Soul Mates: Scent (The Soul Mates Series) (2 page)

I tried really hard not to look at her with surprise and maybe a hint of fear, but I couldn’t keep my eyes from being drawn to her. She sat facing Mrs. Lancaster, a delicate smile curving her lips as she paid attention to the lesson.

I was definitely going insane. My imagination was making up answers to my questions and using Anna’s voice to drive me over the edge. I couldn’t wait to get out of English and on to Algebra. The minutes of the clock seemed to pass slowly. I was tempted to grab my books and hit the door the minute the bell rang, but then Anna turned her dark head toward me and smiled that sexy little smirk and I could not help but smile back. I blew out the deep breath I had apparently been holding and decided to go with it.

When the bell finally rang I realized I had missed the entire lesson on Shakespeare’s
Taming
of
the
Shrew
and even worse, I didn’t care. Kate was nothing compared to the mysterious and intriguing Anna. I stood up and gathered my books, still smiling at her.

“Yo! Max!”

I turned to see Dean, another best friend headed toward me and Anna, a determined look on his face. Dean was currently single. He and Katelyn had broken up a week ago and he was ready to date again. Up until today he had been considering asking out Jessica Canfield, but now I could tell by the look on his face he was going to try his moves on Anna. I debated for half a second whether or not to let him, but in the end I couldn’t do it. I grabbed up Anna’s books and my heart flipped when she once again slipped her arm through mine and we stepped into the hall.

“Yo! Max! Come on, wait up!” Dean called from behind me.

“Your friend seems determined to talk to you.” Anna smiled.

“Yeah, well I don’t feel like talkin’ to him. You coming?” I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, gauging her reaction.

“Oui.”

I smiled as we hurried off, avoiding Dean and ducking into Algebra. I’d forgotten in my haste to get away from him that not only did Dean have Algebra with me, but so did Jenny. I felt my heart plunge into my stomach as Dean followed us into the room, closely followed by Jenny. I didn’t really want to piss Jenny off more, nor did I think she would believe that Anna and I had just met this morning, but apparently I wasn’t getting a say in how things went down.

All I knew was I wanted… no, it was more than that, I
needed
to be with Anna and I wondered if maybe she might be free Friday after the game. Maybe I could show Anna around town, show her all of my favorite hang outs, and introduce her to everyone. It wasn’t like I’d actually made plans with Jenny. She’d planned to go out with Katelyn and Vanessa after the game for a girl’s night.

“Max! What the hell, dude?”

“What?” I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but deep down my heart was racing as an image of Anna and Dean together getting cozy flitted through my mind making me feel completely jealous.

Dean narrowed his eyes in a knowing way and smirked. “So, who’s your… friend?”

“Dean, Anna Lissa Felidae. Anna Lissa, Dean,” I said sourly.

“Anna Lissa…
sweet
. So what are ya doing hangin’ with this dude?” Dean asked, trying to be cool and shit. “Max here isn’t available, or did he fail to mention that fact?”

I
’
m
going
to
kill
him
.
Shit
. The day was barely a quarter over and my best friends were dropping like flies into the ex-best friend pile. First Steve, now Dean. All I needed was for Tony to catch a glimpse of her and he’d be going down for the count too. Of course we wouldn’t see Tony till lunch.
Shit
.

“Oui, Max est très doux,” Anna said with a smile. “Sweet. But of course I know he was dating Jennifer.” Her smile turned almost hard and I noticed her jaw clench as she said Jenny’s name.

That had better be over, Mate.

My eyes were drawn to her, startled. Did she just say that?

“Good, good,” Dean said with a grin. “So…”

I
do
not
like
this
friend
of
yours,
Max.
Anna’s eyes narrowed and her smile turned more brittle.

Yeah I wasn’t liking him much either at that moment. “Go away Dean,” I said, trying not to panic. I was hearing things. I had to be hearing things. I stared at Anna wondering where exactly she had come from and why I was hearing her in my head. She looked so pretty standing there, her slender hand on her hip as she gazed up at me with her dark blue eyes. I watched her tongue dart out from between her soft pink lips and her breath catch in her throat. I held my breath as she licked her lips.

