Things I never asked to Feel

"You guys suck! Why are we watching this movie again?" Aurelia complains, pelting my head with a handful of popcorn.

"Hey, don't look at me! Vesper voted for this one too!" I argue back, flicking a stray piece of popcorn right back at her face.

For someone who puts on such a sassy, tough-girl front, Aurelia is a total scaredy-cat when it comes to horror films. Meanwhile, Vesper—who literally looks like a sweet, innocent Disney princess—is a low-key gorehound who can't get enough of demonic jump scares. I'm just caught in the crossfire between them.

It's Saturday evening, and we are currently piled on my bed watching the new *Conjuring* movie on N*****x. Aurelia is practically hiding behind a massive decorative pillow on her lap, peering out from behind it every few seconds.

Mom and Dad are still down at the art shop, and Genevieve is out grabbing dinner with her friends.

"Oh, come on, Aurelia, it's not even that scary," Vesper defends, scooping a huge spoon of Ben & Jerry's into her mouth.

An empty tub of Cherry Garcia is already sitting between us on the rug, and now we're making serious progress on a second one. Thank the Goddess for Lycan-level metabolisms.

Aurelia scowls and hurls another fistful of popcorn over our heads. Vesper giggles, picking up the nearly empty bowl and dumping the rest of it right over Aurelia's newly styled hair.

"You two are so helping me clean up my room before you leave tonight," I warn them through my laughter, grabbing a stray handful and tossing it back at both of them.

And then, without warning—it hits me.

A blinding spike of agony violently rips through my midsection, folding me completely in half.

"Liv, what's wrong?!" Vesper gasps in alarm as I gasp for air, my body twisting on the mattress.

"N-nothing," I choke out. *Oh no, no, no. Not in front of them.*

"Should I call your mom?!" Aurelia panics, dropping the pillow and scrambling over to the bed.

"NO! No—" I cry out, hands clutching at my abdomen as if trying to hold myself together. "Don't... don't call my mom..."

Tears instantly burst from my eyes, hot and stinging against my cheeks.

"What is happening to you?!" Aurelia begs, her voice shaking.

"I know what's happening," Vesper says, her voice suddenly dropping into a chillingly cold register. She reaches down and firmly takes hold of my hands, which are white-knuckling my own stomach. "That pathetic man-whore Bane is out doing the nasty with another random female."

Aurelia lets out a string of curses so foul it would make a sailor blush.

The sheer, burning agony of the phantom bond is sickening. My vision starts swimming, the room tilting on its axis as the pain reaches a crescendo. Black spots bloom in my eyes, and mercifully, the darkness swallows me whole.

When my eyes flicker open again, the room is quiet except for the hum of the TV.

Vesper and Aurelia haven't moved from my side. Vesper is still holding my hand in a tight grip, silent tears streaking her face. Aurelia is pacing the floorboards like a caged predator, her shoulders tense enough to snap.

"Hey..." I murmur, my voice raspy and drained. "You guys are still here."

Both of their heads snap in my direction. Aurelia looks ready to set the world on fire, while Vesper's eyes are swimming with a heavy mix of heartbreak, pity, and raw fury.

"How many times has this happened, Liv?" Vesper asks softly, her voice tight.

"I bet my life this isn't the first time," Aurelia growls, her dark eyes dropping to my midsection.

During my thrashing, my oversized tee had ridden up past my ribs, exposing my stomach. My skin is mottled with dark, angry black-and-blue bruises—the physical marks left behind from my own hands gripping my torso so violently while trying to weather the pain.

"It's... the fourth time," I admit quietly, deciding there's no point in hiding it anymore. They've already seen me broken on the floor.

Aurelia explodes into another barrage of curses, kicking my footstool across the rug.

"He certainly keeps himself busy, doesn't he?" Vesper remarks, her voice completely devoid of humor.

"It's not fair! He can't keep doing this to her!" Aurelia yells, her voice rising in pitch as she makes a sudden dash toward my bedroom door.

"Where do you think you're going, Aurelia?" Vesper asks, jumping up to intercept her.

"Where do you think?!" Aurelia snarls, her chocolate-brown eyes bleeding into a dark, feral shade as her wolf pushes straight to the surface. "I'm going to go rip his throat out and kick his pathetic ass to the moon!"

"No, you're not," Vesper states calmly, hauling her back into the room by her wrists.

"Oh, hell yes I am!" Aurelia thrashes against Vesper's surprisingly firm grip. "Let go of me!"

"We are not jumping into a dumb physical fight today. We're going to do something infinitely worse," Vesper declares smoothly.

That instantly makes Aurelia stop struggling. She blinks, turning to look at Vesper.

"He hurt one of ours, and we are way past pissed off," Vesper says, a small, terrifyingly sweet smile spreading across her face. "Girls, we aren't just getting mad. We're getting even." She pauses, her blue eyes flashing with pure menace. "It's time for Operation Payback."

Looking up at the two of them, a wave of warmth washes over the ache in my chest. What did I ever do to deserve friends like this?

"I love you guys," I whisper, reaching out and pulling both of my besties into a tight, fierce hug.