ã€ŠFated Mateã€‹


 One

    Where am I?

    Lee turned around in a circle on the same spot as she looked around, searching for something familiar but all she could see was fog of a misty early morning. She raised her hands to her face. She could see that. She looked down to the ground. She couldn¡¯t see her feet, but she could feel the solid ground beneath them.

    Where exactly am I? She wondered, her heartbeat echoing loudly in her ears.

    Don¡¯t panic. Take deep breathes. She¡¯d barely taken one deep draw in when the fog in front of her began to part. Startled, she took a step back. She looked to her right, then to her left and finally behind her. Thick mist surrounded her, only the front that seemed to be opening up. What was she to do? If she was to leave this unknown ce, she had to move and the only path open to her was ahead.

    Gathering all her courage, Lee took one step into the opening. The fog parted for her. She took another step, and the path opened wider. With each step forward she took, the cloudy mist opened further, leading her to-to what? Her feet froze under her before she could take another step. Where exactly was she going, where exactly was she being forced to go?

    Just keep moving, a little voice in her head said. What other choice did she have? Hands fisted at her sides, Lee continued her pursuit, not bothering to try and see through the fog around her. She noticed it the path only opened when she forged ahead. Despite the fear crawling up her back, patience was what she had to hold on to. That and courage.

    Her foot bumped into something, and she stumbled. Quickly, with her arms stretched out she fought to remain on her feet. Thest thing she wanted was to fall and get lost in this fog that didn¡¯t allow even the slightest light through. She let out a breath of relief once she gained her footing. Knowing she wouldn¡¯t be able to see a thing, she looked down for the hell of it. It was a step. For the first time, she could see the ground and it was a step. Was she going up a stairway? Gingerly, she lifted her foot andnded on it. The moment she did, the fog parted to reveal two more steps. She took them both, cing both feet on the topmost.

    What was that? At thending, the fog parted even more, and she could see something. It was brown and looked like¡­ her heart leaped in her chest. Is that a door?

    Her feet moving quicker under her, Lee rushed to it, relieved that she would finally be out of the fog. She came to a step right in front of it, a smile on her face as she confirmed her hopeful suspicions. It was a door! Finally, she could get out of this horror movie setting. She reached for the doorknob and something suddenly hit her.

    Why did this look familiar? She wondered as her eyes roamed over the brown wooden door with a bronze knocker and matching handle. Where have I see this before?

    Something about the familiarity made her heart beat a little faster. This, she thought, shaking her head side to side, something wasn¡¯t right.

    The fingers of her raised hand curled into her palm, suddenly too afraid to see whaty behind the door.

    Lee jumped with a small scream at the roar that rent the air. She looked around her and whined with frustration. She couldn¡¯t see anything through the fog. Worse, it seemed to be thickening, pushing her forward towards the door. She turned to face the door with apprehension. What choice did she have? With shaking hands, she reached for the doorknob again. With a spurt of courage, she pushed it open. The door swung open revealing the inside of a house. Daring not to take a step in yet, Lee peeked in and looked around. It looked normal besides the nagging sense of familiarity. Where exactly was she? Why did her heartbeat so hard? Why was she so afraid to go in?

    ¡°Mommy.¡±

    A child like cry echoed in the empty room. She wasn¡¯t alone. There was a child in there and she was scared. Lee could hear it in her cry for her mother. Should she go in? She couldn¡¯t not go in. There was a child in there and she was probably alone.

    Shaking off the fear with a desperate whine, Lee rushed in, giving no room for second thoughts. With each step she took, the weight of feat grew tightening around her chest like a vice. She raised her hand to her tightening throat. She needed to get out of this ce before she suffocated to death. Something bad was going to happen, she just knew it, just as she knew she had been in that house before. She needed to find that little girl and find a way out of that ce.

    Just ahead of her, a little girl, with her back to Lee appeared. Relieved she rushed to her. Kneeling down beside her, she ced her hands on the little girl¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Hi sweetheart. What are you doing here alone?¡±

    Lee noticed how shaky her voice was, despite how chirper she tried to sound. Hopefully the little girl hadn¡¯t noticed. But the girl didn¡¯t respond, she didn¡¯t even turn to face Lee. It didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d even heard Lee speaking. Lee moved to crouch in front of her. The little girl¡¯s cheeks were wet with tears, her lips her turned down in a shaky frown and her wet eyes stared unblinkingly ahead. Lee turned to see what she was fixated on.

    A scream lodged in her throat at what she saw. Red splutters covered the walls of the living room. Blood. How she knew it was blood, she couldn¡¯t say but she was sure beyond a doubt it was blood.

    ¡°Daddy.¡± The little girl cried behind her. Lee turned to her when her cries grew to wails. She held her arm up as she pointed out, fresh tears spilling out of her tightly clenched shut eyes.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Lee followed the direction and her heart stop beating for a moment. Laying against the wall was a man covered in blood. He stared in their direction, tears spilling out of his eyes, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His lips were moving, he was saying something, but she couldn¡¯t make it out. All she could hear was gargling sounds. Dear god, if that man was this little girl¡¯s father, she shouldn¡¯t see him like this. No child should see their parent like this.

    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± Lee began, her voice choked with tears that filled her eyes. She turned to face the little girl, but she was gone. She quickly vaulted up to her feet and frantically searched around her. Where had she gone? Her breathes came faster as she cried, hating how confused and scared she was. What the hell was going on?

    ¡°M-Meri-lee.¡± The strained muffled voice filled the room.

    Lee turned to the man. He held his hand out to her. Lee rushed to him, taking his hand in hers. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll find her. I promise.¡±

    His hand tightened around hers. She could see the fear in his eyes as he stared at her. His lips parted to speak but a gush of blood came out instead. Lee cried harder, as a dark shadow fell over her. She wanted out of this messed up ce. She didn¡¯t want to be here a moment longer, but she couldn¡¯t leave him alone.

    ¡°Me-ri-rilee. Ru-ru-n.¡± He stuttered, as he stared into her eyes. His eyes were full of desperation and pain. His daughter. She needed to find-

    She gasped, her entire body going rigid. Her vision blurred with fresh tears; she opened her mouth to speak but only a strangled sound came out. Lee fell backwards at the shove. He¡¯d pushed her and it looked like it took all his remaining strength to do so.

    ¡°Run!¡± he choked out then looked up.

    She followed his line of vision and screamed as she scrambled backwards. There, standing at over six feet was what looked like arge dog. No, it was a wolf. She was sure of it. It had blood around its mouth. As he snarled, stalking towards her, its mouth drew back, exposing bloodied teeth.

    ¡°Daddy,¡± Lee cried as she tried to quickly crawl backwards on her hands, pushing back with the heels of her feet.

    The wolf¡¯s head lowered as it prepared to lunge at her.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Lee screamed again as she tried to quicken her movements. Her hand suddenly slipped, and she fell backwards, t on her back.

    The wolf leaped. With a scream on her lips, Lee raised her hands to shield herself.

    ¡°Lee! Lee!¡±

    Lee suddenly came awake to a scream ringing in her ears. Arms were wrapped around her with soft cooing voices in her ears.

    ¡°It was just a dream. You¡¯re okay.¡±

    Lee looked around then as she fought for breath. She was in her room, in her bed. She wasn¡¯t alone. She was in no danger, there was no wolf. It was just a nightmare, another nightmare.

    But why, why didn¡¯t it feel like a nightmare?

 Two

    ¡°Morning.¡± Ann walked into the kitchen in her pajamas, her short blond hair was in a mess and she was clearly half asleep. She sat down, crossed her arms over the table and put her head down.

    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± Maria responded with a beaming smile on her face. She was in a good mood this morning, like every morning. She was an early bird, the fact that there was only one bathroom in their three-bedroom apartment, was also a motivation. She always woke up early to be the first one to use it. She stood from the table and poured Ann some coffee in her favorite mug.

    ¡°Where is Lee? She¡¯s going to bete for school¡­and why are you always so damn cheerful?¡± Ann grunted back at her. Maria ced the mug in front of her and went back to her bowl of cereal.

    ¡°Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, again. She must be getting dressed.¡±

    Ann¡¯s headshot up, she had one of her evil grins on. ¡°Actually, I had the best dream ever!¡±

    Maria put her spoon down, leaned back in the chair and looked at Ann. She knew whatever wasing next would be very interesting.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Ann always had an over active imagination, but her dreams were way funnier, graphic and sadistic sometimes but funny. When someone got on her nerves, she would imagine all kinds of ways of revenge, and she would settle the score with the person in her dreams. She always woke up happier when she¡¯d annihted the person.

    ¡°Who did you kill now?¡±

    ¡°Steve¡­¡± Ann said with so much glee.

    Steve was their roommate¡¯s boyfriend and Ann hated him with a passion. He was certainly attractive, tall, wide shoulders, a toned body and a face to kill for, but he was repulsive when it came to everything else. He dropped out of high school, didn¡¯t have a job, he was sloppy and ungrateful, he treated Lee like a mindless drone, rather than the woman he imed to love, and worst of all, he believed he was God¡¯s gift to women and acted like it.

    Ann saw through his fa?ade of a loving boyfriend. She saw him for who he was an opportunist. He imed to love Lee but the only thing he loved about her was her money. The part that annoyed her most was that Lee was like his puppet, he pulled the strings.

    Maria on the other hand, tried her best not to have any opinion of Steve. The only thing she did was to try and keep Steve and Ann as far away from each other as possible. She knew Lee was attached to him, and all she wanted was her friend to be happy. But they both stepped in to stop Lee when his demands were outrageous.

    ¡°Of course, who else would it be?¡± Maria had that heard-it-all-before voice, but that didn¡¯t stop Ann. She looked even more excited. She stood up to dramatize her dream, almost knocking over her coffee.

    ¡°He was on set, on a beach. He was acting as this hot surfer-he wishes he could act, he wishes he was hot, but anyway, he was on his surfboard, waiting for this huge wave. When it got closer, he started paddling, and then he jumped on his board, with one of his stupid smiles pasted on his face, ready to ride the wave, all of a sudden¡­¡±

    She paused, her eyes grew bigger and so did her smile. Maria waited, she was giggling, very amused by Ann¡¯s efforts to add suspense to the story.

    ¡°Out of nowhere, a white shark came out of the wave and caught him between its teeth. He was screaming, crying for Lee to help him, ¡®Lee, help me, help me!''¡± She poorly mimicked Steve¡¯s hoarse voice as she threw her hands around. She tried to crease her face to look scared but her smile was stubbornly stuck on her face.

    Maria almost fell off her chair. She had her arms around her stomach,ughing hard.

    ¡°And this is the best part, Lee stood at the shore waving at him with a big smile on her face, ¡®bye Steve! I hope that shark doesn¡¯t bring him back¡¯ then the director turned to her and said ¡®I wish it would, we need another shot.''¡± Ann was waving out the window, acting the part of Lee in her dream.

    Maria was in stitches, she wasughing so hard tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Steve walked into the kitchen, shirtless. His presence irritated Ann; she wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. Maria stoppedughing. She had her hand over her mouth, hiding her wide smile.

    ¡°If only¡­¡± with that Ann sunk into her chair, back to her former mood.

    Maria bust outughing again, she stood up and ran to her room to get dressed. She also didn¡¯t want to get caught in the cross fire, she was in too good of a mood to have it destroyed by their fights. Ann and Steve couldn¡¯tst five seconds in a room before they were at each other¡¯s throats.

    ¡°So are you going to tell me what the joke is about?¡±

    ¡°You! Did your clothes run away from you? There is a garbage bag in the top drawer, I know for a fact that will stay faithful to you.¡±

    ¡°What, is my chest turning you on?¡± the corner of his mouth rose in half a smile, ignoring herst statement.

    Ann covered her mouth with her hand and made a gagging sound. ¡°I just puked in my mouth.¡±

    Steve was pleased to have irritated her. He reached over the table to grab the box of cereal. Ann jumped for it first and ced it on the floor beside her.

    ¡°Hey what¡¯s your problem?¡±

 Three

    ¡°You,¡± she gave him a cut look then sipped at her coffee. ¡°There is a new rule. You are only allowed to eat food that you¡¯ve paid for. Did you pay for this?¡± She picked up the box and shook it in his face.

    He stayed quiet but he was fuming. He gave her a look that screamed murder. Ann didn¡¯t flinch. She ced the box back on the floor and went back to her coffee, ¡°Didn¡¯t think so.¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ann¡­¡± he called out her name between clenched teeth.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t pay for my name either, so don¡¯t say it.¡± She stayed cool, ready to challenge hiseback.

    Before Steve could speak, Lee rushed into the room. She was in a hurry to get to her therapist¡¯s office before she headed to school. She could feel the tension in the room; it was all too familiar to her. She looked at Ann¡¯s cool face then at Steve¡¯s heated face, he was ring at Ann. So far Ann was winning this fight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what you are fighting about. I¡¯m going to miss my appointment if I don¡¯t leave now. And I don¡¯t have the time, nor am I in the mood to referee.¡±

    Steve spoke up, his voice cold and direct. ¡°I want that witch out of this apartment today!¡±

    Ann stared at him wide eyed. She stood up and moved to him. ¡°Me! I pay for my share of the bills around here, what do you do other than eat our food, use our water and stink up our apartment. You should move out and join the other bums in the streets!¡±

    Steve shot up from his chair; he was nose to nose with Ann.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lee¡¯s apartment, she¡¯s my girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our apartment, she¡¯s my sister!¡±

    He snorted. ¡°No you are not! She¡¯s ck, Maria is Spanish and you are white trash! It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out.¡±

    Ann pped her hands. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve finally admitted you are an idiot, it¡¯s the first step to recovery. I was wondering when your pea brain would finallye around to it.¡±

    He growled. ¡°Ann, when are you going to realize no one wants you, I mean your own mother threw you away, can your pea brain process that!¡±

    ¡°You know, you just got on myst nerve!¡± Ann had her half empty mug in her hand. She wanted to hit him with it, but didn¡¯t get the chance.

    ¡°Enough!¡± It was Lee who was shouting now. ¡°No one is going anywhere! Steve you went too far! Now, will you two just grow up?¡±

    She calmed down and turned to Maria, who was now standing behind her. Maria was angry but didn¡¯t want to show it. Steve¡¯s words had hurt her more than they did Ann; she of all people knew how it felt not to be wanted.

    ¡°Would you please wait for Ann and give her a ride, I need to get to Dr. Warren¡¯s. I¡¯m taking Ann¡¯s car, you guys take my jeep.¡±

    Steve turned to Lee and spoke with a softer voice. ¡°Babe, I need the car. I told you I was going to use it today to take my friends to the beach?¡±

    ¡°Take a bus.¡± Ann spoke behind him, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest, her face stern and red.

    Steve pretended not to have heard her and kept his gaze on Lee. ¡°You know, if you stopped seeing the shrink, we could afford another car?¡±

    Ann huffed. ¡°Can you believe this! The nerve! And anyway, we are saving up for Maria¡¯s car, so go find someone else to suck dry!¡±

    Maria interjected before another fight stared, she had her patient voice leveled and low. ¡°She needs the therapy, and anyway it¡¯s herst month of sessions and she isn¡¯t paying for it. The fund is, and the payments stop when she turns eighteen next month.¡±

    Lee needed Ann¡¯s car, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair not to give her the jeep in exchange. ¡°The girls could always drop you off, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind?¡± That¡¯s a far stretch.

    ¡°Hell no!¡± Ann shouted. Before Steve could counter Maria spoke up.

    ¡°If we do that, we¡¯ll bete for ss. I¡¯m sorry, but no. Ann you need to get ready.¡± Maria moved to the couch in the living room and sat down. She picked up a medical journal from the coffee table and opened it.

    ¡°Use one of your bum friend¡¯s cars or take a bus or walk.¡± Ann stayed in the kitchen, waiting to hear what Lee would say.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this time I¡¯m with her, she is the eldest. Bye, babe.¡± Lee looked over his shoulder at Ann, who had a smug look on her face. She tiptoed and gave Steve a kiss on his lips before she dashed out. She knew the second she left round two would begin.

    Lee stopped at her car and looked around the garage. She was getting that eerie feeling again, it gave her goose bumps. The eerie feeling was everywhere she went, except inside her apartment. It was like someone was watching her, following her everywhere she went. If she told Dr. Warren, he¡¯d just chock it up to the trauma, and of course something she already knew. She was being paranoid.

    She moved to the next parking slot and got into the two-door golf and drove off. Today Dr. Warren wanted to talk about her ¡®sisters¡¯. Lee smiled. It would be her first funny session.

 Four

    Merilee met Maria and Ann at thest group home she was ced in. She was ten then and had been in four different group homes already. She was a loner, never bothered to make friends because she wasn¡¯t sure how long she would stay. Ann and Maria were best friends then,plete opposites of each other.

    Ann was a sarcastic, cynical, twelve year old. Her druggie mother abandoned her when she was six. She never depended on anyone, got what she wanted through her own efforts. She never cried because she knew it would never solve anything. She was cold and straightforward, if she didn¡¯t like you she made sure you knew it. Her attitude had made it difficult for adoption, but she didn¡¯t care. She had survived in the worst of situations and had learned to be independent. She wasn¡¯t into making friends, but Maria had tugged at her heart.

    Maria was eleven when she came to Ann¡¯s group home. Her parents had died in a car crash when she was nine. For a whole year, her rtives had passed her around. She never stayed for too long with any of them before they off-loaded her onto another rtive. None of her rtives wanted her because they considered her to be extra luggage, so they took her to social services. The children¡¯s department tried to get her a family to adopt her, but nobody wanted a grown child. If she had been five years younger she might have been able to get adopted. Since she arrived, she cried every day, which annoyed Ann a lot. When Ann grew tired of it she finally spoke to her.

    ¡°Nobody wants me!¡± Maria repeated between sobs.

    Ann out of desperation to get her quiet, and a little pity, told her, ¡°I want you. From now on, we are sisters. Now will you please stop crying?¡±

    From that day on Maria was always under Ann¡¯s wing. Ann watched over her, took care of her and made sure she made the best out of their bad situation. Maria grew up a happy child, always on Ann¡¯s tail. She followed her everywhere, Ann didn¡¯t mind, she had someone to take care of and that made her feel useful. Maria, Ann¡¯s shadow, was optimistic, kind, polite, and always ready to apologize for Ann¡¯s rudeness. Even now she had that cheer in her all because Ann took care of her.

    When Merilee arrived at the home, she stayed alone, kept everyone at arm¡¯s length. She was withdrawn and didn¡¯t talk much. She was disturbed, always woke up crying after a nightmare. Ann became interested in her when she found out about her frequent visits to a therapist; another weirdo to add to the group. She tried on numerous asions to get close to Merilee but always got pushed away. Then one night, when Merilee woke up screaming and crying, Ann was beside her, holding her tight in her arms, stroking and soothing her. Of course Maria wasn¡¯t too far; she sang Merilee a luby her parents used to sing to her. The songforted her when she missed her parents, so she hoped it would do the same for Merilee.

    It became a routine. Every nightmare was chased with a hug and a song. After a while Merilee began to open up to her new friends. She began to talk andugh often but only around Ann and Maria. After a few weeks the three of them became inseparable. They were so different from each other but foundmon ground under the lead of Ann.

    Ann left the orphanage first after she finished high school and turned eighteen; found a job and a home. Six monthster, when Maria turned eighteen, she and Lee left and joined Ann in her tiny one roomed cubical. They wanted to stay together, separation to them wasn¡¯t a choice they considered, and it was more like a punishment.

    They worked part time while Lee finished high school. The fact that they weren¡¯t in the care of the state anymore meant they had to fend for themselves. Lee wanted to stop therapy but the others wouldn¡¯t let her. She was still having those nightmares. They weren¡¯t that often but she still needed help. Doctor Warren was gracious enough to cut down his charge, but they still had other bills they had to pay with money they did not have. Things were getting tough, and they were getting desperate.

    Then everything changed.

    After a few months, a man dressed in an expensive suit came knocking at their door.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Merilee Jackson, does she live here?¡±

    ¡°Who wants to know?¡± Ann was rude as always. She blocked the entrance with her body, she had no intention of letting him in, in case he was a social worker. Maria however, was appalled by Ann¡¯s behavior. ying her usual role as Ann¡¯s conscious, she pulled her back and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°He is dressed in an expensive suit. Does that scream social worker to you?¡±

    Ann looked him over. Her gaze was making the man ufortable; he was shifting his weight from one leg to another.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    With that Maria rushed to the door, with an apologetic smile, and weed their guest in.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t mind her. I¡¯m sorry the ce is such a mess, we weren¡¯t expectingpany.¡±

    ¡°Maria, he didn¡¯te here to inspect how neat we are.¡± Ann stood in front of their guest, her arms crossed over her chest, her unweing eyes fixed on him.

    Maria gave Ann a slit look before she turned back to their guest. ¡°Would you please sit? I hope you don¡¯t mind my asking, but why are you looking for Lee?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her trustee. He father left her a huge amount of money and some investments. I want to give her the first payment, now that she is no longer under the care of the state.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Lee walked into the small living room, shocked by this. Everyone was intrigued now. They stared at their visitor with such disbelief one would think he¡¯d beamed down from Mars.

    ¡°Hello Merilee¡­ or Lee¡­which do you prefer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah keep talking,¡± Ann prompted him impatiently. Maria didn¡¯t offer any apology this time.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Your father left you a lot of money. I will be managing your investments but you can have this for now.¡± He rose from the ragged couch and handed Lee a check.

    Lee was surprised, unable to talk. She stood there fixed, her eyes glued to the check not blinking. Ann and Maria moved behind her.

    ¡°Holy cow!¡± Ann shouted.

    ¡°Those are a lot of zeroes,¡± Maria whispered, unable to shift her gaze.

    The visitor continued, amused by their reaction. ¡°For some reason, your father instructed me to make sure that all three of you benefit from that check.¡±

    Ann turned to thewyer, wagging a fist at him. ¡°Is this a joke, because if it is¡­¡±

    The man put his hands up in surrender and took three steps back. ¡°I assure you it¡¯s not. He said it is for his daughter and her close friends. He said he was sure you would make friends that you would have for life! I¡¯m just a messenger!¡±

    He picked up his briefcase and took an envelope out. He mumbled a few words before he opened the door, ¡°Here are the papers for your new apartment on Ondo Street, and a car. I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± He dashed out and closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Two million dors¡­is he sure he got the right person¡­I mean¡­wow!¡± Lee couldn¡¯t think straight, the words were jumbled up and only a few came out.

    That same afternoon, Ann drove them to the bank. The check was legit! They did a little victory dance before they opened an ount and deposited it.

    This was their ticket to a new life, afortable life.

 Five

    Lee pulled the little green golf into the Edgeview high school parking lot. She was lucky to have found a parking space right next to the science building. Her therapy had run a littlete and she was now five minuteste for biology, again. Miss Don wouldn¡¯t be too patient with her this time. It was her third strike, and that meant detention or massive mountains of homework because calling her legal guardian, Ann, had proved useless in the past. She rebelled against authority worse than Lee did.

    On therapy free days, it took her close to five minutes to get to school, but when she did go to therapy it took her half an hour.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    She ran down the brightly-lit corridor full of student lockers and the red Eagle¡¯s football team banners hung everywhere. She stopped at the ss door and straightened out her ruffled hair. She held her backpack in front of her to cover therge brown coffee stain on the hip of her blue jeans. She had driven to school in a frenzy and spilled the entire cup on herself when she took a sharp turn.

    She took a deep breath, opened the door and took a step in.

    Miss Don was a tall thin woman who always dressed like she was still stuck in the fifties with a high neck blouse and an ankle long skirt. Her small frame always gave the impression that she was a walking warning advertisement against anorexia. Her hair was held up in a twist around her head, her face was tight and rigid, and her eyes were slit harshly. Her lips were blood red, which screamed out against her pale white skin.

    The kids in her ss always made a crack that she was a vampire and her lips were only that red because she drank students¡¯ blood. Most people believed she was evil because of the amount of homework she gave for the weekend but the vampire fuss wasn¡¯t epted as true because there had been no cases of missing children since she started teaching at Edgeview twenty years ago.

    Lee could always be the first.

    ¡°You arete again, Miss Jackson,¡± she hissed out. Even her voice didn¡¯t sound human. There was a spark in her eye, like she was d Lee waste.

    Lee stood in front of the small cool-colored ssroom. She tried to think of an excuse she hadn¡¯t used yet, although the truth might just get her off, she wasn¡¯t quite willing to share that particr private detail.

    ¡°Sorry, Miss Don, I got dyed,¡± Lee said politely. She pushed her beanie lower over her forehead unnerved by the twenty-five pairs of eyes looking at her.

    ¡°Doing what?¡± Miss Don pushed. She was going to make an inquisition out of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s personal,¡± Lee answered directly. She wasn¡¯t going to offer any more information than that.

    Miss Don sneered. ¡°More important than what I¡¯m doing?¡±

    Lee didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t see a reason to if she was still going to get punished anyway.

    ¡°Since you are too good to answer me, you¡¯ll be giving a report in next week¡¯s ss. Read on the next topic, the male reproductive system.¡± Miss Don¡¯s lips slightly curved up in a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t bete for that ss.¡±

    Lee turned and walked to the back of the ss to her seat, peeved. She would have dly taken detention or a mountain of homework. She knew Miss Don wanted to embarrass her, especially since she knew Lee hated public attention.

    Josh ced a note on her desk. Lee thought of ignoring it, she was sure it was a joke that would piss her off further. She heard him snicker and turned to look at him. He was hiding a smile behind his hand, pretending to be paying attention to Miss Don.

    It had Josh¡¯s name on it. She opened the note discreetly, careful not to draw Miss Don¡¯s attention. Even if it was at her expense, she was sure the joke must be funny enough to get her out of the mood she was in.

    George had written the note. She stifled augh when she read what was in it.

    It would give her a chance to daydream while Merilee talks about it. She should do her a favor and go further and exin how it¡¯s used. I think the only male organ she¡¯s seen is that in a textbook.

    Josh chuckled louder covering his mouth with his hand. Miss Don turned around and looked at them, her eyes slit sharply as she eyed Josh. Lee tucked the note in her sleeve, her mood lightened by George¡¯s crude joke.

    After the bell rang signaling the end of biology ss, Lee jumped out of her seat and rushed for the door before Josh or George stopped her. She only got to the hallway before she heard her name called out. She stopped rebuking herself for not walking faster. She turned around with a tight smile on her face.

    ¡°Did you get caught up in traffic?¡± Josh asked with a beautiful grin on his face.

    Lee always found it difficult to be rude to him. He was tall and well built. He had too much of a man¡¯s body to be eighteen, one of the reasons girls were all too willing to fall at his feet. He had gentle brown eyes that were angelic. His ck kinky hair was always cut short in a mock mow-hawk.

    He liked wearing fitted shirts that didn¡¯t entuate his broad chest or biceps too much. If the girls in Edgeview had a vote in his wardrobe he would be walking around naked. His body was perfect. One would expect him to have a massive ego, but he was down to earth, polite and a gentleman.

    ¡°No, I just got dyed,¡± she answered with a more sincere smile.

    ¡°Well if you have any trouble getting to school, call me. I¡¯d be happy to give you a ride.¡±

    ¡°Where do you live?¡± Lee asked without thinking but it was time she had an actual conversation with him. Usually theysted thirty seconds before she took off.

    ¡°Conway. You live in Ondo right? It¡¯s like fifteen minutes from my ce to yours.¡±

    Lee looked at him with raised eyebrows. She had never told anyone where she lived. ¡°How do you know where I live?¡±

    Josh¡¯s eyes popped for a moment before he looked apologetic. ¡°George.¡±

    Lee smiled out of frustration. Of course it was George. He always seemed to get the girls from the student office to do what he wanted.

    ¡°Which of the two bird brains did he mesmerize to get it?¡± Lee turned and kept walking, slower than before; Josh fell in step with her.

    ¡°Both. I¡¯m sorry. He told me right after he got it.¡± Josh sounded guilty.

    ¡°What does he intend on doing with it?¡± Lee raised her hand to stop him from answering. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to know, just tell him we moved, or that address burned down or something.¡±

    Josh chuckled softly. ¡°Sure. But I would have loved to see your boyfriend throw him out when he appeared at your door.¡±

    Lee smiled. She didn¡¯t know which was worse, George showing up at her doorstep or Steve not caring enough to throw a jealous fit.

    ¡°Throw whom out?¡± George spoke behind them. He draped his arms over their shoulders and squeezed in between Josh and Lee.

    Him, Lee didn¡¯t mind being rude to. She shrugged his arm off and took a side step away from him.

    George was a foot shorter than Josh. His body wasn¡¯t as broad or as toned as Josh¡¯s either. He was blond and had a very striking face. He knew he was cute and he used it to his advantage, which only made him more obsessed with himself because he could get any girl he wanted-except for Lee. She was immune to his charms. There was not one gant bone in his body and he always thought of number one first.

    ¡°It was a private conversation, George,¡± Josh said shrugging his arm off.

    ¡°Since when do the two of you have private conversations?¡± George asked annoyed.

    Lee stopped at the door of her next ss. ¡°Since forever.¡± She smiled and winked at Josh enjoying how annoyed George was getting. ¡°Josh, I might take you up on that offer one day.¡± She walked into ss but she didn¡¯t go too far, she wanted to hear George¡¯s reaction to that.

    ¡°What offer?¡± George yelled.

    ¡°None of your business, and by the way, her home burnt down,¡± Josh said casually.

    ¡°What! I was going to surprise her this weekend. Did she give you her new address?¡± George sounded upset.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Lee smiled d Josh had lied to George. The bell drowned the rest of their conversation out. She walked into the ssroom and took her normal seat at the back of the ss.

    George and Steve were cut from the same cloth. It was amazing she tolerated Steve. She had enough of a headache with Steve, having George chase her down would be a strain she couldn¡¯t possibly handle.

 Six

    Ann, Maria, and Lee walked into the deli at four for their shift. They had Lee¡¯s inheritance, but they only used it to pay for their tuition, so they went to school in the morning and worked in the afternoon and nights to pay for other expenses, something they had already grown ustomed to.

    Maria and Ann were in their second year of varsity in Strayer. Lee was d she was going to graduate soon, she wanted to be with them, feel and look grown up like they did.

    Steve however, never understood why they insisted on working. He had tried on several asions to make Lee withdraw arge amount of money and splurge it on a weekend in Vegas. She never budged, Ann and Maria also made sure of it.

    Trying to exin to him how important it was to save as much as they could was like trying to teach a cow how to milk itself.

    ¡°I am so exhausted!¡± Lee whined, as she put her apron on.

    ¡°We are all tired,¡± Ann said as Lee walked past her and picked up a tray. Maria was already clearing the tables, taking orders with a smile on her face. Ann followed, and went behind the counter.

    ¡°And we have bills to pay,¡± Lee moaned as she dragged herself behind Ann.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell your boyfriend that?¡± Ann spat the words out. It was evident that the mere thought of Steve was already annoying her. ¡°I will pull rank if you don¡¯t do something about him.¡±

    Lee rolled her eyes. ¡°You aren¡¯t my army officer, you are my eldest sister.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I only let him move in because it was what made you happy, and considering all you¡¯ve been through, you really need some happiness in your life. But I will act like your eldest sister, worse yet, a parent if I have to.¡±

    Lee red at her but didn¡¯t say anything. Before she could turn to leave, Ann reached over the counter and pulled her back by the back cor of her shirt.

    ¡°Ouch! Ann!¡±

    ¡°I know you have attachment issues and you don¡¯t want to lose anyone else. I also know you see him for the leech he is, and I know for sure you don¡¯t love him. You are only seventeen. That kind of love still doesn¡¯t exist in your dictionary. What I don¡¯t know is why you won¡¯t make him pull his weight?¡±

    When Lee didn¡¯t say anything, she went on. ¡°Lee, he isn¡¯t going to stick around much longer. He wants one thing from you, money, and if you keep saying no to him he will leave. Him, you can afford to lose. Maria and I are not going anywhere. Anyway, he¡¯s not your type.¡± Thest part came out like it was a matter-of-fact.

