by Dean Murray
Chapter 29
The dress hadn't entirely been real inside my mind. Even after Rachel finally admitted she'd purchased the dress from our Vegas trip, and had it sent here, it'd been hard to believe I was really going to be wearing it at the dance. It was hard to still be disbelieving when it was hanging from the door just a few feet from me, but I was giving the effort my best shot. Its green, silky beauty seemed to be mocking me. There was no way I was going to be able to pull off a dress like that. Even assuming it didn't fall off of me, I was still going to look like a walrus.
"Stop fidgeting, Adri. It's just a dance, not a funeral, and if you don't hold still your makeup isn't going to turn out right."
Rachel poked me in the ribs, and then went back to work on the last few details of my 'new and improved' look. I'd actually been trying to sneak a look in the mirror to find out how everything was shaping up, but it wasn't worth trying to explain. With the pall that'd descended over the pack once we'd made it back, it was almost certain she wouldn't believe me. Nobody even knew where we'd gone, but they'd keyed off of our mood faster than I would've believed possible. The results hadn't been good.
Jasmin stepped back around behind Dominic as I was watching, and for the first time I got a good idea of how the massively piled style Jasmin had been working on for the last half hour was going to turn out.
Dominic frowned at my gasp. "Oh no, I really look that horrid?"
"No, you're gorgeous. All of you are amazingly gorgeous. I suddenly feel uglier than normal."
I wasn't sure my reassurance had been prompt enough, but Jasmin jumped in with a self-satisfied smile. "She's right, about how beautiful you look, Dom, if not about how pretty she is. James is going to pant when he sees you."
Rachel had started prepping for the dance early, doing first her own makeup, and then Jasmin's while I was still gone with Alec. By the time I'd returned, Rachel's youthful features had taken on a mature cast that'd make all kinds of boys wish they'd taken a risk and asked Alec's little sister out.
Jasmin had about the least reason out of any girl alive to be an expert hair dresser since her naturally wavy hair could just air dry and still look like she'd spent hours working on it, but an expert she was. The results of her efforts on Rachel's behalf were nothing less than spectacular, and the casual-looking knot of curls and twists was wispy in all the right places.
Even with Rachel currently an order of magnitude hotter than normal, Jasmin still captured the prize. Rachel's work on her behalf had resulted in a makeup job that was so incredibly understated, even us girls had a hard time detecting it. Her wavy brunette hair had been straightened and pulled back in what looked like an attempt to let some other girls shine for a change, but it just made her look like a goddess who'd decided to spend the night slumming.
Given who she'd spent the last hour being surrounded by, it was no wonder Dominic was worried she was the ugly step sister. She needn't have worried. Her features were even more exotic than Jasmin's, and Rachel had chosen bright colors that made her stand out much more than usual. James' macho cool really was going to finally crack tonight.
Maybe I could pull the dress off after all. Everyone would be so busy looking at the other three girls that they wouldn't even notice me. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing.
A quiet knock brought us all around to find Jessica waiting at the door, her makeup and hair partway done, a dress bag slung over her arm.
"Can I join you guys?"
Her voice was scratchy, and her eyes were red from crying, but she was putting on a brave face, and Rachel didn't even hesitate.
"Of course, Jess. We figured you wanted some privacy with Isaac, or we would've dragged you over here hours ago."
The rest of us were quick to pipe in, but at least on my side, the sentiment was a little half-hearted. Unlike Jasmin, Jessica never had come around, never made her peace with the fact that because of me things were going to go downhill in a hurry after tonight. I'd tried to get both Rachel and Dominic to explain why she hated me so much, but neither would give me a real explanation. Rachel would always just get mad and say there was no excuse for how Jess was acting. Dominic always refused to say anything other than that Jessica had been through her own set of struggles, and had her reasons for her behavior.
"I'll be done with Dom in just a moment, Jess, then I'll fix your hair while Rachel finishes up with Adri."
The nickname should have hurt, but somehow it wasn't as bad when the pack used it. It was almost like having a new family, one without all of the grief-poisoned memories that popped up every time I really thought about Dad or Cindi.
Faster than I would've believed possible, we were all in our dresses, and waiting in the living room for the boys to make their appearance. Jasmin and Rachel had worked what I was pretty sure was actual magic. Even Jessica was nothing less than stunning, and I didn't look as bad as normal.
Jasmin's backless black dress and shoulder-length gloves had streaks of blue that brought out her eyes, while Dominic's tight, red gown seemed to give her the confidence and poise you'd expect from someone so gorgeous and utterly exotic.
Jess had opted for a sleeveless silver number that flared out at the bottom so much I wasn't sure how Isaac would be able to walk next to her without stepping on the shimmery material. Rachel's mauve dress was probably the most conservative of all, neither over-snug, nor especially low-cut. It had seemed entirely out of character considering what she'd purchased for the rest of us, but when I'd asked, she'd just grimaced and said Alec would've made her stay home if she'd chosen anything more daring.
None of which helped me feel any more comfortable in the tight, strapless wonder Rachel had been so excited to give me. Even with all of the weight I'd lost since the accident, it still felt like the material was fighting a losing battle to stretch itself over my frame.
