Ellie and Amanda walked into the restaurant first, the dark ambiance matching the darkness outside. It was late, their plane had landed late after the excitement of the flight. The only places open at such a late hour were restaurants with bars attached. One glance around the room and Ellie could tell half the inhabitants were not normal humans. There was a buzzing in the air, as if even the world around them could feel the presence of something abnormal. She couldn't tell yet whether they were magical, but she could say with certainty they were not human. "Oh my God," Amanda whispered as she nudged Ellie in the ribs with her elbow. "What is it?" Ellie whispered back, glancing at her friend to see what had caught Amanda's attention. "That man's eyes," Amanda said, her voice trailing off as she stared at a man sitting very near a fire at the far end of the restaurant. His eyes glowed a red-orange in the flickering of the flames coming from the gas fireplace insert on the wall next t
Hannah paced in the Alpha's office, back and forth. Back and forth. She was nervous. She felt something in the air, something that made the air crackle and pop with anticipation and magic. She could feel it. She could run her hand through the electric current and feel it course through her veins. She was going to meet her mate today, she was sure of it. "Maybe we should just wait outside?" Ellie's voice was small and quiet, she sounded unsure. Hannah looked over at her with a question in her eyes. Something wasn't right, something seemed off and Hannah had a feeling Ellie knew what it was. Ellie wouldn't make eye contact so Hannah decided it must not be anything major. Ellie was skittish, she always had been. She was uncomfortable, that was all. Hannah couldn't spend much more time considering what was wrong with Ellie, she was too excited. She was going to meet him today. Her mate. She let a smile come to her face. She couldn't wipe it clean even if someone held a silver blade to
Ellie knew something would happen to thwart them. It was her destiny to forever be left on the outskirts, forgotten and thrown aside by the Fates. She sat in her seat watching Jake with a pained expression as he spoke in low tones to Hannah, Firash and Mark. They were discussing Rand. Firash looked ready to turn around and find Rand so he could drag the man back to the Academy with them but Ellie knew he wouldn't come. Rand was long gone and he wouldn't reappear at his pack house until he was sure they had left. He wouldn't risk seeing Hannah again. She was his kryptonite. He may not know it, but it had happened to Ellie too. She thought she was safe from Jake. She had made the choice to stay away from him no matter what happened, no matter how many pretty words he spoke, and look at her now. She had lost that battle. "You're glad you lost that battle," Jake turned to speak softly to her. "How are you able to have a fully immersed conversation and still hear my thoughts and pro
Stefano stood to the side of the restaurant and watched with an amused expression as Amanda walked slowly toward the man sitting at the booth. Amanda moved as if in a trance, her feet involuntarily taking her closer to the man with the intense gaze. He was watching Amanda's every move, seemingly memorizing them. Ellie smirked and followed, looping her arm through Stefano's. "About time it's someone else," Ellie murmured under her breath at Stefano. He chuckled and pulled her arm, hurrying her along behind Amanda. The man sitting in the booth was staring at Amanda, watching her advance slowly. His eyes were hungry, bordering possessive. He had shaggy brown-blond hair and ice-blue eyes. His eyes were mesmerizing, even to Ellie and she shook her head in exasperation as she realized she was lusting after Amanda's mate's eyes. Because it was obvious that this was Amanda's mate. 'Seriously, Els. Lusting after another man's eyes?' Jake's voice sounded amused. 'If you could see them, you
Ellie was out cold, there was no getting her back. She had been lost in the recesses of her mind, the darkness enveloping her in a calm, deep sleep. Jake watched her sleep, running his fingers gently over her face as she lay in a bed in the infirmary. His cousin Stacy walked toward him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "She will wake up," Stacy whispered softly, trying to offer comfort where there was none. Ellie's face was serene and calm. She was at peace, wherever she was. Her mind was gone, lost in a sea of darkness that Jake couldn't access. Wherever she was, her thoughts were elusive, he couldn't hear them. "What will I do if I lose her again? Not just here, to this, but what happens if I can't get the contract void and I lose her forever?" Jake's voice broke. He didn't cry but he dropped his head in his hands in sorrow. He wanted to scream but he settled on a frustrated growl. Stacy squeezed his shoulder in understanding. "You won't," Stacy replied. Her confidence wa
It was 3:36 in the morning, Ellie had been out for three days. In a rush of breath, she sat up in bed, gasping in air as she woke suddenly from her deep sleep. If you could call it a deep sleep. Meeting the Fates wasn't exactly a restful experience. Her hair was wild, she had a very distinct and very pungent odor that made her nose cringe and she felt like she had been underwater for a very long time as she gasped for breath. The sound of her pulling air in and pushing it out with the force of someone that had just escaped death was enough to wake Jake from his sleep. He had stayed by her side for days. He refused to leave her. Even when he was supposed to go visit his mother, he canceled the trip to stay with Ellie. He may only have a few weeks left with her and he planned to stay as close to her as possible for however long he had. No one would take this time from him. "ELLIE!" Jake's voice rang through the infirmary. Between the sound of Jake's cry of surprise and Ellie's gasp
