"Don't worry baby, I'm at your disposal."
"Good, cause I'm not sharing you."
He turned the light off, crawled back in bed; pulling me into an embrace and kissed me lightly on my neck.
"Night Scar baby. I promise everything will make sense tomorrow."
I nodded; my mind already drifting.
"Night, Jax."
Chapter Seventeen
"I'm gonna get a fucking headache." I grumbled, pacing around the room as I bit my nails.
"Maybe we should tell her to sit down." Ethan cautioned.
"Her reaction is expected." Christian commented.
"We should have told her earlier." Junho mumbled.
"I think she would have thought we were crazy." Michael reminded.
"You know she can hear all of you." Jaxson sighed.
I stopped in my tracks glaring at the group of testosterone crowded in my living room.
*Silence*
“When she gets quiet like that, it means we’re screwed right?” Ethan asked.
“Pretty much.” Christian replied.
"Scarlet. At least sit down." Cece whined.
"Scarlet. Stop pacing and sit down." Kendrick pleaded.
I ignored them, trying not to have a panic attack as I continued to pace back and forth. That mental institution looked pretty tempting right now. They have lovely drugs to make you realize everything you’re seeing is just a dream. Yup Scarlet, you're just hallucinating.
"Scarlet, you’re gonna pass out if you keep breathing like that. Calm down." Serenity soothed.
"Maybe we should give her a moment alone." Aurora suggested.
Or you can fucking explain to me how the fuck I haven't known about the existence of the paranormal fucking race!
"Scarlet."
I stopped again, noticing the multiple concerned expressions facing me. Jaxson stood before me; my mind was too scrambled to have noticed him get off the sofa and walk towards me. I glared at him.
"Go away."
"Scar."
"Alright. Let’s try to have a civil conversation. You’re going to answer every single question I have. Starting with Jaxson. Are you actually a phoenix?” I questioned, keeping my arms crossed as I bit at my nails.
"Yes. I have two spirits, a phoenix and a demon spirit. My phoenix is the more dominant one." He revealed. I nodded before pacing again. Never mind. Fuck being civil.
"Ugh, I can't do this. Scarlet sit the fuck down or I'll force you too." Cece approached me.
I froze, glaring at my best friend. The air began to chill, becoming colder and colder each second. Her eyes widened; her hands went up in defense.
"Scarlet? Calm those emotions before you freeze your apartment." She cautioned.
She backed up, far enough for my anger to level out before I began pacing again.
“I’m supposed to calm down, when my best friend is a demon and didn’t tell me for the five years we’ve known each other. Yup, I’ll calm down.” I muttered, not caring if it hurt Cece’s feelings. I was hurting just as bad.
"Kendrick, do something." Ethan complained.
"How can I? You just told her that all of you aren't really human and that Earth is one out of ten realms in the galaxy. I think anyone would freak out." He argued.
I walked to the window, stopping to face the busy streets of the morning.
I'd ended up sleeping right through the night in Jaxson's arms, only waking up because Jaxson wanted me to eat. After breakfast, the boys decided they wanted to explain everything to me in utmost detail.
Earth, the planet I've lived on my whole life is apparently known as Earthala, Realm Six. There were nine other realms out in the galaxy- Latelia, Wintalyn, Feminara, Phentailia, Minato, Distala, Heila, Miolana, and ArchAilennia.
There were two races, humans and shifters.
Humans had to abide to common law or what religious people referred to as the commandments made by Jehovah.
Shifters, however, had their own gods – the Starlight Gods, which Jehovah was a part of. They had five main laws and each god had their own designated realm they looked after.
Shifters had spirits – a being which these Starlight Gods had blessed upon the shifter either by birth or later in their life. These spirits could be anything from a demon to angel or animals like a phoenix, wolf, tiger or even a fairy. I swear, I bet they had fucking unicorn shifters.
They disclosed that most of the shifter population had one spirit, but you were allowed to have two, three or even four, which was extremely rare and unheard of. The more spirits you had, the harder it was on the mind – the individual usually suffered from mental health complications, starting with talking out loud and other issues that would help the individual cope with the multiple spirits.
AND to make things even more interesting, I was fucking one of them!
The voices in my head, who were Aurora and Serenity, were my spirits, though we had no idea what type of spirits they were. The tattoo on my back was a marking blessed by these Starlight gods, but I still didn't know anything about that department.
I was already trying to not have a mental breakdown with the information overload.
Moonlight jumped on the window sill in front of me. I glared at him as he patiently sat, giving me a sad look.
Moonlight was apparently my familiar. That was why he'd been with me for all these years, which shifters called cycles may I add. It now made sense how he always showed up when I was distraught or drunk on the streets or brought me things by simple thought. He was connected to me in some way.
I tried to continue glaring at him, but those blue orbs bore into me; the sadness projected out of them enough to calm the storm brewing within me. I sighed, picking him up. He pressed himself against my chest, purring as he rubbed his face over and over against my pink t-shirt.
I was pulled into an embrace; my back pressed against a solid chest. I sighed, already familiar with Jaxson's body as I relaxed.
