Under A Blood Moon (Elemental Enchanters) by Carrigan Richards

Xavier.
    He appeared to be staring right at Thomas’s hands. She stiffened. Did he really see what she did? What was going through his mind? He didn’t look shocked at all, but his gaze was so intense that it made her nervous.
    “ You’re not getting any ideas, are you?”
    Ava jerked around and met Peter’s eyes. “What?”
    “To mess with Xavier. It’s not worth it.”
    “No, that’s not what I was thinking.”
    “Good. Are you okay?” His brown eyes invited her to unload all her worries.
    But she didn’t.
    “Sure.”
    “ I’m sorry I didn’t sit with you. Valerie and Amanda didn’t want to sit alone since Seth, you know.”
    “It’s okay. How are you all handling it?”
    He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know.”
    “I’m sorry.” Ava wished she could say something to make him feel better.
    “Don’t be. Seth made his decision.”
    But she wasn’t sure Seth had a choice. She had to figure out what Xavier was doing. Something was going on.
    “ You get your homework done?” Peter asked after a few moments.
    “I guess. I suck at chemistry.”
    “I know.” He grinned. “Maybe I could tutor you.”
    “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
    “Why? Because of Thomas?”
    Ava turned, and saw Peter’s brunette friend watching them with her arms crossed. “I don’t think your girlfriend would like it.” At once, she wished she could take back those jealous words.
    A crease formed between his eyebrows. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
    Ava was silently relieved. “Oh.” She looked back where Xavier stood, but he was gone. She saw Thomas talking to a few cheerleaders away from the fire as if nothing had happened. Surely, he must have been aware.
    “ Would you like to meet my friends?” Peter asked.
    “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think I’d be good company right now.”
    “Why don’t we go for a drive?”
    “What about your friends? How will they get home? ”
    “I took my own car. And Tony’s with them now. Come on.”
    Alone time with Peter?
    “Okay.” She followed him to his car, hoping Thomas wouldn’t see them together. But she decided that he was too drunk to notice. He would be upset, but she’d send him a message. The brunette girl would probably be even more upset that she was leaving with Peter. She suddenly felt wrong about taking a drive with him. If the girl wasn’t his girlfriend, she obviously liked him, and Ava didn’t want to step on any toes.
    “ Do you want to go to my house?” he asked.
    “Su re,” she said, and slid into passenger seat. What was she doing? She couldn’t go to his house. Ava wanted to be there with him, but Gillian’s words flashed in her mind like a blinking red light. Forbidden. Forbidden. Forbidden.

CHAPTER NINE
FORBIDDEN
    Peter drove down the interstate a short distance and then exited. Ava ignored the rational part of her brain, and tried to push aside Gillian’s annoying warning. They would just hang out like they did all those times during the summer. Besides, this way Thomas couldn’t find her.
    “ What happened tonight?” he asked.
    “Nothing.” She twirled her opal ring around her finger.
    “ What’s the nicest thing Thomas has ever done for you?”
    The question took her off guard. “I don’t know. He brought me flowers when he came back from camp.”
    “That’s it?”
    “What do you want me to say?”
    Peter sighed. “I don’t get why you’re with him if he makes you so miserable.”
    “He’s always been there.” She paused. “When I was younger, I got sick with pneumonia, and he would talk to me on the phone every day. He’s all I’ve ever known. But he’s different now.”
    “ Then why are you still with him? I mean, he doesn’t seem to treat you well.”
    “He treats me fine ”
    “Is that why you looked like you were about to cry back there?”
    She peered out the window, crossed her arms, feeling a little embarrassed. “Can we not talk about this?”
    “I’m