"Hey!"
I frown and turn around.
What the fuck is this girl doing here? She is standing a few steps away from me, staring at me and a bit out of breath. Did she run all the way here? How did she…? Oh damn, Nora has to be the one who told her.
I can't help but sigh. I have a strong feeling of déjà vu. The two of us, staring at each other under the rain. And once again, I have this horrible feeling in my gut. My wolf wakes up, like a wild beast in my stomach. I never knew it would feel like this. It's as if my whole body is suddenly woken up by an electric shock. I get the chills, my hair standing up almost. Like last time, I can't help but worry that she is going to feel it too.
Mara's eyes are even darker, like the skies above us. Why the hell do I feel so shaken up just from looking at a woman I barely know? Because she is a woman, not a girl. It's an odd feeling, to find her whole being so attractive, like an irresistible pull. I want to run to her, but I don't. It's not even about her body. If I'm being honest, she's pretty average. She has full lips, a lean body without many curves, and long limbs. Because of her bandages and scars, she's only wearing a tube top, but it's not her exposed skin that drives me crazy.
It's something else, something more intricate in an insidious way. Like the little frown between her eyebrows, her movements, or the way she stares at me. Her eyes are like those of some feline, always so dark, defiant, and full of questions. I feel like she's about to jump away every time someone says something.
She steps closer, and I want to run away. Don't come near me, leave me alone. She has no idea the torture I am going through every time she opens those damn lips.
"You werewolves have no idea how annoying it is to walk across the city, do you?" she says.
If she was a werewolf, she'd probably be growling right now. I glance down, and she is wearing some ugly gladiator sandals. Oh, she probably had to borrow them, she was bare-footed when we brought her out of the fire, for some reason... I sigh and stare at her.
"Nobody asked you to follow me," I retort.
Her frown disappears as soon as I open my mouth, which is somewhat not helping. I can't help but notice her hair is losing some of its volume as we are really starting to get wet, the rain increasing.
"I have more questions."
Well, I don't want to answer them. I am not a witch coach, and especially not for this one I don't want to be around the most. I glance to the side. We are almost at Nina's. I sigh and turn around to get there.
"Hey!" she calls after me, annoyed that I'm ignoring her.
I know I don't need to say a thing. That girl is stubborn and will definitely follow me. Meanwhile, I feel like I am digging my own grave, bringing her with me. Every word I pronounce, it's like I'm letting her in a little more, and I don't feel too good about that, really.
We get inside Nina's restaurant. I missed this place. It's still vintage, with the red neons and the overused leather of the chairs that smell like fritters all the time. It has barely changed since I was a kid. Nora and I come here from time to time, but since Lily's birth, it's been months since we came to have one of our little "dates"... Nina jumps, recognizing me from the bar, and comes to greet me with a big hug as usual.
"Oh, Liam boy, how come you're here with this weather?! And it's not Nora today! Do you have a new date, boy?"
I turn around to Mara, and for some reason, I expected her to be blushing, like Nora the first time she was mistaken for my girlfriend. Instead, Mara is smiling a bit shyly, and I just felt that. Oh, Moon Goddess, I'm in real trouble here...
"Hi, I'm Mara," she says with a dangerously warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, sweetie! Oh, kitten, you're soaked! Give me a second, I'll bring you guys some towels. What's with this weather, really?! Just pick a table, you two, I'll be right back!"
Nina leaves, and I immediately show Mara to a table where we can both sit before she gets a say in this. The truth is, the restaurant is pretty much empty, but the spot I picked is one with a table large enough that we won't be elbow to elbow. I am a total coward for that one, but I slide myself onto the chair, keeping myself far from the table and far from her.
It doesn't help much. She's still way too close, with her eyes fixated on me, even a bit too much. I can see the details of her face, the little brown marks on her skin. At some point, I can't ignore it any longer.
"Can you stop staring like that?" I sigh, almost begging.
"I'm waiting for the minute you're going to try and run away," she replies back.
Oh, so she's pissed about last time. I sigh and look away. Sure, it wasn't nice, but I already stayed with her longer than I intended to. I just... I couldn't walk away after noticing she was in trouble. Seeing her under the rain was the first pull. I just... I felt this urge to do something. She was like a soaked kitten, and my instincts were making me feel like shit for witnessing that. I didn't think we'd end up spending that long in my hideout, or the kind of torture I'd experience there. Like a dog trapped in a cage with a bone... I shiver just remembering that. I think my own self-control surprised me that day, but also those new feelings I got there. I just can't.
"Here, my lovelies," says Nina, handing us two towels. "How about some hot cocoas, hm? Are you hungry? It's not too late for lunch!"
"We are fine, Nina..." I declare, but I shut my mouth since Mara is glaring at me.
"Can I have a cheeseburger?" asks Mara. "Since Mr. Runaway right here made me walk all the way here, I'm starving now."
Did she eat at all at Nora's? I don't dare say a thing; the more she glares at me, the more I feel my wolf getting ready to poke his nose out. Stay down, boy.
Nina leaves with a chuckle, sending me a glance as if to say good luck with the feisty one. Yeah, I'd need luck and to run very fast and very far... Mara starts trying to dry her hair, and I put my towel on my face too. Why do I have to go through this…? I'm feeling crazy enough already. I don't want to be in the same room as her, but my entire body is saying otherwise. My heart goes crazy as if I'm about to have a panic attack. Why, why another witch? Why a witch, of all people? It wouldn't even have felt half as bad if Mara was a wolf or at least a human!
