by L. P. Dillon
My heart sank to the floor, and my stomach dropped the instant the words registered in my brain. Running as fast as I could to the kitchen sink, I heaved a few times then threw up all the contents of my stomach. Chase’s footsteps echoed behind me, and soon I could feel his presence behind me. Not looking back, I held my hand out, so he knew to stay back. For a change, he respected my wishes.
Once I had finished being sick, I rinsed my mouth with water and spat it down the drain, then took in a deep breath.
"What do you mean he's dead?" My voice shook more than my hands hanging at my sides.
"I don't really know what else I can say. He died Aubrey," he replied bluntly.
Spinning around so fast I almost fell forwards; I shot a scowl his way. "He can't be dead. I saw him this morning, so you have to be lying. You and your twisted family are holding him somewhere or something. Stop playing games, Chase. This is just sick, even for you!"
I pushed past him and headed for the couch, picking up the beer he’d placed there earlier and tipping it back downing as much as I could in one sitting, I slammed it on the table. "I don't care about your family or your stupid jealous games. Just let me see Jesse!"
"I'm not playing any games, Aubrey! Can’t you see that my heart is breaking, too? I know you had feelings for the guy, but how do you think I feel? Jesse was my best friend growing up. Yeah, we fell out three years ago, but up until then we were inseparable," he snapped, his voice so authoritative that I stumbled back, falling onto the couch.
Sighing, he came over to me and sat beside me on the couch, taking out his phone. After his thumb scrolled through some things, he turned to me. "Look, I don't want to show you this, but it seems like it's the only way that you're going to believe me. Trust me, I don't want it to be true either, but it is."
He held his phone up, and as soon as I saw the image, a sharp gasp split the room. Tears streamed down my face as I snatched the phone from his hand. Looking closer at the picture, I recognized the car right away. The picture was of Jesse’s car and a truck, and the front of the truck was caved in, while the driver’s side of Jesse’s car was demolished. I knew right away that nobody could have survived a crash like that.
It had been two weeks since Jesse died, and it still hurt just as much as the day that Chase told me about the accident. I know I didn't know him for long, but we had such a strong connection. I’d even been dreaming of a future with him. Then he died…how could the universe be so cruel?
The girls at the Sorority were getting annoyed with my moping, and I even heard one say that I had no right to grieve for a guy that I'd only known for a few days. To be honest, I agreed with her entirely, but I couldn't help how I felt.
Payton dragged me out of the house and made sure I went to most of my classes, but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't focus. My dad didn’t understand my grief either, so I spoke to my mom a lot, and she listened and offered advice. She was just fantastic in every way.
Payton mentioned the meeting a few more times, but I no longer cared to know anything. None of it was important to me right now.
Instead of facing reality, I partied. A lot. Any party I could find, I went to it, and it didn’t matter if it was a weekend or midweek. Dancing and drinking made me forget the pain, at least for a few hours.
I was getting ready for yet another party when Payton walked into the room. I glanced at her, but she didn’t even look at me, instead headed to her desk.
"You going out again?" she asked, her words sharp. I ignored her, rolling my eyes into the mirror before I applied more eyeliner. Slamming the drawer of her desk shut, she turned to me. "Brie, what the hell are you playing at? You know that getting wasted and sleeping around, isn't going to bring Jesse back, don't you!?"
I huffed in annoyance while putting my makeup away.
"Brie! Look at me!" she cried, her voice an emotion-filled void I didn’t want to dive into right now.
I stood up from the chair, not because she shouted at me, but because I was ready, and one of the guys I met last night would be pulling up any minute to pick me up. Staring into space, I didn’t focus on her. Not even a little.
Payton stepped over to me. "Brie, look at me please." Her voice turned softer, matching the gentle, kind features on her face.
I rolled my eyes with a sigh and met her eyes. Raising my eyebrows at her because she didn’t speak to me right away, I let her place her arm on mine and lead me to the bed. When she sat down, she pulled on my arm to join her.
