She heard the sound of the door opening. "Willow?" "Luke?" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" A perplexed Luke stood holding the door open before he stepped out. "What am I doing here? Ha ha... I live here. What are you doing here?" "I...I am looking for somebody." "Well, you clearly have the wrong house. Unless you were looking for me," he winked. "Sorry, but I'm taken." "Taken by delusion, no doubt," she scoffed and murmured under her breath. "Look around. There's no other house here. I'm sure this is the right place." "What's with all the noise?" Wes walked sluggishly to the door while pushing his hair back. "See, I was right!" She squealed. Willow sat on the sofa in the huge living room which was a contrast to what the house looked like from the outside. The house was surprisingly clean, and though it didn't look like something out of an inter
The next day, Willow was busy packing and moving. Luke had not been on board with the idea at first. When he heard about it he strongly opposed dramatically, but Wes explained to him why she had to be there, and when Willow promised to put in a good word for him to Felicity, he agreed to let her move in. Despite the fact that she didn't have much to pack, Luke was there to help her. She didn't have many possessions, and the furniture wasn't hers either. The gray dress from Vilaria, which had been neatly stored in her closet, was placed in a separate box. She talked to the landlord and tied up some loose ends before moving into the room that was next to Wes'. Everything was unpacked and organized in the way she had envisioned. After some time, she fell asleep because of how worn out she was. The next morning, Willow sat in the kitchen eating cereal and drinking milk. Luke had moved all the blood out of the refrigerator and replaced it with human food, which she was th
Wes fell asleep in the comfort of his bed. In his dream, he was back in the place where he was born and raised. He entered the palace garden, which was different from the way it looked now, and stopped when he saw a woman playing with what appeared to be a young child, no older than three years old. He could tell that it was his mother, and the child was a younger version of him. Around a large tree, the kid chased his mother as she ran and laughed. Wes grinned as he watched them with delight. It was only momentary, though, as the sound of laughter quickly vanished. The boy could no longer see the woman because she had gotten away from him. The kid frantically searched for his mother near the tree and in the garden before leaving the palace grounds and stepping into the forest, jumping over stones and streams of water. Wes followed the kid and saw him run before stopping at the woman's lifeless body. The boy sobbed. There was a man comforting the child, a hooded figu
The sun shone brightly in the clear sky the next morning. It was a nice day for exploring the campus, drinking iced coffee, or going on a date, but none of those things were on Willow's to-do list. Felicity addressed her team members who were gathered in a circle inside the booth that represented her club. "Increase our visibility, get emails or phone numbers for direct marketing, but remember to get as many new students to sign up as possible." After acknowledging her with a nod, everyone scattered to take their assigned positions. The clubs were organizing events today to obtain new members. Maxon's club occupied the booth next to Felicity's, and eight other clubs in the row were positioned next to or across from one another. Willow approached several students, informed them of the club, and persuaded a few to join. It was an hour of fake smiles and the test of her people-pleasing abilities. She didn't pause until Felicity approached her.
"—and I want to know why." He stood in awe as she fixed him with an unwavering stare. Her breathing was audible. "I don't know, Willow. Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?" "Just answer the question." "I don't know. What do you want me to say? I don't know why it was you." She moved a little closer to him and said, "I need a better response. I'm not special. And yet you came into the human world, found me and followed me around, married me, and then asked me to move in with you only under the condition that nothing romantic can happen." She shook her head, "So many conflicting signals, and I want to know why." "I don't know why I did any of those things. I am not accustomed to thinking too much. I don't analyze every little detail." She squinted her eyes with suspicion. "I think you're lying. I think you know why you did those things but you don't want to admit it because you're a coward." The door op
Willow, Felicity, and Luke drove in Luke's car to the outskirts of the city, where Maxon's party was. The two-story house was packed with people and blazing with loud music when they entered. "I'm gonna get us a drink," Felicity said before disappearing. She returned with 3 cups and Willow drank the beverage without any hesitation. "I'm going to talk to some people," Felicity said before disappearing again. "I'll come with you." Luke followed her. Willow looked around at people dancing, drinking, and having a good time; all this while she felt like crumbling. She entered a space where people were playing beer pong and pool and noticed Wes holding a drink while perched on the couch. Around him sat Maxon and his group. A girl that Willow vaguely knew from college sat next to Wes, eyeing him. "Willow, I didn't know you were invited," Melissa, a member of Maxon's club, said. "But now that you're here," she said, grabbing her arm and draggi
He drew her in and locked the door. She drew in a sharp intake of breath. There was no space left between. The air around them became suddenly hot and heavy, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. He kissed her like he hadn't kissed any other and with one hand on her waist, he maneuvered her over to the bed. She fell on it with him on top. His arms were on either side of her as he pulled away to allow her to breathe. She stared into his beautiful eyes, breathing heavily, and then his swollen lips. She tugged on his black t-shirt, and in one swift movement, he took it off, slightly ruffling his hair. "I've wanted this for so long." His voice was husky. "Me too," she whispered, placed her hand on the back of his neck, and pulled him in for another kiss. His back muscles flexed as she ran her hands down his skin. She let out a moan. She could feel his abdominal muscles on her ribs and stomach when he leaned in to kiss her neck.
Willow woke up on a chair in a cabin situated deep into the woods. To her surprise, her hands and legs weren't tied to the chair. A yellow light bulb hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space. Slade stood near the counter, his back to her. It seemed like he was stirring something on the stove. Willow slowly got up from the chair, not making a sound. The door was just seven feet away. She vigilantly side-stepped towards the exit. "You could try, but you wouldn't get too far." He turned around. "Drink?" He held a cup of steaming tea out for her. "What do you want?" "To talk." Slade moved over to the couch and took a seat. He indicated for her to take a seat as well and she unwillingly did, knowing fully well that she had no other option. "So talk," she said. "And don't beat around the bush." Slade smirked. "Very well then. I want you to give your half of the map to me." He handed her the cup of tea. Sh