    Lee ced her hand on her hip. Her face was rxed now, she understood what Ann was talking about, but she wasn¡¯t ready to admit it. ¡°Oh yeah? Okay, so what is my type?¡±

    ¡°A man dedicated to you and takes life seriously, not a hobo!¡±

    Lee gave her a cut look. Ann raised her hands in surrender.

    ¡°I¡¯lly off him if he gets a job and helps out.¡±

    Lee knew she was getting herself into a tight spot, but the possibility of peace was too alluring. ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°Scouts honor, in fact, you can give him the good news now.¡± A wide smile spread across her face as she stared past Lee.

    She turned around. Steve had just walked in. She should have guessed Ann was leading her into a ck hole. She made the deal knowing he was close by. There was no way of getting out of this. He walked up to Lee and gave her a deep kiss. She could tell it was just for show, for Ann¡¯s annoyance.

    ¡°Peoplee here to eat peacefully, not gag while doing so,¡± Ann said with so much distaste it stung.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hallo, witch.¡± Steve gave her a cold look.

    ¡°Bum.¡±

    ¡°Honey, could you please loan me some money?¡± He had a wide smile on his face, something to help him convince Lee to say yes. It was all about the money.

    ¡°Speaking of gold digging, Lee has something to tell you, digger. Lee?¡± Ann sang the words out. She ced her elbows on the counter and held her head up in her palms. She stared at the two of them, her lips pressed together in a smile. Her face showed how much pleasure she was getting watching Lee sweat.

    Ann was really pushing this. Lee didn¡¯t have much of a choice, and she needed to make sure their attacks on each other stopped. She swallowed hard. She knew this would only end in a fight, but the possibility of peace and quiet, was a temptation she was willing to take a risk for. She stroked his arm and kept her head down, waiting for the volcano to blow.

    ¡°Honey, how is the job hunting going?¡±

    He pulled away from her. Lee looked up, and waited. His face was creased, his temper slowly rising. She didn¡¯t turn to look, but she was sure Ann had a big grin on her face.

    ¡°What! So you are taking the witch¡¯s side!¡±

    Lee exhaled before calmly she started to speak. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to help out with the bills, spend your own money on whatever you want. You¡¯ll be able to stop asking me for money, especially when I¡¯m broke. Also, you and Ann can finally stop fighting. I want to live with my boyfriend and sisters in peace. Please!¡±

    ¡°They are not your sisters!¡± The outburst made the whole deli turn and look at them. She wanted to cover her face with her apron. She hated public spectacles.

    Steve was drawing more attention with his tantrums, cursing loudly as he moved toward the counter where Ann hadn¡¯t moved from her position. She starred at him, not saying a word as he shot insults at her, her lips still pressed in a smile.

    Lee was getting tired of his childish behavior, especially his insistence on pointing out her adopted rtionship with Ann and Maria.

    He turned back to Lee and stood very close to her. He towered over her, looking straight down at her, his eyes wide with fury. She could see the veins pop under his skin and his dreadlocks had let loose over his face making the re seem even more murderous. His shoulders were stiff, his arms were held out at his sides, his chest moved up and down as he heaved.

    Lee crouched back, afraid he might hit her in public!

 Seven

    Before Ann could say anything, Maria who was now standing next to Lee spoke in a low angry voice.

    ¡°First of all, shut up! I¡¯m getting sick and tired of your stupid constant tantrums. We are in public. Did dogs raise you? Have some manners. Second of all, if Lee wasn¡¯t¡­in like with you, I would have helped Ann throw you out a very long time ago. All you do is reap from our hard work, Lee¡¯s father¡¯s hard work. You are just a leech! For once, be a man and get a bloody job!¡±

    All three of them stared at her, shocked. This was a first. Maria had always been very patient even with the most infuriating people. Ann was starting to rub off on her.

    ¡°Yeah! That goes a hundred times for me. Good job, Maria!¡± Ann was punching her fist in the air, excited by the new victory. Maria was inches away from the end of her martyrdom.

    She turned to Lee, her face apologetic,pletely ignoring Ann and her cheers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my patience has run out.¡± She turned and left to serve a couple that had walked in, apologizing to the customers as she walked the couple to an empty table.

    Steve was infuriated. Steam wasing out of his ears. He looked down at Lee, his eyes were red and the blood vessels in them were visible, ¡°Them or me. Choose. Now!¡±

    Ann stopped her cheers and stared at her, Maria had also turned and Lee could feel her gaze on her back. They knew the answer before she did. Lee was still a minor, they loved and raised her, and she couldn¡¯t trade that for him. As much as she didn¡¯t want to, she couldn¡¯t hang onto a self-centered guy like Steve, but she also didn¡¯t want to lose him. She had lost enough people.

    The ultimatum was weighing heavily on her chest. Lee bent her head and closed her eyes not daring to speak.

    She felt two palms slip into hers. She looked up to see Maria and Ann, each at her side.

    Ann looked at Lee; her eyes were sad but yet understanding. She turned and looked up at Steve.

    ¡°She can¡¯t choose. So you and I are going to try and meet half way¡­¡±

    With a tight squeeze Lee stopped her before she brokered a deal with the annoying demon.

    ¡°Yes I can.¡± She cleared her throat before she continued. Then she looked up at Steve, somber. With a firm voice, she uttered one word that shocked all four of them, ¡°Them.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± He was stunned. This was not what he had expected. His hold on Lee was so tight even she thought she would choose him. He had yed on her fears to get what he wanted for too long. This was long overdue. Lee had to get the leech out of her life.

    ¡°You have capitalized on my fears for over a year now. Its time I listened to my sisters. They love and care for me. To you I was just your personal piggy bank, a willing money fountain. Come get your stuff tonight, I want you out of our home and out of my life.¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll just go to my other girlfriend¡¯s house. Your depression and insecurities were weighing me down anyway!¡± He had a smug look on his face.

    He made it sound like he was being freed from irond chains with Lee¡¯s baggage attached to the end of them.

    ¡°Hey, bum!¡± Ann called out at him.

    ¡°What!¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Give your other girlfriend a message for me.¡±

    He lifted his brow, and waited for whatever cynic remark she had.

    ¡°Thank you for taking the trash away, and our condolence. Oh and, bum, watch out for the sharks!¡±

    He left in a huff, banging the deli door behind him.

    Lee wiped the tears from her cheeks. She turned to meet several eyes on her, some with approval others with pity.

    Great. Now everyone is watching me cry over a self-centered cheating ass! This is just great! She turned to Ann, a bit confused. She cleared her throat before she asked, ¡°Sharks?¡±

    Maria and Ann burst outughing. They hugged her, and went to the counter. Maria ced the couples order, and Ann picked up her tray.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, what¡¯s the joke with the sharks?¡±

    In a chorus Ann and Maria turned to her, ¡°We love you sis!¡±

    Lee felt like a weight had been lifted. It has always been the three of them, and it would stay that way, no more intruders. Steve was a lesson learned. She rubbed her cheeks, drying them as much as she could before she turned to her audience with a big fake smile.

    ****

    Good riddance! I thought thatzy ass would never leave. It was about time Maria spoke up, thank God for Ann. Merilee my dear, you¡¯ll get over it, with time, and you have two wonderful friends to help you. One thing¡¯s for sure, if he had stayed a week longer, they would be putting his face on milk cartons!

    I hope you¡¯ll leave a bit early today, it¡¯s not safe at night, and anyway you need to rest¡­and I need to feed, the humans are looking more tempting with each hour. If Ash gets suspicious he might call me on it or try to find out on his own, and I can¡¯t have him finding you. You need to stay safe, especially from his kind¡­my kind.

 Eight

    It had been close to a month since Steve left. Lee¡¯s room seemed bigger, with just her things in it. She hated to admit it, but she missed him. Sheughed at herself. It was pathetically unbelievable.

    There finally were quiet mornings, the water and electric bills were lower, and all she could think of was his absence. She was sulking, she didn¡¯t mean to but she couldn¡¯t help it.

    It was a beautiful Saturday, the middle of spring, hot, sunny and green. She tried working out the frustration at the boxing ring, when that didn¡¯t help, she tried the shooting range.

    ¡°Imagine those cardboards are Steve. Aim low, you¡¯ll feel much better.¡± Ann shot three times in the middle of the cardboard man¡¯s legs, and then put two in his head and one in his heart. Maria giggled as she copied Ann¡¯s targets. Lee on the other hand missed all her shots.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Come on Lee, you are a better shot than that! You¡¯ve had a gun in your hand every Saturday since we left the orphanage. You couldn¡¯t willingly miss if you had your eyes closed!¡± Ann was getting frustrated with her; her voice was sharp and scolding.

    Lee changed her magazine and put in a full one. She shot the paper man, hitting all of Ann¡¯s targets without much effort.

    ¡°Good girl!¡± The sharpness in her voice was gone, but Lee didn¡¯t feel any better.

    Lee had ruined their Saturday morning for all three of them. Her afternoon off and she didn¡¯t want to leave her room, how pathetic!

    Her bedroom door swung open with a thud. Ann and Maria jumped on her bed.

    ¡°We¡¯re tired of your dark cloud. We¡¯ve tried to cheer you up in all the ways possibly known to mankind.¡± Ann pulled the covers off, forcing her to sit up.

    ¡°The whooping you gave to that poor man in the ring didn¡¯t even cheer you up. You even massacred those paper Steve¡¯s and here you are, sulking.¡± Maria shifted so she was sitting next to her.

    ¡°Maria, I think you¡¯re confusing me with Ann.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. She¡¯s the sadist, you¡¯re the depressed loner, got it.¡±

    ¡°He was a leech and he had to go!¡± Ann was shaking Lee, hard.

    ¡°Good riddance!¡± Maria was backing Ann.

    Lee knew they had her best interests at heart, but the only time they tag teamed was if they had something up their sleeves.

    ¡°Oh, noooo! Whatever it is the answer is no!¡± Lee was struggling to get out of Ann¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Oh yes!¡± Ann said shaking her some more.

    ¡°It¡¯s singledies night!¡± Maria yelled with glee and excitement, jumping up and down.

    Before she could protest, Ann pulled Lee up from her bed. ¡°We haven¡¯t gone out together since the leech. Come on, sis, let¡¯s paint the town re¡­purple!¡±

    She was d Ann didn¡¯t say it. Lee¡¯s nightmares were notpletely gone, but fewer now. Thest one was two weeks ago. She went to Dr. Warren the next morning to talk about it, the one thing that kept the two of them attached. He told her the same thing he had been telling her since she was five-

    Your family died in a fire. The reason why you keep seeing your house red is because you¡¯ve disced your emotions. Everything you see in your nightmares, they are all ways your brain is trying to deal with the tragedy. You were asleep in the car when it happened. You couldn¡¯t have seen anything. We may not have figured out why your mind created these specific images, but what I know for sure is that you are healing. Once you let go of your guilt, and fully ept what happened, you¡¯ll get better.

    The only reason you had the nightmare this time was because your boyfriend left. It¡¯s your fear of loss, nothing else. In the next few days the nightmares will be gone again.

    That exnation had been drummed into her head all her life. Sometimes she recited the words with him.

    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m driving!¡±

    ¡°Woohooo! It¡¯s time to paaarrtyyyy!¡± Ann and Maria danced out of her room.

    ¡°Oh and, Lee¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Maria?¡± She walked to the door and looked at them.

    ¡°Happy eighteenth birthday!¡± Ann and Maria called out in unison, and then they sang as they danced into their own rooms.

    Lee couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d forgotten her own birthday! She finally turned legal and she had forgotten all about this momentous day. Steve had really ruined everything for her. Tonight she was finally going to forget him.

    April sixteenth was going to be a night to remember!

    ****

    The club was full, stuffy, hot, dark and noisy. There was a dance floor in the middle of the club and it was full, people dancing around like sardines in a tin. The girls took off their coats and headed to the tables. Lee was having second thoughts about this night out, but they were already at the club and she didn¡¯t want to be a party pooper.

    ¡°This is going to be fun!¡± Ann tried to shout over the music. She held Lee¡¯s hand and she held Maria¡¯s in return as they made their way through the crowd to an empty table.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get us some drinks!¡± Lee didn¡¯t want them to notice her indifferent mood. It would down their spirits so she volunteered. It was going to be a long depressing night. She went around the packed dance floor to the bar.

    ****

    Damn! She left before I got here. I hope she is safe. I¡¯ll go hunt for a few hours. They should be back by then¡­I hope.

    Happy Birthday, baby girl.

 Nine

    ¡°Where does he go all day and all night? He onlyes back for close to two hours a day before he disappears again. And he sleeps once a week, on Sunday!¡± Joe sounded concerned and anxious.

    Ash and Billy were with him in the AA room. They had moved out of New York to Ondo Florida, in a secluded area. Their house was surrounded by trees and wildlife and was miles away from the next house and civilization.

    Ash thought the move was best for their new member, to be away from the memories and the people who knew him. He was supposed to be dead. That and the fact he now wanted to stay in Florida, after putting up a spirited fight for over five years. He never understood the change but he didn¡¯t question his decision. It was one less thing to fight about.

    They had been at the Big Cyprus reserve close to ten years and had grown to like the ce. Billy was against the move at first, but the ce grew on him especially since Ash let them fix an AA room-Alcohol and Amusement room. The room was filled, wall-to-wall with alcohol, and a big screen TV was mounted on one of the walls. Joe didn¡¯t care where they lived, as long as there was a bar and a video library close by when they needed to replenish their stock. Sabrina however had sulked about it for the past ten years. She wanted to go back to New York, back to the big apple, the noisy traffic and thetest fashion trends, back to civilization.

    When was thest time you saw him feed? Billy thought. It was as good as talking out loud as the others turned to face him.

    Ash was worried, could he be feeding on humans?

    ¡°No,¡± Joe said answering his thought. ¡°We would have smelled the human blood on him, and it would be in his thoughts.¡±

    ¡°But when was thest time he stood still long enough for us to tell?¡± Billy was getting agitated.

    ¡°Joe¡¯s right. Human blood is hard to miss, he isn¡¯t feeding on humans.¡± Ash spoke calmly. He understood what the neer was going through. The fact that he hated his new life didn¡¯t help matters much.

    ¡°What are you up to¡­¡± Ash said to himself in a whisper.

    ¡°You want us to follow him?¡± Billy said, already heading for the door. ¡°He has a head start but we can catch up.¡± Billy was fast, not as fast as Ash but faster than the other three.

    ¡°No, let him be. Tomorrow I¡¯ll find out.¡±

    ¡°Changing the subject, how about we go into the heart of Florida and have a little fun. Its Saturday night,e on! Poison ivy can watch the house.¡± Joe¡¯s excited voice lifted the gloomy mood in the room.

    Billy bust outughing, Ash however was confused by Joe¡¯sst statement. ¡°Poison ivy?¡±

    ¡°Well you wouldn¡¯t let us call her ice queen any more, or wi-bitch or Mrs. Devil, so we came up with poison ivy.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t say we, say I.¡± Billy was wagging his finger at Joe.

    ¡°Her name is Sabrina,¡± Ash said firmly.

    ¡°Fine, Sabrina will watch the house. Let¡¯s go.¡± Joe was out the door and in the car in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Sabrina, we are going out,¡± Ash yelled from the bottom of the steps.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Sabrina yelled back.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always liked wi-bitch better,¡± Billy said as he walked out the door.

    ****

    ¡°Billy, why did you pick this ce I can¡¯t even hear myself speak!¡± Joe was shouting at the top of his voice.

    Ash too didn¡¯t feelfortable, but it had been a while since they went out. For once he was d they were on the same telepathic frequency.

    How about you think instead of shouting!

    Oh! Thanks, Ash. Billy, where are you going?

    To the bar, go find us a table. Ash, let¡¯s go. Who knows, this may be your lucky night!

    Ash grunted. Very funny!

    A chance to be with someone warm for a change, I don¡¯t think the ice queen-I mean Sabrina, will like it. Billy what do you think?

    I would pay to see her face when she finds out! Whoo! Instead of ice queen, she¡¯ll be hells fury!

    Billy and Joe were headed in different directions,ughing. They knew Ash had put an end to his physical rtionship with Sabrina when her deluded im on him became overbearing, but that didn¡¯t stop them from teasing him. They may do it a lot less often since he was even quicker tempered due to the sexual frustration that had built inside him over thest nine years.

    Ash growled. If you value your teeth you may want to zip it!

    With that threat, Billy and Joe had their ¡®mouths¡¯ shut fast. Ash loved the fact that they were threatened by him, being more powerful than they were had its advantages.

    Billy whistled. Check that hot chocte out!

    Ash looked around. Where?

    At the bar. That grey mini just put me on over drive!

    Billy, control your hormones.

    That¡¯s easier said than done. I¡¯d like to taste that!

    He huffed. Do you always have to objectify women?

    Okay, Romeo, she¡¯s all yours.

    No thanks.

    Billy walked toward her and stopped behind her. She was tall in her high heels but Billy still towered over her, enough to see over her head. Ash saw what he was doing and it made him anxious. Billy was right, she was smoking hot, but he wasn¡¯t ready to be with a woman, sexually or otherwise. He tried to stop Billy, but he had already moved close enough for her to notice.

    Billy, what are you doing!

    You¡¯ll thank meter.

    ****

    The bartender turned to Lee with a smile on his face, ignoring the men on his left. Being a woman did pay off sometimes. She returned the smile and ordered their drinks. She opened her purse to pay, but a man spoke over her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for those drinks. Hi, I¡¯m Billy and my friend here is Ash. Three tequ shots and three beers! You are my kind of woman. I assume you have friends?¡±

    Typical, man! Lee wanted to stop him but free drinks didn¡¯t sound so bad, and he didn¡¯t use one of those corny lines, he was pretty direct. He now stood next to her, with his friend on the other side of him. She looked at him then at his friend, and wow they were tall!Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Billy seemed very confident and had a blinding smile. His friend Ash, however looked ufortable and out of ce. He didn¡¯t even look at her when his friend introduced him. It was like Lee wasn¡¯t even there. They were tall, huge and really hot. They were her type of guys, which obviously meant bad news.

    ¡°Yes I do. Thanks for the drinks but I¡¯ve got to go. Excuse me.¡±

    Lee left the bar and made her way back to the table, hoping they wouldn¡¯t follow her. Acting like she was enjoying herself was all she could take. Acting sociable and nice, that would be too much to handle.

    ¡°Wow! Isn¡¯t this fun!¡± Maria was dancing close to the table. She looked less innocent than usual in heavier make up than she normally used and a ck halter mini-dress. She let her long ck hair down in loose curls that framed her face beautifully.

    ¡°On the count of three¡­Three!¡±

    They threw their heads back and downed the tequ. The taste was bitter and it went down burning.

    ¡°Lee, there are some guys checking us out. They seem like they know you, who are they?¡± Ann had a mischievous smile on her face. Lee turned and followed her gaze.

    They were the guys from the bar, just two tables away from them. Billy and the blond were staring in their direction with million dor smiles on their faces. Ash however had his attention elsewhere. He took swigs of his beer as he looked around with a sober, bored impatient look on his face.

    He looked exactly how Lee felt.

    ¡°The brte is Billy, the taller bored looking one is Ash, the blond I don¡¯t know. Billy paid for your drinks.¡± Lee turned back around, not very interested in continuing the conversation. If she gave Ann any encouragement, within the next few seconds there would be six at their table and not three.

    ¡°I¡¯m liking Billy already!¡± she said with a wink.

    ¡°Ann!¡±

    ¡°What! I¡¯m only looking, you already introduced yourself¡­hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Lee quit speaking. There was no use arguing with her.

    ¡°They areing over!¡± Maria sounded nervous, but she was giggling like a teenager.¡± Dibs on the blond!¡±

    Lee did not like this one bit! She gulped down some of her beer. That left her with the arrogant one. She didn¡¯t like it at all! ¡°Hey! No fair!¡±

    ¡°Will you stop fussing? Think of this as an opportunity to finally get over Steve. And what better birthday present than tall dark and handsome. You never know, your present might be mind-blowing!¡± Ann spoke straightening out her dress.

    Lee rolled her eyes. ¡°Is sex all you think about?¡±

    ¡°Among other things.¡± She turned to Lee with a serious look on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t follow my example! Well¡­tonight you have a free pass but never again.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t do one-night stands. I want to know a guy before I sleep with him.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She sang the word like a proud mother before the real Ann made her way out. ¡°There is more than one way of knowing someone. You can introduce yourselves when you¡¯re naked and sweaty.¡±

    ¡°Ann!¡±

 Ten

    Billy what are you doing! Ash demanded when he stood up.

    We are going to join them.

    Joe and Billy were on the move. Ash was reluctant; he wanted to stay put. He was in no mood to hit on anyone, even if she was wearing nothing but whipped cream.

    Ash,e on!

    No!

    Don¡¯t be rude. You have an opportunity to be with someone other than Sabrina, nowe on!

    No!

    Fine, we¡¯ll send her over.

    Ash growled under his breath. He hated having women forced on him. Billy and Joe were already at their table chatting up the blond and the brte. He moved quickly and reached their table and stood next to the girl they had met at the bar.

    ¡°¡­. and this is Ash. Ash, this is Ann, that¡¯s Maria and you remember her, she¡¯s Lee.¡± Billy introduced them with a cocky smile on his face.

    Ash felt awkward and out of ce. With a formal tone he greeted them. ¡°Hallo.¡±

    Lee raised her eyebrows. This guy really didn¡¯t want to be here. She gave him a weak smile and looked down keeping her attention on her beer. It was going to be a long night. She took a long swig before she ced a bigger fake smile on her face.

    Ash, what are they thinking about! Joe looked at Ash waiting for an answer.

    After a long pause and Joe¡¯s persistent look, he exhaled in defeat and stared at Maria. Then his eyes moved on to Ann.

    Maria wants to dance, and Billy, Ann wouldn¡¯t mind seeing you naked, but she wouldn¡¯t mind a dance either.

    All right! Joe and Billy¡¯s grins widened as they thought in unison.

    ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± Joe asked Maria. After a second of hesitation, Maria nodded her head. Billy didn¡¯t even get a chance to ask, Ann was already dragging him to the dance floor.

    Ann ran back to the table, a wide grin on her face. ¡°Ash, today is Lee¡¯s birthday and she¡¯s a bit down. Would you cheer her up, please?¡±

    Ash nodded at her, with an almost sincere smile on his face. Then she turned and hurried back to Billy. Ann had mounted the pressure on him. He not only had to converse with Lee, now he had to cheer her up. She¡¯d given him a job he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to pull off.

    ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯re stuck with me. Sorry about that, Ann is a little pushy.¡±

    Lee sounded glum. She started ying with her bottle. Ash knew he wasn¡¯t being gracious. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he found out the only way he knew how.

    I wish I was home. I¡¯d be watching a movie and eating ice cream. Instead, I¡¯m stuck here with a guy who wants me to disappear! But they wanted toe so bad, and after what I put them through plus all they¡¯ve done for me, I owe them. I need another drink.

    Ash felt guilty, he didn¡¯t like invading people¡¯s privacy, but he was clueless. He¡¯d been out of the game for so long, he had no idea how dating went in this new decade. Thest time he was alone with a human woman was over half a century ago, and she turned out to be a pain in the ass.

    ¡°Would you like to go to the bar? We could drink and I don¡¯t know, talk? It looks like we were both dragged here, so why not entertain each other.¡± Ash¡¯s lips were pressed in a tight smile. He tried his best to make sure it didn¡¯t look too faked.

    Lee looked at him for a while. She gave him a smile for his effort to lighten both their moods. ¡°Sure why not.¡±

    Lee and Ash made their way to the bar. Ash pulled out the stools for both of them.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He turned and looked her straight in the eyes.

    He always thought a person¡¯s eyes were the gateway to their soul and one could tell a lot about a person by just looking at them.

    He held the gasp in his throat down. His grip on the bottle tightened as his chest crushed in.

    Her eyes were hazel and they slit downward slightly. They reminded him of someone. But her eyes were smaller and shaped differently. Rosa.

    The crushing in his chest got worse.

    * * * *

    Lee looked away immediately, and fixed her eyes on the bottle in her hand. She felt very ufortable when someone held her gaze like he just did. She put her empty hand on her arm and hugged herself tight. She suddenly felt very exposed.

    Ash noticed her new posture. It was like his gaze had shrunk her confidence. He shifted his gaze to the bartender and ordered another beer.

    ¡°You have beautiful eyes,¡± he said quickly, the air in his lungspressed by his constricting chest.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Lee looked at him from the corner of her eye. He looked tense with his head hanging back, the brown bottle attached to his lips as he drank the liquid down withouting up for breath.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said a little stunned before she lifted her own bottle to her lips, sipping at it as she looked straight ahead. She kept her attention on the sses on the shelves mounted on the wall, taking forced interest at how the blue and white light reflected on them.

    They were quiet for a while before she spoke up. Usually she wasn¡¯t the one who started the conversations but if she didn¡¯t say something, they¡¯d sit here acknowledging each other¡¯s presence but at the same timepletely ignoring each other. She hated socializing because it was difficult and awkward meeting new people. That¡¯s why she was content with being a loner.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    Lee¡¯s question pulled Ash out of his thoughts. He turned to her with a tight smile struggling not to look directly into her eyes again. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so¡­distant?¡± She looked down; embarrassed she had gotten so personal. It was the first thing she noticed and there was nothing else to talk about, apart from the weather.

    Ash paused before he spoke

    ¡°If you answer that question about yourself, I¡¯ll be happy to give you my reason.¡±

    Lee couldn¡¯t help butugh. He had flipped the question on her. This was the first guy she had met who didn¡¯t take every opportunity to talk about himself. He was different, a male version of herself, she felt at ease with him.

    ¡°Touch¨¦! How about we just drink until we drop?¡±

    ¡°That works for me, by the way¡­happy birthday.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She gave him a fleeting look before she looked away again.

    ¡°How old are you? I hope you are legal because I don¡¯t like small spaces.¡± Ash joked trying to make herfortable. He was staring again and it was distressing for her.

    Leeughed. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to date, but truthfully not legal to drink.¡±

    ¡°Then we should take this away.¡± Ash reached for her bottle. She swatted his hand away then stared at him shocked by what she did. She cleared her throat and spoke shifting around on the prickly stool.

    ¡°Never touch a woman¡¯s drink, it could get very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that next time. So how old are you?¡±

 Eleven

    The corner of his lips rose in half a smile. He was d she was unwinding, enough to p at him.

    She stared at him, dazed by his beautiful smile. She even stopped moving around on the stool. Someone bumped her clicking her mind into gear again.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you a lot today. Lesson number two, never ask ady her age,¡± she said flushing.

    ¡°I know that one, but it only applies todies over forty, so you don¡¯t apply to the rule.¡± Ash shed a smile. She gasped before she took another swig of her beer.

    ¡°That is true.¡± Lee looked away from him, she was a bad liar and it was usually very evident when she was trying to lie, especially now that his smile kept numbing her into a mindless drone. ¡°I¡¯m twenty. How old are you?¡± she answered quickly, looking back at him.

    ¡°Twenty-five.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    She smiled. ¡°You were right the first time. You are too old for me.¡±

    Ash had a crooked grin on. ¡°I think a five year difference is the best. There¡¯ll be one adult in the rtionship.¡±

    ¡°I am not a child! Twenty is grown in a woman¡¯s world.¡± Lee¡¯s face dropped, she looked down at her bottle. ¡°It would be a relief not being the adult for a change, to be able to enjoy life like a kid.¡±

    Ash saw the change in her mood. He didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Ann is going to scold me for not doing my job.¡±

    ¡°She might do more than just scold you, she¡¯s crazy, aplete loveable lunatic.¡±

    ¡°She said something about you being in a bad mood. Would you mind telling me why?¡±

    Lee felt ufortable talking about her personal life with him. She might be warming up to him, but she still didn¡¯t know him well enough to bepletely free with him.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one in a bad mood, what¡¯s your story?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a tale for another day.¡±

    A guard went up, it was written all over his face, and she could see it. ¡°How about we just drink then when we are too drunk to keep our guards up, we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Ashughed, it was going to take him longer than her to get drunk, but he had to admit he liked her more with each minute that went by.

    ¡°Can¡¯t hold your liquor, huh?¡±

    Lee smiled at him. Hisugh had warmed her up. ¡°Guilty. But you have to promise you won¡¯t reveal anything I say, that information is top secret.¡±

    Ash raised his hand as if he was about to take an oath. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my ears open and my mouth shut. I give you my word.¡±

    ¡°Wow, slow down big guy! What¡¯s that, your seventh, eighth bottle? How is it you are not swaying?¡±

    ¡°Unlike you, I can hold my liquor,¡± he took her half empty bottle from her.

    Lee was a little tipsy and all she had were three bottles. When Lee got tipsy, she got a little chatty.

    ¡°I just broke up with my boyfriend, a month ago. He was my first, in everything. He was such an ass, and I miss him. I can¡¯t understand exactly what I saw in him, and why the hell do I miss him so much!¡±

    ¡°Do you know the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else!¡± She snorted augh. ¡°Whoes up with corny stuff like that?¡± She was silent for a while, deliberating the phrase in her head. Then she spoke, slow. ¡°When you think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem like such a bad idea.¡±

    Lee went quiet; she turned and looked at Ash, tracing out every curve in his face. The pause-and-think button had been muted by the beers she¡¯d drunk. He wasn¡¯t only beautiful he had this trusting look that drew her to him, making the attraction even more fatal.

    ¡°You are so hot! It¡¯s like you walked out of a romance novel. Did anyone ever tell you, you have beautiful hands? And your smile, it should bebeled a national treasure or a national weapon.¡±

    * * * *

    This made Ash even more rigid. His desire for her had intensified. He was about to yank her off the stool when Ann came out of nowhere.

    ¡°Lee,e on let¡¯s dance! You too!¡± She pulled Ash and Lee off their stools and dragged them to the dance floor where the others were.

    The girls jumped up and down to Flo Rida¡¯s Club Can¡¯t Handle Me; they held hands as they danced together. Ash saw a spark light in all of them, something he hadn¡¯t seen since they met. He saw how close they were, like parts of a bigger thing and they needed each other for it to work.

    Lee looked even happier than she did a few minutes ago. She wasn¡¯t closed off anymore, and dancing seemed to set her free from whatever hold her mind had on her. Ash watched her closely, not blinking, his gaze following her as she moved around the small space. Her childish joy, for some reason made him happy, a feeling that had eluded him for decades.

    The guys weren¡¯t dancing; they stood close to their dates and had unconsciously formed a secure triangle around them. They gave them enough space to dance inside it without getting bumped by other people. Other dancers rammed into them but they didn¡¯t move; it was like running into a brick wall.

    When the song was over and Katy Perry¡¯s Teenage dream started, they paired up. The others danced around, enjoying themselves, Ash however was finding it hard to concentrated on anything else but Lee. She had her back to him, and then she took his arms and wrapped them around herself and began dancing slowly and intimately. Ash was slowly losing control. All he wanted was to keep her close to him. He tightened his arms around her, moving in tune with her. He didn¡¯t like dancing but tonight, he would make an exception.

    He bent down and ced his face in the nap of her neck, and breathed her scent in. It felt familiar to him but he didn¡¯t bother to try and remember why or where. It was the thirsty sting in his throat that was beginning to worry him. But he knew himself, he could control his thirst, it¡¯s just that¡­this girl was desirable¡­in more than one meaning. She raised her hand and ced it at the back of his head, caressing his neck as she twisted her fingers in his long hair. This made him hold her even tighter, the thoughts of feeding on her reced by another.

    She fitted in his embracefortably. She spread her finger over his thick shoulder, keeping her other hand in his hair. Ash was imaging them together, naked, and kissing and making love. Without thinking, he put that exact thought in her mind. When he realized what he was doing, it was already toote. He loosened his grip and was about to take a step back when she turned around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted herself high enough to reach his lips and kissed him. His arms automatically reached up and held her tight against him, kissing her back intensely.

