Part Eight

“Hi,” Samantha said as she opened her front door and let me inside.

“Hey,” I said as I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets and stood looking at her in the living room.

“I never slept with Rosco,” she said suddenly and I sat down.

“I didn’t think you did,” I said to her.

“Then why are you mad at me?” she asked.

“I’m not mad at you, I’m beyond pissed off with Rosco,” I said to her.

“Okay, I just wanted to clear the air with you,” she said as she sat down opposite me.

“Why?” I asked her.

“I shouldn’t like you but I do. You’ve just been nice to me,” she said and couldn’t meet my eyes.

“You like me?” I asked her and she gave a soft laugh.

“Yes, but you also scare me,” she said and I could feel the honesty in her words.

“You don’t ever have to be afraid of me,” I said to her and she looked up.

“You’re scarier than Mac or Jett,” she said.

“What happened with you and Rosco?” I asked her.

“My parents had just left and I was alone, my sister was never here so I went to a party with Beth, we used to be friends,” she said.

“Beth that’s dating Travis now?” I asked her.

“Yes, at the party she got really drunk so Rosco said he’d bring me home, I had no reason not to accept, at that stage we were all friends, sort of,” she said.

I didn’t say anything but I kept looking at her face. Her eyes always belied her emotions and she was easy to read.

“He walked me up to the front door and then his hands were all over me, groping and fumbling to get underneath my clothes, he was pushing me against the door, no matter how many times I said no, he just didn’t stop,” she said.

“You don’t have to continue,” I said to her because I knew where this was headed and my anger was resurfacing.

“A police car was flashing its lights and Rosco pulled away suddenly when he heard the siren, that’s when I pushed the door open and locked it behind me so he couldn’t get in. He stayed there for fifteen minutes and told me everything he was going to do to me when he found me,” she said.

“Did he ever…?” I asked her my voice trailing off.

“No, he tried getting into the house a few times, once I had to escape through the back door when he got in and then it seemed like he gave up and left me alone,” she said.

“He won’t bother you again,” I said knowing that if he did I would really hurt him.

“I believe you,” she said softly and it felt like something had changed at that moment.

“You know you can call me anytime, if you feel alone or scared,” I said to her.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she said.

“Why not?”

“We’re not even in a real relationship, yes you’ve been very kind, even Mac and Jett’s very nice to me, but while I’m still not sure why you’re doing all this, you’ve done more than enough already,” she said.

I walked towards her and she stepped back and effectively trapped her against the wall with my hands on either side of her. I had strange feelings surging through me and Kane laughed at me as I realized that I did like her, I liked her a lot.

“I’m going to kiss you now and then you can tell me if it’s real or not,” I said as she closed her eyes.

I lowered my head and our lips touched briefly, her breath hitched in her throat and then I kissed her. She hesitated for a split second before opening her mouth and then it was game over. My hands were in her hair and she grabbed my shirt as I pressed closer against her.

She gripped my shirt tighter and then her hands moved under my shirt, across my abdomen and to my back as she dug her nails in. My hands moved to her thighs and I lifted her against the wall and gripped her one leg against my waist as I pressed my erection against her. I pulled away breathlessly, my mouth almost touching hers.

“So you tell me, was that real or not?” I asked her.

“That was my first real kiss,” she breathed out.

“Don’t ever question me again,” I said as I lowered her to the floor and pulled away.

I could hear her heart still beating erratically and I knew that kiss had been so real for both of us that it should be scary. I shouldn’t be feeling these feelings and I turned away from her as my eyes darkened and I pushed Kane further into my mind.

“I should go before we both do something we’re not ready for,” I said as I turned back towards her.

“You should,” she said and lowered her eyes, feeling embarrassed at her revelation.

“So you’ll call me if anything happens?” I asked her.

She only nodded her head as I kissed her goodnight against her forehead. She had closed her eyes again gripping my shirt and I knew that sooner or later this girl was going to be under my skin, in my thoughts and hopefully beneath me.

