by Simone Elise
“YOU SAID NO PICTURES!” Alec roared at me while clenching his fists. “Give me the camera!”
Dan wasn’t quick enough to dodge Alec, and Alec sent the camera flying against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
“That wasn’t funny.” Alec’s eyes were small silts. “Your fun is over. Now get ready to leave.”
I nodded my head in between guffaws. “Sure, whatever you say, Ace.”
***
“So is she the one?”
I leaned over the table and whispered to Dan. He nodded his head and we both shot a quick glance in the brunette’s direction. She had a thin build and I could see why she appealed to Ace.
“She’s pretty,” I said to Dan, and looked around the festival. It was more like a luau. There was a deep rumble of drums echoing through the air and the smell of hot food.
Alec was at the bar talking causally to the brunette, who kept shooting snobby looks my way, as if to say, “He’s more interested in me, bitch.” Getting up from my chair, I shot Dan a quick grin and went to play my part as the ‘girlfriend’ or ‘date’.
“Alec?”
I wrapped my arm through his and looked him in the eye with a charming smile. It felt so weird calling him Alec. Sure, I referred to him as that in my mind, but not out loud. “You want to dance, babe?”
The brunette raised an eyebrow at Alec and didn’t look at me. Alec’s player’s charm came into play. I knew he knew what I was doing.
“Sure.” He winked at the brunette and then led us to the dance floor. “Good timing,” he whispered in my ear, before spinning me around in his arms so we were facing each other.
“How so?” I looped my arms around his neck. “Was she getting clingy?”
“Nope.” He placed both hands on my hips and our bodies swayed together. “She started asking questions about you.”
“What is that the second step?” I moved my body closer into Alec’s, knowing full well I had an audience. “First flirting, second jealous, third screwing?”
Alec winked down at me. “Perhaps.” His hands gripped my low back. “I think we are doing the jealousy one right.”
I glanced sideways at the brunette. She was clutching her glass really tight. Was someone jealous? I leaned up to his ear and breathed a swirl of hot breath. “I think you’re right.”
“I wasn’t just talking about Amy.” He leaned down to me, before nodding his head over my shoulder. Alec spun me around in his arms so my back was pressed against his chest. “My brother’s eyes are haunting tonight, aren’t they?”
I gulped when my eyes locked with Dan’s large oval ones, the color of the night sky. Alec spun me back. He was smirking down at me.
“He likes you, you know?” Alec’s hands moved down a tad lower. “But the thing is, Chloe, do you like him?”
“Of course I do.” My eyebrows frowned and studied his face as he dropped his smirk. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“You’re not his mate.” Alec’s hot minty breath swirled around my face. “You and he are doomed before you begin.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“We have mates for a reason. Don’t go against nature.”
“You sleep with women who aren’t your mate!”
“That’s different. That’s for fun.” Alec’s head lowered. “Feelings don’t get involved.”
The deep drum rumble softened our conversation. I knew no one else would be able to hear us. Loosening my arms, I kept my eyes locked with his.
“Are you saying I’m hurting him?”
“You are hurting yourself.” Alec and I stopped swaying and his eyes were soft, all the teasing and playfulness gone from his face. “There is a thin line between hate and love. I just don’t want to lose you as a…well, um, a kinda sister.”
“A hot sister?” A smile twitched at the corner of my lips and he rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, well. You know.” Alec unclenched a hand from my back and ran it through his messy hair. “Just don’t hurt each other.”
The beat changed and, from the daggers I felt in the back of my head I knew my work was done.
“I’ll see you at home, Ace.” I shot him a gentle smile and then brought my hand back and slapped it across his face. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU! FINE. WHATEVER. HAVE HER!”
Alec’s eyes looked terrified and he cupped his injured cheek. A few people glanced in our direction, but not many paid attention. After all, there was only one person we really wanted to see that slap, and I had a feeling she did.
