She had trailed them like an addict chasing another high when he had walked with her. Nora didn’t seem comfortable first, but now she did. Whatever he set out to achieve, he did. That was Noah Abel. And this was Vanessa Flynn, standing in her faded khaki capri with black sweathirt, hair up in a signature bun, and barefoot. She had tried climbing this vertical set of logs. Her feet hurt now, a blister or two would form. If water retained, it’d either infect her, a mix of dead white cells, tissue debris. Its like her brain had coveted to finding non sense to fill the vacuum once her obsession with the couple would die down. And it will. She was fast hatching a plan to make Noah hers. It was no longer question of her need, it was about her sanity. The banality of her idea didn’t strike her comforting but she felt more than ready. Because she knew Noah could no more lose interest in her than he could stop caring about his prized possessions. That was one thing set in stone. Noah like he
Noah was rethinking the whole evening. It played like a scene, one after another, when his wolf couldn't catch a break. Rudiger was against Desmond, and if he saw the evening to an end, in some ways Desmond's daughter will be too. He sifted through the papers, looking for everyday things- a pen, or a pencil, was a task in itself. Because Vanessa set them up however she wanted. And for the life of him, he couldn't tell her otherwise. He spent a whole evening with a beautiful woman, one he would've done everything in his power to take her to his bed. Why could he only think about the one he was soon going to get rid of? Vanessa knew he'd be in his cave. Hidden away after the party. That was his way of ending the day with order intact. She saw him leaning over the table and wanted to replace whatever held his attention. Noah, from a distance, looked more pious. And whatever they had was worth consideration, effort and seeing beyond one's pain. It was no help that casual Noah was stam
The penny finally dropped. Only, it felt like someone had knocked Noah sideways. He was still here, touching her, breathing her in. He knew she was a virgin. He knew the way she tucked her chin that she thought this was why he hadn't turned all his filthy fantasies into a reality with her. But that was far from it. He moved a few steps away, his back to him, and for the first time in a long time, he prayed. Vanessa was feeling cold. She usually didn't, the wolf kept her warm and cozy. Without Noah's body heat, she felt something akin to snakes coiling in her belly because his tensed shoulders, the way he rubbed the back of her neck told her she had picked the worst time to make her little confession. But she wasn't backing down now. Wasn't he the one to convince her to not run away? "What is this Vanessa?" She approached him still. He pointed his finger back and forth to indicate what she was doing to both of them. She didn't quite understand but his anger made her feel giddy. It al
Maybe he’d finally squish her under his feet. It would be better, anything would be better than this. Because she loved him. “What’s worse is you are so deep in your own troubles you don’t see the world around you. Especially when you are home-sick. Always searching for it like a nomad. Vanessa, people can’t be your home. It goes to say how ridiculous your aspiration is because you fell for the first person who shoved some attention and care your way. First-person that sees you for who you are, and you become desperate enough to give him your all.”He was having an out-of-body experience when he said that but she brought him back. “Stop. Oh! God. Stop. Speaking.” The cry wrenched from her lips so loud that someone at the door flinched. The loud quiet leaked into her bones like poison, she saw his eyes fix on the door only to turn around and find Nora Desmond.Nora Desmond with her manicured nails clutching the champagne bottle as if it might jostle out of her arms. She had heard.
“I am here to let you know. You don’t have time to mop over your heart-break” His voice leveled, revealing how the cat’s playtime was up. “Why isn't he here telling me that himself?” “He has something else to do. I don’t ask questions like you, Vanessa. Nor do I go around crying when Noah is doing all he can to keep us all safe. Listen girlie, I disliked your ‘I am a damsel act’ the moment I saw you. What will it take to pull your head out of your ass for once to make you realize this is bigger and more important than our troubled little lives?” Rhys grip tightened with each word he breathed in anger. He was angry because, like Noah Abel, he had a thing for recently dumped, wore-their-hearts on sleeves women. Like the one looking at him with doe eyes. Vanessa snickered. Then she really did laugh. Her hand moved, working on muscle memory and she didn’t know what she was doing until it met with a hard collection of bones under the smooth olive-brown skin. She had slapped Rhys. She ha
The voices didn’t make sense. They never did. She felt like a child standing in a whispering room. Like everyone before her had come here to confess something, only they were trapped in here and she could hear them. She could talk back to them but they wouldn’t listen. Vanessa’s mouth tasted coppery, it took a breath or two to realize it was blood. And before the panic could set in, she also somehow knew it wasn’t her blood. When she scraped her tongue with the upper row of teeth expecting to see red, all she saw was her own saliva. Still groggy from sleep, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been real. Very real. And for the first time, she can’t recall her nightmare or pseudo-dreams as she labeled them a while ago with Noah, because when he had cuddled her close twice at night, both the times he had confirmed how the air changed around her when she slept. The physical presence might be non-tangible but to a wolf-like his, it’d be no easy feat to fool. So whatever or whoever
“Communion is good at constructing a reality, for temselves and for the rest of us which is at odds with thousand other realities. They pick their favorite one and order others to believe it too. They will try to be confidential about any new information they find. Which is when we go public with it. Create enough panic and demand from everyone so the leaders are forced into taking some decisive action. The sooner they fin a culprit, the quicker they can please creatures. It is how it always works. Nobody is interested in due justice, they want quick justice. Desmond won’t see the light of the day before he knows what’s happening to him.” Noah was getting ticked by the second. Anyone who was here to pick up the samples should have arrived by now. “W should go. Staying any longer won’t do us good.” Mikhail was right. They should have left half an hour ago but something old Noah whoever was coming wasn’t late. They were cautioned. “There is an information leak.” What was he expecting
Ian caught on to whatever was happening and had left them alone. Neither spoke for a while, two people sitting in different corners unable to judge the distance or what it had done to them. But only one was angry, and it wasn’t Noah. “I work here.” The dejected whisper came from her stomach. Vanessa was not sure where this was going. The anger belted down, she thought he wanted her to be away for a day or two. But why would he care? “You are running away again.” His idle observation stuck a nerve, which is what he really wanted to do. He could feel her absolving into herself. And angry Vanessa was better than the one who second-guessed herself every step of the way. He could withstand anger, not broken pieces she’d have to collect when this was all over. Utterly selfish of him to make this about himself, but that’s all he had ever known until she came along. The nails dug in her palm. She could belch and ruin the mahogany table. That’d be a sight for the sore eyes. Like adding humi