Maybe it was the heat that was driving his brain crazy, or maybe the stuffiness of the shop that was confusing his senses. His mother insisted he take a break from his work and walk with her here, but he could barely get past the first aisle of shelves before he saw her. A woman that looked to be a few years younger than him standing alongside Miss J. Her white hair flowed down her back like a snowy waterfall, swaying against her open lower back. Her curves fit perfectly in the clothes she chose, her crop top giving more to the imagination. Her pink lips looked soft and inviting, but her eyes drew him in. Her blue eyes were like the ocean on the clearest of days and her scent. By the Gods, he wanted to wrap himself up in it and be smothered to death by it. Yet here he was, hiding behind books as his mother talked to her so freely. All he had to do was move, to step out of hiding and get close, yet his feet wouldn’t budge. There was a stirring inside of him, a low growl making itself present. He hadn’t felt him wake in sometime, the summer heat always kept him quiet and low key, but he was ignoring the temperature now. Its attention was being drawn to something, or someone else.
He listened to her talk, his heart doing flips in his chest, if it were at all possible. It was like hearing an angel speak. He gripped the shelf to steady himself. Why was he thinking this way? He doesn’t even know the woman. Why is his mind filling up with these thoughts?
Lymeria waved goodbye to the woman and Miss J before heading for the door. He took the cue to follow her lead and left the door chiming behind them.
“She’s a lovely young lady, don’t you think?” She asked him, but he didn’t reply. He couldn’t reply to her. He feared in giving in to the running thoughts in his mind. “She looks so much like her mother. I’m surprised she came all the way up here, of all places.” She said. This time he looked over to her.
“Do you know her mom?” He asked her as they crossed the street. She smiled, holding the package close to her chest.
“Yes. She was one of my dearest and best of friend's daughter, but she passed away.” Her eyes grew dark, and she had the far off look in her eyes. Whatever she was thinking about was troubling her deeply, and it bothered him.
“Have you told me about her?” He asked her. Her eyes lit up again, and she smiled at him.
“I wonder if you should know.” She nibbled her bottom lip as she pondered the idea. His brows came together as she continued to think it over, so he redirected his attention to getting home and finishing his job.
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He walked into the bookstore after hours, surprised that the door was still unlocked. The lights were dim inside, and no customer appeared in sight. Instead, he made his way to the back corner by the table and couch where he found Amira sitting, her face in an old book. She wore jeans that fit her thighs, and a button up white blouse. Her hair was draped over her left shoulder as her eyes scanned over the texts.
He stepped into the light, making her look up from her book. She smiled sweetly at him as she set the book aside, rising to her feet. She suddenly appeared in front of him, her hands on his chest. The beast within him growled pleasantly at her touch. His hands went to her waist, and they kept moving until they linked behind her. She stood so close to him he thought she would start molding into his body, but she rose on her toes and kissed him. Every restraint he had vanished instantly the moment their lips made contact. His tongue parted her lips, dominating her own as he pinned her against the bookshelf that lined the wall. Several books fell off, but they ignored it. He needed to feel more of her.
His hands went to her blouse, ripping it open and sending the buttons clattering to the floor. His hands went to her bare breasts, massaging them aggressively. He would’ve held back if not for her moaning. That made him more persistent. The blouse slid off of her shoulders and he hoisted her until her legs wrapped around his waist. He felt her arms secure around his neck as he went back to feeling her body. That’s when he felt something was off. There was warm moisture covering her chest and as he pulled his mouth away, his eyes widened at what he found. Four large scratches stretched diagonally across her chest, blood streaming from them.
“Aiden?” Her voice spoke his name, but he couldn’t look away. He looked down at his hands, seeing her blood coating them, his nails turned into claws. “Aiden?” The voice came again, and he covered his ears, closing his eyes tight.
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“Aiden!” Someone broke through the barrier of his dream, sending him to jump suddenly and grab whoever woke him. To his surprise, his mother was sitting on the bed, her eyes wide as she stared at him. His breathing was rapid as he tried to register what was going on as he took in the room he was in. He recognized his bed, and the workout equipment next to it, along with his dresser. Everything was as is the night before.
