Covet (Clann)

widened.
    In his shock and fear, Dylan’s mental guard dropped, letting me hear his every thought.
    Oh God, she’s going to do it, he thought. She’s going to kill me right here in front of everyone. Look at her! She doesn’t even care if anyone sees.
    I glanced around, worried we were drawing an audience. Thankfully no one cared what Dylan seemed to be doing with his latest prize against the lockers. They were all too busy trying to get to class or lunch before the tardy bell rang.
    “Maybe I should give you what you want after all.” She eased in closer to him, peering into his eyes. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? For me to lose control and bite you? The thing is, I can’t figure out if your daddy put you up to it, or if this one’s all your idea.”
    Feeling her breath on his cheek, Dylan moaned, his knees bending.
    “Ah, ah, ah, we’re not done talking yet,” Savannah said, and the pain stabbed harder at my skin as she ramped up the power to hold him upright. “Now what was I saying? Oh yeah, we were discussing how much you want me to bite you right now.”
    Yes, do it, Dylan thought, and I rocked back on my heels. Sink your teeth into me!
    Whoa. He really wanted her to lose control.
    “But you didn’t answer my question,” she said. “Do you want me to bite you because it’ll help your dad become Clann leader, so he’ll stop using magic to punish you? Or is it because you’ve got a thing for vamps?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about, freak,” Dylan pushed out through gritted teeth.
    But he couldn’t stop his mind from revealing the truth.
    Both. I want to know how it feels, and it’ll make Dad stop.
    And then I saw his memories, thousands of them, flashing through his mind, his body twisting with pain as his father hit him with power over and over, using magic instead of his fists because the power didn’t leave marks.
    My gut twisted. Oh man. “Dylan, why didn’t you say something?”
    Realizing for the first time that I was there, Dylan’s gaze darted sideways since Savannah wouldn’t let his head turn.
    “Tristan! She’s using power, man!”
    The tardy bell rang, emptying the hall around us. I looked behind me. Even the Brat Twins had scattered, probably in fear that Savannah would go after them once she was done with Dylan. It was just the three of us now. Time to twist this mess into something else so the Clann spy wouldn’t go running off to gather up a lynch mob for Savannah.
    In the sudden silence, I risked stepping closer to Sav and resting a hand on her shoulder.
    “Dylan, you’re imagining things. Savannah would never risk starting a war, especially right now when things are already tense between everybody. She knows the rules. She would never learn to use power.”
    “She’s doing it right now !” he insisted, his face contorting with pain.
    “He wants me to bite him, Tristan,” she murmured. “Is it really breaking the rules if he begs for it?”
    I squeezed her shoulder. Don’t, Sav. I know you can hear me. Now please trust me. You’ve scared the crap out of him. It’s enough for today. Any more use of power and the adult descendants are going to come running, if they aren’t already.
    She frowned at me, hesitating but at least listening to me.
    Can you trust me to take over and get us out of this? I silently asked her.
    One corner of her mouth tightened as if in disappointment. But she sighed and gave the tiniest nod.
    As she pulled back her magic, I ramped up my own, using my power now to hold Dylan in place.
    “Dylan, don’t be an idiot,” I said out loud. “I’m the only one using power here. And before you even think about going to the elders to complain, you’d better remember who started this. They told everyone to leave her alone. How do you think they’re gonna react if they find out you’re messing with a vamp and trying to destroy the peace treaty?”
    He opened his mouth to argue.
    I leaned in closer, getting in his face. “More importantly, I told you to leave her alone. What did you expect me to do when you refused? You should be grateful this is all I’m doing to you.”
    She’s not the one…? he wondered, squinting as he looked from Savannah to me again. It’s a trick! It’s all a setup to mess with my mind. She was just pretending she was the one using power on me. And her car…Tristan put a protective spell on it, didn’t he? She probably went whining to him about her truck last week, and he just