"I understand that this is a lot to take in baby, but please. Can you sit down? You’re as pale as a ghost, and I don't want you passing out and hitting your head." He whispered into my ear.
I nodded, letting him help me back to the sofas. I felt like I'd gotten hit by a truck – the exhaustion from the panic and restlessness of the situation taking its toll.
We sat down in the middle, three-seat sofa. Christian sitting on the other side of me. Michael sat on the two-seater on my left, Junho next to him and Ethan sat on my right. Cece and Kendrick stood side by side next to the television.
I stared at the floor, not wanting to be plagued by their worried expressions. I looked like a chaotic mess and felt like an in-patient at the mental institute I had been forced to check into when I disclosed about hearing voices.
Ever since my first dream about my mom, I'd continued having glimpses of my past – memories I had no recollection of beforehand.
"Is that why you guys are called Paranormal INC?" I inquired, focusing on petting Moonlight’s soft, black coat. I heard someone walk towards me – Kendrick knelt in front of me, taking my unoccupied hand in his.
"Yes Scarlet. That's why we are known as Paranormal INC. My fellow colleagues and I worked together to build the foundation, long ago. It was created as both a safe haven for shifters like us to have a place of employment, as well as to help stop crime conducted by our kind. The government and a few people know of our existence, but the general public has no idea. Therefore, it's our duty to make sure it stays that way." He explained.
I looked up at him; his eyes pleaded with mine and were filled with guilt. I bet he was beating himself up about not telling me sooner; afraid I'd really lose it back when I was younger and dealing with my mom's murder. He allowed me another moment to process his words before continuing.
"I know this is a lot to take in. Your reaction is perfectly normal. In fact, you’re handling it better than I expected." He confessed.
"You mean I’ve finally, completely lost it." I mumbled
.
"No, but other people might handle the situation a lot worse. I know I should have told you when you were younger but...with Marilyn's murder...before that son of a bitch, asshole abandoned you; I couldn't afford to put any more pressure on you Scar. I know you hated being homeschooled and didn't have any friends because of the visions when you began high school. I couldn't possibly reveal that you were normal in our shifter world, because there would be no one for you to really interact with. Your mom wanted you to be among humans, thinking you'd enjoy a normal life. We didn't expect for you to have the gift of sight."
I looked back to the floor, swallowing the lump in my throat. No crying, Scarlet.
"I get it. I know why you didn't tell me. I don't think I could have handled it then. I just...feel lied to? Betrayed? I don't know. Everyone knew but me. You're my family. Cece's my best friend, the guys are my partners and yet no one told me, until I was put in a situation where you had no choice but to disclose it. Would you have ever told me?" I looked him straight in the eyes, waiting for his answer.
He was silent for a few seconds.
"No. I wouldn't have told you unless I had to. I'm the one who decided you'd have your exam at PINC because I knew that was your dream job. I already knew you'd be chosen for a position there, but I didn’t consider you’d continue to be with the boys after the exam. The original plan was to have your exam with them, and I’d move you to a human team once you were hired. But seeing you bond with the guys, even after everything that happened...I didn't want to pull you away. I know you've always felt left out...different and abandoned. Now that you found people who accepted you, how could I possibly pull you away from that? What kind of Dad would wish that for their daughter?" He whispered the last sentence, the question enough to ignite the waterworks as I broke down.
I didn't think anyone understood what a struggle my childhood was. It didn't matter where I went or if I wore gloves every damn day. I was never accepted; an outcast among everyone. My good grades and the extra activities Kendrick put me in were my only outlet from the stress I had to endure. I hated being different and throughout my life that’s all I was.
Now, I found a group of men who accepted me; my best friend who'd made the last five years the most exciting, and a cat who stayed by my side. I wasn't crying because I was sad. I was crying because I felt thankful to the gods I knew nothing about who blessed me with the opportunity to finally find myself and where I truly belonged.
Jaxson moved out of the way, and Kendrick took his spot as he pulled me into a side hug, allowing me to cry onto his dress shirt.
After a few minutes of ugly crying, I finally calmed down, needing to let out my frustration.
The others stayed in their spots; Jaxson sat on the armrest next to Junho.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have been so angry with you all. I know you didn't tell me for my own safety and well-being. I'm just struggling that's all. I'll bounce back to my normal self soon." I apologized.
Christian's hand landed on my leg, rubbing it gently.
"We get it, Scarlet. It's hard for you to take in. You're not like us who were born and taught this knowledge when we were young. We all came from our designated realms to Earthala when we were teens, having our own reasons to be here. Kendrick found us during our low points and soon Team Seven was founded." He explained. Michael nodded.
"We'd never judge you Scarlet and we still care. Nothing changes." He reassured me.
"And no matter what happens from here on out, know we all support whatever decision you want to make. If you don't want to continue with PINC and want to try and live a normal life as a human, we’ll do everything in our power to make it happen." Junho acknowledged. Jaxson nodded.
"Yes. Whether you want to continue being an apprentice for the next month or want to opt out it’s fine with us. Anything to make you feel comfortable."
Ethan stood up, coming over to kneel before me, taking my hand.
