Chapter twenty three

After thinking for a few minutes, Alina decided what she would do. She would quickly talk with Evan and then hurry to Marcus. That way, everyone would be happy, and she wouldn't need to choose or hurt anyone's feelings.

Alina turned to Joe and said, "Tell Marcus I'll come later. I promise I'll be there." She then held Evan's hands and asked him to follow her.

"Wait," Joe said as he approached Evan, looking him in the eye. "Where are you taking her? Why can't you take your girlfriend instead? Last time I checked, you were dating Kendra," Joe questioned.

Evan chuckled. "Well, I think you've got it mixed up. Last time I checked, Kendra and Marcus are engaged to be married, so I have nothing to do with Kendra anymore. Get that into your skull."

"Bullshit, you're making up stories. Let me tell you something: Alina is Marcus's girl, and if you don't leave her alone, you'll regret it," Joe warned.

"And what are you going to do?" Evan asked, visibly irritated.

"Well, for one, shouldn't you be taking care of your injured leg? You should be careful where you go, or the other one might also get bitten," Joe responded.

"Don't worry, I have a strong leg. And the next time any rabid dog tries anything, believe me, he won't be alive to use that stinky mouth of his," Evan retorted confidently.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see," Joe said as he shoved Evan and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Alina said, confused. "I thought you only had issues with Marcus, but with his friends too?"

Evan shrugged. "I don't know why they hate me. Maybe they're jealous of me," he said. "Let's go; I really have a lot to say to you." He then took her to his car and drove her out of the school premises.

Joe jogged up the stairs of Marcus's house, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. Reaching Marcus's bedroom door, he took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in," came Marcus's voice from inside.

Joe opened the door to find Marcus lying on his bed, Zack lounging in a chair, and Kenny scrolling through his phone at the desk.

"Hey, Joe," Zack greeted, looking up. "What's up?"

Joe closed the door behind him, his face serious. "We need to talk."

Marcus sat up, instantly alert. "What happened? Where's Ali?"

Joe sighed, walking over to the bed and taking a seat next to Marcus. "She went with Evan."

"What?!" Marcus's face reddened with anger. "What do you mean she went with Evan?"

Joe quickly explained, "I tried to bring her, but Evan showed up and said he needed to talk to her. She asked me to tell you that she'd come later."

"Fuck!" Marcus exclaimed, hitting his hand on the bed. "That damn prick, why does he have to ruin everything? Wherever he needed to go, why didn't he go with his girlfriend?" he said, irritated.

"Well, according to him, he and Kendra broke up," Joe said suddenly, staring at Marcus suspiciously. "Marcus, is there anything you'd like to tell us?"

"Like what?" Marcus asked, half confused and half irritated.

"Well, Evan told me that you and Kendra were engaged," Joe revealed.

Marcus groaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm not engaged to Kendra. My dad and her parents are pushing for it. They want to merge their companies, and they think a marriage between us will seal the deal."

"Are you considering the proposal?" Joe inquired curiously.

"Of course not, but Kendra is really pushing for the marriage. The girl is crazy," Marcus exclaimed.

"Oh my God," Joe chuckled. "So she's still not over her feelings for you?"

"I don't care about her or what she feels. I am not marrying her," Marcus said, fuming.

"Well, can I ask you something?" Joe said with a cocky smile. "Were you never attracted to Kendra, even a little bit?"

"No, I am not attracted to her."

"But I don't get it. She is totally hot," Joe retorted.

"Yes, she might be hot, but I dislike her character," Marcus said, shaking his head. "I can never see myself with her."

"What about Alina? I don't get you nowadays. You've been spending too much time with her," Kenny chimed in, staring at Marcus suspiciously.

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. "It's complicated, okay? I've tried to stay away from her, but I can't stop thinking about her. And when she's with Evan, I just... I get so mad."

"And jealous," Zack cut in, and the group laughed.

"Very funny," Marcus said dryly. He then shifted, his expression turning serious. "Did you guys find anything about the wolves that attacked me and Ali?"

Zack shook his head. "We searched all over town, but there's no trace of them."

Marcus frowned. "Andel thinks the attack is connected to a vicious werewolf Alpha named Knife."

Joe's eyes widened. "Knife? My dad told me about him. He was originally from Rainbow Town but was exiled by the elders."

"For what?" Zack asked, leaning forward.

Joe shrugged. "No idea. My dad didn't tell me."

Marcus nodded, determination in his eyes. "I'll find out more about Knife soon. But right now, I'm craving ice cream. Let's hit the shop down the street. Please, help me up," he said.

"Ice cream? You're not fully healed yet," Joe asked.

"Please, man, I'm tired of lying in this bed. I need to get some air," he replied.

Zack and Joe helped him up.

"Kenny, please pass me that jacket on your back," he requested.

Kenny looked at his back and saw the jacket on top of a bag. He passed the jacket to him.

"I hope you're not planning to go far," Kenny asked him.

"I promise I won't go far," he said.

"You promise, because we can't take you far, okay?" Kenny confirmed.

"Ok," Marcus replied.

The boys agreed and headed out, making their way to the local ice cream shop. As they entered, they bumped into Lizzy, who was just leaving.

"Hey, Lizzy," Joe said with a grin. "Fancy seeing you here."

Lizzy blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey, Joe. Yeah, I just needed a break."

Joe leaned in a bit closer. "Well, you just made my day a lot better."

Lizzy's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "I... um... thanks." Flustered, she turned to leave but misjudged the door and bumped her face on the glass.

The boys burst into laughter, and Joe quickly stepped forward. "You okay, Lizzy?"

"I'm fine," she muttered, embarrassed, as she hurried out.

Kenny clapped Joe on the back, still laughing. "Smooth, man. Real smooth. What was that all about?"

Joe's ears turned pink. "Leave me alone."

The boys laughed, stepping outside with their ice creams. As they stood on the sidewalk, Zack's eyes widened. "Guys, look."

Across the street, Evan and Alina stood in a tight embrace. Marcus's face went pale, and his ice cream slipped from his hand, hitting the ground with a splat.

"That son of a bitch" Marcus started, his voice trembling with anger.