“So, you think that your boss is a young dude?” Diana asked whilst on our stroll. I had asked her first if it was possible for magic to make someone younger, voice and all. She had nodded, but had admitted that she didn’t know anyone in the community that did that. It’s a banned magic actually, since it involves sacrifices of human blood to stay young. I told her then of the call. She still found it funny. She believed that either I heard wrong, or the person speaking was the secretary, one of the assistants in the store I would be working in. “But he sounded like the boss, a young boss.” I said, not adding that the voice had sounded so gentle that I had wished to get a glimpse of the person speaking. Patience young warlock, you are a worker there after all. I smiled at the thought, then frowned. What was I doing goofing over a man’s voice? Seriously Maya, you don’t ever learn, do you? “So, where are we going first?” Diana asked, obviously giving up on trying to convince me of
“Dora, hi…I thought you would be joining us..” Noami started, when I fully faced her, my hand still clasped with Diana’s. “Don’t worry about the strictness of their faces, they are quite cool, especially the boys. I have seen how you catch their attention, and I think they will be pleased to see you, and know you…your mask..” I watched her stutter, like she hadn’t seen the mask that covered my face, like she was just seeing it now. “It’s something I have to wear.” I answered stiffly, probably because I didn’t want a conversation about the mask, or most probable because I hated that she had classified that crowd as cool. Yes sure I didn't know the queen’s children upfront, but from the tales of Laura, and I know she couldn’t lie to me, I was sure that they weren’t any good either. Just a bunch of entitled assholes and egocentric jerks. The triplets and Claire were entirely on a next level. Those were bastards, wicked bastards. Why was Naomi with them? Why did she find them a good
“This girl is just so full of herself..” Claire stated. She must have noticed that I was appealing to Adam. Took a second. “What else would I be full of, Claire, shit? Apologies my dear, but not everyone is like you. I, specifically, refuse to be full of that.” I said, without waiting a beat. Naomi cackled first, then the rest joined, including Adam. I rested back on the pillar, feeling a bit content, after that. Diana jabbed me lightly, but I knew she was happy that I was getting along, or rather pretending to get along. Claire was red in the face. She stood up sharply, attempting to walk toward me, and maybe, I don’t know, throw out a slap or something, but Adam held her back. “It was just a joke, Claire. You don’t need to get worked up about it.” I watched her deflate and sink back to her position on the pavement. Her anger wasn’t totally out, but it was diffused now. The power of Adam. Sickening. To think I had been under the influence. By this time, Duke has taken advan
“Dora, wait!” Noami. She was the one speaking, and I wondered why. Shouldn’t she be with her friends? I mused, turning around to glance at her, my hands still fitted in with a Diana whose lips haven’t yet gotten rid of the smile. She had been so proud of my comeback to Duke. Yes, it had been an empty threat, but she believed it was a sign of growth on my part. Diana thought I should keep up the act, perhaps become a bully to the bullies, since my identity to them was unknown. I stayed silent, till Noami got to me. She was breathing deeply, and exhaling the same, like she had run a marathon, despite the fact that it hadn’t been up to three minutes since we had left the shade. I waited for her to speak, pretending to be aloof to her ploys that we be friends. Partly because it would suit my new persona, and partly because I wasn’t sure if her loyalty had really laid with me when I was still the bullied Maya. What if all her friendly gestures had all been part of a big plan? To des
This must be a new one. I thought, as I looked at the sign that was placed on the restaurant’s top. “Do they cook as nice as they look?” Diana asked, and I held back a chuckle. Naomi couldn't though. “Of course,” She managed to say whilst chuckling. She held the free hand of Diana—typical Noami—to the surprise of the little one, and led us into the restaurant. It was bustling already, the bustle easing when they took note of us. There were a few from the mage community, but most were of the werewolf’s clan and they couldn’t understand what a masked girl was doing in their eatery. The party was over for god sake. They must be thinking. “Don’t mind their stares. It’s not everyday that a masked beauty pays them a visit.” Naomi said, and I nodded, willing myself not to smile sheepishly at the title. Masked beauty? I might get used to that. We found a table that was close to the door. Diana had picked that one. I was not sure if it was because of its closeness to the door. “Let me
When had he gotten here? I wondered, not bothering to turn aside to look at the human that had come to stand beside me. Why was he here? Obviously he had heard the content of my mock speech to Raul, but who said he could join the discussion? Well, what do I know, this place was his territory. “What are you doing here?” Nice question, Raul. I thought, making taps on the table with my finger, as if a question hadn’t been directed to me earlier. “I don't remember passing a remark to you, wizard..” Okay, that was a low, Adam. What the hell was he doing? Was he that petty to pick a fight with Raul just because I had mentioned that Raul was more handsome than he and his brothers. How right could the word bastard be at this point? I watch a server advance towards us, with our order I presume, her eyebrows furrowed, probably wondering why Adam was at our table. My eyes found Claire and Rachel too. They seemed to be conniving wordlessly on how to throw me to hell. This wasn’t good. It
