Chapter 6: Chapter 6

So I found out that the “Hottie’s” name from the lecture hall is Daniel. He joins us for lunch at the College center food court so Lily, Amanda, and Keisha are thrilled. I had my lunch paid for and a promise of a cappuccino from my favorite cafe on Monday, so I’m good.

“So, are you guys going to the Sig Ep party tonight?” asks Keisha. “Penny, you’re going, aren’t you?”

I can’t blame her for thinking that I would be going to the party. I’d been partying like it’s going out of style since I got here. It helped me forget for a while. It numbed the pain and filled the emptiness in my chest for a bit. I got wasted only for an hour or so at the most because of my werewolf high

metabolism. I could drink any frat boys under the table, which is great for beer pong and stuff. I made out with several random guys, which didn’t do anything for me. No kisses even come close to the one that I had with Darius. I ended up getting more pissed off than ever with him because he spoiled it for me. Honestly, I’m starting to get bored of the whole thing by now. Not that I’m ever going to admit it to anybody.

“Nah, I think I’ll pass this time,” I wave my hand dismissively.

“Really?” asks Lily looking surprised.

“You’re not going?” says Daniel, looking oddly disappointed.

“What about you, Daniel? Do you have any plans for tonight or this weekend?” Amanda bats her eyelashes at him.

“That’s my house. I’ll be at the party,” he says. “Are you sure you don’t want to come, Penny?” he directs his dark gray eyes at me. “I’ll make sure you have a great time.”

“Well, I’m going. Will you make sure I have a great time?” asks Amanda flirtatiously, placing her hand on his arm.

This has been going on for a while. It’s obvious that Amanda likes Daniel. I have lost interest right after I managed to get him to have lunch with us. I’ve got my free meal and a promise of a free cappuccino. I’m done. Daniel seems to think that the invitation to lunch is a prelude to something more.

“Sure,” he says glancing at Amanda. “Just find me when you get there.”

He turns back to me and says, “I’ll keep an eye out for you just in case you change your mind, Penny.”

I smile noncommittally and spot Amanda giving me a death glare from the other side of him. I almost let out a snicker. She didn’t have enough courage to approach him in that lecture hall, now that I’ve done the dirty work, she’s all over him. Well Amanda, you can have him.

“OMG! I think I just died and saw an angel,” whispers Lily. She and Keisha have their eyes glued to the entrance of the food court.

I swivel around to look and almost roll my eyes. Angel? More like a devil incarnate. Caspian is sauntering in as if he owns the place. Not a single blond hair is out of place. Everything about him screams beauty and power and wealth. All the girls in the plaza are staring at him as if he’s god’s gift to the female and some male population, but I know better.

He’s here to torture me, I just knew it. I’ve been trying to keep my group of lycan friends and human friends separated. Each group didn’t know the other one exist. With the schedule that they have, it has been successful so far. Until now. I knew it wouldn’t last long.

Caspian and I had morning classes and we came together today, but I was planning to take a bus to town and walk home from there.

“Oh my Gosh! Oh my gosh! He’s coming this way,” says Keisha, almost hyperventilating. I stare at her worriedly for a little while.

As he gets closer, Caspian smiles, flashing his straight white teeth at me.

“Do you know him?” whispers Lily.

“No,” I answer quickly.

Caspian’s smile grows bigger and his eyes glint with mischief. I know he can hear us with his lycan super hearing. His striking green eyes are observing the way Daniel’s body is leaning towards me.

“Hey, baby. Ready to go home now?” asks Caspian.

“I don’t know you.”

I was about to scream stranger danger when he drawls,

“Awww…c’mon honey. Are you still mad at me about last

night?”

I look at him aghast. What? “Nothing happened last night!” I huff.

“I know, I know…you don’t have to remind me about that. I’ll give it to you tonight. All night long if you want me to. I’ll make you scream my name from dusk till dawn, sweetie. I promise.”

WHAAA…????

With that, he swoops down and grabs my bag and me from the chair.

“Now say goodbye to your friends,” he says indulgently almost like he’s talking to a five-year-old.

Daniel, Lily, Keisha, and Amanda are staring at us like we’re a five-headed alien from planet Zork.

I open my mouth to protest, but only a strange strangled screeching sound comes out of my mouth. It sounds like a cow dying. At least that’s how I imagine the sound of a dying cow sounds like.