"Look, I'm worried about you. You're blowing off your classes and drinking too much—"
"And?” I cut her off before she could list any more of my bad behavior. “Your point is what exactly? I'm having fun, Payton. Maybe you should try it sometime!"
Standing, I made to march to the door, but she grabbed my arm, and when I tried to pull out of her grip, I couldn’t even budge her. When had she gotten so strong?
"Sit down, I'm not finished!" she barked.
Not able to break free from her, I did as I was ordered. "Why can't you just let me deal with this the way I need to? Why do you care so much? You barely have time for me these days because you're always with Connor!" I had to admit, I sounded a lot whinier than I had wanted to.
"Of course, I care. You're my best friend! And we invite you out with us all the time. It's not like I'm excluding you, Brie," she retorted.
"Oh yeah, how do you think that is for me, huh? Watching you two suck face and be all in love when my heart is breaking? Oh, and not to mention the fact that every time I tag along, Chase is there, or turns up shortly after. The guy just doesn't get the hint. He even waits for me outside of my classes. The guy is a damn stalker!" I shouted, letting all of my frustration out.
"He cares for you, Brie. Can't you see that?" She released a frustrated sigh and ran her hand through her hair.
A car horn blared outside, so I turned my head, yanking my arm from her grip. “He doesn't care! He wants me because I'm the first girl to turn down his self-obsessed, egotistical ass!”
"Brie, please don't do this. Don't shut us out!" she screamed, but I did my best to tune her out as I stormed from the room, slamming the door behind me.
I practically ran down the hall, descending the stairwell as quickly as my feet would take me, stopping short because of course, there he was.
Seriously? Give me a break! I moaned in my head as I watched Chase walk through the front door.
The instant his eyes landed on me, he stiffened. "Where are you going?"
"Out!" I barked, not bothering to elaborate.
"Where? And with who?" His tone conveyed his annoyance as he moved closer, grabbing my arm.
I smacked his bicep to force him to let me go, but he didn’t budge, so I relaxed my shoulder, so his grip didn’t hurt so much. "What the hell has it got to do with you? You're not my dad, brother or boyfriend, Chase. In fact, you're nothing to me!" Using my free hand, I poked a finger into his chest.
His face looked really hurt by my words, but I was beyond caring. The guy wouldn't leave me alone. I wanted time to breathe, to grieve for Christ’s sake, and I couldn't do it with his face popping up all over the place. He looked so much like Jesse…same eyes, same build, and the same damn dimples. I couldn't bear to look at him because every time I saw him it was like seeing Jesse, and I couldn't do it anymore. It broke my heart all over again. Every. Single. Time.
"Brie, I... I'm just looking out for you. I care about you, and Jesse would hate to see you like this," he said in a gentle voice as he released his hold on my arm.
"What the hell Chase? You're the reason why we had to sneak around, and why we ended up in that cabin in the first place. Why couldn't you just let us be happy, huh? Why did you have to get jealous and fucking claim me! Oh, and what the hell does that even mean?" I screamed at him, tears threatening to break through my anger.
By now, my shouts had brought in quite a crowd. Payton was making her way down the stairs just as Arabella walked into
the entrance hall with a bunch of our other sisters.
Chase looked around, and one by one, all the girls folded their arms across their chests and scowled at him. He gulped and I was beyond annoyed at waiting for him to answer.
"Answer me," I demanded.
He turned back to me, meeting my eye, but his were wide and a bit wild. "I claimed you because you're a Scion! You're supposed to be with me, not him. Not anyone else. Me!" As he spoke, he tapped a finger against his own chest.
A few girls gasped, and Payton stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at me, and then glanced over to Chase, then back at me, but shock had frozen me, and I had no understanding of what the hell he was talking about.
What the hell is a Scion? I asked myself, but somehow, I kept the thoughts inside. It must just be another weird word they used in this strange town.
Everyone seemed frozen to their spots, but they all stared at me. Even Chase raised his eyebrows at me, waiting for some sort of response.
"Whatever," I said with a huff, rolling my eyes as I turned to leave.