“Are you okay?” Lymeria asked, her hand going to his forehead. He shut his eyes, relieved that it was only a dream, and yet...
“Yeah, it was just a dream.” He tried to reassure her, but the look she had showed she didn’t believe it. He guessed it was a parent’s intuition that knew something deeper was going on. “That woman at the shop.”
“You mean Amira?” She asked, raising a brow before an amusing smirk played on her lips. “Oh, I see how it is.” She snickered. He wiped the sweat from his brow. “Was it bad?”
“It didn’t start out that way.” He wanted to choose his words carefully, and yet it wouldn’t have mattered. His mother was giving him the accusing look. “She was bleeding.” That changed her expression instantly.
“Bleeding how?” She asked him. He shut his eyes. The sight of the deep wounds made him clench his blanket tightly. He felt angry, but was it directed at himself?
“She had these deep scratch marks on her chest like a Wolf tried to tear her to shreds.” He peered down at his hands, remembering the blood.
It felt so real.
Lymeria frowned, resting her hands on his. He slowly relaxed.
“Was it four?”
“What?”
“The scratches. Were there four of them?” She asked again, and he looked at her quizzically.
How did she know that?
She let out a deep sigh, turning away from him, resting her hands on her lap. “I guess there is no reason to keep this from you. After all, you were with us that night when it happened.” She said.
“When what happened?” He asked her. When her eyes met his, he could see sadness clouding them. He grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly. She smiled halfheartedly at him.
“The night we were to meet with the Hunters.” She talked, her eyes lowering to their hands. He racked his brain for those memories, vague images coming to mind of a small group of humans, a snow covered clearing, and a little girl. “Your father agreed to meet them. He agreed we could end this fight, but...” he saw a tear stroll down her cheek, her chin trembling slightly, “Something changed in him that night. He condoned the attack against my wishes, putting your life at risk.”
“Why did he change his mind?” Aiden asked her, but she could only shrug. He could see it was hurting her by explaining it, “Mom, you don’t need to share anymore.” He told her, but she shook her head.
“I need to. You need to know.” She composed herself. “The white-haired woman that was with the leader was my friend. She had brought her child along to meet you.” Her eyes grew dark again, and she squeezed his hand tightly. “She was in the middle of the fight when a Wolf turned on her.” Her jaw clenched with the painful look on her face. “I begged your father to call them off, but he prowled closer. I think his goal was to take out the leader, as any Alpha would do.” She looked up at Aiden, “I killed one Wolf that tried to kill the little girl.”
“Wait, why would you do that? He was part of our pack.” He got angry. She growled at him, and he shut down instantly.
“I did it to protect the child. It would go against my morals as a mother to not intervene. I know her mother would have done the same for you.” She gave a soft smile before dropping it from her lips. “Your father reprimanded me for it later, leading to my exile of the pack.” She said and shrugged as if that part didn’t bother her at all.
"Why am I remembering all of this now?" He asked her. Lymeria inclined her head as she pondered for a moment.
"It could be because the spell I asked Miss J to put on you to repress your memories finally broke after seeing Amira." She told him, holding up her hand to stop his next question, "I asked her to do it so you didn't have to remember such a horrific event."
“Why are the scratches significant?” He asked her, looking down at his hands as if the blood might appear at any moment.
“Your father slashed the poor girl’s mother. That could be what you are seeing.” Lymeria frowned at him. “This could be your mind telling you you might do the same if you get too close to Amira.” She exhaled. “But I hope that you’re smart enough to make your own choices. Don’t let your nightmares decide for you.” His mother told him, getting to her feet, “Now get dressed and, uh... deal with that.” She gestured to the rise in his blanket. He growled at her and she laughed at him as she closed the door behind herself.
The room fell quiet once more, and he collapsed back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He pictured Amira’s smiling face, then her body and he felt his groin grow harder and his Wolf growled deep within him. Aiden couldn’t deny the attraction he felt toward her. It was strong, stronger than anything he’s felt before, but along with that attraction came with fear. He knew what she was now, but could she handle who he was?
His hand dipped below the blanket and he shut his eyes, working himself into the release he desperately needed.
