Patricia
Something is strange with Dior this morning. I can't put my finger on what is wrong with him, but those usual butterflies aren't there in my stomach when our gazes meet across the table. The mate-bond is strong and stirring, zapping between us like chemical electricity, but it's like my heart isn't entirely sold by Dior this morning.
I'm aware this isn't good. My emotions worry me. An hour ago, I was ready to consider completing the mating ritual with Dior, and now I'm glad I didn't let him anywhere close to my neck.
Does this mean my feelings for him aren't strong as I first thought since I'm already changing my mind about things? Nothing is making sense right now. I had sex with Dior this morning—how can my flutters be gone and over with already? Oh, god, I can only pray I'm not one of those girls who thinks the grass is greener on the other side!
I bite into the pancake piece on my fork, eyeing Dior while he scrolls through his message o
Alice For the first time in my life, I wake up feeling refreshed and entirely awake without a hint of tiredness. Older Dior's magic didn't work on me. I never visited William in my dreams, but at least I'm well-rested and more than ready to take on whatever challenge today will bring. I stretch in my bed, smiling like a fool, when I notice older Dior folded my clothes neatly by the edge of the mattress before leaving. It turns out my friend is a nice guy whenever he isn't stealing my salty Pringles or eating my strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I slip out of bed, put on my clothes, and barely make it through the door before a crying Patricia rushes up the stairs. She moves past me without saying good morning, and confusion is my initial response. Patricia seemed so happy going to bed with Dior yesterday, and now her mascara is running down her face. Did Dior do something to make her cry? Probably. Anger hits me like a tropical wind, and
AliceWith a screech, my car comes to a halt. I've discreetly parked on the street right outside Dior's fancy house in the upper-class neighborhood. "So, you're planning on just confronting him and asking straight-out if he is the older Dior pretending to be the younger one?"Patricia unbuckles her seatbelt with determination written over her features. Her parent's house with crime scene tape is standing in the background. She hasn't given the building her time of day, but I know it's calling out to her.Her eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. "Yes, I don't think Dior would lie to me if I asked him to give me the truth."I'm still not convinced this is a good idea. "But what if Dior gets aggressive? He might not like you asking too many questions.""He won't get aggressive with me.""Are you sure about that? The full moon will flash on the sky later, and who knows—perhaps it is messing with his head already!? The older Dior is less
Patricia I've never been powerful or memorable. When I was younger, my pack members laughed and bullied me and called me fat Patty, but their menacing voices made my skin thicker even as their words burned me. Tears were replaced with resolution. I became a lone wolf and someone convinced I didn't need any helping hand to survive. The lines around my eyes grew darker, and my inner poison and resentment for the alpha who treated me like shit turned me into a bitter woman. But when Dior touched me, my barriers collapsed. My flesh shone like the skies and heavens. He kissed me, pressed me up against the tiled wall while my soul begged to be seen and held in his arms. And he gave it to me, everything that I ever wanted—for the first time in my life, I was lost and found. I clench my fists as I pass the walls where my name is written in red blood. Some letters are small, whereas others are capitalized. The entire house reeks of magic and darkness.
AliceWilliam transforms back into a human. He seems weak and uses a nearby tree for support. I shudder at the view. William looks so different from how I remember him at Dior's birthday party. The surrounding aura is darker, sadder and his face is wrung with anger."You shouldn't be here, Alice!"The fury aimed at me doesn't change that I find William hot and alluring. The man is naked, for goodness' sake, and it's hard as hell not to let my eyes drift further south!"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be!" I snap at him.William approaches me, eyeing the door with apparent fury, making me step in front of him. He lifts an eyebrow when I spread my arms, and a wintry smile spreads over those lips."Let me pass.""No!" I hold up my chin fiercely, not afraid of challenging the imposing alpha, even if he is twice my size. "Patricia is inside, and I won't let you enter the mansion! I will guard my best friend with my life, and I'm sorry, b
PatriciaMerging with Finn is like opening my eyes for the very first time and realizing there are so many things in the world that I've missed. I've been staring at a black-and-white photograph my entire life, and now there are sudden colors I've never noticed.When I run, the winds are whispering in my ears, snickering and dancing around my feet. They sink into my skin and touch my bones, letting me know they have accepted me as their new master.Finn hums inside my head with a smile in his tone. 'Oh, it feels so good to use our feet... Ehem, paws!''Our paws?' I question.Finn speaks in an almost flirtatious voice. 'Your paws are my paws. Right now, we are one, Patricia.''I'm not sure how to feel about that! Please don't tell me your voice will haunt me in the shower and in other inappropriate places!' I shudder at the thought of Finn seeing me naked.'To be honest, you're not my type—I like older women,' Finn chuckles. 'And
DiorEndless darkness surrounds me. It circles my throat and licks my skin as I'm searching for an exit. I want to run, but there is nowhere to flee. Voices are snickering in my ears, telling me to tread carefully or they will tear me apart.They overestimate me—I've already succumbed and given up. My soul has been ripped in the middle, and my hope has been blown out like a candle. I'm unable to sort my thoughts in the dark and remember who I am.And where the hell am I?!I flail around, entirely blind, until I see a flickering light. Without thinking, I approach it, desperate to get away from the everlasting night. Someone might be there—fires don't go igniting themselves."Hello?" I call out into the dark. "Anybody there?"There isn't a reply as I walk through what feels like sand underneath my naked feet. I'm not sure how long I mooch, but a bubble of hope lifts from my chest the moment I near a crackling fire. At first, I thi
Patricia I wake up on the couch inside of the house I share with Alice. Finn is sitting on the floor, engaged in a silent, staring competition with Elijah, who has taken a chair across from us. Wesley is standing behind him, and so are Riley and Brad. My initial reaction is to sit straight and prepare for battle, but Finn places a hand on my leg, shaking his head. "These people aren't here to fight you. I believe they want you to rejoin their pack," Finn says and turns his attention back to Elijah, who is glancing between us with curious cat-eyes. I remind myself to stay on my guard even as I part my lips. Elijah and Wesley might be friends of mine, but I don't the other two standing in the room to be my friends. "Where is Alice?" I ask. Elijah speaks. "Upstairs with William, he is in poor condition, and she is tending to his wounds." I nod. "I see." Elijah interlocks his fingers and bends forward to scan me. His eyes a
Patricia As I'm chewing, a hundred thoughts are racing through my mind. I see images of myself using Finn's wind magic and the beastly Dior being hefted off the ground and thrown into a car. Did I end up killing him? "I have a question." Everyone who is gathered around the table gives me their attention. Riley glances between Elijah and me, and I observe the vampire wipe his mouth with a tissue, readying himself to speak. Wesley might be the beta, but it seems Elijah is the one running the operations. I don't blame Wesley for letting his mate be in charge, though. Elijah is intelligent and has lived for so long that he also has enough life experience to make hard decisions. Elijah takes a deep breath, calm and gathered like royalty. "I know what you're going to ask, and we locked him up in your basement." I drop my taco shell. "You did what?" Everyone gives me questioning looks—Wesley raises his eyebrows, and I facepalm. I'm be