    She pulled back and whispered in his ear, ¡°I have an idea, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

 Twelve

    ¡°No.¡± He was trying to control his breathing, but he was still holding her against him making it impossible. He had no intention of taking advantage of her and what happened with Sabrina was still haunting him. He wasn¡¯t going to let that happen again.

    Lee pulled away and walked to the table where the rest were, they had stopped dancing four songs ago and were watching Lee and Ash canoodle on the dance floor. There weren¡¯t that many people dancing anymore. She was unsteady on her feet, the kiss had taken a lot out of her, but she got to the table just fine.

    Ash didn¡¯t move, relieved she had walked away and not insisted on the thought. His body was screaming for her, but all he could do was watch her walk away. She whispered in Ann¡¯s ear, picked up her jacket and walked back to Ash. He panicked; she was going to insist on the thought.

    ¡°I told them you were taking me home.¡± She grabbed his arm and started pulling him. Ash looked at Billy, he was leaning close to Ann. Without looking at him, Billy spoke to him in his thoughts.

    Go, she has her car keys. We¡¯ll drive them when we are done here. Ash, if you don¡¯t try you¡¯ll never know. You like her, don¡¯t hold yourself back.

    With that, Ash moved forward, Lee¡¯s efforts at tugging him felt weak and she was tiring out.

    Ash helped her into the car, when he got in, Lee turned to him; she had sobered up. Ash put the key in the ignition and hesitated. He stared forward and sat still, thinking of a way out of this. She leaned toward him, turned his head to face her and kissed him deep and passionately. That sent Ash into a frenzy, he couldn¡¯t control himself any more. He pulled her on to hisp and kissed her back, his hands traveling all over her body. He broke the kiss and ced her in her seat. She was out of breath, woozy and now very horny, he could smell it.

    He turned on the ignition and sped to her home. She was trying to give him the directions between ragged breathes but he got them himself when they popped into her mind. He sped off taking all the corners and roads that she had taken on her way to the club.

    They barely made it through the door. They were kissing and groping at each other hungrily. She kicked off her shoes dragging Ash¡¯s jacket off him.

    She was shorter and Ash had to bend lower to reach her lips. He pulled off his shirt and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the ground. Lee stepped out of it and led him to her room. He followed sheepishly, watching her magnificent body and the hypnotizing sway of her hips, drinking her in with his eyes.

    They sat on the bed, Lee on top of him her bent knees at the sides of his hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed his hard lips. His hands were on her back and thighs, pulling and pushing her hard against him.

    She was so soft against his hard body, he was afraid he would hurt her. No, he was sure he would hurt her.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re drunk!¡± Ash broke the kiss and tried to carefully break out of her grip without hurting her. She fastened her legs around his waist and kept her grip around his neck.

    ¡°No I¡¯m not. It¡¯s one night, don¡¯t think, don¡¯t worry about anything¡­just do and feel.¡± Her voice was soft, enticing. She ced light feather kisses on his face. She traced his jaw with her lips and moved down to his throat, drawing small circles on his bare back with her fingers.

    There was fire burning inside him, and her kisses made it even worse. He crushed her against him and kissed her ferociously.

    ¡°Forgive me,¡± he managed between kisses.

    She didn¡¯t give any indication that she had heard him. Without another word heid her on her bed and made love to her.

    ****

    Lee stretched out on her bed, she wasn¡¯t quite ready to wake up. She stretched out a little more but stopped when pain shot from different parts of her body.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    She looked under the cover; she waspletely naked. It didn¡¯t take long before the memories of the night before came flooding into her mind. The intensity, the hunger, it was crazy. It hadn¡¯t been a dream, it really did happen. It was like she and Ash were making up for something they had been denied for years.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    She swallowed hard. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what she was shocked about, the fact that she had her first one-nightstand, or the fact that it was the best sex she ever had. She felt cheated by Steve; he had never made love to her like that, never like that. His leaving ended up being a good thing, it led to the best night of her life.

    Lee didn¡¯t feel ashamed or guilty. Having sex with strangers waspletely out of character for her, but she didn¡¯t care. What happened with Ash was different. She felt safe and at home in his arms-she hadn¡¯t felt like that since she was five.

    She closed her eyes as her body remembered his every touch, for a moment blocking out all the difort. Then she realized Ash wasn¡¯t in the room with her.

    She moved to the edge of her bed, and it suddenly rocked. She stopped, and then slowly looked under it. One of the back legs looked taped together.

    She giggled naughtily when she realized they¡¯d broken her bed. She stood up, put on her robe and headed out. She walked down the short corridor past the bathroom and her sisters¡¯ rooms calling out Ash¡¯s name in a low tone so as not to wake Ann and Maria.

    When she got to the end of the corridor and into the kitchen, Ann and Maria were at the table having burgers and fries. They looked up at her with cheeky smiles on their faces.

    Lee stood there feeling very awkward, wondering why she left her room.

    ¡°Good morning¡­or should I say good afternoon?¡± Ann spoke up first with a hint of humor in her voice.

    ¡°How was your night?¡± Maria giggled.

    ¡°It was¡­fine. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡± Lee walked past the wooden frame that separated the kitchen and the living room to continue her search. Ash wasn¡¯t there either.

    ¡°Lee, one of the rules of one-night stands¡­the guy leaves before the girl wakes up.¡± Ann offered with concern. She wasn¡¯t sure how Lee would react to Ash¡¯s absence.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Lee hadn¡¯t expected that and the actuality of it hit her hard. Afterst night, she didn¡¯t expect him to disappear from her life so soon.

    She walked back into the kitchen and sat at the table, trying very hard not to look hurt.

    ¡°We got you a burger, do you want it now?¡± Maria now had a worried look on her face. Lee nodded and gave her a smile. She smiled back, turned to the counter behind her and stretched her hand to grab the bag and a te.

    Lee stretched; big mistake. ¡°Ow, my body feels like I was run over by a truck!¡± she said without thinking.

    She tried to position herself on the chair, to be in as little pain as possible. Maria stopped what she was doing and looked at Lee. Ann was already doing a survey over her body with her eyes. Their attention all of a sudden made Lee feel so shy she looked down. She didn¡¯t want to meet anyone¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I guessed as much, you have bruises on your chin¡­neck¡­legs even your hands! Those are just the parts that are visible! What the hell did he do to you?¡± Ann¡¯s voice rose in a panic with each word.

 Thirteen

    They were both on their feet now, examining Lee¡¯s body. They were all over pulling on the robe, lifting her hands, her legs, touching her face and her neck. The only thing they were doing was causing Lee more pain.

    ¡°She has teeth marks on her neck!¡± Maria bent Lee¡¯s head over so that Ann could see.

    Lee batted their hands away. ¡°Will you two stop that! You¡¯re hurting me. He didn¡¯t do anything I didn¡¯t want him to, so please calm down.¡±

    They dropped their hands and stepped back. All the parts they had touched and pulled were throbbing severely. They sat and faced her; their serious faces on, like they were about to give Lee a lecture. Being the youngest never did have any advantages.

    ¡°What did I do wrong?¡±

    They looked at each other, and then Ann turned to Lee, a tense look on her face. She shifted around her chair before she spoke. ¡°Lee, I know as the eldest I sometimes don¡¯t portray a good example for the both of you-¡±

    Maria cut her off. ¡°For her. I¡¯m a grown woman, I know right from wrong. You and I are the same age, she¡¯s the baby here.¡±

    ¡°No we¡¯re not. I¡¯m six months older than you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more mature than you are.¡±

    Lee waved her hands in front of them, interrupting their argument. She was in too much difort to listen to their maturitypetition. Most women would gloat on being the youngest in a room. ¡°Here¡¯s an idea, how about we get to the lecture?¡±

    Ann coughed then leaned back into the chair. ¡°Maria, you are right. You¡¯re the mature one.¡± Then she pointed an open hand at Lee with an invitation.

    If Ann was leaving it to Maria, Lee was sure she must have done something really bad.

    Maria turned to Ann, ¡°Coward,¡± then she turned to Lee. ¡°We just wanted to know if the two of you used protection.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lee was surprised; she hadn¡¯t seen thating.

    Lee could see why Ann was so ufortable. They talked about anything and everything, but when it came to the sex talk they were all yellow bellies, except Maria.

    It was difficult to answer because Lee had no idea if Ash bothered to use one.

    ¡°Did you use a condom?¡± Maria persisted.

    ¡°Aw, that sounded¡­¡± Ann pped her hands close to her as if she was chasing away the word.

    No, maybe, ¡°Yes,¡± Lee lied hoping Maria wouldn¡¯t be able to see through it.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s very ufortable to talk about this¡­¡±

    ¡°You have no idea!¡± Ann sounded strained.

    ¡°We know you are bing a woman, but we just want you to be safe,¡± Maria went on ignoring Ann¡¯s interruption.

    ¡°It¡¯s cool. I get it.¡± Lee fidgeted on the chair feeling ufortable about the lie and the sex subject. She needed to take off before Maria started on the lectures on unprotected sex. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go back to bed,y perfectly still until the pain goes away.¡±

    ¡°No. Just sit there for a while. Now that mom has gotten all that off her chest, give us the details?¡± Ann was giddy again.

    ¡°By the way how was your night?¡± Lee asked, deflecting Ann¡¯s question. She shifted her gaze between the two of them waiting for someone to spill.

    ¡°Lonely.¡± Ann made a depressing sound. ¡°As you can see, no trailer ran over me or Maria for that matter.¡± She raised her arms as proof.

    ¡°After a few hours Ash came back. He handed us the car keys and told the guys that they had to leave. We were having so much fun!¡± Maria was the one sulking now.

    ¡°I think that was after he left here,¡± Ann said in a low voice. ¡°What I found strange is that they didn¡¯t argue with him. They just did what he said, no questions asked.¡±

    So Ash left right after I fell asleep. Hit and run. How very typical. Why would he be any different from any other man? Lee thought sadly to herself.

    ¡°Did you see his face? He looked like he was going to have a stroke! I thought he had done something bad to you. So I told Ann that we needed to leave too.¡±

    ¡°You drove home! Weren¡¯t you drunk?¡± Lee felt guilty for ruining their night, but furious that they would be so irresponsible to drive home intoxicated.

    ¡°Calm down. When your boyfriend saw we were leaving at the same time and we were kind of tipsy, he had the guys drive us here. He followed behind in their car. They walked us into the apartment and left.¡± Maria picked off where Ann had left.

    ¡°He said he would drive us home, then something about not giving you another reason to hate him. When we got here he walked to your room, stood at your door and watched you for a few minutes before he rushed out the front door. The others said goodnight and followed him.¡± Maria paused for a while. ¡°Come to think of it, it was kind of weird how they followed him.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they are in a cult? I mean no one should be upright after close to ten bottles of beer.¡± Ann¡¯s mind was on overdrive again. Maria however didn¡¯t appreciate the idea.

    ¡°That only means they can hold their liquor. He was right, I wouldn¡¯t have forgiven him if he let you drive drunk. That he nailed.¡± Lee was d he had checked on her, but annoyed he left without saying a word. Goodbye or goodnight would have been just fine.

    But it wasn¡¯t a reason to hate him.

    ¡°Speaking of nailing how was your night?¡± Ann had her cheeky grin on again. How she used Lee¡¯s own words to trap her always amazed her. She smiled, as much as him ditching her so soon hurt her, her heart raced every time she thought about the night before.

    ¡°Ann, you don¡¯t have to be so crude,¡± Maria said with distaste but Ann waved her off. ¡°I was surprised you spent time with him alone at the club, imagine my shock when you left with him.¡±

    ¡°I expected her to ditch the guy, take the car and drive home like she usually does.¡± Ann had augh in her voice.

    Lee smiled not at all ashamed of her antisocial behavior most of the time they go out, but she herself found it very strange how fast she trusted aplete strange.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­there was something very trusting about him. I felt safe with him¡­I can¡¯t really exin it.¡± She looked up at her sisters confused. ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡±

    Ann chuckled. ¡°It would have been if the guy was a serial killer!¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ann, do you have to assume the worst in everyone?¡± Maria asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Have you been watching TVtely? And it was you who raced home to see if he had strangled her,¡± Ann said before she turned to Lee with a naughty smile. ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡±

    Lee knew that was her cue to start talking.

    ¡°It was¡­new.¡±

    ¡°Keep talking,¡± Ann urged her on.

    Lee felt a little embarrassed talking about her eventful night with them, but she knew they would pester her until she broke.

    ¡°He was gentle yet rough, fast then slow, really demanding but patient, loving and careful. It was like he was holding back one minute, the next he would lose control, letting himself drown in the moment. He was in no hurry to reach his orgasm. He¡¯d wait for me to get there and then we would explode together. It was like my ecstasy mattered to him. Then we¡¯d start again, every time different. I thought the bliss would kill me, but it would have been a happy death. It felt like¡­eternity inplete sheer pleasure¡­¡±

    Her body shivered at the memory. She felt like she was in a trance, her heart was racing as she relived every moment.

    ¡°That sounds like¡­¡± Ann stopped, searching for a proper word for Lee¡¯s description. For once, she was speechless.

    ¡°Beautiful poetry,¡± Maria finished with a coo.

    They stared at Lee like she¡¯d won the lottery or something. It was making her very ufortable.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to soak in a bath. I¡¯ll have my headphones on, so yell or juste in if you need something.¡± It was like she was talking to statues, they stared into space in a daze. Lee stood up, picked up her iPod from the living room table and walked into the bathroom.

 Fourteen

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re fretting? We should be pissed at you for dragging us out of the club. You had sex with a human congrattion! So what?¡±

    Billy had his legs up on the table in the AA room. He had a beer in his hand and a bowl of chips on hisp. They were trying to watch a football game, but Ash was pacing up and down in front of the TV.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t bite her, well not deep enough to change her. You didn¡¯t kill her or feed on her, you had consensual mind blowing sex, as per what you¡¯ve told us, exactly what are you wearing out the floor for?¡± Joe was sitting on the arm of the couch. He was getting tired of Ash¡¯s hysterias. They had been at it since they got back and Ash hadn¡¯t calmed down yet.

    ¡°Correction, she had mind blowing sex, Ash just got satisfied otherwise there would be something to worry about. Now will you please tell us exactly what is bugging you because I can¡¯t take another four hours of this?¡± Billy sat upright. He had given up on the game and turned off the TV.

    Ash felt ashamed, angry, and guilty for what he had done. He had talked around it the whole night, but now he had to tell them. They needed to help him fix it.

    ¡°I charmed her into sleeping with me.¡±

    ¡°So does every man, animal and immortal on this earth. That¡¯s what you do to getid.¡± Billy didn¡¯t get why that would upset him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Ash was losing his temper. He took a few deep breaths before he exined himself. ¡°I ced the idea in her head. All she wanted to do was go home, watch reruns and stuff herself with ice cream. Instead I gave her the thought of taking me home and having me instead of the ice cream.¡±

    The room went quiet. They finally understood what he meant, but this was still very confusing to Joe. ¡°I thought you could read minds, andmunicate only with your pack through thought¡­how were you able to do that?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°There is no way a thought could get her hot and heavy all of a sudden¡­unless- So that¡¯s what you meant by ¡®charmed her¡¯, you messed with her head, you made her horny?¡± Billy wasn¡¯t sure if he was asking or stating.

    ¡°She was already horny.¡± Ash tried to defend himself but Billy had hit the nail on the head.

    ¡°But you amplified it. You made her believe that sex with you is what she wanted?¡±

    Ash nodded, feeling more ashamed.

    Billy was so excited. ¡°Ooh, you have to teach me that!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s not something you could learn, it¡¯s something I have.¡±

    Billy¡¯s excitement annoyed Ash. Of course Billy would see this as a wonderful new toy to y with. ¡°Damn! Have you used it before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but this was the first time I misused it.¡±

    ¡°Things are going to be weird.¡± Joe spoke after a long silence. Ash and Billy looked at him.

    A horrified look crossed Ash¡¯s face. Billy fell back with a thunderugh, both reacting to Joe¡¯s unspoken thoughts.

    ¡°How could you?¡± Ash spoke through clenched teeth.

    ¡°I wanted to see Maria again. She called me in the morning and invited us to dinner next week! I couldn¡¯t say no.¡±

    ¡°Rule number one; never see a one-night stand again, especially if she was charmed. This is going to be good!¡± Billy¡¯sugh was even louder. Ash let a loud dangerous growl out, which immediately silenced him.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± Ash fell on the couch, next to Billy, with his face in his palms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she must know the rules of the game. And anyway, she can¡¯t hate you for something she doesn¡¯t know happened, so chill.¡± Billy was stifling augh. ¡°Think of it this way, you have a whole three days to work out an apology.¡±

    Ash¡¯s head shot up. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously want to go!¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, I like Ann.¡± Billy grinned. ¡°And I certainly want granted the desire of her lustful body.¡±

    Before Ash, could say anything else, their new member walked into the living room. Ash was out the room and behind him in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Dave.¡±

    Dave turned around and faced him. He stayed quiet and waited for Ash to speak.

    ¡°Where do you keep vanishing to?¡±

    Dave said nothing. He kept staring at him with a stern look on his face. Ash had no other choice but to continue.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve learned how to shut us out of your mind. You do know I can still get in, but it will be the worst pain you will ever experience.¡±

    Dave was fuming mad, he wanted so much to attack Ash, but he knew better than to do that. He¡¯d be dead in a second.

    ¡°No. The worst pain was watching my family get torn apart and eaten. The worst pain is having my daughter out there and not being able to see her, because of a stupid centuries old vendetta you and Baku have!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ash knew the pain he was in only too well. ¡°If you like, we¡¯ll find her-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Dave¡¯s shout cut off Ash. It was so loud and angry that it made Billy and Joe rush into the room. They stood behind Ash. ¡°I don¡¯t want my only living family to die for something she was never apart of. Your fight isn¡¯t going to kill my daughter. I¡¯ve lost enough because of you!¡±

    Ash froze. Dave¡¯s words hit him hard. It was his fault that a family was ughtered, again. His chest tightened, he was pale and struggling to breathe.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t his fault!¡± Joe spoke up defending Ash.

    ¡°Of course it was!¡±

    ¡°You are alive because of him!¡± Billy moved closer, angry with Dave.

    ¡°You call this living?¡± Dave turned to address Billy.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m getting really tired¡­¡±

    Ash stopped Billy before he could attack Dave. ¡°He is right, it¡¯s my fault. But you still haven¡¯t told me where you¡¯ve been?¡±

    Dave answered him, his eyes still on Billy. ¡°The cemetery.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I see?¡±

    Dave turned to face Ash, he opened his mind and let him in, careful enough to still block out the thoughts about Merilee. ¡°Satisfied?¡±

    Ash saw him at the cemetery, sitting next to his family¡¯s headstone. He was crying, hugging and kissing the stone but he couldn¡¯t see anything else. He realized Dave was hiding something, but he wasn¡¯t going to push. ¡°Thank you,¡± and with that, Dave went upstairs and into his room.

 Fifteen

    ¡°Earth to Lee, earth to Lee.¡± Maria was waving her hands in front of her. ¡°Hey, where did you go?¡±

    Lee was thinking of Ash again. She was hoping he was going to show up, but she wasn¡¯t so sure. Maria had called Joe when she was in the bath, setting up a lunch date for the six of them. She wanted to invite Ash and didn¡¯t want Lee within earshot in case he said no. She saw thesting effect he had on Lee and knew she had to give them another chance with a proper first date with her and Ann in the room to make sure it stayed that way, proper. She was more convinced about her decision because of Lee¡¯s constant dazed status.

    Lee was pissed she hadn¡¯t been consulted, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it. She didn¡¯t want toe off as desperate and needy, but there was no denying it, she wanted to see him again.

    It had been three days, since shest saw or talked to him. Billy and Joe had the house phone number, so Ash really didn¡¯t have any excuse not to call her, unless he just didn¡¯t see why he should.

    Why should he? I gave it up, hours after we met. What else would he want from me? Lee thought to herself.

    She wished she hadn¡¯t. She really wasn¡¯t thinking of it, it just, popped into her mind. That¡¯s thest time she was going with the flow. But she was d they hooked up, or she would still be pining for Steve.

    She sighed. Lee was never going to win in this game.

    She walked to the hallway mirror to make sure she looked presentable.

    Her body was covered with deep purple patches. She had made an effort to hide the bruises with make-up, but they were still very visible. So she had no other choice but to cover up. She wore a long sleeved white turtleneck and a pair of blue jeans. Shebed her hair to the front, hoping it would cover the bruise on the right side of her chin--the makeup wasn¡¯t doing a great job at hiding it. She didn¡¯t want to scare off Ash; he was already avoiding her.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking of his feelings when he ditched me? Lee groused. He wasn¡¯t thinking of my feelings then, and in the three days he hasn¡¯t call. She went back to the kitchen to set the table, feeling more nervous than before.

    When the doorbell rang, she got startled and dropped the cutlery on the floor. Ann came out of her room and headed straight for the door. Maria helped her pick them up and set them on the table.

    Maria giggled. ¡°Calm down Lee.¡±

    ¡°Hi, beautiful.¡± It was Billy. He hugged Ann and gave her a light kiss on the lips. She was blushing-something Lee hadn¡¯t seen her do since she met her. Maria walked to Joe and gave him a tight hug.

    Lee felt jealous. The four of them were already acting like couples. The midnight calls and giggles got to her the most.

    Lee looked behind them, but didn¡¯t see anyone. Then Joe closed the door. It felt like he had mmed it in her face. Ann and Maria¡¯s faces dulled, the light that was there a few seconds ago was gone.

    ¡°He had to go out of town. He asked us to give you his apologizes.¡±

    In other words he wasn¡¯t interested in seeing me again. Lee thought with a pain that made her cringe.

    Joe seemed remorseful but Lee could tell he was lying to her when he didn¡¯t look her in the eye when he said it.

    ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡± Lee gave him a weak smile. She didn¡¯t want him to feel sorry for her.

    She raised her hand and pushed her front hair that was in her eye back. Big mistake, Joe gasped which prompted Billy to look at Lee. The huge bruises on her chin and hand were visible. She quickly brushed her hair in front, then pulled her sleeves down and held the edges tight in her fists.

    ¡°She fell,¡± Ann quickly said. She had realized they were staring at her with horror on their faces.

    Lee hated it when people stared at her, especially if it was out of pity, or shock like they were doing right now. ¡°I¡¯m a klutz,¡± Lee added, with a fake grin on her face. With that they walked to the kitchen and took their seats at the table.

    ¡°I almost forgot, Ash got you a gift for your birthday.¡± Joe pulled out a velvet box from his jacket pocket.

    Ann snickered. ¡°Another birthday present? She still hasn¡¯t recovered from thest one.¡±

    ¡°Ann, don¡¯t embarrass her,¡± Maria said, but her giggles only made Lee more ufortable.

    Billy and Joe looked at each other confused. All Lee could do was hope they didn¡¯t get curious enough to ask what Ann meant.

    ¡°Sorry, let me take those.¡± Lee took their jackets and draped them over her arm before she took the box with her fingers, making sure her bruised hand stayed covered. ¡°He really didn¡¯t have too.¡± The box slipped and fell open on the floor.

    She bent down to pick it up but froze when she saw what was in it. ¡°Wow.¡± It was a tinum chain with a diamond drop pendant. ¡°Are you sure this is it?¡± Her voice was down to a whisper. Her eyes were stuck on the pendant, not daring to touch it.

    ¡°Yes it is. Would you like me to help you put it on?¡± Joe crouched down beside Lee.

    ¡°No. You should give it back. This is too expensive, and so not me.¡± She picked the box up with unsteady fingers and handed it to Joe. He didn¡¯t take it. His eyes shed to her hand before he stood up and took a step back.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Ann couldn¡¯t believe Lee was turning down a diamond-a woman¡¯s best friend.

    ¡°Please ept it. If I take it back he¡¯ll get you a bigger diamond.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Lee really didn¡¯t want that. She nodded her head and put their jackets in the closet by the door before she went to her room to keep it safe. There was no way she was ever going to wear that.

    The afternoon dragged on, well at least for Lee. Ann, Billy, Maria and Joe seemed to be having a lot of fun. They talked andughed the whole time. They tried countless times to include her in the conversation but it was futile. She felt like a fifth wheel. After a while, she excused herself, made someme excuse and went out. She was feeling ustrophobic and needed some fresh air.

    Lee walked around the street, circling their block a couple of times. She was driving herself insane wondering why Ash didn¡¯t want to see her anymore and if the expensive ne had some sort of hidden meaning in it.

    Maybe Steve was right, all one has to do is look at me and see all the demons I am battling. Lee reyed that night over and over again, trying to figure out what she did wrong. But the only thing she got was how fantastic that night was.

    Then she had that eerie feeling again. She stopped and looked around, searching for the eyes burning a hole in her back. She couldn¡¯t spot anyone. People were walking around, minding their own business. She was being delusional again. She turned and headed back to the apartment, walking faster than before. Lee may be delusional, but that didn¡¯t mean she shouldn¡¯t feel safe.

    When Lee got to the apartment, the guys were gone. Ann was pacing the living room in a rage and Maria was on the couch, quiet.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are the guys?¡± Lee put her purse in the closet by the door and joined Maria on the couch.

    ¡°Billy and Ann had a fight,¡± Maria answered.

    ¡°What, why?¡±

    Maria looked at Lee. She didn¡¯t have to say anything for her to know the cause of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of me, isn¡¯t it? Ann, I¡¯m so sorry, but you didn¡¯t have to say anything.¡±

    She stopped and turned to Lee, her face red. Boy was she angry. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. How could he defend Ash for what he¡¯s doing to you? He shouldn¡¯t have said he was going toe if he knew he was going to chicken out!¡±

    ¡°But Joe said he was out of town¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh please, Maria, you can¡¯t seriously tell me you believed that!¡±

    ¡°Ann, cool down. Its fine, I didn¡¯t expect him toe anyway. If he had any intention of seeing me again he would have called me days ago.¡± Lee moved toward her with the phone in her hand. ¡°Now call Billy and make up.¡±

    ¡°Hell no, he should call and apologize to me!¡± She stormed off and went to her room, banging her door shut.

    Ann seemed happier with Billy around. Lee didn¡¯t want that to end because of her.

    ¡°Maria, what¡¯s the number?¡±

    ¡°Lee, I don¡¯t think you want to do that, Ann is going to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Maria the number¡­¡±

 Sixteen

    The house door banged, and then a loud splitting sound followed.

    ¡°Billy, will you please calm down? Now look, you broke the door in half!¡± Joe grumbled.

    Ash came out of the AA room to see what was going on. Billy was fuming, any madder and he would have turned wolf. Joe was standing by the door, attempting to fix it. Billy had slugged it so hard that it split in two. One of the halves was hanging loosely.

    Ash turned and saw Billy march right past him without saying a word. He went up the stairs and into his room, this time he didn¡¯t bang the door as hard.

    There was a short splitting sound before a loud thud. Half the door was on the floor, Joe stood next to it, helpless. Ash was even more confused now.

    ¡°What¡¯s eating him?¡±

    ¡°He had a fight with Ann.¡±

    ¡°It must have been pretty bad for him to break the door. What was it about?¡±

    ¡°Lee.¡±

    Ash became uneasy. He clenched his fists. His voice was cold. ¡°What did he do to her?¡±

    Joe was surprised by Ash¡¯s reaction, but he answered him. ¡°It¡¯s what you did to her.¡±

    He felt like he¡¯d been doused with ice-cold water. Ash spoke like he had something stuck in his throat. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, after Lee left when we were done with lunch, Ann got upset and said what you were doing to her wasn¡¯t fair. Billy tried to defend you but it became one big mess. They started yelling, and then Billy stormed out. That girl has a potty mouth on her!¡± Joe stopped when he saw Ash was in anguish.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think she was really into seeing you. She was bruised up after she fell down some steps. She tried to cover it up with makeup and clothes.¡± Joe spoke fast, trying to relieve Ash¡¯s guilt.

    Ash was worried now. ¡°Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just bruises. She was grateful for the gift. But she didn¡¯t really want it.¡±

    Ash¡¯s face creased. ¡°Why, wasn¡¯t the diamond big enough?¡±

    Joeughed. ¡°The only reason she kept it was because I told her you¡¯d get her a bigger one. She¡¯s a simple girl Ash, extravagance isn¡¯t her thing.¡±

    Joe¡¯s phone rang. When he checked the caller id, he smiled. It was Maria.

    ¡°Hi, hon¡­oh, Lee, what¡¯s up?¡± He turned and looked at Ash who already had his eyes on him the second he said Lee¡¯s name.

    ¡°Aha¡­I¡¯ll give him the phone.¡± He put his hand over the mouthpiece and called out for Billy. Ash was hoping she had called to talk to him.

    ¡°Billy! Will you get down here already?¡±

    Billy came out of the room and stood at the top of the steps. ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lee she wants to talk to you.¡± Joe held out the phone to him.

    Billy shed down, took the phone and went to the next room.

    Ash was agitated, he felt jealous of Billy. He waited for Billy to be done so that he could grill him.

    After a few minutes, Billy came out of the room with a smile on his face. This made Ash even more jealous and curious to find out what they were talking about.

    ¡°That girl is a diamond in the deep blue sea. She apologized for causing the fight and then got Ann and me to do the same. We made up. Isn¡¯t Lee great?¡±

    ¡°Yeah she is. She looks out for her sisters, they all do,¡± Joe added. He was smiling, happy that the cold war was over.

    ¡°Now that Ash doesn¡¯t want anything to do with her, maybe I¡¯ll hook her up with Dave. Her rays of light and warmth will make him less moody.¡±

    Ash didn¡¯t like this, and he made sure Billy knew that. He growled at him and pulled his lips back exposing his sharp teeth.

    Billy took a step back and raised his hands up, surprised by the hostility. ¡°One man¡¯s one-night stand is another guy¡¯s lucky day. You don¡¯t want anything to do with her, so what¡¯s with the hostility?¡±

    Before Ash could tackle him, Sabrina spoke up behind him. ¡°Want whom?¡± Sabrina walked into the room. She had been listening. Since the guys locked her out of their minds, she had no other choice but to resort to eavesdropping.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Ash barked at her.

    ¡°Okay, answer me this, why do your clothes smell of a female human!¡± she held his shirt up with her pinky.

    Billy and Joe smiled; the show was about to begin.

    ¡°None. Of. Your. Business.¡± Ash¡¯s fists clenched tighter on his side, his knuckles turning white due to the pressure. His lips were drawn back even further. He was past the boiling point.

    ¡°I swear if I find that slut, I¡¯ll suck her dry!¡±

    In a second, Ash had his hand around her throat and pinned to the wall. A threatening rumble rolled off his chest making her whimper.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight. I don¡¯t need nor want you anymore. The only reason I haven¡¯t killed you yet is because I owe you. What I do, with whom ever I do it with is none of your business. Do we understand each other?¡±

    ¡°Ash, if you want her, why not be with her? Stop avoiding her. What¡¯s keeping you from her?¡± Billy asked, concern coating his voice. Ash¡¯s reaction had stunned him. It was the first time he¡¯d seen Ash react in such a hostile way over a girl he barely knew.

    ¡°Baku.¡± Ash¡¯s anger had dissolved. He sounded helpless, defeated.

    The mention of that named killed the mood in the room. Baku had been a nightmare they hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of. They were close thirteen years ago, but he disappeared after he murdered the Jackson family. If he knew Ash was happy and in love, he would do anything possible to take that away from him, and that meant killing Lee.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be hearing from him for another, ten or twenty years. Don¡¯t let him stop you from living your life.¡± Joe tried to sound optimistic, but he too was worried.

    ¡°What were you guys doing at the apartments on Ondo Street?¡± Dave was at the door. He came in through the big gap Billy had made at the door. He wasn¡¯t very interested in what happened to it, he had other things on his mind.