His arm is like a band of steel as he steers me out of the building and into his waiting flashy red Porche.

What had just happened?

“Darius is coming? Here???” I jump out of the sofa. Is his mate coming too?

We’re in the living room while Anya, our new cook keeps bringing in snacks from the kitchen. She’s an unmated she-wolf like me and I think she has a major crush on Caspian. She jumps to do his every bidding. I feel sorry for her. At least she can cook.

“We can tell him he’s not welcome here,” suggests my friend Genesis. “He can always stay at a hotel or something.”

“No, you don’t have to do that.” They shouldn’t have to do that.

He’s their close friend and this is not my house.

“Are you sure?” asks Serena, narrowing her eyes. Watching me closely.

“Pffttt…Yeah. I’m fine with it.” No, I’m not. I’m going to kill him in his sleep. I’m going to poison his food. I’m going to use his toothbrush to clean the toilet bowl.

“But why? Why is he coming here?” I really see no reason for him to show up here in California. The reason I came here was because there’s a very slim chance that he ever needs to visit California. I’m here to forget all about him and not to see him again. Like ever.

“Well…” starts Serena, looking at Caspian with raised

eyebrows.

Caspian rolls his eyes and says, “I might have told him that you’re here.”

“Uh…I think that would make him want to stay away from this place,” I mutter.

“Caspian might also accidentally revealed to him that you’ve been out partying a lot and uh…hooking up with frat human boys here,” explains Genesis, making air quotes when she said,

“accidentally revealed”.

I raise an eyebrow. That would concern him how? “I don’t think he’d give a crap what I’m doing or who I’m doing.”

I appreciate that they’re concern about me, and they didn’t even know what really happened that night.

I’m not happy that he’s coming, not at all! There’s a part of me that feels excited at the thought of seeing him again, and that pisses me off. Stupid Penny! Stupid, stupid Penny!!!!

This is supposed to be my sanctuary. A rehab for detoxing Darius. A place to cleanse Darius out of my heart, my head, my body system and whatever else that needs to be Darius free.

This is a snag in my Operation Forget Jerkface-what’s-his-name. This is all his fault.

Maybe I should just make myself scarce while he’s here. Maybe I could room with Lily or whoever willing to take in a stray werewolf just for however long Darius Ivanovic Rykov is going to be here.

“So….when is he arriving here?” I try to sound nonchalant. Like I don’t care. I don’t think I’m fooling anybody.

“This evening,” answers Serena.

This evening?????

“Now where are you going?” asks Genesis when I jump up from my sitting position beside her on the soft plush sofa.

“Out for a run and training,” I answer her. I need to hit and destroy something really badly.

I’ve been exercising and doing fight training with the lycans almost every day since we got here. I feel like it’s a necessity for me to channel my anger and frustration that way. I love the burn I feel in my muscle after every rigorous exercise and training session. I welcome the physical pain as if it can take away the ache in my heart. The exhaustion helps me sleep at night.

My body is well toned more than ever now. My stomach is flat and shows a bit of my rectus abdominal muscle. There’s definition to my arms. My legs look long and strong. I’m liking the way I’m feeling physically.

Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! I chant in my head over and over again as I go up to my room. There are a lot of questions I want to ask them, like is his mate coming too? How long will they be staying? What time will they be arriving this evening?

Well, so that I can greet them with a big smile. Not! More like with a shotgun at the door. An ax swinging from the

doorframe. Booby traps with shooting arrows through the heart. Gazzilion legos on the floor. Hah!

I think I’m going out to that party at Daniel’s frat house after all. Sig Ep has parties practically every weekend, though this is the first time I’d be going there.

My parents are paying for my education here, but I don’t think they care about how much actual studying that I’ve been doing.

They’re just happy that their only child is not sulking in her room anymore. Not that they’d be too happy if they knew how much I’d been partying either.

My bedroom here might not be as big as Genesis and

Constantine’s room or Serena and Lazarus’s room, but it’s easily three times bigger than the room I have at my parents’

house. I had wanted to live in a dorm or rented some off-campus housing, but Genesis and the rest of the lycans wouldn’t have it. They have been more than generous to me.