I'd been hoping to be able to put off actually putting the dress on for at least another half hour, but when my makeup had finally been pronounced satisfactory, Jasmin had studied me for a few minutes, pulled my hair back, secured it with a pair of silver combs I was worried might actually contain genuine diamonds, and then helped Rachel cram me into the dress.
If Jessica hadn't grudgingly complimented me on just how good my hair looked, I might have suspected Jasmin was trying to purposefully make me look worse than the other girls. Dominic and Rachel had to tell me I looked good, that was an unwritten girl-rule regardless of what species you were. Jessica had no such imperative, so I was forced to conclude Jasmin had done the best she could considering what she had to work with, and resigned myself to being the homely one in the group.
Still, seeing all of the other girls in one place, fully decked out in the kind of shoes I'd always wanted to wear, but never been able to pull off, was even more intimidating. I was once again psyching myself up to be seen in public, when Donovan limped into the room and cleared his throat.
"The gentlemen have at long last arrived."
Isaac was the first one through the door, looking particularly 007 in a tux that amazingly enough had the occasional silver thread that matched perfectly with Jessica's dress. I looked up from his outfit just in time to see a flash of concern melt away into relief.
I had just a moment to wonder at the novelty of Isaac showing that much emotion all at one time, and then James stalked through the door in a tux that was so cutting edge, that I wasn't sure if there was anything else like it anywhere in the States. The shimmery nature of the fabric combined with an unusually angular, sharp cut to make it different than anything else I'd ever seen. I worked my way up from the blindingly-polished black shoes, to the splash of deep red peeking out of his chest pocket, and somewhere along the way decided I loved the tux.
As amazing as James' and Isaac's tuxes were, I was already looking past them, craning my neck to see down the hall in a vain effort to catch a glimpse of Alec. There was no reason for my heart to be pounding away so furiously in my chest, but unlikely or not, my
body at least seemed convinced he was going to change his mind and leave me standing here by myself.
Rachel looked up from her conversation with Jasmin just long enough to give me a reassuring smile, and then I heard the barest whisper of sound. I spun around with a speed that gave lie to all of my pathetic attempts to pretend like I hadn't been worried.
Alec was standing in the doorway, having crossed the distance down the hall faster than I would've believed possible, appearing almost as if by sorcery.
His shoes were every bit as shiny as James', leading up to slacks that could've been mistaken for shiny, but were actually something else, something with more depth than anything I'd seen before. The coat was made out of the same material, tailored tightly enough it managed to emphasize rather than conceal his massive shoulders and chest.
His pocket square matched his bow-tie, both of which were the exact shade of green used on my dress. It wasn't a masculine color by almost any standard, but he made it his, and there wasn't anything about him that could be described as anything other than manly.
Having stalled as long as I could, I finally looked up past his perfect lips and met his twinkling eyes. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he walked towards me, and it wasn't until he stopped and held out his hand that I realized it hadn't been empty this whole time.
"Rachel said you needed some shoes."
While I was still struggling to get thoughts to coalesce into words, Alec smoothly went down onto one knee, and picked up my left foot. The work of art he slipped onto my foot was so beautiful I felt bad letting it touch the ground. I held it up for a second, admiring the way the lights played off its gentle curves while I convinced myself nobody was going to throw me into jail for defiling it by using it for its intended function.
Glass, or possibly something else perfectly transparent. It was hard to tell for sure what it was from so far away, but it wasn't plastic. The cool ovals where the sole had been cut away to reveal the material underneath told me that much. Whatever it was, it'd been created in layers. The outermost material was achingly clear, while the inner layers seemed increasingly less so.
Alec waited, another smile playing about his lips, while I came to terms with the shoes. He then deftly slipped the other shoe onto my right foot, and steadied me as I tried to adjust to suddenly being almost six inches taller.
"They're perfect. Thank you."
Rachel ducked around her brother so she could see the shoes and then smiled before leaning in to whisper.
"Mom wore those to the Ashure Day Dance, the one where she fell in love with Dad."
I pulled back in protest, but Alec's grasp on my hand tightened just enough to stop me.
"She wanted you to wear them. They were meant to be worn again tonight."
My head was still spinning as Alec offered me his arm and led me out of the room. There was a limo, easily the largest vehicle I'd ever seen, waiting for us outside. We piled into it with plenty of room to spare. The bar was fully stocked, but Alec shook his head at Rachel when she made as if to reach for a drink. Nobody else seemed even the slightest bit interested in the prospect of alcohol.
Rachel sat back with a pout and then turned and whispered in my ear. "Stupid shape shifters. None of them can get drunk, so they deprive the rest of us of the best parts of being young and stupid."
Once we arrived at the park, I did my best to pretend obliviousness to all of the gasps and stares as we trickled out of the limo. It was a good thing Alec had such a steady arm, it was all I could do not to stumble as I took in the transformation that'd taken place. Our group glided up to the covered pavilion, surrounded in a pocket of silence as the rest of the crowd turned to see who'd just arrived. Alec produced tickets for all of us from a pocket somewhere while I was still taking in the sheer number of lights that'd been assembled for the occasion.
