Crave (Harlequin Teen)

through the tree to the ground.”
    “Good idea, sis. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” I faked a grin, hoping a little charm would convince her to drop the subject and get off my back.
    She shook her head, seeing through me, but at least returned to her lunch.
    Relaxing in my seat, I finished eating then headed for the trash cans. On my way back, I saw Stanwick at a table with two other guys. The soccer jerk was staring in Savannah’s direction with a look on his face. The kind of look that said he was thinking about asking her out.
    I should hit the guy now and save time. Except Jacksonville High had a zero-tolerance policy against fighting on campus. I would get suspended if I got caught. It would go on my permanent record, and colleges weren’t thrilled about accepting students who went around beating up their classmates. And no college meant no chance of playing for the NFL.
    Too bad Stanwick didn’t play football instead….
    Scowling, I returned to my table and grabbed my books. Our entire table froze, their heads turning to stare at me.
    “Tristan Glenn Coleman,” Emily hissed. “Outside. Tree. Now.”
    “I’m going, I’m going,” I grumbled and headed out the door for the nearest tree.
    I found one a few yards away between the cafeteria’s rear exit and the math building. Perfect. Now how to ground without looking like an idiot? I couldn’t exactly hug the thing, not with all those students at the outside picnic tables for an audience. But I had to touch the tree with my hands somehow for it to work.
    And then I figured it out. Leaning back against the tree like I was waiting for someone, I held my books against my thigh with one hand and let my free hand hang at my side. A turn of the wrist and my empty palm touched the rough bark. Taking a deep breath, I mentally reached inside, found the boiling flow of energy and willed it out through my hand to the tree.
    The bark heated up. Aw, hell, I was going to start a fire. I slowed down the energy flow until the bark cooled. Better. I felt the resulting calm as the excess energy left me, and grinned. Yeah, that was much better.
    The cafeteria doors opened, and four girls exited, one of them with red hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Savannah. She was laughing about something when a nearby table full of boys yelled out a greeting to Anne. Anne yelled back, and the group of girls split up as Anne and Savannah walked over to the table.
    I gripped my books tighter.
    Anne did all of the talking, stopping at one point to lean over and point out something in an open math book. The boys nodded and looked up at her. I recognized them from our algebra class.
    I could tell the exact second when the boys noticed Savannah. Almost in a wave, one by one they froze, their easy smiles melting into blank stares. If not for Savannah’s reaction and the fact that she wasn’t in the Clann, I almost would’ve guessed that she’d just put a spell on them. But her smile faded away, too, and her chin ducked down to her chest. She hugged her notebook against her stomach and tugged on Anne’s wrist. Anne studied the boys and scowled. Then the girls beat a fast exit.
    Savannah looked back, maybe because she felt the boys still staring at her, and walked away faster. As the pair drew even with me, Anne glanced my way then muttered something to Savannah. I was no expert at reading lips, especially from a distance, but it looked like she’d called me a stalker.
    I almost laughed out loud. Me, a stalker? Please. But a glance back at the table of boys made me frown instead. I might not be a stalker, but…they were still staring at Savannah, their expressions zombielike. Savannah might be earning a stalker or three, after all.
    Great. As if that Stanwick guy wasn’t enough of a pain. If she kept this up, Savannah would have a line of dazed idiots trailing after her soon.
    The tree bark started to burn again. I ripped my hand away and gave up on grounding for now. I’d have to be dead to get rid of all this extra energy. The descendants on campus would just have to get used to my power spikes for today.

CHAPTER 4
    Tristan
    When I strolled along the catwalk toward algebra class an hour and a half later, I knew the descendants would all be feeling the power spikes yet again.
    The creeps from lunch had cornered Savannah outside the math building.
    The closer I got to the building, the better I could see her face. Any other girl who had three guys flirting with