Almara’s PovPerhaps I’ve spoken too soon. It’s nearly noon, meaning we’ve been looking for a potential art school to set up shop at for the past six hours and so far the last three places we looked at have rejected us.The first place we looked at used to be an apartment complex, but before that it was a steel-making business. It was a beautiful building with lots of historic character, exposed brick, and industrial accents with metallic spiral staircases and large windows.
Almara’s Pov“It’s coming together.” I hear someone say over the sound of Arthur hammering away. By the last strike of the hammer, I’d say Arthur recognizes the voice and isn’t happy about it.I peak around the side of the building from where I’m leaning on a ladder painting and see Roman standing below us, hands on his hips.He looks out of place in his ten-thousand-dollar tailored jet black suit with midnight blue cufflinks standing among slabs of woo
Almara’s PovOur savings might be depleted, but the school is up and running. Mostly. Arthur and I finished the project six months later than we thought we would and only being able to get so far when my paintings were selling.But finally, it is finished. The final result is a simplistic three-story building with stained glass windows along the edges of the building that give the entire structure a warm glow. Where there isn’t glass there’s Bess-inspired cobblestone. It’s a beautiful combination of rustic and modern.
Almara’s PovThe damage is worse up close. At least from the parking lot, there was some distance between me and the wreckage. Now that I stand mere feet away, I can see the hate seeping out of every blow that our poor building suffered.What’s worse is, that several students have already shown up before Arthur and I could make the phone call to tell them classes were canceled. The looks on their faces pains me the most. I had to duck away because their sympathetic condolences only made it hard for me to breathe.
Almara’s PovIt’s been a week since the vandalization. We got most of the mess cleaned up, of course not before images of the wreck made their rounds circulating on social media.It’s incredibly hard to read the public. Some feel bad for us, others say we deserved it, and a small portion agrees if any members of the hurricane pack deserve to have their possessions wrecked it should be the billionaires: Roman and Robert. Very little does anyone think that this shouldn’t happen at all.
Almara’s PovArthur is acting weird. The school has been open for a month and we’ve been going out to lunch together every day since, except when I asked him today he gave me some lame excuse about having too much work to do.I only asked out of courtesy, I wasn’t actually expecting his usual answer to change. Even when I asked him if I could pick us up lunch and sit in his room with him while he worked, he got very fidgety and said that he had to run out to an art store. Which is also completely out of the blue.
Almara’s Pov“Before you say anything, there’s more,” Arthur says, his eyes excitedly searching mine though I have no idea what mine are conveying back.Arthur bought this house? Beneath the complete shock and awestruck beauty of the house is the nagging question of why he didn’t talk to me about this first. The old Arthur certainly wouldn’t have and would have done exactly this to swoon me- and it would’ve worked.The Arthur that’s devel
Almara’s PovGrace loves her new home. We all do. It only took a few extra months working with the interior designer to get the house of our dreams all set up and now it’s ready to show our friends and family.“Almara, where do you want the charcuterie board?” Arthur asks and I turn from placing sunflowers in a vase and point him in the direction of the sunroom.“I think on the glass table, next to the family portraits, would look nice,” I tell him.
Almara’s Pov5 Years Later“Cheers,” Arthur sys clinking his mixed drink of vodka and lemonade with my non-alcoholic lemonade. I’m pregnant, again. This pregnancy is completely different than my first two, I actually get to relax. Which is exactly what we’re doing in the manicured garden of our backyard.We sit stretched out on zero-gravity pool chairs, sweat
Almara’s PovAfter a much-needed week of rest and restoration, Arthur and I are back on the vampire territory. I suppose that it can officially be called that again now that it has been reclaimed.My body healed magnificently after months of not only growing another being, but also fighting a war. It’s amazing what good rest and proper nutrition can do. Of course, the real healing ingredient came from the sacrificial love of my wonderful husband.Even though he suffered his own inju
Almara’s PovFinally, after several journeys back and forth from our homeland to the enemies we come to the final steps. We saw plenty of wolves making their expedition back home and there was a unspoken agreement that what everyone needs right now is peace.Thankfully, no one came up to us with questions, grief, or comments. It’s like we have this new kinship with the gammas in our world that we didn’t before. We seem to understand each other, or at least truly see one another.
Almara’s PovOn the way home we make a pitstop to a very special place. “Why are we seeing more dead bodies?” Grace asks, her tone telling me we are nearing a full-blown tantrum.“This body belongs to someone very important in our family,” I tell her calmly and hike her up on my hip. I’m not sure if my words got through to her, or maybe it’s her father's serenity as we ascend up one final hill to where Bess lays.Bess’s gravestone is set apart fro
Almara’s PovWith the vortex closed off and gone, the air becomes breathable again and the storm lessens. Still, my paws squelch in the wet terrain.Unfortunately, as I look around at the battlefield and see the piles of bodies slumped over one another, I think it’s more than just mud causing the stickiness.I try not to look down at the innocent blood shed on the ground. As I take careful consideration to step over and around the bodies, I tell myself they chose to come out and hel
Almara’s PovCathy and I weave through the castle, barely missing rubble crumbling off from the stony walls. We leap over counters, using everything we have in us to catapult ourselves past knocked over statues of gargoyles and shredded velvet furniture.“Catch!” Cathy calls out and reflexively I snatch a jagged shard of ceramic in my hand. I recognize it from a broken pot on the ground. Then out of the corner of my eye I see something else flying at me, though I don’t catch it this time, I duck.
Almara’s PovI’ve never seen Cathy look more confident and proud than she does at this moment. She stands tall, cuts strewn across her body, but they only add to her tough exterior. She’s covered in her enemy’s blood and she has a thrilling look in her eyes.“Have you seen Arthur?” I ask cutting to the chase. Cathy nods back towards tall white cabinet doors. I turn back to look at my mother who nods in confirmation. I rush over to the door and throw it open.
Almara’s PovI awake to a familiar beeping sound. It’s faint at first, like a distant call from far away until it’s suddenly blaring in my ears. My eyes shoot open and the blood in my body rushes to the important organs and I sit up with a jolt.“Where’s Grace?” I ask before I can make out anything else. “Arthur? Robbie?” I call out, hoping the sound of my distressed voice will cause Robbie to cry back.“Shhh,” a gentle voice says with
Almara’s PovArthur flings open the door, this time it breaks off the hinges. I guess there’s no changing our mind now. I keep Robbie wrapped up in both my arms and under my shirt.Arthur uses his body to guard mine, outstretching his arms and a puffed-out chest as he keeps his eyes zeroed in on every moving body around us all while moving us forward and falling in exact pace with each of my steps.We fight through sideways rain and vicious winds, it dawns on me that this storm isn&