by Tara Brown
He looked up at her through his lashes and smirked, "Perhaps we should take this discussion downstairs."
She smiled at him, "You afraid of me Aleks?"
He leaned in to her filling the air around her, "Absolutely."
She felt herself get dizzy with the pheromones, "Cheater."
He laughed, it was like her favorite song. His dark blond hair was cut shorter than normal. She reached out running her hands through it.
His movement was a fluid motion, he reached down sweeping her up into his arms laying her back on the bed kissing her.
Chills filled her as his tongue found it's way into her mouth. Everything about Aleks was sex, the sheer size of him was enough to make most women moan. His soft lips roamed her neck setting her skin on fire.
He pulled back making cold air fill the void around them.
She opened her eyes and frowned.
He smiled his sexy crooked grin, "I can't do this."
"What?"
He nodded, "I know what it is. It’s a soul-stealing demon. I have to go." He pulled off the bed.
"Are you kidding me right now? Aleks you’ve wanted this since we met. Shane isn’t in the picture. What are you doing?" She felt sexual frustration building inside her.
He laughed, "Oh I want to do this but it isn’t right. Your heart will never belong to me. I need to see Lydia and Lorri."
He turned and walked out of the room confusing her completely.
She sighed and pulled her laptop over and clicked on World of Warcraft.
She tried to play but the battleground she got into sucked. She typed some cuss words at her teammates and exited out of the game without finishing.
"ALEKS!" She stormed from her room nearly throwing the laptop.
She didn’t even wink herself downstairs, she wanted the full effect of her high-heeled boots on the wooden stairs. She clomped down into the den to find Aleks and Lucas sitting with Lydia huddled.
"Aleks." She demanded.
He smirked at her, "Aimee we need to go to New Mexico."
Her jaw dropped, "What?"
Lydia smiled, "Dear we have someone we need to acquire. We don’t know what we're dealing with completely but Aleks is right I feel like that movie with Bill Murray. It's like I cant get past this year or I've lived it several different ways."
Aimee flushed, "I need to talk to you Aleks." She tapped her foot.
Lucas grinned, "Look you guys can have make-up sex later. Aimes this is important."
Her face burned, "Stay out of this Luke."
Aleks laughed, "I can't do this right now. This is important."
"And I'm not?"
He shrugged, "Aimee you don’t love me."
Lucas stood up holding his hands in the air, "Okay this is awkward. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to go."
Lydia frowned, "You two again?" She stood and left as well.
Aimee folded her arms leaning on the doorframe.
He stood and walked to her. His gaze was filled with pain, she remembered the look from the many other times she chose Shane over him.
"Aimee I refuse to believe you've suddenly come to your senses and have seen that a life with a human is a terrible idea. I know you don’t love me."
She stammered, "I-I-I do, somewhere inside of me I know you're the right choice."
He laughed, "Convincing. Anyway lets do this and I promise we will talk. I just need to fix this."
He rubbed her arm like her father would have and walked out of the room to the kitchen.
She growled, "Fine."
She put her hands out for the three of them to touch her and winked them to the spot in the picture Aleks held up in front of her face.
They were in the outskirts of a large town. They stood beside a sigh saying 'Welcome to Hobbs, It All Happens Here' on a highway. Tumbleweed rolled across the highway they stood beside making Lydia giggle quietly.
The dry heat was the first thing Aimee noticed.
"Oh my god it's so warm here." Lucas frowned.
She laughed, "Wolf heat and desert heat not friends?"
He shook his head, "Nope lets get what we came for and get home."
"Where are we?" She asked.
Aleks smiled, "Hobbs."
"The soul stealer is here?"
He shook his head, "I don’t think so. We need to get moving. Lucas can you smell anyone?"
Lucas frowned, "I need something to smell Aleks. I need a reference point. I'm not a hound."
Aimee laughed.
"Jal." Lydia spoke softly.
Aimee looked confused, "What?"