I barely heard Dean chuckle before he asked, “So Anna Lissa, ya doin’ anything Friday night?”

All my breath left my body in a whoosh. The panic was back. I couldn’t let her go out with Dean. Anna was mine! I had to speak before she answered him, before she could say yes to him. “Yeah, she’s going out with me.”

Now I’d done it. I hadn’t meant to ask Anna Lissa out in such a public way. What if she turned me down? That would be embarrassing, especially with Jenny standing right there. I glanced at Jenny and she looked even more pissed off than usual. I held my breath and caught Anna’s eye as that slow sexy smile spread across her lips. The one that easily took my breath away. And I forgot all about Jenny.

“What?” Jenny shrieked from behind Dean.

“Oui, Max agreed to show me around town. All the…hot spots… I think he called it,” Anna smiled in a not so friendly way at Jenny and I wondered again what in the hell was going on. “You of course do not mind so much do you Jennifer? You and Max aren’t really dating anymore. Besides aren’t you having a… what did you call it Max?” Anna flashed her pretty blue eyes at me and bit her lip. “A girl’s night out? Oui?” Anna Lissa asked me, challenging me to deny that we’d had this conversation.

Of course we hadn’t had the conversation, but the thought had flitted through my mind at some point. “Yeah, um… that’s right.”

“Girls night is cancelled. Max will be taking me out,” Jenny stated with assured defiance.

Anna stared at me, her beautiful blue eyes narrowed, daring me to back out of taking her out. I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but there was definitely
something
happening between Anna and I. There was no way in hell I was going to deny fate. I was however about to seriously piss Jenny off more than I think I ever have in our entire crazy, mixed up relationship. Trust me when I say pissing Jenny off this much was like jumping on a live grenade, both are deadly.

“Sorry Jenny. You should have told me sooner that girl’s night was cancelled. I made other plans,” I replied heatedly.

“Max. You. Will.
Not.
Do. This
.
To.
Me
,” Jenny seethed. “You are
my
boyfriend, and if you keep this up you will regret it.”

“But I‘m not, if you will recall, we broke up,” I said softly, wishing we didn’t have to do this so publicly, but Jenny was not going to let it go.

“I am not joking around Max, stop this right now, stop messing around with her. Don’t force me to have you ostracized. I’ll do it Max!”

I raised my eyebrows at her. She really thought she had the power to get my friends to hate me. She was seriously deluded. I’d never realized how possessive she was and I really didn’t care for it.

“You don’t own me, Jenny. I’m not your little pet to be ordered around. I make my own choices. You don’t choose my friends, tell me who I can or can’t hang with and you certainly better stop with the idle threats, because I’m not going to put up with them.”

“They aren’t idle threats Max,” Jenny said through clinched teeth.

“Miss Lupel, Miss Felidae, Mr. Fergus and Mr. Burke, as entertaining as your love lives are, I would appreciate it if you would do this on your own time and have a seat so that I may start class.”

“This isn’t over, Max.”

I am glad you chose to honor your word, Max.

I looked at Anna and frowned. I was still feeling upset and angry about Jenny’s possessiveness, that it made me pause again and think about what was going on. Who the hell was she? And why was I so determined to take Anna out? I knew there had to be some kind of explanation, other than fate and my Irish luck to serve as an answer, but I didn’t think that I was going to find out anytime soon.

I handed Anna Lissa her books and I slid into my seat. Anna took a seat two desks away and smiled at me. I suddenly felt as though I had traded Jenny’s possessiveness for Anna Lissa’s and my heart tightened. I wasn’t a possession to be fought over darn it!

I had been hearing Anna’s voice in my head all morning and so I decided to send her a little message, letting her know I didn’t approve. I am my own person and I wasn’t going to be controlled by anyone else. I looked over at her to gauge her reaction. I wasn’t disappointed.

Her beautiful blue eyes narrowed and she glared at me, reminding me of my reaction to Steve and Dean when they had come on to her.