"You're still leaving? You're not even going to ask me what a Scion is?" Chase asked.
"Chase, please leave it!" Arabella pleaded with him.
I didn't even bother to reply. Instead, I lifted my hand above my shoulder and flipped him the finger while opening the front door, but no sooner had I opened it, Chase’s hand slammed it shut, his hand splayed against the wood.
How the hell did he get over here so fast? I questioned myself. Before I could work out any theories, he grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around, pinning me against the door.
"Chase enough, let her go! You're taking this too far," Arabella shouted as she edged closer to us.
He turned and growled at her, making her shrink back with fear, maybe submission. Some of the Sorority girls growled back at him, but when he glared at them, they shrank back, too. The only one who didn't move a muscle was Payton. She just stared wide-eyed at me, seeming to be shocked by what was happening. And when I looked into her eyes, she had the gall to look away.
What the fuck? She always has my back!
Chase finally faced me again, breathing heavily through his nose. "Aubrey, please don't leave. Come back to my place and I will explain everything. I promise."
"What?” Payton took a few steps towards him. “You can't! They haven't okayed this. You need to let them tell her first. Please."
As soon as her foot touched the ground, he turned faster than lightning and sprinted towards her. I was too shaken up and confused to figure out what to do. My fight or flight response set in, and I decided on flight. I spun around, opened the door and hiked it towards my date’s car. Greyston rested against his car door, texting away on his phone. But as soon as he saw me hurtling towards him, he put his phone away.
"What's up, Brie? Why are you running?" he asked in a nonchalant kind of tone.
We didn’t have time for nonchalant…
"Quick, just get in the car. We need to leave now!" I hollered at him.
I skidded when I reached his car, my fingers slipping on the door handle when I opened it. As soon as he glanced at the house and saw Chase barreling towards us, he yelled, "Oh crap!" That got him moving, though, and he finally hopped in the car, too.
Once both in, he started up the engine and sped off. My heart pounded, and adrenaline buzzed through me. Out of nowhere, I burst into hysterical laughter. Greyston gave me a weary look, then focused on driving again. Then, looking into the mirror, he cursed under his breath.
Turning around, I glanced out the back window to find Chase’s green Lotus erasing the distance between us. Add insult to injury, Greyston didn’t speed up. Instead, he slowed way down.
Turning to him, I grabbed his shoulder and jerked it back and forth. "What are you doing? Why are you slowing down? Speed the fuck up or he'll catch us!"
He didn't bother to look at me, only signaled before he pulled to the side of the road. "That's the idea, Darling."
"Don't fucking call me that!" I snapped.
He rolled his eyes at me, putting the car in park. "Fine. Look, you're super-hot and all, but you're not worth messing with the future Alpha. If I touch you, he'll rip my dick off, and I'm kind of fond of the little fella. Now, can you please get the hell out of my car?" He flicked his head, pointing it at the door.
Was this guy actually kicking me out of his car? I hadn’t even had time to process everything he’d just said, but I had no choice but to get out. I stood there with my eyes on Chase and my hand still holding the door, but Greyston leaned over and yanked it closed, then sped off, covering me in dust and dirt. Coughing, I could hardly catch my breath and hadn’t managed to even when Chase pulled in front of me. Leaning over, he opened the door.
"Get in," he said through gritted teeth.
"Not a fucking chance." Too busy brushing the dirt off my clothes, I didn’t even acknowledge him when I spoke.
A groan cascaded from him as he huffed and leaped from the car, walking around it.
"Aubrey, please," he begged.
"No!"
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked me, exasperated. “Fine. Just remember you left me no choice but to do this." Moving so fast I didn’t even see it coming, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder.
"Chase put me down! What the hell are you doing?" Wiggling and kicking him was futile. His grip was like steel, unbreakable.
Dropping me into the passenger’s seat, he slammed the door and was in the driver’s seat before I even had a chance to open it again. I tried the handle anyway, but he’d locked it and disabled my unlock button. So, I was trapped in this tiny space with the man who had the exact same eyes as Jesse.