The decorations inside the pavilion were amazing. Swathes of silk gave the open-air building an ethereal feel, while candles and other light sources created a soft illumination. I didn't have to possess preternatural hearing to catch whispers about the city having received a very large, very anonymous donation just a few days before. The committee had obviously chosen to spend it on decorations.
My newfound height put me closer to Alec's ear. I only had to tug on his arm a little bit to get him down to where I could whisper to him.
"That was you, wasn't it?"
"What if it was?"
"It's too much. I mean it's really nice, incredibly gorgeous in fact, but it must have cost you a fortune."
Alec shrugged. "A paltry sum if it helps ensure a perfect night for you."
"You've done so much. I mean the dress, the shoes, and now this. Thank you, but you really shouldn't have."
His smile was back, and for some reason it nearly pulled tears out of me. "I'm glad you like it. The fact that everyone else gets to participate is nice, but really it's all for you. Of course I did make a couple of stipulations."
The music started up before I could ask what he meant. Almost before I realized what was going on, I found myself twirling through some kind of modified waltz. For the first time in my life, I was glad Dad had drilled me for all of those weeks when I'd turned twelve. My first dance had still been complete and utter misery, but at least I managed not to trip over my own feet as Alec led me around the room in time to archaic music.
The rest of the pack fell into formation around us, all dancing much more proficiently than me. James and Dominic led the way, with Jasmin and Rachel dancing off to our left. Amazingly enough, Isaac and Jessica were far and away the best; he was leading her through steps that were at least twice as hard as anything we were trying.
For maybe the first time I'd ever seen, Jessica was happy. She seemed completely in her element, utterly oblivious to the number of people watching her every move, and I felt just a little of my resentment dissolve.
"You're all such good dancers. How did that happen?"
Alec released my waist and spun me out and back in without missing a single step. I wished I could be so lucky, only the fact that his arm was like an iron bar allowed me to keep my misstep from resulting in a fall, or possibly a sprained ankle. "Donovan has very inflexible standards when it comes to some things. Dancing happens to be one of them. In fact, I don't think I'll ever forget the expression on Jasmin's face when he told her she could go clubbing all she wanted after he judged her suitably proficient in real dancing. He said he wouldn't have her 'seduced by throbbing beats and soulless contact' before he'd at least exposed her to proper dance steps."
I felt a giggle surge past my lips, and pressed them tight before I could completely embarrass myself. "That's amazing. My dad thought knowing how to dance would make my first dance easier. It turned out to be a complete waste of time. Nobody asked me to dance and his lessons wouldn't have helped even if they had. Still, now I wish I'd done a better job of learning."
Alec nodded, but there was a distracted air to the gesture. I waited while we made another quarter of a journey, him gracefully, me not quite so much, around the floor, before opening my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.
"I don't suppose either of us talk about our dads much. I'm not pushing, but if you ever need to talk about him, about what happened, I'll listen. I'll even try to suppress the natural male instinct to present advice or solutions."
I missed another step, but I wasn't fighting off a panic attack, I was just shocked that his words hadn't triggered one. Maybe it was just a function of the simple passage of time, but that didn't feel like the right answer. Wrapped inside his right arm as I was, the pleasant tingle surging through me wherever our skin touched, it seemed utterly impossible anything could ever have that kind of power to hurt me again.
I regained my footing, and it wasn't until Alec ceased moving that I realized the music had stopped. "Sorry, the stipulation was two decent songs, and then the DJ could play three of whatever he was in the mood for."
"It's okay, I actually need t
o sit down for a minute." The words came out as a reflex, designed to let boys gracefully bow out of having to keep dancing with me, but a slight tremor in my legs put some truth to the polite lie. I really was tired.
Even more surprising was the way that Alec held onto my hand as he led me over to a line of chairs. He was normally so careful not to prolong physical contact.
Rachel and Jasmin were waiting for us as we reached the chairs.
"Big brother, will you please take Jasmin out on the dance floor so she can get some practice following? I tried to lead last time and she kept tripping me."
Alec gave me a considering look, and then nodded as I faked a smile at him and gestured my assent. Rachel turned to me as I suppressed a stab of jealousy.
"I swear she's going to explode if Ben doesn't show up. Considering that dances are about the last place he'd ever go of his own free will, I think the odds are better than even that she'll leave little pieces of herself all over the park before the night is over."
The revelation was like being hit by a Volvo. Somehow I'd assumed that all of the things Brandon had told me were lies.
"Wait, she really does like Ben? I mean Brandon said she did, but I just assumed it was a lie like everything else he told me."
Rachel patted my hand. "Brandon's lies are so convincing precisely because he's so careful to mix a healthy serving of truth in there to go along with the false. She's liked Ben for almost as long as I can remember. I think it all started when they both ended up at the school nurse together with broken bones due to 'falling down the stairs.'"
I felt a shiver course through me at the thought of what Rachel was implying. Watching Jasmin twirl through moves that seemed to be a modification of East Coast Swing, it was hard to believe anyone so self-possessed could've had that kind of childhood.
I thought about asking for more details, but it felt wrong, like reading someone else's e-mail. Besides, I was pretty sure Rachel would tell me it was Jasmin's story, and I'd just have to go to her with my questions.