Diana broke the silence first, with her laughter. Raul followed next. “Raul!” His twin shouted, but dude couldn’t be bothered enough to stop. “Little Adams? God, Dora, you are so funny.” He said, not stopping to catch a breath. I liked his addition, so I pretended not to see that he was close to Diana now. I hope the dude wasn’t planning on following through on his mother’s plan though, else this camaraderie would be lost soon. “How dare you? Who do you think you are? Since last night, you have been…” Noah was saying, when Adam stretched his hand in front of his face, probably telling him to match a brake, because the red faced dude stopped speaking. However, I decided to finish it, in my own way, with my own ingredients. “Since last night I have been what? Dodging your sexual advances? I don’t get it. You trio haven't taken rejections before?” “Okay, that’s it, young woman. I think it's time you left this place.” That was Timothy. Nice of him to join the party. “And who are yo
“What the…” Diana’s unfinished sentence, the sequential clucking of her tongue by the roof of her mouth, had me looking in the same line of her eyesight; Raul had just stepped out of the eatery with the hall, but he was not alone. He was with Adam and Noami. What the hell! I completed the sentence in my head. What does this mean? I sighed wearily. I wasn’t in the mood to grapple with Adam again. Wasn’t he tired? Hadn’t his ego been bruised enough? I rested my hands on my thighs, waiting for them to reach my stand, devoid of any expectations. It was better that way. “Why is the shameless scumbag with you?”’ I asked Raul, immediately they stepped into my confines. Raul shrugged his shoulders in reply, before dropping the tray of assorted dishes on the pavement. I and Diana picked up the buns first and started munching. I didn’t bother to ask Adam why he was here, rather I turned to Naomi, and she shrugged her shoulders too, just before she picked a bun, and took a sitting position
Was this a joke? It’s a lame one if it was.When I perused Daniel’s face however, he wasn’t laughing because he had made a joke, he was laughing because he thought it funny that I was lost for words in the face of his comment. He was serious. What the hell?! What in god's name was this anomaly? Was there no first aid kit in the Queen’s house? Was there no healer there? Even if there wasn’t, couldn’t the Queen have tended to the wounds since Adam was a guest of the palace?I released a string of curses then, ignoring the comical expression on Daniel’s face. Who had brought the stupid idea of bringing the hooligan to my house?I ruffled my hair angrily, disregarding my significant other’s exasperation with me for letting my emotions out in the open. ‘Must you act like you are actually shocked? This Lycan isn’t stupid. He would read you off like a book, or rather he has read you up already. No way would you be escaping his clutches now.’ She might be right, but this was no time to
Raul didn't smile at my figurative expression. He looked in the direction of Daniel rather—the manager had taken the Lycan to one side to discuss with him. I'm sure the manager was having the time of his life. "You should have told me…" Raul spoke, retuning his attention to me. "I would have bought you something, maybe taken you to the eatery just a few miles away from the store." All to prevent Daniel from walking with me? That was a little too late, because the anticipation of having Laura's food on an empty stomach was more tempting that going out on a date with Raul. 'It isn't a date. He just wants to buy you food.' Whatever. "I can still take you now…." Really? Nah. Sorry dude, try again the next time. "That's won't be necessary. I will be walking her home now. Her request was granted." Daniel said, interrupting us, giving the expert no I wanted to give Raul. "Are you ready to leave?" Daniel asked me, done with Raul. "I just need to get my bag." I mused, and left the bo
“Are you getting off on this? Are you a fan of bdsm? Do the hits and scorn give you the thrill you seek for?" Daniel's shock has given way to dry humor. He was annoyed. Well, I would be if the roles were reversed. Why the hell had I slapped him? Though it was called for—he had bullied me because he was just bored; he had made my life miserable because he was just bored—he didn't deserve it because he wouldn't know the exact reason why I had slapped him. He had a worser reason than Adam though. I wondered what Noah's would be. Maybe he was the one getting off the abuse? To Daniel's stupid yet deserved question, I shook my head. "Did you hit Adam when both of you had gotten cozy a week ago? See, I have thought about it, and for Adam to kiss you, to get into your space, it would mean that you had let him, that you had let him touch you. Am I wrong?" I gave no response, other than scrunching my face in disgust. Daniel didn't buy the fake expression this time around. "So, h
