by Rua Hasan
I nodded as I grabbed the bikini.
“When are we going?” I asked.
“In about an hour. Aiden and Liam went to buy some snacks from the supermarket. I’m going to make some sandwiches, and you should get dressed then come downstairs,” Marie said as she walked through the door.
I walked into the closet and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I went to the bathroom and changed into the bikini.
Wow.
I looked good.
Not to brag, but I looked so sexy in this bikini.
I wore the shorts and the t-shirt and tied my hair into a high ponytail. Once I finished, I headed downstairs to help Marie. It was about eleven o’clock when Aiden and Liam arrived.
I grabbed the basket full of sandwiches and got in the car. Aiden was driving while Liam was sitting in the front seat. Marie and I sat in the back with the basket between us.
It took only ten minutes for us to get to the beach. It was packed. There were children playing in the water and teens playing volleyball in the sand.
Marie squealed.
“Girls, go find a spot for us to settle in. We’ll carry the stuff,” Aiden spoke.
Marie and I nodded, and we got out of the car. Once we found a perfect spot, Aiden laid the blanket on the sand, and Liam fixed the umbrella above us. Aiden and Liam took off their shirts and shorts, leaving them in their swimming trunks.
I tried hard not to stare at Aiden. He looked so sexy. I bet every girl in this beach was staring.
Something stirred in me, and I think it was jealousy. But I tried to ignore it.
Once I placed the basket on the ground, I took off my shirt and my shorts. I heard a loud growl coming from behind me. It was Aiden. He tried to cover me from the males who were passing by.
“What on earth are you doing wearing that?” he growled.
I shrugged. I knew his possessive side was taking over.
“Marie made me wear this,” I said.
“Well, you had to listen to her. You aren’t wearing that. Go change,” he said.
I shook my head. I did not want him to boss me around.
“I’m pretty comfortable in this. I’m not changing. Besides, I don’t have anything else.”
Marie came to my side and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. She had changed into a light blue bikini.
“She’s right, Aiden. Don’t be so bossy, especially today. Let’s just have some fun,” Marie spoke.
Aiden shook his head.
“Fun? How do you expect me to have fun when every guy who passes by is looking at her,” he growled.
I rolled my eyes. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I looked around to see some guys staring at me, which was kind of uncomfortable.
“Oh, don’t worry, Aiden. Just be by her side, and they won’t dare to do a thing. I mean, you’re pretty intimidating,” Marie exclaimed, and I nodded. I didn’t want Aiden going all Alpha on me, especially today. I just wanted to relax.
Aiden sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Fine, but you’re not leaving my side,” he said as he pointed at me and grabbed my hand. He pulled me to his chest.
Our skins’ contact made the sparks return.
“I swear if anyone looks at you, I won’t hesitate to rip their heads off,” he grumbled more to himself.
I only rolled my eyes.
If he actually meant it, then half the beach would be dead by now.
I sat on the blanket and grabbed the sunscreen from the bag that Marie brought. Marie and Liam decided to go swim while Aiden and I sat under the umbrella.
I started to put sunscreen on my arms and legs while Aiden watched. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel uncomfortable under his gaze. When I got to my back, I had a difficult time trying to apply it.
“Here, let me do it,” Aiden said.
I nodded and gave him the sunscreen. I lay down on my belly and rested my chin on my crossed arms.
Two seconds later, I felt Aiden’s muscular hands rubbing my back. His touch made me shiver a bit. I think Aiden noticed because I heard him chuckle. His hands were roaming all over my back, leaving trails of sparks. His hands moved lower and lower my back, then come back up.
I think he was torturing me.
When he was done applying sunscreen, I got off my stomach and sat beside him. His arm wrapped around my bare waist, and he pulled me closer.
“You look so good in that. I just want me to see it and no one else,” he said.
This made me blush.
I grabbed two sandwiches from the basket and gave one to him. He gladly took it from my hand and took a huge bite. I took my first bite and leaned my head on his chest. His hand rubbed my waist, sending shivers down my spine.
“Want to go swim?” he asked as he took the last bite from his sandwich. I nodded and put my unfinished sandwich in the basket.
I got up and walked to the water. Aiden pulled me to him.
I made sure not to go that deep.
Through all my two hundred years, the one thing I could never learn was swimming.
Even if we did go deep, I would make sure to stay close to Aiden. I still didn’t tell him that couldn’t swim. It’s kind of embarrassing because mostly everybody knows how to swim.
Aiden splashed water at me, and I tried to walk away. But it’s difficult to walk in water. Hearing his laughter was music to my ears. He wrapped his arms around my waist and twirled me around. I screamed and laughed.
Aiden put me down when Liam called for his help to carry something. He told me he would be right back and left.
I was splashing in the water when I felt something wrap around my leg. It felt like seaweed.
