by JJ King
It was a deep navy blue with long sleeves that gave it a respectable air. The front cut down in a vee that made my small breasts look pretty good.
It was the back that turned the dress into something else. It cut down the length of my back, kept up by only a slim line of fabric that ran the length of my shoulders. The vee skimmed my lower back, mere inches from my curves. It made me feel beautiful, mature, and very sexy.
“Told you it would be perfect,” Rory murmured, sliding up next to me so we were both in my mirror. Without my shoes on, we were a lot closer in height, but our looks were so different, we made a striking image.
“Don’t move,” I ordered, and rushed to grab my cell phone.
We posed for picture after picture, starting with full-lipped sexy shots that quickly escalated to belly laughter and goofy grins. Sophisticated and demure we were not, and I thanked the Old Ones every day that was the case.
A knock sounded at the door, making us spring apart to grab our purses. I grabbed my shoes and pulled them on while Rory went to open the door.
Bash’s laugh broke through the open door as he pushed Darius into the room. His friend’s face was the picture in shock, his almost black eyes wide as he lowered his gaze and let it travel up and down Rory’s petite body.
“Wow,” he whispered in a voice thick with wonder and more than a little lust. I grinned at the flare of response in Rory and stepped forward to prod her. We hadn’t gotten all dressed up like this to miss the party for animal sex.
Rory linked her hand with Darius’ and they slipped out into the hallway, leaving Bash and I alone for a moment. His eyes, dancing with laughter, lit on me and all traces of mirth vanished. My mouth went dry at the look that replaced it.
Hunger. I felt it in my blood. It sizzled through me, an awareness of his need for me, the force of his want to touch, to taste, to hold. I sucked in a shaky breath and stepped towards him.
“Wait,” he said in a whisper so soft I barely heard him. His hand hovered between us, holding me back as his gaze ate me alive. Everywhere it touched, I felt flames lick at my skin. When his eyes, almost black now with desire, lifted to meet mine, they were filled with unspoken emotion. “I just wanted to remember this moment,” he explained, then opened his palm and reached for me.
I stepped into his arms and thrust up onto my toes to meet his lips in a searing kiss. We fit, so perfectly it made my mind melt. My fingers delved into his thick black hair, pulling him closer, so I could devour him. His taste was sweeter than the finest chocolate.
The loud and obnoxious sound of a throat clearing repeatedly pulled me slowly from the haze of sexual need. My heavy eyelids lifted to reveal Rory, standing hipshot with Darius still gazing down at her in shock, watching with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk on her lips.
“We are not missing this party,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. “There’ll be time for all that,” she waved her finger between us, “later.” With that, she turned on her gorgeous heels and stalked away down the hall with Darius behind her.
I pressed my face into Bash’s neck and breathed in the scent of him. It didn’t help quell my lust but the hilarity of the moment pulled me back from the edge. My shoulders shook as giggles poured out of me.
“Raincheck?” I murmured, sliding past Bash and letting my hand stroke slowly across his abdomen. I looked over my shoulder at him through heavy-lidded eyes that screamed promises, then strode out the door, confident as all hell that he’d follow.
♀♀♀
The party was held in an area of the resort that I’d only vaguely heard about. We walked for nearly fifteen minutes, through an underground tunnel lit with beautiful crystal light fixtures and emerged into a room that nearly stole my breath. That was happening to me far too often lately, I thought with widened eyes.
The room was huge, like a ballroom but sectioned off into various areas that had choices of comfortable seating, bar stools, or table seating. There were chaise lounges in one area and wing-back chairs around a fireplace in another. But all of it, the entire room, lay under the splendor of a domed glass ceiling that soared above their heads and gave an entire panorama of midnight sky, complete with dancing aurora borealis in vivid shades of greens, blues, and pinks. I clapped my hands together and pressed them to my mouth at the perfection before me.
“This is…” words failed me for once. I glanced over at Bash who was watching me instead of the northern lights.