The music picked up slightly, and Jasmin and Alec sped up with it. They were moving so quickly now it almost seemed they were better than Isaac and Jessica. A quick visual search laid that question to rest though. I could just make out Isaac's towering form across the pavilion in the corner where they'd apparently gone to find room for some of their more impressive moves.
It seemed amazing to me that they were willing to move so quickly around normal, uninformed humans, but apparently they figured professional dancers were at least as quick. I shook my head and turned back to Rachel, only to feel my throat constrict as I saw Britney.
Not only was she wearing a tight, black dress that made her look at least twice as hot as me, she also happened to be draped across Brandon's arm. I was so caught up watching Britney that it took me several seconds to notice the differences in her date. Brandon had always exuded a sense of confidence, but sometime since I'd last seen him, it had morphed into something even more aggressive. He still cut through crowds, but people weren't moving out of his way out of deference anymore. Instead they were dodging away to avoid being run over.
I felt the fine hair on the back of my neck stand on end, but was distracted by Alec's return before I could figure out what else had changed about Brandon. Jasmin pulled Rachel to her feet, and gently pushed her towards Alec before casually taking a seat next to me.
It was a careful act. I'd spent way too much time with the pack to believe any of them had failed to notice Brandon's entrance. My gaze wandered back to where Vincent and Cassie were arrogantly walking through the door. Where Brandon had chosen a fairly traditional black tux, Vincent had selected a silvery masterpiece that probably cost only half as much as the former's outfit, but which practically screamed for attention.
Cassie trailed along half a step behind Vincent, in a gray evening gown that was equal parts material and skin. Backless and strapless, combined with some fairly daring cutouts. She could probably have made a run for royalty if she hadn't topped the dress off with a scowl. She didn't look happy to be on Vincent's arm instead of pressed up against Brandon.
Jasmin elbowed me in the ribs, distracting me before I could start in on whomever it was that happened to be following along behind Cassie.
"Just ignore them. Even Brandon won't try anything with this many witnesses around. It's just more dominance games."
I nodded. It made sense, but it was all I could do to keep my eyes grounded despite the cold prickles running up and down my spine. Actual conversation was just too much, so I sat quietly with my head slightly bowed while the song ran its course.
Alec's fingers gently pulled my chin up as the music ended.
"Dance with me?"
I mustered a brave smile as I nodded and let him lead me out onto the dance floor. It was a slow song this time, and Alec didn't protest when I abandoned all pretense of actual dancing, and just leaned into him hungrily. The reassurance I was seeking was weaker than normal. The solid feel of his body was just as permanent as always, but there was no tingle where our skin touched.
Almost as though sensing my thoughts, Alec hugged me tightly and buried his chin in my hair. "I know you don't want to hear this, but it isn't too late for you to change your mind. Even now, it'd be a relatively simple thing to have you halfway across the country by the time the challenge actually occurs."
The thought of what was coming filled me with dread, but I shook my head. As scary as all of this was, I knew flying away and never knowing what'd happened would be worse. Alec was probably going to die, and all of the rest of us with him, but if he didn't, if the pack somehow managed to survive the coming crisis, I wanted to be there.
Alec was more than capable of sending me away and then never letting me know he'd survived. There was a constant war inside him over what to do with me and I couldn't afford to give up my one advantage. He seemed less able to contemplate cutting me out of his life when I was around. I planned on playing that card for all it was worth. I was staying and that was it.
Alec sighed, presumably in resignation, and then suddenly my legs were thrown up in front of me as he picked me up with inhuman speed. Only the steady pressure of Alec's arm around my waist kept me from screaming, and then I was back on my feet, and being carefully, but firmly shoved through a tangled knot of bodies.
My shoes had never been intended to allow ankles to withstand that kind of punishment. Even just walking had been risky, so it wasn't a surprise when my right foot slipped, and a sharp knife of pain shot through that ankle as it collapsed under me.
Dealing with blinding agony hadn't ever been my strong point. I opened my mouth to scream, only to find that no sound would come out. The world was still spinning, but I was oriented just enough to realize that Dominic had her hand over my mouth and nose.
I pulled at her arm, but the effort was completely futile. Rising panic over not being able to breathe made me hammer at the iron bar pressing me against her, but she never looked away from whatever had captured her concentration.
Rachel suddenly appeared off to my right, and she put her finger to her lips, and then sank all ten fingernails into Dominic's arm. The sudden absence of the support I'd been unconsciously using to keep weight off of my right foot resulted in tear-jerking pain as the damaged appendage touched down, but I gritted my teeth and managed to keep it down to a hiss.
Rachel draped my arm over her shoulders, and then dragged me forward a couple of awkward, hopping steps. A couple of heartbeats passed before I realized the pool of shadow before us was Jessica. She had her eyes closed and was rocking back and forth as Rachel carefully pulled her to us.
I mirrored Rachel's actions, wrapping my free arm around Jess as I whipped my head back and forth in an effort to figure out what was going on. We were pressed up against one corner of the pavilion, with what I assumed was the rest of the pack between us and everyone else.
For a moment the wall of bodies precluded figuring out what was going on, but then Isaac shi
fted slightly to the left, and I saw Brandon and Vincent through the gap. The pools of black where Vincent's eyes should have been finally made me aware of the prickle of energy arcing back and forth between the two rival groups.
