BeWere My Heart

Chapter Eight

"I wanted to discuss something with you in private, if you have a minute?" Jason asked.

Patrick nodded, patted Selene's shoulder and followed Jason away.

Marcus came forward, "Good Evening ladies." He smiled.

Before Selene or Roz could offer a smile or response Trevor cut in, "Don't you mean Lady. You can't really consider Roz a lady."

Selene's gaze jumped to Roz, who sat with her hands folded in her lap seemingly unfazed by the cruel comment. Selene hadn't had many friends but she knew how she had wanted her friends to treat her. And standing up for your friend was definitely a qualification for a good friend.

Before anyone else could response Selene had risen from her chair and faced Trevor. She put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath, "Roz is a lady. And if you are too pig headed or just too stupid to know that, then too bad. But we don't have to suffer you. I want you to go."

Trevor was taken aback by Selene's defense of Roz and tried to backtrack, "Look I didn't know that-"

"Go away. I don't want you here. This is my party and I want you to leave."

"Selene..." Roz protested, "He doesn't have to leave."

Selene looked back a Roz and knew she was afraid of causing a scene. "It's okay, its my choice." She looked back at Trevor, "Leave, now."

"Look I-"

"Leave." Patrick's voice came from behind Trevor. Trevor turned and saw his leader and father standing behind him, both glaring at him with disapproval.

Trevor looked as though he wanted to argue more but instead his face darkened with rage and his glare zeroed in on Roz. Roz stared right back, wanting to protest that he shouldn't have to leave. She didn't want to cause strife are problems, she just wanted to be accepted.

Selene turned her back on Trevor and smiled at Roz in an attempt to alleviate some of the upset. "Roz will you come with me to get something to drink?"

Roz smiled weakly and nodded, and the two women left.

Trevor curled his hands into fists and without looking at his brother or his father he stalked into the night.

On the way back from the drink table, Roz and Selene were giggling after observing one of the hats that an older member of the pack were wearing. The wearer seemed to really like dried flowers, because the hat looked to be more like a garden piled atop the women's head, a dead garden.

Selene smile froze on her face when she noticed Diana near the edge of the woods with her arms draped over the shoulders of a much taller man. Diana notice the two women and smiled wickedly she threaded her long white claw like fingers up through the man's shoulder length hair. Diana kept her eyes on Selene, and even though Selene tried to force herself to look away, she couldn't. There was something about Diana that made her yearn to be what she was. Diana was a confidant, beautiful women, who had the love of Patrick and the respect of the pact.

Selene took a deep breath and told herself she could have those things. Her father, she assured herself, already loved her. Merrick loved her...or at least they both felt something strong. She wasn't sure it was love, but it was something; something she had never felt before. It was exciting and scary at the same time. She had never wanted anything like she wanted a life with Merrick, but it left her open to so much hurt. She felt pain in her chest just looking at Diana who had so much, Selene could only begin to imagine the pain that she would feel if Merrick ever left her.

It was with that thought that the man in Diana's arms turned and Selene caught a look at his profile. It was none other than Marcus, Merrick's half brother. Out of all Merrick's brothers, Marcus looked the most like Merrick. He had Merrick's height and build, even his dark hair; but there was something about Marcus, something dark and elusive. There was something that swam just under the surface of his skin. Marcus seemed to lack Trevor's cockiness and Madison's boyish disposition, instead he melted into the background, but never completely. Somehow he always looked ready to pounce, to take what he wanted with no looking back.