"Let's go through things, alright? You need to get back into routine after being gone and taking a... break," Jeremy says, and I nearly forgot how quickly he speaks.
"It was only two days," I drawl.
"First, most importantly, Alpha Nicodra will be coming at the end of the month-"
"David called? Nicodra said yes?"
Jeremy insists, "It's what I received. I receive the information, and I structure your schedule, that's all."
"I thought you knew everything?"
He holds my gaze for a moment before he takes a breath and sets down his papers on the dining room table. "Yes, Nicodra agreed to come and speak with you. The Alph
The first thing she says to me when I open the door is, "So it's true," as her cat-like eyes survey my bruise. "I didn't get to see it. I was escorted out so quickly." I glance at Tarlo behind her. He doesn't look like he wants to step further than this. In the few seconds we have, Tarlo and I communicate through stares. He seems to ask:Will you be alright?And I say:Yes, you don't have to stay. "Please, come in," I tell Aurora. "I'll be close by," Tarlo insists then turns the other way, being a good Beta and friend to David. I know he wouldn't let anything bad happen-the same promise David makes to me. Aurora walks inside but we don't spend a moment too long in the foyer. I take her to the first living room; the one with a grand window that overse
I can't sleep without him, not with Aurora's request stuck in my head like a song on repeat. I do as she asks, I think it over without the choice not to. I imagine the look of Nicodra's face without any life behind it. There would have to be a plan-a way to keep David out of it. Enough in his drink to make him sick. Aurora would excuse the both of them because of it and walk back to their guest house under the cover of night. She'd forget something, maybe a bag, and I'd run it out to her while David remained safe inside. We would do it then, I think. He'd be too sick, too weak by then, to fight back. The second day without David, I spend in bed. Jeremy comes to see me and apologizes for his absence the day before. I tell him I'm sick. He knows it's an illness caused by my empty bed,
I push off the bed and shed David's shirt, my mind blank as I wander to the bathroom. I listen-prey-like-for the sounds of people in the house, but I catch no footsteps or closing doors or knocks from upstairs. My body is naked from the waist up, and from the waist down, a pair of panties keep me as decent as an ancient woman, but I don't feel fearful that someone will barge in-that David will visit his own bedroom and see me like this. He never comes upstairs during the day. The kitchen, his office; it's all downstairs. This is my domain for me to saunter about the room as naked and as dejected as I please. Knowing that I will meet his father today, I dress nicely, summery. I tie my hair up off of my shoulders and step into a fitted, button-up dress with the most feminine feel and dearest buttons. When I button each one, I see David and his cuffs, striding into the room then placing my
Air surges into my lungs so deeply and suddenly that I cough it up like water. I kick the covers off of me and thrash my body away from my mate. He wakes just as suddenly as I do. My hair sticks to my face and neck, and I scratch it all off of me, feeling sick with a cold-hot, dizzy, and disoriented. David turns on the lamp beside him, saying, "Brigette? Brigette?" The urgency in his voice-he must think I'm dying. He grabs me only to release a sob from my chest. I jerk away and hold up my hand, fighting with myself, trying to convince myself thatthisis real life, and whatever that was-that pure hell-was nothing but a night terror. I cry into my hands and David begs me to tell him what's wrong. I let him take me into his arms where I can say nothing but "I'm sorry."
I tug at the blanket around my naked body and say, "David, there's something I didn't tell you. Something I asked Tarlo to keep to himself as well. I'm assuming he kept his word and didn't mention anything about a visitor while you were with your father." I take his silence as a hint to continue. "It was Aurora. She came out of the blue and said she wanted to talk to me. She wanted the truth regarding what happened between Nicodra and me up North." David questions, "And you told her the truth?" "Yes. I did. And she wasn't mad about it. She didn't seem surprised at all. Aurora is very aware of how her mate can be." I swallow and say quietly, "He hurts her, David. She showed me a horrible bruise on her arm." He says something under
I shower with the door open, with my mate coming in and out, watching me through the reflection in the mirror. When he repeatedly stops and sits against the counter, I shoo him away and tell him to get dressed when, truthfully, his ogling makes me feel feminine-womanly-and I like that feeling. And I'm sure he can tell. We aren't perfect by any means, fighting like we did, but I am thankful for how quickly we apologized and well,moved on. My parents arrive within the hour, and the last thing I would have wanted was for David and me to be glaring at each other from across the dining table. I suppose I'll be staring at him for different reasons now-lustful reasons-and he'll be looking back with those eyes that roamed every intimate piece of me. And, of course, our parents will be there, which sounds quite horrific now that I think about it.
"Are you sure you can find your way? I can walk you back." "No, no," my mother says, "we remember the way. Don't worry. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?" "Breakfast will be brought over at seven. I know you two get up early." My mom strokes my cheek and says goodnight. I close and lock the door behind them, knowing that my mother and I aren't the same as we used to be. There's no need to fight anymore. She won't be knocking on my door, telling me to wake up, or egging me on about traveling to find my mate. She won't have to ignore my rants about being free, and so we'll enter the next stage; the one where I listen when she speaks. David enters the foyer to bring me upstairs, and I go with him. He stays close behind as I climb the ste
My fingers pinch a piece of toast but my will to lift it from the plate to my mouth is wavering. I slouch at the counter and kick around my eggs with my fork instead, every so often biting and chewing single bits of scramble. Helena eyes me as she cleans up until she asks, "Did you get enough sleep, dear?" "I think so." "Is the bread too toasted? I can make-" I take the toast and bite down, shaking my head, telling her it's just fine. She mumbles, "Well, alright," and resumes. Truthfully, my appetite is nonexistent, but Jeremy told Helena that I'll be practicing with David, so she wants to make sure I have enough energy to do so. I don't think a hundred pieces of toast would give me the ability to pay attention today; my mind was