Marcus looked at the building Ellie was pointing toward, his eyes widening a fraction as he glanced back at Ellie. "You stay here, understand me? Don't move. I need to go help," Marcus replied, distracted, his hand gripping Ellie's arm in a tight, death hold. Ellie nodded, her eyes wide with fright. She couldn't bear the thought that Jake had been in the building when the blast occurred. A building that was now a pile of rubble. If he had been inside, he was very likely dead. No one could survive that. She felt tears coursing down her cheeks as she watched Marcus run across the quad toward the stones, glancing back at her every few feet to make sure she was still alright where he had left her. She watched him go, her eyes not daring to look at the ground around the building. In her peripheral vision, she could see hands and feet and she couldn't bear to look where she might find a body. Those were her friends. She had very likely lost friends in the blast and until she knew which
Ellie's head was spinning. She was concentrating hard and it was giving her a headache. Determined to keep the brick wall sturdy in her mind, keeping her thoughts private, for once, she crept down the dark corridor of the teacher's hall and glanced to her left, searching for a staircase leading downstairs. She was on the ground floor, looking for something that would point her in the right direction of the basement. Dungeons are always in the basement, she thought wryly as she tried to determine which way to go to find Stefano. She crept forward slowly, trying to keep her step light, knowing the hall was filled with werewolves with super-hearing and super-senses. She didn't live under the illusion she would make it all the way down to the dungeons and back without getting caught but she was hopeful she would be able to sneak in and see Stefano before the werewolves clued into her presence. So far, the werewolves on campus had been doing a pretty good job trying to keep her away from
As soon as Halloween was over, it felt like life was on fast-forward. The days flew by and suddenly it was two days until Ellie and Jake's shared birthday. The campus had turned to fall, decorations and trees alike reflecting the orange and red hues typical of this time of year."We're going out for dinner tomorrow night," Amanda said, nudging Ellie with her arm as they headed in toward class. "I don't know," Ellie said, shaking her head as she gestured toward four books in her hand. "I need to get these read by the end of the weekend.""It's your birthday, Els, you can take a break for dinner with your best friend," Amanda teased.Ellie looked at Amanda with surprise then scrunched up her face in confusion and looked up at the sky, silently counting."Tomorrow is the 12th," Amanda replied with a snort. "Your birthday.""Shoot, I forgot it was tomorrow," Ellie said with a small laugh. "Dinner sounds good."Amanda laughed as they sat in their seats, waiting for the lecture to begin."
Ellie paced in her room, Amanda was sitting on the couch watching as she walked back and forth. "Maybe we should figure out how to-" Amanda's voice was cut off by a knock on the door as Sam and Meredith swung the door open and walked in without preamble. Hannah came behind, walking slower, her face pensive as she pondered some private conundrum. Ellie could guess that her mind was preoccupied with her mate. "It's time to get dressed!" Sam said with her normal exuberance. "We are going to have the best time tonight! I can't wait to see you in your dress, you will seriously make the BEST demon." "Because that's what I want to be doing right now," Ellie muttered. Sam was still talking and didn't hear her mumbling as Ellie walked to her window, looking at the destruction in the courtyard beyond. Remnants of buildings were piled to the side of the walkways and Ellie's heart clenched at the memory of the students that had died in the blast. There had been a few in her class, the student
Ellie could feel herself clam up, her nerve flying right out the window in retreat of the icy green stares that pierced her resolve. There were six emerald-green eyes staring her down. One set was icy, one was angry, and one was almost disappointed, a sadness seeping in. "Els," Jake started, shaking his head as he paused. He looked disappointed and Ellie knew she was the cause. She was surprised to realize that she cared how he felt about her actions, but she supposed that happened when you grew closer to a mate. You suddenly want to please them. That was a weird feeling. She shook her head at her wayward thoughts, realizing she had been caught visiting a prisoner that she wasn't supposed to see. It was just Stefano, though. He was innocent. This was her Stefano. Her friend, not some dangerous criminal. "He didn't do it," she started, her voice soft and shaky. The glare of Eloise was enough to send her stomach into twists of nerves. She was certain she was going to be sick if she ha
