ALICE
I 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’re forced into going home?]
{Then we will be where we belong, with our pack.}
I grumbled face down into my arm that was draped over the table as Cynthia walked in, "You didn't drink that much last night," she chirped as I watched her high heels click past me.
"It's Sunday," I looked over her outfit, "right?"
"Yes," she rolled her eyes as she laughed lightly at me, "Mr.Penn has an important meeting this morning that can't be postponed. I agreed to assist him today with preparations-"
"Because he can't survive without you," I smiled up at her as I interrupted.
"Ain't that the truth," she raised her eyebrow, "but no. Because he agreed to give me a plus one invite to the very exclusive Bourland art showing next weekend."
"No." My jaw dropped, "You didn't!" When she nodded I got up and half leaped into hugging her as I gently gripped the sides of her face and kissed her forehead.
"You get weird when you're excited," she murmured as I let her go, smoothing out her outfit to make sure it was still perfect.
I guess it was 'weird,' but truthfully if Nixon was around it would be way worse.
"A good weird," she added as she grabbed her things, "the art show is formal, but the dress code is strictly gold."
"Oh, I have the perfect dress," I wiggled my eyebrows at her and winked her way, "I'll be the perfect date." She blushed slightly, and with a quick wave, she was gone.
This week was overseeing more than working as several locations I'd been working on were having things delivered and set up to my specifications. Ted and I put the final touches in as usual and sent the before and after photos to our media manager.
Three years ago I never would have dreamed that my love for decorating people's homes and spaces would have grown to this extent. I specialized in more high-end clients, picking pieces for their homes that showed their personalities, which was why the Bourland show tonight would be perfect. His pieces are highly sought after and I needed to acquire at least two tonight, even if I didn’t know who they were going to belong to yet.
"She's going to lose her mind when she sees this," Ted whispered as they got the water wall feature up and running.
"I hope so," I beamed back. I could tell when we met with Ms. Bagassi that she was a shifter but it took me a while to figure out that she was a cat type. Other shifters weren't well known about, part of the reason my parents were now out of the country.
She wanted the room to be her sanctuary, somewhere she could relax and meditate, and I tried to bring in the tropical elements of the rainforest for her.
Her arrival was announced by a thud and the light sound of purring. Her purse remained on the floor where she dropped it, and her eyes flashed brightly so quickly that Ted’s human eyes wouldn’t have picked up on it. She let her guard slip, and between that and the tears rolling down her cheek, it was one of the biggest compliments I could have gotten.
"Marvelous," she choked back, "just stunning! I don't know how you've managed to outdo my expectations Ms. Robert's!"
"I'm glad you love it Ms. Bagassi.” I took her hands in my own but knowing that affection was a huge part of their species prepared me for when she pulled me into a quick hug. “My assistant has the final papers for you to sign, and then we can get out of here and let you enjoy it."
I hurried along with the last of the staff as Ted finished up with her and I could hear her vaguely ramble off a list of names for people she would refer to us for projects of their own, perfect. Referrals were the main source of my business.
“You look rough,” Ted cracked as we left, “better go home and get a quick nap in love, unless you’re trying to scare away the crowd.” He knew I hadn’t been sleeping and assumed it was out of excitement for the show tonight and I let him, I could never explain the other reason. Amara may have afforded me the morning after, but she was exhaustingly on high alert everywhere I went and kept me awake all hours of the night trying to insist we go back to Ambrosia.
“That’s the plan,” I smirked, “fewer people to bid on the pieces I want.”
“I’ll prepare the caffeine drip immediately after.”
“After?” I quirked an eyebrow at him and he just shrugged.
“Unofficial after-party at Ambrosia,” he said matter of fact as he was texting a number of people as Amara started whimpering and whining.
[Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, Amara, we aren’t going home. I don’t want to lead the pack and deal with Linden’s special brand of crazy or anything prophecy-related. If our mate finds us there again, I won’t change my life for him.]
Our mate was a predator, that I was sure of, which made this idea even worse. A human would have tried to pursue me, tried to stop me from leaving even without the mate bond, he didn’t so much as ask me for a way to contact me. He knew he could track me down if he needed to, so why hasn’t he?
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
NIXONI pressed my face into the bed, yelling into it until I was struggling for air. Fuck Declan, fuck the Vamps, fuck, fuck, fuck.I rolled over just as Onyx was ready to start destroying things, but the photo-filled ceiling stopped me in my tracks. I needed to get rid of this anger. Onyx was building an inferno inside of me because he wanted to see her.That girl I rescued was NOT Alice.I would support Linden no matter what, but I didn't always agree with how we were going about making the prophecy come true, except at that moment. At that moment, I wanted to watch every single bloodsucker burn alive.Alice is safe in Berkton.Alice is safe.Alice is always safe.I started to repeat sentences over and over again in my head hoping to lull both of us, but all it did was make me think more about how she's also impulsive and quick to temper.No.
NIXON Onyx wanted to fly, but he knew as well as I did that there was no hiding a Phoenix in the city, and that was something we could never chance, especially if someone followed us and it led them to Alice. My super speed though, that I could use. It took me a bit to get to the edge of the city but I flashed through the city pretty easily, hidden by the darkness. Maybe it was because I was getting closer to her, maybe it was triplet intuition, but the closer I got to Alice, the more desperate I became to see her. It was like something was drawing me to her with urgency, some silent plea she was putting out for me. Maybe it was just Onyx being crazy, that was a solid option. It was the early hours of the morning, she wouldn’t object to waking up and seein
ALICE I woke up listening to Nixon's heartbeat, taking in every ounce of his scent that I could, including the small part of him that must have been close to Linden. Linden's light caramel scent blended with Nixon’s sweet smokiness and I missed them both so much that every time he showed up here like this, all I wanted and all Amara could think about was going home. It was a trap set by my heartstrings, but I knew that giving in meant living the life of an heir. We were always watched, always judged when we stepped outside of Shadow Forest and the games that the Alpha’s liked to play, I wanted no part in. Nope. No thank you. The only regret I ever have is that I’m missing time with them, with the other people who made me whole and our other siblings. "I almost got stabbed last night for you," Nixon chuckled,