“Have a good night,” I said under my breath to him, before turning around and faking a look of disgust. I shot a dirty glare in the brunette’s direction before marching away like a scorned women.
“Nice backhand,” Dan smirked at me, jealousy and anger now gone from his eyes. Or he was hiding it well.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” I lowered my voice. Dan was up from the chair in an instant and we moved through the luau. As soon as we were clear of the crowds and Alec was out of sight, Dan grabbed my hand from my side and shot me his charming smile.
Was I setting myself up to be hurt? I glanced at our entangled hands. My heart was telling me no, but my stomach was flipping backwards at the possible heartbreak which could come my way.
***
“You ok? You’re really quiet.”
I turned away from the beach and looked at Dan. “Yeah, I’m…do you think we’re doing the wrong thing?”
I tried to pretend everything was ok, but, yeah, that backfired. I couldn’t lie to Dan. The breeze swirled my hair across my face and I brushed it to the side. I studied Dan’s intense stare and his t-shirt flapping in the night breeze against his toned chest.
“What did Alec say?” He crossed his arms, watching my reaction.
“Just stated facts, facts we both know.” I shrugged my shoulders and let the night ocean breeze whisk around me. I closed my eyes enjoying the feeling. “I don’t want to hurt you, Dan.”
I felt his hands cup my face. I didn’t need to open my eyes to see him. I felt him.
“Chloe, we both know that this could end in disaster.”
Slowly I opened my eyes and looked into his. “Then we should stop this.”
His arms brushed against my chest as his hands remained around my face. His eyes were intense and I could hear the steady rise and fall of his chest. My own rising chest was competing against his, both of our bodies reacting to skin contact.
“We should.” He lowered his head dangerously closer to mine. Our eyes locked.
Shakily, my hands went up and I gripped his arms on either side, ready to pull his hands away from my face.
“Friends again?” My voice broke as I spoke. I cursed myself for not being able to keep it steady.
He nodded his head once and his hands fell from my face. I gulped and then quickly shouldered past him. My feet sinking into the sand as I walked away.
So this was how Dan and I ended? It was better this way. We stopped it before we both got hurt. I quickened my pace, trying to put more distance between us. I should never have let it go that far. I should have stopped this ages ago.
Shit. I was on vacation with him! Now I was stuck on this island with him and his family. Well, I guess it will test the foundations of this new ‘friendship.’
I grasped as my arm swinging beside me was grabbed and I was spun around. Two strong arms wrapped around my body.
“We should doesn’t mean we are going to.” His eyes were bathed in lust and determination. His jaw was clenched.
I opened my mouth to reply, but was silenced by his lips as they crushed mine. I placed my hands on his chest. His lips were hot with passion and my frozen ones quickly became injected with his lust. My reaction to him was coated in need.
He pulled me tighter to his body and I didn’t fight it. Instead, I craved it. His comfort, his touch, his love.
I wanted it. Now. Consequences be damned. I would deal
with the future pain when it came, because right now, in Dan’s hot embrace, my mind was clear of everything.
That was what I told myself, as I suppressed Xavier’s pull and my need for him. I just kissed Dan harder.
Xavier, you lost me, I decided in Dan’s arms. Right here, right now. As we kissed in the night breeze, our feet firm in the sand and our bodies pressed together.
The separation was beginning and I felt it. And I knew on the other side of the world, as Xavier slept with Emily, he would too.
Our separation had begun.
Chapter 14
“Please don’t make me,” I pleaded with Dan, holding his hand, standing in front of the classroom. “Please.”
Dan sighed slowly, squeezing my hand. “Come on, Cho. It won’t be that bad.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure it won’t.”
“Come on.” He kept a firm grip on my hand and then turned around, pulling me behind him. Yes, I said pulling, because I did not want to go in there willingly. I shut my eyes tightly, as Dan pulled me through the doorway.
“Chloe, Daniel. Nice to see you both.”