    ¡°We went to see a couple of friends, what is it to you?¡± Billy answered him. He really didn¡¯t like Dave.

    He gave Ash grief over turning him after his family was killed. If Billy had had his way, Dave would have been in the same cemetery lot number as the rest of his family. But Ash¡¯s conscious wouldn¡¯t let fate take its course. He wanted Dave to spend his new life with his daughter, but instead he had condemned him to a life of sorrow simr to his.

    Dave didn¡¯t want to be in his daughter¡¯s life, he was too afraid that she would get caught in the centuries old feud if she were around him, around them. She was his only reason for living. But what is done is done. He didn¡¯t have a choice but to live with it.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Dave walked away, but Ash stopped him.

    ¡°Dave, who do you know in those apartments?¡±

    ¡°The only reason I asked is because I saw you drive away from that street. That¡¯s all.¡± He turned and kept walking.

    Ash knew he was hiding something, but that really didn¡¯t matter at the moment. He wanted to figure out the best way to see Lee, hoping she would agree to it after he disappeared on her. He needed to see her, to touch her for onest time before he really disappeared. Baku couldn¡¯t know of her existence, not ever.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 Seventeen

    The final bell rang releasing them from history ss. Lee walked out of building and headed out to the parking lot. She didn¡¯t have that many friends, so there was nothing that kept her hanging around school for long, apart from the few persistent boys and the glowering girls who only talked to her because their crushes were chasing after her, ready to make themselves avable for the dates she turned down. She was a loner; she liked being that way, and of course being socially awkward did y a big part in it.

    All of a sudden the offers had increased in numbers, she was under the impression the word ¡®single¡¯ was carved on her forehead and ¡®desperate for an Ash substitute¡¯ pasted on her back. George was his usual slimy unrelenting self and Josh was also ying his odds but at a more gentlemanly patient way. Lee thought of saying yes to Josh a couple of times just to irritate George but that would only open the door for a second date which she really didn¡¯t want.

    Lee walked to her parking space only to find it empty. She¡¯d forgotten Ann had dropped her off; Ann¡¯s car had stalled again. The thoughts of Ash had made it impossible for her to think of anything else. The slight body aches and fading bruises were a physical constant reminder of him. It was really embarrassing when Mr. Scott from chemistry called Lee out of her daydream with a question and she answered Ash.

    Lee covered her ears, trying to silence the memory of the whole ssughing at her. It was worse when he said ¡®you and Ash can continue your romance in detention.¡¯ Starting from tomorrow, she had detention for the entire week.

    It did make Jane happy when she called Josh Ash when she said no to his date invite. At least I made one person happy today.

    Lee turned and headed for the bus stop. She lived five minutes away from school but she had to go to her afternoon job at ¡®Luke¡¯s Diner¡¯ on Palm Bay Road, which took her approximately one hour to get to. All she could hope for was that she was alert enough to get off at the right stop, or she would end up on the other side of Florida.

    ¡°Hallo, Lee.¡±

    She jumped, dropping her backpack, a couple of books spilled out of it. The voice startled her, pulling her out of her Ash fest. Lee bent down to pick them up.

    ¡°Next I¡¯ll walk into ongoing traffic because all I can think about is Ash. Ash! Ash! Ash!¡± She grumbled to herself sarcastically.

    Lee turned to face the voice, trying hard to pull her lips into a polite smile. She froze when she saw who it was. He had his earthshaking smile on. He was leaning against thetest BMW Prado, his arms crossed over his broad chest. The car was silver ck and suited him well. She looked at him, her attention fully drawn to appreciating his physic. His brown leather jacket was unzipped exposing his white V-neck shirt that looked like it would rip over his broad chest. His ck jeans hugged him, molding in conjunction to his magnificent thighs and cuffs. The only thing that was wrong was the cowboy boots he had on, which could easily be over looked because of the rest of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re thinking about me, although it doesn¡¯t seem to be all good thoughts.¡±

    Lee pulled her eyes away from his body to look at his face holding her breath so that she wouldn¡¯t hyperventte.

    ¡°Hi, Ash.¡± She sounded like a giddy teenager.

    ¡°Hi, yourself.¡± Ash¡¯s grin deepened. A soft breeze blew past them dislodging a strand from the perfectlybed back ck hair and sweeping it to rest above his eye. She¡¯d never seen a more beautifully made face. Lee held in a shriek.

    The dim light of the club and her apartment had not done him justice at all. If I had really paid attention, I don¡¯t think I would have let him out of my bed! Lee control yourself you are starting to sound like Ann.

    Lee¡¯s eyes widened finally acknowledging their surroundings, and her uncovered bruised hand. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    She shifted the books into her bruised hand then brushed her hair forward to cover her jaw line. She was d she¡¯d worn the light weight long sleeved turtleneck.

    ¡°I came to pick you up. You have work after school don¡¯t you?¡± His smile shrank. It looked off. His eyes however were unmistakably harsh.

    ¡°My other work, of course. But you didn¡¯t have to pick me up.¡± Go on Lee dig your grave a little deeper.

    He raised his eyebrow, dropped his arms, and stood up straight and walked up to her. She suddenly wished she were in her four-inch heels. She still wouldn¡¯t have been as tall but close enough. His huge size and towering height were intimidating.

    ¡°So you work two jobs. What is it you do here?¡±

    Lee could tell he was humoring her but she wasn¡¯t going to willingly get caught in a lie.

    ¡°I ah¡­I teach tenth grade history.¡± She held up the World History book as proof. History! I picked the subject I am flunking to teach. Even I wouldn¡¯t believe that!

    He stared at her, his eyebrow still raised. As he was about to speak, he shifted his gaze and looked behind her.

    ¡°Your friend wants you.¡± He sounded irritated.

    Lee turned to see Jane running toward them, her hand waving in the air. It didn¡¯t take long before she reached them.

    ¡°Lee, I¡¯m d I caught up to you. I wanted to ask you something.¡± She looked at Ash, her gaze moved over him slowly. Lee could feel the jealousy burn her.

    Of course, what else did she want? Josh must have turned her down but she wasn¡¯t getting Ash. ¡°Yes, Jane?¡± Lee practically shouted trying to get back her attention.

    ¡°Lee, won¡¯t you introducing me to your friend?¡± Her eyes still on Ash.

    Lee turned to look at him. He was back to leaning against the car, his arms folded across his chest and his gaze fixed on the ground. The same arrogance he disyed when they met. A small joy jumped inside her, but it got killed when she remembered how that night ended.

    Jane was much prettier than she was, and dressed way better than she did too. Jane looked like ¡®Alice in wondend¡¯ with her pink ensemble and her bright wide smile. Lee felt like an ugly duckling standing next to her. Lee didn¡¯t want her going anywhere near him.

    No not really. ¡°This is Ash. He¡¯s a friend of mine. Ash this is Jane, we have a few sses together.¡± She bit her tongue. She just admitted she was lying.

    Jane turned to her surprised. ¡°Ash, the same Ash you called Josh. The one you got four hours of detention for?¡± She was so excited, she turned back to Ash eyeing him more lustfully than before. ¡°I totally understand you!¡±

    Jane had said too much about her horrid day. Considering the mess Lee was already in, she didn¡¯t want him gloating about being the reason for her imprisonment.

    He looked up, his gaze on Lee. His breathtaking smile was on, and even his eyes wereughing. Lee wasn¡¯t sure whose heart was thumping louder, hers or Jane¡¯s.

    He moved toward them, his gaze fixed on Lee. ¡°It was nice to meet you, Jane. Lee shall we?¡± Lee wanted to break into a victory dance. He didn¡¯t look at Jane even once!

    He took Lee¡¯s pack and the books in her hands then ced a hand on the small of her back and pushed her gently toward the passenger door. He opened the back door, ced her pack and books inside before he opened the passenger door and helped her in.

    Lee watched Jane¡¯s sullen face as they drove away. She fought the urge to stick her tongue out at her, so Lee settled for a girly squeal and augh. This was one guy Jane was never going to have.

    ¡°That¡¯s a little childish don¡¯t you think?¡± Ash spoke his eyes on Lee. He¡¯d read into her happiness. She was too happy to care about what he thought.

    ¡°Its high school, we¡¯re supposed to be childish.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re d I didn¡¯t take interest in your friend, why is that?¡± His eyes still on her. Lee felt him elerate, taking the next corner swiftly without turning away from her.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Lee sped the seat belt on. ¡°Do you mind keeping your eyes on the road? I don¡¯t know about you, but I have a lot I n to do before I die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a good driver.¡±

    ¡°Image how many people said that before they wrapped themselves around a pole, or a rock, or drove off a cliff!¡±

    He turned and faced the road. ¡°Are you more at ease now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be much better if you¡¯d slow down.¡± She could feel the car move a bit slower and released an anxious breath.

    ¡°How¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Better. Thanks.¡±

 Eighteen

    Ash took a moment and let her feelfortable before he ambushed her. Joe had told him Lee¡¯s real age. He was annoyed that she lied to him but more annoyed at himself for sleeping with a girl who was practically an infant to him. But it was difficult staying mad at her when he saw her hazel eyes light up in victory because he paid no attention to Jane.

    They were both too young for him and he knew better than to get involved with either of them, even though the ship had already sailed with Lee. Jane was beautiful, but it was difficult not to ogle Lee. Not only because her hazel eyes reminded him of Rosa but also she had this familiar sadness that attracted him and a mysterious presence that demanded attention even when it was so clear that she didn¡¯t want it.

    ¡°So how was school today?¡±

    ¡°It was okay. sses dragged on¡­¡± Lee stopped and looked at him, the edge of his lips were curved up in a smile. She smiled back. ¡°I walked right into that one.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a very good liar. I also don¡¯t believe your school would hire a history teacher who was flunking.¡±

    Lee was horrified. ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°Your test paper fell out of the book.¡±

    She shoved her head into the headrest. This was just wonderful. He must think I am dumb and a liar. I wasn¡¯t clever enough to even pass in lying!

    Picking up on her thoughts, he spoke quickly. ¡°I can help you with your history if you want me to.¡±

    No way! I¡¯m not going to let him see how stupid I am. ¡°Ann already offered.¡± Lee turned and looked out the window.

    ¡°Still on the subject of hopelesscking in the art of lying, should I have wished you a happy eighteenth and not a happy twentieth?¡±

    Ash saw the bruises Joe had told him about on her hand. He was d she was healing but he was proved wrong when he saw the poor make-up job on her chin when she pushed her hair behind her ear. It looked like a purple brown patch thatpletely stood out against her darkplexion.

    She was really hoping he¡¯d forgotten about that. She took a deep breath before she looked up at him. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t like small spaces. Why did you lie about your age?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about jail, the police would have been a day toote, I¡¯m old enough to do as I please.¡±

    She unconsciously pushed her sleeves up then quickly pulled them down and fisted them in her hands. It was toote. Ash had already seen the distinct purple patches on her arms. If he were to put his hands over them they would be a perfect match to his fingers.

    ¡°No you¡¯re not-at least not with me you can¡¯t.¡± He was so angry, he sounded like he was scolding her.

    He was sure there were more of those bruises all over her body and he was even surer they weren¡¯t caused by a tumble down some steps. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel cursing himself for how bad he must have hurt her.

    ¡°Ash, it happened. You can¡¯t take that night back.¡± Lee wasn¡¯t going to feel ashamed of what they did. She loved every second of it, dreamed of it day and night. It was wonderful and she wasn¡¯t going to let him dampen it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take it back. I¡¯ll treasure that night,¡± his voice was softer for a moment before it went back to being harsh, ¡°it¡¯s just never going to happen again.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you picked me up, to give the devious teenager a warning?¡± She felt angry and distressed. It felt like he was punishing her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a warning. You are too young for me. We can¡¯t see each other again, maybe as friends now that the guys are dating your sisters but nothing more.¡±

    ¡°You said there had to be an adult in every rtionship!¡± Lee was desperate. The thought of not having him shook her harder now than it did before when he wasn¡¯t near her. She didn¡¯t understand why but it did.

    He kept his voice even and harsh. ¡°That only applies when the two are consenting adults. I¡¯m an adult and you are still a child in every essence of the term.¡±

    ¡°I am not a child!¡± She yelled at him. She could feel the tears sting her eyes.

    There was something about her teary eyes that was familiar to him. It wasn¡¯t because they looked like Rosa¡¯s but someone he had met before. His chest tightened with a familiar pain.

    ¡°Right now you are acting like one.¡± He nced at her, and then looked back at the road. ¡°Another thing, we aren¡¯t in a rtionship,¡± he said the words firmly. He wasn¡¯t only trying to convince her, but himself also.

    It was a struggle saying those words out loud but he needed to keep away from her if she was to stay alive. She was too young to haveplications in her life. She had barely lived and it would be wrong of him to take that away from her. He held on tightly to the steering wheel to keep from pulling her into his arms andforting her, kissing her and telling her he was being a fool for rejecting her but he couldn¡¯t do that. He cared for her too much to ruin her life.

    ****

    Lee felt hurt, she couldn¡¯t exin why but his words stung. She stayed quiet all the way to the deli. Without a word, she got out of the car and sauntered inside not bothering to give him a final nce. She stopped when she met Maria and Ann at the counter.

    ¡°Hi, Lee, how was the ride from school?¡± Ann was smiling. Lee automatically knew she was behind this.

    ¡°It was your bright idea then?¡± She looked at Ann, acid in her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t want either of you ying matchmaker. Please don¡¯t do me any favors.¡± She marched passed them and into the kitchen.

    The ride home and the night were spent inplete silence. Lee went straight to bed without saying a word to either of them. She woke up feeling guilty. She knew she was wrong to me Ann for what happened. She was only trying to help. Ash didn¡¯t want her. It wasn¡¯t Ann¡¯s fault it was hers for not being enough for him. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good or bad thing that he was richer than she was. No one drove a car like that if they weren¡¯t rich. Money made Steve stay. With Ash she didn¡¯t know his weakness.

    She woke up early and made them an apology breakfast. Food was the best way to say sorry, at least when it came to Ann and Maria.

    ¡°Ann, Lee has been guilty cooking again.¡±

    She turned to find Maria standing by the table. Lee ced the tes on the table and stood next to the table full of food smiling innocently. Ann walked in with a wide grin on her face.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Morning, I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for yesterday-¡±

    Ann waved her quiet and sat down at the table. Maria was already serving herself a te. ¡°Forget about it. I shouldn¡¯t have interfered anyway. Do you mind if I asked what happened?¡±

    Lee swallowed the bitter lump in her throat. She was still trying to get used to the fact that Ash didn¡¯t want anything to do with her. She wasn¡¯t dumb enough to believe her age was the reason behind it. That never stopped Steve. She was sure there was something more. After seeing Jane, he might have decided going for the princess and not the tomboy was way better. For the first time in six months since she joined Edgeview High, Lee got left on the sidelines for her.

    ¡°Twenty year olds aren¡¯t supposed to be in high school.¡± She pressed her lips in a tight smile, trying to sound casual. She walked to the living room and picked up her bag and reached for the door.

    Annughed. ¡°You lied about your age! Why didn¡¯t you tell us, I would have sent him to the diner and not your school?¡±

    Lee shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked out anyway.¡±

    ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll drop you off.¡± Maria stood up and tapped Ann on the shoulder to hurry up.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll walk. Guess we have to start saving for two cars now, huh?¡±

    ¡°My baby isn¡¯t dead yet!¡± Ann called out from the table.

    ¡°Denial is the first step of grieving, don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll get to eptance soon.¡± Lee opened the door and walked out waving to them before she shut the door behind her.

 Nineteen

    ¡°Lee, Lee!¡±

    She turned to face Jane running down the hall toward her. She wasn¡¯t feeling sociable today, especially to the beauty queen.

    ¡°Hi, Jane.¡± Her cheeks were hurting from all the fake smiles she had on today.

    ¡°Hi. I thought we¡¯d have lunch together, since you can¡¯t hide in your car today. Where is it anyway?¡±

    ¡°My sisters are using it,¡± Lee answered, hiding the annoyance she was feeling. Jane always had to know every single detail. They walked into the cafeteria and lined up to get lunch. She pulled out her wallet to pay for her tray but Jane beat her to it.

    ¡°I got it.¡± She handed the lunchdy her credit card. Lee never understood why she wasn¡¯t at some high-ss private school with all the money she shed around.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lee walked to the empty table next to some guys from their ss.

    ¡°Hi, Lee.¡± George turned around on his chair.

    ¡°Hi.¡± She ced the tray down on the table and pulled the seat that was back to back with him. Maybe he would get the hint and not ask her out today.

    ¡°I heard you broke up with your boyfriend.¡± He sounded delighted. ¡°You don¡¯t have that excuse to say no to me anymore.¡± His face lit up and his grin widened.

    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Lee snapped at him. She knew George would hound her all day with this and it annoyed her. No meant maybe to George, it was like an invitation to keep nagging until he gets a yes.

    ¡°Why is he lucky?¡± Jane sat down opposite Lee, her te full of rabbit food. Lee looked at her te, it had a burger and fries swimming in ketchup. Jane even ate better than she did. Lee could feel the frustration build up again.

    ¡°Lee and I are going out.¡± George beamed a smile at Jane. She pped excitedly.

    Lee looked at him peeved, she hadn¡¯t agreed to anything. She was about to bite his head off, but she decided against it. If she were going to let her temper get the best of her she wouldn¡¯t make it to the end of the day.

    ¡°Maybe we could double date?¡± Jane looked at her te, fidgeting with a piece of lettuce in her fingers. ¡°You and George, me and¡­Ash.¡±

    Lee looked at her bewildered. She knew there was something behind the lunch and kindness. Jane never did anything for anyone unless there was something in it for her. She wanted Lee to hook her up with Ash! Had she lost her mind?

    ¡°Could you give me his number?¡±

    She was really out of her mind.

    Lee bit her lip down controlling the anger that wanted to snap at her. ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡±

    She looked up shocked. ¡°How do you get in touch with him?¡±

    The happy spark quenched the anger. For once Lee was d Ash didn¡¯t want to see her anymore. She didn¡¯t think she could take seeing them together. ¡°I don¡¯t, he finds me.¡±

    Jane nodded slowly. ¡°The next time you see him, tell him we have a date this Saturday.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Lee picked a fry and put it in her mouth. She was sure as hell wasn¡¯t telling Ash anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s you and me next Saturday, alone.¡± Josh¡¯s cool familiar voice spoke over Lee. She looked up to see his smiling eyes stare down at her. He was gorgeous, she never knew why she was never interested in him, wait, yes she did. She was into the wrong guys, and he was the right guy.

    Her mouth was full so she gave him a short wave.

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t do that. I had dibs first!¡± George bellowed behind her.

    Wow, am I a piece of meat now? Lee put another fry in her mouth, she was going to let them battle it out and not waste her breath because she really hadn¡¯t said yes yet to any of them.

    ¡°Some respect, George, and the two of you aren¡¯t exclusive, so she can date the both of us then pick who she wants to be with?¡± Josh kept his voice level and warm.

    Lee was d he spoke for her. Maybe I should date him.

    ¡°See you soon, Lee.¡± He turned and walked back to his table. Lee watched him, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. There were several girls watching and drooling, which was understandable. The muscle shirt he wore was not at all fair to the females in the school.

    ¡°How is it you have all these guys drooling all over you when you look so¡­simple?¡± Jane sounded perplexed. ¡°You dress like a boy.¡±

    There is the bitch I know, crawling its way out of the facade of friendship. Lee thought with a smile.

    ¡°Gee, I wonder?¡± she said sarcastically, but at the same time she was freaking out, she had somehow gotten the next two Saturdays booked. She was going to have toe up with some valid excuses not to go. She was still hopeful that Ash would change his mind, and he couldn¡¯t catch her juggling two guys.

    She was relieved when the bell rang. She stood up and headed out of the cafeteria. Jane caught up and walked next to her yapping all the way about the outfit she was going to wear to their double date. She hated the fact they had the next three sses together.

    Lee was d she had detention. The others would have left school by the time she was released from high school prison. She wasn¡¯t worried about work-Ann and Maria were covering her shift for her until she got there, so she did her homework and studied up on her history. Her final exams wereing up and she needed to improve her history grade if she was to graduate.

    Lee walked slowly out of detention bothered by the quiet school building. It was too quiet for her liking. When she got to the parking lot, she saw a number of football yers and cheerleaders walking to their cars. That meant George, Josh and Jane were still around. She walked faster hoping not to bump into anyone. She didn¡¯t get far before she spotted George. She turned to run in the other direction but she spotted Josh. She was cornered. They reached her at the same time.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hi guys.¡± Lee pressed her lips in a fake smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see your jeep, would you like me to give you a ride home?¡± Josh spoke in his signature cool voice.

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Why am I not attracted to this guy? Lee thought, looking him over. He was not only hot he was sweet too.

    ¡°Or you could ride with me. We could get to know each other on the way?¡± George ran his fingers down her arm. His lips curved in a mischievous grin. His forwardness stunned her.

    I know why I¡¯m not attracted to him.

    ¡°You could both walk me to the bus stop, just to keep it fair.¡± Lee didn¡¯t want to ride with either of them. She needed to cook up some excuses into not going out with either of them.

    ****

    Ash had been watching Lee and the two guys. At first he was watching Lee. He wanted to make sure she got to work okay without letting her know he was around. He saw how ufortable she got and thought she was in trouble, only to spot the two stooges walking up to her. He felt jealous watching and listening to them offer Lee rides. He got even more annoyed when he saw the blond guy touch Lee. He walked up to them determined not to let Lee leave with either of them and hoped to leave the blond one¡¯s limbs intact.

    ¡°I hope you boys don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m taking her home.¡±

 Twenty

    Lee¡¯s head shot forward, she hadn¡¯t even seen him. What is Ash doing here? Did hee to scold me some more or torture me with someone I can¡¯t have? Seeing him made her chest tighten in pain.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± George asked rudely.

    ¡°A friend,¡± Ash responded coldly. She followed his fixed sharp gaze. He was staring at her arm; at George¡¯s fingers on her arm.

    ¡°Hi guys, Ash.¡± Jane sang out Ash¡¯s name, she appeared out of nowhere.

    This was turning out to be a perfect day for Lee.

    ¡°Jane.¡± He gave her a crooked smile before he looked back at Lee.

    ¡°Did Lee tell you about our double date?¡± She swung on her heels looking very cute in her blue short dress.

    ¡°What?¡± His eyes were wide and dark, angrily staring into Lee¡¯s. She cringed back. His gaze softened at her reaction. ¡°Who¡¯s the fourth party?¡± He bit out.

    ¡°I am.¡± George put his arm over Lee¡¯s shoulders possessively. Ash¡¯s eyes darkened again, he fought the urge to rip it from Lee¡¯s shoulders. It was getting difficult for him to keep his hopes up.

    She shrugged it off and took a few steps forward, away from all four of them. ¡°This was fun, and now I¡¯m going to catch my bus. Bye.¡±

    She turned around hoping to make a break for it but she didn¡¯t get far before she felt her pack get pulled off her shoulder and a hand gripping her elbow tight. She didn¡¯t have to look to see it was Ash, she could feel the heat from his anger.

    He walked fast pushing her in the direction his car was parked. She had to run just to keep up with his pace. She wanted to pull her throbbing elbow out of his grip but she was too scared to, she didn¡¯t want to anger him any farther. He came to an abrupt stop, Lee tripped over her feet but he held her steady before she fell. He turned around. Lee followed his gaze; he was staring at George.

    Ash knew it was never a good idea to read people¡¯s minds but George¡¯s was practically screaming. He had all these images of him and Lee together, which pissed Ash off.

    A loud dangerous growl rolled in his chest, as it heaved up and down fast as if he was struggling to breathe. His grip tightened, hurting her elbow even more.

    ¡°Oww! Ash!¡± she yelled at him in pain.

    He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he opened them again. He loosened his grip and looked at her. His eyes were still dark and angry. He pulled her forward, gentler and they walked the short distance left to his car in a slower pace.

    He walked straight to the driver¡¯s side and got in. Lee stood outside, contemting running for the bus stop. He was mad out of his mind and she didn¡¯t feel safe being alone with him, let alone him driving in that state with her in the car.

    He lowered the passenger window and leaned over. ¡°Get in. Now!¡± His voice was low and harsh. She was definitely making a run for it. ¡°You dare run and I¡¯ll lock you in the trunk!¡± He spoke louder angrier. Lee didn¡¯t doubt he would.

    She opened the door quickly and got in, fastening her seat belt as tight as she could. The second she was settled, he sped fast out of the school grounds and onto the main road keeping the speed dangerously high. Lee crossed her fingers under her thighs hoping they would get stopped by a cop for speeding. She¡¯s never wanted to get arrested before but if they did, it would be a blessing.

    After a few miles in silence, he pulled over to the side of the road and stopped abruptly. The force threw her forward before she was pushed back against the seat by the belt. She had to remember to thank the guy who made them.

    Ash chuckled softly next to her, his eyes closed and his fingers gripped tightly on the steering wheel. Lee certainly didn¡¯t see anything funny about his road rage, it¡¯s a miracle they made it this far without crashing into something. She rubbed her belly and her shoulder, she was sure she was going to bruise.

    More bruises courtesy of Ash, again she thought.

    He moved so swiftly, if it wasn¡¯t for the unfastened seat belt or her seat having been reclined, she would never have known he had moved. He leaned over her, his eyes darting all over her. His hands moved above her, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind whether or not to touch her.

    ¡°Are you okay, how badly hurt are you?¡± He sounded anxious, worried. His eyes were still dark but no longer angry. It was finally safe to talk.

    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Lee couldn¡¯t get her voice above a whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He leaned against his seat, his face creased in anguish. She didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so she stayed quiet as she watched his pained face.

    When his face finally smoothened over, she turned in her seat and faced him. ¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He opened his eyes and looked at her confused. His brown eyes were soft and clear.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re mad about something, so instead of killing us in a car crash, which by the way I¡¯m not criticizing. I¡¯m just giving another, better, life preserving suggestion to dealing with it. Talking about it is an alternative I wouldn¡¯t mind exploring.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What?¡± He chuckled shaking his head. ¡°Okay. So are you studying to be a psychiatrist, because you approached that with very shrinkish humor?¡± He smiled his earthshaking smile.

    Lee¡¯s heart fluttered. She caught her breath and stared at his beautiful soft face. She shook her head clear before she spoke again. ¡°No. I have my own problems, talking does lift a load but shrinks don¡¯t really help as much as they advertise.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± His face dropped as if he¡¯d figured it out. ¡°Are you seeing a psychiatrist for your problems?¡±

    Lee cleared her throat, trying to mask the embarrassment she was feeling. ¡°I have for most of my life so it kind of makes me an expert. Start talking.¡±

    ¡°Why are we going on a double date and why George?¡± he said George¡¯s name with venom.

    Lee held back a smile, she didn¡¯t want to get ahead of herself but he did sound jealous. That is why he almost made us road kill?

    ¡°I have no idea how I got roped into that. Apparently word¡¯s out that I¡¯m a free agent so I have no excuse to say no.¡±

    ¡°You just broke up with Steve. It¡¯s too soon for you to date.¡± He looked stiff.

    ¡°It¡¯s been practically a life time since Steve and I broke up and we hooked up, so that argument doesn¡¯t hold.¡±

    ¡°You are not hooking up with anyone else! He may leave you right after.¡± His voice was raised and harsh.

    She snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry you cured me of all the fairy tale illusions of love at first touch.¡±

    His face was expressionless. He stayed quiet as he stared forward. She stared at him, fighting the urge to crawl onto hisp and press herself against him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cancel the double date, I¡¯ll think of something. But maybe I¡¯ll go on the date next week,¡± she whispered thest part loudly so that he heard her. She wanted to see his reaction.

    ¡°Date with whom?¡± He turned and looked at her, his face as angry as before

    ¡°With Josh¡­unless you don¡¯t want me to go?¡± She was happy he reacted that way. She was hoping he would forbid her or something caveman-like.

    ¡°He seems nice. You should go out with him,¡± he said it so casually as if they were discussing the weather.

    Lee¡¯s heart dropped into her stomach. That¡¯s all she need as confirmation; he really didn¡¯t want her.

    ¡°I need your number, Jane wants it.¡± She turned and looked out the passenger side window. She didn¡¯t want him to see her cry.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why else? She wants to go out with you.¡± She couldn¡¯t keep the pain from leaking into her voice.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why not, she¡¯s your type. You two would make a great couple,¡± she snapped.

    ¡°Why would you say that?¡± His voice was t.

    Because you are both heartless and cold, and she¡¯s a hundred times better than me in everything. ¡°She¡¯s smart, pretty, good at everything she does and theplete opposite of me.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± His voice rose.

    She shrugged, keeping her back to him. ¡°You can¡¯t stand me, something the two of you have inmon. That¡¯s a good start.¡±

    ¡°Lee,¡± Ash whispered her name angrily then he was quiet. He reached over her and pulled the seat belt and fastened it. He started the car and drove slowly. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was either to prolong their time together or just to torture her some more with his presence.

    Lee pulled her legs onto the seat and curled up sobbing quietly, regretting the night she spent with Ash, wishing she had never met him. She spent a month pining for Steve, she wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take her to get out of this painful ck hole.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was a teenage crush or love, the only thing she was sure about was that the pain in her heart was unbearable. It was close to the pain she felt when she lost her family.

    ¡°Lee, I¡¯m sorry.¡± His voice felt wounded.

    She stayed quiet. It¡¯s better to start forgetting him as soon as possible.

    He picked the thought from her head. He regretted the pain he was causing her. The pain of losing a family was more than enough, adding on to it wasplete torture. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to work.¡±

    ¡°No. Take me home, I don¡¯t think I can handle people today.¡± Her voice cracked as she spoke.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Ash sounded even more pained. He put his hand on her cheek, wiping the tears with his thumb.

    His caress felt so good. She wanted to hold his hand where it was but she knew the fantasy of what could be would onlyst for a few minutes before he mmed reality in her face again. She felt like something squeezed her heart and it hurt so much. She put her hand on his, holding it longer than she should have, then she brushed it away.

    ¡°Please just take me home.¡± She bit her lips shut, holding down the sobs in her throat.

 Twenty One

    Ann was floating again. Forcing her to make up with Billy paid off. She was daydreaming at work, in ss, everywhere they went. Lee was d she was happy again. Having an angry Ann wasn¡¯t beneficial to anyone, not even total strangers, especially not her sisters.

    ¡°It¡¯s a slow day girls, I don¡¯t think you need to stay any longer.¡± Luke, the owner of the diner was standing at the door looking out at the empty streets.

    The Palm Bay beach party had made all the businesses around very slow. Everyone was there, well except the girls. They had their shift to work, which was turning out to be a half-day.

    ¡°Luke, why don¡¯t you go, we¡¯ll lock up,¡± Lee offered. There was also no point in him staying.

    ¡°Thanks girls.¡± He walked to his office, took his coat and left the back way.

    Maria had already started putting the sauces away. Lee cleared the tables before they put the chairs on them. Ann was at the counter talking on her phone. One guess whom she was talking to? Her phone had been glued to her ear for a week.

    Ann flipped her phone shut and jumped off the counter. ¡°The guys areing to take us to the party!¡± She was spinning around dancing to music only she could hear.

    ¡°Great!¡± That came out more depressing than Lee had intended it too.

    Ann danced to her and ced her hands on her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lee, we¡¯ll get you another boyfriend tonight. He may not leave as many bruises on you, but he¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I feel so much better now.¡± Lee was feeling a little self-conscious of her bruises. They had faded to a lighter shade of purple but they were out there for everyone to see in her short-sleeved uniform.

    Maria and Ann were worried about her. She walked around the house like a sad depressed zombie. They said she was worse now than she was when it was Steve. It made them madder than she¡¯d seen them before. Ash wasn¡¯t their favorite person at the moment. Lee had to pretend to be in a good mood most of the time. She didn¡¯t want them to fight with their boyfriends because of her.