I couldn’t breathe…
Chase was silent the entire drive. I had screamed at him, but it didn’t make him respond. Finally, I’d given up and, slumping my shoulders, stared at the window so I could avoid seeing his face—a face that didn’t even look like his anymore. Only Jesse’s.
Annoyance warred with frustration in my head. I couldn't believe Chase had just kidnapped me. And all I could think about was Greyston’s words in the car. Alpha? What did that mean? Maybe it had something to do with Chase being the president. Or a werewolf…
My head was all over the place. Had I really just thought they had been talking about a werewolf? So lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed Chase had parked the car.
"Aubrey? Are you going to follow me in, or do I need to carry you again?" His voice was quiet but loud enough to snap me out of my thoughts.
"I'll walk," I replied with a defeated huff.
He climbed out of the car, and I got out, too. Once out in the fresh air, I contemplated running away, but as I looked into the dense woods, I realized that even though I had stared out the window all the way here, I had no clue where here was. I hadn’t taken in any landmarks, road signs…nothing. So, if I did make a run for it, I would probably be lost in a matter of minutes. And as I watched Chase get the keys ready to unlock the door to the large house beside us, I had a feeling he knew these woods like the back of his hand. He would catch me in no time, so what was the point?
"You coming? Or are you thinking about making a run for it?" Chase shouted as he shoved the front door open.
I didn't bother to tell him that he'd hit the nail on the head. Instead, I sighed and inched towards him.
Standing by the doorway, he gestured to the entrance. "Ladies first."
Turning to look at him, I rolled my eyes. Doing everything I could to keep an annoyed look on my face, I stormed into the house. The place was cute, but I didn't care to inspect it. I wasn't planning on staying long. I would just hear him out, let it go through one ear and out the other, then leave.
"Aubrey, I'm a werewolf," he blurted as he closed the door with a kick of his foot.
He wasn't even facing me when I turned around to laugh at him. His arms were stretched out, his palms planted flat against the door, and his head hung down
. Regardless, a giggle escaped, but all laughter faded from me as he faced me, his eyes now jet black. Fear captured me, and I shook with it. My breathing was harder, and no matter how much air I tried to pull in, I felt like I got no oxygen. Before I knew it, my eyes rolled to the back of my head as I hit the floor with a thud.
When I came to, I was laid out on the couch. I sat up a little too fast, and my head spun, making me groan as I placed my hand over my eyes, trying to shield the light.
"Hey, take it easy. Lay back down,” Chase said, guiding me back down. “I'll get you some water."
"I'm fine," I told him, but I wasn't anywhere near fine. My head had its own heartbeat, and when I opened my eyes, everything appeared as double.
"No, you're not fine. Stop being so stubborn and do as you're told for a damn change, will you?" he said, bringing his dominant voice back into play.
Disappearing into the kitchen, I heard him rustling around in a drawer, then the sound of liquid pouring into a glass. When he came back to my side, he squatted in front of me. "Here, take these."
I opened my eyes again and could see him holding out some pills, and a glass of water. I took the pills, not even caring at this point what they were, and swallowed them down. The coldness of the water hurt my head a little, and when I groaned, Chase took the glass from me. Placing my hands on my temples, I rubbed them in a circular motion to try to ease the pain, but it gave me little relief. I pulled my legs around and off the couch so that I could sit on it properly, then slumped back and placed my head on the back of it. Looking at the ceiling, I gradually closed my eyes.
"Are you okay?" Chase asked, taking a seat next to me.
"Hmm, let me see. Jesse is still dead, you keep following me everywhere, you scared off my date, you kidnapped me, and now my head feels like it's gonna explode. So, yeah Chase, I'm fucking peachy," I said calmly, not opening my eyes or even bothering to look at him.
He blew out a long breath as if he was trying to gain a semblance of control. "I'm sorry, Aubrey. I've really fucked all this up. I never meant to hurt you. I hope you can believe me when I say that."