“Goodnight Griff,” she said and I smiled.

“Goodnight Sam.”

I left her house with a smile on my face and drove home. This had become a real relationship in a matter of minutes. Kane who always mocked me now urged me to just go with it, he liked her too. The sun had just set by the time I reached the clowder house and Kane wanted to go running.

I undressed in the tree line and shifted as Kane took over and started running. He stopped after a few minutes and he lowered himself to the ground, his ears pricked.

“What is it?” I asked him.

“We’re not alone,” he said with a glint in his eye.

He listened for a while and then dashed into the cluster of trees nearby as another jaguar crept into the small clearing where we’d just been. His tail flicked as he pounced on the other jaguar and they both rolled over the ground and leaves.

“Are you following me?” I asked over our mind link as we separated.

“I hid my scent, how did you know I was here?” he asked me.

“Kane smelled you, either you’re losing your touch or we’re just better,” I said as he laughed.

“Wise ass,” he said.

“Shift back?” I asked.

“Yeah before Axel shows you who’s boss,” he said.

We shifted back and Damon handed me a pair of shorts that we kept hidden in hidey holes in the trees and shrubs. He started walking and I followed him silently.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked me.

“Morrison problems,” I said.

“What else is new?” he laughed.

“I kissed Samantha,” I said to him and he stopped walking.

“And?”

“And nothing, we just kissed,” I said to him.

“Uh huh.”

“I like her okay,” I finally admitted.

“Nothing wrong with that, just make sure it’s real before you go blabbing all our secrets to her,” he said.

“I know the rules and I’m not ending up in prison like you,” I said to him.

“Ouch,” he said.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Dad. I know I have to be careful, she’s just different you know. Kane likes her too and he doesn’t like anyone,” I said.

“You’ll figure it out,” he said to me as we sat down in the clearing.

“You keep saying that,” I said.

“You’re almost an adult, Griff, hell by all standards you already are and so far you’ve been a good kid, I don’t doubt your decision making abilities, but I’ve also learnt that when it comes to the female population we tend to lose our heads,” he said.

“I just don’t want to make the wrong choice,” I said to him.

“You won’t,” he said.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re a Woods and if you asked your mother she’d tell you because you’re a Blake or an Adams or whatever name she chooses to use next, the thing is, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, you don’t get into nearly the amount of trouble I did, you keep a low profile, it’s admirable because we like power, we crave power and you just shut that part of yourself off at school, it shows me you’ve got what it takes to make it,” he said.

“She seems vulnerable but at the same time strong, it’s confusing, because I can see how strong she is yet there’s a side to her that makes me want to protect her too,” I said.

“You’re falling for her,” he said.

“I don’t know, I think so and that scares me,” I admitted.

“Why?”

“Why not? What if I’m blinded by what I feel because I’ve never felt it before, because I’ve never allowed myself to feel it before, I’ve never been interested before to feel it,” I said.

“Shit kid, now you get all deep with me,” he said with a smile.

“Aren’t you supposed to have some wisdom for me?” I asked him as he chuckled.

“I screwed up a few times with your mother, but she stayed, she stuck it out with me, but with her I just knew and sure we had the bond that guided us. You have to trust both your heart and your head, it’s not easy, but just because you’re bonded half doesn’t exist like it did for us doesn’t mean you don’t have the chance to be happy,” he said.

“But I’ll never be an Enforcer, where does that leave me?” I asked him.

“I don’t know, Griff, I don’t know what to tell you, we’ve never come across a double fate like yours before.” He sighed and I knew it troubled him like it troubled me. I had no real place in this world and I’d always thought I’d be an Enforcer. What else was I supposed to be? What was a guardian supposed to do, who was I supposed to guard? Oracle Bloom had only told me that I’d know when it happened.

“Shit,” I said as he looked at me intently.

“Things will work out the way they’re supposed to,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of too,” I said.