Evernight

by Michelle Areaux

  Shaking his head, no, Maddox finally met my stare. “No, I know this isn’t easy for you and I’m really sorry for that. But, I can’t help the way I feel. I had to tell you, Elle. I felt like I was dying inside every day that I had to hold that secret in,” he said.

  My heart sank as his words traveled through me. “I hate that you are hurting,” I said, as I reached out and touched his hand through the metal fence.

  Maddox stared at our hands touching and his eyes seemed to widen. “Why did you have to leave?” he asked.

  “I needed to get away from everything and everyone,” I admitted.

  “You mean me?” he questioned, a scowl forming on his face.

  “You… Asher… Shady Oaks… everything. I needed a break from all of the turmoil and fear and secrets that had overcast my love for this place. I needed time to think and so did my family,” I offered.

  “Well, have you made a decision?” he asked, his face showing a hint of hope.

  I wasn’t sure how to say the next part without crushing him. I had made a decision, one I had made months ago. “Maddox, I did make a decision,” I began. I felt him pull away, but I refused to let go of his hand. “You are my best friend and soulmate. I love you. We share a connection and a bond that no one can ever compete with. Do you understand that?” I asked.

  Maddox only nodded as he hung onto my words.

  I continued as I forced myself to be brave. This was going to be one of the hardest, most difficult things I’ve ever had to do and say. “Maddox, while you will always have a place in my heart, Asher has a spot that can’t be explained. I love Asher, with a part of my being that feels like we were destined to be together forever. We have discussed changing me-- to turn me into a Hybrid so I can spend eternity with him and… I am considering it, but not until I turn twenty-years-old.”

  Shaking his head, Maddox almost laughed. “Elle, you are a teenager in high school. How can you possibly know that?” he stated, his eyes glowing red. “Why twenty?”

  “How can you possibly know that you are in love with me?” I threw back at him. “It’s just something I know. It is something I feel, like when I am away from him I am not whole. Like before I met him I wasn’t truly living,” I finished as a smile appeared as I thought of Asher. “And, I decided on twenty because I could go to college and move away and not alert others to who or what I am.”

  “Wow, you have it all figured out,” Maddox said, sarcastically.

  “Don’t do that,” I stated, removing my hand from his and pointing at him through the fence. “Stop becoming mean and angry. I am telling you the truth because I care about you. Now, I want you to be honest with me. Do you feel the same way about me, as I just explained how I feel about Asher?” I asked, staring deeply into his eyes.

  Maddox’s shoulders slumped, and his eyes fell. All of the anger seemed to leave him as he became deep in thought. “Elle, I love you. But...no, I don’t know if I feel that way. I mean, that seems a little intense to me,” he said, with a slight smirk.

  There it was. The Maddox I had longed for and needed to return. “See, you love me, Maddox. But, you don’t love me the way Asher does. Before Asher arrived, I was all yours. We were inseparable. Now, I have to divide my time. I know that is hard. You never were good at sharing when we were kids,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  Stopping me, Maddox raised his hand. “Elle, please don’t try to justify how I feel and make it sound like a crush. Maybe I don’t feel some crazy, willing to kill myself for you, love; but I do love you. Maybe one day you will understand,” he said, as he grabbed his bat bag and walked out of the batting cage.

  He walked over and stood next to me. Pulling me close to him, he threw his big, muscular arms around me and squeezed me tight as he hugged me. I became engulfed with this sweet aroma of vanilla and spice.

  A tear slipped out of my eye as he embraced me. I had missed this so much. I had missed Maddox.

  “And, maybe one day you will understand that I am right?” I said, as I squeezed him tight.

  Throwing his head back as he laughed, I watched as his blond hair danced around his face.

  “You need a haircut, you are starting to look like a mangy mutt,” I joked, as I reached up and tousled his hair.

  “Whatever,” Maddox said, as a real smile formed on his lips. “You may not believe me now, but one day you will. Until then, you are still my best friend. Even if you drive me crazy,” he smirked.