    Lee hadn¡¯t seen Ash since he picked her up from school. He was determined to stay away from her after she stained his car seats with tears. She was too much of a child to be with him. She wasn¡¯t enough; she was inadequate as a woman.

    It had been a difficult week. Jane was pissed at her because Ash opted out of the date, and George was furious when she asked for a rain check. The thought of dating only made her cringe. She wasn¡¯t ready for another rejection neither did she want to be used.

    She brought Ash¡¯s gift with her to work, she wanted to give it back to Joe. She was going to insist on it and if he wouldn¡¯t take it, she would either pawn it or give it to Jane. If Ash thought she was an annoying little girl, Jane would be a thorn in his ass.

    Maybe I should get her his number? Her constant nagging would drive him up the wall. That would be the best revenge unless he likes it and eventuallyes to like her.

    The door opened and Billy and Joe walked in. That was fast. Ann gave a shriek and ran to Billy, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. Maria however was more gracious about her approach. She walked to Joe and gave him a peck on the cheek that however didn¡¯t stop him from lifting her into the air.

    ¡°Joe!¡± She giggled. He slowly brought her down, low enough to kiss her then he put her down. Maria was blushing so bad Lee thought her cheeks would bleed.

    ¡°Hi, Lee,¡± Billy greeted her with a smile on his face.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Joe added happily.

    ¡°Hi guys.¡± She gave them a short wave and a smile. She was the only depressed person in the room. Ash¡¯s rejection had put a cloud over her entire existence.

    She reached for the diamond pendant in her pocket but thought against it when they coupled up in different corners of the diner. They were happy and it would only stir up trouble if she brought it up now. She went back to work hoping to get a private moment with Joe and convince him to take it back.

    The door opened. Lee didn¡¯t even bother to look up from what she was doing. ¡°We are closed,¡± she called out over her shoulder.

    ¡°Hi, Lee.¡±

    Lee didn¡¯t dare to move. She thought she¡¯d never hear that voice again.

    ¡°Oh hell no!¡± Ann shouted. She pulled away from Billy and walked up next to Lee.

    Lee looked up and turned to face him. Maria was already next to Ann. The guys didn¡¯t move; they stayed where they were and silently watched them.

    ¡°Hi, Steve,¡± Lee said quietly. He hadn¡¯t changed, he still looked like a surfer and judging by the amount of sand he had in his hair, he might have been living at the beach.

    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Ann didn¡¯t hide her distaste.

    ¡°How can we help you, Steve?¡± Maria had her patient tone on.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I came to see Lee not you,¡± Steve added then waited for Ann and Maria to leave. They didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°The faster you speak, the sooner my bodyguards disappear.¡± Lee was trying to hurry him along. She didn¡¯t want Billy and Joe to witness whatever volcano would soon explode.

    ¡°Baby, I want toe back. I miss you, I love you and I¡¯m sorry.¡± He held her hands, rubbing her fingers with his thumbs.

    Lee stared at him, amused. She couldn¡¯t believe it, and he looked so sure of himself. Billy and Joe were standing close behind them, paying more attention now than before.

    ¡°Is this some sort of joke? Because I¡¯ll tell you right now, give up, you can never be aedian, unless you want to be a clown, which you already are!¡± Ann yelled.

    Lee could hear a chuckle behind her. I¡¯m d they are finding this funny.

    ¡°Shut up, witch! I was talking to Lee.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be careful with your words if I were you,¡± the voice was cold and harsh. It was Billy.

    Ann gave Steve a wicked smile. ¡°Bum, meet Billy, the guy who¡¯s going to kick your ass back under the rock you crawled from!¡±

    ¡°Steve, what do you really want?¡± Maria was getting impatient.

    If Steve insulted Maria, it was going to get ugly, fast. ¡°Steve, what are you talking about?¡± Lee prompted him.

    ¡°Well I¡­¡± He stopped when he saw the bruises on her arm. His eyes were everywhere. He looked at her face and reached up with his fingers. She pulled her head away. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I fell. Now let¡¯s stick to the subject¡­¡±

    ¡°You fell, on what! These are finger marks on your arms! Your neck! Lee, your face, did someone punch you? Who did this too you! Was it this wi-¡°He¡¯d taken Billy¡¯s warning seriously. Lee pulled away from him and took a few steps back. Maria and Ann moved with her.

    ¡°Steve, I fell, case closed. If you don¡¯t want to talk about¡­whatever it is you want, please leave.¡±

    ¡°Okay, wait! I was thinking I could move back in-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Ann interrupted.

    ¡°Hell. No!¡± Maria was firm, the patiencepletely gone.

    ¡°What they said.¡± Lee wasn¡¯t up for his bullshit anymore.

    ¡°Give me a chance, honey, you know I love you and I¡¯m really sorry about how things ended.¡± He put his bag down.

    Ann pointed at his bag. ¡°Hell no doesn¡¯t mean getfortable!¡±

    ¡°I just want to talk to Lee!¡± Steve said between clenched teeth.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk.¡± Lee folded her arms over her chest and gave him the coldest gaze she could reel up. ¡°What happened to your other girlfriend, the one you¡¯ve been cheating on me with?¡±

    ¡°I¡­never had¡­another¡­girlfriend.¡± Steve stammered, the lie breaking down with each pause.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what happened to her, she kicked his ass out.¡± Ann took out her cell phone. ¡°Give me her number, I need to congratte her.¡±

    There was a loudugh behind them. ¡°Billy that¡¯s your girl,¡± Joe said before he continuedughing.

    ¡°I know, isn¡¯t she fabulous!¡± Billy sounded so proud. That¡¯s all the encouragement Ann needed to go on.

    ¡°Thanks, babe.¡± Ann turned and smiled at Billy.

    ¡°Steve, how much do you want?¡± Maria was irritated and annoyed. She went round the counter to get her purse.

 Twenty Two

    Ann pointed a warning finger at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    ¡°Ann, I want to be rid of him. I¡¯m not taking any chances with him around Lee.¡±

    Lee shot a re at Maria. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d thought so little of her. Then again, Lee¡¯s choice in men hadn¡¯t been irreproachable-two out of two turned out to be major heartbreaks. But going back to Steve that would be beyond stupid of her!

    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. You are vulnerable right now, and he might take advantage of that.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Bum, I¡¯ll get your bag for you.¡± Ann walked behind him and picked up his bag. He tried to grab her hand to stop her but she ducked away. She opened the deli door and tossed it out.

    She turned around, a wide grin on her face. ¡°Now that the garbage is out, how about we take out the real trash?¡±

    Steve went for her but stopped when she raised her finger and shook it side to side. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to do that.¡± She pointed behind him. Steve followed her finger, and so did Lee.

    Billy was on his feet, his stance rigid and angry, his dangerous gaze settled on Steve. All Steve had to do was take another step toward Ann to get ripped to shreds.

    ¡°Steve, I suggest you leave, now.¡± Maria looked amused, but she had her patient voice on again. ¡°Ann¡¯s taunts are going to get worse, your temper will then get out of control and Billy will be all too willing to kick your ass.¡±

    Maria had a point, and the guys had seen enough of exactly how pathetic Lee¡¯s life was with Steve as exhibit A. If they told Ash this, he¡¯ll have an even stronger reason to stay away from her.

    Lee pped to get the attention back to her. ¡°Steve, this has been fun. And as much as it was nice to see you again, please leave.¡±

    ¡°Lee¡­¡± Steve moved closer to her.

    ¡°Steve, I don¡¯t love you and you don¡¯t love me so let¡¯s cut the crap. I don¡¯t have any money to give you, not today, not tomorrow, and not ever! Now get out!¡±

    All of a sudden, he grabbed her and pulled her toward him. His grip on her arms was tight and painful. ¡°Will you stop being a brat? Now give me the keys, the car keys too!¡±

    Lee hadn¡¯t seen this side of him-there was a lot she didn¡¯t know about him and she was finding out toote. It both scared and annoyed her. Ann was about to hit him when Lee stopped her. She knew if she got involved, Maria would, and then Billy and Joe would join in. As much as Steve was hurting her, she wanted him to walk out of there alive.

    ¡°Ann, don¡¯t. Steve, get your hands off me. Now.¡±

    He sneered. ¡°Or what? Give me the keys, Lee.¡±

    ¡°Steve, let go of me, you are hurting me!¡± Lee was wiggling in his arms, trying to break free, but that only made him tighten his grip.

    ¡°You want me to let go, you know what to do.¡± He was smug; he thought he was winning.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of her, you¡¯ll regret waking up this morning.¡± The voice was dangerously harsh.

    Lee looked under Steve¡¯s arm; it was Ash. She hadn¡¯t heard hime in. He was very rigid, his fists were clenched and his body looked tight. His face was grim and red. His eyes stayed focused on Steve. He looked like he was going to pounce on him at any minute.

    Steve let go of one arm but his other hand stayed firmly on her left arm. He pointed at Ash and shouted at him, unmoved by his livid posture. ¡°This is none of your business. Go pull a cat out of a tree or something!¡±

    ¡°Ash calm down, I can handle this.¡± It was like she hadn¡¯t said a word. Ash, didn¡¯t move, his expression still livid.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be pulling your hand off if you don¡¯t let go of her.¡± His lips were moving but he stayed perfectly still.

    ¡°Ann, will you and Maria go into the kitchen, please.¡± Billy spoke softly.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Ann didn¡¯t move neither did she try to protest. She was shocked by Steve¡¯s boldness. Billy went up to her. He pulled her and Maria and guided them into the kitchen, then locked the door. Joe however, remained where he was, his body tense and ready to move.

    This was beginning to scare Lee, she didn¡¯t like where this was heading.

    Steve was finding this amusing, with a wicked grin on his face, he crushed her arm in his hand. The pain shot through her whole hand like a current. Then he twisted her arm and pinned it on her back, making the pain and difort worse.

    ¡°Oww!¡± Lee yelled in pain grabbing at her shoulder.

    In a sh, Ash was next to them, his fingers wrapped around Steve¡¯s neck. Ash¡¯s eyes had changed. They were no longer a deep brown. A deep silver color was creeping into his eyespletely submerging the brown.

    Lee wasn¡¯t sure what shocked her most, his eyes, or the fact that he was choking Steve.

    Steve let go of her and she dropped to the floor, cradling her arm. Ash then lifted him up in the air by his neck, with one hand. His lips twitched on the side, he was more livid than before.

    Joe and Billy appeared at his sides, trying to pull his arm and its captive down. Steve was kicking and scratching, gasping for air. He was trying to pry Ash¡¯s fingers open but it was useless. It only made Ash tighten his grip.

    ¡°Ash! You¡¯re turning!¡± Joe sounded urgent, but Ash didn¡¯t draw back.

    He then threw Steve across the room like a rag doll. Steve hit the wall with a thud. Lee could swear she heard something break. She didn¡¯t dare move from where she was; she stayed on the floor too stunned to do anything. Steve was wiggling on the floor, crying out in pain and struggling to breathe.

    Billy and Joe grabbed Ash¡¯s shoulders, trying their best to restrain him. They were moving so fast that Lee thought she was hallucinating.

    ¡°Ash, stop! You are going to kill him!¡± Billy was the one shouting now. But Ash kept struggling to get free. He heaved forward, and then backward with so much force it sent Joe and Billy flying behind him. He crossed over Lee and had Steve up and pinned on the wall in a second.

    Lee was getting lightheaded, everything around her was moving so fast. She raised her good hand and held her head up. Ash was talking, but she couldn¡¯t hear him, her head was spinning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Ash whispered in Steve¡¯s ear before he threw him again, this time hended on the table next to the door. It broke under his weight. Steve¡¯s scream jolted Lee back. She knew he was hurt, bad.

 Twenty Three

    Joe and Billy were on their feet. They rushed to Ash¡¯s side. This time they were able to wrestle him to the ground. Every time Ash got out of Billy¡¯s hold, Joe jumped on him. They were turning, rolling and jumping on each other on the ground. They moved so fast, it was like someone had pressed fast forward. Ash was like a raging bull, fixed on destroying his target.

    Ash managed to throw them both off him. He looked around the tables searching for Steve, his silver eyes cold and angry. He spotted Steve and rose to his feet. Steve was out cold, his body limp and bleeding.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Lee scrambled to her feet and stood in Ash¡¯s way. He didn¡¯t take another step. He stood still and looked down at her. His teeth were bared and seemed sharp, his silver eyes were on her, and his breathing was heavy. His arms were wide at his sides with his curled fingers spread open.

    Joe and Billy rose from the ground slowly. They stood behind Ash, ready to hold him if need be. With a single word, Lee had done what they had spent five minutes trying to do.

    She backed up slowly. She stopped and crouched down next to Steve¡¯s battered body. He was alive, but hurt. She looked up at Ash, shocked, scared; she didn¡¯t know what to say. If he had another second, Steve would be dead.

    Ash¡¯s body sagged. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.

    ¡°Ann, Maria! I need you!¡± Lee yelled.

    Ann unlocked the kitchen door from the inside and came out running, Maria was hot on her tail. They stopped when they saw Steve¡¯s body.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Maria¡¯s hand covered her mouth in horror.

    ¡°What the hell!¡± Ann stood there expressionless. She turned and looked at Ash, then Billy.

    Lee didn¡¯t have time to exin. ¡°Help me get him into the car, now!¡± Billy and Joe moved forward, ¡°No, not you.¡± They stopped. Ash still had his head down.

    Maria and Ann carefully helped Steve up. Lee rushed behind the counter and grabbed her car keys and the diner¡¯s keys. She still had her arm cradled against her, it hurt but she was more concerned about Steve.

    Ash was watching her as she moved around the diner. She stopped and looked at him, his eyes were brown again, but he looked sad. She couldn¡¯t stand there andfort him. Steve needed her more. She turned and walked to the door where Ann and Maria were supporting Steve.

    ¡°Here, let me.¡± She took Ann¡¯s ce, supporting Steve with her good shoulder. ¡°Lock the door behind them. You¡¯ll have to drive. We¡¯ll wait in the car.¡± She handed Ann both sets of keys. She held the door open for them to carry Steve out.

    After she locked the door, she hugged Billy goodbye. He said something to her before she came running to the car.

    After the jeep disappeared over the curve, Lee felt lightheaded again. She opened the window but that didn¡¯t help. All she could see was pitch ck, and then she was out.

    ****

    Ash was seated on the floor in the AA room, drunk. He had three empty bottles of tequ next to him and one half empty in his hand. He couldn¡¯t erase the look Lee had given him from his mind. He didn¡¯t want Lee to see him like that, but he couldn¡¯t control himself. Seeing her in pain made him snap. And when he heard that faint pop, all he wanted to do was kill Steve.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He had originallye with the guys. He just had to work up the nerve to go into the diner. Ash decided it was time for him to be a little selfish. He had lived five hundred years without love and happiness, and now that he had gotten a taste of it with Lee, he found it difficult to forget it. Lee had intoxicated him, woken him up from the shallow grave he had buried himself in, and because of Baku he was to go back into his grave as if his heart hadn¡¯t started beating again?

    He loved her enough to try, and that he did. But it was impossible to deny himself any longer. There were other ways to keep her safe and he would exhaust them before he dared to let her go. Ash had more reason to kill Baku, not only for revenge but also for love.

    He wasn¡¯t going to let anything harm her, be it human, animal or mortal.

    He yelled at the guys for not stopping Steve before he coulde close enough to hurt Lee. But they had apparently felt Ash¡¯s anger a long time before and they were preparing to keep him from killing Steve. They were right, whether or not they stopped Steve, nothing could have stopped Ash from trying to kill Steve.

    Billy walked into the room and crouched down beside him. ¡°Ann says Steve is okay. He has a concussion. They stitched up the gash in his head. He also had seven broken and three bruised ribs, his right hand was broken and his corbone bruised and a fractured leg. The doctor told him he wasn¡¯t to speak for a while, just until his throat healed. You really did a number on him. Billy patted his shoulder. ¡°If it was Ann, I would have done the same.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that rat, how¡¯s Lee?¡± Ash bellowed drunkenly.

    ¡°She was out cold when they got to the hospital, but she¡¯s okay. Her left shoulder is dislocated. She¡¯ll have to use a sling for six weeks or so.¡±

    ¡°Why did she faint?¡± Ash was frantic. He tried to get up but sagged back to the floor. The room was swimming.

    ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re drunk. Sleep it off, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Ash was about to protest, but he was already on the couch, falling asleep.

    ****

    Dave was pacing in his room, nervous. He had spotted the guys at the diner Merilee works in. He saw what Steve was doing to Merilee, if Ash hadn¡¯t helped her, he would have. He was grateful Ash had beaten the crap out of the leech, but he was still concerned about how well he knew her. He wanted to ask Billy or Joe but decided against it. He didn¡¯t want to make them even more suspicious.

    At least I¡¯ll have more time to feed, with the guys watching them. They¡¯ll keep them safe from humans, and I¡¯ll keep them safe from our kind. But they can¡¯t know my rtionship with them. I¡¯ll keep watching my daughter, but I¡¯ll need to be more careful.

 Twenty Four

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Maria brought Lee a cup of tea.

    Lee was sitting on the couch trying to watch TV but it was a waste of time. She felt sleepy but she didn¡¯t want to go back to bed. She had been confined in it for days, and had grown tired of it.

    ¡°Groggy. Thanks.¡± She sipped at the tea, hoping it would make her feel better.

    ¡°You want something to eat?¡±

    The thought of food made her queasy. The painkillers were making her sick. Keeping food down became a task she never looked forward to.

    ¡°No thanks. I think I¡¯m going to stop taking these meds,¡± she said, sipping some more of her tea.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that they are supposed to help you.¡±

    ¡°The only thing they are doing is making me sleep through the day. The time I spend not sleeping, my head is over the toilet, and I can¡¯t even eat without gagging. I can¡¯t take this anymore,¡± Lee whined.

    ¡°Okay, okay when Annes back we¡¯ll go get you checked out.¡±

    ¡°No. They¡¯ll just give me more meds.¡± Lee wasn¡¯t a fan of hospitals. It always depressed her seeing all those sick people. She wasn¡¯t a fan of blood and wounds. They always made her queasy. One visit a year was all she could stand.

    Maria was silent, it was evident she was wrestling with Lee¡¯s decision. ¡°Okay, but you are going to be in more pain.¡±

    Lee looked at her arm. ¡°I think I can handle it.¡±

    Ann walked into the door, with a stack of mail in her hands and some textbooks. ¡°How¡¯s our patient doing?¡±

    ¡°She is going to stop taking her meds,¡± Maria offered before Lee could say anything.

    She put the books and the mail down on the table and sat next to Lee. ¡°Thank God. I was getting tired of the puking and the fifteen hour pass outs. We can finally get our bathroom back¡­and our sister, I missed you.¡±

    ¡°Nice save.¡± Lee chuckled.

    ¡°I brought you some of your assignments, and some books to read. Finals in two weeks. I¡¯m d we¡¯ll all be done with school at the same time.¡±

    School, Lee had forgotten about the finals, with all that had happened she couldn¡¯t concentrate on other things.

    ¡°Ann, how¡¯s Steve?¡±

    Ann gave her a questioning look. After Steve had hospital security keep them away from him, Ann didn¡¯t see any reason to keep caring and she was more irritated that Lee still did.

    ¡°I sold my car today as scrap metal. Sad that the car is dead but good that we now have extra money, not that we really need it, but extra cash never hurt anyone.¡± Ann changed the subject.

    ¡°Ann, please,¡± Lee begged.

    ¡°He¡¯ll live.¡±

    ¡°Ann, please, I know you know something.¡±

    Ann gave up, folded the letter she was reading and leaned back in the seat. ¡°Billy said that he¡¯d be discharged tomorrow. His friends are going to pick him up.¡±

    ¡°Billy? How does he know?¡± Lee found it strange that he bothered to check on Steve considering his friend put him there.

    ¡°Ash paid for the medical bills-yours and his. Then they paid him off to stay away from you, and not go to the cops, personally I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lee was even more confused.

    ¡°When the two of you were wheeled into the ER, the doctor asked if it was a domestic dispute. Since I didn¡¯t want to tell him what really happened I said yes.¡±

    ¡°Ann!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the best part,¡± Maria interjected, ¡°she followed the cops to his room and watched as they interrogated him about your bruises.¡±

    ¡°He was about to tell them about Ash!¡± Ann interrupted.

    Maria continued, ¡°You ckmailed him.¡± She turned to Lee. ¡°She told him she¡¯d give a sworn statement about your abuse if he said anything.¡±

    ¡°What other choice did I have?¡±

    ¡°Then she told him if he keeps his mouth shut, she¡¯d have you drop the charges.¡±

    ¡°I did what I needed to protect my family!¡±

    Lee was shocked. She couldn¡¯t believe all this happened when she was out. ¡°How did you exin his injuries?¡±

    ¡°Self-defense, you had enough of his abuse,¡± Annughed.

    Maria snorted. ¡°She cried for effect. Ann you should have been an actress!¡±

    Ann beamed proudly. ¡°The best part is, he¡¯ll nevere near you ever again.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± That¡¯s all Lee could say. It always surprised Lee, the extent Ann would go to protect her and Maria but she understood her. They only had each other.

    Lee leaned her head on the back of the couch when a wave of nausea hit her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She was definitely throwing those meds out.

    ¡°Lee,¡± Ann spoke softly and cautiously. Lee wasn¡¯t going to like it. ¡°The guys asked about you, they¡¯re worried. They want to see you, if that¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cool with me.¡±

    ¡°Ash ising too.¡±

    Lee was quiet, she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to see him, but she needed to talk to him. She was curious about his eyes and how it was possible for them to move in super speed. She had told Maria and Ann about what happened but left those two parts out, she didn¡¯t think it was necessary, at least not until she found out for sure.

    Lee was worried about her sisters being around Joe and Billy but she didn¡¯t want to ruin their rtionships with an alien story. After all they¡¯ve been through they deserved some happiness in their lives. She didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter-weighing her friends¡¯ happiness against their safety-she had to see him.

    ¡°Lee, he¡¯s been trying toe see you since you left the hospital but you always said no. He calls but you won¡¯t pick up the phone. He defended you, you should give him a break!¡±

    Lee furrowed her brows in shock. ¡°Defended? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right word for what he did.¡±

    ¡°Okay fine, he acted out one of my best dreams. I wish I¡¯d seen it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±

    ¡°Lee, Steve was hurting you. Ash might have gone over the top, but his heart was in the right ce.¡±

    ¡°When are theying?¡± Lee gave Ann what she wanted. She was feeling too sick to keep arguing about it.

    ¡°Tonight. We are going to stay a while before we leave¡­you¡¯ll be alone with Ash.¡±

    Lee groaned. She hadn¡¯t heard a word Ann said. Her head was spinning and the taste in her mouth was bitter.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°He just wants to talk to you!¡± Ann insisted reading into Lee¡¯s reaction.

    Maria moved closer to Lee. She took the cup out of her hand, and ced her hand into hers. ¡°Ann, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s groaning because of that. Honey, are you okay?¡±

    Lee shot up off the couch and ran to the bathroom. Maria was behind her. She was on her knees puking her guts out. When Lee lifted her head, they were both there, worried. Ann handed her a ss of water and helped her up.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll throw those meds out right now,¡± Ann was serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you back to the couch.¡± Maria had her hands on Lee¡¯s waist.

    ¡°Let me brush my teeth first.¡±

    Ann helped Lee to the sink and Maria took the ss from her and handed her, her toothbrush, and they stood and watched her.

    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to wait for me?¡± Lee leaned against the sink to support herself. She felt better but exhausted.

    ¡°I¡¯m holding the ss,¡± Ann said.

    ¡°I¡¯m holding you,¡± Maria said. Lee nodded, grateful to the both of them. Having them around made her feel better.

 Twenty Five

    Ash was in one of his moods. He had been like that since the diner. Lee refusing to see or talk to him made him even more miserable. He knew Lee had seen apart of him that was supposed to remain secret. But that didn¡¯t worry him as much as the violence she had seen he was capable of.

    When Billy told him there was a possibility that they would see Lee that evening, he made an effort to stay sober that day. He was longing for her, something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. Lee had woken up a lot of emotions he thought had died with Rosa.

    He was in love with Lee, but he was scared of losing her too. He didn¡¯t want to risk Baku finding out about her. He knew he was taking a risk, but staying away from her was no longer an option he was willing to stick with. The beach party was supposed to be their first official date, but Steve messed that up. He hoped Lee would forgive him. He wasn¡¯t sure if there was a future with her, but seeing her after such a long time was something he was anxiously looking forward to.

    Billy came into the room, Ash turned around and waited, he was about to fall apart. He wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it if she said no, again.

    ¡°Ash, she said yes.¡±

    ****

    Lee was in her room dressing. She had taken a long cold shower, normally she hated cold water, but the hot water made her feel more ufortable, so she switched. She had a hard time convincing the others that she didn¡¯t need a chaperon in the bathroom. They thought she¡¯d faint in the tub and drown or break her neck.

    There was a knock on her door, and then Maria stuck her head in. ¡°The guys are here, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Lee answered buttoning her pants with one hand.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to see Ash, I could always send him packing?¡±

    Leeughed. Maria was such a worrywart. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Maria, I¡¯ll be out in a second.¡±

    She pulled her head out and closed the door. Lee pulled her shirt over her head and put her good hand in. Then she slowly put in her left hand through. There was a dull pain in her shoulder. After she pulled her shirt down, she paused for a while to let the pain fade, then she tried putting her sling on. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

    ¡°Oww! Damn it!¡± she yelled and threw the sling back on the bed.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Maria was at the door again.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Lee said between gritted teeth. Her eyes began to sting. She sat on the bed and waited for the pain to pass, as she quietly cursed out Steve¡¯s existence. The remorse of his present physical state-courtesy of Ash-was currently insignificant as the pain shot through her shoulder and arm like an electric current.

    After a few painful minutes, she picked the sling up and cradled her arm against her chest. She hesitated at the door. She was feeling a bit nervous seeing Ash after so long.

    To think I once craved for him, then everything was shot to hell. But I do admit I still want to see him.

    Lee wasn¡¯t sure if it was fear or shock that kept her away from him. Was it fear, because of how violent he was capable of being, or how he changed into a silver-eyed, supersonic, hulk? Shock because he was ready to kill someone for assaulting his one nightstand or his transformation?

    It was the silver eyed, supersonic hulk.

    She took a deep breath then opened the door and walked out. They were in the kitchen. Billy had an arm around Ann, Joe stood next to Maria as she busied herself clearing the counter. But Ash was nowhere to be seen; Maria did say he was here.

    Did he leave before I came out of my room? ¡°Hi guys.¡± Lee smiled, feeling a bit uneasy.

    ¡°Hi, Lee, you¡¯re looking good.¡± Joe smiled back at her.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Cool sling.¡± Billy smiled, pointing at the sling in her hand.

    ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s thetest hip and hot design,¡± she joked. They acted like the diner never happened. Like she never saw what they could do. Like everything was as normal as it used to be.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking better today. The purple patches didn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°Ahhm¡­thanks?¡± Lee knew he meant something else by that but she couldn¡¯t ce it. Ann however, was turning red. She couldn¡¯t really be jealous?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry the next time you fall, there won¡¯t be as many bruises as before.¡± His grin widened, but it looked too mischievous, then it faded quickly his eyes darting above her head.

    Ann hit his side with her elbow, then, she moved under his arm and buried her face in his shoulder.

    That¡¯s when it hit Lee, she told him! Lee was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear, if he knew then Joe knew. She was going to kill Ann.

    ¡°Good evening, Lee.¡±

    She jumped, dropping her sling. Ash¡¯s voice came from behind her, he startled her. He stood in the living room with his hands behind his back. He looked awkward, ufortable.

    ¡°Hi.¡± She had forgotten how gorgeous he was. His lips were pressed in a tight smile, he stood up straight, and his shoulders hard and level-like a soldier. He looked like a dreamy character from a ck and white movie. The craving for him was back. She swallowed hard as she forced her eyes away from him.

    As she bent down to pick up her sling, a dizzy spell hit her. ¡°Wow.¡± She raised her hand and held her head, she closed her eyes, but the room was still spinning. She stood up straight and took a step back. Her legs felt wobbly under her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Lee wasn¡¯t sure who asked her that. She took a few deep breaths then opened her eyes. The room had stopped spinning but she was still feeling light on her feet. She hadn¡¯t realized she was in Ash¡¯s arms. He had picked her up when she almost toppled over.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks, you can put me down now.¡±

    ¡°Or not,¡± Ann added.

    ¡°Please put her on the couch. I don¡¯t think we should go out tonight.¡± Maria was worried again, but Lee wasn¡¯t going to ruin their night. Ash put her on the couch then went to pick up her sling.

    ¡°No, go out, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s sure,¡± Ann said dragging Maria away from Lee. She got their coats and headed for the door.

    ¡°Gee, Ann, your concern is touching,¡± Lee added,ughing at the now very irate Maria.

    ¡°As always, sis.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to help you with the sling?¡± Maria continuedpletely ignoring Ann.

    ¡°No, Ash will do it. Won¡¯t you Ash?¡± Ann had put him on the spot.

    ¡°Ah¡­yeah, sure,¡± he managed with a smile.

    ¡°Bye guys. We¡¯ll be back early¡­or not.¡± Ann had her mischievous smile on. Maria however didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°There is food in the oven¡­¡± Maria added before Ann pulled and pushed her out the door.

    ¡°Come on, mother hen! Bye guys.¡±

    The door closed, Ash and Lee were alone. He stood between the kitchen and the living room, looking even more ufortable.

    ¡°You can sit, I don¡¯t bite.¡± Lee meant it to be funny, lighten up the room a little but it only made him stiffer. He didn¡¯t look like the scary hulk anymore. ¡°Ash¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he came and sat next to her on the couch. ¡°Do you want me to put the sling on for you?¡±

    At least he was trying. ¡°Yes please.¡±

    He was gentle, he fitted the sling without her shoulder screaming in pain, and then he put cushions behind her back and helped her settle.

    ¡°Comfy?¡± he¡¯s voice was hard and cold. She nodded her head. He came back around and sat on the couch. The ufortable look was gone. His face was firm. She could tell he was trying to mask his anger.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

 Twenty Six

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did I say something or do something to offend you?¡± How could she have, all she did was say please and thank you, she hadn¡¯t even moved.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not you,¡± he clenched his fists on his side, ¡°when I see you hurt, sick, and in pain, I remember what that animal did to you.¡±

    Her brows propped up. ¡°Animal, are you sure? The only wild person I saw was you.¡±

    Lee¡¯s words made him self-conscious again. He fidgeted, shifting further away from her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­about what you saw, but I¡¯m not going to apologize for Steve!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Just exin to me what happened. Don¡¯t forget the part where your eyes turned silver, and the super speed you guys were moving at, that would put sh Gordon to shame.¡±

    He looked at her, horrified by what she¡¯d said. That¡¯s when she knew she hadn¡¯t imagined it, any of it. His face went cool, and then he looked forward.

    ¡°I lost my temper, just like any man would.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± she prompted him. She wasn¡¯t going to let him shut her out.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I reacted, and there was nothing else to it.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, I know what I saw. Steve dislocated my shoulder, not my brain.¡±

    ¡°Lee, you were passed out.¡±

    ¡°In the car not in the deli,¡± she countered.

    ¡°The mind can make up a lot-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me! How stupid do I look?¡± She cut him off before he fed her more bull.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    He took a deep breath and changed the subject. ¡°You were imaging things. Should I get you something to eat?¡±

    ¡°Get out!¡± She wasn¡¯t going to let him treat her like a child. She just finished with one person who told her, her mind was making up stuff she didn¡¯t need anyone else telling her so.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to leave you alone.¡± He stood up and went to the oven. He was really pissing her off. She stood up in a huff and pointed at the door.

    ¡°I said out, now.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He was cool and collected. He took the te out and uncovered the food. He then opened the drawer and picked a fork. He poured some water into a ss and carried it and the te of food into the living room.