"It's in Jal."
"How do you know that?"
She smiled, "I'm psychic."
Aleks laughed and started to walk.
"Where you going?"
He turned shrugging at Aimee, "To rent a car."
"I can wink us there. Why a car?"
"Aimee you have no idea where we're going firstly and secondly what if it’s a trap? We need somewhere to be discrete. Winking downtown isn’t discreet."
They walked until they saw an airport. Lydia went inside of the Enterprise and rented the car.
Aimee watched Aleks wondering if he had his cloak up. She smiled remembering the nights in her room.
He looked at her frowning, "Stop it."
She shrugged smirking, "What?"
He rolled his white blue eyes, "You know very well what."
She blushed.
Lucas groaned, "Why me?"
Aimee laughed.
Lydia came out with the keys to a suburban truck, which seemed an odd choice but it was difficult squeezing Aleks and Lucas into regular cars.
"We just go into town and take the highway exit to the right. It's a short drive apparently. Just under an hour."
Lucas climbed into the drivers seat and Lydia got shotgun. Aimee smirked as she climbed in next to Aleks.
He sighed, "You're killing me Aimee."
She watched him breath, look out the window, sigh, glare at her, all of which was done in a sexy manner.
He rolled his eyes at her.
She smiled.
Lydia turned around and grimaced, "Stop bugging him Aimee. His sighs are getting annoying."
Lucas looked at her in the rearview and smirked. She stuck her tongue out at him.
When they turned back around she leaned in and kissed Aleks on the cheek, "Give me a chance."
He turned examining her closely, "No."
She frowned, "Why?"
He kissed her lips softly brushing his against hers, "You love Shane that’s why."
She shook her head, "It doesn’t matter. He's going to age, he's going to want kids, he's going to want to buy a house and a car and I barely exist. I could get caught up in it all and kill him at any moment."
He whispered, "I won't play second fiddle Aimee. I'm too old for that."
She nodded feeling a slight bit of heartache.
Chapter Twenty-Seven- Home is Where The Heart Is, If You Can Find It
Ari
She felt relieved as her memories shifted to include Missy dumping David when he got caught making out with another girl. She remembered hearing Missy was gone to Yale, she'd left that fall. Ari knew everything had worked out. She'd gotten control of her hands and hunger before she attacked her uncle. She walked into the diner and smiled at Lorna taking two plates of food to the table at the window.
"Grab plates Ari Jesus." She looked at her uncle frowning at her through the window. She smiled at him and nodded.
She grabbed the plates, "So I'm thinking I might go to college after all."
Her uncle smiled at her, "Really? That’s fantastic news. Where?"
She shrugged knowing it didn’t matter what she told him only that she stayed as far away from him as she could. A safe distance was what she needed.
"Well admission for January starts now Ari."
She smirked, "I've applied already."
He clapped his hands together, "Hot d
amn, you got in?"
She nodded.
"Congrats kid." His face full of pride and happiness made everything she'd been through worth it all. He was safe, home and happy again.
Just as she felt her world turning out for the best and her plans actually working out for a change the door opened to the diner. Hot air shot in letting all the bought air out.
Ari glanced up seeing a face she suddenly recognized from the crowd of people who had rushed in at the last second when Mitch has freed her.
A tall thin man with dark hair and sunglasses entered with a few other men dressed similarly behind him. They wore dark clothes, too many clothes for the desert. People in the diner stared at them suspiciously. No one in a small town in New Mexico liked strangers, outsiders. Not since Area 51.
They did look like government workers to Ari but she knew better. Dark jeans and dress pants in the desert even if it was October meant one thing, immortals. They couldn’t feel the temperature the way humans could.
Lorna walked up smiling her country girl smile, "Hey all, table for five?"
The thin man removed his sunglasses and smiled softly, "Just here to speak to the young lady actually."
Ari heard it and walked over trying to smile and reassure Lorna to keep her as far removed as possible.
