Luca

Luca leaned against his car as he scanned the parking lot of Wanda's. No sign of Van. He sighed and hunched down in his jacket, wishing he was covered in fur right now. This was a bad idea. Going to the diner last night had been a bad idea, but after the long conversation with his family, he thought of nothing but Van Anderson. Livy's suggestion to go for a joy ride had pushed him into his car, and when he pulled up to Wanda's, he wasn't shocked to see her sitting at the bar. It was as if she'd drawn him there.

"Told you she was gonna bail."

"Livy, this was your idea." He leaned down and peered into the back seat of his Land Rover. The Rover wasn't as much fun to drive as the Porsche but when Livy had announced her intentions to go to the party, he'd been forced to swap vehicles.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "I get ideas all the time. They're not always good ones."

Luca held back the growl rumbled in his throat. His cousin didn't miss it and she puckered her crimson lips and blew him a kiss. He didn't stop the snarl that time.

"Did you just growl at your back seat?"

Luca startled and bumped his head against the roof of the car. Peals of laughter followed him as he spun around, rubbing the tender spot in his skull. "Van."

The girl waiting for his response was almost unrecognizable. Still garbed in black from head to toe, the clothes clung to her body instead of engulfing it, revealing mouth watering curves. Her messy, violet hair had been smoothed into silken waves, and she'd foregone the heavy black eyeliner for something soft that sparkled. But the biggest difference was the small smirk on her full, bare lips.

"Sorry I'm late. Getting out of the house was more difficult than I thought it would be."

Luca's chest tightened. He hadn't considered that Van wouldn't be allowed to go to the party. He was already tempting fate by escorting her to the event. If Abe got wind that not only had his daughter slipped out of the house, but she'd gone out with Luca, there would be consequences for his entire pack.

That hadn't stopped him from following her home last night, keeping his lights off as he idled across the street. She'd looked so small and forlorn standing in front of Helsing House, but she'd squared her shoulders and went inside.

"Eh, the party waits for us," he said, stepping around the SUV to open her door. "And I was growling at my annoying cousin. She decided to crash. Sorry bout that."

Van hopped into the passenger seat and buckled before glancing in the back. "You look different."

Luca pulled into the street and waited for his cousin's response with bated breath. This close to a full moon, she could go either way. He'd almost refused to let her come, but he would not be like the other men in his society.

"So do you," Livy responded. Her words eased the tension in Luca's shoulders, but only for a second. Because she followed up with, "I like to let my hair down after school. It's freeing. Maybe you should let me get my hands on you sometime. With that complexion, you should really consider lighter colors. Have you ever considered being a redhead?"

"Livy."

"No, it's fine." Van twisted in her seat. Luca shot a warning glare through the rearview mirror and wished he could see Van's face. Livy just winked and leaned forward to catch whatever barb their passenger would toss. "So the clothes aren't the only things you change outside of school?"

One perfectly shaped eyebrow arched. "What are you getting at?"

"You did a great job sounding like you were a halfway decent person in the bathroom, but you blew that cover. Luca, let me out."

"Van? What the hell," he shouted as she reached for the door handle and flung it open. The car lunged to the side of the road as he turned the wheel, grabbing Van's shirt to keep her from falling out the open door. She wriggled free, popping the latch on the seatbelt and tumbling into the night.

"She's psycho," Livy said, crossing her arms with a huff.

A car whizzing by delayed Luca by a few seconds, but once it passed- its taillights a red burn in the dark-he was out of the vehicle and sprinting into the field after Van. Damn, the girl was fast- no doubt a gift of her bloodline, but she shouldn't be this fast without training.

"Van," he shouted, the single syllable a harsh puff in the cold, night air. His skin grew tight. Painful. His predator instincts were trying to take over. Hunting was easier on four legs.

She pitched forward with a small scream, disappearing into the tall grass. The shrill yip terrified and excited him. His prey was vulnerable. His friend was hurt. Luca shook his head to clear the red haze from his vision. He was not hunting Van.

"Go away," she hissed when he came to a stop beside her. She had her knee to her chest and one hand on her ankle. Tears leaked out of her eyes, drawing black tracks on pale skin.

Luca crouched and drew her foot towards him slowly, giving her ample time to protest his touch, but when she only sniffled, he untied her laces and pulled off her shoe. He pressed on her ankle, listening for an intake of breath. In the moonlight, her skin glowed, contrasting with the bronze hue of his own flesh. He liked the way they looked together.

"Is it tender?"

"No." The reply was wooden. "I think it was just the initial sting when I twisted it. It's faded now."

"So you can walk?"

"Yes, but not back to the car if that's what you're about to say."

He sat cross-legged and shrugged off his coat. Putting it around her, he wiped a smudge from her cheek. "Care to explain what happened back there?"

"No." Luca chuckled, which earned him a heated glare. However, she ruined the effect when she started to blink her left eyelid rapidly. She cupped her hand over her eye. "Crap."

"If you two are just going to sit in the field all night, give me the keys. It's freezing in here," Livy yelled. She was standing beside the car, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You okay?" Luca asked, ignoring his cousin.

Van dropped her hand and looked at him. One eye was as blue as it always was, the other an unsettling green. The change caught him off guard.

"It's ripped."

"Contacts?"

"Yeah," she replied, rising to her feet and throwing the small piece of plastic to the ground. "It was my last pair."

"Do you wear them just to change the color?" He didn't think it could be for poor eyesight. He'd never met a Helsing that wasn't a perfect human specimen.

"That goes in the category of things I don't care to explain."

"Van, if you don't tell me what went wrong back there, how are we supposed to avoid it happening again."

"Maybe just have a little bit of freaking decency."

He threw his hands up before dropping them on his head. His fingers curled into the thick, gelled waves and tugged. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

Van pushed him. When he didn't budge, she pushed again. "You're telling me Livy didn't know that my mother was a redhead? That she didn't say that just to be a heifer?"

"Oh, Van," he exhaled. Her hands remained on his chest but now they curled into his shirt, and his arms went around her as she pressed her face against him. She rattled in his embrace, each sob more wrenching than the last. Had anyone ever held her like this, let her cry until her bones went fluid and her eyes swelled shut?

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, jerking away and scrubbing at her face. Resentment spiked her apology. As if he were to blame for the impromptu outburst.

"Come on. Let's get in the car. Livy will apologize. She's not... quite herself these days. Then we can go to the party-" he cut off her protest, "we can go to the party and drop Livy off, and if you don't wanna stay, we'll go somewhere else. Okay?"

Luca had sisters, so he recognized the obstinate set of her mouth. When it showed up on their faces, he wanted to scream. Once heels were dug in, it was a war to get them out. Seeing it on Van's face made his heart hurt for this fragile girl. So broken yet still strong.

"Okay," she replied, surprising him.

"Okay," he repeated, risking rejection when he wrapped his hand around hers. But she surprised him again.