mmm, true," A small warm smile appears on his face as he blinks his eyes open.

"How about you get dressed real quick so I can fix that shoulder of yours?" I raise an eyebrow as he slowly makes his way to the bag.

"Do we have too?" He complains like a child who just got told to clean his room.

"Well unless you want a nasty infection and your arm falls off that's fine with me. You and Zale could be amputee partners and-" I stop mid sentence as he gives me a glare which I return with a smirk.

"No way will I be like that guy." he fires back and I laugh at him. "Speaking of guys, what are we gonna do with him? He isn't safe." He nods his head towards the sleeping figure under the tree.

Turning back around I realize Theo is still in his clothes from last night and he needs a new pair, badly. I kneel down and search through the bag as I pull out an olive green V-neck shirt with a pair of gray and black camo pants.

"He'll stay with us for awhile. He isn't that bad." I lock eyes with Luc.

"Are you crazy?! He's a Silverstris, you know those things that almost killed us last night?" He gives me a 'are you stupid?' face and I glare at him.

"Mom would've helped and you know it! She always told us not to judge a book by its cover. Plus, he's nice, if you are willing to talk to him."

"There is no way he is good Lils! You don't know them like I do.... They're part of my kind and I know how they can be. They'll turn their backs on you just like that." He snaps his fingers for emphasis.

"Well you don't know him like I do!" I retorted back.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize that just by dancing with some stranger that you automatically know everything about them. Why do you think we train Lilly? It's not just for fun, you said you wanted to be prepared in case one attacked us. I don't want you to get hurt by one of them. You're too important and mom would rise out of her grave and kill me." He stands up, his short breathes showing that he is getting heated up about this.

I point a finger at him, "Don't you dare try to bring mom into this. Just because she trusted you to protect me doesn't mean you have to hate everyone that I socialize with. Like Zale, when he accidentally hurt me. Luca you need to back off sometimes! You protect way too much when it isn't needed. If I need you to protect me I will let you know, or if there is actual trouble." I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Lils, your the only one I have left. If you're gone I won't be able to live my life." His voice gets softer, as if it was hard for him to speak the words."I-"

I stomp over to him and wrap my arms around him, "Shut up Luc. Don't press the conversation any further..." My anger slowly eases away like a receding wave on a beach. "I'm sorry."

He wraps his good arm around me, burying his face in my hair. Hot tears fall against my shoulder as I gently stroke his soft hair. It wasn't his fault that he was scared and nervous about all that had happened. We had just lost part of our home and all of that was too much for both of us. He was true on some of his arguments, but I couldn't just leave Theo behind to be left to die.