I couldn't imagine what it must feel like where Alec or Brandon were standing. Even just the fringe of power dancing over my arms and shoulders was enough to make me profoundly grateful I wasn't any closer to the epicenter.
Vincent's sadistic smile sent shivers down my spine, but it was nothing compared to Brandon's expression. I'd known for a couple of weeks now that what the outside world saw was nothing more than a mask, but I hadn't realized just what was under the facade.
Now I knew. It was like he'd spent the last few days peeling back some of the layers that'd hidden him, and the sheer inhumanity waiting underneath completely distracted me from the throbbing in my ankle.
He held Britney before him, ostensibly caressing her, but in reality using her as a shield, his dark eyes daring Alec to attack.
Britney was apparently unable to sense the crackling power surrounding her. She looked completely unconcerned, ecstatic even to be where she was, clasped in Brandon's left arm.
Brandon's lips drew back, but it wasn't in a smile, it was the human equivalent to showing his hackles.
"Break it up! You kids back off!"
The words seemed to float in from far away. They certainly didn't have an effect on any of the shape shifters. Vincent was moving too slowly for my human eyes to detect any change, but I was sure he was closer now than the last time I'd looked.
The feeling of insects marching across my skin intensified as James started shaking. Jasmin and Dominic both followed suit within seconds, and the feeling doubled as several of Brandon's wolves went into near convulsions.
"I said break it up!"
Mr. Paterson shoved his way past a pair of Brandon's wolves, and for a split second I thought they were going to turn and kill him. A heartbeat before they moved a low, barely perceptible growl washed over the entire scene.
I realized that the sound was coming from Alec, spreading out from him in ripples of calm. As the noise touched the shaking wolves in either pack, they calmed down, saving Mr. Paterson from injury he'd never even seen coming.
"This ends now. I don't care who started what, you guys are done dancing. Alec, you and your friends leave now. Brandon, you guys are out of here in the exact opposite direction and I mean now."
For several seconds nobody moved.
"I'm not talking because I like the sound of my own voice, people. If you leave now, I'll forget this ever happened. If someone doesn't start moving in the next three seconds, I'll see the whole lot of you expelled and brought up on charges."
Mr. Paterson was still too new to know what he was dealing with. For a moment it looked like Brandon was going to let Vincent knock the teacher into a wall, but then he gestured Vincent back. Brandon's pack relaxed slightly, and then, presumably acting on a signal from Alec that I couldn't see, Dominic and Jasmin fell back to help Jess and I.
Even with Dominic under my right arm, I couldn't hop along without jostling my ankle, and I felt tears gathering in the corners of my eyes again. Alec carefully lifted me into his arms before I took more than two or three hops.
Jasmin had her cell phone out before she'd even made it to the stairs, and the sound of a massive engine under hard acceleration heralded the arrival of our limo.
I leaned back in my seat as everyone else settled into their spots. Alec pulled out his pocket square and used it to dab away my tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to set you down so hard."
Jasmin interrupted before I could say anything. "Any slower and you'd have been cut off from the rest of us by those mutts."
My confusion must have been obvious. Dominic looked up from Jess. "Vincent and Cassie cut Jess and Isaac off from the rest of us."
Rachel leaned in so she could whisper. "Jess is terrified of what Vincent and Brandon will do to her if they get a chance. She collapsed, and then everyone stormed the area."
The limo hit a particularly nasty bump, and a wave of pain drove questions about what exactly Brandon had threatened out of my mind. I'd never noticed how bad the roads between school and Alec's house were. Each jostle sent waves of agony up my leg, and Jess's quiet sobs kept time to my suppressed gasps.
It was one of the worst half hours of my life, and by the time we made it to Alec's house, I felt like I'd been wrung out. Alec yelled for Donovan and the first-aid kit as he carried me inside, and set me down in the living room.
Donovan appeared a few seconds later, and edged Alec out of the way. He stripped off my shoe and then his prodding fingers brought another couple hisses out of me as he checked for a break. Apparently satisfied with whatever he'd found, he pulled out a syringe and filled it from a little vial while Alec gently scrubbed my ankle down with an alcohol pad.
"Fortuitously, it's not broken, but I'm afraid it's one of the uglier sprains I've seen. I can take care of the pain though."
There was a reason I'd never had the slightest inclination to give blood, but fear of needles or not, I couldn't bring myself to protest, so I just shut my eyes and gripped Alec's hand as Donovan stuck the needle in several different locations.
The blessed numbness quickly spread out to encompass my entire foot. Working with a sure quickness any surgeon would have envied, Donovan wrapped my ankle and then examined his handiwork with a nod of approval.
"That should take care of the pain and immobilize it so it can begin healing, but it is vitally important that you don't put any weight on it, Mistress Paige."
Alec gripped Donovan's shoulder in thanks, and then nodded as Donovan excused himself to go see to Jess.
"We should go too. Poor Jess."
Alec shook his head. "They've already got her mostly settled down. James and Dom have already split off, and Jasmin and Rachel will leave next. She just needs some time. Time and Isaac."
Once again it boggled my mind that they could all live with so little privacy. Alec interrupted my thoughts.