The waves pulled me farther away from the shore. I was getting too deep into the ocean. I started to panic when I couldn’t feel the sand underneath me anymore. I tried to keep myself from going underwater but failed. Every time I surfaced for air, I was pulled back down. I splashed around, hoping anyone would notice me.
I felt myself being sucked deeper into the ocean, and I couldn’t hold my breath any longer. My lungs felt like they were going to explode. Darkness crept closer as my eyes started to close. The last thing I saw before being engulfed by it was Aiden swimming toward me.
Chapter 15
My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. I was running as fast as I could through a dark forest. I could hear someone running behind me.
He’s gaining on me.
I turned and headed deeper into the forest. I saw crows fly toward the full moon.
“Run!” a voice echoed through the air.
“Run! Don’t let him find you!”
My legs moved faster at the strange voice’s warning.
The leaves crunch below me as I ran for my life. The sound of paws hitting the ground made me run faster. I turn right hoping to lose whoever was chasing me.
Who was chasing me?
My steps slowed down when I saw something ahead of me.
How did I get here? I’ve never seen one so close to the pack.
A graveyard.
The strangest thing about it was that there was only one gravestone.
I walked closer to read what was written on it.
r.i.p. Lilly Claze
“Run!” the strange voice said once more.
But it was too late. A figure appeared from the shadows.
“Do it!” his powerful voice boomed through the empty graveyard.
I took a step back. He took a step forward.
“Do what?” My voice quivered.
He pointed at the gravestone and repeated.
“Do it!”
“No! Don’t do it!” the strange voice said.
Don’t do what? What the hell is going on?
But before I could ask, everything around me disappeared.
My eyes snapped open. My heart was beating so fast. Aiden, Marie, and Liam stared back at me worriedly.
What happened?
I then
realized that we were still at the beach and I was lying on the sand.
“What happened?” I asked while getting up.
Aiden shook his head then carried me.
I felt too tired to argue with him, so I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes.
“You don’t remember, Stella? You were drowning,” Marie spoke.
I knew this was something serious because this was the first time I heard Marie use my real name.
I looked up at Aiden and saw guilt in his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t know how to swim? I swear if I knew, I wouldn’t have left your side or asked you to swim with me in the first place,” he said.
“It’s not your fault. I didn’t know this was going to happen. It’s mine, not yours,” I said.
He didn’t say anything back. He only tightened his hold on me as he took me to the car with Liam and Marie walking by his side.
“We’re leaving?” I asked.
Aiden looked at me as if I were crazy.
“You were drowning not ten minutes ago, and you want to stay? No way!” he said while shaking his head.
I sighed as he placed me in the back seat with Marie.
The drive home was short and quiet. Once we made it outside the pack house, Marie and Liam took out the things we brought while Aiden carried me again.
“I can walk. My legs aren’t broken, you know,” I said.
He simply ignored me.
He carried me into the pack house and upstairs to our room. He placed me on the bed, walked into the closet, and came out with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He put it on the bed next to me then walked into the bathroom. Two minutes later he came out.
“I’ve started your hot bath. Once you’re done, wear these so you won’t catch a cold,” Aiden said.
I only nodded and walked to the bathroom with the clothes in my hand.
I stripped out of my clothes and got into the relaxing, hot water. I lay my head on the bathroom tile and sigh.
The crazy event that happened today kept playing over and over again in my mind.
It wasn’t the first time.
Long way back, I think it was in my sophomore year of high school, Alice and I decided to have my sweet sixteen at the beach. We invited the whole school, and the party was huge. There were decorations everywhere and good food to eat. I made sure not to go too deep into the water. Only Alice knew that I couldn’t swim. In the middle of the party, Alice decided to leave me alone in the water to go grab a bite.
One of the guys who were playing volleyball accidentally threw the ball in the water. It was getting farther out into the ocean by the second, so they asked me to go get it. I saw that it wasn’t too far away, so I quickly moved my way through the water to get it.
I couldn’t say no to them. If only Alice were there to help, she could have gone and got it.
But no, my stupid kindness got the best of me, and I ended up drowning on my sixteenth birthday.
I’m not sure why Alice even held the party there. I told her that it was probably a bad idea, but she didn’t listen. She said that it had to be a great place where it will show the whole school how special I am.
Sure, like showing them how special I am in drowning.
I splashed around and screamed. Thankfully the guy who asked me to retrieve the ball noticed my struggle and immediately asked for help.
I don’t remember what happened after that.
I woke up to the lifeguard giving me cpr. He was one hunk of a guy, by the way. The party ended early, and everyone went home.
Throughout two months, I was the-girl-that-couldn’t-swim-and-had-to-be-saved at school until they ended up forgetting about it.
Ten minutes later, I got out of the tub and wore the clothes Aiden gave me. I got out of the bathroom and saw Marie sitting on the bed.
“Hey, are you okay?” Marie asked.
