Henchgirl (Dakota Kekoa Book 1) by Rita Stradling Read Free Book Online

space. I did not connect the dots until I looked down to probably about two hundred of my peers drinking punch and wearing suits and cocktail dresses.
    There was a moment where everything could have been very different; I could have been a joke, a social outcast, as I was sure Auli had gleefully plotted. My grandfather might have un-enrolled me, moved us, given up on me being a soldier, given me to my aunt to train with my sister to be a dracon-wife, in other words a baby making slave.
    But Auli’s then best friend Mele, who I had not said two words to at that point, stripped off her cocktail dress and standing in her bra and underwear screamed, “Yeah, pool party!” Then she threw her dress into some guy’s face, ran through the living room and out of the big glass doors into their courtyard. I, with most of the party, followed her out to see Mele pushing party guests into the pool.
    To this day, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me.
    In the end, most of the party ended up missing essential articles of clothing, Mele and I became friends while trying our first sips of vodka, and I was never invited to the Hale estate again.
    Until now.
    Keanu smiled, patiently waiting for my answer. Honua still wrapped in Keanu’s muscular arm, made a comical face at me, obviously entertained rather than annoyed at being left out of our conversation, she signed to me, “I have no idea what you guys are talking about.”
    Of course she did not, Keanu was facing me, and she could only read my lips and my half of the conversation. “Sorry,” I signed.
    Keanu said, “Oh, right,” and then pivoted so Honua could see his face. “Do you want to go to a party at my house on Saturday, Honua?” He did not talk weird or slowly to her like even the people who weren’t making fun of her did.
    Saturday ? Saturday! This was my big break-through, the opportunity I had been waiting for a year and a half, and it was the same day we were holding a formal reception welcoming Braiden-freaking-McCormick!
    I had an overwhelming urge to throw a full-blown, kicking and screaming, throw myself to the ground, tantrum. I called upon my years of training and gritted my teeth together.
    And to make matters worse, like tears pricking my eyes-worse, Honua, my little social misfit friend who had probably never been invited to a party in her life, beamed up and said, “I can probably go, but only if I can get a ride with you, Dakota.”
    My voice was small when I answered her, “I can’t go. I have a family thing.”
    She smiled and signed, “That is okay.” But, I could see the disappointment on her face. It was probably the first time she had been invited out by a boy, let alone the school’s resident ‘god.’
    Maybe there was some way that I could arrange a ride for her; but then I would be leaving her alone with the social-buzzards.
    “I’ll drive you,” Keanu said, “I’ll drive you home too, I don’t have to drink.”
    It was a terrible idea, high-school parties were probably more dangerous than receptions at the Dracon High Court, the only way she would have anything that resembled fun was if I could watch out for her. But the beaming smile that lit across Honua’s face stopped me from saying anything more.
    Before running off, Honua gave her info to Keanu and said, “Text only.” Then she signed to me that she had to get to the cafeteria before everything worth eating was gone.
    “Let me give you my number too,” I said, before thinking how weird and forward it sounded. But for once, I did not mean it that way, and I explained, “In case you need me. She’s really important to me.”
    His ever present smile disappeared and Keanu was completely serious when he said to me, “I won’t let her leave my sight. And yeah, I would love your number.”
    I gave it to him and he programmed it into his phone.
    “Actually,” he said, smiling sheepishly, “I’m really disappointed you can’t go. Don’t think I’m a stalker