The Dark Divine

"I'm starving," I groaned, trying to cover my real reason for being concerned about the time.

"Don't blame me," Pete said. "Jude here suddenly forgot how to get home from the florist or something. It took him three hours to pick up your corsages."

April stared at Jude. He didn't say anything in his defense. I didn't complain anymore. I just hoped he wouldn't stay in his shell all night.

Pete draped his arm across my back.

Goose bumps ran up my arms even though it was a surprisingly warm evening. The air was still, and it wasn't even cold enough to need a coat--the weatherman called today the "warm before the storm," and I knew our a

Maybe it was Jude's sulle

I was glad for the fresh air when we got out of the car. I wanted to linger in the lot, but the others hurried off to join our group. I breathed in the night, letting it wash over me until I saw something move in the moonlit shadows beyond the restaurant's marquee. I didn't wait to see what it was and dashed inside the restaurant.

My anxiety grew as di

"It just felt like a red-meat kind of night," Pete said with a wink and a "triple threat" smile. He turned that smile on our waitress, whom he then tried to coax into bringing him a glass of wine.

But when she gave him a "nice try, buddy" grin and suggested she bring him another Coke, he called her something quite unfavorable under his breath.

I blinked at him, not sure if I'd heard right.

"Don't worry, man," Brett Johnson said from beside Ly

Pete smiled with approval when he unwrapped a golden flask.

As he poured what seemed like half the bottle's contents into his Coke, I found myself wondering how well I knew Pete. He'd been my lab partner and study buddy since

August, and Jude had been friends with him for a couple of years--a fact that usually gave a guy automatic approval in my mind. But Daniel had tried more than once to tell me Pete wasn't as nice as he seemed, and Don hadn't wanted a certain boy to walk me home. Someone he called "the other one." Hadn't I mentioned

Pete's name before Don offered to walk with me? Pete offered me the acrid-smelling flask. I waved it away. Pete just shrugged.

But Ly

I was about to ask her what her problem was when Pete passed the flask to Jude--and instead of waving it away like I expected, Jude drizzled a bit over his Sprite. It took every ounce of self-control not to shout at him in front of his friends. I didn't want to ruin the night for April. Good thing she'd gone off to the bathroom with a pack of girls so she wouldn't know what Jude had done.

The others had finished with dessert by the time our appetizers came--except for Brett and Ly

After paying his bill, Jude got up and headed toward the back of the restaurant. I got up to follow him.

Pete grabbed my arm. He trailed his hand up to my elbow. "Don't be long, angel." He bared his teeth in a huge, hungry grin.

Sometimes I think he might be the monster, Don's voice whispered inside my head.

I shook it off. That was completely crazy. Pete was proving to be a jerk, but not a monster. But Daniel had been afraid of something--something that might happen tonight during the full moon--when he didn't want me out with Pete...

I almost laughed in spite of my nerves. What were the odds that two werewolves had the hots for me? Like I was some gigantic monster magnet. Was there a sign on my back that said, bite me, i'm available !? I gave myself another shake and told Pete I'd be back in a minute.

His eyes didn't flash when he looked at me. He didn't seem crazed by any wolf. Anything that burned inside of him was purely testosterone-based.

The hall toward the restrooms was dimly lit, and I could hear angry voices at the end of it. Actually, one of the voices sounded irritated and very distinctly like my brother's, but the other was softer, cowering, and definitely female. I quickened my pace to see what was going on and found Jude with Ly

"If you have a problem with Grace," he said, "then you come to me first before you start spreading your venom around school."

Ly

My hands went into fists. "If she has a problem with me, then she should come to me first."

Jude turned. His stance softened. "It's okay, Grace. I'm taking care of this. Go back to your date."

I put my hands on my hips. "What gives you the right to 'take care' of things for me? I can 'take care' of myself."

"Well, you're doing a terrible job of it yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked. I watched Ly

"You don't want to know what she said about you?" Jude called after me. "You don't want to know what the entire school is talking about behind your back?"

I turned. "No, I don't. At least not from you--not right now--because I'm pretty sure this has something to do with Daniel. And no matter what I say, you won't believe it because you made up your mind about him a long time ago, didn't you?" I pursed my lips. "You keep pretending everything will be fine if I stay away from him, but it won't be until you deal with all this hate yourself."

"You're siding with him? Maybe the rumors are true."

"And so what if they are? I love Daniel. I tried not to for your sake. But I can't stop loving someone just because you can't forgive him." I lowered my voice. My lips trembled. "You think you're the good one, but Dad says the good son is the one who's in the greatest danger."

Jude stumbled like I'd punched him in the gut. My nerve failed, and I ran into the ladies' room before he could say anything back.

IN THE CAR

I stayed in the bathroom until April came to collect me. She seemed more concerned than mad, and I was glad she didn't tell me that I'd ruined her night--I felt guilty enough already. We piled into the Corolla. I insisted on driving, and Jude relented without a light. We headed back to Rose Crest for the dance, even though it was the last place I felt like going. All I wanted now was to curl up in bed and wait for the full moon to be swallowed by the day--and I could be with Daniel again.