Nina is obviously used to werewolves, she doesn't even blink at Ben sitting at Kelsi's feet, or the two still glaring at us from outside. That Johnny guy too is standing there, not coming in but not walking away either. I try to ignore him, but Kelsi looks uncomfortable.
"...Should we be worried?"
"Don't mind him," sighs Liam. "It's just a rivalry thing, he's an Alpha too..."
I do feel a bit of an aura from that guy, but it's not as intimidating as Liam's older brothers. More like some gray cloud compared to a raging storm.
"Your rival?" I ask.
"He thinks so. He's just fixated on me, for some reason. It's old."
So those two have some history together? I wonder why Liam won't tell me more, but honestly, I can't afford to care much. I'm still in a shit load of pain and trying to control it. Kelsi takes the seat in front of me, still with that worried look on.
"What happened there?" she asks.
"Well, it worked, for one..."
"We saw that! Boo, there were red flames all around you, it was really scary... I thought it might be normal since you didn't look in pain or anything, so we waited until, um... your friend arrived."
I glance at Liam. I forgot he didn't really get to introduce himself, although Ben definitely already knows him. I sigh and nod weakly, but it's hard to focus. I want to sleep, scream in pain, and cry. All the emotions from earlier are still haunting me. If it wasn't for those three around me, I'd be falling apart right now… and dead, probably.
"How long did it take?"
"Not long, actually. Maybe less than five minutes?" says Kelsi.
Ben nods next to her.
That's it? I felt like I was having those nightmarish memories for hours! They all seemed so real too. I mean, it was probably real in some ways, but to me, they just felt like dreams, as if they could disappear at any given moment. I keep trying to remember each detail, afraid I'll forget something important.
"...Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital? You're all sweaty..."
"I'm fine, Kelsi, just... tired."
"You need to learn to control your magic, Mara," says Liam. "You're going to kill yourself at this rate."
I nod.
Actually, it feels a bit unfair because I have no idea what I am doing. I wouldn't have known I was in trouble, and even if I did, I may not have known how to stop it. Nina comes back with a bunch of ice and a towel, and both Liam and Kelsi thank her. She reaches to take it, but Liam is faster.
He grabs the towel to wrap some cubes in, and Kelsi and I exchange a look. Her eyes are full of questions, but I silently move my lips to say I'll give her the details later.
"So? What happened?" Liam asks.
He applies the towel on my legs, and I'd surely blush if it didn't feel like a horrible slap on my legs. I gasp, but after a few more seconds, the cold finally kicks in, and I feel a lot better. Oh, Moon Goddess, that feels good. Liam doesn't seem embarrassed one bit about applying ice on my thighs, but I do. Even Kelsi is blushing across the table, pinching her lips with her eyes wide open on Liam Black and his hands...
Ben growls a bit and puts his head on her knee. I see Kelsi frown, confused.
"Mara?"
I almost forgot his question. I nod and start explaining.
I try to detail what I saw as much as I can, not just for them but also because I need to vocalize everything to be sure I don't forget. They remain quiet the whole time, even Kelsi makes a sad expression from time to time. I detail everything, not just what I saw but my sensations, the feelings of being trapped in someone else's body. Liam frowns the whole time, but I try to ignore it until I'm done.
Nina comes back to give us a bunch of colored drinks just when I finish, and I grab one to quench my thirst. In front of me, Kelsi is still making that upset expression, as if she was about to cry.
"Poor Clarissa... I mean, poor you. What a douchebag her father was! Even to... Amy..."
"You mean is. He's still alive, as far as I know..." I grumble.