Ellie's head was spinning. She was concentrating hard and it was giving her a headache. Determined to keep the brick wall sturdy in her mind, keeping her thoughts private, for once, she crept down the dark corridor of the teacher's hall and glanced to her left, searching for a staircase leading downstairs. She was on the ground floor, looking for something that would point her in the right direction of the basement. Dungeons are always in the basement, she thought wryly as she tried to determine which way to go to find Stefano. She crept forward slowly, trying to keep her step light, knowing the hall was filled with werewolves with super-hearing and super-senses. She didn't live under the illusion she would make it all the way down to the dungeons and back without getting caught but she was hopeful she would be able to sneak in and see Stefano before the werewolves clued into her presence. So far, the werewolves on campus had been doing a pretty good job trying to keep her away from
Marcus looked at the building Ellie was pointing toward, his eyes widening a fraction as he glanced back at Ellie. "You stay here, understand me? Don't move. I need to go help," Marcus replied, distracted, his hand gripping Ellie's arm in a tight, death hold. Ellie nodded, her eyes wide with fright. She couldn't bear the thought that Jake had been in the building when the blast occurred. A building that was now a pile of rubble. If he had been inside, he was very likely dead. No one could survive that. She felt tears coursing down her cheeks as she watched Marcus run across the quad toward the stones, glancing back at her every few feet to make sure she was still alright where he had left her. She watched him go, her eyes not daring to look at the ground around the building. In her peripheral vision, she could see hands and feet and she couldn't bear to look where she might find a body. Those were her friends. She had very likely lost friends in the blast and until she knew which
It was 3:36 in the morning, Ellie had been out for three days. In a rush of breath, she sat up in bed, gasping in air as she woke suddenly from her deep sleep. If you could call it a deep sleep. Meeting the Fates wasn't exactly a restful experience. Her hair was wild, she had a very distinct and very pungent odor that made her nose cringe and she felt like she had been underwater for a very long time as she gasped for breath. The sound of her pulling air in and pushing it out with the force of someone that had just escaped death was enough to wake Jake from his sleep. He had stayed by her side for days. He refused to leave her. Even when he was supposed to go visit his mother, he canceled the trip to stay with Ellie. He may only have a few weeks left with her and he planned to stay as close to her as possible for however long he had. No one would take this time from him. "ELLIE!" Jake's voice rang through the infirmary. Between the sound of Jake's cry of surprise and Ellie's gasp
Ellie was out cold, there was no getting her back. She had been lost in the recesses of her mind, the darkness enveloping her in a calm, deep sleep. Jake watched her sleep, running his fingers gently over her face as she lay in a bed in the infirmary. His cousin Stacy walked toward him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "She will wake up," Stacy whispered softly, trying to offer comfort where there was none. Ellie's face was serene and calm. She was at peace, wherever she was. Her mind was gone, lost in a sea of darkness that Jake couldn't access. Wherever she was, her thoughts were elusive, he couldn't hear them. "What will I do if I lose her again? Not just here, to this, but what happens if I can't get the contract void and I lose her forever?" Jake's voice broke. He didn't cry but he dropped his head in his hands in sorrow. He wanted to scream but he settled on a frustrated growl. Stacy squeezed his shoulder in understanding. "You won't," Stacy replied. Her confidence wa
Stefano stood to the side of the restaurant and watched with an amused expression as Amanda walked slowly toward the man sitting at the booth. Amanda moved as if in a trance, her feet involuntarily taking her closer to the man with the intense gaze. He was watching Amanda's every move, seemingly memorizing them. Ellie smirked and followed, looping her arm through Stefano's. "About time it's someone else," Ellie murmured under her breath at Stefano. He chuckled and pulled her arm, hurrying her along behind Amanda. The man sitting in the booth was staring at Amanda, watching her advance slowly. His eyes were hungry, bordering possessive. He had shaggy brown-blond hair and ice-blue eyes. His eyes were mesmerizing, even to Ellie and she shook her head in exasperation as she realized she was lusting after Amanda's mate's eyes. Because it was obvious that this was Amanda's mate. 'Seriously, Els. Lusting after another man's eyes?' Jake's voice sounded amused. 'If you could see them, you
Ellie knew something would happen to thwart them. It was her destiny to forever be left on the outskirts, forgotten and thrown aside by the Fates. She sat in her seat watching Jake with a pained expression as he spoke in low tones to Hannah, Firash and Mark. They were discussing Rand. Firash looked ready to turn around and find Rand so he could drag the man back to the Academy with them but Ellie knew he wouldn't come. Rand was long gone and he wouldn't reappear at his pack house until he was sure they had left. He wouldn't risk seeing Hannah again. She was his kryptonite. He may not know it, but it had happened to Ellie too. She thought she was safe from Jake. She had made the choice to stay away from him no matter what happened, no matter how many pretty words he spoke, and look at her now. She had lost that battle. "You're glad you lost that battle," Jake turned to speak softly to her. "How are you able to have a fully immersed conversation and still hear my thoughts and pro