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It had been a week since his encounter with Amira at the bookstore and the nightmare that followed. He didn’t have the same dream again, but it didn’t stop him from growing concerned. If he saw her again, would the nightmare repeat itself? Would it change for the worse? Either way, he refused to go back there if it meant both of their safety. However...
“Aiden! I’m itching for Ms. Johnson’s delicious cookies.” His mother sang to him as he knelt beside a motorcycle. He wiped his brow, smearing oil on his skin.
“Then go get some. You don’t need my permission.” He told her, putting down one tool and picked up another, doing his best not to lose focus. She groaned, laying her head on the fold-out table. A screen door opened on the left side of the garage. An older man in a blue shirt and overalls stepped out and peered around the disarray of a shop.
“It’s hot as balls out here.” The man grumbled, going over to the AC unit he had on the wall and banged on it a few times, but no cool air came from it.
“It’s broken from the multiple times you banged on it, and you shouldn’t have it blasting while the door is open. It will defeat its purpose.” Aiden said without turning to look at him. The old man grumbled again, taking a seat across from Lymeria.
“What is it, sweetheart?” He asked her, his fingers brushing through her hair slowly. Lymeria sat up slowly, tugging at her shirt as it tried to cling to her body because of the sweat.
“I wanted Ms. Johnson's cookies, but Aiden won’t go with me.” She pouted. Aiden tensed up as he sensed her sadness, inwardly groaning. The old man’s eyes lit up at the mention of Ms. Johnson’s cookies, and he jumped to his feet.
“Let’s all go then. I haven’t seen had any of her delicious cookies in some time now.” He licked his lips hungrily. Lymeria clapped her hands together.
“That does it. Family walk. Let’s go, Aiden.” She got up from her seat, grabbing his arm, but he yanked it back down.
“I said no. I want to work on my bike.” He said sternly. She let go of his arm, growling low before turning and storming from the garage. He let out a sigh until he felt a slap to the back of his head. He grunted, looking up to see the old man staring down at him with icy blue eyes.
“Don’t be such a hardass.” He said to him before walking off after Lymeria. Aiden watched them go before tilting his head back and shut his eyes.
“Finally, some peace and quiet.” He sighed and returned to his bike.
Amirastretchedher arms above her head as her last class wrapped up at noon. As the other students filed out, she looked out the classroom window to the large oak tree in the center of the courtyard out front. She watched the leaves dance with the breeze, her mind fading off to the same silhouette that stood at the back of the book store. He's the one I'm after. He appeared to be normal, if not socially awkward. Perhaps the info we received was mistaken? And why did he have to look so goddamn fine? “Miss Haddock.” A male voice interrupted her thoughts, drawing her attention to the approaching footsteps. A young man in his late twenties stepped up to the desk she stood behind, one hand in his brown slacks pocket. He wore a soft grey vest with a light brownsweater underneath. His slender body fit the style nicely, along with his clean face and short brown hair neatly combed back with the sides shaved low. He held a textbook under his arm.
Oh,theirony... When he touched her cheek, it was barely a graze when it hit him like a freight train. A jolt of electricity electrified every nerve in his body. He became more aware of her presence, the softness of her hair, the smoothness of her skin, the deepness in her eyes. He watched her face light up as she must have felt the same sensation rush through her body and her breath held. She looked in awe and surprise as she drank him in. His Wolf howled with glee. Mate. Aiden washed his face repeatedly, hoping with each splash that he’d wake up from this dream. Did he truly hope that it was a dream? Finding his Mate was fate, no matter the location or situation. Why did he brush her hair away again? He couldn’t hold back his reflexes. She was in a trance by that damn Vampire, his instincts just kicked in. He needed to protect her, but if he hadn’t stepped in, would she have snapped out of it? Her scent was familiar.
