By the time I woke up, Austin had left. There was a note beside me saying he had to leave to attend to a few issues. I sighed and sat up, leaning my head back on the headboard. My body still tingled and I knew if I sat there to dwell on the tingles, I wouldn't do anything all day. O went through a quick shower and made it down just as Eve arrived.One look at her and I knew something was wrong. She looked a little aloof and wouldn't look in my eyes. She held her bag tight and stood by the door, while the Eve I knew would have made her way to my room or to me already."Eve. You are here." I said, walking slowly to her.She nodded, but didn't move from where she was, further strengthening my suspicion."What's wrong with you?" I asked as I got to her, then opened the door she was leaning on to see if something was wrong. Nothing seemed to be off and Ii closed the door again, then focused on her."Did someone do something to you? Is something bothering you?"She shook her head. "There i
I felt a light touch graze sweetly against my arm, and my eyes fluttered open. There was a dull pain in my abdomen and I immediately felt myself being pinned back down when I tried to stand up. I struggled to focus, and Austin leaned over me, his hands on my shoulders carefully massaging."How do you feel? You took a hit to your right shoulder before I could come up the stairs."I looked up at him. He was still beautiful with the worry lines, and his eyes traced across my body. "Does it hurt somehwere?" his voice was soft, like cotton balls falling off his lips.I swallowed. "What happened?"He shook his head. "I am not sure. The healer went back to get a few things. She said it was pretty bad, so you would need more antidotes than she brought along."I blinked. "Did she say anything else?"He let go of me and sat beside me, his eyes searching mine. "Did someone come here while I was not around?"I thought about it. No one came except Eve. And she had been weird and all, and had left
I let go of his hand slowly, tears filling my eyes again. It was hard to process that somehow, I had lost both my friends. Somehow..in this race of love...I had lost Simon and was now on the verge of losing Hazel too.Austin sat on the bed next to me and I looked up at him. He is worth it. "I am sorry. I know it's hard..."He brought me to lean on his shoulder. "You can cry."I wrapped my arms around him, my hands holding his shirt in fistfuls. He was warm, and he pushed himself closer to me, so I could rest on him better. I wanted to be careful not to let hin feel my tears, but once a tear dropped, I couldn't control it anymore.I let out those tears in torrents, unconsciously making his shirt go up, exposing his back. He didn't quite care as he held me until I was feeling better. Until I don't want to cry anymore."What sort of change.. do you think made Eve do that? Just yesterday...she had brought up the idea of surprising you. She even got the wine and reassured me..." I swallow
Austin pursed his lips slightly and turned away, lifting himself off effortlessly. His movement broke my trance and I blinked rapidly, then broke into a small smile.Is this love?But I always knew it was. At least for me. I always knew I was in love with Austin. Ever since that first day. I watched him walk leisurely to the kitchen."I made just bacon and eggs with coffee. You good?"I nodded, still slightly in the trance. I remembered when he had asked me when I started to feel this way. He thought it had been that first kiss, but that was way too far to be the first time my heart, my wolf, my body ran to him.He came back holding just one plate and kept it in front of me, then settled a cup of coffee beside me.He then grabbed another cup of coffee for himself, then sat opposite me."Why won't you have any?" I asked, gesturing to the plate.He shrugged. "I am not hungry."He took a sip of his coffee and flipped his hair back.I nodded. "About the ceremony...I am a bit nervous."He
My eyes widened at the unusual request. He had never asked to be kissed, just took it whenever he felt like it, and I was always willing to give.I swallowed and took a step forward. He stood his ground, watching my every movement. I got to him, then went on a tiptoe, my hand going around the nape of his neck. His eyes were on me all through and I leaned to him, then gently placed my lips on his.He didn't grant me entrance immediately, like he wanted to me earn it. I placed my other hand around his neck, and added a little bit of pressure.He still didn't budge, just watched me try to earn a proper kias.Slowly, his hand went on my waist as he pulled me forward, closing the small space between our bodies, then finally opened up, granting me the kiss I have strived so hard to earn.Just like the first time, it was still perfect and it brought shudders to my feet and tremors to my heart. Just like the first time, I still felt like I could melt in his hands.He titled his head the other
That thought lingered in my mind all through the night I spent alone, with Austin occassionally coming in to check on me as he worked. Morning came and I only sank deeper into an abyss. The darkness enveloping me seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere. There was no reason for me to feel this way, yet I felt like there was every reason."Hazel?" I turned to the door as Austin let hinself in, his hands tucked in his shorts pockets.I only gave a slight nod and went back to looking at my feet. He walked to me and sat beside me on the floor, crossing his legs."You feel very different." he said, and I turned to him again. He wasn't looking at me, though. He was just staring off at the window we were both facing."I feel like I am making a big nistake with Eve.""I felt that way too with Eric." he said, a little coldly."I feel like this is a little different. Like I should have heard her out. Like I should give her a chance."He sighed and turned fully to me. "Let me tell you somethi
My eyes widened in shock and my hands slowly went to my lips, my chest heaving. Austin pulled me back towards him, covering me up in his body. But I had already seen it. My friend..Eve was lying on the floor, claw marks all over her fair skin, her eyes shut and her head tilted to the other side.I stayed there, too shocked to move or say anything."Hazel?" Austin said, as if to make sure I was still there. I looked up to him, my vision becoming blurred. I knew I should have listened yesterday. I knew I should have tried. I knew I should have waited for Eve to explain herself. An abortion solution is so unlikely to kill me. But she was...I gave a loud gasp and turned to the body again. I walked to it slowly, disentangling myself from Austin, then dropped to my knees, my chest filling up with tears I never knew I had in me."Eve." My voice sounded distant, like from a different place, like it wasn't mine. "Beta. Come to the pack's boutique. I need you to go after any suspicious lookin
I nodded, and he smiled, then kissed my forehead. It vaguely reminded me of my feelings for him, but right now, the pain. The grief, the sense of loss, the regrets...they were much stronger.He helped me lay on the bed again, then sat beside me, his fingers playing slowly with mine. "When will you question Simon?" I asked him. I wanted to be there too. I needed to hear him tell us the truth about it."I was hoping you would fall asleep so I could go."I shook my head and stood up again. "I want to go with you.""Hazel, he..."I shook my nead. "No. I want to go with you."He gave a small sigh and nodded, then helped me to my feet. He made me lean on him, then looked at me."Are you sure?"I nodded. "Yes."We made our way out and into the car, where we drove to the pack's cells. It was rarely used, since most of the wolves were well behaved and lived in harmony, but occasionally, in rare cases like these, there was one or two occupants in it. It was far off behind the pack house, and d