Sixteen
THE TRAIN RIDE BACK WAS STRANGE.
I was thinking about everything Elecho said to me. I’m the first hybrid, the first woman born from a female vampire who had sexual encounters with a male werewolf. What was I? Besides a hybrid? I felt more lost. And what did he mean saying I was the link? So many questions. Then the simple fact that my dad was suffering. There had to be a cure. He couldn’t die like that. Somehow I would find it.
Alec and Iva didn’t ask questions when I returned. Where would I even begin? My face probably showed my feelings, and they didn’t want to push me. Instead, they sat across from me on the train. I knew it bugged them and they were dying to know what happened.
I liked Elecho; I could see why my mother loved him, so much passion filled him. He also exuded confidence and had a certain coolness about him. I also assume he was very good looking before the bite. I just stared out the window at the blackness that engulfed the train.
We slowed to a stop at our community, and I stood in silence as we were exiting. I could see my mother ahead of us; she was waiting for me at the main entrance to the community, and when I reached her, she pulled me aside.
“We will be waiting inside for you,” Iva said softly.
I smiled at her as Alec and Iva passed me.
My mother became serious. "When are you leaving?" she asked.
I glanced at the door Iva and Alec entered.“Soon."
"Can you wait one more day so we can have dinner together?" She had so much motherly concern in her eyes.
"I could do that," I said. I wasn’t planning to leave that soon.
"You have so much of your father in you. He was a free spirit, too. Always running. I see that in you. Just remember Alec, before it’s too late." She touched my cheek and smiled sadly. "Are you going to come back?"
“I will, I promise," I said.
We reached Iva and Alec. My mother said goodnight to them as she passed us. I wasn’t tired. There were so many thoughts in my head. I needed to speak with Marcus. How I was going to shake these two off was going to be a challenge.
“Can I meet you guys in fifteen minutes?"
They exchanged glances. “You don’t want us to come with you?" Iva asked.
"There is just something I need to do alone." Iva was staring at me for answers. Surprisingly, Alec nodded. Iva was equally as shocked as me; she was clearly looking for team effort.
"We can meet at my room." I dashed away, before they could do anything more, hoping to find Marcus. Luckily, as I entered the court and made my way to the wolf lair, I didn’t have to search too hard because he was almost to the hall.
"Marcus!" I shouted. He stopped as he saw me sprinting towards him. He wore an amused expression on his face.
"Hello, Aimee, how was your trip?" he asked.
Wait a minute. I wonder if he knew the story. “Did you know my father was a werewolf?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yes of course, your hot news is in my world, or at least the rumor is."
"I bet. And you never told me?” I asked.
“No, it wasn’t the time to tell you, and besides you have a lot on your plate. Why add an extra thing? And it wasn’t my place.”
I just kept my hands on my hips as I glared at him.
“I guess … I wanted to tell you that I really want to leave soon. In case you want to come with me." Marcus just smiled as he looked at me.
"Ahh, Aimee, do you really think I would let you go alone?. Your dad would have my neck if he were able to. I’m sure he would have gone with you."
"He told me he would have," I said.
His eyebrows rose. "You told him?"
"Not exactly, he just knew somehow," I said.
"Oh," was all Marcus said.
"So, I’ll see you soon? Ooh, he said something else too."
"What was that?" he asked curiously; his Romanian accent was so sexy.
"He asked if we were involved. He’s like, ‘Marcus is a great man,’" I said with a smile.
"And what did you say?"
"I said your heart belongs to someone else." I laughed at his expression, which was clearly taken back. I punched his arm.
"Goodnight, Marcus. I’ll see you soon." I left him with his mouth open.
Approaching my room, I saw only Alec standing there. Alec was a true Greek god, with his hair in perfect waves around his face; he was leaning against the wall arms crossed over his perfect chest. His tennis player build was very nice. Grey eyes on me.
"Where is Iva?" I asked smoothly.
"She was hungry; she will meet up with us later," he said. "Do you want to go for a walk?" his Italian accent still sent a shiver down my spine. I love accents.
"A walk?" I asked.
"Yes, I would like to walk with you." His eyes held a certain intimacy in them.
"Okay," I said.
I didn’t know where he was taking me, but it was nice just having a normal time together.
We passed many rooms going in the opposite direction of the main court area or the area where all the young vampires live, where Anthony had taken me. I saw a simple door heavily tinted. It was outside. He opened the door for me; my eyes tried to take in everything. It was beautiful. Flowers and a pond in the middle. A garden, a large one. Must have been at least twelve acres, with trees lining the edges. It was like the movie A Secret Garden; it had a certain mystical feel to it.
"What is this place?" I asked, awestruck.
“Just a place every age likes to come and enjoy. The Yurnlings get to enjoy it in the sun."
“It’s beautiful, Alec," I said. We followed the path in silence.
“How was meeting your relative?" Alec asked, looking at the stars.
I knew he would ask me. He was too curious to deny himself.
"It was interesting. Did you know about my dad?" I asked casually.
"Dad?"
"That my biological dad is a werewolf," I said. He stopped walking and just froze. I was right in assuming that he didn’t know.
"What?" he asked.
"I guess you didn’t know then. His name is Elecho, and he is very ill. He was bitten by a vampire,” I said. “I can see the love between my mom and Elecho still burns." Alec was watching me.
"Some things never change with time.” He looked at the ground.
“How do you feel about it?"
"Well, for one thing, I never thought of my mom as being rebellious and falling in love with a wolf," I said, laughing bitterly. “It’s sad, I feel bad for them. All the secrecy." Alec took my hand in his as we walked. It was romantic and sweet.
“I don’t want us to be like that, Aimee," he said quietly.
“Like what?"
“Waiting till it’s too late to be together. I can feel it, you being distant. I know you are planning to leave, and leave me in the process."
I stopped under a tree, facing him. "Alec, I want us to be together, too. Just not right now. I have to figure things out. That doesn’t change how I feel about you."
“And how do you feel about me?" he asked.
“I love you. I felt it the day I met you, the instant you touched me. A connection. I knew I could trust you, even though at the time I didn’t know you." I could feel his pulse racing; it was vibrating into his hands.
“You love me?" he asked.
"Yes. And that’s why I’m telling you we have to wait to be together, so I can figure out me first."
His icy grey eyes looked into mine with such intensity. He pulled me closer to him and smothered my lips with his, so soft at first and then intense. We stumbled as we lay in the grass, just holding tight to each other. His lips caressed my neck. I could feel the fangs grazing softly, lingering on my neck. His desire was there; his self-control pulled him back to my lips, hovering over me he just brushed my hair from my face.
“I love you so much it hurts," he said.
I touched his face and brought him closer t
o me. We lay entwined together, watching each other, studying each other’s features. “These last six years have been so hard.”
I brushed his silky hair back. The gold beads stood out, and I touched them.
“Why do you wear these?” I asked.
“You put them in my hair, after the movie Troy came out; you had that crush on Orlando Bloom. I used to be jealous of him.”
“And you kept them in?”
“Yes, because it was a piece of you,” Alec said. I didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, I kissed him.
“Did we ever go farther than kissing?" I asked, quietly, embarrassed about not knowing.
He smiled and just stroked my face. “No, we planned on it, but you were taken first."
A part of me was happy, relieved, because I would want to remember the first time. Alec continued to watch my face, then he rolled over to his side. Our heads were close together as we stargazed. It really was a beautiful night. Why did my life have to be filled with so much confusion and worry? I wished I could lie like this for a long time.
Awaken Me Page 13