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30. Lions And Tigers and Bears... Oh My!
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Laela MorenoThank you for hitting the like button!
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Aline's Choice 31. Others
-Aline- The feeling of raw terror I felt of being watched - stalked- in the woods has me trembling as I make my way to Mei’s room. I enter just in time to witness the happy couple engaged in one of their lovelorn video chats. Talu’s on-screen with his guitar, insert eye roll here, and Mei’s making cow eyes at him as he serenades her. It is a vomit-inducing scene, especially for someone as love-deprived as me. But this isn't the reason I elbow Mei away from the screen and move to take her place. I stare into the camera, holding onto Talu’s glare with one of my own a little longer than normal. He seems to catch on to my unspoken message: Contact me later. For good measure, I snarl into the camera and make my own gruff goodbye. I hit the end call button before Mei can get back on. She shouts at me, with her hands on her hips, but I don’t hear her. I am simply relieved she blocks the door since it’s my only way out. "And to think I was going to warn you about Stefan being back to visit
Aline's Choice 32. Unexpected Heat
-Aline-If I were normal, he would have knocked the breath out of me.Instead, the ferocity of his desire inflames mine for him. My inability to give or refuse consent ignites my anger. I still hate him, I still hate this. But I can't seem to stop myself. This is not what I imagined imprinting would feel like. God, please don't let this be an imprint. If it is, this is exactly what Jian described imprinting to be. Lust, plain and simple.Desperately, I reach out for memories of Jian, but the nearness of Stefan and his freakish ability is to wipe my mind clear, neutralize my obstinate efforts to steel myself against this nightmarish obsession for him. I want to sob.A smoldering hunger sets his eyes ablaze, but to my surprise, he pulls away in what I can only guess is shock at discovering my mind’s unmitigated refusal of him and his advances. I glimpse despair in the verdant depths of his gaze.This unexpected confusion and empathy for my plight have him recoiling. When he pulls away,
Aline's Choice 33. Secrets
-Talu- For the first time since Aline answered the phone, I truly listen to her. She sounds... scared. The vibe I'm getting off of her is definitely fear. Aline is not afraid of anything and knowing this makes my hot blood run cold. I called ready for a fight, ready to yell at her for interrupting my time with Mei, but find myself truly concerned for my... friend? Weird. I process the labeling of our relationship at lightning speed. In this space of time, I hear Aline’s muffled, pained mewling, trying to hide her crying from me. On a sigh, I decide, yes, she's my friend. "Aline, hey, girlie-wolf, what's wrong?" My tone is unusually gentle with her, using my regular taunt as an endearment tonight. The unfamiliarity of my kindness toward her seems to unravel Aline’s already tenuous control over her distress. "The girl next door, she... she pulled my hair and threw me out of the house." The whining little girl voice Aline adopts sets my teeth on edge. She's losing it, I think. Th
Aline's Choice 34. Meanwhile...
-Felicia (Stefan's twin)- I'm pacing. I hate pacing. It's so human. And I am not human. The compulsion to walk back and forth in a confined space emphasizes my lack of control over the situation my idiot brother just placed us in. I despise being out of control. I force myself to a standstill. Clasping my hands, I shut my eyes and attempt to take deep, cleansing breaths. My skepticism of the practice fades with the return of my sanity. My jaw clenches when I, at last turn toward my brother and send him an infuriated glare. The words tripping out of my mouth are ancient, angry, and cutting, reminding Stefan that he does not have the luxury to indulge in such lewd human desires. Inability to satisfy his sexual urges is central to the curse under which we exist. Attempting to satisfy his masculine needs results in the worst mental and physical punishments. And he is not alone in his suffering. I refuse to be punished along with him, not again. Curse the gods! Rather curse that vengefu
Aline's Choice 35. Telling Lance
-Aline-Thick fog, named Karl by us San Franciscans, surrounds me in chilly dampness as I fidget on Lance’s porch, still unsure of what I should say to him. Mei and I got home about a week and a half ago. I know she's out there, somewhere, snuggling with Talu. The thought brings a scowl to my lips. I want to be somewhere like that with someone I adore. Despite my want, I am happy that Jian is not home for the holidays. My life is beyond insane.After having put off the chore for days, I'm at last here. It’s the last place I want to be. Staring at the front door, I practice what I mean to say to him for the millionth time.What is it with me and standing on porches, anyway?! OK, Aline, focus! I scold myself. Let's see. What to say, what to say...How about, So, um, hi, Lance. Long time. Yeah, I totally went AWOL on you guys to pursue a frivolous career far, far, far away. But I'm back to tell you, there's something out there that's way scarier than vampires and werewolves. Yeah... And
Aline's Choice 36. Alpha Command
-Talu- The summoning Alpha Command I knew would come since Aline and Mei’s return reaches me when I least expect it. Mei and her dad left an hour ago to go pick up their Christmas tree. My Ba is dozing in front of the T.V. I sit cross-legged on the floor, trying to wrap some recently purchased gifts. It’s not going well. Even though I'm failing spectacularly, I simply don't want to meet the pack. I know Lance will make me pay for failing to warn him about Aline's situation — if he discovers I already know about it. Damn, Aline! Crap. I should have broken my promise to her about keeping the guy a secret. I also don't want to shift. The internal alpha command turns into an insistent howl in my head and I can no longer pretend to ignore it. Fine. Damn it! Fine! I toss the colorful Christmas ribbons aside, tug off my shirt, hang it on the back of my chair, kick off my shoes and socks, and run out the door. Lance calls us to gather in the darkest wooded area of the park next to Lanc
Aline's Choice 37. Talu & Mei
-Talu- December 30, on an airplane... __________________________________________________________________ "I don't even know if he's there with his sister, Talu." Aline frets, bouncing her leg beside me where we’re crammed in coach. I grip the armrests, my irritation heightening. I hate these flying sardine cans. I'm barely able to fold into my seat without banging my head and knees. She comes up with this only now? “Aline, you couldn't have thought to tell this to Lance before he bought the plane tickets?" I narrow my eyes and snarl grumpily at my teary-eyed seatmate. Her sudden show of emotions makes me surly. "Stop with the waterworks." She bites back a small, soft sob, and I roll my eyes. So fucking dramatic! Lance’s Alpha Command requires that I escort Aline back to her apartment in Syracuse and cuts short the already rare days I have to spend with Mei. And once I get there, what am I supposed to do, exactly? Protect her—Aline?! The toughest wolf in the pack? Am I suppos
Aline's Choice 38. Out of Sorts
-Stefan- A feeling of rightness floods my system when I step inside Mei’s garland bedecked home. I know taking the time to visit her father, Dr.Yee, during this holiday to discuss my work is the next step to breaking the curse. Two days ago, I discovered that Mei’s San Francisco home is close to the assigned dig site in Golden Gate Park. Further, making Dr. Yee’s acquaintance will help speed up my connections with the right people for this unexpected excavation work. One of his colleagues, Angela, a fossil preparator at the California Academy of Sciences, was particularly helpful in helping me locate the Yee family’s home. Angela occasionally works with Mei’s dad and mentioned she and Mei are friends. As soon as I asked her where I could find her, the address I needed flashed in Angela’s mind. I caught it just as she told me she wasn't comfortable telling me without Mei’s consent. It was fairly easy to find the state historian’s house after that. Mei’s welcome is typical of her, al
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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
