insane, right? I mean the idea that someone could actually shift into another form.” Dallas held out his hands and studied them as though he’d never seen them before. “I mean, how could that even happen? How could a body change so drastically?”
Very slowly he looked around the table as though we had the answer. We did, but we sure weren’t going to share it.
“There are all kinds of crazy stories about things happening in the wilderness,” Brittany explained gently, and I wondered if she liked him. I’d never seen her show that much interest in a guy. How weird it would be to love a Static. Could it even happen?
My thoughts were drifting away from the problem at hand. Who was this guy, and what did he really want?
“Werewolves, vampires, ghosts,” Brittany continued. “People are always telling scary stories around campfires. But that’s all they are. Stories.”
Dallas laughed again, only this time it was laced with relief. “Yeah, I know that. Should have seen your faces, though. You looked at me like I was serious. It would be cool, though, don’t you think? If the ability to change our shape really existed?”
“I’d want to be a horse,” I said, hoping to take the subject even further away from the truth.
“Horses have to work too hard,” Connor said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “A dog. Sleep all day.”
“A cat,” Brittany said. “Only I’m allergic to them. Would I be allergic to myself?”
Dallas gave a more relaxed laugh. “Okay, I get it already. I shouldn’t listen to campfire tales.” He winked at Brittany. “So how about another game of pool?”
Once he and Brittany were back in the pool room, those of us left at the table looked uncomfortably at each other.
“What was that all about?” Kayla finally asked.
Lucas slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure. Rafe, keep an eye on him, especially while he’s with Brittany.”
My gaze jumped over to Rafe so I could judge his reaction. As usual, he didn’t give anything away. Neither did he look at me. He just gave Lucas a nod and slid out of the booth.
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked.
Lucas shook his head. “If he is, we can handle him.”
When we left an hour later, the consensus was that Dallas was just a tourist drawn in by the myths of the forest. We’d seen it before—which was the reason that the people from Bio-Chrome had sneaked by us. We’d thought they were harmless, too.
Rafe was going to keep an eye on Dallas, but the rest of us headed for bed. We were scheduled for an early start the following day.
The next morning we gathered near our cabins to greet our scout group. More than a dozen girls were practically bouncing around with excitement at the thought of camping in the wilderness. Or maybe their enthusiasm was due to the fact that three of their guides were hot—and I wasn’t referring to Kayla, Brittany, and me.
Lucas, Connor, and Daniel were checking each girl’s backpack to make sure it was adjusted comfortably on her shoulders and wasn’t too heavy. We sherpas would be carrying the heavy or cumbersome supplies.
“Daniel is cute,” Kayla said.
He hadn’t gone to school with us, since his family lived near Seattle, but he’d joined the Dark Guardians earlier in the summer, so we already knew him. I hadn’t really paid much attention to him, though. He wore his black hair in a buzzed style, which was unusual. Most of the guys we knew wore their hair longer.
“Yeah, whatever,” Brittany said.
“You know it could be your attitude keeping the guys away,” I pointed out.
“I don’t want a guy who doesn’t want me.”
“Maybe he will …if you give him a chance,” Kayla said.
“Besides, the elders said you just have to have a guy with you. He doesn’t have to be the one ,” I told her. “When the right one comes along, you can re-bond with him.”
She gave me an impatient glare. “They don’t know it’ll work that way. I’m the first girl who
Very slowly he looked around the table as though we had the answer. We did, but we sure weren’t going to share it.
“There are all kinds of crazy stories about things happening in the wilderness,” Brittany explained gently, and I wondered if she liked him. I’d never seen her show that much interest in a guy. How weird it would be to love a Static. Could it even happen?
My thoughts were drifting away from the problem at hand. Who was this guy, and what did he really want?
“Werewolves, vampires, ghosts,” Brittany continued. “People are always telling scary stories around campfires. But that’s all they are. Stories.”
Dallas laughed again, only this time it was laced with relief. “Yeah, I know that. Should have seen your faces, though. You looked at me like I was serious. It would be cool, though, don’t you think? If the ability to change our shape really existed?”
“I’d want to be a horse,” I said, hoping to take the subject even further away from the truth.
“Horses have to work too hard,” Connor said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “A dog. Sleep all day.”
“A cat,” Brittany said. “Only I’m allergic to them. Would I be allergic to myself?”
Dallas gave a more relaxed laugh. “Okay, I get it already. I shouldn’t listen to campfire tales.” He winked at Brittany. “So how about another game of pool?”
Once he and Brittany were back in the pool room, those of us left at the table looked uncomfortably at each other.
“What was that all about?” Kayla finally asked.
Lucas slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure. Rafe, keep an eye on him, especially while he’s with Brittany.”
My gaze jumped over to Rafe so I could judge his reaction. As usual, he didn’t give anything away. Neither did he look at me. He just gave Lucas a nod and slid out of the booth.
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” I asked.
Lucas shook his head. “If he is, we can handle him.”
When we left an hour later, the consensus was that Dallas was just a tourist drawn in by the myths of the forest. We’d seen it before—which was the reason that the people from Bio-Chrome had sneaked by us. We’d thought they were harmless, too.
Rafe was going to keep an eye on Dallas, but the rest of us headed for bed. We were scheduled for an early start the following day.
The next morning we gathered near our cabins to greet our scout group. More than a dozen girls were practically bouncing around with excitement at the thought of camping in the wilderness. Or maybe their enthusiasm was due to the fact that three of their guides were hot—and I wasn’t referring to Kayla, Brittany, and me.
Lucas, Connor, and Daniel were checking each girl’s backpack to make sure it was adjusted comfortably on her shoulders and wasn’t too heavy. We sherpas would be carrying the heavy or cumbersome supplies.
“Daniel is cute,” Kayla said.
He hadn’t gone to school with us, since his family lived near Seattle, but he’d joined the Dark Guardians earlier in the summer, so we already knew him. I hadn’t really paid much attention to him, though. He wore his black hair in a buzzed style, which was unusual. Most of the guys we knew wore their hair longer.
“Yeah, whatever,” Brittany said.
“You know it could be your attitude keeping the guys away,” I pointed out.
“I don’t want a guy who doesn’t want me.”
“Maybe he will …if you give him a chance,” Kayla said.
“Besides, the elders said you just have to have a guy with you. He doesn’t have to be the one ,” I told her. “When the right one comes along, you can re-bond with him.”
She gave me an impatient glare. “They don’t know it’ll work that way. I’m the first girl who