JAX:
I still have no clue what Wade meant when he said there was something that could bring me down. But the uneasiness that came with thinking about it made me have a rough ride on my way to my company.
There was no chance that he already found out about the mistake I made. I'm particularly sure I haven't felt the new bond that comes with having a new member of the pack so this means nothing has changed yet.
Still, I wanted to know if he was looking into me...
Wade and I have never been on clear grounds ever since we both found out about the tendency of one of us to be the next Alpha. Because like me, he also wanted the taste of power and that wouldn't be possible if another was preventing the other from getting it.
It was like a whole new stress on its own thinking about the rivalry between me and my brother. If I had a choice, I would sure be seeking a way to kill it off.
So many times the thought of calling it quits has crossed my mind. The only reason I'm still in the race is that I have tried convincing myself that it was all worth it in the end.
'Manuel?' is where my thought flows to as I try to reach out to my right-hand man. And this was most particularly after I recall that I haven't been in touch with him since I went to the pack.
This was the perfect time to actually get in touch with him because at the moment, I need a lot of information from him regarding my tracks. I can't have my brother sabotaging me that easily.
The frustration of being unable to reach him makes me stop the car abruptly in the middle of the road, earning a lot of blaring hoots from the commuters behind me.
It took me about a minute to get my head in order before I moved my car out of the road to a side meant for parking. From there I reached for my phone lying lazily on the passenger's seat.
I searched for Manuel's contact and found it in no time. If the mind link with him was not working, then I should reach him through his mobile device.
Unfortunately, no matter the number of times I tried to reach him via his line, it didn't go through and this got me a lot confused.
I was already uneasy since yesterday's happenings. But now, knowing I couldn't reach my right-hand man whom I put in charge of an affair that could most likely ruin me if taken lightly made me much more uncomfortable.
Has he been found out? Or did something go wrong? Is that why he's unreachable?
I try to calm myself down but the more I try to, the more uneasy I get. Questions and questions keep circulating through my mind as I move to figure out the next step.
Seeing that it wouldn't work by sitting in my car by the side of the busy road, I activate my sense of smell that I was certain would be reliable in tracking down Manuel and most importantly the human girl.
*****
ROZETA:
"I don't know what to do with you," Lauryn groans in a way that has me questioning myself for leaving the apartment in the first place.
Like the other day, I woke up in a hospital. This one was uncalled for because if I had listened to the instruction given to me, I would not be having this issue.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything just yet because it would only make Lauryn more upset than she already is. The only thing I could do was watch as she wallowed in frustration.
"Why don't you ever listen, Rozeta? You were simply asked to stay in. Why couldn't you just do that? It was an easy task,"
"I got bored," I admit while looking further away from her. Even the way I spoke was more like a mutter because I was not confident enough to speak out loud to a frustrated Lauryn.
"Is that even an excuse?" she demands to know.
I put my entire focus on whatever it is I was looking at without giving her an answer. Fortunately for me, passing out in the open didn't result in a head bump or I would most certainly be suffering from a concussion by now.
Honestly, I still think I'm suffering from one through the last accident I had. The fact that everything didn't feel right and with me passing out made it all look like it really wasn't.
"I asked a question, Rozeta,"
With a sigh, I turn my head to look at the clearly annoyed Lauryn. I try my best not to look all nonchalant about everything because I wasn't taking the situation as seriously as she is.
"What do you want me to say?" is what I ask in response.
"Anything other than ignore me,"
"Alright," I first change my sitting position, "I'm sorry about what I did. I know I should have listened but would you believe me when I say there's something not right with me?"
For some time she says nothing until she gives a response that makes me think she's on the same page with me: "Of course, I do."
I am suddenly whelmed with surprise. "You do?" I ask her.
"Yes," she nods. "I mean, isn't that obvious?"
It took me a while to process the information, but when I do, I realize she was judging my state of being from my physical feature.
I blink. "That's not what I'm talking about, Lauryn," I tell her while shaking my head.
"What do you mean it's not what you're talking about? If you were okay, you wouldn't be here, right? So, yeah, it's obvious something's not right with you."
I try not to roll my eyes after what she said. "I know, but that's not it."
"Then what are you talking about?"
She comes to take a seat by the edge of the bed after saying that. I had to shift a little just to ensure she was not sitting in a position that could make her trip to the floor.
