ALICE
I wasn’t about to plead like a child and tell Eric that it was my favourite one, that Nixon had given me that golden cuff, or he’d make it twice as hard to get it back. It was bad enough that he clearly already knew I liked it, enough to preemptively hide it from me.
The cuff covered my mark and tattoo, much like the leather one I was currently wearing, to protect Nixon, to protect us, but that golden one would always hold sentimental value.
“Tell me something that’s been bothering me,” Eric sighed as he took it from one of his drawers, rolling it around in his hands as he looked genuinely heartbroken, “the guy that randomly drops in and stays with you and your roommates,” he looked up at me with a weird vulnerability, “who is he to you?”
While Amara was bristling at his attempt to keep what was ours away from us, I started laughing. The light laughter still caused my shoulders to bounce as I shook my head at him, “Isn’t that the problem, Eric? We’ve been together for a year and a half, and you’ve never once… not ONCE… asked me about my family.”
“He’s family?” He looked down at my bracelet, “You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t give a shit what you believe anymore, Eric,” I motioned with my hand, curling my fingers back and forth for him to hand over my bracelet before he reluctantly dropped it into my hand. A weight instantly felt like it lifted from my chest once the cuff was back in my hands, and I slipped it into my pocket as I walked out of the room and sent off a few text messages.
To Cynthia: Headed back to the apartment shortly. Everything went fine, Viv up yet?
To Ted: He wasn’t a total jerk today, imagine that?
It felt weird leaving as I placed my key on the table. Eric didn’t even have the decency to walk me out which I felt both relieved and annoyed about. Did I love him? No. Did I care for him? He grew on me. As much as he was apparently a lying cheater, he also made me laugh, and there was a built-up comfort level with him. I was in no rush to find my mate, but maybe I could never be able to have a human relationship. The lengths that mates would go for you, they couldn’t even comprehend, and what other outcome would there be for any relationship when my mate would eventually find me.
“Yea,” I heard him say from the other room, loud enough for me to hear as I reached the door, “she’s gone baby, come on over.”
My hand crushed the door handle beneath it as anger surged through me and the tension in my chest started to grow. No. I couldn’t let him get to me like this. I quietly closed the door, or the best I could with a messed up handle and made my way to the elevator. My phone buzzing was a welcomed distraction as I tried to breathe through Amara wanting to go back there and make him bleed for hurting me.
Cynthia: I’m trying, how does she sleep like the dead? I planned to go out just in case, so I guess we are celebrating?
To Cynthia: The need for alcohol just increased.
To Ted: Strike that. We are going out tonight, you in?
Ted: Mad hatter at your service, but I could be the Red Queen for a night, off with his head! Always ;)
~~~
“I bet she wasn’t even on the phone,” Viv rolled her eyes as she stretched her arms over her head and rolled more towards me on the bed, “he’s an idiot hun, I know it hurts anyways but I swear I’m getting out of this bed and we are going to go drink until we forget about Ed.” She swiped a tear from my face that I didn’t even realize had fallen, and I loved this girl even more for purposely forgetting his name.
How I lucked out falling into having her and Cynthia as roommates, I’ll never know. When I moved here shortly after I turned eighteen, I needed roommates because housing was expensive and I didn't want to draw on pack resources. They were the fourth ad I checked out and the only ones who didn't seem clingy or crazy. They had their own busy lives so they wouldn't pay much attention to mine, but they were reliable enough that I wouldn't come home to being evicted.
Three years later, my business was doing amazing and I didn't need to keep living with them, but there was something extra daunting about living alone. It would give me more privacy, sure, but it would be too quiet for me and would make Amara restless, she needed other people around if we couldn't be in the pack.
Vivianne was a gorgeous blonde who looked like a real-life princess, and her big blue eyes were trying to assess my mood as I lay on the pillow next to her. She always seemed to know just what you needed, whether it was a shoulder to cry on or her ‘ass-kickers,’ which were very out of place cowboy boots that she loved and wore when she wanted to appear feisty. She was too sweet for her own good and I often wondered how she survived being a bartender with her soft nature, right up until I watched her subtly threaten someone who got too handsy with a knife. She looked too familiar with the small weapon, too confident to not have been taught how to wield it, but I was just glad she felt confident enough with it to protect herself.
The doorbell went off and the smell of Chinese food wafted into her room. The smell of food was one of the few things to rouse our real-life sleeping beauty, which is why ninety percent of our conversations in the apartment happened right where we were.
I don’t know why I was feeling so down over Eric. I was pretty self-assured, but it wasn't easy to be away from the pack and away from my siblings. Nixon would have built us a nest by now, Linden would have smashed Eric's face in, and we’d be running wild through the forest.
{We need to go home soon.}
[Soon.] I agreed with Amara [I miss them too.] I could hide in the city all I wanted and let them take the responsibility of the pack, of the royal bloodline, of the prophecy off of me, but it came at a cost.
“Come on,” Viv grabbed my hand, and for once, dragged me from the room.
