by Ashley Meira
“Alice,” I said with an edge to my voice. The least he could fucking do was use her name.
Sullivan paused a beat, taking a deep breath in and out. “It’s been a long day. I’m sure you must be exhausted. Your old room has been prepared. Do you remember where it is?”
“Yes,” I said, biting back five bitchy remarks.
“You two can go on ahead, then. I still have some business to take care of.”
Dismissed, we stepped out of the car and headed inside.
It was as if time had stood still in my old room. My queen-sized bed sat against the middle of the opposite wall, with nightstands on either side. There were bookshelves on the left, and between them was the bay window I used to sit at when I read. To the right was a dresser and a white door which led to the bathroom. I remember the room smelling like jasmine and chocolate, from my mother and my trips to the kitchen, respectively. Now there was only the smell of fabric softener and cold air. It’s felt like this since Mom left. Empty and lifeless, as if all the joy in the house had disappeared along with her.
I took a step back, out of the doorway. “Can I sleep in your room?”
“Of course.” Alex wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we made our way down the hall. “I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Tapping my chin, I made a big show of considering his apology. “I don’t know… You don’t really sound sorry.”
“Is that so?” He grinned, opening the door to reveal a room with dark blue walls and a bed in the right corner. It would be a little cramped, but it’d be nice to snuggle up together. May as well call me Marshmallow with how soft I’ve gotten.
The fireplace on the left roared to life with a wave of my hand, and I eagerly took in the heat as I undressed in front of the flames.
“It is.” I grinned at him over my shoulder. “I suppose I could forgive you, if you told me you actually found something groundbreaking at the scene and just didn’t want to say anything in front of Sullivan.”
He trailed his hands down my sides, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “I guess I’ll have to find another way to apologize.”
“We need to–” I yawned loudly, tears prickling my eyes. I wiped them away, along with the somewhat insane idea of cauterizing my tear ducts. “We need to meet with the tribes and convince them we want to help. With this many deaths, maybe they’ve reconsidered their views on outside help.”
“Or they’ll kill us.”
“Excuse me, I’m supposed to be the negative one.”
“You’re negative and I’m positive, is that it?” he said, his lips grazing against the shell of my ear.
“Well, a positive and a negative make a negative, so maybe it’s better if we’re both negative.”
He chuckled, and I couldn’t help following suit, grinning wider than I had all day. “So, we’re probably gonna die?”
“At least we’ll die together.” I leaned back to kiss his cheek.
Alex turned and captured my lips. His tongue danced against mine, and liquid desire raced through my veins, pooling between my legs. My moan turned into a bitter whine as he pulled away.
There was a thoroughly satisfied and unapologetic grin on his face as he looked down at me. “Sounds like you’re getting soft.”
“Please.” I placed his hands on my stomach. “Hard as steel.”
Okay, I really needed to stop lying to him. This didn’t count, though, because it was obvious that my abs were non-existent. I was still pretty lean – being a hunter didn’t allow the chance to grow a beer belly, but I wouldn’t be winning bodybuilding awards anytime soon.
Alex squeezed my stomach. “I like having something soft to hold onto.”
“Jerk.”
“It’s a compliment.” He gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Now, since you’re almost naked, why don’t you shower while I get us dinner?”
“You can go, but I’m not hungry.”
“Are you sure? You haven’t eaten all day.”
“You made us pancakes for breakfast,” I said, prancing over to the bed and hopping onto it. “I’m exhausted, and there’s no way I want to eat after what we just saw. And smelled.”
“You should still eat a little bit. Maybe some fruit or something?”
“I hate fruit on an empty stomach.”
“You hate anything that isn’t fried on any stomach.”
“Actually, I only have one stomach,” I said with a cheeky smile. This time, when he came over and touched me, his hands were warm. I relished the feel of his soft sweater against my body, though I would’ve much preferred his skin. Small victories, I guess. “And you call me soft. Maybe I should call you Marshmallow instead.”
His brows came together, like a little boy who was told he couldn’t have a cookie. “Who do you use that name with now?”
Oh, right. I buried my face in his shoulder and giggled softly. “Never mind. Hey, did you ever hear back from your friend?”
Alex’s body stiffened. I pulled back to see a conflicted expression darkening his face, the wrinkles between his brow etched in deeper than before. “I tried calling him again when Wright led me here. When he didn’t reply, I asked Wright if he knew him.” He sagged against me, and I moved us so we were sitting side by side on the bed. His hair tickled my shoulder as he rested his head there. “Wright said Tom and a few others volunteered to investigate the deaths. They disappeared into the forest two days ago. No one’s heard from them since.”
I hugged him tight. “I’m so sorry. Do you have anything of his? I can try to track him.”
He straightened up, his big blue eyes shining with hope. “Really?”
“Of course.” I stroked his cheek. “I want to help. I don’t like seeing you so upset.”
My cheeks burned at the confession. It made me feel all squirmy inside to admit something so vulnerable, but Alex was important to me. I may have been jumping the gun here – we’ve only known each other for a little over a month. But looking at him now…
I leaned against him. “You’re important to me.”