“Breathtaking,” he finished my sentence, his emerald eyes never leaving mine as he spoke to my soul. I felt the shiver from my head to my toes.
“Come on,” he said with the half-grin I loved so much. “Let’s go get something to drink.” He slipped his hand into mine and tugged me forward, towards the long bar that ran along the edge of the room.
Music swelled around us from hidden speakers, making me sway as I sipped white wine and felt my body loosen. It had been a long time, far too long, since I’d danced or just enjoyed a night out with friends. Last summer, I realized with a start. Before I’d started at Alpha Wolf Academy. I’d danced with Sara and Bethany in Montreal at a nightclub that had boasted go-go dancers.
My heart tugged at the memory and I wondered how they were doing. The Sisterhood had relocated them to a safe place, on a beach, I was told, where they were happy and safe. They were safe and in hiding, because of me, because they were my best friends in the whole world and there was a mad man who wouldn’t blink at the idea of using my loved ones to get to me. My gut churned painfully.
My parents were in the same boat, along with my Nan and Pop. Their lives had been uprooted, too, but I couldn’t quite work up the same sympathy for them as I could for Sara and Bethany. After all, they’d chosen to foster a child for The Sisterhood. What else had they expected?
I downed the rest of my glass in one gulp and reached for Rory’s glass. She gave it up with a look of surprise, then arched a single eyebrow at me when I chugged the expensive wine.
“I need to use the ladies,” she said, keeping her gaze on me as she pushed to her feet and reached for her purse. “Excuse us, boys. Elena?” Rory posed it as a question but I heard the expectation to follow in her tone.
We slid around people holding drinks and dancing or leaning intimately against their dates and made our way to the door marked with the symbol for female. Rory pushed the door open and held it while I followed her into another room that made me stop for a second in awe.
“This isn’t a bathroom,” I muttered, giving the elegant room, resplendent with beveled mirrors, counters covered in the finest beauty products, and velvet covered seats a side-eye. “Seriously,” I moved closer into Rory and leaned in so no one else would hear. “Why is everything so fucking fancy all the time?”
Rory chuckled and tugged me further into the room, snagging two stools tucked into a corner, separated slightly from the others. I sank down onto the plush cushion and chewed thoughtfully on my lip, knowing she was waiting for me to speak. I didn’t feel like talking about my feelings, not here, not now, but I knew Rory well enough to understand that she would not leave until I’d said something.
“I just had a moment, okay,” I said quietly, busying myself with the hem of my dress. “I’m good now. We should go back unless you actually have to pee.” I considered my bladder and the two glasses of wine I’d imbibed. “I think I might need to.” I pushed to my feet and was promptly pulled back down.
“Just sit for a minute,” Rory grumbled. “I guess it’s a little weird being here, with all this.” She waved her hand to include the glossy antechamber to the actual bathroom. I understood she was talking about more than just the lux facilities, though. “Sometimes I forget you weren’t raised in the kind of homes we were.” She puffed out her cheeks and blew out a breath. “And I can’t believe I just included myself in that crowd.”
I shrugged. “In that respect, you are part of that crowd. I mean, I’ve seen pictures of your room. It’s bigger than my entire house. You, my dear
, are bougie and you know it.” I pursed my lips and made eyes at her.
She smacked me in response. “I am the least bougie person you know here.”
I rubbed my arm as if she’d really hurt me. “Yes, well, I know very few people here. You could be a complete diva compared to some.” My lips quirked up.
It was working. Rory had this amazing ability to pull me out of my funks whenever she was around. With a few words or a silly look, she could snap me back, the same way Sara and Bethany always could. My lips fell again.
“I’m just thinking about Sara and Bethany,” I confessed, knowing she’d pry it out of me, anyway. “They didn’t sign up for this shit. I know they’re safe and having fun, or so I’ve been told because I haven’t talked to them in ages.” I pushed hair back from my face. “I’m just being maudlin. Sorry for ruining the night.”
Rory smacked me again and, this time, it actually stung. I was glad to have long sleeves to hide her abuse. I pouted and rubbed.