I nodded.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s happened before. Don’t worry about it. I’m a vampire, remember,” I spoke.
She nodded.
“Let’s go downstairs. Since we couldn’t enjoy our time at the beach, Liam and Aiden decided to make dinner. Burgers are on the house!” She shouted the last part which made me laugh.
Marie and I made our way downstairs, and I swear I probably got stopped more than ten times by pack members asking if I was fine. I reassured them that I was okay and made my way to the kitchen.
There I saw Aiden and Liam grilling a lot of burgers.
“Who’s going to eat all that? You know it’s just the four of us, right?” I said.
“We are,” Aiden and Liam said at the same time.
I raised an eyebrow.
“You both”—I pointed to them—“are going to eat all that. That’s quite a lot.”
Liam put his hand over his heart and pretended to look offended.
“Stella! We need all the energy we can get. We work our butt off for the pack. Give us some credit,” Liam said.
I laughed at his lame excuse because it wasn’t the first time he used it.
Marie and I grabbed our plates and put two burgers on each while Aiden and Liam were stuffing their faces burger after burger.
Men.
I looked around the room. Liam fought with Marie about who takes the last burger. Aiden held my hand while he ate. I could only feel one thing.
Complete.
I was starting to feel like home.
I just hope it lasts.
Chapter 16
I nodded my head, showing Emily that I was listening to all she was saying. She was telling me about the children who were getting adopted today. I was really excited. Those innocent and beautiful children were finally getting a home and brighter future.
Unfortunately, Sarah wasn’t one of them.
I walked outside to see all the kids playing. Some were dressed properly for the adoption, while others were in their pajamas, looking like they just woke up. I walked over to the playing area and didn’t see Sarah, so I went to our little place behind a big oak tree. And she wasn’t there either.
I went up the third floor where her room was located. I walked through the empty hall and stared at pictures of the children hanging on the wall. The sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the hall.
When I got to Sarah’s door, I heard a beautiful melody.
It was Sarah, and she was singing. Amazingly.
Mama, you’d be so proud,
The way I shine, wish that you could see me now.
Oh, great creature of the sea,
Please hold her voice for all of eternity.
And like a siren’s lullaby
I know you always will
Return to me.
Return to me
On waves of ocean melody.
No magic can make you reappear.
But in the song of the whales, you are always here.
By the time she finished singing, a tear rolled down my cheek. My heart broke for this lonely little girl. All she wanted was her mother, a family, anyone to take care of here and love her.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door then opened it. I peeked and saw her sitting on her bed while holding a photo frame. Her eyes were red, and her hair was messy. I could even see dried tear stains on her cheeks. I took a step into the room and closed the door behind me.
“Hey,” I said softly.
I was trying not to show pity.
One thing I knew is that most people hate it when someone pities them. It makes them feel small, weak, and hopeless.
I walked over to her bed and sat down.
“You know, you have a beautiful voice. You’re really talented,” I said as I wiped the tears off her face.
My compliment made her smile, and I smile too. I just wanted her to be happy.
“You know, once you grow up and start going to middle school and high school, you can go to classes which can help you improve,” I said as I
remembered myself taking choir classes with Alice.
She nodded excitedly.
“So what do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked hoping to bring her cheer back.
It looked like she was thinking about it because she lifted her head, looking at the ceiling.
“I don’t know. I want to be a singer, but I also want to be a teacher,” she answered.
I nodded as I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okay, if you become a teacher, what do you want to teach?” I asked.
She answered immediately.
“I want to be a choir teacher like Mommy!”
She smiled.
“I bet you’ll be the best choir teacher ever,” I told her.
I looked down at the frame she was holding. It was a picture of a woman that had brown hair tied into a ponytail. She had a wide smile on her face as she faced the camera. Next to her was a younger-looking Sarah. I took the frame from her hand and looked at it in awe.
“Oh my gosh, you look so cute,” I said.
She blushed as she nodded her head.
“Your mother was a really lucky person to have you, Sarah. Know that you were loved, and you still are. I’m pretty sure she is looking down at you with pride,” I said as I moved her on my lap.
“Mommy is gone,” she whispered. Her eyes were getting watery.
“No, she isn’t. Just because you can’t see her, it doesn’t mean she isn’t here. She’s been with you every step of the way, right here,” I said as I pointed to her heart.
“Sometimes we lose hope in the things we used to believe in just because our eyes don’t have the ability to see them anymore. The eyes are weaker than the heart. While your eyes can’t see it, your heart can feel it,” I said as I brought the photo frame to her heart.
This was enough for her to let it out. The tears in her eyes came down like a waterfall.
I brought her head to my chest as I patted her back.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m pretty sure there’s someone out there that will adopt you and love you as much as your mother did,” I whispered to her.
She shook her head as she pulled her face from my chest.
“I don’t want to be adopted! I feel like I’m...”
“Betraying your mother,” I finished for her.
She nodded.