Ozias' Point of ViewBlack swirled at the edges of my vision. Dreams danced in front of my eyes. I knew they were dreams, even if they were of her. My mate. My love. Alvara. Books floated around her head, words spilling into the world.She wasn't in that horrid dress from before anymore. Nor was she hunched over in fear. Light sparkled around her as she ready from the book in her hands. A world coming to life inside her mind. I reached for her, happy to just feel her skin beneath my touch.The image slipped. Fell into the tendrils of dark looming just outside my vision. Books came crashing to the floor. Alvara misted into nothingness.Pain echoed on my side and I clutched at it. Taking away my hand, crimson came into view, generously coating my fingers. The spot on my body grew in pain. Sharp as needles, it tore through me. Ate up the most raw parts of my soul until it had devoured me whole. It wouldn't end.Alvara faded b

Alvara's Point of ViewCiaran woke up just after lunch. Devoured the rest of the meal in one drawn out go. His wounds were half-way to healed. Not enough that he wasn't in pain, just enough that he could move exactly four times before winching.Teagan had dragged me from my self-pity. A special party only reserved for the weak and down-trotted. Somehow, she had made me laugh. Made me throw away all those troublesome thoughts about men being murdered in front of me. Or how it was all my fault. She made me smile, along with Dargan and Ozias, whom only joined us at lunch.Our plans for the day was do as little as possible. No meetings or plans. Just the six of us, blissfully enjoying a Wednesday afternoon. Sweltering afternoon, more like it.The air conditioners were on full blast. Curtains tightly shut. Teagan had stripped to her underwear. Harland to his boxers. I had remained in my pajamas. Satin was breathable at times and getti

Ciaran's Point of ViewMoving around too much made the healing wounds smart. Dancing with Alvara last night had a lingering effect on my overall pain levels. Some of the more deep cuts had split. Blood had trickled out into the bandages. The pain was but a mild irritation compared to the joy I had felt. The freedom of just being around the people I cared for. Excluding, Adelia.Why she had shown up at the house was beyond me. Her audacity was rivaling even her mother's. But Alvara had tolerated her at the beginning. Enjoyed her presence by the end of it. The once conniving young woman had made my mate's evening pleasurable. Contributed to the funny stories exchanged.Sadly, it was now time for business. Eugene had declared war and left us with a day of silence. Stewing in what we could have done better. Soothed our turbulent minds with whispers of gratitude that Alvara had at least made it out alive. Horseshit. She was alive but utterly

Alvara's Point of View I had been right to assume Teagan knew someone for the tattoo. She had made her dislike of the thought clear but still supported me enough to introduce me to one of Harland's friends. Jean had his ears stretched. Almost every piece of skin was covered in tattoos. Except for his face, besides for one random unicorn close to his hairline. He was a happy-go-lucky type of person. Artwork framed his walls along with him and another man together in photos. Everything was sterile. Clean to a point where even Ozias would approve. Thankfully, his shop was inside Menlyn. The bright daylight outside would only worsen my headache. Alcohol, I had realized, was not meant to be consumed in large quantities. Our oily lunch had helped stabilize my stomach but not much for anything else.  Adelia loved my act of love. Loved that I would put my body through pain just to prove to them that I was theirs. I had hoped the pain wo

Alvara's Point of ViewThe alcohol had taken its toll on my system. Yet the pain from the tattoo had been minimal at best. Adelia's tat had taken the least amount of time. When she was done, she had freely poured Teagan and I shots. Mine was a lot more difficult to take thanks to being splayed out on my stomach but we had made due.Soon the room filled with the smell of liquor. Brian had cranked the speakers up to max and closed the doors for the day. He had drank with us, spilling his life story. Jean added some of his own to the mix. Stef nodded entuisitically whilst buzzing away on Teagan's leg.Once everyone was finished up, Stef and Jean drank with some more. Soon enough the six of us headed into the mall, Ozias' card in my hand. Teagan had grabbed her own and Adelia had taken Sybil's earlier on in the day. None of us realized how much we would spend. How little self-restraint we had amongst ourselves.I informed Stef, Brian