My eyes snapped open. Both Dan and I were shocked by Xavier’s calmness and his welcome.
“Mr. Clark.” Dan shot him a small smile as we walked past him. Xavier smiled at me, but didn’t give us a second look as he resumed his conversation with Mr. Woods.
Dan arched an eyebrow at me as he let go of my hand and we both took our seats at the back of the class. What the heck!
I glanced back up Xavier. He was leaning casually against his desk with his arms crossed, happily talking to Mr. Woods, another gym teacher.
I had expected him to yell at me, to curse, to scream, to attack Dan. I hadn’t expected him to not…care.
I had felt the separation as I kissed Dan. I felt my connection with Xavier weakening just for a moment. He would have felt it too. He would have felt it. I know it.
I ran a hand through my hair. My palms were sweating. Why was I nervous?
“Chloe?”
I looked at Dan. “What?”
“Stop tapping your foot. It’s annoying.” He smirked at me slightly as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “What did I tell you?”
Dan had said Xavier would be fine. He had said that I had nothing to fear. I didn’t expect him to be right. I shot a sideways glance at Xavier. He was calm and collected, even happy.
The bell rang through the speakers. Mr. Woods left the room at the signal, closing the door behind him. The class fell silent.
“So, guys.” Xavier pushed himself up from his desk and walked around it. “I am happy to say that the school camp will be happening.”
The class bubbled with excitement while I frowned at Dan. What camp?
“But it won’t be to the mountains.” Xavier’s lips twitched slightly at the class’s sighs of disappointment. “Instead, we have decided to head to the Beach Sports week.”
Well, the class exploded with joy, while I still frowned. I knew what the event was. It was a week of endless sports activities on the beach. A lot of schools attended it when it was scheduled during the school semester. But mostly it was scheduled during vacation time.
“As you guys know, this event takes place in a week’s time.” Xavier scooped up a pile of papers. “So that means, exams will be scheduled for two weeks after we come back.”
Xavier began to hand the pieces of paper out, placing them on our desks. Questions were fired at him from every direction as he did.
“Do we get to choose our roommates?”
“No, I do.”
“Do we get to choose what activities we do?”
“Yes.”
“Can boys and girls share the same room?”
“I think you already know the answer to that one.”
“Can we just sit on the beach and tan?”
“If that is how you want to waste your time, yes.”
“But won’t it be boring. We are going against humans.”
“Other academies like ours will be attending. We will make sure to arrange a few ‘special’ games.” Xavier placed the paper on my desk and my heart beat harder. He was so close.
“Thanks,” I mumbled under my breath. But he didn’t answer or respond. Instead, he just kept handing out the papers.
I didn’t want to go back to the beach. I had just spent weeks there. Sure, it was a different beach, but the ocean was always the same.
“So get your parents to fill the permission forms out, and get them back to me asap.” Xavier walked past me. My arm brushed against his leg.
Focus, Chloe. Come on. I shut my eyes.
“Looks like we are heading back to the beach, Cho.”
I nodded my head at Dan. “Yeah, looks like it.”
I sunk back into my chair. Xavier was normal. He wasn’t jealous.
I should be pleased. I glanced at Dan as he grinned and chatted with Scott. This amazing man wanted to be with me. But as much as I wanted him, I knew someone else was out there for him. So what the heck was I doing?
It was only a matter of time. She would find him. Because who wouldn’t want to find Dan?
I cursed nature for not making him mine.
***
Xavier smiled a friendly smile at us as we walked out. I arched an eyebrow at his happy mood and left without giving him a smile.
“What was up with that?” Dan whispered down in my ear as we walked down the corridor.
“I have no idea.”
“Oh. Hi, Chloe.”
I shook my head. Was I really seeing this?
Pausing in the corridor with my hand in Dan’s, I said, “Um, hi, Emily.” I scratched the back of my neck with my free hand “Um, how are you?”