"I'm sorry to have ruined your night. I wanted it to be perfect. I should have known that wasn't possible. Not with everything hanging over our heads."
It felt funny to smile. The gesture belonged with perfect times, not ones in which people other than me were having nervous breakdowns. Then again, a bad night with Alec still somehow managed to beat most other good nights.
"Everything was almost perfect. If there was anything less than ideal, it wasn't your fault."
"Still, I'd like to make it up to you."
He looked down at my ankle and then smiled with a hint of mischievousness. "I suppose dancing is out, but I think I've got something that'll do just about as well."
Alec carefully picked me up before I could respond. A few seconds later we were outside, traveling through the darkness with a breakneck speed that would've been suicidal with merely human vision.
I was completely lost by the time we came around a corner and my inferior eyes were finally able to see the first hints of light up ahead.
Alec slowed, to prolong the suspense as we got closer. Even so, it was only a few more steps before the grotto materialized out of the darkness before us.
I'd thought it'd been breathtaking two weeks ago bathed in the light of the full moon. I'd been amazed at its lush beauty the couple of times I'd snuck back during the daylight. Neither of those compared to what greeted me now.
Soft light came from dozens of floating lamps that'd been placed in the pool, all of which gave off an aching, white luminescence that seemed perfectly matched to the brilliant white of the rose petals scattered over the surface of the water.
It wasn't until we got closer that I could make out the purple edging to the petals.
"Lagrimas."
Alec's voice was husky. "Nothing else would be appropriate. Not for you, not tonight."
As we continued forward I was able to make out the other additions to the grotto. The hundred
s of petals had been joined by a dozen of their potted sisters. Their rich, heavenly scent filled the air from scores of perfect, tall buds, and I found myself leaning forward slightly in Alec's arms in an effort to capture more of its essence.
Alec circled the pool and then stopped before a wooden easel that'd escaped my notice. The subtle tinkling of the tiny waterfall behind us was suddenly joined by a slight, but definitely cooling breeze that dove down into the grotto before making its way back out using the path we'd just followed in.
It didn't seem fair for things to cool off now when it was so inconvenient after so many weeks of oppressive heat. I was still musing over the injustice of it all when Alec shifted me around so I was held in just one arm.
"There's something I'd like you to have. Something I hope will help you remember what you mean to me..."
He trailed off, and then seemingly at a loss for words, reached out and lifted the black velvet that'd been covering the painting. Another graceful gesture flipped on the set of soft lights surrounding its border.
As always with Alec's paintings, it took me a second before I could shift my perspective enough to translate the beautiful formations of light into something I could tie to the drab, dreary world I inhabited.
It was the same grotto where we now stood. The warm glow from the climbing ivory and roses formed a backdrop awash in the silvery light of a full moon. Just visible off to one side was the pool, alive with enough microscopic life to give it a pale glow of its own to compliment the off-center reflection of a hundred tiny lights.
A few seconds later I finally recognized that the subject of the piece was a female, reaching out towards the point of view with glowing hands.
"She's beautiful. It's how I always imagined an angel would appear."
Alec was silent for so long I finally tore my gaze from his masterpiece long enough to find that he was staring at me with surprise.
"It's you, Adri. Of course it's beautiful."
For a second I couldn't breathe. It seemed so utterly impossible. Maybe it could've been a painting of Cindi, but not one of me. I couldn't possibly be the gorgeous figure he'd brought to life on his canvas.
I opened my mouth to protest, and then the expression on her face finally registered for me. Compassion. Acceptance of the viewer, combined with an obvious desire to mend grievous hurts. It was exactly how I remembered feeling. My questing eyes finally found the last, missing piece. There was the gratitude. Misplaced on her perfect face. Wrong on the features of someone who couldn't possibly need help from a mere mortal, but still there.
"It's so beautiful. I don't know what to say. Are you sure you want to give it up?"
Alec looked back up at me, and his eyes were filled with incredible need. I was suddenly struck by the similarities to the me he'd painted, and what I saw written on his face.
It seemed impossible he would be unsure, that a glorious being like him could ever need anything I could provide, but I couldn't deny it was there.
There was no way of knowing what it was, but I didn't care. Whatever it was he needed I wanted to give him. I opened my mouth to say as much, but my vocal chords wouldn't cooperate.
I was still trying to verbalize my feelings, when his free hand came down to my chin and gently pulled it up. My heart stuttered and threatened to quit as his lips slowly came down to meet mine.
My only other experience had been so terrible that I nearly panicked, but before I could formulate a protest, or even decide if a protest was what I wanted, our flesh touched. The contact immediately drove every other thought from my mind.
His lips were the perfect combination of firm and soft, and the heart that'd been all but stopped a second before sped up to heart attack rates, slamming itself against my chest in an effort to get closer to him.
All of my senses were blending together. I couldn't tell if he smelled incredible, tasted like heaven, or if it was all just a side effect of the energy which had gone from tingling to crackling as soon as our faces touched.
My inhibitions, the ones that'd always kept me from acting on the occasional amorous impulse, evaporated sometime in the first half second, and I found myself with both arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him with all my strength.
