Intertwined

And this is why I stay with him, she thought, smile growing all the wider.

They emerged, and she immediately searched the side of the school, peering into the trees. No sign of her wolf. That didn’t lessen the sudden feeling of being watched, though, and she lost her grin. Note to self: research wolves. Maybe fear made prey taste better and this was some sort of new stalk, terrify into stupidity and then kill technique. If so, there was no better prey than Mary Ann.

“Come on.” Tucker wound an arm around her waist and led her forward. He didn’t seem to notice her renewed trembling.

There, resting on the bike rails, was Tucker’s group. Crew. Whatever. Mary Ann knew them, of course, but she rarely hung out with them. They didn’t approve of her, something they made clear by ignoring her every time she approached. Each of them played football, though she couldn’t have named their positions to save her life.

The boys slapped each other’s hands in greeting. And yes, they pretended that she wasn’t there. Tucker never seemed to notice the disrespect and she never said anything. She wasn’t sure how he’d react—whether he’d side with her or his friends—and it simply wasn’t worth her time to worry about it.

“Did you hear?” Shane Weston, the school’s resident prankster, grinned and hopped to his feet, fairly bursting with the need to share.

Nate Dowling rubbed his hands together. “It’s our lucky day.”

“Let me tell, Dow,” Shane growled.

Nate held his hands up, palms out, brow raised impatiently.

Shane’s grin returned. “Fresh meat,” he said. “Two witnesses, Michelle and Shonna, saw Principal White greet them.”

Huh? Mary Ann gazed up at Tucker.

He gave a grin of his own as he and Shane nodded at each other in understanding.

“New kids,” Nate elaborated. “Two of ‘em.”

While they laughed about all the ways to initiate the newcomers properly, the poor kids, Mary Ann wandered to her first class. Mr. Klein lectured on all the things that would be in their test, but for the first time that year, she had trouble forcing herself to concentrate. She’d caught several whispered conversations on her trek through the halls.

Both new kids were juniors, like her, and both were male. One was tall with dark hair and black eyes, but no one had spoken to him. He’d holed up in the guidance offices. Was it … could it be … Aden? Those eyes …

The other was black, gorgeous, with green eyes—like her wolf?—and a hard but quiet demeanor.

Wait. Had she really just compared a human’s eyes to a wolf’s? The thought made her laugh.

“Ms. Gray?” the teacher said reprovingly.

Everyone in the classroom turned to peer at her.

Heat flooded her cheeks. “Sorry, Mr. Klein. You may continue.”

That earned several chuckles from the students and a glare from the head of the class.

Throughout the rest of the day, she watched for new faces. It wasn’t until after lunch that she found one. Shannon Ross was in her history class; she spotted him from the door. He was as beautiful as everyone had said, tall with eyes of light green—yep, just like the wolf—and just as quiet.

Mary Ann had lived in Crossroads for a long time now, but could sympathize with being new, knowing no one. He’d taken a desk in back and she slid into the one next to him. Wouldn’t hurt to warn him about Tucker and crew, either.

“Hi,” she said. Kids had been gossiping about him all day. Currently, the favorite story was that he was one of the troublemakers who lived at the D and M Ranch owned by Dan Reeves. Oh, and he’d killed both his parents. By this time tomorrow, he would have killed a sister and brother, too, she was sure.

Mary Ann had seen Dan around town and had heard the stories about him. Supposedly, his parents had died young and he’d lived with his grandparents. He’d been wild and in constant trouble with the law, yet he’d also been magic on the football field and managed to go pro. Only a few years in, though, he’d hurt his back and had to quit, at which point he’d decided to open his home to boys as troubled as he’d once been. Still. Most of the people in Crossroads still worshipped him—even though they disapproved of who he allowed to live with him.

Shannon flicked her a nervous glance. “Hi.”

“I’m Mary Ann Gray. If you need anything, I—”

“I—I—I won’t need anything,” he rushed out. A clear dismissal.

“Oh. Okay.” Wow, that stung. “Just … maybe stay away from the football players. They like to torture the new kids. Their way of welcoming them, I guess.” Her cheeks were hot for the second time that day as she claimed her rightful seat. The rest of the class filed inside just as the bell rang.

Before Mr. Thompson discussed the age of imperialism, he had Shannon stand at the front of the class and tell everyone a little about himself, an exercise he stuttered his way through, kids laughing the entire time. Mary Ann lost the threads of her own humiliation. No wonder he’d sent her away. He didn’t like conversing with people. It embarrassed him.

She smiled at him as he made his way back to his seat, but he didn’t see. He kept his eyes fixed on the painted concrete at his feet.

They shared their next class, too. Computer science. They sat close to each other, but she didn’t try and talk to him. Not again, not yet. He’d probably just reject her again.

Tucker was in the class, as well. He’d sat next to Mary Ann until last week, when Ms. Goodwin had moved him for talking.

“Hey, Tuck,” Shane whispered from across the room.

Tucker looked. So did Mary Ann and a few others in the room. Not Shannon, though. As he had in the last class, he kept his head down.

Shane motioned toward Shannon with a tilt of his chin. Do something, he mouthed.

Mary Ann clutched the edge of her desk. “Don’t,” she said. “Please.”

“Miss Gray,” the teacher admonished. “That’s enough from you.”

“I’m sorry,” she managed to choke out. She’d gone nearly all month without getting in trouble, yet she’d been reprimanded twice in one day.

Tucker mouthed, “Don’t worry” and raised his hand, drawing attention away from her.

Ms. Goodwin sighed. “Yes, Mr. Harbor.”

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

“I don’t know. Can you?”

He glowered. “May I?”

“Fine. But do not loiter or you’ll find yourself in detention tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tucker stood. He walked from the room and shut the door, and Mary Ann’s shoulders hunched in relief. Scene avoided.

Only, Tucker never veered from the door.

He peered through its small, square window at Shane. Shane held out his hands and Tucker nodded.

Shane stood, and he was suddenly clutching a slithering, hissing snake. Thin, with yellow and green scales and a bright red head. A lump of fear knotted Mary Ann’s throat, cutting off her gasp. Dear God. Where had it come from? How had it appeared seemingly out of thin air?

Shane glanced at Ms. Goodwin to make sure she wasn’t paying attention. She wasn’t, too lost in showing the twins, Brittany and Brianna Buchannan, how to create a password for their pages. Grinning, he tossed the snake at Shannon. It landed on his shoulder, then fell onto his thighs with a hiss.