Our Story Part Three The Hunters

Author's Note- the song is "Bed of Lies" by Matchbox Twenty, the other song is "Ours" by Sugar Ray.

~*~

Chapter Twelve

~*~

“Are you ready to do this?” Garret asked.

“No,” Rowan admitted.

“Angel-”

“Well, I’m being honest, I’m not.” she sighed. “I am doing the right thing, aren’t I?”

Garret took a deep breath. “I can’t answer that for you, angel. You want to be with me, right?”

“Yes.”

He laid a hand over her chest. “Then trust your heart.”

“You’re not any help.” She slapped his hand away. “And stop trying to cop a feel!” He merely laughed.

“Hey, listen.”

“What?”

With a mischievous smirk Garret started to sing the song that was playing in the background. “’She was your woman but she was my girl, one on one the queen of two worlds’-”

“You still aren’t helping.”

“I was supposed to be helping?”

She rolled her eyes. “Meet me here?”

“Sure. You’ll be fine, sweetheart.” She gave him a small smile before walking inside. She found Jesse towards the back of the club.

“Hey,” he said.

“We need to talk.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “we do.” She sat down across from him. “I do love you, Row, I just think that maybe we should go back to just being friends.”

She blinked. “If that’s what you want.”

“Do you think we can do that?” he asked.

“I hope so, I’d hate to lose you as a friend too.” He smiled. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.” As she stood she could hear someone on stage singing Matchbox twenty’s “Bed of Lies.”

“Don’t think that I can take another empty moment
Don’t think that I can fake another hallow smile
It’s not enough just to be sorry
Don’t think that I could take another talk about it”

She walked away slowly. Even though she knew this was for the best, for both of us, a part of her ached at losing what had been the only love that she had ever known.

“Just like me you’ve got needs
And they’re only a whisper away
And we softly surrender
To these lives that we’ve tendered away”

She paused at the door calming myself. It had gone better than she had expected, she honestly thought that they’d break up and never even speak again.

“Tried to be more than me
And I gave ‘til it all went away
And we’ve only surrendered
To the worst part of these winters we’ve made”

“How’d it go?” Garret asked. She walked to him and stepped into his arms. He hugged her to his chest not seeming at all triumphant as he held her tenderly. “Are you okay?”

“Getting dumped sucks,” she said stepping away.

He blinked. “Pardon?”

“He beat me to it.”

“Huh.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“I’m just confused. Why would someone like him break up with a beautiful woman like you?”

“I guess it’s better like this. Better for his ego at least.”

“His ego matters?”

Rowan shook her head. “Garret-”

“I promised I’d play nice. I didn’t say anything about actually being nice. Would you like to go hunt with me?”

“Um... yeah, sure.”

He smiled brightly. It was the little boy smile that had caused her heart to skip a beat when she had first met him. “Great,” he said taking her hand. We walked through the street heading towards the woods.

The next day at the girl’s dorm

Rowan had invited the group over to tell them everything. Everyone had showed up, except Jesse, which kind of relieved her. “Let me get this straight,” Cherish said. “Garret is alive?”

“Yes,” she said dreading their reaction.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Lupe asked.

“At first I thought he’d just leave. Then I guess I was scared of what you guys would think.”

“Okay,” Polaris said. “So why are you telling us now?”

“We’re kinda seeing each other,” she admitted.

“Doesn’t take you too long to move on, does it, Rae?” Cherish asked a little coldly.

“I don’t owe you guys any explanations, and if you’re my friends you won’t ask me for any,” she said resolutely.

/Good for you,/ came from Nova.

“Guys, while we’re making announcements,” Nova broke in. “I have one too.”

“What’s up?” Nick asked. He seemed peculiarly unbothered by the news. she made a note to myself to talk to him later.

“Come to me,” Nova said. Damien appeared next to Nova, and on top of Camille who screamed and pushed him off. “Oops.”

“What the Hell was that?” Damien demanded. “I was just sitting with a bunch of humans eating dinner then bam! I’m here.”

“Nova?” Maya asked all eyes turned from the demon to her.

“I’d like you to meet Damien,” Nova said. “He’s a demon.”

“This gets better and better!” Cherish exclaimed.

/Angel?/ she felt Garret’s mind touch hers. /Are you okay?/

/Not really./

/Do you need me?/

/Not unless you enjoy being staked./

/What’s wrong?/

/Let’s just say that the gang isn’t thrilled that you’re alive,/ she announced. /Or that Damien is a demon./

/Ah, do you want me there?/

/I always want you with me, but-/ The fact that he strutted through the front door kind of made the rest of that statement null and void.

“Good evening.”

“Anyone else have an announcement?” Cherish asked. “Nick, are you gay? Hunter, are you actually a woman? Tristan, do you have a secret lover? Camille, are you actually smart?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Nick said.

“Not the last time I checked,” Hunter shrugged.

“Nope,” Tristan said.

“Why are-? Hey!” Camille exclaimed indignantly.

“Well, anyone else?” Cherish asked.

“Actually,” Cat said, “I do have an announcement.”

“Yippee.”

“I knew he was alive. Garret and I ran into each other. Plus, who here really believes that Rach here could kill someone?” Silence.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Rowan said slowly.

“Anytime,” Maya said brightly.

“So, Rae is with an accused psycho, who’s not dead. Nova is... co-horting with a demon, and Cat is withholding information from the clan,” Cherish stated. Without saying another word she turned and walked away.

“That went well,” Garret said.

“Garret,” she said sweetly.

“Yes?”

“Please, stop helping.”

“Hey, anytime I’m not staked.”

“And I’m not attacked,” Damien put in.

“Is good in my book,” Garret finished. Rowan sighed shaking her head.

“So...” Polaris said slowly. “Damien, are you enrolled in college?”

“Yes,” Damien nodded. He grinned. “I’m going to be a lawyer.” Nova and Rowan laughed. “What are your majors?”

“I’m studying to be a doctor,” Nick announced before looking over at Maya. “She’s going to be her nurse.”

“Wildlife vet,” Maya said glaring at her mate.

“I’m going to be a teacher,” Polaris told Damien. “And Hunter is majoring in business.”

“I’m studying to be a vet,” Lupe said.

“Yeah, me too,” Brayden said with a nod. “And Cherish is studying to be a psychologist.”

“I’m majoring in Latin,” Nova said. “It helps with the spells, I’m also minoring in the culinary arts

“I’m majoring in journalism,” Cat announced.

“I’m actually studying teaching too,” Tristan announced.

“Undecided,” Garret drawled.

“I’m studying wildlife,” she said. “I’m double majoring in conservation and zoology.”

“A bit of an overachiever, aren’t we?” Garret asked.

“No,” she said.

“She does about three hours of homework a night,” Cat said. Garret shook his head lightly.

“What?” Rowan asked.

“Angel, don’t take this the wrong way, my love, but you need to get laid,” Garret said. The rest of the group laughed.

“Garret,” Rowan said, a purr to her voice.

“Yes, baby?”

“Why don’t you go-?”

“Okay, children,” Cat interrupted laughing. “Break it up.”

“He started it,” she protested.

“Tattletale,” Garret teased. She stuck her tongue out at him. Don’t do that unless you’re prepared to use it. With a growl she tackled him. He rolled her under him and pinned her laying a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Hey, get a room!” Polaris exclaimed but she could hear the laughter in her voice.

/Can we?/ he sent to her. Rowan narrowed her eyes looking at him. /Please?/