Isn’t that just a little hypocritical Max? Perhaps I shall not go out with you on Friday after all. Perhaps I shall take Dean up on his offer of a date on Friday evening.

A million thoughts raced through my head. She was right, I was being hypocritical. Besides, she wasn’t my girlfriend, I had no say what so ever over her life and she had no say in mine. The truth was I just really wanted to get to know her better and figure out why fate and my Irish luck had teamed up to mess with my life.

Anna stopped glaring at me and rolled her eyes. I could hear her sweet little giggle in my mind and I shook my head. I had lost it, whatever
it
was. My mind, my life, and all control over either. I wondered then if I ever had control.

In my head I knew that I could tell Anna Lissa to forget it, but in my heart I knew that wasn’t what was meant to be. In the end, if I didn’t see this through, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I
had
to accept what fate was offering me. I glanced over at Anna again and she gave me just a hint of a smile.

I
’
m
sorry
for
thinking
you
were
anything
like
Jenny.
I said it in my head with a glance at Anna Lissa. She didn’t look at me, but I could see the beginnings of another smile on her pretty pink lips. I sighed. What was it about her that made me want to do anything to see that sinful little smile touch her lips? Was I bewitched? Maybe. But then there was no such thing as witches. Right?

Max, do not worry about it, this is more than fate or even your Irish luck. I will answer all of your questions in time. But much is to be learned before I can give you those answers. You are going to learn things that you may not be able to accept. I hope that you can, that you will. Because whatever you decide will affect me too.

I frowned. How was I supposed understand any of this? And for that matter how could she hear everything I was thinking? Did she know that I thought she was the most gorgeous creature I have ever seen? Or that the sound of her voice sends chills of pleasure down my spine? I glanced across the aisle and noticed Anna Lissa’s cheeks turning slightly pink. Ah, yeah I guess she did hear that. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck.

Thank you, Max. You aren’t too bad yourself. And if you don’t want me to know what you are thinking you can block your thoughts from me. I will teach you how.

When?
I thought curiously. It would be nice to block some things from her. It was cool being able to share thoughts, but well there were some things she just didn’t need to know, you know?

Anna smiled that wicked little smile of hers.
Friday.

Friday?
That
is
four
days
away!
I thought fiercely. I heard her giggle softly in my mind.

I watched Jenny storm out of the room, her “shadows” rushing to keep up with her and I frowned. She was up to something. Probably going to try to make her little idle threat a reality.

“Max?”

I glanced up at the sound of her soft lilting voice and smiled at the way my heart lifted just hearing her. Anna was standing barely an inch away, her sweet face tilted quizzically to one side. I’d felt her presence near me before I looked up, but the sound of her voice and the expression of concern on her face made me want to forget anything Jenny related and do whatever it took to be with her.

“Such deep thoughts, Max,” Anna said with a small laugh. “Relax, all will work out as it should,” Anna said. That sweet rhythm of her voice soothed my nerves and almost made me forget everything but her. “Come, we have Biology, oui?”

“Yeah,” I replied with an easy smile. I took her books and shoved them under my arm with my own. “Biology, can’t be late.”

We crossed the hall to the lab. As soon as we entered the room with the island like workstations I realized that Anna wouldn’t be able to sit near me. We had lab partners, more specifically, I had a lab partner. The only person in class without a lab partner was Vanessa, one of Jenny’s shadows. I frowned as we moved toward Mr. Belmont’s desk.

It’s all right, Max. I can handle her.

I glanced at Anna out of the corner of my eye and she smiled that sexy little smile that I had already grown to love.

“Mr. Belmont?”

“Ah, yes. Good morning Miss Felidae, Mr. Fergus.” Mr. Belmont smiled at us. “Welcome to our school Miss. Felidae. If you will just take a seat right there, we will get started.” Mr. Belmont gestured to the empty seat next to Vanessa.

“Merci, monsieur.” Anna smiled.

I set Anna’s books on the table by her seat. “I’ll see you after class.”