Page 18 of Coveted

But he vanishes into the shadows without another word.

I sigh, my shoulders sagging.

At least I’m free of him, since he’s found more prey.

Sitting on the gnarled roots of an oak, I struggle to rein in my rocketing emotions and pulse rate.

Lucan’s the most unnerving person I’ve ever met. Was he born like this? Or made this way from a lifetime of unfathomable advantages?

The possibility of him knowing about the locket is disturbing.

He’s obviously the type to mess with people though. Maybe he’s just taking stabs in the dark to taunt me—he might’ve seen me dispose of the locket in the lake and wondered why. If that’s the case, he’s got nothing.

Except my damn ivory pennant.

Distant shouts come from the green. Some freshmen must still be in the game.

Standing, I make my way back through the forest. My feet drag, in no hurry to bring me around Lucan again.

Beneath the cloak of near darkness, I soon realize I’ve veered deeper into the forest by mistake. Changing direction, I stumble onto a more well-worn path.

My sneakers collide with an object that doesn’t belong, making me freeze.

The glass bottle flies into a tree trunk and comes to rest at the base.

Gingerly, I nudge the bottle with my shoe to inspect it. Whiskey, nearly empty. People must use this forest for all sorts of activities.

A disembodied voice carries through the trees. Instinctively, I shelter behind the tree trunk. Being chased down by Lucan has me on edge, to put it mildly.

“I’ll tell everyone,” comes the voice. “Just admit it! Say it!”

The man’s tone is ragged, like he’s exhausted but also anguished.

Chewing my lip, I debate how to proceed.

I could tiptoe away, undetected. Or I could interrupt, but that’s unlikely to be helpful. This is obviously a private conversation.

Curiosity tugs at me too though. What’s he talking about?

Another person speaks. The new voice is so quiet that I can’t confidently pinpoint male or female. Before I can strain my hearing further, they finish.

I hear frenzied shuffling, a branch snapping, and then there’s silence.

Footsteps move, faint and with care.

Dammit, I should’ve run away while I had the chance. I don’t want to be caught eavesdropping behind a tree like a weirdo.

Peeking out, I see the dark outline of a person crossing the clearing.

My chest loosens. They’re moving away from me.

A moment later, the outline melts into the black depths of the forest. Only then do I see the other person.

He’s sitting under a tree with his back against the trunk. But he faces away from me, so he hasn’t spotted me yet. I could just keep walking.

I decide to quickly acknowledge him and scamper past. If he needs anything, he’ll say.

“Hey.” I round the tree. “I was just⁠—”