Free Kindred by J. A. Redmerski Page B

wasn’t told about her sooner.
    I shift uncomfortably on the couch.
    I can hear Nathan and Isaac talking to the right of me about how they think Seth is strong enough to lead his own pack in Serbia. I see Damien and Dwarf, Zia’s brothers, standing at the den entrance hand-in-hand with new girlfriends—new girlfriends every month with those two, it seems—but can’t make out what they’re saying over the chorus of voices between them and me. Somewhere to my left near the hallway, I feel Rachel’s uncouth comments coat my skin like something foul and hard to wash away. Of course, she thinks my presence here is ‘inappropriate’, but that’s not a huge surprise.
    Ah yes, Rachel. Seven months wasn’t enough time for her to get used to me. In fact, it’s been just enough time to cause her to hate me more than ever. But I’ve learned to ignore her for the most part. She can—and does—talk about me every time she sees me, but as long as her hatred never goes further than immature comments, then I can live with that. Literally.
    I force a small smile and turn back to Genna beside me, pushing Rachel’s words out of my ears.
    “It’s okay,” Genna says in a low whisper, “I’m like you—not so much them, except that I do love a good steak every once in a while.”
    It’s as if she’s been digging around inside my head. Either that or the worries are etched all over my face and totally obvious. I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.
    “So you’re…” I hesitate to say the H-word because I know that saying it aloud will make me feel even more out of place. I lean in closer to her, letting my gaze briefly observe those nearby. “You’re human?”
    Genna beams at me, somehow making me feel comfortable with so little effort. Her eyes seem to sparkle, but of course I know my own eyes are playing tricks on me because that isn’t possible. Not the way I saw it happen, as if sunlight had reflected off an emerald at just the right angles.
    She answers simply by smiling.
    Genna crosses the opposite leg and lets her back slouch forward just a little, her thin fingers still dangling deftly over her knee. Even her fingernails are the perfect length and shape, painted with a layer of clear nail polish and at the tips of each are tiny decals of black and turquoise butterflies.
    I sit straight up and give her all of my attention.
    “How did you end up…,” I search for the appropriate words, “…behind the scenes, if you will?”
    Genna lets out a soft spat of air and a wedge of black hair falls near her eye. She reaches up and slides her fingers underneath it, tucking it back behind her ear.
    “Nathan and I,” she stops and looks over at Nathan, but it seems more a thoughtful moment rather than to see if he might be listening. “We met at Finch’s Grocery.”
    “Oh,” I say as if finally understanding the hidden meaning behind her placid expression. “How long have you two been going out?” I look at Nathan too, wondering about his current girlfriend and hoping he’s not some kind of cheating pig—I just never thought of him as the type. Strangely enough, I’m the only one of us that feels the need to speak in a whisper about Nathan.
    Genna shakes her head. “Oh,” she says, “It’s nothing like that. He and I are just friends.”
    Well, that’s a relief, but still, I find it odd, seeing as how he doesn’t say anything to her when she sits down next to us. I can’t put my finger on it, but Genna Bishop is hiding something.
    “It’s nice to have someone around here not so ‘wolfy’, don’t you think?” she says, smiling brightly over at me.
    I admit that, yes, it is nice, but I keep it to myself because I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression, especially Isaac. “Well, I guess so,” I say, “but I’m not too bothered by it, being the only human.”
    Genna raises a brow. “What about Harry?” she says, looking across the room at him. “Oh wow, is he….”
    “No, no, no,” I