“Barlough?” Jamie asked in surprise. “Is that where you’re from?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“Because I’ve known that place my entire life.” He said, “I have quite a lot of friends there. I never expected that you would be from there too.”
“Then perhaps you’ll know my parents too?” Emma mused, “George and Isabella Payton?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” he added quickly. He already knew of her parents and had done a thorough research about their origin. They have lived there their entire lives and were barely involved in any conflicts in town. They were the few humans who did
“Oh, don’t call me that, child.” He said, “You’re a nobody to me.”Emma’s pulse sky-rocketed as she heard his strict cold voice once again. She was all too familiar with that tone, for she had heard it several times in the past whenever he meant to punish her. More than anything, it hurt to hear him speak to her that way. She pitied herself as she reminisced how she thought she could trust her uncle and aunt to have her back after her parents passed away.“What are you doing?” She asked.“Well, shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He gritted, “What the fuck are you doing with Rogers?”“Rogers?” Emma as
He felt his blood boil as he gripped the steering wheel. Pressing on the accelerator, Jamie let the speed calm his nerves. Emma’s recent phone call was still playing in his head and as he reminisced her words, he felt as though his blood boiled. Consumed by anger, he found a desperation to destroy something, watch it crumble in front of his eyes just so he could find an outlet. However, he struggled to place an object that he could direct all his frustration to. When he came to the bottom of it, he realized that only found himself to be responsible for everything. How could he let himself be so gullible? He should’ve seen this coming. Out of desperation to meet Ben and find out important information, he overlooked the fact that it was precisely this that Ben was aiming for and he merely fell prey to it. At the very least, he should’ve asked for Tom to accompany Emma to the restaurant, or asked Elena to come home instead. Letting her go alone was out of the question all these days for
Although an amused smile rested on Emma’s face, her mind had long drifted away from the current scene in the room. After her conversation with Jamie, she joined Elena and Tom for dinner in the living room while Jamie remained in his bedroom to make a phone call. Tom had been trying to hit on Elena since the moment she walked in, or probably much before that, and while his attempts at wooing her friend amused her for a little while, her mind caught up on things that were bothering her all along.When she confided in Jamie about her dreadful evening, revealing to him how her uncle had warned her against trusting him, Jamie’s reasoning as to why he would say such a thing was hardly convincing enough for her. Unlike what he thought, she wasn’t ready to accept that her uncle was merely using that as a ploy to get into her head and suspected that there was something deeper t
“What was that phone call you had to make last night?” Emma asked as she looked ahead into the sky. The sun was fast approaching the horizon and within a few minutes time, it would completely disappear from the sky, leaving behind traces of its presence. Jamie glanced at her with wonder, surprised by her sudden question. She has been eerily quiet the entire day, remaining inside her room for most part. In fact, she seemed so aloof that when he offered to take her up to the terrace, he was sure she would decline. Surprisingly enough, she agreed, but he didn’t count on her speaking to him at all. “It was my father,” Jamie said, earning a curious glance from her. “Oh?”“Yeah.” “Does he have a hand in this?” A chortle left his mouth, “No, he has far better things to take care of than help someone with their personal vendetta.” “Thank god.” “Anyway, I called him to find out what he knew about your uncle. I told him he wanted to meet me yet stood me up.” “Is your father going to be
“Thanks for helping me with this.” Emma sighed as she fell back on her bed. Beside her, her best friend was just closing up the zip of a bag that the two girls have spent the last hour filling with clothes and other travel essentials. “Don’t be silly.” She said, “Besides, you know why I’m actually here.” An amused smile crossed Emma’s face as she looked at Elena’s mischievous look. As the latter took the bag off the mattress and settled down on it, Emma propelled herself on her elbow and raised her eyebrows at her. “Are you here to meet your boyfriend then?” She asked, referring to Tom. Tom and Elena have been on three dates in the past one week, much to Emma’s amazement. It was the first time she was seeing her best friend commit so much to a guy, much less a guy like Tom, who screamed playboy in every way. Elena was no prude, but he was a bit excessive for even someone like her. When asked if it bothered her that he was like that, she simply said she was yet to see that side of