  “You are one to talk,” I laughed again.

  Maddox turned and gave me a sly smile. “How long has it been since you shifted?” he asked, his eyes motioning toward the wooded area behind the baseball fields in the distance.

  “Too long,” I smiled.

  Maddox threw his bag to the ground and began to race toward the tree line. Quickly falling in step behind him, I reveled in the feeling of the cool, spring air as it whirled around me. I sniffed the freshness of the changing of the seasons and smiled. Just as we reached the tree line, Maddox and I both leaped into the air, our bodies morphing and cracking as we left our human forms behind and became regal wolves.

  Chapter 3

  When I arrived home that evening, it was after dark. I had told my parents that I was going to meet with Maddox. They weren’t aware of exactly everything that had happened between us, but they knew something was unsettling me. However, when I bounced back into my house with a smile, they knew everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as life can get for a teenage Shifter with a Vampires for a boyfriend. Oh, and did I forget to mention a teenager who constantly has hunters wanting to kill her?

  Exhausted from our flight, my parents gave me quick hugs then retreated to their bedroom. As I entered my room, I almost gasped out loud when I saw a dark figure standing next to my window.

  “I didn’t know you would be here?” I asked, as I closed my bedroom door.

  As much as my parents loved Asher, I didn’t think they would be cool with him being in my bedroom at night.

  “I was anxious to hear about your meeting with Maddox,” Asher stated, as he continued to look out the window.

  “So, you broke into my bedroom to wait for me? Sounds creepy,” I smirked.

  Asher offered a half smile as his face was focused away from me. I followed his gaze and noticed he was staring at the garage in Maddox’s backyard.

  “Oh, well, it was fine. He is upset, but we talked. It will take time for everything to go back to the way it was, but at least he is talking to me now,” I smiled.

  I walked across the room and stood next to Asher. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I forced him to look down at me. “What is wrong?” I asked, sensing his unease.

  Sighing, Asher looked deep into my eyes as though he were searching for something. “He loves you, Elle.”

  “Yes, I know. But, I don’t think he loves me the way he thinks he does,” I began.

  “Love is love,” Asher shrugged.

  Shaking my head, no, I almost laughed. “That is very untrue. I love Maddox, but as a best friend and family member. I love Melanie and Laura as my friends who I trust and rely on. But, I love you with a fire deep in my soul that cannot be extinguished. There are so many different types of love that we are all capable of feeling.”

  With his eyes growing wide, Asher smiled. “I guess a hundred-year-old Vampires can still learn a few things,” he smirked.

  “Yes, you can. Besides, that can’t be the only thing that is upsetting you. Maddox and you have had problems since the day you two met, and you have always suspected that Maddox had feelings for me. So, spill it. What is going on?” I asked again, this time I placed my hands on my hips.

  Trying not to smirk at my sassy stance, Asher turned and looked back out the window again.

  “The Vampires Council called my parents and they will be in Shady Oaks next week. They said they had an urgent matter they needed to discuss with us,” he said.

  “Us?” I asked, as my stomach dropped.

  �
��Vampires and Shifters,” he stated with a gloomy expression.

  “Do my parents know yet?” I asked, wondering why they hadn’t said anything to me.

  Shaking his head, Asher turned to look at me. “No, my parents are meeting with your dad and Jim in the morning to tell them.”

  I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. Just when I thought I could escape from my problems, I was quickly reminded that trouble can follow you anywhere or maybe, it just never left.

  ***

  Later that night, I found myself tossing and turning in bed as sleep seemed to evade me. Asher’s words were swimming through my mind. There were so many possibilities for why the Vampires Council would want to make a trip to Shady Oaks to talk with the Shifters and Asher’s family. Fear engulfed me as I realized none of the scenarios racing through my mind ended with a happily-ever-after.

