Silent Heroes: Wildcat

Chapter 21: Lions and Werewolves and Bears

I stuffed the newspaper under the waistband of my jeans and threw my shirt over top to hide it.  Jewel and Reza were already pulling out ahead of me.  I trotted several paces in order to catch up. 

They led me to a big room lined with long wooden tables and filled with the mouth-watering aroma of cooking meat.  Considering the fact that Deanna had let us out early, I was surprised by how full the cafeteria was.  At least fifty cat-shifters lounged at the tables or stood around in groups of two, threes and fours. Each and every one of them was slender and muscular, with vibrant eyes and a sort of casual grace.  I felt like I was standing a room full of super-models.

I was scanning for a private corner to read the newspaper article when Reza's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey, look who's back!"  He grabbed my arm, propelling me forward through the crowds.  "Eve, c'mere for a sec!"

"What?" I said absently.

"I'm going to introduce you to Danielle."

"Who?"

"The prettiest and most popular girl in the whole school."

I found myself sputtering protests.  I wanted to know what that newspaper article said.  I wasn't interested in meeting the resident blond, busty, pretty cheerleader type. 

"Yeah, but I was going to-"

"Oh come on," Reza insisted, ignoring my protests.  "She's really nice.  Trust me." 

Nice?  Where I came from pretty, popular girls hardly qualified as nice. 

We were approaching a small group of people near the back of the room.  My gaze immediately landed on a classically beautiful girl with a pale, heart-shaped face.  Her hair was pure white, cascading in perfect waves over her shoulders.  Her big, wild-cat eyes were a striking, vibrant green.

She also looked vaguely familiar.  I tired to place where I had been her before.  "Wait, wasn't she in our class this morning?"

"What?" Reza said.  "Oh no, not her, silly.  That's Tess."  He nodded to the girl across from the blond.  "That's Danielle."

I stopped in my tracks, the newspaper article momentarily forgotten.  I knew it was rude, but I stared.  I couldn't help myself.  The blond might have been pretty, but this other girl was almost inhumanly beautiful. And, quite frankly, not at all what I had been expecting.

She had the blackest skin I had ever seen. Silky, smooth and entirely unblemished, it clung like shrink wrap to the long, slender curves of her body, emphasizing the perfectly toned mucsles along her arms and shoulders.  Her face had a regal, carved quality about it.  High cheekbones.  Full lips.  Her eyes were pitch black and faintly slanted, hinting at possible East Asian ancestors.  Her tight, curly hair was coiled and piled elegantly at the back of her head. 

Yet, there was more to it than just her physcial looks.  Even leaning casually against the table, chatting with the green-eyed blond, she seemed to ooze this wild, feral beauty.  It surrounded her like an aura.  Like it was part of her skin.

I was awestruck.  I had never seen anyone so beautiful in my entire life.

"You're staring, Eve," Reza said.

"Am I?"

He continued guiding me towards the table.  Jewel was following close behind.  "Don't worry, she has that effect on people.  I'm not even convinced the girl is entirely human."

"None of us are entirely human," I said.

Reza laughed.  "Excellent point."

As we came closer, the girl turned her obsidian eyes in our direction.  A smile broke out across her face.  She had the straightest, whitest teeth I had ever seen.