Aldrich I didn’t care that she took it back; it was too late, the words already uttered into our little universe. I smiled to myself in the darkness, my desk light the only thing illuminating the cabin. It was quite humorous, rejoicing about my wife admitting that she loves me. My only wish was that she let me respond. Agar’s words haunted me, constantly drifting in and out of the forefront of my mind. I ripped out a piece of paper from the pad on my desk and got to work. I had to let her know what I was feeling whether it came from my lips or my pen. Whether she would know soon, or years from now, she had to know in some form what I was feeling right now. I wrote through the night until the pen ran out. Then I pocketed it, making sure it was always by my side. My condition was dwindling, and the pain was gradually worsening from background pain to pain that crippled me some days. Of course, I could not present that to anyone, not even Agar. I
Aldrich As I was rebandaging my wound, I heard a scream pierce the night. Instantly perking up, I was on my feet immediately, grabbing for the nearest weapon. I didn't know where it came from or how close it was or who screamed, but it sounded wet, like blood was gurgling in the screamer’s throat. It could have been a wandering vampire slaughtered by my troops, or a werewolf slaughtered by the vampire. But then the one scream multiplied into several. I realized then, with one brisk look at the time, that it was the middle of the night and we were sleeping where we were going to deploy in the morning. I was usually awake during these hours to secretly tend to my wound—no one else was, however.Just as I was about to morph into wolf form, a warrior burst into my quarters. “Sir,” he gasped, blood splattered on his face, “the vampires have attacked.”“How did they find us?” I demanded angrily as I morphed, preparing to turn into the cold blooded ki
I was tending to Theo after we moved him to his own room next to mine, so that he would be more comfortable. The medics checked his vitals and concluded that there had been no physical harm caused, but since they found him unconscious, they instructed me to make him rest for a couple days. No training was to be permitted. Theo was not happy about that. “Nothing bad even happened to me.” “No, nothing bad happened,” I confirmed, not exactly telling the truth. In my book, this was my biggest nightmare. But I didn’t want to scare him. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have to rest.” He made a face in protest. It was going to be hard to keep him inside. Maybe it was better to scare him into it. “Buddy, why do you want to go back out there already?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair. He looked at me as if I was handcuffing him down to a bed in a house fire. I saw the blazing desire in his eyes to get back out there immediately, as if nothing hap
Alan eventually returned to the palace with anger on his face and dirt on his clothes. He approached us looking criminally defeated, and there were bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days. I was still frozen in place, my mind folding over the threat, trying to analyze it. A valid theory was that the woman in the woods who gave Theo “water” was Emily. She had failed to kill me, but maybe she was warning me that she was preparing to attempt again? That theory was cemented by the fact a maidservant was not only threatening me, but using Emily’s name as well. “We didn’t find any trace of the son of a bitch again,” Alan snapped, and Danika abruptly shushed him, implying a sleeping Theo in the next room. “Sorry I’m frustrated,” Alan sneered, narrowing his eyes at my sister, “have you done anything to help?” “I did, actually,” she argued, and a smirk split her face. I noticed the amusement kissing her features as they spoke, and the secret admiration
I must have stared at the note for twenty minutes. Reading it over and over, scrutinizing the way each letter curved and perfectly arched, the smooth black ink’s trail in the ivory, the capital S positioned like an elegant snake. I was holding my recent paranoia and insanity in my very hands; the threats I had been trying to predict, the thoughts slowly infecting my mind, now placed right on my nightstand. My worries materialized into a real threat. The note in the garden was more of a warning–not a threat. Now, the threat was written bluntly, as if it was a cold slap to the face. I watched the night submit to the dawn, still gripping the note between my fingers, a cool sweat coating my spine. If someone I love was being threatened, I had to do something about it. It was still dark enough to be concealed; the sun had not yet peeked over the horizon. It must have been around 4 a.m. Between night and day, between the unconscious and the conscious. A perfe
I aimed for my body weight to land on his head and make him fall to the ground, but as my knees locked around his neck, he acted as if a mere squirrel attacked him from the trees. The man cried out in surprise but was not affected. I started throwing punches at his neck, not realizing I was yelling, and he ripped me from his neck. His strong hands tossed me off like he was flicking a coin; I went lurching into the dense vegetation. . I fell hard on my back, the landing winding me. A heartbeat passed before I could breathe, and I gasped, sitting up before he could shoot me or attack. “And here I was assuming you’d be happy to see me,” the man said in a familiar voice I had been waiting day and night to hear again. I looked at his face, my heart nearly combusting from out of my ribcage. “Aldrich,” I gasped out, using my hands to aid me in standing up. My legs suddenly felt like sacks of heavy skin devoid of any bones.“Are you mad at me for being
When we finally returned back to the estate, the guards looked happier than I had ever seen them. The servants bowed and the maidservants that had cast me dirty looks were now smiling at me. The busy, bustling morning crowd was suddenly a small celebration banquet. His entourage cheered for him, and the foyer dispersed a narrow path for him. I simply walked behind him, witnessing it all. Alan came bounding down the stairs. His gaze automatically landed on me, out of habit, and his eyes slightly showcased his concern before diverting to Aldrich. Grinning, he approached his friend with one of the hugs that men do when they’re excited to see each other, but still want to appear masculine. “You didn’t alert me of your arrival,” Alan accused lightly, his gaze secretly flitting back to me again. That one gaze screamed: we are in deep shit. “I didn't tell anyone,” Aldrich said, looking around at his people, “it wasn’t much of a victory to celebrate. I would’ve rather
Aldrich “Nothing!” Cathy peeped, propelling over to me before delicately snatching the piece of paper from my hand. I looked at her incredulously. She took the note and buried it deep in the pocket of her trousers, where she sheathed her dagger. “It’s a personal note from my sister,” she said, and the polite buoyancy in her tone indicated she was lying. When she was overly kind, she was lying, as if she was guilty to be doing so. If it actually was a note from her sister, she would be nasty that I was picking it up. I only stared at her, my jaw tightening. The hurt at her surreptitious, nervous behavior settled into my bones. After being away for so long, I predicted a warmer welcome. And especially less secrets between us.“What is going on?” I demanded, raising my tone. She merely raised an eyebrow at me, annoyed at my volume. It was a habit I used as authority over my soldiers, and forgot it was not a tactic for her. “I guess you didn’t hear me right,” she