"Hi there you must be from the college I applied to."
The thin man smiled, "Yes exactly. We came for your interview for the scholarships."
She smiled brightly desperate to fight the urge to take all of them out at once. Her stomach screamed in fear.
She looked back at her uncle, "I have to interview."
He nodded, "Lorna you good?"
She nodded, "Sure sugar."
Ari walked out into the hot desert air with the men acting like she was clueless about what they wanted. She wondered if any one of them were able to recall what had happened.
"So that was quite the act there Miss Pastern. We were a little worried we would have to try something different with your relatives and friends."
Her insides twisted nervously. They remembered everything even though she had changed the past.
She walked with them to a bench out on the grass to the side of the diner.
"We would like you to come with us, no fighting. No one will get hurt if you cooperate."
She nodded, "Okay." She didn’t care what they did to her, nothing would hurt as much as everything she'd already done.
"I need to tell them I got in with late admissions and I got a full scholarship and have to leave immediately. Otherwise they will look for me."
He tilted his head reading her. His dark blue eyes examining her every movement. He nodded, "Okay. Meet us here tonight and they get left alone. Otherwise we kill them all." He let his fangs drop.
"It has to be the bus depot. My uncle will suspect something otherwise."
He nodded still smiling showing off his teeth.
She shivered seeing the stark white daggers inside his wicked smile.
She turned and walked back into the diner. She knew she had put everyone's life back to normal in Jal and one day she would visit Portland and fix the things that had been changed again. She knew no doubt the orphanage would be back to how it was when she got there as a baby. She had to go with them even it meant pretending to join the dark side. She smiled thinking about Mitch, she could save him too.
Her uncle smiled as she got inside, "So?"
She acted excited, "Yeah I got accepted with late admission and a full scholarship. I have to be there tomorrow though."
Her uncle frowned, "Late admission?"
She tried not to be too obvious, she was a terrible liar, "Yeah. The kids that drop out open up spots. They’ll let me in and help me for a week with catch up."
Lorna hugged her, "Congratulations honey. You'll be the first in my family to get a degree."
Ari laughed wanting to cry.
Her uncle still didn’t look convinced, "So you leave tonight?"
She nodded, "On the bus."
He frowned, "I think I should drive you Ari. I can help you get settled in."
She wanted to protest but she knew him too well, she rolled her eyes and sighed, "Vince dude be cooler than that."
He smirked at her, "Fine but I want daily phone calls, weekly video chats and report cards."
She nodded, "Deal." She hugged him, she still felt the hesitation in him. He would be trouble if she weren't careful.
She packed her bags leaving nothing behind that could link her to him. She wanted him as safe as possible. Her stomach ached pretending to be excited to go with them.
She went down to the diner to do the dinner shift. As she tied on her apron and rolled her shoulders back getting into her zone she noticed a face she would have recognized from a mile in a sand storm.
He stood up from his chair wiping his face on his paper napkin. He brushed a hand through his dark hair and smiled as the woman next to him spoke. He was wearing washed jeans with small rips and a green t-shirt. She could only imagine how it matched his green eyes, making them stand out against his dark hair. His smile made small creases around his mouth like dimples. He walked toward her, she knew he was going to the bathroom but she wanted to pretend for a moment he knew her still. She knew he didn’t. It was impossible.
The woman who he'd walked away from turned her head and smiled directly at Ari. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw Lydia. She wanted to run to them but she didn’t want her uncle to catch on. Lydia read all of her thoughts and winked at her.
Ari gave a subtle nod knowing Lydia saw everything.
Lucas walked past her frowning as he saw her face. He stopped and smiled looking nervous. She smiled back but he shook his head and walked to the back where the bathroom was. Her heart was skipping beats as she turned letting her gaze follow him. It hurt he didn’t know her but more that the path to righting things had been so hard. In a small way she was glad she hadn’t dragged anyone with her, yet. She knew Lydia knew who and what she was which would change everything again.