    ¡°The only reason I agreed to see you is because I needed you to tell me the truth.¡± The smell of food hit her hard. She could taste the bile in her mouth. She put her hand over her unsettled stomach.

    Ash was next to her, his face full of concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Please take the food away, now, please.¡±

    He picked up the te and rushed it to the kitchen. She picked the ss of water and drank it, hoping to wash the bile taste out. It didn¡¯t help. It just made things worse.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± She ced her hand over her mouth. She could feel the vomite up. She wasn¡¯t going to make it to the bathroom. Ann would kill her if she puked on her carpet. She rushed to the bathroom but she wasn¡¯t fast enough. Suddenly, she was off her feet and over the toilet in a matter of seconds.

    When she was done she looked up, too tired to move. Ash let go of her hair and picked her up.

    ¡°Wait, I want to brush my teeth.¡± It came out as a whisper. He put her down and held her steady at the sink. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay, I¡¯m fine now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡± His voice was firm but warm.

    ¡°Of course you will,¡± she said under her breath. She wasn¡¯t at all surprised. Ann and Maria had been just as stubborn.

    After she was done, he picked her up again and carried her back to the couch. She was feeling embarrassed. She felt she had to give him an exnation, but he beat her to it.

    ¡°Maria told me about the dizzy spells and nausea. She wanted me to be prepared, just incase. It was either that or she stayed. I don¡¯t think Joe would have forgiven me if she had.¡±

    Typical Maria. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get used to her.¡±

    Lee was feeling weak. She had vomited everything she¡¯d eaten that day. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. It was quiet for a while, she was d he was giving her time to recover.

    She felt a tap on her leg. ¡°Lee, take this.¡±

    She opened her eyes to see what it was. It was a tall ss, with orange brown liquid in it.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a vitamin shake. It will help you get your strength back.¡±

    She shook her head. There was no way she was drinking that. She didn¡¯t want another trip to the bathroom. He took her hand and put the ss in it.

    ¡°I promise, this will stay down.¡± He gave her a smile, a smile that she¡¯d seen once before, at the club when they were bonding.

    She took a sip of the concoction and waited for her stomach to send it back out. Nothing. She drank half and waited. When nothing happened she finished the whole ss. It was tasty and very fruity.

    ¡°I told you so. Do you want another ss?¡± His grin was wider and his face bright. She couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Yes please.¡± He stood up and went to get more.

    Lee downed four more sses before she had enough. He was very kind and patient with her. They talked about the two couples for most of the night, avoiding the diner topic all together. She hadn¡¯t forgotten about it, she just didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood. She¡¯d be patient, she¡¯d wait for him to tell her, or she¡¯d ask him again when he got morefortable around her. She knew that there was something not human about him, and the other two but she didn¡¯t want to scream fire before she got the whole story.

    She could feel her eyelids droop as she was getting sleepy but she fought it, she was having too much fun.

    ¡°Lee, do you want to lie down?¡± He put his palm on the side of her head. She leaned into it, rubbing her cheek in his soft palm.

    She tried to stop it, but the yawn fought its way out. ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± He picked her up and headed for her room. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy, honest.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I just want you to befortable then we¡¯ll continue with our conversation.¡±

    He sat her down on the bed, and then slowly took off the sling. He lifted her andid her against the mountain of pillows she had to support her. The bed rocked under his weight. He held on to her tight then paused when the bed settled.

    ¡°You owe me a bed.¡± Lee spoke in a sleepy voice.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Heughed, remembering what caused the bed to break in the first ce. Then a shadow came over his face, he had remembered something else. ¡°Lee, I¡¯m sorry about the bruises.¡±

    I swear I could kill Billy, and Ann for telling him. ¡°Its fine, they weren¡¯t that bad anyway.¡±

    He felt guilty, one would think he broke her and not just put a couple of bruises on her. She hoped he hadn¡¯t seen the bite mark otherwise he would be sulking even more. She pulled her hair over her shoulder to cover her neck, hoping he wouldn¡¯t read into it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to down y it. Joe told me you fell down a flight of stairs, and you were hurt pretty badly. But when I heard Steve at the diner, the disgust in his voice, I knew it was far worse. I can¡¯t image the pain you were in. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He closed his eyes tight, he seemed repulsed by himself. She reached up and touched his cheek.

    ¡°Stop beating yourself up. Look at me, I¡¯m fine, and so you know, the girls were pretty jealous.¡±

    ¡°Jealous of the hideous marks on your body, or the pain you were in. Now who¡¯s patronizing who?¡±

 Twenty Seven

    She turned his head to face her, but he kept his eyes down. ¡°They were jealous of the beautiful magical hours of long lovemaking I had with you.¡±

    He raised his eyes and looked at her. ¡°You are going to insist on sugar coating it, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She huffed loudly. ¡°You know, you¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± She dropped her hand. ¡°And another thing, what did you mean by ¡®heard Steve¡¯, you weren¡¯t in the diner?¡±

    He cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, I was, you just didn¡¯t see me.¡± His eyebrows creased, he bit the inside of his lower lip, nced to his right and then stared back at Lee.

    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t. My line of vision was only blocked when Steve jumped me, and thirty secondster you appeared.¡± Lee watched him carefully, she was sure that was a telltale sign of him lying.

    ¡°How about we agree to disagree, just for tonight? We can continue this argument tomorrow. You need to sleep.¡±

    ¡°In other words, you are not going to tell me the truth anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head slightly his lips curved in a crooked smile.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°You are really starting to irritate me.¡± Lee gave up, but she was going to find out the truth one way or the other. She slid into bed and gotfortable on the pillows. He covered her up then stood and sat on the chair next to her bed.

    Lee watched for a while as he sat there gazing at her, his eyes warm-if she dare say-loving. She understood himing to apologize but what she didn¡¯t get was why he was still here. He¡¯d made it very clear he didn¡¯t want anything to do with her.

    ¡°Ash, why are you still here?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He leaned on the bed, careful not to put too much weight on it.

    ¡°You made it very clear you didn¡¯t want anything to do with me. I just don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re still here.¡±

    ¡°I only said that because I felt embarrassed and guilty.¡± He lowered his gaze, his lips pressed in a hard line.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I took advantage of you.¡±

    Lee chuckled. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing funny about me taking advantage of an under-aged drunk girl.¡± He sounded pissed.

    ¡°I was fully aware of what I was doing, Ash, there is nothing to feel guilty or embarrassed about. And I¡¯m not under aged, I¡¯m eighteen, remember?¡±

    ¡°You were only a few hours into the age. It was still very wrong of me.¡±

    Ash was hell bent on taking on all the me. It was better not to argue with him; it was just another thing they¡¯d agree to disagree on.

    ¡°So the diamond pendant on a tinum chain was more than a birthday present?¡± Lee couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    ¡°Yes.¡± His lips rxed in a sheepish smile. ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a diamond pendant.

    Lee wanted to sob. He got me another one!

    ¡°You dropped this in the diner.¡±

    She sighed in relief. She had forgotten all about it. ¡°Thanks. Put it in the drawer.¡±

    He moved closer. ¡°It will be much safer around your neck.¡± He lifted her head gently then reached behind her neck and sped it. She felt as if its mary value was choking her.

    She reached for the sp but he held her hand. ¡°I know expensive is not your taste but it¡¯s mine. You can take it off in the morning, but for now it stays where it is.¡±

    That was an order, not a request. Her rebellious side wanted to challenge but instead she nodded. She didn¡¯t want to offend him but first thing in the morning it was going into her shoebox.

    ¡°Then I need to get you something.¡± Her eyes were slowly shutting.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I lied to you and you had more to drink than I did, so you were the drunken one.¡±

    ¡°You could barely walk straight!¡± The spark in his face was back as he smiled.

    ¡°I was fully sober before you kissed me. The staggering was a remnant of the kiss-way more intoxicating than the beer.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll try to kiss you in low dosages from now on.¡±

    Her eyes flipped opened. She felt like her heart jumped to her throat. There was going to be a next time! ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± She spoke slowly trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

    Ash saw how happy the possibility of him kissing her again made her. That¡¯s all he wanted for her from now on, for her to be happy. He would make sure of it. It was his new mission in his never-ending existence.

    ¡°You said you owed me, so does that mean I may have anything I want?¡± Ash asked moving closer to her, taking in her sweet scent. For a meal, her distinct scent was appetizing and as a lover it made her even more enticing and arousing.

    ¡°Anything.¡± She yawned, sleep was taking her. Ash traced his fingers over the side of her face, it was too hard for him to resist touching her. She looked so very gentle and fragile when her lips parted slightly as she yawned and her eyes fluttered shut sleepily.

    He kissed her forehead, then her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll call it even if you go to sleep now.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count,¡± she whispered.

    Hisugh was warm. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll collect on my debt tomorrow, when you¡¯re rested and fully awake.¡± He kissed her forehead and settled into the chair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sit there, getfortable. It will be hours before they get back, if theye back.¡±

    He hesitated. His brow frowned. Lee smiled; he looked so cute when he was worried. ¡°I might hurt you. I¡¯d rather sit here and watch you sleep.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t, if it will make you feel better, you can be my support. These pillows will hurt me any way.¡±

    He hesitated but stood and climbed into bed. He moved behind her and carefully removed the pillows except for one. He ced it on himself before he ced her shoulder on it. He put his arm under her head and then carefully pulled her in an embrace and cradled her. It was the mostfortable she¡¯d been in weeks. She intertwined her fingers with his, and fit neatly into the arc he had formed behind her. It didn¡¯t take long before she drifted away.

 Twenty Eight

    ¡°Ouch!¡± The pinch in her shoulder woke her. She had rolled on it, again. Herfy human pillow had left, and was reced by the feather filled sacks. This was bing a habit. The growl in her stomach was a perfect motivation to leave her room. The bed squawked, rocking slightly as her moved to the edge. She smiled-the bed should be andmark. Ash¡¯s hypnotic grin fromst night popped in her head. She was sure the bed would get at least two votes.

    Immediately feeling the weight of the pendant, she took it off and put it in the shoe box for safe keeping then she headed to the kitchen to get something to eat, she was really hungry. Maria was on the table, her head hiding behind a gigantic anatomy textbook. She wanted to be a pediatrician. She wasn¡¯t so sure though, she is so soft and sensitive; Lee didn¡¯t think she could stomach it, but that never stopped her from supporting Maria. She was her sister, that¡¯s what they did.

    ¡°Morning, Doc.¡±

    Maria¡¯s head shot up. Her signature smile was already dancing on her face. ¡°You¡¯re up. How you feeling? You want me to get you something to eat? Where¡¯s your sling?¡± She had a habit of asking a million questions at once. Ann and Lee found it convenient, they answered the questions they wanted, and ignored the rest. Lee stopped her before she stood up.

    ¡°No, I can manage. I don¡¯t know where Ash put it.¡± Lee lied, she was sick of the thing. She would rather cradle her arm than wear it. She hurried to the counter behind Maria; she¡¯d cooked, thank God. ¡°Where is Ann?¡± Lee took a te out and helped herself to the sweet scented Italian pasta. Lee cleared some of her books on the table before she took a seat.

    ¡°She spent the night at Billy¡¯s. She was supposed to be back by eleven, but she decided to go see her professor. She should be back by two.¡± She raised her arm up and looked at her wristwatch. ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve been out for fourteen hours! And now you¡¯re eating like a hog, are you sure you¡¯re going to finish that?¡±

    Lee looked down at her te, it was pretty full, but she was hungry. She shrugged her shoulder and kept at it. She looked up, ¡°Fourteen, how do you know that? And aren¡¯t you supposed to be in school? Ann¡¯s the truant, not you.¡± She took another fork full of pasta.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have sses today.¡± Maria stood up and got herself a cup of coffee then sat back down. ¡°It¡¯s one thirty and Ash left at twelve. He wanted to wait till you woke up but he had to go, errands to run, he¡¯ll be back in the evening. But I could imagine how sour he must have been. He was your pillow from ten, when you nodded off. Talk about dedication!¡±

    Her eyes widened, they almost popped out. ¡°He loves you!¡± She was jumping up and down on her chair with her hands pping on the sides of her head like wings.

    ¡°Are you trying to imitate cupid? Settle down, I¡¯m trying to eat here please.¡± Lee wanted to sound unmoved but failed miserably. She was d he hadn¡¯t run away again, she was even happier since he wasing back.

    He spent the whole night and half the day with me, maybe he does love me. She smiled at the thought.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    The doorbell rang. Lee stood up but Maria pulled her back down. ¡°Keep eating. I¡¯ll get it.¡± She walked to the door and opened it. It was a delivery guy.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m¡­¡± He stopped when he looked up from his clipboard and saw Maria. Her hair was held up in a ponytail. She was in a tight vest and loose nnel shorts. His dull face brightened, and his customer service grin was reced with a sincere one, he leaned against the door, and lowered his voice. ¡°Hey there beautiful, how about you and I try out these beds, I could help you pick out the best, the one with the best stamina.¡±

    Lee stifled augh, the gall of this guy! He had his eyes all over Maria. He looked like he was already undressing her with his eyes.

    She had her patient voice on, ¡°Do you think your boss would like to join us?¡± His smug look disappeared immediately and he stood upright so fast he almost tripped on his feet. Lee couldn¡¯t help butugh. Maria nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. What beds are you talking about?¡±

    He cleared his throat before he talked again, he was intimidated by a girl half his size, the sight was priceless! ¡°Mr. Ashat Rivers said to deliver a couple of beds. He said Miss Lee was to pick the one she wants.¡± He held out a two-page catalogue for Maria, she looked confused, as confused as Lee was. She stood up and walked to the door. She looked through the catalogue that Maria was now holding open. There was a selection of ten beds in it.

    ¡°Why do you need a new bed?¡± Maria asked her without looking up from the catalogue.

    ¡°We broke mine,¡± she answered her, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°The two of you can¡¯t be that heavy, and he didn¡¯t say anything about it this morning.¡± Maria turned over the catalogue.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t breakst night,¡± Lee whispered to her, but it was useless since the delivery guy was so close to them.

    ¡°Butst night was the first time he slept¡­¡± She looked up when it finally dawned on her. ¡°Oh. I hadn¡¯t¡­you broke the bed!¡± She giggled.

    The delivery guy¡¯s face lit up, he understood too. ¡°Awesome!¡±

    Lee felt so ufortable. ¡°Thanks, Maria.¡± Her giggles got even louder.

    Lee looked up at him, ignoring the naughty face he had on now. ¡°You brought all ten here.¡± He nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t want a new bed, I like mine,¡± she handed him the catalogue.

 Twenty Nine

    ¡°Of course you do.¡± His expression changed immediately Maria shed him her mean face. ¡°But uh, we can¡¯t take them back. They¡¯re all already paid for.¡± Lee was shocked, what was she going to do with ten beds?

    ¡°But I was only going to pick one! What was to happen to the other nine?¡± she said taking the catalogue back from him.

    He shrugged, ¡°Your sisters were to pick one each if they wanted, and then you were to decide what was to happen to the rest.¡±

    It was getting more unbelievable by the second. Maria snatched the catalogue from Lee¡¯s hand, she was excited, and she really wanted a new bed.

    Just then Ann appeared at the door with her signature attitude. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± She yelled at the delivery guy and pushed him out of the way.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he called back at her as he tried to get back his bnce.

    ¡°What!¡± she turned and shouted back at him. She was furious and turning red, confronting her when she was like that was never a good idea.

    Lee turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but can we do this at another time? I¡¯ll call you,¡± she shut the door before he could say anything else then joined Maria next to the couch. They stayed quiet and waited, it was better for her to rant and rave without asking her any questions or interrupting her.

    ¡°That ass hole! Why did I even get involved with him in the first ce!¡± She was pacing, the ass hole she was referring to was without a shadow of a doubt Billy. Their fights were bing a weekly event. ¡°Last night he took me to his apartment and¡­we had fun, but that¡¯s not the point! Then this morning he said he needed to be somewhere, so, he dropped me off at school before he went to do what he went to do. After I saw the professor, I went back to his apartment because I¡¯d forgotten my house keys. I knocked on the door, expecting the love of my life to open, looking like his godly self.¡±

    Maria and Lee looked at each other, ¡®love of her life¡¯ they didn¡¯t think she had heard herself, otherwise she would have stopped talking.

    ¡°¡­and this geeky, pimple faced kid opens the door. I thought, maybe he¡¯s his cousin because he has no brothers, when I asked him if Billy was in, do you know what he told me!¡± she stopped pacing and faced them. Her voice was higher now, angrier her face redder, they¡¯d reached the climax of the story. ¡°That little alien told me that the tall brte guy had paid him to use his apartment for one night! He paid for a room to screw me in. Can you believe it?¡±

    Her face changed, she wasn¡¯t in a rage anymore, and she looked miserable, heartbroken. She walked round the couch and sunk in it, covering her face with her hands. Maria and Lee moved to the couch and sat next to her. She raised her head, her cheeks were wet and her eyes were full of bncing tears. They were both shocked by this; they¡¯d never seen her cry before, ever. She really did love him! She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

    Maria pulled her close and held her. All Lee could do was rub her back. This was both sad, and a miracle. Ann had finally let down her guard, to the point she was crying, but the sad thing was, she¡¯d been hurt by the first guy she¡¯d liked, loved.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, honey.¡± Maria¡¯s voice was soothing.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got your heart broken,¡± Lee said, seeing Ann like that was unsettling. She was no longer this fierce lion. She looked delicate, soft like a rose petal.

    ¡°I love him,¡± she said it like it was a matter of fact.

    ¡°We know we heard you the first time,¡± Maria said.

    ¡°I¡¯m so pathetic!¡± She sobbed even louder.

    ¡°No you¡¯re not. As much as you are hurting, I¡¯m d you let your guard down. Seeing you cry maybe unsettling but it¡¯s a relief.¡± She looked at Lee in disbelief.

    ¡°You¡¯re happy I got my heart broken!¡± Her sobs stopped and her voice was raised, the anger was back.

    Lee kept rubbing her back, not letting her threatening voice scare her. ¡°No. I¡¯m happy you¡¯re in love, finally, but I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re in pain¡±, the anger flushed out as fast as it hade, she fell back on Maria¡¯s shoulder and started sobbing again.

    Maria reached for the catalogue that she had thrown on the table. ¡°Here, pick a bed, which ever you like, courtesy of Mr. Ashat Rivers.¡±

    Ann looked at Lee inquisitively. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Ash,¡± she answered her.

    ¡°Beds? Why would he buy you a bed?¡±

    Before Lee could answer her question, Maria continued, ¡°The bruises weren¡¯t the only things he left her with.¡± Her lips curved up in a mischievous smile.

    Ann broke into a heavyughter. ¡°You guys broke your bed! So he hides behind that earthshaking smile of his. He¡¯s a stallion! You are lucky he didn¡¯t break you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m the source of your amusement.¡± Lee smiled, happy that the mood had lightened, but still embarrassed by the topic of conversation.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Maria took the catalogue out of Ann¡¯s hand and opened it wide, ¡°he bought her all ten of these beds!¡±

    Ann leaped onto her knees on the couch; she grabbed the catalogue back and held it close to her face. ¡°They look expensive! Look at the curve work! I¡¯m sooo having one of these!¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Maria chimed in. ¡°What are you going to do with the rest?¡±

    Lee carefully pulled her arm a little higher over her chest, resting her fingers on her good shoulder. ¡°If Ash will let me I¡¯ll give the others to charity. But I like my bed.¡±

    Ann¡¯s face got serious. ¡°Does it mean we don¡¯t get the beds?¡±

    Leeughed, one would think she was stealing the bed from her. ¡°No, you can each have one.¡±

    Ann smiled and went back to the catalogue. ¡°I¡¯m soo loving Ash right now!¡± She squealed in delight and Maria joined in.

    Then out of nowhere she added, ¡°Ashat Rivers, strange name for a hot guy.¡±

    Lee had no idea why but they startedughing. She was d the beds managed to distract Ann.

 Thirty

    ¡°Billy, what did you do?¡± Joe walked in to the AA room, his phone close to his ear and his face scrunched up. Billy was on the couch with Ash, drinking beer, eating chips and watching football, the usual.

    ¡°What?¡± his eyes still on the screen.

    Ash turned and looked at Joe. Joe held the phone out in their direction. Billy turned down the volume on the TV, and then turned his ear to the phone¡¯s direction. Ash startedughing. Joe covered the mouthpiece. Maria was on the line, she was giving Joe an ear full for what Billy had done to Ann. Billy looked distressed now, he didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this,¡± Joe said with venom as he walked out the room, recing the phone on his ear.

    Ash turned to Billy after Joe left. ¡°Billy how could you! You rented a stranger¡¯s apartment for one night,¡± the humor was gone from his voice.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to bring her here! You and Lee had their apartment, and Joe and Maria were going there too, what else was I to do?¡± His voice was raised defensively.

    Ash knew he had a point. It wouldn¡¯t be smart to have them in the same house as Sabrina and Dave.

    ¡°We need to find an apartment, preferably one close to theirs.¡±

    Billy was smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll get on it. In the meantime, I¡¯ll call Ann and exin.¡± He picked up his phone, and then stopped himself before he dialed. ¡°Maybe I should wait for her to cool down.¡± His face was somber with a hint of fear.

    Ashughed at his expression, he took the remote and turned the volume up. ¡°Clever wolf.¡±

    ****N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Lee opened the door for him. ¡°Hi, Ash.¡±

    He had his earthshaking smile on that made her stomach tter. She smiled at him, d that he hade back, she wasn¡¯t so sure he would at first but he was here.

    ¡°Hi, Lee, how are you feeling today?¡± He walked in closing the door behind him. He took his ck leather jacket off and put it on the couch.

    ¡°Good, much better than yesterday.¡± Well, she was better now. She didn¡¯t see it necessary to tell him everything when it came to her being sick. She thought it unattractive.

    ¡°The nausea, fainting spells, are they gone?¡± Ash kept probing, moving closer to her.

    ¡°I still get a bit lightheaded, but no fainting, no nausea.¡± Right now with him so close she was getting lightheaded. She took a small step back to give herself some breathing room.

    ¡°Tell the truth, Lee,¡± Maria shouted from the kitchen.

    Ash looked at Lee his expression nk. She rolled her eyes. Maria was annoying.

    ¡°I got sick once today. I ate too much,¡± she exined, trying to make light of it. Her sisters had put enough attention on her getting sick. The only thing she wanted him to concentrate on was her and the low doses of kisses he promised.

    ¡°Is that the truth?¡± he asked with a slight smile on his face.

    ¡°I thought I was a bad liar?¡±

    He nodded, his lips curved in a smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. Did you like my gifts?¡±

    ¡°Yes all ten of them. Maria and Ann loved two out of the ten the most.¡± She felt awkward and so not attractive in her pajama pants and vest, but it was easier to dress like this with her arm.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best Ash!¡± Maria and Ann called out from the kitchen table in a chorus.

    His grin widened, Lee sucked in a breath he was stunning. He called back to them, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    ¡°Ash, could we agree on something?¡± Lee spoke softly. She wanted to put her request in the best way possible without offending him.

    ¡°Anything you want.¡± His smiling eyes were on her.

    ¡°Those are very dangerous words to say to a girl.¡± Lee felt her throat go dry. She was really going to have to learn not to look like aplete idiot when he was around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances.¡± He smiled.

    She looked away. She was capable of taking the loving gaze, but when the earthshaking smile was also present, sanity became a foreign term to her. She found it difficult to remember what she wanted to say.

    ¡°Could we please keep the gifts simple? I appreciate the diamond and the beds, but big and shy just isn¡¯t my thing.¡±

    He ced his fingers under her chin and shifted her head so that she looked directly at him. ¡°I¡¯ll try, if you answer me this?¡± He smiled amused by her baffled stare.

    ¡°What?¡± The word barely made it out of her mouth.

    ¡°Why do you keep looking away and get fidgety when I¡¯m close to you?¡± He traced her chin with his thumb.

    He felt a stir inside him when she shuddered at his touch. He really already knew the answer to his question. Most women he had met over the years had the same reaction, but she¡¯s the only one he wanted to hear say it.

    ¡°Do you really have to ask?¡± Ann shouted from the kitchen.

    ¡°My mind nks out, and I get very confused when you look at me like that.¡± Lee¡¯s eyes were fixed on his.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t healthy.¡± He spoke softly, leaning closer to her face, locking her even deeper in his gaze.

    Lee felt lightheaded, drugged, and high on some dangerous narcotic. He was doing something to her, something she¡¯d never felt before. He was right, it wasn¡¯t healthy, and he was bad for her health, physically and mentally. Emotionally, she would drink him for the rest of her life.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to faint if you don¡¯t stop that.¡±

    He leaned away, dropping his hand from her chin. His eyes were still on her full of desire. He was thinking twice about restraining himself. He then shifted his gaze to her arm, which was unsupported over her chest.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your sling?¡±

    ¡°She said you had it,¡± Maria called out again.

    Lee closed her eyes. She wasn¡¯t going to win this. She should have thrown it out when she had the chance. She pointed in the direction of her room, and then looked up at him. He looked amused.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to stop taking your meds, you need to keep the sling on.¡± He moved closer to her and kissed her forehead, then went to her room. The kiss was so casual like something they always did. Her heart was racing; she walked to the kitchen and took a seat.

    ¡°Why Merilee Jackson, you look shed!¡± Ann was very amused by Lee¡¯s breathlessness.

    Ash came into the kitchen with her sling in hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I interrupt your study session?¡± He pointed at the open books on the table before he gently took her elbow and raised her to her feet.

 Thirty One

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, it was time for a break any way.¡± She moved closer to him, turning so that he could have her injured arm.

    ¡°Yeah, a break.¡± Ann rested her head on the open book and closed her eyes; Maria leaned back in her seat, one hand supporting her head, the other covering her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for summer.¡±

    Lee turned to look at him as he gently secured her arm in the sling. He looked glum, like something was wrong, ¡°We have finals in two weeks,¡± she offered, searching his face, for another clue.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± His face was still down, his expression unchanged.

    When he was done, she pushed him a few feet back. She wanted to find out what had changed his mood so suddenly. ¡°Ash, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Where is your new bed?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take one.¡± She found it strange that the bed had gotten him into the foul mood he was in.

    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you like the designs? They were all custom made, and the mattresses are orthopedic.¡±

    She was shocked. ¡°You bought me ten very expensive beds, have you lost your¡­¡± She stopped and took a slow breath. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is I love my bed, it has sentimental value to me,¡± she spoke softer, hoping he would understand and save her from exining. She moved closer, leaving very little space between them. She ced her hand on his chest and yed with the buttons on his shirt. But he looked at her confused.

    ¡°Why?¡± He raised his eyebrow. He wasn¡¯t even trying to understand her. Was she that bad at giving hints? She¡¯s never had the need to act sexy, but now with Ash she felt the need to learn how and be moredy like. She kept her eyes locked on his and waited, his other brow rose, then he smiled. ¡°Oh, I understand youpletely. But get a new one, we can break that bed too if you wish.¡±

    ¡°I was joking about you owing me a bed but-¡±

    He cut her off before she could finish. His smile had disappeared. He was cool and reserved.

    ¡°Steve slept and¡­in that bed,¡± he said it with such distaste it sounded like a crime.

    ¡°This is about Steve!¡± She dropped her hand and took a big step back.

    ¡°Yes, I mean no and yes.¡±

    This was getting even more confusing and she was getting more impatient. ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t understand you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about another man sharing that bed with you. A bed that I intend on spending as much time as possible in, a bed that I will be the only one whose made love to you in, a bed that only has your and my scent in.¡±

    He caught her off guard, again. She understood him. He wanted it to be their bed, not just her bed. She nodded, but then she wasn¡¯t sure if he would like the next part.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one problem, I¡­promise you won¡¯t get mad?¡±

    He moved closer and grazed his fingers over her cheek. ¡°I could never be angry with you.¡±

    Her breath caught in her throat. His touch had left a tingle on her cheek. She swallowed hard and searched for her voice. ¡°I gave the others away to the orphanage we grew up in. I didn¡¯t know they were so expensive!¡±

    His smile was back again. ¡°My precious, Lee, your heart¡¯s as beautiful as the morning sun. We¡¯ll get a new one. But they¡¯ll get more out of them if they sold them and bought more practical beds.¡±

    Lee just stared at him. She couldn¡¯t do more than nod. He was making it very hard to breathe, she was sure if she was to pass out this time, it would be his fault.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fix your present bed before I give it away.¡± He had his arms around her, tracing small circles on her back with his fingers, his other hand rubbing the small of her back. She could feel currents rush through her, her heart was racing and she was getting weak. She held his arm for support.

    ¡°Just throw it away or better yet, burn it, save the poor children from Steve¡¯s stench. I¡¯m even shocked you didn¡¯t get sick, Lee had been around it for so long, she¡¯d grown immune!¡± Ann shouted. They had been paying attention to their conversation.

    ¡°Ann! Will you shut it! They don¡¯t need reminding that the leech was in her bed,¡± Maria scolded her.

    ¡°Oops! Sorry!¡± Ann called out apologetic, but the damage was done.

    Ash had stiffened, he dropped his hands and stashed them in his pockets and then took a step back. The image of Lee and Steve filled his mind sparking a rage inside him.

    ¡°She has a point, I really didn¡¯t need reminding,¡± he whispered, his head hanging low.

    Lee wasn¡¯t sure if she was to apologize or be insulted. But as she thought about it, she didn¡¯t have anything to apologize for.

    ¡°I think you knew I wasn¡¯t innocent the minute I pulled you into my bed, just like I knew you weren¡¯t, judging by how you made love to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, but it¡¯s different.¡± He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not going to give me, ¡®you¡¯re a woman and I¡¯m a man¡¯ bullshit.¡± Lee¡¯s voice had a warning in it.

    He gave her a weak smile but his voice was still hard. ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop me from wishing I was the only one who¡¯s touched you, not you¡¯re second, let alone to Steve.¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Lee asked surprised. She was about to turn on Ann again for her big mouth when the side of Ash¡¯s lips rose in half a smile.

    ¡°You get very chatty when you¡¯re drunk.¡±

    She covered her face with her hand. It was so embarrassing. It was even worse when she heard the girlsugh behind her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s decided, I¡¯m never drinking again.¡±

    He must have realized how humiliated she was, because he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. She hid her face in his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s the only way I¡¯m capable of getting information about you.¡±

    He, too, wasughing. He didn¡¯t need her drunk to get details, he had his own way, but she didn¡¯t need to know that. He found it very weird how difficult it was to pick her brain when she was sad, but when she was happy it was like watching a clear film.

    Lee groaned. ¡°Funny. I¡¯m d you¡¯re finding this hrious.¡±

    He lifted her chin and brushed his lips over hers, and then he put his face in the nape of her neck and breathed in deeply. Her scent tickled both his hunger and his lust.

    ¡°I want to take your scent with me.¡± He pulled back, and kissed her passionately on her lips.

    There was a whirl in her body. The pleasure was intoxicating. He hadn¡¯t kissed her like that in weeks. She could feel her legs give. He moved his hand around her waist, while the other left a trail of tingles from her neck to the top of the side of her head, his fingers ran that course up and down repeatedly, leaving a more dangerous sensation each time.

    She buried her fingers in his hair, holding his head in ce. The longing for him was building up inside her. His grip around her waist tightened, his other hand was now cradling her head. She pressed herself against him.

    She wanted to continue this in her room, preferably in a vertical position.

    He pulled away, his eyes still closed. He was trying to control his breathing. She buried her head in his neck, taking in his lovely masculine scent.

    ¡°I think we should stop before I lose control.¡± Before she could argue he continued, ¡°You are still hurt, and your sisters are watching,¡± he added, looking over her head.

    She turned and they ducked. He turned her head to look at him. ¡°And I¡¯ve taken you away from your studies long enough.¡± He turned her whole body around and walked her into the kitchen. He pulled a chair out for her and lowered her into it.

