Noah sighed at my question; the first sign that showed he was aware of my presence. But Adam and Daniel remained as they were. Noah’s sigh spoke of irritation. I hated it.
“If you are so irritated with me, Noah, then take your half baked self and leave with your people. Why do you even bother to come here when you know how selective I am with people?” I questioned, folding my arms across my chest, wondering what happened to the fear from before. My moods were similar to those exhibited by females during their menstruation period.
Noah gave me no response, not even a glance. He just stared ahead, into space.
I hated to be ignored, but I will be caught dead before I admitted that, or reflect that in my face.
I looked at Claire. She was just staring at me blankly.
“Who the hell are you? Daniel told me the assumptions you had made about them the last time they were here.”
Instantly Adam and Noah glared at their brother who tried not to squirm under their gazes.
Well well well. I see what’s happening. “So, do you want to contradict what I said?”
“What you said made no sense…why would they be interested in killing a wolfless girl…”
“Well, did you do the killing then?” A certain emotion flitted past her eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows, undeterred when she righted her face back to its blankness.
“You know what happened to her…” I muttered, thinking back to the small girl with Claire’s eyes, who had played a part in the set up.
“Oh great! Now, she is blaming Claire. Let’s get out of here guys.” Timothy said. “She might blame me next.”
But no one moved.
I noticed then that Adam was looking at me, howbeit coldly. Angry that I tampered with his first love?
I didn’t want to be there again. “Naomi, let’s go.”
I turned to leave with my old friend, but my movement was halted when a hand held my scarf and drew it away from my neck.
When I swerved in anger, it was Noah.
“Sorry, just wanted to confirm something.”
My heart which had spiked in a mixture of rage and dread, stilled to calmness. Thank the gods that Raul had covered the scar. What would have been my fate now?
“You wanted to confirm if I was eligible for the round of bullying you lot had come here for?”
Adam’s eyes rounded in incredulity. However, before he could talk, I grabbed Naomi’s hand and walked away from them.
**
Walking hand in hand with Naomi, I felt a sense of calm wash over me, a temporary respite from the chaos that had unfolded back at the store.
We found a quiet bench beneath the shade of a sprawling oak tree, its branches swaying gently in the breeze. I turned to Naomi, searching her eyes for answers to the questions that weighed heavily on my mind.
“What were they doing here?” I asked softly, my voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. I needed to understand why Claire, Timothy, and the others had shown up unexpectedly, why they had sought me out when they were aware of my hostility toward them.
Naomi sighed, her expression thoughtful as she considered her response. “I don’t know,” She admitted quietly. “Maybe they were trying to make amends, or maybe they were just curious.”
Her words resonated with me, stirring up a storm of conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted closure, wanted to confront them and demand an explanation for their past actions. But another part feared reopening old wounds, feared that their presence would only bring more pain.
As we talked, I became aware of movement behind us footsteps echoing on the gravel path, whispers carried on the wind. I glanced over my shoulder discreetly and saw Claire, Timothy, and the others trailing behind us, their expressions unreadable.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight of them, unsure of what their presence meant. Had they come to confront me further? Or was there something else driving them to follow us here?
Naomi must have sensed my unease because she squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Let’s go,” She said softly, standing up from the bench. “We don’t have to stay here if it doesn’t feel right.”
I nodded gratefully, for her understanding and support. Together, we walked away from the bench and continued along the path, leaving the group behind us.
“Are they still following us?” I asked, not wanting to turn around.
“No, I’m sure they have given up. They might be on their way to the Queen’s palace. Come on tell, what’s been going on with you?”
But before I could vomit the lies I’ve been cooking up since we started walking, Timothy came out from a thicket of bushes before us.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave my sister with you. You are dangerous.”
“Tim!” Naomi shouted in anger, but I patted her palm softly. “Just go with him. He won’t let me otherwise. I will see you some other time. Maybe on your birthday.”
***
The night had settled into a quiet hush as I prepared to retire to bed, the events of the day still swirling in my mind. Naomi had finally left with her brother, and I never saw her or the group again. They had remained at the Queen’s palace, not that I went anywhere again. Just from the store to the house.
Raul hadn’t spoken to me either. I wonder how long the silence treatment would last. As much as I didn’t care much for him, I was grateful to him for saving my sanity today.
As I reached for the lamp to dim the light, a sudden knock on my window shattered the calm, sending a jolt of fear through me. My heart raced as I froze, imagining the worst the Beast coming to haunt me once more.
But then, the reassuring voice of my significant other cut through my panic. It whispered in the depths of my mind, reminding me that the Beast did not knock like that, didn’t even knock on doors.
I took a deep breath, steadying my trembling hands, and approached the window cautiously.
Peering through the glass, I saw Adam standing outside, his silhouette outlined by the soft glow of the moon. Relief flooded through me, though I remained wary. He wasn’t the beast, but he could be deadlier than that if he chose to. Mystery and danger were another group of auras that swooned over him.
With a shaky hand, I unlocked the door and opened it slowly. “What are you doing here?”
The prince gave me no reply, not even a fixated look, he deftly pushed his way into my room before I could say Jack.
Adam’s presence filled the room, and his eyes then searched mine with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. “You should close the door, the air outside is chilly.”
I obliged. “What are you doing here?” I didn’t even understand why I was entertaining him.
“Dora,” he began, his voice low and husky. “I need to see your neck.”
His request caught me off guard, and I instinctively took a step back, my hand moving to cover the scar that marred my skin. The scar that I had concealed with magic, hiding the truth of who I was from everyone, including Adam.
“Why?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why do you need to see it?”
Adam hesitated, his gaze unwavering. “I just… I need to be sure,” he replied cryptically, his words tinged with urgency.
I hesitated, not knowing if showing him my bare neck was advisable. Would being in close range with him trigger the mark again?
I turned my neck toward him. “There’s nothing here.”
“I want to touch it.”
“No, you can’t. I think you should leave.” I answered, going to the door and opening it again. “Leave.”
“Dora , I won’t be leaving here, without touching your neck. I’m tired of being confused. I’m tired of being strewn in all directions. I’m tired of grasping at straws because of your words, or your looks, or your lips.”
I shifted on my feet. My lips?
“I saw that mark last weekend, and I know what it was. The bite mark of a Lycan. You were marked. I want to be sure I am not the one.” Adam concluded, his eyes narrowing as if he was just seeing the thin nightgown I was wearing, that left nothing hidden.
His perusal brought me to the same realization, brought me into a state of arousal-especially as his eyes became two shades darker.
Without much ado, I hurried to my wardrobe, and picked a robe. I donned it quickly, however I came face to face with Adam when I turned around. I backed up the wardrobe, inhaling sharply when his hand touched my neck.
“Prove your innocence, Dora…” He spoke in a husky voice, caressing the spot the mark had been.
“There’s nothing to prove, Adam. I think if I was marked by you, I will remember.” I managed to say, amidst the assault of lust.
“We will see about that.” He said, and dropped his lips on the same spot at the speed of light. And then he grazed gently on it with his teeth.
My pathetic attempts to get rid of him, when I could have easily used magic, did nothing; until the mark started to burn again. It brought my moans to an end. It brought my longing for his touch to an end.
Propelling my hands with magic, I pushed Adam away from me. He flew past the open door, and landed his buttocks on the grassy ground. I didn’t wait to see his expression, before I flung the door shut with a mind command.
What the hell is wrong with me?