"We will stand with you and protect you. You just continue being the sassy Scarlet we know and adore. It will take time to absorb all this new information, so don't force yourself. We will answer any questions and don't ever be afraid to shed a tear. I know how it feels to feel like you’re in a box. Everything around you is changing so fast, and you can't keep up while everyone’s throwing things at you and expecting a smooth outcome. You don't need to feel like that. Take a deep breath, and we'll handle this day by day. Okay?" His serious expression made me see a different side of Ethan.
Out of all the boys, Ethan was usually either trying to analyze and cope with a situation or trying to lighten the mood. But now that he knelt before me; his seriousness brought a soft smile to my lips, feeling my heart swell at his and the other’s kindness as I nodded.
"Okay. One day at a time...and I will still be an apprentice at PINC. I can deal with all of this new information slowly, and we can't delay finding Lizard breath." I stressed, glancing around the room.
The boys nodded, rising to their feet.
"We'll get on it." They announced. Kendrick gave me a tight squeeze before rising up.
"Take today off and rest. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask Cece or text one of the boys. You can call me anytime too. By tomorrow, we should have Lizard breath’s whereabouts and have a game plan. Xerxes needs to be stopped and whatever jewel he's looking for needs to be located by us."
I nodded, giving him a light smile and mouthing ‘thank you’. He winked, before turning around heading to the door; the boys followed. Jaxson stopped at the door as the others made their exit. He turned and looked over his shoulder.
"Call us anytime, okay Scarlet? I'll be back in the evening to check on you." He proposed.
“Yup. I will, work hard." I replied. He nodded, leaving; Cece locked the door. The room was silent; Moonlight jumped off my lap to cuddle around my feet.
“Scarlet. I still have something to tell you.” Cece whispered. I eyed her carefully, noticing how nervous she was by her fidgeting movement.
“Just say it, Cece. I think I’ve just about heard it all at this point. What more can there be?”
“Well, she could be a mass murderer.” Serenity commented.
“Maybe that’s why all her friends disappear,” Aurora replied. I groaned, raising my head up before Cece opened her mouth.
“Unless you’re a mass murderer, then I don’t need an explanation. You can just walk away, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”
“I’m not a mass murderer. Tell your spirits not to accuse people.” She replied.
“How’d you even know I was talking to them?”
“Your expression changed, and you seemed like you were concentrating,” Cece replied, blankly.
“Oh…okay, just get on with it.”
“I’ve known you longer than five years.” What? I was ready to argue, but she shook her head slowly.
“Let me finish. Your grandma assigned me to protect you when you were little. It’s a long story, but your grandma didn’t want you feeling so excluded. She knew you were different and wouldn’t fit in, but wanted to respect your mom’s wishes. I was much younger back then, a few years older than you, but your grandma suggested I could be like an older sister to you. I was supposed to come down after Christmas and visit. If you liked me, I would have stayed with you, until your mother was ready to inform you that you weren’t human. But, that was the year she was murdered.” She explained.
She’s my guardian? My grandma wanted her to be my friend, so I wouldn’t be lonely?
“You mean…us meeting wasn’t just coincidence?”
“No. I wasn’t supposed to continue being your guardian, originally. You were going to be assigned to someone else. But, I couldn’t leave you. I hated everything that happened to you. The way you were bullied throughout your teenage years. The incidents where your powers went out of control. I was there for all of it. I bet you questioned sometimes how no one made a big deal when windows shattered, or tremors shook the area. I mad
e it my duty to cover it up. You didn’t deserve the life you were living. So, I’d taken it upon myself to make it less chaotic. I finally introduced myself during your twentieth birthday because those girls who tried to attack you were shifters. They could sense your power and assumed you’d be a good target. After I revealed myself, I didn’t want to go back to the shadows. I’d always craved to be your best friend for real. Not just someone who worked behind the scenes.”
I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes to process the information. The only sound that could be heard was Moonlight’s purring. After some thought, I sighed.
“You’re not gonna explode?” Serenity questioned.
“I think she’s exploded enough today. Maybe tomorrow?” Aurora suggested.
I’m not angry. I don’t remember much about Grandma Neptune. From that recent dream…or should I say memory, her eyes showed kindness. She did say she’d let me meet someone who’d be my friend. Cece must have been her. How can I be angry when she’s spent years watching me? She wanted to ensure my safety. Even all the incidents when I lost control and wrecked shit, I never once got in trouble. It’s as if everyone brushed it off. She dedicated her years to guarding me instead of enjoying life to the fullest. Anyone else would have thought of me as a burden. She wasn’t obligated to be here, but she took it upon herself and she’s my first best friend. Even if she knew who I was, or what I could do, that didn’t push her away like everyone else. Therefore, I couldn’t be mad. I wouldn’t have believed her if she told me before all of this occurred.
"Scarlet. Sorry I didn't tell you. If you...uh, if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, I'll understand." She whispered, looking down as she bit her lip. I could see her guilt as she fidgeted in place. I realized I’d been far too quiet, having explained my thoughts to Serenity and Aurora. I hadn’t answered her. I gave her a light smile.
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