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13. What's Love Got to Do With It?
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2024-10-29 19:42:56-Jian-
“Feel better?”
“Yes.” Her relaxed weight against me reveals the truth in her reply. “It's weird, Jian. I'm sort of making friends. You'd be amazed. I mean, I'm amazed.”
I can picture her in human form, shrugging and giving me an odd, sad smile. “Seems like there’s something likable about me. It is kind of shocking. You, Mei, even that bastard, Talu. And it's disturbingly easy to talk to Mei about stuff, but...”
“But what? You worried about her, or something?”
“Jian, I don't think she'll be able to handle it when Talu imprints. It'll... it'll kill her.”
“There's nothing that says he will imprint, Aline. But if he does, I bet Mei’s tougher than that. She's been with vampires and survived! I’m glad she came to her senses. But now she's going out with the worst sort of werewolf, which means her taste in men is highly questionable.”
Aline barks
Laela MorenoYour reviews motivate my writing of this story and help to bring more readers like you to this novel. I appreciate you, dear reader, and am honored to have your support! Thank you for reading this episode of Aline's Choice. The next chapter will publish on Wednesday (PST).
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Aline's Choice 15. Female Dog
-Jian- "Aww, ugh! Jian! Go away!" Kelvin, a pack brother, shoves me off the log we use for our outdoor meetings in Lance's unusually large, woodsy backyard. I fall onto Tony, who is sitting on the ground. As I'm pushing myself off of him, I gnash my teeth at the sight of Kelvin holding his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Shit, Jian, you stink!" I glare at him, annoyed that he is joining in. The way he is carrying on, it seems he prefers the stench of the landfill downwind from his new house closer to the old Candlestick Park. I don’t stink that bad! Not really. That's what I convinced myself before going to work this morning. "Hey! Ohhhh, hot daaammnn, Jian! Like flowers much?" Aline’s baby brother is convulsing with laughter, waving a hand in front of his nose. Though Will’s enjoying his fun, he stays vigilant, correctly assuming he'll be my first target if I decide to attack. I want to rip into him for being related to the s
Aline's Choice 16. Confusion Reigns
-Aline- The heat of Jian's lips against mine steals my breath. His fist at my shirt-front curls tighter against my chest and the woven cotton material tightens over my shoulder blades. In response, my hands, which I threw against his chest for balance, fist into his goGreen. This seems to release the scent soaked in the shirt. My own flowery scent fills my head. I hear Jian whimper against my mouth as the same appears to happen to him. This is not a gentle kiss. Jian plunders and demands. I match his ferocity with my own. His fingers wrap more tightly in my hair. It is exhilarating. It makes my head spin. It has to end. Now. Teasing him? OK. Making him want me until crazed? Fine. Making me want him until crazed? Never. Falling for him? No! Definitely not part of the plan. I shove my hands against him, fighting against his hold the best I can in my off-kilter stance. As a last resort, I sink my teeth i
Aline's Choice 17. Topsy-Turvy
-Aline- As soon as Jian leaves the yard, I slump like a rag doll over the windowsill, pitching forward so that the edge of the low wall digs into my belly. The summer sun warms my exposed back, and my fingertips graze the wooden porch. Inside the house, on the other side of the window, my widely planted feet keep me from falling out onto the porch and my knees dig into the low wall beneath the window frame. The stretch of my muscles almost feels ... good. I think there might be something to yoga bringing about inner peace. With fingertips on my brow, I close my eyes and try to convince myself that what just happened - that heart-pounding, breath-stealing kiss - didn't really happen. I can't quite swing myself far enough forward to bang my forehead repeatedly against the outer wall. Hammering my head into oblivion might be enough distraction to erase the memory of Jian's lips on mine. "So, are you just ... uh... hanging around?“
Aline's Choice 18. It's Maddening
-Jian- "And you do?" The open accusation and twinge of regret in Lance’s question haunts me. "Do you love her, Jian?" His query echoes in my head as I run, still in human form, to my favorite spot in McLaren Park, where the trees tower and the traffic sounds like running water, soothing my tattered nerves. I lean against a moss-covered log, my hands rake over my face. My mind plays with Lance’s questions as I pull off my fragrant shirt and hang it on a nearby branch to air it out. Despite the stiff breeze, her scent lingers on my skin. It's maddening. Stewing, I conclude I don't know if I love Aline. I know, however, that I care more about her than Lance ever did. Because of this, of course, I have a say. My say is that I can't entangle my life with hers right now. I refuse to be the rebound guy even though Aline is the one I want. I've always wanted her. From the moment I saw her on Lance’s arm to the moment I indulged in my long-hel
Aline's Choice 19. Dog Days of Summer
-Jian-A week after the unforgettable kiss, I walk into the nightclub with the guys from work and spot the last two women I ever thought I'd run into at The Grand. The city lifted its mask mandate and everyone in here is supposed to be vaccinated. Most still wear masked, and as is San Francisco, the masks range from the political to rainbow glitter. I’m equipped with the most robust earplugs a werewolf can purchase on Amazon.Aline, the shewolf I've been avoiding, is more than sloppily inebriated, bumping and grinding with several unknown guys out on the floor. One perv keeps pushing up against her. My lips curl into a snarl as I watch his less than suave mating dance. Mei is beside Aline, casting worried glances at her. If I wasn't so pissed, I'd find it almost comical, watching Mei’s eyes move in time with the dude's every butt bump.Where is Talu, I wonder.My work pals try to pull me onto the dance floor, but I gesture towards the