Later I'd probably claim it was to steady myself against the wave of dizziness, but right now I knew it was because I wanted him more than anything I'd ever experienced.
Alec pulled me away, held me at arm's length while I gasped for air, and then once I calmed down a little, he smiled and pulled me in close again, just for a hug this time.
I tried to turn it into a kiss, but he deftly avoided my attempt, burying his face in my hair. "I'd like to, I truly would, but I don't think that would be fair to you. Even letting that happen was a mistake. I've never come so close to losing control."
He wasn't breathing hard, and normally a comment like that would've made me doubt his feelings for me, but what I'd just felt was too powerful to deny. I could still see traces of desire in his eyes; and for the first time since I'd met him, I was absolutely positive he wasn't ever going to leave me.
"I don't think it was a mistake. I want to kiss you again, but I'll behave."
"You like the painting then?"
I nodded, and then shivered. It's amazing how a near complete loss of physical control can burn through your energy reserves.
Alec frowned. "I'm sorry. I forget sometimes how much easier it is for you and Rachel to catch a chill. Let's get you inside where it's a bit more temperate."
It seemed like such a waste, leaving the grotto after all the work that'd been put into transforming it, but Alec waved away my protests. He easily cradled me in one arm, while carefully picking up my painting with his free hand.
A short time later, we were back inside the house and headed towards his room. Cuddled up against his chest with the familiar, warm tingle caressing my skin, my system apparently decided I was completely safe, and started shutting down. I was doing a fairly respectable job of hiding my drooping eyelids, but all my efforts were undone by the prodigious yawn that ambushed me as he set me down on the bed.
"I'm not tired, I promise."
His eyebrow arched in disbelief as I pulled him down onto the bed, and I found myself admitting the truth.
"Okay, I might be a little tired, but it isn't a big deal. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. After all, it isn't like I'm going to be able to really get much rest between now and whenever we need to leave for the challenge."
His wonderfully expressive face froze into the stony mask he wore so often with the rest of the world.
"You weren't planning on bringing me, were you?"
"It's not safe, Adri. I don't want to leave you anymore than you want to be left, but it's the only option."
"No, it isn't, just bring me along."
His fist clenched, knotting up the covers next to my head, but I was long past worrying he'd lose control of his beast and hurt me by accident.
"You heard Mallory. The odds are very good that I'm not coming back. If the worst happens, the rest of the pack may very well have to try and fight their way out of there. They won't be able to get you out, they'll be lucky to survive even fleeing unencumbered. I can't ask them to run that gauntlet carrying you the whole way."
I ran my finger along his cheek, mirroring the motion he'd done to me so many times. "Then don't ask them. You'll either win, in which case it doesn't matter whether I'm there or not, or else I don't care what happens."
Both fists were knotted now, and unless I was very much mistaken, there was just the barest hint of a shake there as well.
"Don't be ridiculous, Adri. You should know at least a little by now what they're capable of. I can't let you expose yourself to the kinds of things Vincent or Brandon would...it's out of the question."
Mom had always gone on and on about how nurturing I was. When she was less happy with me, she tended to focus more on just how stubborn I could be. It wasn't always obvious wha
t would set off a bout of 'stiff neck' as she referred to it, but the only people who'd ever successfully talked me into a 'reasonable, rational' response had been Dad and Cindi.
I could feel that same core of iron making its presence known right now. I wasn't going to be deprived of however much time I had left with him. I wasn't going to be losing this argument.
"Alec, I need to be there with you tonight. If you leave me here, I'll head out on my own and look for you."
The shake was definitely there, and getting more pronounced.
"I'll order Donovan to keep you here."
"You can try. He may even do it, but I don't think so. He's far too much the gentleman to keep a lady captive against her will. Even if he does, do you really think he can watch over me every second?"
With a sharp tearing sound, Alec's right hand elongated into the viciously clawed weapon of his hybrid form. It shredded the comforter and mattress just a few inches from my head. I gave him my best lop-sided smile and kissed his arm.
"You're not going to scare me off with cheap tricks. This is important."
His eyes were an intense blue, paler than normal. They were Alec's eyes, but they were also the eyes of his beast, and I suddenly realized the dominance stuff wasn't just a game. There was a feral part of Alec that didn't play well with others, that would kill or be killed in turn rather than have his will thwarted.
A complex collage of emotions flooded through my system as I tried to process what that meant, and whether or not I needed to be scared. As suddenly as it'd changed before, Alec's fist relaxed, shrinking back into its normal size and shape like melting snow.
"All right. You can come. I don't like it. Don't like knowing you're guaranteed not to survive my passing, but it's your choice."
I was too busy being amazed by how quickly he'd stopped shaking, how rapidly his eyes had gone back to normal to really wonder whether or not it was all just an elaborate ruse designed to lull me into a false sense of security so he could trap me here.
"Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but why the sudden change?"
Alec gave me a lopsided smile of his own. "My death is nearly certain, but there's always a chance I'll somehow survive. As unlikely as that is, I don't want to survive and then find I've poisoned you against me. I won't stop you."
I felt things I hadn't realized were knotted up relax inside me. When my voice finally came out it was smaller than normal.
"Thank you."
Alec shrugged and gave me another smile. "You must have driven your parents crazy with that refusal to back down."