To be honest, I was finding it difficult to put the right words to her. I didn't want her to think I was not in my right senses after I finish speaking because judging from her look, she just might not want to take me seriously.
A minute later and I utter, "I think I'm psychic."
At first, a confused look was etched on her face. In no time it switches to that of mockery but she was able to maintain composure. Possibly because of the fact that I had a glare mounted on my face to prove to her that I shouldn't be taken lightly.
She puts a hand to her face, two of her fingers going through to the sides of the bridge of her nose. "What do you mean psychic?"
“The other day before I passed out, I might have been able to hear the thoughts of the man I bumped into,"
"You might or you actually did?"
I shrug. "Well, the man made it clear that the utterances I thought I heard were from his head. And I think it might have been true."
No word is exchanged for quite a long time. Fortunately, the ward I was in was only occupied by me and this gave me the liberty to do things freely. Just like how free it was, it was also very quiet now that Lauryn hasn't dished a response to me.
She sort of looks away first before looking back at me weirdly. "Don't you think that you might have been dealing with a drunk person?" she asks.
"Drunk in the early hours of the morning? Does that even make sense?"
"Nothing seems to make sense today, so..."
"Are you indirectly trying to tell me that what I just told you made no sense?"
"That's not what I mean. But I won't lie that I don't find it entirely sensible. For one, how is it possible to read someone's mind? You know what, I'll give you a chance to read mine. So feel free to tell me what I'm thinking,"
"I don't know," I say. "You're probably thinking I'm crazy."
"Yes," she admits, "and that's because I'm giving you the look that you actually are."
Lauryn could be something else. If I didn't know her better, I would be infuriated that she was verbally attacking me on something I consider important.
In my defense, I say, "I didn't see the man's mouth move during all of that. Isn't that enough to make you believe me?"
"I think you're just having a concussion, Rozeta. Rest your head well while I go see the doctor,"
And immediately after she was off the bed and out of the ward. But not without muttering a bit loudly: "Psychic? Pfft."
It felt embarrassing that I was treated that way after giving my all in ensuring that she believes me. But then, what could I do? It was going to take a miracle for anyone to believe what I say. But I know what I did. There was no doubt about it that I did something extraordinary.
Subconsciously, my head moves in the direction of the window but I saw nothing there that caught my interest. For a moment, I thought I was being stared at through the window.
JAX:That was close...How in the world was she able to realize I was standing there? I can't believe I almost got caught out by an ordinary human girl when I was very good at masking my presence.Something was not right. If she could have easily sensed my presence, then she must have turned. If that's the situation, why can't feel I the new bond?I couldn't even dwell on that for too long because as I stood there, I realized the abnormal rate of my heartbeat. It was clear that it happened right after I saw her for the very first time since that night. Even before I hid myself from view.I have no idea why seeing her made me this unsettled. It was almost like I couldn't control myself. But it shouldn't be right, should it?I wish I could tell what put her in her present position. The fact that I even had to trace her down to a hospital was damning. Manuel has a lot of explanations to do once I find him. I can't be left in the dark anymore about an issue as vital as this.I manage to p
ROZETA:I wasn't too sure about resuming back to work. Not like the break I took wasn't enough. But with the way I was feeling after the two last two incidents, I think I was bound to be in this position.After I was discharged from the hospital for yet the second time in the space of a week, I resorted to reflecting on myself. I didn't want to believe I was going through a change I couldn't control. Especially when it was something that could make others see me as a maniac of some sort.My self-reflection led me to discover that the change I was going through was just a one-time thing. Perhaps it didn't even occur at all because I had been dizzy during that time frame that I thought I heard someone's thoughts.How would it even be possible to hear the thoughts of someone else? That was the key question I had asked myself during my time alone last week. Lauryn made it clear to me that I was just suffering from a concussion and I just had to agree at the end of the day that it was what
ROZETA:It was almost like a dream. Maybe it was because I didn't realize I would be seeing him this soon. Or it could be that I was just so surprised to see him again.The more I stared at him, the more I get flashbacks of that night. I could still picture the way he looked at me that night. Hell, he was giving me that same look at the moment.Standing here and staring at him gave me the feeling that I was lost in my own world. Sounded like some fairytale which gave me the cheesy vibe as soon as I processed the whole thing.It was clear he wasn't planning to walk up to me. And in no way was I going to stand and wait for who was going to make the first move while we both stand on the busy walkway. So I take the first step into reaching out because trust me, I have a lot of questions for him.The weird thing about this is that even with the long distance between the two of us, I was still able to recognize him. He has seldom left my mind in the first place so I guess it was justifiable