  Since Asher’s family had confided in the Shifters that they had once been descendants of the Hunters, the same people who had been trying to kill the Shifters for decades, we had all vowed to keep their secret. When Asher’s family realized they did not want to be part of such a terrible group of people, they had fled their home, only to be found by a group of Vampires who had unwillingly turned them. It had all been a trick, set up by the Hunters to punish Asher and his parents for leaving the Hunters. Not wanting to be dead monsters, Asher and his family have been moving around the country for years, trying to avoid being caught by the Vampires who had turned them into the walking dead. I hated that Asher and his family were constantly living in fear for their lives; hiding their true identifies until they found comfort among our pack. They had been found though, the Vampires Council knew they were in Shady Oaks, and we all knew it was a matter of time before they would come after Asher’s family.

  Lying in bed, watching the moon glow through my bedroom window, I gazed at the stars shining up in the night sky. It was all so peaceful during the quiet and solace of the night. Sometimes I wished it could always be night; that our pack could live among the shadows while the rest of the world slept. To be Evernight, to live and breathe in the darkness, would be a dream. Only I knew it was just that-- a dream.

  Closing my eyes, I finally found the comfort of sleep in the early hours of the morning. When my alarm finally rang, I opened my eyes. I had only slept for three hours and now I had to return to school to face my classmates and Maddox and Asher. Spring Break was over and it was back to the real world again.

  Chapter 4

  The slamming of a locker door had me jumping.

  I had only closed my eyes for a second, but now I realized I had somehow dozed off standing in the middle of the noisy and crowded hallway of my high school. After only sleeping a few hours and then talking to my parents about the upcoming Vampires Council meeting, I was beyond exhausted. At breakfast, my dad had told me not to worry about the Vampires arrival, but I could tell even he seemed a little concerned. I knew he wouldn’t tell me too much since I wasn’t an alpha or a leader of the pack, but just knowing he was worried upset me.

  “Were you sleeping?” Laura asked, as she stood behind me. Her unruly, curly blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun. A few loose curls fell around her face, framing her emerald green eyes.

  Melanie was watching me with laughter in her blue eyes as she stood next to her closed locker. I knew instantly she had been the one to slam her locker door. Her red hair fell on her shoulders and her pink top looked amazing with her porcelain like skin.

  Melissa gave me an evil glare as she slowly passed by us on her way to class. If I had an enemy, it would be Melissa. We had hated one another since kindergarten.

  “No, I just closed my eyes for a second,” I said, as I had put on a smile.

  Rolling her eyes, Melanie smirked at me. “You are a terrible liar,” she laughed.

  Sighing, I knew I had been caught. “Sorry, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I’m still tired from my trip,” I added.

  Gathering my notebook and textbook needed for my social studies class, I closed my locker and turned to face my friends. Throwing her arm around my shoulder, Melanie began to walk as Laura filed in next to us. “I want to hear all about your beach escape,” Melanie probed, as we began to walk to class.

  I quickly filled her in on my vacation, carefully leaving out our real reasons for escaping to the tropical oasis for a week. We agreed to meet back up at lunch, and I was thankful for an hour of class without having to talk or explain myself and my whereabouts to anyone. I knew soon enough I would be faced with my friends and Asher and Maddox. For now, I would get lost in class and textbooks. The coach had also been on me to begin spring training for cross country, and I had never been more excited to get back to practices.

  ***

  Walking into the cafeteria, I spotted Melanie, Laura, and Maddox already seated at a table by a window overlooking the football field. Laura waved to me and Maddox gave me a wry smile. This would be the true test to see if things were going to remain awkward between us.

  I walked over and took a seat next to Maddox. He turned and smiled at me, letting me know we were alright.

  “So, what did I miss?” I asked, as I began to open my bag to retrieve my lunch.

  “Well…” Laura paused, eyeing the table with a devilish smirk. “Someone has a birthday coming up soon,” she said.

  “Yes, like this upcoming weekend,” Melanie practically yelled at me. “How am I supposed to plan you an elaborate party when you leave during Spring Break? That really would have been the best time to throw a party, but I guess this weekend will have to do,” she finished with a sigh.

