6. Wrenlee

6

WRENLEE

I t feels like my heart is shattering in my chest. My throat is tight, and my eyes burn as I fight against the urge to cry. The look on his face when I was so cold and mean, and the slump in his wings and shoulders as he walked away are killing me. The image is burned into my memory. Why did I do that? Why do I care what any of them think?

I don't know him, not really, but he seems nice. And, though I hate to admit it, there is a definite attraction. Sure, he's an alien, but he is one hell of a sexy alien. He has bulging muscles in places I'm not sure I even knew there were muscles to bulge.

Feeling as if there is a two-ton weight pressing down on my shoulders, I turn back around. The girls are already snickering and making snide comments. I can't bring myself to pay attention to them. The pressure in my head is building and I have no doubt that it will soon explode into a major migraine.

"What was that, " Ayla sneers. "I mean, he just walks up and is all like, ‘Hello.' Who does that?"

"He might as well have come over and flopped his dick on the table," Emery adds with a scoff.

Everyone laughs at her comment. Everyone but me and Saylor, who has her gaze locked onto mine. I choke back a sob and gather my composure. This is an impossible situation. I like him. I'd like to get to know him, but it will kill my social standing. The worst part is that Emery is always looking for a way to one-up me or, ideally, to take me down. She wants, with all her heart, to be the Queen of our group. If I go chasing after a Zmaj, she won't be supportive, she'll use it to destroy me.

The laughter and snickering continues. I look at each of them in turn and my sadness and self-pity are replaced with a burning anger. What right do they have, do any of us have, to pass judgment? What have we done to deserve our position? Doubts fuel my anger as it spirals out of control.

"Seriously, who does that?" Valentina says, adding her voice to the pointless and mean conversation.

"Enough," I say, but it's a whisper. Saylor's eyes widen, but before she can stop me, Paisley makes another comment and I lose it. I slam my fist onto the stone table. "Enough!"

Everyone stops as all of them look at me with looks of shock and surprise.

"Wren, it's nothing, really, but I mean that was—" Emery says in a placating tone.

"No," I cut her off while slashing my hand between us. Dimly I'm aware that almost everyone in the hall is looking at our table now. Part of me knows that this will make the tabloids, such as they are, but I don't care. "He did nothing wrong. He said hello . It was nice and friendly, what right do you, do any of you, have to cut him down for it?"

Ayla's mouth is a perfect "o" shape and her eyes are so wide it looks like they could fall out onto the table. I press my fingers into my temple trying to stop the coming migraine. The pressure is building in intensity and sooner rather than later, it's going to explode.

"Wren, we're just saying—" Paisley says, but I stop her with a glare.

Emery has a self-satisfied smile on her face. She knows this is an opportunity and I have no doubt she is going to use it against me. I don't care . All I can think about right now is the way his wings and shoulders slumped. He might never say it, but he was hurt. Hurt because of what? Because he had the gall to say hello?

We are stupid and worthless, and all of us need to get our heads on straight. This can't go on. My heart pounds harder and harder and it's becoming difficult to breathe.

"Right," Saylor says. "Well now that we've settled that. Did any of you notice Rosalind is not wearing her space leathers any longer?"

The girls shift in their seats uncomfortably, but one by one, they join in on the discussion of Rosalind's choice of attire. No one is talking about the fact that she's pregnant, but only a moron wouldn't notice. She's so big now that it's clear. She was a fit woman, full of strength, but she's barely been seen in the past couple of weeks.

Saylor takes my hand in hers under the table. I give her a grateful look, but I notice from the corner of my eye thatEmery is watching. Rather than ignore her, I fix my eyes directly on hers and smile broadly. She wants to take down the Ice Queen, she better be ready for a fight.