Seems like partying isn't really your thing." A familiar voice called out.
I turned and met Duke's hazel eyes, void of the malice that used to haunt me. Duke stood against the doorframe; his arms crossed over his chest. He watched me with that blank, guarded gaze. It felt like being looked at under a microscope, like Duke was trying to figure out what made me tick.
"How would you know?" I asked, turning my attention away from Tyra and Dustin. Tyra was dancing with a guy her age, dark hair and rich, golden skin. Dustin was still in the midst of a heated conversation with a group of guys. Duke was right, partying wasn't my thing.
"Well, you are just standing here." Duke shrugged; the corners of his lips twitched.
The Duke I remember wasn't so solemn, so--in control. Duke had once been the worst of my bullies, constantly spilling a wide array of liquids on me. In sixth grade, he had spilled fruit punch all over my wh
The three of us headed to training shortly after. Where Liam's training grounds had been by his house, Atlas's was on the other side of town. A big, brick building with huge windows that let copious amounts of light stream inside, sat on one side of the road. The building must have been built while I was gone, as I was sure I had never seen it before. We pulled into the large parking spot, fitting between two other vehicles.People were already lingering around the large room, emerging from what looked like separate locker rooms. Most stood in small groups, talking amongst themselves. Naturally, eyes turned to us as we walked in, though most seemed not to notice out presence. The floors were lined with a thin padding. Falling would hurt and definitely bruise, but it wouldn't heard nearly as bad as slamming into hard flooring.Tyra and I tossed our bags against the wall, and Dustin followed suit. More and more people were emerging from the locker
Her curly hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she had traded her workout clothes for a tight tank top and a pair of shorts. Her breasts spilled over the top of the tank top, and I couldn't ignore the familiar and intimate way she grinned at Atlas, placing a manicured hand on his bicep."I saw you watching us train." She squealed, "I'm so glad you came."I walked away as Alyssa continued speaking with Atlas, inching closer and closer to him. Despite the size of the training building, I felt as though the room were too small. The intimate look on Alyssa's face was the same one Michelle had when she looked at Atlas. The sight strengthened my resolve, and again, I reminded myself why I had come here.Duke stopped by the house later in the evening to tell us about an event some of the townspeople were throwing. Much like Liam, Atlas knew his people needed some down time after the rogue attack. Tensions were still high, but he couldn't let
Dustin finally let me go when we entered the kitchen, where Tyra stood trying to conceal her earsplitting grin. As a quiet snicker sounded from behind me, I spun around to face Dustin. He was clearly trying to hold back a smile, but was failing miserably. The humor in his eyes was enough to chip away at my anger. "Come on, Rae. You know he deserved it." Dustin chuckled, a lopsided smile on his face. "Actually, he deserved worse.""You should've given me more than five minutes." I replied, lifting my eyebrow at him. "Somehow I'm sure this won't be the last altercation between Atlas and I.""I hope not. Did you see his face after you punched him? I swear the bastard fell in love." Tyra giggled from behind me, "Besides, we actually gave you seven."I ignored Tyra's comment about Atlas falling in love, but couldn't wipe the memory of his face from my mind. I've never had someone look at me that way, with such b
"You're not going to tell me what that was about, are you?" Tyra chuckled dryly, raising her eyebrow in my direction."Not at the moment, no." I shook my head.I wasn't sure what to make of it myself, and the last thing I wanted to do was jump to conclusions. Michelle and Atlas could have easily broken up, or maybe she found her mate and left him. That thought sent a wave of sickening approval through me. It wasn't uncommon for mates to start families early. The other option was one I didn't want to think about, that the child she carried might belong to Atlas. It took a minute to force the thoughts from my mind, bottling them down tightly.I gave Liam a call that night, giving him a rundown of everything that happened this week. I could've had Dustin make the call, but I felt like Liam and I were growing distant. Things had been strained since he lied and sent Atlas away, but I was beginning to no longer blame him. I conveniently l
The words had hardly left my mouth before my world shifted. I was slammed against the rough bark of a tree, and grimaced as it scratched my back. The pain was replaced by sparks, and the thick scent of Atlas. Pine needles and male musk, rich and earthy as it invaded my senses. Atlas's face was inches from my own, one of his large hands placed over my open mouth. I had never been close enough to see the depth of Atlas's eyes before, but stifled a ragged breath as I lost myself in them. Light shades of blue mixed with white tones, reminding me of clear sheets of ice."Don't say those words, kitten." Atlas spoke lowly, those captivating eyes burning into my own. His large chest moved against my own, his breathing heavy as the mate-bond between us pulsed like a living thing. As quickly as I was sucked into his eyes and his warm chest, anger flared to life in my stomach. The sparks that danced along my skin reminded me of the fire that once pulsed in my veins. I wasn't
The cool nighttime breeze was replaced with warm gusts of spring wind, carrying the scent of flowers and something sweet. The speckling of stars that danced across the sky vanished, leaving a bright sun and two faded moons in its wake. Sunlight danced through the clearing I stood in, peering through the trees that seemed much larger in this world. The trees were full of leaves, all varying shapes and sizes. The leaves were a bright emerald that drew my full attention. These trees were nothing like the ones back home. All of the colors here were brighter, like someone placed a filter over the world.The tugging in my stomach had finally stopped, and it took me a minute to realize what I had done. Portals were tricky, never staying in one place for too long. Liam had tracked portal openings all over the country by pinpointing the random attacks, each one more different than the next. One would open on the East coast, only to close and end up in Alaska three years later. There w
I stumbled to my feet and pushed myself forward, running through the woods as fast as I could manage. The sound of birds chirping helped calm my ragged nerves. I looked at the trees and their big leaves, noting how the color seemed dull compared to the Fae realm. At least nothing here would try to eat me, I told myself. Breathing against the burning in my legs, I called out to Tyra and Dustin.'You there guys?' I reached out to the two of them, sighing in relief when I felt the mind-link connect.'Rae?' Tyra's voice filled my mind, followed by a frantic Dustin. 'Where the fuck have you been?''It's been two days, Rae.' Dustin snapped, worry clear in his voice. 'You couldn't just let us know you were okay?''Get Atlas and Duke, meet me at the house. I'll explain then.' I hissed through the mind-link, ending it as I continued running.My mind was in shambles, trying to process how I had been gone for two days. Two entire days. That would make it Mond
By the time I emerged from my bedroom, both Duke and Atlas had left. Even though it was the middle of the day, exhaustion was beginning to creep up on me. I blamed it on my sudden disappearance, and the fact that I had lost nearly two days in the span of half an hour. The bout of exhaustion could've also been caused by the horrifying creature that had chased me far from the Fae realm. Either way, my heavy eyelids were begging for a break and I was more than happy to oblige.After letting Tyra and Dustin know about Liam's immediate visit, I grabbed a quick snack and headed back upstairs. While I knew Liam visiting would add more tension to the situation, I couldn't help but hope Nicki would tag along with him. Kris had been busy learning the duties of Beta from his Dad, but I still hoped he would tag along as well. I chuckled to myself as I imagined Liam trying to refuse her. Nicki would blow a gasket if she found out Liam ran off to Atlas's pack without her. Dustin seemed ela