Aline's Choice 20. A New Plan
-Jian- There’s no chance I’ve mistaken her whisper. I stare at her. "Who's going away?" "Aline and me." "What?!" "I'm going to Syracuse and I'm taking Aline with me." I struggle to digest her words, shifting my gaze back to Aline. All thoughts of Mei's confession leave my head. All I see is red as I watch swarthy leather clad-dude snake his arm around the girl I was kissing just last week. I don't bother excusing myself from Mei before stalking over to where Aline is flaunting herself. "She's with me." I fight for calm as I stare down the man Aline drapes herself on. The guy takes in my clear agitation. He frowns and looks up at me, registering my height. I'm a full head taller than him. His brow rises as he takes in the breadth of my chest and the cut of my arms. He backs away from Aline like she's contracted some real funky, contagious disease and I silently thank whatever deity that is looking over Aline tonight for
Aline's Choice 21. Touching Love
-Jian- Aline groans softly and shifts in my arms, drawing my attention back to her. I long to wash the cigarette smoke from her hair and cleanse the stench of alcohol from her breath. Smell. It occurs to me I can use my super olfactory sense to figure out which room is hers. I tilt up my nose, sniffing. The familiar, maddening scent of her perfume emanates most strongly from the room at the end of the upstairs hallway. I carry her to the bedroom, which houses flowers, delicate accessories, and fabrics, all in eye-pleasing rosy hues. It pleases me that there’s a lack of fussy ruffles and lace. Had there been even a hint of girlie-girl stuff, I would have been duty-bound to rib her about it once she was sober enough to appreciate my efforts. The classy, straight, modern lines of her surroundings strike me most. The dichotomy of her personal space with the tough person she presents to the world reveals how Aline’s pack life is not one of
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Aline's Choice 52. Chocolates Do Not Suck
-Aline-{Valentine's Day Eve} I've decided I'm a moron, believing that a singular thought would make him, the spitting image of Chris Hemsworth, magically appear in my room, or, at the very least, at my front door. I'm a blithering idiot. But not as big an idiot as Jian, though, so that’s some consolation. Ugh! I slap my palm to my forehead and shake my head. Hell, I don't even know if Stefan's in the same time zone, never mind whether he's next door with Felicia right now! I finish my internal self-condescension and finally shower, change, and put my hair up. I'm pleased to discover my mane is now long enough to put up again. Clean, and no longer feeling maudlin, I pad barefoot into the living room. I think about making tea. I squinch my face. I hate tea. Since Lance’s wedding, though, I've been drinking tea. Drowning myself in it, really. Someone at school told me that it would be soothing. It is. Soothing, I mean. But it tastes like flowers. And right n
Aline's Choice 51. No Backing Down
-Jian- I sit on a log watching Stefan’s blond head as he carefully dusts off something that looks like a wooden box. He sets it aside with patience I do not possess. He does not open it, but moves instead, to pick up another artifact and clean it. It's unnerving to watch how exacting his movements are, almost loving, even reverent. "Jian, did you know your name means 'to see?'" Stefan's tone is casual and conversational. I look at him as he bows over whatever he holds in his hand. "What? Did you find that in one of my ancestor's artifacts that you pulled out of the ground?" Stefan lets out an appreciative little laugh at the annoyance in my voice. His eyes still focus downward as he carefully removes dirt from a crevice in yet another wooden box. "No. I looked it up on the internet." I stare at him open-mouthed. "You're cyber-stalking me?" "What?! No!" His gaze whips up to meet mine. Then he smiles and he's even more good-looking than before. The si
Aline's Choice 50. Of Curses and Legends
Readers Note: This chapter hops between Aline and Jian's point of view to explain the mythology. Thank you for understanding. -Aline- "So she cursed him - us- forever," Felicia says, her voice suddenly quiet. "She left him impotent among humans and shifters, unable to father children, one of the primary duties and the greatest of all blessings given to the clan's leader. But to make matters worse, he was to walk the earth attracted to the most deceitful and conniving of all human women for eternity." My brows knit as I process this information. Impotence, doesn't that mean…? Felicia lifts her index finger and then allows it to droop. Wide-eyed, I lift a hand to cover my open mouth. Poor Stefan, indeed! "How long?" "Too long, really," she says with a sigh, a wry smile on her face. "It's been so long we've lost count. At least through the Middle Ages. As you might imagine, it frustrated him through the first hundred." My eyes must be the size of dinner
Aline's Choice 49. Werewolf Puberty