ALICE"So… Envy?" Cynthia asked Viv as we dug into the food, more so wanting to know if she wanted to go out where she worked or somewhere else."Normally I would say yes, but we are trying to forget things tonight and I heard that new place, Ambrosia, is sexy all the way around." Viv wiggled her eyebrows at me, “Nothing makes a good rebound like one that's hotter and sexier than the last.”Cynthia elbowed her slightly as she took in my reaction, but I wasn’t about to let Eric take up any more of my time, “Ambrosia it is,” I wiggled my eyebrows back at them, “Ted’s gonna meet us there.”“So you were already planning to get right wild then?” Cynthia chuckled.
ALICE"Ian," he smiled at me dipping his head slightly, but he was watching Ted's arm with a predatory look I've seen too many times to overlook. What was he? I couldn't smell anything but I'd be hard-pressed to do that in here anyways. I casually clinked my ring against my glass to reassure myself it was in place.Of course, it was in place. I'm pretty sure my friends would have noticed if I suddenly had black hair instead of brown, and green eyes that basically glowed instead of the baby blues I was currently sporting. Maddy’s magic was strong, there’s no way her glamour has cracks anyone could see through.“They’re here, love,” Ted whispered in my ear as I could hear Viv tell Cynthia something
ALICEI stared down into the abyss of my coffee wondering why I didn't just turn around. Why didn't I look? Why did I leave?Questions I knew the answer to, but no longer knew if I stood with conviction on my answers.I didn't want to know who he was and make it easier to go after him, except now I'm going to be blindsided. I was sure that finding my mate would end my once chance at a normal life. Returning to the pack would be the natural course of action, except the only thing I was certain of was that he wasn't a wolf.{But he was something, and we will find him,} Amara was being weirdly calm over the whole situation, I expected her to be ballistic this morning.[And when we
ALICEBourland’s exhibits were known for their pops in colour, and it didn’t disappoint. The gold tones of everyone’s clothing only added to the bright blues, purples, greens, and yellows that jumped from his pieces on display.Cynthia stood next to Mr. Penn, Tom, in her very simple, yet elegant gold dress. She always aired on the side on conservative, especially where Tom’s roaming eyes were concerned, but me? My dress was meant to grab attention.Ted was my social butterfly, the saving grace to my introverted nature when it came to social functions. When I had to attend things by myself I often made bold clothing choices to do some of the work for me.The dress had thick straps of gold glitter, a deep V neckline that was held tog
ALICEGoddess this was a bad idea. How did Alice die? Oh, stupidity.I followed the scent, obviously, with Amara on alert seeing as how blood usually meant Vamps. The closer we got the more worried we both were when the scent of the blood was mixing with that familiar scent… his scent.No longer worried for ourselves, we found a way out that made as little noise as possible and slid along the side of the building, rounding the corner to the alley in stealth. Why did it always have to be an alley?The only figures back here were two men who sounded like they were enjoying each other’s company, with a head pulled back and moaning as the other kissed his neck, but Amara was sure our mate’s scent was back here. With the scent of blood still hangi
LINDEN I sat in the corner of our room, watching Marcy as she slept. The slow rise and fall of her chest was all the assurance I needed that I was doing what needed to be done. I needed to fix this world for her, for the children she would give me one day. I wanted to lay her on my chest and feel every thump of her heart beating against me, but if she woke up in my arms she would be angrier at me than she was when she fell asleep. Her tear-stained cheeks were tearing a part of my heart out, but Marcy would understand one day, just like Alice, that she was my whole world, my reason for living, and somehow, I would make things right between us. Marcy was sensitive. Growing up in a coven shielded her from everything, adjusting to the violence that surrounded Wolves was hard enough for her, but she used to have
LINDEN "Did you just fucking die again?" I growled out, gripping Nixon's face and peeling it back from mine so I could look at him. I've watched him shift plenty, usually, the only time he's covered in ash is when he rebirths. "Didn't have time to strip," he rolled his eyes, "burnt my clothes like I'm twelve all over again." "Well, you certainly look twelve still," I glanced down quickly and back up in time to catch his smile. "I'm a grower, not a show'er," he ran his hands through his own hair, preening until he was satisfied. "Found a nest, but it was a fair distance away, and I’m quite sure what’s left of them has moved on." "Why can't you ever just recon without making yourself known," Declan grumble
LINDEN"There what is?" I tried to remain impassive, but I already knew I hit a nerve with her.“Sorry I’m such a disappointment for a mate," Marcy spat out at me, pain ripping through my chest as every word she spoke sliced through her, "someone who can’t even defend her children.” She turned from me and went to walk out again when she stopped in the doorway and spoke softly with her back still facing me, “I never asked to be moved from my coven, I never asked to be ‘Luna,’ I can’t help that I’m not the type of witch that can manipulate the world around me. All I’ve ever asked was for you to love me… for me… but all I’ve gotten is you trying to change me into someone worthy of your love.”I sat there trying to control my anger, trying to count down from twenty, trying to imagine my calm place, but moments later the table flew into the wall