She picked up the coffee pot and walked slowly to the table Lydia sat at. As she got past the other patrons she noticed Aimee. Her heart fluttered.
Aimee ignored her staring out the window.
"So you all want a drink or some coffee?" Ari asked nervously.
Lydia looked up and smiled, "Aimee this is Ari. Ari you know Aimee. I'd love a coffee dear."
Aimee looked up at Ari and smiled, "Hi. How do you know me?"
Ari gulped, "It’s a really long story."
Lydia touched Ari's hand, "Honey we need to get you out of here before they come for you."
Ari nodded, "I know but they will kill my family and friends if I don’t go with them."
Aimee looked back and forth confused, "What is going on Lydia?"
"This is the soul stealer we came for, Ari is a Rose. Well she was a Rose until she erased her own past and changed all of ours. How many times now Ari?"
Ari felt her face heating up, "Uhm three times now I believe. I'm so sorry."
Lydia smiled, "No need honey. We're just glad we found you. The Déjà vu's been driving us all crazy."
Ari nodded, "I know that feeling."
She felt a warm body behind her as Aleksander walked up and sat next to Aimee. He looked at Ari, "I'll have some water please."
She nodded, "Aims Iced Tea?"
Aimee smirked, "This is creepy."
Ari walked back to her uncle and put in orders for them without them even ordering and got drinks for everyone, including Lucas who she still hadn’t officially met.
She watched him walk back to the table and brought their drinks over.
Aleks beamed, "So it's you?"
She smiled, "I'm so sorry if it's been hard on you all. It's entirely my fault. Your meals will be ready in a minute."
She placed the drinks down.
Lucas frowned and picked up his root beer.
She walked away from the table frightened and unsure about wha
t to do. She wanted to go with them but if she ran her uncle and Lorna and her friends from school were as good as dead.
She served her other tables and when their food was up she brought it to them.
"So what's the plan?" Lydia asked her softly.
Ari shrugged, "Not sure. I know they want me for whatever reason. They captured me before. They made me do terrible things." Her voice broke mid sentence. She tried to keep it together. Lydia touched her soothing her.
"Ari we could work as a team, you're trained?"
She smiled, "Yeah been to Roses twice so far."
Aimee laughed, "Good god. This is bizarre. So we were friends then?"
Ari bit her lip and nodded, "Best."
Aimee smiled back.
Aleks laughed, "What about us?" He raised an eyebrow giving her a seductive look. She felt her skin flush as she shook her head, "Just friends. We were all friends."
Aimee gave him a dirty look and rolled her eyes at him. He laughed and nudged her.
"Well you were friends with everyone except Lucas."
Ari's eyes bugged out of her head.
Lucas looked up at her frowning, "We weren’t friends?"
Lydia laughed, "You were more than that Lucas."
Ari laughed nervously.
Aimee looked shocked, "Lydia awkward much?"
Lucas didn’t smile or laugh, his stare intensified instead "Is this how you've brought us exactly what we would have ordered?"
She nodded, "I know you all better than I know myself." She turned and walked away from the table again and served her other tables. She didn’t want her uncle to see her.
"That boy is sure checking you out and he's a looker." Lorna whispered to her at the dish sink.
Ari flushed, "Yeah he is hot."
Lorna nudged her, "You don’t want him I'll be happy to go back in time fifteen years and help you out."
Ari laughed, "Dirty cougar."
"Rawrrrr."
She cleared the tables avoiding their table until she had to go over.
"So how was everything?"
Aimee rubbed her belly, "Best veggie burger ever."
Lucas laughed, "It smelled like death in a bun. My steak sandwich was perfect."
She smiled at Aleksander, "Was it alright?"
He nodded, "It was very good."
Lydia grabbed her hand, "Enough small talk Ari, we need to make a plan. We need to stay and fight and save your family and friends."