Author’s note: There are a lot of point-of-view switches between Jian and Aline in this chapter. Thank you for understanding!__________________-Jian-(in San Francisco, at Talu’s house)Talu’s warning pounds in my head. I've been wallowing in self-pity for two weeks. He's right. I'm not proving myself much of a man here. And he is now allowing me to show myself worthy of Aline. I sigh and stare pointedly at the sheaf of papers he removed from the manila envelope. "So, what did the leech find out?"My gaze shifts warily between the papers and Talu. "First, let me tell you what Mei’s ex- told me." And so he tells me how the bloodsucker was hunting in the woods during a stopover to Europe at the same time the terrible twins paid Mei a visit. That was also the same night Talu was with Aline on a jet plane bound for Syracuse.####-Aline- (in Syracuse at her place)We're still on the porch and I'm mulling over Felicia's suggestion.“So, why not both?”Her words bounce aroun
Aline's Choice 48. Lessons On Love
-Jian- "What do you know about the archaeologist?" my voice is a low growl, frightening even to me. I've just stormed into Talu’s room, having left Lance, who proved himself a worthless fool, spouting on and on about how an imprint is never wrong and imploring me to leave Aline alone so she can get on with her life and find happiness. "Hell if I will!" I cursed his useless hide as I slammed out of his house an hour earlier. Stupid Lance! Using this Stefan guy to assuage the guilt he feels for breaking up with Aline the way he did. A little voice in my head suggested I'd recently done the same. Maybe hurt her even worse. But as I made my way to Talu’s place, I roared at the tiny, nagging voice to just shut the hell up. Now, I glare at my best friend. Talu’s expression is impassive at the onslaught of my tumultuous, emotional verbal assault. My eyes track him as he moves to the desk in his room. He pulls out a manila file folder that reeks of bloodsucker. My n
Aline's Choice 47. Something to Consider
-Aline- I'm wrapped up in an oversized cashmere sweater, legs curled beneath me on the wicker loveseat on the back porch in Syracuse. Even my werewolf's body heat can't quite keep me warm against this cold, empty feeling inside. The night of Lance’s wedding keeps replaying inside my head as I stare, unseeing, out into the upstate New York winter. The mid-winter chill is so much more here than in the temperate winters in California. My hands cradle a cup of now tepid tea. I hear a door open and turn to greet Bella, only to grimace at the crazy, blonde bitch who steps out onto the porch. In my peripheral vision, I watch Felicia gracefully fold herself into the wicker rocker kitty-corner to my seat... too near. For two weeks, I've avoided her. Now, I am too tired and melancholy to bother getting up and leaving. Besides, I got here first. I huff out a cloud of hot air against the freezing morning, showing my unhappiness at her undesired company. There is no sound other than our combin
Aline's Choice 46. The Other Guy
Aline left for Syracuse without a goodbye from me. I knew I couldn't see her again without groveling and I refused to do that to myself. After all, a man has to preserve some dignity. I haven't spoken to anyone since Lance’s wedding and it's been a couple of weeks. So, now it’s February, and I am still so pissed I can't see straight. In the weeks since the wedding, I didn’t hang out with my pack brothers or hit the clubs with friends from work. Instead, I torture myself with my new, self-imposed daily task of overseeing the actions of this man, Aline’s imprint. The guy I’m convinced will not only take away the woman I love, but who also wishes to rape our land. So, maybe I'm being a touch too melodramatic. But I am miserable, and therefore, I'm entitled to my feelings. I kick the dirt at my feet. Through slit eyes, I take measure of Stefan and decide he is my my unofficial love rival. On looks alone, he could claim Aline as his own. He could do so just as soon
Aline's Choice 45. Mother Knows Best
-Asena Cai- (Jian’s Mom) I find my boy sitting in the darkness out in the backyard. From the kitchen window, I take in the sight of him. He's still wearing his tuxedo, his tie undone, the wine colored swath of color hangs around his neck against the white-white of his shirt. His dark hair is in wild disarray around his so familiar, handsome face. There is heartbreak in his expression, so happy only hours ago. My heart cries out for him. I rush upstairs to change and make my way to sit quietly beside Jian. I say nothing as he hangs his head. I watch the steady drip of silent tears fall onto the back of his large, strong hands. In the moonlight, the drops glimmer against his naturally tanned skin before sliding into the dark green grass beneath our feet. I wait for him, offering him my strength simply by staying beside him. I know my son. He does not want me to witness this weakness. He never did as a boy and I know it pains him more as a young man to know I am watching. "It hurt
Aline's Choice 44. Unexpected Comfort
-Aline- I crumple to my knees, not caring in the least that I am muddying this damn $300 dress. Sobs wrack my body as I grieve for a love I’ve only just realized I can't live without. I wail against an imprint I can not make myself refuse. I feel the sudden heat of two hands cradling my wracking shoulders. The warmth is not human. I silence myself, drop my hands to my lap, and turn to look up, eager to discover who's standing behind me. "So now you understand the force of an imprint." I stare at Jian's mother as though she's sprouted another head. She is the last person I expect to see, the very last. How can she know about my terrible secret? "I know what you are, Aline Kam. I know because I have been you." I shake my head. She can't possibly know because she can't possibly be a werewolf. She stares at me and answers aloud the unspoken question relayed by my head shaking. "But I am, Aline. I know what you are going through." She