As she got off the bus at Leanor street, Barlough, Emma felt as though she traveled back in time to her childhood. Despite the many new constructions and changes in the layout, the city of Barlough retained its originality and aura, making her feel like she had never left the place. It was the same bus stop that Emma stood at for years as a child, waiting to go to school. It was the same place where her father would drop her off before he set off for his day, and where her mother would pick her up at the end of hers. As she looked back, she realized that she only had fond memories of this place. Only the end for them was bitter. Tipping the conductor, Jamie came to stand behind her, entwining his fingers with hers. As she felt his familiar touch, she gave him a quick smile. “This way?” She asked. Nodding, he stepped ahead to lead the way. Jamie had already booked a hotel room for their stay here, and he made sure it was in the familiar part of the city for Emma. She couldn’t be mo
Emma was chasing something dark and figureless in her dreams when she was slowly pulled into the lap of reality. Squirming on the bed, she let out a moan of protest as her mind yearned to escape back into the incomplete dream. Right then, she felt some rough down the length of her thighs, and then came back up. She had a vague memory of wearing only her silk robe to her bed after her shower, abandoning her under pants and bra.She quickly realized that it was a hand between her legs that was causing the hot tingling sensations on her skin, making her tighten her core. The same time as the fingers inched closer to her folds, she felt a breath fan against her neck, a soft kiss replacing it shortly after.Emma’s eyes fluttered open at once, and all she could see was the white, blank ceiling over her head. Beside, Jamie
Much to her dismay, when Emma’s eyes fluttered open after a well rested nap, she found the spot beside her empty. She felt a disappointment instantly fill her chest as her eyes found no trace of Jamie inside the room, nor could she hear his presence in the bathroom. When she got up to look for him on the balcony, she found a small note on the desk by the side of the bed.‘I’ll be back by 8. Order food in if you’re hungry but don’t step out. Call me if you need anything.’Emma rolled her eyes at his message which reminded her of her middle school principal’s notice. Direct, demanding with zero sense of politeness. That was Jamie in a nutshell.How was she going to survive the next two hours locked inside the bedroom? She could attempt to sneak out, but Emma
Emma released a strangled cry as he neared her. Inching backwards, she tried to get up on her feet and get away from him, but she couldn’t. Before she could do so much as raise up on her feet, he kicked her down, stamping his foot on her chest. Crouching down, he held her hands and pinned them to the ground, rendering her immobile. She widened her eyes as he inched his face closer to her, feeling completely helpless within the confines of his body. “Let me go!” She screamed, eyes filled with fear. “Please!” “You deserve to die in my hands, just like that bastard that tried to take away my daughter.” He said, “These hands have killed so many of you, you think you will be spared my mercy? Never. I’d rather die than let you go.”Raising his knife, he angled it right above her abdomen. Emma’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized what he was doing. Her baby.. No! He couldn’t do that to her baby. “The venom in your body..” He said, “It’s supposed to kill your ability to shift into yo
Emma released a tearless sob as pushed the flush button on her commode. Leaning back onto her heels, Emma sat down on the bathroom floor as her head began to spin. It was the third time in a row today that she was retching in the bathroom, emptying all of her stomach’s content. She had no clue why she fell so sick suddenly that she couldn’t even keep a glass of water inside her. It was perhaps due to the stress that she’s been experiencing lately, which only aggravated as Jamie left her alone there.She felt her body burn as beads of sweat collected on her forehead. Wiping it off, she slowly reached for the wall for support and brought herself to stand on her feet. Although wobbly, she made her way to the basin and ran the tap, splashing some water on her tired face. As she looked into the mirror, she realized that she looked hideous. Dark circles covered the skin under her eyes as her face shrunk to reveal her bones. She looked visibly dehydrated, in desperate need of help and rest.