ROZETA:I sluggishly drop my bag on the center table before plopping down on a sofa nearest to it. My body was a bit heavy, more like it has been in use all day. Should be an effect of being away from any tedious activity for over a week.I relax my back completely on the sofa, my eyes shutting close as I move to get my body back in order. Since I was the only one in, I didn't care about how I was sitting which is why I just went for a very careless position by having my legs on the table. This was most definitely after I took off my shoes with both my feet as aid.I should be glad I had that unplanned one-week break away from work. I guess I missed what it meant to be free and not be without any unnecessary pressure that I get from work each time I'm there.'I'll be seeing you around, Rozeta.'Those were just simple words from the man but they felt like he meant what he said. It should be something figurative but I think he was being literal. It was giving me a headache thinking abou
ROZETA:I'm dying. And it isn't a drill.I woke up all of a sudden from my sleep and I found out everything was wrong with me.My breathing was hitched and I was sweating all over even with the electric fan turned on. Moving my body proved to be difficult as well as it seemed like I was glued to the bed. All of that was enough to make me scared.I want to scream for help but the words couldn't out of my mouth. None of my body systems seemed to function and for a moment, I could swear I was going through paralysis.In no time, tears start seeping out of my eyes and down the side of my face. I couldn't bear the difficulty anymore. My life was being forced out of me right before my eyes and it was the most horrific thing that I could ever imagine.As I stare up at the ceiling, I start to recount how unlucky I've been in the past one week. One good week at my place of work would have prevented me from going to that nightclub and then having a twist of fate. I am not one to have this type
JAX:My reflexes helped me grab the attacker by the arm before I got to the ground, so we both crashed at the same time.I didn't hesitate to get up on my feet as soon as the momentum of the crash leaves me. I was ready to face the challenger without backing out when I notice it was someone I know."What the hell are you doing, Manuel?" I ask in annoyance as I face my right-hand man who looked like he wanted to do something dangerous."No... what are you doing?"The question he throws back puts me on the edge instantly even though I haven't deciphered what he's talking about. I check around for any intrusion first before saying, "What's going on here?"He takes a step toward me but I have my hand raised. "Stay where you are!" I tell him to which he adheres."I followed you all the way to the human girl's place thinking you were going to get the job done on her. But what did you do? You stayed there with her and helped her until the whole phase of her possible turning passed," he says
ROZETA:'Rozeta, take a deep breath. There's nothing wrong with you. It's just a stupid voice in your head. You're only imagining things, trust me,'I keep telling myself that inwardly just to ensure I have not gone crazy. As a matter of fact, I think I am crazy. Because if not, why would I be thinking I heard someone speak in my head when there was nothing of sort?There was absolutely no way that what I thought I heard was from my head. It was just a fraction of my imagination. Possibly from the stress of all that I've been going through this past one week.'When you're done reassuring yourself, then we can talk,'I jump from my bed all of a sudden at that. This time I was sure of it. It wasn't just me thinking some random thoughts. Someone was speaking to me. But I would be indeed crazy to think it was actually inside my head.I look around. I need to find the intruder. No, I have to leave this place before I get attacked by whoever it is that has made his way into my room.'There
ROZETA:I've been trying not to think about it but I'm not sure if that can work. No other thought seems to flow in my head other than that of the thing I still can't believe."What then will happen to me now that I have you?" That had been the question I clearly needed an answer to and the response I got was frightening.'Since I'm inside of you, it means we have become one. And that also means you are what I am now.'Where did I go wrong with my life? Why do unexpected things keep happening to me?To be honest, I still can't tell what I did to get to work because I shouldn't even be here in the first place with all of this. Perhaps it was the feeling of knowing I would get into trouble with my supervisor that actually created a rift between staying home and coming to work. But now that I think about it, I should have gone with the best option which is staying home.I haven't heard from the voice since I arrived at work. Not that I would want to hear it speak to me in the first place