Sheinhaleddeeply,taking in the scent of the rain on theconcrete, and the aroma the surrounding forest gave off. Her feet tapped the ground,splashing lightly through the puddles. A single car drove past her, theirheadlights shining on her face for a moment before the darkness of her hood consumedher again. She stopped at an intersection, looking around before crossing. She skippeda step. A step sounded behind her before lining up with her own again. Sheknew she was being followed, she knew she was being watched for some time now.She just had to wait until the time was right for the prey to become the predator. What would Aidenthink of me? She shook her head. She can’t be distracted now. She slowed her pace a bit, hearing the footfalls behind her quickening. Most people would panic. They would run. They would freeze. She remained calm. She steadied her heart, her breathing and let herself get cl
Mark her... His Wolf growled deeply within his mind, applying just a bit of pressure to make his presence known. He looked into her eyes, seeing the clouds reflect in them as if her eyes were the sky itself. Strands of her white hair swayed and danced across her face, her appearance practically angelic until his eyes rested on her soft pink lips. His hand came up to rest on the side of her neck, his thumb brushing over her lips slowly. He watched as her eyelids fluttered from the electric touch he gave off, her breath escaping her. Mark her... His Wolf growled more persistently which confused Aiden. His thumb stopped just off the side of her lips as they parted slightly. All he had to do was lean in and kiss her, and the rest would be history. She's a Hunter... He stopped himself as his conscious warned him suddenly. He looked down at the woman beside him, her eyes having shut now and waiting for him to close the gap
“I’m what?” Amira let his words register for a second as a glass slammed down on the table, forcing them both to separate from one another and take notice of the waitress standing at the end of the table with Aiden’s drink in hand. There was a forced smile on her lips as she stood up straight, yet there was a twitch in her brow. “I’m so sorry about that. I can be such a klutz sometimes.” She giggled, her eyes sweeping over Amira and rests on Aiden, “I would be more than happy to replace this drink for you.” Aiden slid the glass over to him, taking a napkin from a dispenser just off to the side of them and cleaned up the minor spill the waitress had created, “That’s alright. Accidents happen.” Amira watched his face, not a hint of a smile anywhere on his lips. “Are you ready to order?” She asked him, ignoring Amira’s existence again. She sat back, obviously annoyed with the situation, but not very surprised either. She couldn’t deny that Aiden was one very goo
He half expected her to not come along. To turn away and go back to her apartment. After explaining everything, he expected her to drop all contact and maybe even leave the town. Yet here she was, looking unsure of the situation as she stood before his mother, his grandfather and... Miss J?"Hey there, Sugar." She smiled warmly, her grey eyes sparkling knowingly."Janice?" Amira addressed her questioningly, "What are you doing here?""Well," She looked over to Lymeria who smiled a bit awkwardly, "I believe we're all here under the same reason." Her grey eyes turned back to Amira, "You have questions, and I fortunately have your answers.""So, you knew who they are? Why didn't you say anything?" Amira asked her, but the Witch was already shaking her head."This is more than about hunting down Rogues, Amira." Her eyes darkened slightly, "So much more..." She looked over to Lymeria again who nodded and stepped forward.
Why am I even thinking of considering the idea?She tightened the strap around her black boots before slipping a wooden stake into a slit she had created within it. She looked down at her black box, running her fingers over the selection of daggers and smaller knives before grabbing two identical knives and put those in the holders on her belt. She side eyed the firearm, a pistol she was all too familiar with from practicing every day with Jax. She ran her fingers over the barrel, her eyes softening as she thought back to the days she had spent with her father."All I ever wanted was to make you proud. You and mom." She mumbled softly to herself. As if on queue, her phone buzzed on the counter. She glanced at the caller I.D and noticed it was Leyla that was calling her. She hesitated for a moment, her mind spiraling as she tried to figure out a way to describe her situation before picking up the call."Hey sweetheart, I haven't heard from you in a bit.
The muscles in his chest tensed from the slightest graze of her fingertips. The thin, sharp needle pierced his flesh, weaving the thin string over the still open wound on his chest. Blood had dried around the edges, but with each tightening, a fresh new flow rose up and tainted his lightly swollen skin. The contact of her fingers gliding across his skin sent his nerves into overdrive, but he managed to maintain his composure before her. No word had been said since the fight with the Vampires not so long ago. With his slow healing abilities, Amira had assisted him back home under the guise of the shadows. To no surprise to him, Lymeria had been waiting at the garage entrance. The moment they were in her sights, she had bolted inside to retrieve a first aid kit and towels. Amira didn't speak a word to either of them as she took the first aid kit and started to clean and stitch him up while his body gradually regenerated."I don't get it. How did we not sense them