    ¡°Ann, Billy says to tell you that he is very sorry. He only did that because it was inconvenient in our home. However, we are going to rent an apartment close by to prevent any future fights, at least when ites to the home situation. Please forgive him, for Joe¡¯s and my sake, we can¡¯t take any more of his sulking.¡±

    They too had grown ustomed to their constant fights. He had his earthshaking smile on, Ann wouldn¡¯t be able to say no to that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him, and thanks again for everything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Maria, Ann, I bid you goodnight. Lee¡­¡± He kissed the top of her head, his voice silky, ¡°Sleep well, and dream of me.¡± He turned and headed for the door. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let myself out.¡±

    Lee stared after him until the door shut behind him. She was in a daze; she couldn¡¯t believe all the emotions that were stirring inside her, something she¡¯d never felt before. There and then she realized Ann wasn¡¯t the only one in love.

    ¡°Maria, I¡¯m sleeping in your room tonight. How soon can we get someone to throw that bed out?¡±

 Thirty Two

    Billy was waiting for Ash at the door. When he arrived, Billy grabbed him in a bear hug. ¡°Thanks Ash, what did you say to her!¡±

    ¡°She called? That¡¯s good. I told her it was inconvenient for us to bring them here, and that we would be getting an apartment close to them.¡± Ash walked into the AA room and sat next to Joe on the leather seat.

    ¡°I already found one. I started looking the minute you left. I¡¯m going to check it out tomorrow!¡± Billy sat down next to him and picked up his beer. He felt more rxed now that his fight with Ann was defused.

    ¡°How¡¯s Lee?¡± Joe asked before he filled his mouth with a hand full of popcorn, his eyes glued to the game on TV.

    Ash smiled, warmth spread through him at the mention of her name. He loved everything about her and how happy she made him feel. He saw her as a gift; a blessing the spirits had given him to fill the empty space in his heart. In such a short time he¡¯d fallen in love with her, and he wanted to be with her every single second of the day. But he couldn¡¯t do that, not just yet. ¡°She¡¯s fine, more beautiful each day.¡±

    ¡°Are body swaps possible because this doesn¡¯t seem like the same brooding bad tempered rigid wolf I knew a few weeks ago?¡± Joe said stuffing more popcorn in his mouth.

    ¡°He¡¯s having hot steamy sex now, that¡¯s bound to change a man,¡± Billy said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only made love once and it¡¯s not about that¡­she¡¯s¡­it¡¯s just¡­¡± Ash¡¯s smile grew wider. He didn¡¯t have the words to describe exactly how much she meant to him.

    ¡°She¡¯s the wind beneath your wings,¡± Billy teased.

    ¡°The air you breathe,¡± Joe added.

    ¡°The light at the end of your tunnel.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®e¡¯ in ¡®me¡¯.¡±

    Billy stared at Joe with a baffled look on his face. ¡°The ¡®e¡¯ in ¡®me¡¯? Where the hell did you get that from?¡±

    Before Joe could say anything Dave crashed into the room. Automatically, they were on their feet, ready to attack, with growls bellowing deep inside them. When they saw it was Dave they rxed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Billy yelled at him. Dave sauntered to Ash,pletely ignoring Billy. His jaw was tight and his eyes were silver, his fists were clenched and it was evident he was making an effort to control himself. He was furious.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing with my daughter?¡± Everyone froze. They all had their eyes on Dave.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ash asked him, cold, angered by his approach.

    ¡°The girl you were just with, Merilee Jackson, or better known to her friends as Lee.¡±

    Ash paled as he made the connection. He now understood why her scent and her sad eyes were so familiar to him. The scared little girl he once held in his arms and soothed was the same grown girl he was so very much in love with. He felt weak. He rocked back on his feet dizzy.

    Dave continued, harsher than he was before. ¡°She is my only surviving family. The one Sabrina abandoned at the hospital, the same one who escaped the ughter in my house, the only Jackson who survived your stupid vendetta. The only one you have yet to kill.¡±

    Ash sank in the seat. He was struggling to breathe. Dave¡¯s words had knocked the wind out of him.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t kill your family, Baku did!¡± Billy was fuming. He reached for Dave and turned him around to face him.

    ¡°It¡¯s him Baku wanted to hurt! And my family died for it!¡± Dave yelled back.

    ¡°No, your family was killed for what you witnessed.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault you picked a fight in a public ce!¡±

    ¡°Neither is it his, we tried to protect you! You should have stayed where Joe ced you, instead you ran to your family, in full view, for everyone to see!¡±

    ¡°I took them away didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°But you came back! That also isn¡¯t his fault, it¡¯s yours!¡± They were close to fighting. Billy¡¯s eyes were silver now, his lips drawn back over his teeth.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Ash shouted. He was still pale, but he was tired of the fights, the guilt, the anger and the constant despair. He just wanted to live his life, with Lee. He was tired of Baku ruining his life, even when he wasn¡¯t close by. He wasn¡¯t going to let anyone destroy his new joy, not Baku, nor Dave

    ¡°It isn¡¯t Dave¡¯s fault it¡¯s mine for failing to prevent it. You and your family were victims of circumstance. I, on the other hand, I¡¯m his target for revenge, for constant amusement and torture. We tried to help you, but we couldn¡¯t and for that I¡¯m sorry. I will find Baku, and kill him once and for all.¡±

    ¡°I want you to stop seeing my daughter!¡± Davepletely ignored what Ash said, he didn¡¯t care about that, he only wanted Ash miles away from his daughter.

    Ash looked at him. He took this time to go through Dave¡¯s thoughts to finally find out what he had been up to, since he was too upied with being angry to block his thoughts.

    He saw Lee grow up in Dave¡¯s mind. It was like aparison between the little girl before the murder and the growing girl after. He saw her change from a happy talkative little girl to a quiet closed off child who kept everyone away. He saw her sit in a corner alone watching other children y happily then she would curl up and start crying for her brother and sister. He saw the pain he knew years ago she would suffer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do that.¡± Ash kept his voice cool and clear. He had to make it up to her, to try and bring back the spark in her eye she had before his kind robbed her of it.

    Dave looked shocked. He was even more infuriated. ¡°What do mean you can¡¯t! It¡¯s not a request, it¡¯s a demand!¡±

    ¡°For me that¡¯s not an option. Now that I have her, I can¡¯t live without her. That would be close to impossible, no, it is impossible.¡±

    Dave lunged forward, as if to attack, but his better judgment stopped him. Ash didn¡¯t move. He may seem cool and collected, but if he had to, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him. Dave rxed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. ¡°She is all I have.¡±

    ¡°That, we share inmon. The other thing we share is the need to keep her safe. I won¡¯t let any harme to her. You have my word.¡±

    ¡°I can protect her myself!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for your permission, I was informing you. I would go to her now if I didn¡¯t know you wanted to.¡± The room went quiet.

    Dave and Ash hade to a silent understanding. Dave may not want him for his daughter, but he could do very little to change that fact. To Merilee, he was dead, and Ash was alive and the man she chose to love. And Ash was his Alpha. Dave had no choice but to obey.

    Sabrina came crashing into the room. The men turned and looked at her, not amused by her interruption. She had been eavesdropping on them, again.

    ¡°You can¡¯t let him keep seeing her! You are her father, forbid him!¡± She grabbed Dave¡¯s jacket and shook him as she spoke, her eyes wide with desperation. Dave pulled her hands off him and straightened out his jacket.

    ¡°Sabrina, this doesn¡¯t concern you. And I can¡¯t forbid him. His mind is set. And he is the alpha of our pack. Merilee loves him, and I can¡¯t cause her anymore pain.¡±

    ¡°This does concern me. Ash is mine! Your daughter is his mistress, she will never be anything more, and for the rest of her miserable human life, she will be just that!¡±

    Ash¡¯s voice was cold, a deep growl bellowed in his chest. ¡°Tread carefully, woman, I won¡¯t think twice about killing you,¡± he said between clenched teeth.

    Sabrina turned to him, her expression threatening, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone take you away from me! You are mine! I¡¯ll make sure you stay mine! I should have killed her when you gave her to me!¡±

    Dave reacted before Ash could. The silver in his eyes seemed to deepen, his arms spread at his sides with his fingers wide and curled at the tips, and his teeth were out and ready to tear into her if she provoked it. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women, but for you I¡¯m willing to make the exception! If I so much as catch your scent within ten miles of her, I will kill you! Just a scent, Sabrina! Remember that!¡± The chill in his voice made Sabrina step back.

    ¡°If he hesitates, I won¡¯t, I¡¯ll rip you limb from limb. I won¡¯t even think twice about it.¡± The acid in Ash¡¯s voice burned her. She backed out of the room slowly, knowing very well she¡¯d been defeated, at least for now.

    Dave turned and looked at Ash. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to watch her round the clock, from Sabrina and Baku. I¡¯ll go now. We¡¯ll make further arrangements tomorrow.¡±

    He added as he walked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t kill her when she turned. You knew beforehand she was annoying. I can¡¯t imagine suffering her for over half a century. It¡¯s only been thirteen years and I¡¯ve wanted to rip that tongue out every minute she speaks.¡± He left the room and the sound of the huge double doors denoted he was on his way to Lee¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°See, even he agrees with me!¡± Billy said victoriously. He and Dave never saw eye to eye on anything, but when it came to Sabrina they understood each other perfectly.

    ¡°This is so weird,¡± Joe said, he had been quiet for so long, they¡¯d forgotten he was still in the room.

    ¡°What is?¡± Ash asked him.

    ¡°You are living with your girlfriend¡¯s dad, having your every move with his daughter scrutinized. Did you know he¡¯s been watching you with his daughter, us with Ann and Maria? We definitely need a new crib!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Thirty Three

    Lee¡¯s new sleeping habit had disrupted her whole day¡¯s schedule, and to make things worse, she still spent her mornings with her head over the toilet. For some reason, she still slept half the day away, and with only a week left, she had to spend every waking minute studying, leaving no time for a social life or work. Ann thought the meds were still in her system; Maria however wanted her to go to the hospital for a checkup, which she took every opportunity to avoid. Ash tried to make her go but she always stopped him with questions about the diner.

    ¡°Lee, please go to the hospital and get checked out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go if you tell me about the diner.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t go.¡±

    That always made him guilty, he felt responsible for Lee¡¯s stubbornness and therefore her sickness. As much as she hated hurting him she was determined on riding his guilty conscious until he told her the truth. That however only made him move in. He spent the nights and mornings with her always ready to whisk her to the bathroom when she got sick. She was getting irate and self-conscious, she didn¡¯t want him to see her looking so pathetic and for him not to want to talk to her only meant that he didn¡¯t trust her. Without trust there was no love. That at least exined why he never said those three words to her.

    After all the shit life had thrown at her, she felt silly thinking maybe this time she¡¯d caught a break. She had suffered the worst kind of loss known to mankind, somehow ended up with a blood sucking leech, and now she has a guy she¡¯s head over heels in love with who doesn¡¯t trust her enough to let her in. Of course, what delusion was she suffering from to think that this time the universe was on her side?

    So, that morning, she decided it was either the truth or the high road. She watched him as he made breakfast. He looked so handsome standing over the stove. She hadn¡¯t realized how wide his back was. He kept pushing his hair back with his sausage fingers-even his fingers were muscled. He turned around and looked at her.

    ¡°Hi there, how you feeling today?¡± He had her smile on again. My smile¡­well, not for long. She could feel the despair rise inside her.

    ¡°Well, my hair doesn¡¯t smell like air freshener this morning, so yeah, we¡¯re good.¡±

    A lock of hair got lose and fell over his eye. He raised his hand and pushed it back in ce. Even the simplest movements he made were breathtaking.

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± He set the bacon and toast on a te and ced it on the table next to the ss of orange juice. He walked up to her, took her hand and walked her to the table. ¡°How¡¯s your shoulder?¡± He pulled the chair out for her. ¡°Do you want me to get your sling?¡±

    ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much anymore.¡± It came out thickly, but she raised her hand to demonstrate. ¡°See, I can use it again.¡± She turned and faced her te. He took a seat next to her; he ced his wide hand on her back and rubbed slowly. She caught her breath, but never looked up. His touch always made it difficult to breathe.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy your shoulder is healing, and pretty fast too.¡± His face creased up in thought. ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    Lee bit down on the bacon before she answered, ¡°Close to three weeks, why?¡± She turned and looked at him.

    He moved his hand to her injured shoulder, lightly feeling it with his fingers. ¡°The swelling is gone, and you¡¯re not screaming in pain, which is good.¡± He was quiet again, deep in thought. ¡°That is pretty fast for¡­¡±

    He stopped and looked at her, and then he cleared his throat and dropped his hand. ¡°How¡¯s your breakfast?¡±

    He opened the door. It was now or never. ¡°Pretty fast for what, Ash?¡±

    His face clouded, just like it usually did when she asked him a personal question or about the diner.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just clean up the dishes.¡± He stood up and went to the sink. Lee was getting tired of this.

    ¡°Normal for you, but too fast for me, is that what you meant?¡± He stayed quiet, busying himself with the dishes. ¡°Too fast for a human, but normal for¡­whatever unique qualities you have. Am I right?¡±

    He froze, she¡¯d hit home. She waited expecting he would spill since he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. He stayed quiet; he didn¡¯t refute or confirm her usation.

    ¡°Ash, please tell me the truth. I¡¯ve been patient long enough. If we are going to be together we need to start being honest with each other.¡± She wanted to take the soft approach, not push too hard to make him bolt the doors.

    Ash¡¯s silence was starting to get to Lee. ¡°Why don¡¯t you trust me? In fact, why do you spend every sleeping and waking hour with me if you can¡¯t trust me?¡± She was fuming, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she was this angry, but this time it would be unforgettable.

    Ash just stood there leaning over the sink, his back to her. She could feel the temper inside her rise. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something? Are you too much of a coward to admit it! Aren¡¯t you afraid I might stab you in your sleep?¡± She waited. He didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Do you even sleep? Of course not! How could you! I bet you don¡¯t trust me enough to even keep one eye closed!¡± She was ranting and she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Why are you even here? If you¡¯re being forced to babysit, I¡¯m relieving you from your duties, right now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here because I love you, and I do trust you,¡± it came out as a whisperer but it was firm. The first time he says it and it was out of anger not out of the love he ims.

    Lee knew he meant it, but the fact that he didn¡¯t even look at her when he said it, added fuel to the already burning fire inside her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard those words before, Steve always said them before he milked me of every penny I had in my wallet. So tell me, what¡¯s your motivation, it can¡¯t be sex because you haven¡¯t touched me since you moved in!¡± She could tell he was trying to control himself, but he didn¡¯t move, not even an inch.

    ¡°Lee, you need to stop pushing me, I¡¯m very close to the edge.¡± His voice was low, dangerous. It sounded out the warning more than the words did.

    ¡°You are close to the edge? I already fell off the cliff! I¡¯m sick and tired of you closing me out. You already know everything about me, but I know nothing about you! What are you keeping from me! Damn it, turn around and look at me!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Without thinking, she tossed the chair in front of her using her injured arm. Blinding pain ran through her shoulder and down to her fingertips. She grabbed at her shoulder and went down on her knees.

    ¡°Arrgh, oh shit! Bloody hell!¡± She could feel the tears burn her eyes. Ash was beside her in an instant. He looked worried, he reached his arms for her but she moved back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I don¡¯t need your pity or your help!¡±

    ¡°Lee, please, let me help you.¡± The anger had faded out of his voice and was reced by anguish. Her pain seemed to hurt him more than it did her. She was d but that didn¡¯t minimize the pain in her shoulder.

    ¡°I said no!¡±

    ¡°Lee¡­¡± he said sounding more desperate.

    ¡°You want to help me, walk out that door and nevere back. When you decide I¡¯m trustworthy, you know where to find me.¡±

    The door opened and Maria¡¯s chirpy voice came in. ¡°We¡¯re home¡­Lee!¡± She rushed to Lee, bumping her as she came to a stop, making the pain even worse.

    ¡°Oww! Maria!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lee didn¡¯t look up. Ann was standing behind her.

    Ash spoke, his voice desperate. ¡°I think she pulled her shoulder again, but she won¡¯t let me help.¡±

    ¡°Ann, please make him leave.¡± Lee¡¯s voice was cool and shaky; tears were flowing down her cheeks and onto the kitchen floor.

    She didn¡¯t ask Lee any questions; her voice was direct but concerned. ¡°Ash, please leave, I¡¯ll call you when she cools off.¡±

    ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll choke you with the phone code. He knows what he has to do!¡±

    Ash stood up and disappeared from Lee¡¯s line of sight. When she heard the door close she knew he had left, and may note back. She sobbed; she¡¯d lost someone else. The pain in her chest felt far worse than that in her shoulder.

    ¡°Lee, do you want to tell us what happened?¡±

 Thirty Four

    They were on the couch, the pain in her shoulder had died down after a few hours, but the other was still there. She was regretting that she had thrown the meds away. They would have numbed more than just her arm. Her eyes were swollen and red. She had been crying for a while, regretting her decision, she wanted him back, whether or not he wanted to trust her, she didn¡¯t care anymore, he loved her and she loved him, the rest could all go to hell. She opened her eyes and looked at Maria.

    ¡°I gave him an ultimatum.¡± The word felt like hot coal on her tongue.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maria stroked her hair back and wiped the fresh flow of tears from her cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been sharing a bed with a stranger, and I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Though right now, I couldn¡¯t care less what or who he is. I just want him back.¡± Lee could feel a sob creep up her throat.

    ¡°Is that why he threw the chair into our TV?¡± It was Ann who asked, pointing past Lee. She turned and looked. The TV was broken on the floor with the chair on top of it.

    ¡°I did that.¡± Lee massaged the new swelling on her shoulder, not paying much attention to the broken TV on the floor.

    ¡°What! You threw a chair from the kitchen into our living room!¡± Ann sounded amazed and amused.

    ¡°How do you think I pulled my shoulder?¡± Lee spoke, her mind still on Ash.

    Maria shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, that distance with that shoulder. Are you covering up for Ash?¡±

    ¡°No. And our apartment is an open space, it¡¯s not so impossible.¡±

    ¡°If you were on speed it¡¯s not,¡± Ann muttered.

    ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen between the two of you?¡± Maria spoke again, even more concerned than before. Lee knew that answer but she wasn¡¯t quite ready to admit it to herself. She stood up and headed to her room. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to school.¡±

    ¡°You have permission to stay home until finals.¡± Ann turned to face her.

    She knew that, but she didn¡¯t want to stay home, she needed a distraction. ¡°I need to speak to my teacher. I¡¯ll be back early.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m driving you.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to fight her on it; she wasn¡¯t really giving her a choice. Lee nodded and went into her room. She came back out fully dressed and sat on the couch with the girls. They were discussing something, whatever it was it looked pretty serious. Before she could say anything, the doorbell rang. Ann stood up to get it.

    ¡°Yes, how may I help you?¡± Ann looked at the woman, refraining from making fun of her leather cat suit.

    ¡°You can¡¯t. But she can.¡± The woman at the door pushed past Ann, went round the couch and stood in front of Lee.

    ¡°Listen you bitch! Get out before I throw you out!¡± Ann was pissed, but the woman just kept staring at Lee. Lee cringed back at the lethal gaze she gave her. If eyes could kill she would be dead.

    ¡°Listen to me very carefully, if you value your life, you¡¯ll stay away from Ash. He¡¯s mine. And another thing, if you so much as breathe a word of this to him, I¡¯ll kill you exactly the way your family was ughtered, do we understand each other!¡± She walked out, banging the door behind her.

    Lee couldn¡¯t breathe, she couldn¡¯t think. It wasn¡¯t the threat that was suffocating her; it was the fact that she said her family was ughtered, not burned ughtered. Lee grabbed at her chest, struggling to breathe.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Maria was all over her, she was worried, scared.

    ¡°Did you hear what she said¡­ughtered not burned-¡±

    ¡°Lee. Focus. Are you okay?¡± Maria turned Lee¡¯s face with her hands and starred into her eyes.

    ¡°My family died in a fire, why would she say that?¡± the words were rolling out of Lee.

    ¡°I¡¯m calling Ash.¡± Ann reached for the phone, Lee held her hand back, she couldn¡¯t find her voice so she shook her head. ¡°That woman just threatened you!¡±

    Maria hugged Lee tight. ¡°Ann, give her time to recover, then she¡¯ll decide what to do. In the meantime get her some water.¡±

    ****

    Ash drove into the drive way like a mad man and almost crashed into the wall. He got into the house and banged the door behind him. The doors this timepletely came off their hinges, falling on the floor inches away from Joe.

    ¡°We just had the doors fixed!¡± Joemented.

    Ash ignored him and headed for the AA room. He headed straight for the back wall where the tequs were, knocking the table over with Billy¡¯s legs still on them.

    ¡°Ash, what the hell¡¯s wrong!¡± Billy stood up from the couch and turned to Ash. Joe walked in, with his phone in his hand. ¡°I called the repair guy, I asked him to bring steel doors this time. What¡¯s with him?¡± He asked Billy pointing in Ash¡¯s direction.

    ¡°If I was to guess, I¡¯d say Lee.¡±

    They stood there and watched Ash break the neck of another bottle before he downed it.

    ¡°Ease up Ash! Instead of getting drunk, tell us what happened?¡± Billy was behind him, he reached for the bottle in Ash¡¯s hand.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Touch it, and you¡¯ll lose your hand!¡± Acid spewed out of his lips. Billy took a step back in reaction to the warning.

    ¡°Lee gave me an ultimatum,¡± he broke the neck of his third bottle, ¡°it¡¯s either I tell her the truth, or I never go near her again.¡± He tossed his head back and gulped down the tequ.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± Billy sounded scared.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Joe asked his face was somber as was his tone. They turned and looked at him. ¡°She already saw that we weren¡¯t normal at the diner, so why not just tell her?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Billy called back, surprised at Joe¡¯s suggestion. Ash stood there, he was thinking about it.

    ¡°It will be better if they know what they¡¯ve gotten themselves into by being involved with us. That will at least lower the risk if they too are looking out for the danger.¡± Billy stayed quiet, taking in Joe¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Ash, Lee hasn¡¯t said anything to anyone, and she¡¯s been patient long enough. It¡¯s time to tell her, to tell all of them.¡±

    Ash took another swig of the tequ. ¡°What if the truth scares them away, and then what? I can¡¯t handle losing her for good, Joe, I can¡¯t risk it.¡± He looked at Joe, waiting for his answer.

    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that, if it happens, which I highly doubt. And any way, you will lose her if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But what about Lee and Dave? He¡¯ll have to tell her first, before we say anything. If she sees her dead father walking around her wolf-boyfriend¡¯s home, she won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± Billy sounded worried; he knew it wouldn¡¯t end well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dave,¡± Ash said before he finished the bottle. He reached for another one.

    ¡°Pass one over.¡± Billy reached out for the bottle.

    ¡°Pass me one too.¡± Joe was anxious, all of a sudden, he wasn¡¯t quite sure of his solution.

 Thirty Five

    Dave was on the rooftop opposite Lee¡¯s building. He could see into her house. He had been at that spot since she moved into the building. Ash¡¯s fight with Lee had him on night duty again. He sat there, contemting Ash¡¯s decision. He wasn¡¯t ready to tell her, he was worried about her reaction. He was scared she would hate him for staying away, for letting her suffer foster care when he could have looked after her. How was he going to exin himself? There was no good excuse for abandoning her.

    But he wanted to hold her again, talk to her,fort her when she was sad, andugh with her when she was happy. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to stop hiding. All he had to do was build up the courage to do it.

    ****

    It had been a week since Ash left, since Lee¡¯s visit from the mysterious woman. She felt embarrassed, angry. Ash had a girlfriend, that¡¯s why he was never fully hers. The thought broke her heart all over again. She should have known. If Steve had a girl on the side why shouldn¡¯t Ash. She was never enough, for either of them.

    But what tormented her most was his girlfriend¡¯s visit.

    She had suffered her nightmares ever since. She woke up screaming and crying uncontrobly. Ann and Maria were always there tofort her. Her nightmares had kept them all awake throughout the night, taking a toll on all of them. They were always exhausted; their studies were suffering because they now spent the day asleep and the nights awake with Lee¡¯s nightmares. With their finals three days away, they needed to rest.

    Lee felt guilty. She had even tried staying awake throughout the night to spare them, but she always ended nodding off, and woke up screaming a few hours after that.

    It was in the afternoon. She made lunch for the girls to make up for the trouble she had put them through. They woke up and found the table set and full of food.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ann looked like a zombie. She had dark circles around her blood shot red eyes. Maria emerged from the hall way next. She was holding her head up with her hands. Her appearance mirrored that of Ann.

    ¡°It¡¯s an apology lunch.¡± Lee smiled weakly, feeling guilty.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have too.¡± Maria was rubbing her temples with her fingers.

    ¡°Yes I did. I¡¯ve put you through hell thisst couple of weeks. So I¡¯m making up for it. Look at the two of you, you look awful because of me.¡±

    Ann and Maria turned and stared at each other, their faces drooped, and they didn¡¯t like what they saw. Then they turned to face Lee.

    ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t look so hot yourself. I¡¯m just d the guys aren¡¯t here to see us like this.¡±

    Lee looked down; it was a sure thing their guys woulde, hers, there was a slim to no chance of that happening. Nice job, Lee!

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Ann apologized and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get over him together, isn¡¯t that right, Maria.¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, once I get over this headache.¡± She turned and looked at the answering machine. ¡°We have a message.¡± She moved to it and pressed y.

    ¡°Hey, honey, it¡¯s Joe. We are getting a bit worried about you guys, so we¡¯reing over. Tell Lee, Ash ising too. See you soon, love you.¡±

    The girls stared at Lee. She got anxious. She longed to see Ash again, but she wasn¡¯t so sure she should, especially after his girlfriend¡¯s visit.

    Just then, there was a knock on the door. They couldn¡¯t be here already. Maria went to the door, and looked through the peephole. ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± She sounded rmed.

    Ann started to fix herself, but she needed a miracle and a few hours to get her ravishing-self back. She gave up and dropped her hands. ¡°He should start getting used to seeing me like this. I won¡¯t be my gorgeous-self all hours of the day. Maria, let them in.¡±

    Maria let her hair down andbed through it with her fingers. They moved into the living room. They were looking pretty bad, in nnel shorts and vests; Maria however had a short T-shirt on. She opened the door and let them in.

    ¡°Hi guys. Come in and don¡¯t say anything about how we look.¡±

    They were wide eyed. They had never seen the girls look so terrible. Well there was a first time for everything.

    ¡°Come in, sit down, and eat.¡± Ann pointed to the table, still standing next to Lee.

    ¡°Hallo, Lee, how¡¯s your shoulder?¡± Ash said, he looked awkward, uneasy, as if he was waiting for her to throw him out.

    ¡°Hi. It¡¯spletely healed. No pain, no swelling. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Before she got far, Joe asked a question that strangely lightened the tension in the room.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the TV?¡±

    Maria moved to Ann and leaned her head on her shoulder. ¡°Lee threw a chair into it. Missed Ash by a mile.¡± Everyone wasughing now, except for Ash who just smiled.

    ¡°Help yourself to something to eat, who¡¯sing in after me?¡± Lee tensed when Ash¡¯s eyes rested on her. They felt empty, sad.

    ¡°I am,¡± Maria and Ann said at the same time.

    ¡°Or you could both go, right now,¡± Billy said taking his seat.

    ¡°Watch it.¡± Ann gave him a curt look. They had all moved to the kitchen table.

    ¡°So why do you girls look so¡­beautiful, not?¡± Joe said with a smile, taking a seat next to Maria.

    Lee froze, and turned in their direction. Maria and Ann had their eyes on her, the boys were distracted by the food, but Ash¡¯s eyes were still on her, questioning their reaction. She really didn¡¯t want them to know about her nightmares.

    Maria spoke up when the room went quiet. ¡°We pulled an all-nighter, finals in two days.¡±

    Lee exhaled, but Ash was still looking at her. He hadn¡¯t bought Maria¡¯s exnation. She pretended not to have seen the big question mark on his face, walked down the hallway into the bathroom. She needed a soothing shower, a long one.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Thirty Six

    Lee walked out of her room feeling fresh and clean. She put on a fresh pair of cotton pants, and a ck long sleeved shirt. Maria was in the shower and taking her sweet time. Lee was hesitant about going back to the kitchen. She wasn¡¯t quite ready to see Ash after their fight, especially since he¡¯d seen through Maria¡¯s lie. But she wasn¡¯t going to hide in her own home. She put on a courageous smile and strolled into the living room.

    Ash was pacing, his face red and stern. Billy stood in front of Ann; his posture was protective, as if he was shielding her. His body was between her and Ash. Joe just stood at the far end of the room, his hands crossed over his chest.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She moved slowly, unsure of what she had walked into. Ann came and stood in front of her. Before she could say anything, with two strides Ash was at Lee¡¯s side, fuming.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, why didn¡¯t you call me the minute she showed up here!¡± His jaw was tight, Lee could hear his teeth grinding. He was trying to control himself.

    Ann had told them. Lee could feel a huge weight on her shoulders. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to be mad. She turned to Ann. ¡°How much did you tell them?¡± Her voice was tired, resigned.

    ¡°Everything¡­including the nightmares. I¡¯m sorry, but he had to know what he was doing to you, to all of us! Especially after his lunatic girlfriend threatened you! You hadn¡¯t had a nightmare in weeks, and then his psycho chic showed up and made them even worse than before!¡±

    She was right, the nightmares were worse. They even seemed longer. They were more vivid, the screams clearer, tormenting Lee even more. Her screams were even louder than they usually were.

    Ash turned to her, his hands in fists at his sides. ¡°I told you already, she is not my girlfriend, I have nothing to do with her!¡±

    ¡°You live under one roof!¡±

    That mmed hard into Lee¡¯s chest, she could feel the little strength she¡¯d been holding on to drain out of her. They live together.

    ¡°I told you that can¡¯t be helped!¡±

    Billy was back in his defensive position between them,pletely shadowing Ann with his body. ¡°Ash, calm down.¡± Billy¡¯s voice was cool and rxed. ¡°Ann, go shower, Maria is done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Ann tried to protest, but Billy didn¡¯t give her a chance.

    ¡°Ann, please!¡± Billy had his hands on her arms and he was pushing her back slowly.

    Lee was getting tired of everything. She just wanted some peace even if it onlysted a few minutes. Ann turned and left. Lee walked to the couch and sat down. She was feeling exhausted, she didn¡¯t have the strength to endure everything anymore.

    ¡°Lee, talk to me.¡± Ash went and sat next to her. His face had softened. The rage was gone, reced by concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s annoying when someone doesn¡¯t tell you things, isn¡¯t it?¡± She was casual about it; she didn¡¯t want to pick a fight. She just wanted him to stop pestering her.

    ¡°Lee, this is no time to be childish!¡± he scolded.

    ¡°Ash, I haven¡¯t slept in a week, we haven¡¯t slept in a week because of me. I am exhausted, I don¡¯t want to go ten rounds with you.¡± She turned and looked at Billy. ¡°Would you please take Ann and Maria to your ce today, better yet, let them stay the whole weekend. They need to rest before the finals, and they won¡¯t be able to do so under the same roof with me.¡±

    Ash, brushed his hand over her head. ¡°What about you? You also need to rest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see my nightmares stopping anytime soon, so rest is a foreign term to me.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We could call your therapist?¡±

    ¡°Thirteen years of therapy, and I¡¯m still waking up screaming. Either way I don¡¯t think he can help me. I am the only one who can help me.¡± She yawned. ¡°Can we talk about something else?¡± Ash reached out to hold her. She held his hands and stopped him. ¡°If you hold me, I¡¯ll fall asleep, and I¡¯m not ready to go toe to toe with my demons yet.¡±

    The room went quiet. Maria had joined them, the second she was in Joe¡¯s arms on the mini couch she was out like a light. Ash had moved to stand where the TV used to be, still staring at Lee, worried.

