Page 97 of Cruel Destinies

“I’m okay. Thanks.” I’d had enough of his nearness and took the opportunity to escape, walking over to the hostess.

As the hostess led us to our table, I was glad to see we weren’t being placed in a booth—I could already imagine Jackson scooting in next to me and boxing me into a corner. Instead Itook the seat across from him at a small table in the center of the space

“So, that mer chick is your best friend, right?” Jackson asked. His confidence irritated me. Or maybe it was the mention of her friend.

“Her name’s Arya, but yeah,” I replied.

“Why does she sleep in the avian wing, anyway? She couldn’t handle Cora and her minions?” His laugh grated my nerves.

“Well, she’s also part harpy,” I said. “Which is why she was allowed to move to the avian wing.”

Jackson’s confidence slipped into all-out confusion. He rubbed his chin, then scratched the back of his head rapidly. I couldn’t help but picture a mangy dog doing the same thing.Well, he is a hound. I stifled a laugh.

“No, she’s a mer,” he said. “Iknowshe’s a mer. There was some heavy debate on whether the blue tail or the dragon prince would get their hands on those pearly pink scales of hers—”

“That’s my friend you’re talking about!” I snapped.

He held his hands up in mock-surrender. “Sorry,” he mouthed as our waitress appeared. “A cheese pizza and a milkshake to share,” he said before the waitress or I could say a word.

“Two straws please,” I requested.

The waitress, a pretty blonde with a severe case of acne, nodded and wrote down the order before turning on her heel to leave me at the mercy of my date’s irritating presence.

“Well, whatever happened,” Jackson continued, “the blue tail couldn’t even stay at the school, while I hear things have been getting hot and heavy between her and the prince.” He waggled his eyebrows as if suggesting thatwegethot and heavy.

I looked down at the table, unwilling to indulge him with any kind of assurance or even forced amusement.

“She’s a mer.” He just wouldn’t drop it.

“She’s both,” I corrected. “She’s a chimera. She’s a meranda harpy.” It was probably best if I didn’t divulge any more. If this stereotypical dumb-jock had his head buried far enough in the sand that he didn’t know about Arya’s harpy nature, I should probably leave it that way.

He whistled low. “I didn’t know that was possible. Damn! No wonder Dracul finally decided to settle down. Can you imagine how that girl would be in be—?”

“Stop right there,” I said firmly, gritting my teeth. “Again, that’s myfriendyou’re talking about.”

“I know, and that’s hot,” he said with a grin.

“What’s your deal?” I asked, finally at my wit’s end.

He frowned, completely bewildered. “What do you mean?”

“You’re on a date with me, and you’re talking about my best friend’s sex life,” I deadpanned.

His frown deepened. “Uh, yeah. That’s kinda what we do.”

“We?” I asked, now the one who was confused.

“Hounds,” he said, like it was obvious. “We’re pack creatures, and it’s kinda in our nature to search out available partners. I thought that was why you asked me out. Because you wanted to have a little fun. And maybe bring your hot mer friend along.” He flashed me an impish grin that would’ve stopped my heart before Niko.

I just stared at him for a long few seconds, uncertain how to even begin to respond to that. I knew very little about weres outside of what was taught in class, and what wasn’t taught was that they were apparently giant whores. Not that that wasnecessarily a bad thing, but I wasn’t the least bit interested in being part of some weird inter-shifter orgy. Maybe those thoughts had occasionally crossed my mind where Arya was involved but—ugh, not the point!

“Okay, look, dude,” I said, having finally composed myself. “For one, the only reason I asked you out was to make Niko jealous. And two, I don’t do group activities. Haven’t you heard that I don’t play well with others? If I’m with a guy, I had better be his only partner. Get me?”

He pursed his lips and cocked his head, looking even more like a curious dog. Then he nodded. “Okay, I can understand all that. You don’t want to share. I get that. I could be convinced to limit myself to one girl, if she was the right girl.”

I sighed, pinching my brow in frustration. “Did you miss the part where I said I only asked you to make another guy jealous?”

He leaned back in his chair, draping one arm over the corner of the backrest. “Nah, that’s cool, too. I don’t mind being a pawn. Does that mean we can’t try to have some fun while we’re already out?”

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