The emotion within Jamie swirled in all its fury, growing so magnanimous that he struggled to contain it within himself. He felt himself shake, growing suffocated with each passing second. He could no longer stay in the room. His feet took him away from his mother, going to the window. As he reached it, he swung them open and shoved his head out, reeling in a deep breath. He felt beads of sweat trickle down his forehead and along the tip of his cold nose. She felt a touch on his shoulder then, urging him to turn around but he resisted. “Jamie, please.” His mother sobbed, “Look at me.” “Get out of here.” He said in a low voice. “Jamie…” “I don't want to look at you.” He said, whirling around. “You and your husband, what a fucked up pair you are. One kills his own child and the other covers for him. That was bloody loyal of you, mother.” “What else was I supposed to do?” She cried, “If I had revealed the truth to you, he would’ve killed me too.” Jamie scoffed, looking away. There
Jamie could hardly get the scenes of that afternoon out of his mind. Any lingering hope he had regarding his father instantly diminished as he realized up to what extent he was willing to go to keep the aims of the brotherhood fulfilled. As he rolled on his bed, he realized that perhaps he made a mistake coming here, for he could now see the true nature of his father. At least if he was away, he could have found comfort in the misbelief that his father was a good man, a man who had the heart to at least spare some mercy on an unborn child. But now, he was facing the dark reality he would prefer to have avoided. He didn’t need to know that his father had zero regard for what Jamie wanted and cherished. His aim was more important to him than Jamie’s happiness, and if it meant killing his wife and child for it, then so be it. “You cannot let a rogue carry your child, Jamie. How could you have made that mistake?” His father had said that afternoon. “She is my wife.” He said. “That is
The tension in the air was palpable, making Jamie remain alert to every small movement. The familiar scent of wood and musk was hardly making him feel at home, rather, he felt out of place. Although it had been a mere few days since he was last at this place, it felt like an eternity ago, merely in the wake of everything that had happened in the past few days. Jamie shoved his hands into his pants pockets as he looked over the view from the window, watching over the people that roamed around in their backyard. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but it felt so different to his people once again. When he first arrived at his father’s house, he was greeted by the same people he once assumed to be his loyal friends. Just in a matter of a week, they revealed their true colors and proved to him that they would always remain loyal to the pack and its leadership. He knew he couldn’t blame them, for they were merely doing their job, but he couldn’t help the distaste he’s developed against them
Goodbyes were never easy. There was seldom anything good about your loved one leaving you. Whether it was to reach better places or to go back to fix things in the past, a departure always came with a possibility that the distance they’re going to create between them might be permanent. A harmless journey once took her entire family away from her, and she had no reason to believe that it might never happen again.As Emma watched him pull the zipper of his bag close, she realized that it was time. When he first broke the news that he would be going back home to settle things with his father, she was elated. It was precisely what she wanted him to do and she was glad he made up his mind without her having to reopen the conversation. However, as the night progressed, the reality of it sank in, a new fear creeped inside her. She struggled to accept that he was going to come back to her within a few days as promised, and instead, her mind tried its best to convince her that nothing in her
“How are things faring?” Jamie said as he overlooked the lush greens of the mountain top. He had just stepped out to have a word with Rafa while Emma got busy with preparing dinner for the two. After reaching their new house, the two of them were occupied with cleaning it and making it comfortable for use for a few days. Since it was rather cold than at home, Jamie had to step out into the forest to find some wood for the fire. After it was all set up, Jamie received a message from Rafa that things have calmed down and that he could reach him whenever he pleased. Jamie instantly stepped out as he was eager to know what happened. “It was alright.” Rafa replied, “The men have arrived a few minutes after you have left and were surprised that we have managed to get you out of here. We tried to sell them some bullshit, but they obviously didn’t fall for it. They could understand that we planned your escape, but that was about it. They couldn’t do anything more than that. However, I did s
As the night progressed, Emma lost track of time. Jamie refused to give in to her demands, yet kept her in a constant high throughout. Sparing no mercy for her desperation, he had his way with her, and by the end of it, they both collapsed on the bed. The last memory she had was of Jamie pulling her back against his chest, burying his face in her neck as he whispered to her, “I love you.”She fell into a peaceful slumber after that, chasing her dreams in the darkness. When she was next transported back into reality, she jolted awake to the someone banging on the door. She woke up with a gasp, looking at Jamie who had just risen up. Pushing the duvet off his body, he quickly donned his shorts and headed to the door. Light flooded into their room as he opened the door and the person on the other side started speaking. Emma remained submerged under the duvet and closely watched them, trying to listen to their words. However, she could barely make out anything and only deduced that ther
“Sleeping without me?” He asked as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his bare skin underneath. Emma watched as he proceeded to unhook his pants next, pulling them down his legs, “I thought you were avoiding me.” “I was.” He said as he climbed into the bed and then onto her. Careful not to crush her under his weight, he pulled her legs apart and wrapped it on either side of his hips. Leaning down, he stole a kiss from her lips. “I’m sorry,” She said, “It was not my intention to-” “I know what your intention was,” He said, cutting her off with his lips, “And I’m not angry with you.” “Then why didn’t you come up to meet me?” “I was busy with something else,” He said, “And I needed some time to contemplate what you said.” Emma looked up at him in puzzlement, awaiting him to elaborate. He rolled beside her and pulled him along so that she could be sprawled across his body. Resting her head atop of his shoulder, he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I realized that y