My room is beautiful. It’s richly decorated in light blue and white with a little splash of pink. My queen size bed is the best ever. The view is awesome with three big windows overlooking the long stretch of the beach and a small balcony overlooking the pool area below. A lot of times I leave the windows open so that I can smell the fresh air and sea breeze. I love it.

I changed into a pair of black spandex shorts and a bright aqua blue sports bra. I tie my hair up into a high ponytail.

The house has a big room for exercising, but right now I don’t feel like staying inside. We usually go to a nearby 76.5 acres of private wooded area that they purchased just for fight training

purposes. It’s up on a little hill and not far from the house. I’d enjoy the five-minute jog to get there.

“I’m coming with you,” announces Caspian as I’m putting on my bright aqua blue Nike sneakers. He’s already in his training gear.

Genesis isn’t very fond of exercising and fight training. She usually comes armed with food and drinks. It looks more like we’re having a picnic than physical exercise and training. She would train for five minutes, then she would sit and watch, munching on snacks. She would claim that she needs to refuel after draining that much energy. Constantine doesn’t mind it as long as she stays out of trouble.

Serena trains with Lazarus, mainly.

I would train with anybody as long as I get the chance to kick some butt and pretend that it’s Darius that I was kicking. Not that I have much chance to kick anybody’s butt, they’re lycans after all. Once in a while, I do get lucky when they’re not paying attention or fully ready. I’d pump my fist and yell and make a huge deal out of it as if I just won the world MMA

championship.

“What’s the deal with you calling me Beany Penny anyway?

What’s beany?”

We’re in a little clearing in the woods where we often train.

Caspian is showing me how to execute a four-figure choke. I have an arm around his neck, while my other hand is pushing his head forward.

I’m trying my best to keep him in my choke hold, but he’s very slick. He makes sure he’s free from my hold before he answers,

“Well…it’s hard for me to rhyme Penny with anything else other than the huge appendage that I’m strapped and blessed with right here.” He indicates his crotch area.

My jaw just dropped. He didn’t just go there.

“It’s either Beany Penny or Penny Penis..”

“Shut up!” I screech, grabbing my water bottle to throw at his obnoxious head.

“Hey, you asked,” he laughs, catching the water bottle in a swift easy movement. It just seems so easy for him. That just infuriates me further.

Why you…you…you!!!” I sputter. My face is turning red. He takes off. “Why does my name have to rhyme with

anything???” I run after him. I swear I’m going to kick him in the nuts. That doesn’t make any sense! It doesn’t even rhyme!

“Because it’s more fun when it rhymes. Rhyme is fun. F-U-N

spells fun. Rhyme is fun..” he starts singing while running backward, facing me.

I almost catch him when he laughs and disappears into the woods in a blink of an eye.

What an ass. Penny and penis don’t even rhyme! I can’t believe he just ruined my name for me!

“You come back here you…you…asshole!!! Come back here so I can kick your ass!!!!!” I yell.

“You have to catch me to do that!!!” comes his reply from somewhere in the woods. He knows there is no way I can catch him. Stupid lycan speed and strength.

“Well….it’s hard to find anything that rhymes with Caspian other than äs*hole!”

“You need to expand your vocabulary, sweet cheeks!” He sounds further. His laughter echoes through the trees.

Ughhh!!!!! Men! Boys!!!! I spend the next ten minutes

destroying a tree with my pent up anger and aggression, imagining it as Caspian. Then I imagine it as Darius. Stupid lycan! Stupid lycan!

“What did that tree ever do to you?” asks a familiar voice, sounding amused. Constantine.

“Where’s Caspian?” he asks me when I didn’t answer him. I just keep kicking and destroying the tree.

“That’s him,” I declare, pointing at the tree stump.

Constantine struggles to keep a straight face. That’s right, he shouldn’t be laughing at me. I’m so pissed off. Urgghhh!!!!

“Where’s Genesis?” I ask him finally. Spent. Sweat trickles down my back.

“She’ll be here…sometime. She’s in the shower.”

I don’t get her obsession with showers. Constantine had nine shower heads installed in their ensuite the first thing they bought the house.

“Want to train with me while waiting for them?” he asks.

Yup! I have a lot of anger I need to work out of my system still.

I realize I have a lot of anger in me these days. It’s all Darius’s fault! I blame it on him.

By the time I’m done, I’m beyond exhausted. I’m still planning to go out tonight. I don’t plan to be around when Darius shows up.