  Nudging my shoulder, Maddox kept his face toward the girls as he tried not to laugh at Melanie’s dramatic behavior.

  “Ugh, don’t remind me,” I stated, rolling my eyes.

  My seventeenth birthday was this upcoming weekend, and I hadn’t even given it a second thought. With everything that had been happening, a birthday was the last thing on my mind. Besides, as a little kid, I would have big parties. But now, as a teenager, doing something simple sounded perfect.

  “Elle, we have to have a party. You only turn seventeen once,” Melanie said, as she clapped her hands. “I have so much to plan for in such a short amount of time,” she said, her eyes growing serious.

  I could hear her chipper voice going to work as she began to plan details about a party I really didn’t want. However, I knew better than to argue with her. Leaning over, Maddox began to whisper in my ear.

  “Let her throw you a party. We can’t have sleepovers anymore, so my idea is shot,” he teased. “Besides, if everything you said about the plans between you and your vamp-boy is true, you may be limited on how many birthdays you have,” he said, this time a hint of anger rose in his voice.

  I swiftly turned my head to look at Maddox and I could see the pain behind his eyes. I should have been upset, but I couldn’t be. All of this was painful for him, too. I just needed to be patient with him and remember he was still the Maddox I loved.

  “Fine, I will let her throw me a party,” I mumbled, as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Suddenly, I felt my stomach flutter and my heart begin to race. I knew before I even saw him that Asher was behind me. My body always reacted when he was around.

  Placing his hands on my shoulders, I felt the love through his touch.

  “Hey beautiful,” Asher said, as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

  Smiling, I looked up and met his piercing blue eyes. “Hey,” I said.

  Asher took the seat on the opposite side of me and glanced around the table. “What did I miss?” he asked.

  “Well, your girlfriend is about to turn seventeen,” Melanie said, as she showed him her phone with her list of ideas for my party.

  Chuckling, Asher read her ideas. “I still remember my seventeenth birthday,” he said, a faraway look on his face.

  “You act like it was so long ago,” Laura kidded. “Didn’t you turn seventeen right be
fore you got here?” she asked.

  Asher’s face fell as he realized he had slipped. “Yeah, sorry. I was just being funny,” he added.

  Maddox and I both glared at Asher for a second before the girls could notice.

  “Anyway,” I began, trying to remove the spotlight from Asher, “I guess you will tell me the plans for my own party?” I asked Melanie and Laura.

  “Of course. But, you are not allowed to veto anything. We only have two more birthdays left in high school. Let me enjoy this,” she whined.

  Laughing, I could only smile. “Fine. I would hate to ruin this for you,” I joked.

  We finished lunch as Melanie reviewed her ideas for my party which included a cookout, a field party, and an indoor pool party at the local YMCA.

  “Hey, when does practice start?” Laura asked. “We need to make sure we plan the party around her cross-country schedule.”

  “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. What about you Maddox? What is your baseball schedule like?” Melanie asked, getting ready to take more notes.

  Both Maddox and I shared our new schedules with her, so she could plan accordingly. “You should be like an official party planner or wedding coordinator,” Maddox kidded. “You sure do know how to get all the details,” he laughed.

  “I know, I am great at throwing parties,” Melanie smiled as she took in the compliment.

  With cross country and baseball arriving, that just meant that Maddox and I would be even busier and stressed. We had to train for my new powers, practice with our sports, and still find time to be teenagers. I just knew Asher would find a way to remain in every aspect of my life. He was good at being sneaky and undetected sometimes.

  As we all left the table to head to the rest of our afternoon classes, Asher grabbed my hand and stopped me from walking out with the others.

  “Sorry about my mishap earlier,” he said, referring to his comment about remembering his birthday.

  “No big deal,” I said, as I waved him away. “You haven’t had a real birthday in a very long time. Maybe we should change that,” I added.