My back hit the bed before I could even blink. Alex’s lips were firm against mine, a hunger pouring from him into me, like a molten heat overwhelming my insides. I tangled my fingers in his soft dark hair and pulled him closer, pressing our bodies flush against each other.
We only pulled away when the need for air was too great, and I made a note to figure out a magical way to go without oxygen. He trailed butterfly kisses down my jaw, stopping to press his lips against my pulse point.
“Wow,” I breathed. “Is he, like, your best friend or something?”
Another whine escaped me as he pulled back. He chuckled, the sound breathy and warm, and brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “I never really thought about it, but yeah, I guess he is. Like I said before, I was a quiet kid; never really had any friends. Tom was the first one to take an interest. Sure, we were roommates, so it would have been awkward if we ignored each other the entire time, but he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me.”
“Maybe he was into you.”
“Based on the amount of girls he saw every week, I’m gonna say no.”
“Overcompensating.”
“Anyway,” he said, rolling his eyes, “Tom really brought me out of my shell. Not to mention he’s saved my life more times than I can count.”
I tugged gently at the ends of his hair. “You’ve saved him, too, right?”
“It’s not really something you keep score of.”
“I keep track,” I admitted with a bashful smile. “Not like, they owe me four rescues or anything, but I like to remember where we’re all at.”
“You are a scary lady, Miss Morgan.”
“It’s a good thing I like you, then.”
His smile was angelic, and my heart fluttered at the sight. “I like you, too,” he said gently, twirling one of my curls with his index finger. “You’re important to me, too.”
I snorted softly a
nd looked away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. “Copycat.”
Alex nuzzled my neck before sitting up. I squawked (yes, really) in protest and made grabby hands at him. Unfortunately, he was not swayed by my feminine charms. He stood up, gave one of my grabby hands a squeeze, and announced he was going to get dinner. And yes, I was going to eat something. What a considerate, beautiful nag.
I forced myself up and headed to the bathroom across the hall. There was no way I was going to sleep with death on my hands. After everything I saw and felt tonight, it didn’t seem like I could scrub hard enough. I knew pure evil existed in the world, and though I think I’ve been lucky in avoiding it, I’ve certainly come close a few times. This was one of them. The revelation did nothing but make me feel worse. The water was scalding at this point, and I hoped it would cleanse me with heat despite knowing that was impossible; no one escaped this life unscarred, figuratively or otherwise.
The last angry red marks left by my pseudo-lava shower vanished by the time Alex returned. I managed to hold down the sandwich he brought me, but I had a hard time falling asleep. Too many thoughts were racing through my head. There were so many questions to answer. Too many. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to resolve everything.
I was right about this bed being a cozy fit. It felt wonderful. Alex’s familiar presence surrounded me, his scent of fresh soap and rain – like spring – bringing me a great deal of comfort as my mind raced. My nose pressed against his chest, and I breathed him in deeply, feeling safer with each passing second.
It felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane, clinging to the wreckage like a bit of flotsam, trying to find clarity in the eye of the storm. I could only hope my waters would calm, mirroring the peaceful waves I saw when I looked over the city this afternoon.
6
When I was a child, I used to run back to my room and cry when my father started to avoid having breakfast with me. Eventually, I got used to it, but there was always a part of me that hoped he would show up. That part died its final death today when I, through the haze of sleep, saw him sitting at the head of the table.
I wasn’t sure if it was because Alex had dragged me out of bed at the ass crack of dawn – my skills at being a morning person were right up there with my capacity to tolerate a banshee screaming right against my ear – or because of the man himself. All I knew was that I was going to kill Alex for making me come down here. A vow that would probably mean more if I wasn’t currently leaning all my weight against him and using his shoulder as a pillow.
At least breakfast looked good; French toast, eggs, and bacon – along with a bunch of other stuff that didn’t matter. In fact, if people weren’t staring at me, I would have grabbed the plate of bacon and snuck back to my room. Maybe I’d eat it in the tub just like back home. Except this time, I wouldn’t have an ornery cat perched on the edge of the tub, peering down at me in disapproval until I gave her a piece.
“Looks like the king actually deigned to grace us with his presence,” I muttered, my voice gravelly with sleep.
Alex glanced at me and sat me upright. All that accomplished was me slumping over, burying my face in my arms on the table.
“Morgan,” he said with a polite smile, “get up.”
“No,” I groaned. “I fell for that ten minutes ago and look what happened.”
“She’s never been a morning person,” said Sullivan. He took a prim sip of his coffee. “What are your plans for today?”
I rolled my head to regard him drowsily. The older woman who refilled his cup looked familiar, the lines etched in her face aging but not dispelling the features I’d seen in my youth. I couldn’t remember her name, but I think she was pregnant the last time I saw her. The smile she gave me as she walked away looked exactly like the one she wore when I cooed over the way her baby kicked me through her rounded stomach. She’d been expecting a daughter, if I remembered correctly. She should be eighteen now, shouldn’t she? I wonder if she’s still in town.
“We’ll be tracking down an old friend of mine,” said Alex, pouring syrup onto his pancakes. “Then, we’ll see if we can’t get an audience with the Garou or Protean tribes.”
