Defiance (Significance #3)(43)

"Thank you. Would you please go to him now?"
He nodded and smiled as he made his way to the Jacobson huddle. They were all pretty ticked from the looks of things, and their thoughts. Caleb had explained it all and they were ready for a fight if the night called for one. They were finally done with being a sideline family. Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my mind.
You look so…agonizingly…beautiful.
You look pretty good yourself, slick.
I am so sorry I brought you here.
It's not forever. They're just trying to push your buttons. They all envy the Jacobsons whether they'll admit it or not.
But it's not fair to you. You're already withdrawing, I can feel it, and I'm not even allowed to touch you tonight.
I could see his color rising. His father put a hand on his shoulder and Rodney put a hand on the other. Even Kyle stepped up to flank him. They were showing us once again they were behind us. We just had to ride out the councils' rules and so called 'traditions' until we could change them for everyone, not just for ourselves. We had to save the race, not just our family. And the race was so consumed by tradition that it would be a hard case to sell. They'd all turn against us if we didn’t do this right. So…we'd play by their rules. For now.
I'm ok and ready to do this.
I'm not.
I smiled. I love you, Caleb Jacobson.
I love you, Maggie Jacobson. And don't you dare forget it.
I smiled again as his use of his family name for me, and held in my chuckle at the protective vibe I was getting from him. I was surprised every person in this room couldn't see it floating around him. It really was stupid for them to make some ritual like this. They know the significants' nature; to be possessive and protective. So why go to so much trouble to push me on others knowing that our bodies would rebel against it?
I turned to the eager crowd. The first man I looked for was my father. My real father. I didn't see him anywhere. Bish was standing with the Jacobsons, but my dad was with Paulo's clan because that's where his significant was from. It settled on it then that my father was not part of my clan. Rachel had told me in California that when you imprint you follow your husband to his clan and they rarely even saw their other families anymore. I wondered in terror if that was how it would be for Dad and me now that he was in her family.But her clan was very happy and proud. They smiled at my dad and Fiona with a true sense of joy. At least there was that.
I looked out at the rest of the room. All the men were lined up front, their women behind them. I assumed they were waiting for me to reveal my necklace so they could claim their prize. So I undid the shawl and let it slide off the side. The groans of disappointment were evident, but one other voice rang out clear and true.
A Watson.
He came forward, all smiles and evil grins. He looked extremely pleased by my discomfort. I decided right then and there that if I was going to be stuck in this, that I would be a player in it as well. So I smiled too and curtseyed to him. He faltered and almost tripped over himself, making me press my lips together to stop the laugh. When he reached me I held my hand out with a sweet smile.
"Shall we?" I said, dripping with sugar.
"Of course, Visionary," he said smoothly, but was clearly taken off guard by my actions, or intentions, but he smiled back and took me to the dance floor. When we stopped on the green granite circle in the middle he glanced to Marla, who nodded. He looked back at me with a renewed vigor to his task.
Good, I thought. Two can play this game.
I was surprised when they played actual music instead of the instruments playing themselves. Some John Mayer ballad played over the speakers and the man began to lead me. He had white gloves on, which had not escaped my notice, to match the white shirt of his tux. But I knew the gloves were to keep him from putting an offense mark on me.
"What's your name?" I asked to start.
"Walker," he said and smirked. "And you're Maggie." He grinned and then I remembered where I'd seen him before. He was one of the ones who helped Sikes guard me at the well. "I know all about you."
"Do you now?" I dragged out. "Doubtful."
"I know you love honey buns, you hate to be the center of attention and you don't like me much."
I smiled. "All of that could have been concluded pretty easily since it's blaringly obvious."
He laughed at my response. "Probably. I also know that you want things to change here." I glanced over at Caleb and saw that nothing had changed with him. He was still glaring. As if the man knew it, his right hand slid an inch lower on my back. I used my mind to jerk his hand back up to my upper back and he balked in confusion.