“You didn’t sign up for this shit, either,” she hissed. “So stop feeling sorry for yourself and throw all that pissiness into training or studying with Sylvie.”
“I’m not pissy,” I muttered, keeping my voice low.
“You are, and it’s annoying. So, stop it.” Rory glared in mock annoyance until I cracked under the power of her amused gaze.
“Fine,” I said with a smile. “I’ll stop. Thanks for pulling me back from the edge.”
“Not a problem,” Rory quipped. “That’s my job as resident bestie. Besides,” she said, climbing to her feet. “We look too good to spend the night in here bitching and complaining about your,” she leaned in to whisper in my ear, “insane uncle.”
“Agreed.” I let her tug me up and followed her to the door before remembering that I needed to pee.
I felt a hell of a lot better when we strode out of the bathroom, side by side. The way Bash and Darius watched us approach certainly helped.
“Hey pretty lady,” Bash said with a cocky grin that made me want to eat him up. “Wanna dance?”
I gazed at him, so gorgeous it sometimes took my breath away, and leaned in slowly, pressing my lips against his ear. “Are you sure you can keep up?” I whispered, having immeasurable fun with the sexual tension between us.
Bash swallowed audibly and turned his head so our lips swayed an inch apart. His mouth dropped open and I thought, for an instant, that he would kiss me. I leaned forward slightly.
He grazed my cheek with his hot breath and moved to whisper in my ear. “Try me,” his voice and the promise in it rumbled through me.
“Gross.” The single word shot straight up my spine and disintegrated any and all sexy feelings that had been stirred up. I straightened and turned to look at Daniella with what I hoped was vitriol.
“Nice to see you, too, Daniella,” I said in my fake pleasant voice as I felt Bash stand next to me. I forced myself to relax and not stress out my boyfriend, since he really did care about my relationship with his twin. “It’s a lovely party,” I conceded, giving her that.
I’d half expected our relationship to be different, better, after the attack, since I’d saved her life. But, no, that wasn’t in the stars, apparently, because she’d been just as much a bitch after as she’d been before. Although, I did think she tried to be nicer when Bash was present, same as I did.
He was here now, so we put on our polite smiles.
“Reeves have been throwing parties in this room for generations,” Daniella said, a tad haughty, but with a smile on her full red lips. “Tradition and all.” She surveyed the room and I saw her smile shift, losing its fake edge. It always twisted my gut to remember that she wasn’t horrible to everyone. In fact, with Bash, she was sweet and kind. But no one saw that version of her often and she really hated to let me glimpse it.
“I guess it’s hard to screw up a party in a room like this,” I let myself relax enough to offer a genuine smile. That was my mistake.
Daniella’s eyebrow shot up. “Oh?” she said in a clipped tone that instantly made my back go up again. “I suppose you think it’s easy to pull something like this off.” It wasn’t a question.
I shook my head and berated myself for thinking for even a split second that I could talk to her like a normal person. “No,” I backpedaled, wondering why I should even care enough to try. “I just meant it’s a stunning room.”
Bash’s hand slid across the small of my back to cup my hip. He pulled me into his side and spoke softly to his sister. “Mom will approve,” was all he said.
Daniella’s gaze rested on his for a long moment, as if they were sharing an entire conversation in silence, which I suppose, they were. Twins were weird. Then, she tilted her head, shifted her gaze from him to me, and nodded in as elegant a “fuck you” as I’d ever received. Her smile was as fake as my family history. I turned away and my gaze locked on Connor’s.
Better and better, I thought as I refused the urge to roll my eyes like a dramatic teenager.
I looked away from him and wished to the Old Ones I could forget he even existed. Not only did his presence remind me of a past I didn’t want to remember, it made me aware of the fact that my life and the lives of those around me were in danger constantly. It wasn’t a fun way to live.
But I could deal with life not being fun. I just couldn’t deal with Daniella anymore.