“Going into their territory might be considered a hostile action,” said Sullivan.
“You were a hunter,” I said, my voice clearing up amazingly well for someone still half-asleep. “You should know how dangerous these things can get. It’s the risk of the job.”
“I’m still a hunter,” he said sharply. “Mister Campbell, who is your friend?”
“Tom, sir. He was one of the people who went missing in the forest.”
A contemplative frown fell on Sullivan’s face. “Those men are presumed dead.”
Wow. Seriously, they should force people to take Manners 101 before they were allowed to oversee a family.
“My spell–” I cut off with a loud yawn. “Excuse me. My spell can track him regardless of whether he’s alive. Barring any magical intervention, of course.”
The conversation died down as my appetite kicked in, and I was able to dig into the bacon I’d been hoarding like a semi-ambitious dragon. I still swear I could live off bacon for the rest of my life, but every time I tried to prove it, Rowan would tempt me by ordering pizza or Chinese takeout.
I looked back on the memories with a wry smile. She’s been as much of a mother to me as Lady Cassandra had been. I missed her. Maybe that was another special gift I had: losing mothers.
If that was the price I had to pay for super healing, then I’d rather suffer a slow death after having my heart perforated by a nail-embedded baseball bat.
Five pieces of heavenly bacon later, I noticed Sullivan was still staring at me. The man had a face carved from stone, so I couldn’t read him very well, but it was probably a safe bet to assume he was either unimpressed or disapproving. Or both.
I looked up at him. “What?”
Sullivan shook his head, his eyes downcast. “This isn’t the life you should be living.”
Yep, disapproving. I forced the last bits of bacon down my throat, my appetite vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. “What exactly should I be doing, then? Sitting at home and popping out babies?”
“That isn’t what I said. The life of a hunter is dangerous–”
“Yeah, I know it is,” I said, my voice rising with each word. “I’ve been living it for almost ten years. And somehow, I’ve managed to be good enough to be considered the successor to the head of one of the families. So, I guess this is the life I should be living. If you had any better ideas, then maybe you shouldn’t have kicked me out!”
“Morgan, calm down,” Alex hissed.
I could barely hear him with the blood rushing through my veins. The lights flickered, and my heart beat faster and faster as my fingertips whitened under the strain of clenching the table’s edge.
Was he serious? The old man was insulting my abilities and capacity to handle this kind of life and–
There was a quick knock on the door and Jonathan came in. “Sorry to disturb your breakfast. I thought you might like to know a shifter attacked the city guards an hour ago.”
The prison was damp and cold, made even worse by the encroaching winter. Our footsteps echoed through the narrow hallways, the dim lighting stretching our shadows against the grey stone – it was the only time I’d ever pass five-foot-two without neck-breakingly high heels. I crossed my arms, my fingertips no longer white, but a deep purple-red from the cold. I’d grabbed a thicker coat on our way out of the house, but decided to forgo the gloves. I wasn’t a fan; it was too hard to move my fingers with them on. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use my fingers at all if they fell off from the cold, so I’ll jot this down under “Shit I’ll never learn.”
We followed the guard to the cells as he filled us in. “One of our men found him passed out on the streets last night, stinkin’ of hooch. There were reports of drunken brawls around the area, and based on the state of some of the men we picked up, I’m guessing so
mething a little more than human took a swing at them,” he said, yawning loudly and rubbing his eyes. “Anyway, the guy didn’t look hurt so we brought him here to sleep it off and planned to question him later. Right after we changed shifts this morning, he just went wild: turned into a giant-ass lion and pounced. Luckily, there were some hunters sleeping it off here, too.” He stopped in front of the cell furthest away from the entrance and turned to us. “They managed to subdue him before he did much harm.”
“Any casualties?” Alex asked.
“No, sir. Three guards are in the hospital and one of the hunters has a broken arm, but otherwise we were pretty lucky.” The guard passed the keys over to me and added, “Take your time. Policy says we have to keep any tribe members in custody until their leader or a representative comes to get them. It usually takes a day or two. Personally, I think it’s just to teach their wayward members a lesson…”
I nodded along as he continued his speech, fumbling with the keys in my hand to keep some circulation flowing through my fingers. It took a minute for another guard to pop his head in and call Chatterbox over to help him with something. Both Alex and I let out relieved sighs before stepping into the shifter’s cell.
He was unconscious, head bowed down against his chest, revealing a mess of curly black hair. All he had on were a pair of loose pants, likely provided by the guards after he reverted back to human form and flashed them the goods. His arms were bound behind him with chains and his ankles were tied to the legs of the chair. I noted the chains were made of orichalcum, so at least we wouldn’t have to worry about him breaking free.
Alex was smart enough to keep his distance from me, whether through common sense or the way my eyes narrowed whenever he got too close. I still wasn’t over his little thing at breakfast, and I didn’t miss the fact that this was the second time we’ve had a disagreement in two days. We never butted heads before this, so I didn’t know what to make of it. What I did know was that I could add it to the list of reasons why I hated being in this city.