“Good. Do you know which room is Xavier’s?” She smiled briefly at Dan and me. “I can’t find it.”
“It’s the third one on the left.” Dan gestured his head back in the direction we had just came from. “The door is still open.”
“Thanks.” She smiled again at us before walking away.
What the hell was she doing here? And why was he letting her come here! Chloe just shut up, I yelled at myself.
It. Is. Not. Your. Concern.
“Gee, Cho. No need to snap my hand off.” Dan tugged his hand out of my death grip. I hadn’t realized what I was doing.
“Sorry.” I let go of his hand. “Didn’t mean it.”
“So that was her then?” Dan and I began to walk away, people stepping out of our way.
“Yep, that was the one.”
“She’s pretty.”
I shot a sideways glare at him and slapped his upper arm.
“For a human! Gee, Cho, no need to slap a guy down!” Dan rubbed his arm and shook his head. “Touchy subject, I guess. Sorry.”
I grumbled under my breath, not wanting to focus on it anymore. She was here. Big deal. I gritted my teeth. It didn’t matter. Not one bit.
***
“SHE CAME TO THE SCHOOL!”
I slammed Chad’s bedroom door behind me. “Like she ACTUALLY came ONTO the school grounds!”
“Nice to see you too.” Chad spun around on his computer chair with a smirk on his face “How was the trip?”
“She asked me for directions! SHE ACTUALLY ASKED ME!” I crawled up Chad’s bed and sat in the middle of it. “What is he thinking, letting her come to the school?”
“Yeah, I’m good too Chloe. Had a wonderful few weeks. Nice of you to ask.”
“You should do something.” I crossed my arms and looked at him. “Like ban her from entering the school grounds.”
“And why would I do that?” He arched an eyebrow at me with that same cocky smirk.
“I don’t know. Scare her off or something. OR make it a law. You’re future alpha! Use your power for good!”
“You class banning your mate’s wife from entering the school as good?”
�
�Yep, so can you do it?”
“No.”
“You’re a useless brother.” I hurled a pillow in his direction. It dropped short at his feet.
“You know you shouldn’t be doing this.” Chad sighed. “You aren’t meant to be getting jealous, remember?”
“He is rubbing it in my face!” I threw both hands in air. “He knows it is like acid in my stomach when I am forced to see her AND, may I add, he was NICE to me in class today.”
“Oh, the horror.”
“You have no idea. He smiled at me.”
“Chloe, can you hear yourself?”
“He greeted me, and SMILED! AND he smiled at Dan too…in fact he even greeted him in a friendly way!”
“Chloe.”
“Like who does that! I just spent weeks on an island with another man and when I get back he SMILES at the man I was sleeping with!”
“Too much information!”
“Maybe he is trying a new game with me.” I rubbed my chin. “Maybe he has thought of some new way to get me back since I left maybe—”
“Maybe he is accepting your choice?” Chad arched both eyebrows. “Like you wanted.”
“Xavier doesn’t do anything that isn’t in his favor.” I scoffed. “Nope, I am missing something.”
“Chloe, get over it.”
“What do you think he is playing at?”
“He isn’t playing at anything.” Chad sighed heavily and got up from the chair. He walked around the room and flicked on his TV. “Maybe he got used to it while you were gone.”
“You believe that?” I arched an eyebrow as he pushed me across the bed and sat next to me.
Chad looked me in the eye for a few moments before turning his attention back to the football game he had just put on. “Perhaps.”
“Perhaps.” I grunted. “What insight you provide me, Chad.”
“Chloe, I want to watch the game.”
“You haven’t seen me in weeks!”
“And how I have missed your rants about Xavier. Now shut up and spend some brother time with me.”
“I don’t rant.”
Chad made a weird scoffing noise and shook his head. “Whatever you say, Sis. Whatever you say.”
I crossed my arms and fell back into the wall of pillows behind me. I stared angrily across the room. I didn’t rant.