"Thought I couldn’t do that because you have my blood in you?" His face said that I was right. "It just keeps me from seeing your thoughts and your future. Your hand is an object that I can move, so that doesn’t matter." He gulped a little loudly. "Marla sent you off to war without the proper knowledge of the enemy, huh?" I goaded. 
"This isn’t a game," he said in a low voice.
"You're right, it's not. So what are you and Marla planning for me tonight? Why don't you just tell me and then we can move on."
"Nice try," he said and dipped me back a little. It was so sudden that I jerked in surprise. He grinned and leaned me back up. When he did, I twirled out of his arm and stood back.
I smiled. "You're right about change. I think we need to change the rules of tonight as well." I walked over to the first boy I saw who wasn't a Jacobson or Watson and asked him to dance. He was elated, in almost a creepy way, and let me take him to the dance floor. He couldn't dance well, however. I kept my eyes from the council so their scowls would be their little secret, though I knew they were there.
After the song ended I grabbed another partner and let him twirl me, and twirl me, and twirl me. He was an expert dancer and seemed to be fond of the twirling rhythms of Salsa. I laughed as he guided me and showed our feet how to wind between each others. I looked back at Caleb and though he wanted to look mad he was smiling at watching me.
Rodney thumped Caleb's chest with his fist before making his way to me. "May I have this dance?"
"Of course," I answered and smiled at the man who was being relieved. "Thank you. You're seriously good at that."
"Thank you, Visionary, for giving me the opportunity to show you."
I nodded and turned to Rodney. He smirked and took my hands and waist formally. We moved back and forth gently. Rodney looked behind us and started to laugh softly.
Caleb is seriously love struck.
"Me, too," I replied and looked at Caleb over Rodney's shoulder. He was still just watching me while Kyle was going on about the crappy music in Caleb's ear. "Your cousin is pretty great, you know."
"Yep. I can not wait," he said and laughed a little. "It's almost worse now that I saw the vision. Every girl I see I wonder now if she's the one."
"So knowing is worse than not knowing?"
"In ways, but I'm glad that I know." He looked way different in his tux. His hair was combed over to the side instead of his normal unruliness. "What?" he said when he caught me looking.
"You Jacobsons…you're just a good looking bunch."
"Really?" he said, his ego inflating by the second, given by his cocky grin.
"Yes, really. My friend Beck came to California with us and we went swimming. She almost fainted when Peter came on the beach in just his trunks."
He laughed. "Well, that guy's built like a beef factory. It's understandable."
"A beef factory?" I asked through my laugh. "You miss the ranch don't you."
"I sure do. I'll have to buy myself my own ranch after I meet the little lady. We'll make us a cozy homestead, right there in Tennessee, with bacon and beef running wild in the fields!" he said in flourish.
I laughed again and then turned when Caleb put his hand on my arm. I turned to find his cleverly disguised amused face. "What's going on here?""Nuttin'," Rodney drawled playfully. "Just tryin' steal your girl is all."
"Well then I better have her," he said and grinned as he put his hands on my hips. "She's not available to be stolen."
"I think you're missing the point of stealing, cuz," Rodney goaded as he saluted and went to the food table.
Caleb smiled, but didn't look his way. We swayed together, knowing we weren't supposed to be dancing tonight, and I happened to catch Marla sneering at us over Caleb's shoulder. I looked at her, she looked back. Then she smiled. It was a smile that was layered with many things: giddiness, cruelty, malice, hatred, and even a little bit of envy. All of it pissed me off and just as Caleb looked back at her over his shoulder, she pursed her lips as if to send him a kiss. Then I saw her face whip to the side as is she'd been slapped.
She turned and glared at me. I bit my lip. I'd done that with my ability and anger. I looked back to Caleb who was watching me with amusement. "She deserved it," he said and crushed me back to him.
The song that was playing above us was You And Me by Lifehouse and he pressed his face into my hair and softly sang the words to me.
What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I'm losing so much time
'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people
with nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me, and all of the people
And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you