"I suppose I might have frustrated them a time or two."
"And to think Rachel says I'm stubborn."
I started to smile, but stopped as he cocked his head to the side in what was unmistakably a listening posture.
"What's the matter? What do you hear?"
"Jasmin just left."
"What's wrong with that?"
"It's not safe for her to leave the estate. Brandon's pack could be waiting for her."
He started to move, but I held onto him.
"Alec, she'll probably be okay. I know it isn't the best idea but please don't stop her. Not tonight."
It was like I could see the thoughts dart around as he put pieces together, and I was suddenly torn between telling him in the hopes it would buy Jasmin her last night with Ben, and trying to keep her secret.
My heart raced until he finally relaxed and sank back down with me.
"Please don't let on that you know. I wasn't supposed to say anything. I just couldn't let you go after her."
The immediate crisis past, I could have lost myself looking at his features, but a slow smile suddenly reminded me of the only other person I knew that could pack so much pain in such a simple gesture.
"What about Rachel, Alec? Where is she?"
I hadn't thought his expression could become anymore bittersweet. I was wrong. "Rachel doesn't have anyone either, but she's still suffering from a deeper hurt. She's with my mother."
My confusion must have been more than usually self-evident as I sat up. "No, Mother isn't going through a good episode. She's asleep. Rachel crept into her room and crawled into bed with her. It's a poor substitute for what she aches for, but it's all Mother can offer right now."
"Alec, there must be something we can do."
He gently captured my hands, stilling their frantic motion and shook his head. "Not right now. Rachel cherishes her few remaining illusions. One of the most important is the pretense that nobody knows just how hard it is sometimes for her to be the only human in a house full of shape shifters."
I felt my lips trembling, and he freed one of his hands to brush it lightly across my mouth. "You've been a godsend for her, Adri. As badly as it hurts each time she sneaks away, it hasn't happened nearly as often since you got here. She's been improving ever since you moved into town, and the rate of change has increased over the last two weeks."
"I suppose we make quite the pair, her and I. Two shattered little dolls trying our best to make sure the pieces don't blow away and leave us with nothing. An imposition to everyone around us."
He hugged me to him as he shook his head. "Not an imposition. Never that."
It felt wrong to try and kiss Alec right now. I didn't want to make light of Rachel's hurt, or Jasmin's loneliness, but his presence was too great a temptation to pass up. My face started out in the hollow of his neck, drinking in the ambrosia of his scent, and then moved up towards his lips without conscious decision on my part.
Our lips met, and it felt like a warm, pleasant surge of electricity washed from my head down to the tips of my toes. My head started spinning almost instantly, only my hand on his chest, and his arms around my waist kept me from losing my balance completely. As it was, I still fell into him, overcome by weakness as my heart stopped beating altogether.
No more than a second or two of breathlessness could have possibly passed, but Alec pulled away, firmly holding me at arm's length.
"You need to get some sleep. Regardless of how the fight turns out, you'll need to be well-rested."
My best longing look didn't seem to be having any effect on him, so I finally nodded and relaxed back onto the bed.
"I guess I did promise to behave myself. I don't think I'll be able to sleep, but if you'll tell me another story I'll at least try..."
Apparently satisfied by my promise, Alec joined me on the bed and pulled me close. I was still chilled enough from being outside for the warmth of his arms to feel good.
"Adjam and Inock found that the dayborn had lost all knowledge of their loving mother, and that they reacted poorly to Inock's plague form. Neither brother was able to maintain their original forms for more than a few hours at a time, and although Adjam was able to blend in with the animals found in the area, there was nothing like Inock's feline body nearby, and he was chased and hunted by many of the dayborn, for they thought him a demon."
Alec's breath caressed the back of my neck even as his quiet, velvety baritone reached inside my head and smoothed away the tensions that'd been keeping me from seeking sleep. I knew there'd been a reason for being so scared, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about it now.
"The brothers watched the dayborn for many turnings, but although they learned many things, they found themselves unable to learn the dayborns' language. Even worse, the dayborn hunters were becoming ever more skilled at tracking Inock, and they began to press him sorely."
I felt as though I was drifting. The bed no longer mattered, or even seemed to exist. All that mattered was the story and the warm drowsiness that increased with each breath.
"Adjam saw his brother's frustration grow, but he never suspected just how strong it'd become until two hunters brought Inock to bay, and he turned on them. Inock killed the first hunter and would have done likewise to the second, but Adjam sprang upon his brother, knocking him away before the second man could be harmed."
Alec's fingers slowly caressed my st
omach as he spoke. It should have tickled, but instead it lulled me even further towards oblivion.
"And thereby the full effect of the Earth's curse was felt. Trapped as they were in their beast forms, neither brother could talk to the other, and the resulting confrontation quickly spun out of control. Hours later Adjam was left bleeding and broken as his brother disappeared into the night."
Alec's soothing voice continued on, but I'd lost the ability to listen. My mind floated off into visions of a battered wolf who dragged himself over to a brook before collapsing on the bank, streaked with mud. Just before the blackness carried me completely away, a willowy girl appeared from behind a thicket of trees and timidly approached the bleeding figure.