A shrill scream from the corner of the room jarred me from my annoyance. I moved forward with Bash to avoid being trampled by the crowd of busy noses that surged forward to see what was going on.
My heart leaped into my throat and adrenaline burned through my veins. Faces moved past me quickly, blurred by the panic that brought my breath in shallow gasps. Bash turned me in his arms and wrapped me in a cocoon as people swarmed past.
“Shhh,” he murmured, pressing his lips against my hair as he held my trembling body. “I got you.” His voice was calm and deep, and it rumbled through me, reaching the fear and encircling it like his arms encircled me now. “You’re alright,” he whispered over and over, until my breathing calmed.
But when I looked up and met Connor’s icy blue gaze, which was filled with worry and pity, I knew that I wasn’t alright.
I’d never be alright again.
Chapter 10
Bash closed the door behind us and clicked the lock shut.
I stiffened, feeling foolish for causing such drama and embarrassing my friends. My emotions swirled dangerously close to the edge of manic anger, filling my body with the need to move, to stalk, to hunt. But we weren’t home or even at the Academy, so I gritted my teeth and began pacing the room.
“This isn’t me,” I muttered as I kicked off my heels and continued wearing the carpet thin. “I’m not this person.” I balled my hands into fists, wishing for something, anything, to pummel so this feeling of rage could drain from my body. Even through the vibration of emotion, I fought to hold it back, for him. Bash doesn’t deserve this, I thought.
“You’re not what person?” Bash asked, taking a step towards me with his hands raised in question. “Someone who went through a surreal trauma and who’s coping with it?” His voice was gruff with frustration that bit straight into my heart.
“I’m sorry, alright?” I spewed the words, feeling them, wishing I was better for him, for everyone. The grief I felt, the pity for those around me, was colored now, though, with anger that burned white hot behind my eyes. I whirled on him. “Fuck that!”
I spewed the rage, letting it grow, too overcome to hold it back any longer. It had been festering inside me for too long, hidden by a bright smile and the semblance of normalcy. I wasn’t normal, nothing was normal anymore.
“I’m so fucking sick and tired of feeling this way, Bash!” I heard my voice echo off the walls but couldn’t seem to reign it back in. “I’m afraid, all the time. It’s like this…” I pounded my chest with my fist, “vice on my chest, constantly. I can’t take it anymore.” My gaze darted around the room, searching for something
that could never appear, a sense of rightness, of my old life. “I don’t sleep,” I confessed, “and when I do, it’s just nightmares.”
I raked my hands through my hair and raised stricken eyes to Bash, who seemed frozen in time, watching me, letting me vent. For some reason, his thoughtfulness made my fury spike.
“I’m fucked up, Bash.” I threw my hands in the air, feeling like I was spinning out of control with no way to stop. “For Old One’s sake, I couldn’t even sleep with you for months because I couldn’t trust myself. What does that say about me? How am I supposed to live like this?”
How are you supposed to love me like this, I thought but dared not say aloud?
“You’re doing the best you can,” Bash said firmly. “Elena, do you think you’re the only one feeling fucked up right now? Do you think I don’t have nightmares, too?” His jaw clenched.
I stared at him, feeling as if he’d sucker punched me. He was having nightmares and hadn’t told me? I staggered back, fists tight, and opened my mouth to rail at him. Then snapped it shut.
Wasn’t that exactly what I’d done for the last few months?
I’d been suffering, in complete silence, except for the times I’d seen Dr. Mira or spilled little bits to Rory. I’d kept all of it from Bash, from the one person who’d been there with me through it all. The one person who would understand most. My soul mate.
If I’d just come to him earlier, let him in, maybe that bond would have appeared sooner, and we’d both be stronger. Together. But I’d fucked that up, too. Desperate pain flooded me, cramping in my stomach until it was all I knew. I wrapped my arms around my chest, turned away from him, and shivered.
“Talk to me.” He loomed behind me and I felt his hands hover near my forearms. Through the weight of my fears, I could practically feel his need to touch mingled with his reticence to make things worse. I turned and buried my face in his chest.