Daniel literally flinched at the vehemence in my voice. He didn’t see it coming. He flinched and withdrew his hand from my arm as if the entirety of my hand was hot fire. “I’m sorry. I just got over excited.” He said after a beat of silence had gone by, surprising me for the second time today. “I will help you arrange the boxes. We can talk as we do that, right?” I said nothing, instead I watched, stupefied, as he opened one of the cartons—he didn’t wait for a reply from me—and brought out a product. “Where should this go?” A good question that will retrieve an answer from me, because there was no way I would allow him to give me double work by not shelving properly. “Put it under that area. Others like it go on the same row. You know what I mean?” Daniel released a nervous laugh. “I might not be like Raul who serves the commoner, but I’m not dumb.” Thank the gods for that. I retraced my footsteps back to the carton I had been working on, choosing to be civil for the sake of m
Daniel balled his fists in anger at the question thrown to him by Raul. He darted glances between I and Raul as if we were both joining hands to attack him. Gabriella left his side, as if she was afraid that he might get insane, and walked to my side. Daniel, noticing this, gritted his teeth, before freeing his hands. “Good boy. Good that you noticed that this is not your living room, or your pack, or the school where students lived for drama. Now what do you want?” Raul asked, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. Was the boy courting death? I wondered, folding my arms across my chest. As much as I believe Raul’s words, I liked the drama. Gabriella mirrored my actions. We watched as Daniel opened his mouth, and then shut it. I wasn’t sure if it was because of nerves seeing that Raul had displaced him before he even started, or because whatever he wanted to say was embarrassing. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe that he was the same Daniel with the most running mouth amo
“Dora, do you think we will be done with this today?” Levina asked me as we slotted goods into their specific positions on a shelf. True to her word she had turned in her application to the store owner, who had hired her on the spot. But why not? Mr Lethon was a popular figure, and also a good person. I still remembered his last words to me the last time I had been in his office. He was good just like Peter. Peter had dropped me here before heading back home with Laura and a wide eyed Diana. My little sister had heard the news of my loss of control. It amazed her, rather than terrified her. But then, Diana was Diana, rarely terrified. “Yes, I believe we will. Gabriella mentioned that she will be here to help us after her work with Raul.” Levina snorted. “Raul can easily do that by himself. He should just release Gabriella to us. He knows that we need her more than he does.” Yes, he probably does. I thought, picking up another item and shelving it correctly. Incorrect shelving m
Can't I have a moment of rest in my little life? I mused, watching Adam and his brothers watch me. Skepticism shrouded their eyes thickly. But would my unpredictability stop them from disturbing my already chaotic life? I don't think so. I sighed wearily. There must be some other way to get them off my back. Unless I might really have a fit here. I was already fed up with the up and downs of this week.First, it was the bullying episode on my first day. On my second day, I had gotten involved with another bullying episode in my workplace. My fourth and fifth days were uneventful-thank god. That's apart from the meeting with the Queen. But today was the worst of all.Today, I lost control over my magic powers, and burnt more than four classrooms. I just escaped from Raul and his enthralling eyes and love. I just escaped from expulsion from a school I have barely spent a week in. I just landed my ass into the Queen's trap. And now, just when I had tried inhaling deeply to calm myself,
"She must be expelled from our school! Did you see the amount of damage she had done in the school? She hasn't even been in the school for a week, and already she is courting trouble left, right and center. What's next on her agenda?!" Maybe burn your nose. I thought meekly, staring at the woman who hadn't stopped hissing and clamoring for my expulsion since I had stepped into the boardroom that was big enough to house more than a hundred students. So, this was the worst that could happen? Expulsion from school? It didn't hit hard as I thought it would, but I didn't want to be expelled though. I wanted to finish high school. I already dropped out in the pack, I can't drop out here again. I wasn't sure when Laura and Peter had been called, but the two had been around when I had stepped into the room. Laura had immediately left her seat, and had started fussing over me, asking if I was okay, and all that. She had found it confusing that I had not a smell of smoke on my body. I hadn'
I can't believe myself. I can't believe what I had done, when I had opened my eyes and saw the classroom free of smoke, free from the flames I had conjured mere minutes ago. I had jumped on Raul. It was supposed to be a thank you hug, you know, coming from a place of excitement, of happiness that I had finally mastered how to control my magic to some extent, but the hug ended up being the ones couple shared after being apart for probably a year. I had hugged him quite alright, but my legs had moved, of their accord. They had jumped and plastered themselves around his waist. They were still there. Around his waist. My mind was in shambles, especially since Raul had managed to catch me with all precision, still held me now, and showed no signs of letting go. Don't I weigh anything? I retrieved my head from the crook of his neck which scented of masculinity. This contact needed to end now. "Ehmm.." I muttered now, looking into his face, which although wasn't red as mine, showed the