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27. The Trouble With Twins
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2024-10-29 19:42:56-Aline-
Again, I steal a glance at the blond guy with green eyes. The pain in my head recedes. With just one look at him, the peace and tranquility I strive for in yoga are finally mine. I watch the gorgeous blonde woman next to him place a hand on his forearm and the stupor I've been in since setting eyes on his face disappears. Our connection severs, giving me some painless breathing room.
I feel lighter, as though relieved of a heavy burden. A quick internal scan reveals a distinct absence of the familiar and oddly comforting pain that I nurture over Lance and Kylie’s pairing.
It's gone. GONE!
Incredulous, I shake my head as if trying to dislodge any loose memories of Lance.
No random guy, a stranger, should have this kind of power over me! This is just wrong. I need that pain. It's been a grounding companion since Lance and Kylie's betrayal.
It would have to be through some freaky thing, like a possible im
Laela MorenoIf Aline's view on the traditionally accepted idea of imprinting hasn't provided enough forewarning, please note that as the author, I write this story with a distinct dislike of the sort of imprinting that robs both parties of their choice of partner. I do, however, want to preserve the idea of a fated pair for reasons beyond their control. I hope to give readers both through Aline's Choice. I hope you're enjoying the episodes. I'm so thrilled you've read this far! It would be great if you hit the like button and/or leave a review! Thanks in advance. Happy Reading!
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Aline's Choice 29. A Funny Feeling
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Aline's Choice 30. Lions And Tigers and Bears... Oh My!
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Aline's Choice 31. Others
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Aline's Choice 32. Unexpected Heat
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Aline's Choice 33. Secrets
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Aline's Choice 34. Meanwhile...
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Aline's Choice 35. Telling Lance
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Aline's Choice 52. Chocolates Do Not Suck
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Aline's Choice 51. No Backing Down
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Aline's Choice 50. Of Curses and Legends
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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
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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