    Ann had walked into the room quietly, and sat next to Lee. She remembered what Ash¡¯s girlfriend or not girlfriend, whatever the rtionship, said to her. She thought she¡¯d take a shot and ask him.

    ¡°Ash, do you know anything about my family being ughtered?¡± His face went pale. Joe and Billy looked at each other. Their expression shocked and it wasn¡¯t because the question was outrageous, there was something else to it.

    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Ash¡¯s voice was unsteady, he had that look, the one that always came when he didn¡¯t want to answer her question or he was about to lie. He had just answered one important question though; he knew what happened to her family.

    She had danced this dance before, knowing very well she wouldn¡¯t get any information from him. She let it go. ¡°Your girlfriend mentioned it when she threatened me.¡±

    ¡°She is not my girlfriend.¡± The bitterness in his voice made Lee happy, but the fact was, whether or not he liked her, she was obsessed with him. But Lee had made her bed when she gave him the ultimatum. She wasn¡¯t going to back out of it.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She shrugged off his reaction.

    ¡°Yes it does.¡±

    ¡°It will only matter, when you tell me the truth.¡± She looked up at him. He lowered his head, his eyes to the floor. That was the end of that conversation. She turned to Ann. ¡°You guys are going with your boyfriends for the weekend. You need to rest.¡±

    ¡°We are not leaving you alone.¡± Ann moved closer to her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be alone, Ash will be here. I have a feeling his girlfriend will be back.¡± His fist clenched at his side. ¡°Who better to greet her than the center of her universe?¡± A growl escaped him, it startled Ann, but Lee had heard it before, even some much worse.

    For once she appreciated his anger, as long as it kept his lunatic girlfriend away from her.

    Joe carried Maria to the car, Lee was relieved she didn¡¯t wake up, it wouldn¡¯t be as easy to convince her to leave as it was Ann. Lee wasn¡¯t looking forward to being alone with Ash, she had to admit she was nervous about it, after theirst fight she wasn¡¯t sure where they stood.

 Thirty Seven

    Ash stared at her, his arms itching to hold her. He saw how hard she was fighting sleep. Whatever her nightmares were, she was scared to face them. He tried to read her mind to see exactly what tormented her but she¡¯d kept it nk thinking about everything else except that. Then her mind roamed to him and Sabrina, and then she thought of herself and how she didn¡¯t fit in that equationparing herself to Sabrina. Ash felt heated. He wanted to kill Sabrina for what she had done to Lee; turning her into the frightened little girl she was all those years ago.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lee, you need to sleep.¡± Ash moved to sit much closer to her but he kept his hands folded on hisp. She could see the restraint it took not to touch her, if he only knew how much she wanted to be in his arms.

    ¡°Not now. I want to be too exhausted to dream before I dare close my eyes.¡± She leaned her head back on the couch, fighting the sleep that was taking over.

    ¡°Lee, what do you see in your nightmares?¡± His voice was t, but she could tell there was a hint of something odd in it.

    ¡°You already know too much about me, I¡¯m keeping this to myself.¡± Her tone was harsher than she had intended it to be. He shifted and moved an inch further from her. She didn¡¯t want him to think that she was shutting him out as some sort of vengeance. With a lighter tone, she tried to keep the conversation going, ¡°And anyway, if a shrink couldn¡¯t decipher it, what makes you think you can?¡±

    ¡°I just want to try and help. I don¡¯t like it when you¡¯re hurting, even if it¡¯s your own mind doing it.¡± He sounded tortured, he leaned closer to her, his eyes searching hers in earnest. ¡°I want to protect you, even if I¡¯m going against you or your mind.¡± He took her hand and held it in his big warm hand,pletely hiding it.

    She held his gaze, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea. She hadn¡¯t told Steve about her nightmares, but she did tell him about how her family died and he had used it against her numerous times and she wasn¡¯t ready for that kind of torment again. But his eyes, his sweet soft brown hypnotic eyes, she felt consciously recognizably safe looking into them.

    ¡°They started the day my family was killed.¡± She swallowed hard. Suddenly she wasn¡¯t sure about what she was about to do. He squeezed her hand, out offort and support; it gave her a nudge to go ahead.

    ¡°Everyone keeps telling me that they died in the fire, but I remember it differently, well at least in my nightmares.¡± His jaw tightened, he was gritting his teeth. Lee found his reaction strange but she kept on.

    ¡°I was asleep in the car when I heard my mom screaming, then she was quiet again. I thought Jayson had done something wrong, so Iy back down in the back seat and waited for my dad toe carry me in. I was a stubborn kid, got worse when Alice was born. She¡¯d taken my ce as the favoritest-born child, so my dad was verycent in giving me what I wanted. It made my mom so furious, but my dad never stopped. He always said I was as stubborn as my mom. So when I had a diva moment, he would always bow and say, ¡®as you wish mini-mar¡¯.¡±

    She smiled to herself. The memory was still so fresh in her mind. She¡¯d fought hard to keep them-they were all she had of her family. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the emotions welling up inside her.

    ¡°What¡¯s mini-mar?¡± he asked his tone lighter.

    ¡°It means miniature Martha.¡± Remembering her mom¡¯s name hurt her more than she thought it would. ¡°Martha was my mom¡¯s name. I was so much like her, looks and character wise, that¡¯s where the nickname came from,¡± it came out as a whisper. She took a deep breath and pulled out of the cold hole she had sunk in. ¡°I¡¯m getting sidetracked.¡± She gave him a weak smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I also want to hear about your happy memories, when they don¡¯t hurt you as much.¡± He reached up and gently rubbed her cheek, trailing his fingers to the corner of her lips.

    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± trying to lighten the sorrow that was weighing heavily in her voice, ¡°¡­I stayed in the car, then I heard my dad shout, he was pleading. I couldn¡¯t hear the words, but his voice¡­ I remember it scared me.¡± The sorrow was back in her voice. ¡°So I got out of the car and went to the door.¡± She was reliving every moment as she spoke, trying to describe as much as she could. ¡°I pushed the big door open and walked in slowly. Dad stood in front of someone-I¡¯d never seen the guy before. Then I saw the living room, it was red all over, and it was as if someone had sshed red paint all over the walls, the floor, and the furniture.¡±

    The lump in her throat was getting bigger, but she was d she didn¡¯t hesitate on the word red like she usually did. ¡°I said something, but I can¡¯t remember what, my memory is a bit squishy from there. But I do remember running, I was so scared, all I knew is that I had to run and get out of there as fast as I could.¡±

    Tears were rolling down her cheeks, she struggled to hold back the sobs, breaking down again wasn¡¯t going to help her, and the only thing it had got her was a shrink for thirteen years.

    ¡°The nightmares were at bay, hadn¡¯t had one for weeks, then when your friend said what she did¡­they¡¯ve been haunting me every night since.¡± She fisted her hands at her sides, and took deep breaths. She couldn¡¯t afford to fall apart in front of him.

    Ash looked at her, d he had managed to block out the memory of her father dying. He wasn¡¯t sure her little mind could take it but if he hadn¡¯t she would have been far worse. He just wished the block on the rest of the night had held. He could always try again? But what was the point; her memories seem to being back worse off as nightmares.

    ¡°Lee, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± His face was full of grief and pity. His arms reached out for her but she stopped them. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t take that look in his eyes anymore.

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t. I¡¯m trying to keep it together, and I¡¯m in jeopardy of losing it if you hold me. And if you keep looking at me like that¡­¡± She wiped her cheeks dry, her eyes still tightly shut. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to go to pieces.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for his heavy breathing, she would have thought he¡¯d left her on the seat alone.

    ¡°I think the guys finished all the food you made. Does steak sound good? I promise there won¡¯t be anything with a strong scent on your te. We don¡¯t want a repeat ofst time.¡± There was augh at the edge of his voice. Lee was d the pity was gone, and he¡¯d changed the subject without a fuss.

    She opened her eyes and smiled at him. ¡°It sounds perfect, and I no longer spend my mornings with my head over the toilet.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean if I cooked eggs, you¡¯d be fine?¡± His perfect face was close, challenging her. She could see a dareing next.

    Pushing him as he stood, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s not test my endurance just yet.¡±

 Thirty Eight

    It seemed so long ago since theyughed and yed like this. ¡°Don¡¯t burn it, if you do, I¡¯ll have a real reason to throw up.¡±

    ¡°What will it be, ma¡¯am, well done, done, medium rare, or rare?¡± He held his arm up like a waiter. She was about to answer before she started to seriously think about it. Lately, the smell of blood seemed to rouse her, she used to find it appalling.

    ¡°Medium rare.¡±

    He was shocked, she shocked herself too when the words came out of her mouth.

    His brow creased. He didn¡¯t move. ¡°Are you sure? I thought you hated the smell of blood, let alone the sight of it.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He turned and walked to the kitchen, he still doubted her choice, but she was sure. She was getting hungrier, more aroused as she thought about it. She shook her head andughed, as if she wasn¡¯t weird enough!

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Ash called out from the kitchen.

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just happy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Your happiness means a lot to me.¡± His voice was softer.

    He was in a good mood, she was tempted to ask him about the diner, but she didn¡¯t want to spoil the moment. She fidgeted on the couch; the questions were itching to shoot out of her mouth.

    Maybe just one

    ¡°Ash?¡± She kept quiet and waited for him to respond. Lee, just shut up. You are going to ruin everything, again.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± There it was the open door. She was going to regret this.

    ¡°Are you ever going to tell me about what happened?¡± She closed her eyes and waited; it was toote to take it back.

    ¡°Tell you about what-¡± He stopped. The cheer in his voice gone, he¡¯d realized what she was asking.

    ¡°I just want to know everything about you, know you, like you know me.¡±

    ¡°Why is it so important to you? Isn¡¯t my loving you enough?¡± His voice was cold and harsh.

    ¡°You know the person you love, inside and out. I love someone who doesn¡¯t trust me enough to let me love himpletely. So yes, it is important to me.¡± She held her breath, expecting his usual reaction.

    After a lengthy silence he responded, his voice softer, but strained, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Lee let the breath out. ¡°Only when the time is right. Maybe after next week, you have enough tormenting you and with your finals around the corner. It would be cruel to add on to it.¡± It came out like a whisper, his voice even more strained.

    She was about to ask him what he meant by that, but she¡¯d pushed him far enough. She rose from the couch and walked to the kitchen. He looked frozen over the stove, his head low and his shoulders copsed in defeat. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging his back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait. Thank you.¡± She held him tighter. ¡°By the way, I love you too, and I¡¯m sorry about pushing you all the time. I just¡­I just need to know.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    He traced his fingers over her arms. It left a shiver behind. Her heart fluttered. She¡¯d missed that. ¡°I understand. I just hope you¡¯ll still love me once you know.¡± He sounded like he was dreading it. It made her ufortable.

    ¡°Trust me as long as you keep loving me as annoying as I can be sometimes, and you keep driving me crazy with your touch, I¡¯m all yours.¡±

    He chuckled, but the dread was still there. ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°Promise, just don¡¯t burn my meat.¡± Heughed louder this time.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She¡¯d gotten what she wanted-well she was half way there-the love of her life was in her arms, and she was happy. That¡¯s until she closed her eyes. She pressed herself against him, hoping he would keep the nightmares away that night.

    ¡°Hey, did you fall asleep?¡±

    She had dozed off a bit, still holding Ash while he finished cooking. He turned the stove off and stood very still waiting for her to answer.

    ¡°No,¡± she lied, but the fatigue in her voice gave her away. He turned slowly to face her, and then he held her against his chest.

    ¡°If you sleep standing, you are going to fall over.¡± Heughed when she looked up at him with sleepy eyes. He pushed her backward into a chair, and then ced the steak in front of her. ¡°Bon Appetite,¡± he said that as if he expected her to cringe away from the meat.

    The raw scent woke her up. She was salivating. Ash sat across from her and watched as she tore into the steak.

    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know I was that great a cook,¡± he sounded surprised pleased with himself. She swallowed and cut another piece.

    ¡°Actually it¡¯s a bit over cooked.¡± She put the piece in her mouth, relishing its bloody taste.

    ¡°What! What do you mean overcooked! It¡¯s almost raw!¡± He was surprised, and before he could say anything else, she put a piece in his mouth. He chewed slowly; his eyes seemed to sh awake. He licked his lips after he swallowed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it is a bit over cooked,¡± he said, a bit tense, the reaction was a little over board to what she¡¯d expected. ¡°Lee, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    She put her fork and knife down on the empty te, sad that it was over so soon and hungry for more. She looked up, his brow was creased, his lips curved downward, this wouldn¡¯t be a good time to ask for more. She sipped at her water, washing down the blissful taste, and then she stood up and sat on hisp.

    ¡°You worry too much.¡± She ced a light kiss on his nose, caressing the back of his neck, feather fingered. Then she leaned down and kissed him. The taste of him was intoxicating. He ced his hand on her back, pressing her hard against him, while the other pulled at her thigh, rubbing and digging into it with his fingers. He then pulled away, trying hard to catch his breath.

    ¡°What is it now!¡± sheined as she pulled his lips back.

    ¡°You are tired, and you need your sleep.¡±

    She ignored him, chewing his ear instead.

    ¡°Lee! I swear you are going to kill me one day!¡±

    He slid from under her and left her on the chair. He put a good ten feet between them. She sighed; she was never going to win with him.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go to bed.¡± She stood up, but then he took another step back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch,¡± he said cautiously.

    ¡°What! Why?¡±

    ¡°If you attack me in your room, I won¡¯t be able to control myself, and you need your rest.¡±

    Her lips curved up in a mischievous smile. ¡°I won¡¯t honest!¡± Trying to sound innocent only made things worse.

    ¡°Lee!¡± Ash was flushed. The temptation of making love again was obviously killing him and she wasn¡¯t making it easy to control himself.

    Sheughed. Seeing him trying to control his urges was hrious. ¡°Okay, I promise I won¡¯t do anything that will raise your blood pressure.¡±

    She moved past him and walked to her room. Something stopped her at the door. Fear.

    Ash came up behind her and held her. He¡¯d sensed it. ¡°I¡¯m right here. Don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re prepared. I¡¯ll scare you more than I do myself.¡± She swallowed hard, trying to control her anxiety.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. We¡¯ll fight your demons together.¡± He lifted her and put her in bed. He drew her into his arms under the covers and ced her head on his shoulder. ¡°Sleep, I¡¯ll keep you as safe as I can, nothing¡¯s going to hurt you.¡±

    The reassuranceforted her, but she knew the truth, no one could protect her from her own mind. She closed her eyes and held on to Ash waiting for the nightmare to start.

 Thirty Nine

    She was in their home in New York. She ran from room to room trying to zero in on her dad¡¯s voice. But this nightmare was different, she wasn¡¯t five anymore. She got to the living room, there was blood sshed all over and there were several men staring at her moving closer to her. She ran out of the room when she heard her mother scream. She ended up in a redder room alone then her father started calling out for her again.

    Merilee run!

    Daddy¡­

    Run Merilee!

    I can¡¯t see. There is too much red. Daddy, where are you? Daddy the red is scaring me, where are you!

    Before it could get worse she heard Ash¡¯s faint voice in her head, and it got louder each time he called her name pulling her out of the red room.

    ¡°Lee, Lee! Wake up!¡± Ash¡¯s anxious voice pulled her out of the red hole she was in. ¡°Wake up!¡± He held her tight, rocking her gently.

    ¡°Ash, oh God, Ash, I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Make it stop, please make it stop!¡± she cried, holding him tight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, I promise I¡¯ll try.¡± He¡¯s voice was firm, determined. She buried her face in his chest, hoping that he¡¯d be able to keep his promise.

    ****

    ¡°Hi, sleepy head. You know, I don¡¯t think its healthy sleeping for so long.¡± He turned and gave her his earthshaking smile. She could feel the shiver climb up her spin.

    He was cooking again, but this time, he looked like a demigod doing it. He was shirtless and his jeans were riding low. Clothes didn¡¯t do him much justice. His muscled chest was wide and smooth, his torso long and lean, meeting up with his abdomen to form eight tight glorious cubes. His long arm stretched as he ced a te on the table, showing off his toned biceps then it flexed to form a mountain as he threw the kitchen towel over his tattooed shoulder, those beautiful strong hard shoulders. His back was now turned to her, showing off his thick shoulder des and the trench between them that ran down his back and ended above his tight ass.

    She¡¯d never noticed how much of him that tribal tattoo covered-half his chest and back-making him appeal to her even more.

    Watching him stirred a heat so bad inside her, she was afraid to move. She stayed where she was leaning against the wall for support, but kept her eyes glued to him taking in as much pleasure as she possibly could from the magnificent sight.

    ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± He turned and faced her, and then slowly, his lips curved up and formed his hypnotic smile, still holding the pan in one hand and a fork in the other.

    He looked even more tempting; the heat inside her grew even bigger. Without thinking, she went to him, pulled his head down and kissed him hard.

    He broke the kiss and looked down at her, his eyes half closed. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood this afternoon.¡±

    She was about to pull him back when she realized what he¡¯d said. ¡°Afternoon? How long have I been asleep?¡± He turned and ced the pan and fork in the sink.

    ¡°Close to ten hours, but after the night you had, it was deserved.¡± Her nightmares were thest thing she wanted to talk about, but he went on, ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I thought that kiss was a dead giveaway.¡± She looked at him under her eyshes, and his muscles tightened. She smiled. She had seeded in changing the topic. That was a new useful trick. She moved to him slowly. ¡°Hmm, then it mustn¡¯t have been that good.¡± She slid her hands in his back pockets, cupping his buns in her palms. She nted light kisses on his chest. His body tightened with every kiss and his heartbeat raced.

    She loved the fact she had this effect on him. When it came to this, they were on an even ying field.

    She grazed her lips under his chin and over his neck, kissed his visible pulse then tiptoed to reach his ear, but she was still not close enough. She mped her teeth gently on his lobe and pulled him lower, his head moved without resistance. She whispered, trying to sound as sexy as she possibly could, ¡°Maybe I should try again¡­¡± She moved her hand and ced it on the back of his head. She fisted his hair in her hand and pulled him down, pressing his lips on hers.

    His body came alive. He lifted her up and crushed her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, freeing his hands to roam all over her. The desperation in his hands drove her over the edge. His kiss was hard and fierce; he hadn¡¯t kissed her like that since the first time they met. He moved, and then lowered her. The surface was soft, cushiony. She realized they were on the couch.

    How did we get here so fast?

    ¡°Lee¡­¡± He was pulling away, but she pulled him back down with the irond hold she had around his waist. He fidgeted, trying to get free, but she held on.

    ¡°No more excuses.¡± She reached up and kissed him, pulling him down by his lips. Heid t on top of her, but still held up his weight. She rxed her hold on him and waited for the pleasure to begin. The second she did, he was up and off her before she realized what he was doing.

    He leaned against the wall, looking away from her, struggling to control his breathing. She was shocked but mostly disappointed. She knew things were too good to be true, she never won. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, taking in as much air as she could.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong. Stronger than you should be,¡± Ash whispered in between ragged breaths.

    His statement shocked her. It was close to offensive. She propped herself up on her elbows and starred at him furious, ready to let him have it, but the look on his face was confusion.

 Forty

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m sick day in day out doesn¡¯t make me a weakling, neither does the fact that I¡¯m a woman.¡± She was gentler than she meant to be.

    ¡°Correction, girl, and no, it¡¯s not that. You should be in pain.¡± He ran his fingers through his hair, releasing more strands of hair and making them fall across his forehead.

    ¡°What?¡± She ignored the girl statement and focused on his confused rambling.

    ¡°When I tried to get out of your hold, you shouldn¡¯t have been able to hold me down, and your legs¡­¡± He was looking even more confused, then he smiled, raking his hand through his hair again. ¡°I guess I¡¯m more tired than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleepst night?¡± The question sounded ridiculous, of course he didn¡¯t sleep. I kept him up with my screaming. She felt guilty.

    ¡°Hey, I like watching you sleep, it sooths me.¡± He sat next to her, stroking her face, his gentle eyes piercing through her, his smile still there.

    ¡°Before or after I started screaming?¡± She knew he was just being kind to her, but the bags under his eyes gave him away.

    ¡°Lee, it¡¯s not your fault you have nightmares.¡±

    ¡°They are mine, so yes it is. I¡¯m the Grinch of peaceful sleep!¡±

    He sighed. ¡°You are impossible! When you get something stuck in your head it¡¯s impossible to get rid of it. You are so stubborn!¡±

    She smiled. ¡°So we¡¯ll agree to disagree, again.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Heughed and leaned into kiss her, then stopped and stared at her. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not nning to attack me once I kiss you?¡±

    Sheughed and raised her left hand to her head. ¡°Scouts honor.¡± His lips curved into her favorite smile, and she caught her breath. She was sure one day it would stop her heart. ¡°You need to sleep. You don¡¯t look so hot.¡±

    ¡°And yet you can¡¯t keep your hands off me.¡± He kissed her. She could feel he was still smiling. She was about to go back on her promise when the phone rang. He pulled away and answered the phone.

    ¡°Hi, Ann¡­¡±

    Damn! Lee stood up and headed to the bathroom.

    ¡°She¡¯s headed for the shower¡­¡±

    She closed the door and turned on the cold water, she needed to cool off the heat that was burning inside her.

    ****

    She came back to the living room and found him fast asleep on the couch. He looked so peaceful, even more breathtaking with his face so rxed. This was the first time she had seen him asleep, usually she was the first one to go. She stood there and watched him sleep, his chest moving up and down with each breath. This perfect man had be a vital part of her. How did I survive without him after our fight? Oh, how could I forget, my demons kept mepany.

    She pulled her books from the shelf and ced them on the living room table. She wanted to be close to him, watch over him as he slept, just like he did for her for the past month. She sat on the floor next to the couch and opened her books.

    Ash grunted, and then stretched out, his legnding on the edge of the table with a thud. She stifled augh, not wanting to wake him. She changed positions and sat on the other side of the table, facing the couch he was on. She wasn¡¯t going to chance that heavy legnding on her.

    It was dark outside. She was d she had put a few hours into her studies, she would have kept on, but her stomach was grumbling. She¡¯d eaten thete breakfast Ash had made, but that didn¡¯t satisfy her hunger.

    She stood up and went to the fridge, hoping there was still a couple of steaks left. There were only two left. She put them on the grill then put a packet of raw fries in the oven. She watched as the meat sizzled on the grill. The red meat looked appetizing, it sang to her as it cooked, alluring her with its song. She was tempted to grab it and shove it in her mouth. The thought made her mouth water.

    Ash grunted, breaking her gaze and her fantasy.

    She shuddered. She couldn¡¯t believe she was contemting eating raw meat! She opened the fridge and took out a beer, then walked back to the living and sat on the floor against the couch. She listened to Ash¡¯s heavy breathing as she gulped down the beer, hoping one or both of the two would keep her distracted from the meat.

    ¡°Lee?¡± Ash spoke in a sleepy voice. She was relieved he was awake.

    She put the bottle down and turned to face him. ¡°Hey there, sleepy head.¡± She smiled at him.

    His face lit up when his vision finally focused on her. He smiled her smile. ¡°I could get used to this.¡±

    She moved on her knees and bent over him, leaning on the couch for support. ¡°Get used to what?¡±

    ¡°Your face being the first thing I see when I wake up, and thest when I go to sleep.¡± He lifted her by the elbows and pulled her upper body over his. ¡°I want to get a closer look, mi amor.¡± His voice was soft.

    ¡°Was that French?¡± The words barely got out, her breathing had quickened.

    ¡°No, Spanish. Thenguage makes all the love words sound sweeter.¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond, her attention was consumed elsewhere.

    He starred into her eyes, keeping her locked in ce with his gaze. She could feel her heart racing; it was getting even more difficult to breathe. He pulled her closer, lifting her lower body with his leg and cing her between his thighs on the couch. It was getting even more difficult for her to stay sane.

    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    He locked his lips with hers and pulled her down. He kissed her, not as he usually did, it was soft, light, like he was taking his time making sure he got as much as he could from each kiss. She could feel her insides tighten. She pushed her hands under his shoulders, pulling him closer as she pushed herself against him. He put his hand under her shirt, and ced it on her bare back. His warm hand on her skin aroused her. She pulled away and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his sweet scent. The clothes suddenly felt like a huge barrier between them.

    ¡°Lee¡­¡± his sweet voice whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Umm¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to do this, not now.¡± There it was, the buzz kill!

 Forty One

    She pulled away and sat upright, still between his legs. ¡°Why stir me up if you¡¯re going to shut me down!¡± She didn¡¯t hide her impatience. This game was getting frustrating.

    He sat upright, keeping her where she was.

    ¡°Because the next time I make love to you, it will be special, magical, binding.¡±

    She pulled the neckline of his shirt and looked down in it, at his bare chest, and then she pulled hers and did the same. He pulled her hand and held it against his chest. She lifted her head up fast as the shirt snapped back into ce.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His brow was raised and his lips were curved down.

    ¡°I was just checking between the two of us, who is the woman in this rtionship, and after the survey, I can confidently conclude that I am.¡±

    Heughed, andy back, pulling her down with him.

    She smiled, seeing him happy made her heart skip. Then her smile faded, she pulled herself up when she remembered what he said.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean binding?¡±

    He reached for her and pulled her in a sitting position on top of him, her legs astride and him in the middle. She locked her legs around his waist.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯ll be the only one to love you physically and emotionally, and you¡¯ll be able to love me¡­after I tell you the truth.¡± He was serious. He had dread in his voice again.

    She ced her hands on his cheeks and made him look at her. ¡°I¡¯m already too in love with you to leave you. I¡¯ve already seen the scary side of you and the loving part of you, and I¡¯m still here.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, what you saw wasn¡¯t-it doesn¡¯te close to the scary side of me. You¡¯ll hate it. You¡¯ll hate me even more once you find out¡­¡± He stopped, his face creased even more in agony. Whatever it was it scared her, she really didn¡¯t want to know anymore.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, if I¡¯m going to lose you, I don¡¯t want to know.¡±

    He smiled, but his eyes were still hollow and sad. ¡°Your curiosity will get the better of you. Either way, I have to tell you. I don¡¯t want to start a life with you built on secrets and lies. And whether or not you lose me, it will be up to you.¡±

    ¡°Start a life with me? We¡¯ve only known each other for seven weeks, that¡¯s not even long enough for a credit check. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit too soon to be proposing?¡± She feigned concern. She wanted to change the subject. It was getting too serious forfort.

    Heughed, it was warm, and the sadness was disappearing. He had already picked up on her avoidance strategy and he obviously wasn¡¯t going to push it. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her.

    ¡°You know, if I had my way, if my life was not soplicated, I¡¯d marry you tomorrow. In fact, I would have married you the day we meant and done things the right way.¡±

    The talk about marriage took her aback. She wasn¡¯t a firm believer in the institution of marriage neither did she see herself married to anyone ever. Signing a piece of paper didn¡¯t guarantee a happily ever after, this was real life, not a fairy tale. Shepletely ignored it and moved to the other ridiculous part of his statement.

    ¡°The right way? You mean sex after marriage? It¡¯s the twenty first century, honey, things don¡¯t work that way anymore. They haven¡¯t worked that way since the neen hundreds.¡±

    ¡°They may not for other people, but they will for us.¡±

    She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°You know, for a guy who wants to stay celibate until the right time and do things the right way, you keep entangling us in verypromising positions.¡± She tightened her legs around him and then bent down and kissed him. His fingers dug into her thighs and pulled her hard against him. The kiss turned wild, it was too intoxicating to even pull up for air.

    ¡°We should start the celibacy thing tomorrow,¡± she said pulling away for a second then diving back in. Then he pulled back.

    ¡°After or before you burn the apartment down?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She pulled away and stared at him, and then she caught the scent. ¡°Damn!¡± She jumped off him and rushed to the kitchen. The food wasn¡¯t burning but the kitchen cloth she¡¯d left next to the grill was. She picked it and threw it into the sink. Ash wasughing. She turned and looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you distract me.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s what happens when you leave something mmable close to heat.¡±

    ¡°We have a genius in our midst. Come eat, food is ready.¡± She got two tes out of the cupboard and set them on the counter. She took the steaks off the grill and served, then bent down to open the oven to take the potatoes out.

    ¡°That position couldpromise a man¡¯s will and his sanity.¡± He was behind her, watching her. She brought the tes to the table.

    ¡°Your sanity is already questionable, your will, that you¡¯ll never let go of.¡±

    He waited for her to sit before he did. He took a whiff of the food then stared at her inquisitively.

    ¡°What?¡± she said, feeling a bit self-conscious.

    ¡°What¡¯s with your new appetite for raw meat?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not raw, and any way it¡¯s tasty. Try a bite.¡± She encouraged him, putting a piece in her mouth. The taste was sensational. He cut a piece and put it in his mouth. His face lit up with pleasure and she smiled. ¡°Told you so.¡±

    Ash controlled himself from shoving the meat in his mouth. He hadn¡¯t fed in a while and the taste of blood made his senses go crazy and his hunger grow. He was suddenly aware of Lee and how appetizing the scent of her blood was. He could feel his teeth itch and his throat burn as the thoughts of feeding on her grew as he watched her eat. He could feel his animal side take over him and he didn¡¯t like it.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Control yourself! He closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his sides. He took several deep breaths trying to dispel her scent from his nostrils and reel his hunger down. He felt disgusted, angry with himself for entertaining the thought of feeding on the woman he loved. But he had to feed, soon if he was to keep from ripping her throat out.

    After they were done, he offered to clean up as she cleared out her books. It waste and she was exhausted. She sat on the couch and waited till he was done, she didn¡¯t want to go to sleep without him.

    Ash came toward her, without a word he picked her up and headed to her room. He pulled the covers, ced her in bed, and then he climbed in and pulled the covers up, tucking her into his side and holding her tight in his arms.

    ¡°Goodnight, my lovely Lee,¡± he whispered in her ear, and then she fell asleep, not so worried about the nightmares anymore. She knew he would wake her up the moment she looked distressed.

 Forty Two

    The finals were finally over. They weren¡¯t that bad but she wished she had more time to prepare, and then maybe she would have done better on them. She was sure she¡¯d done well in history because Ash turned out to be a better teacher than Mr. Scott. Ash kept telling her not to fret, that he was sure she¡¯d done well. Easy for him to say, he wasn¡¯t in the hot room, but she never contradicted him.

    His moods seemed to be connected to hers, whenever she was sad or worried or depressed, he made it his job to cheer her up and if she were still in that rotten mood, he would get depressed too. She found it silly, but at the same time, it showed her how much he loved her. So she made it a point to try and stay positive and happy when she was around him.

    Ann and Maria were moving back into the apartment now that exams were over and so were Lee¡¯s nightmares. She was happy to have her sisters back, but she knew she would miss the alone moments Ash and she had. Having the house full would change everything. But she was mostly scared that the nightmares would be back if Ash had to move back to his house. Having him around had made her nights more restful and she was awake and energetic during the day.

    Each morning she woke up feeling strange, the nights before were nightmare free, and instead a weird recurring dream had reced it. It started as usual, with her dad and a lot of red, but before she drowned in the red, it changed. All the memories she had with Ash came flooding in, the first night they spent together, the lovey-dovey moments they had,ughter, them dancing, his embrace, his touch, his kisses. The images, the voices reyed in her mind like a romantic movie. She¡¯s never had a nightmare turn into something so¡­ beautiful.

    She told him about the dreams, expecting him to find it as strange as she did, but all he did was smile, kiss her then say, ¡°I¡¯m d your dreams are peaceful. I¡¯ll make sure they remain as they are.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°You will be happy and safe for the rest of my existence, that¡¯s what I mean.¡±

    His answers cryptic and weird as usual, but they always reminded her of his promise. It seemed to be weighing heavy on him, and it worried her how his promise would have him in a bad mood. Now that all the obstructions were clear, he knew it was time to tell her the truth, but she didn¡¯t want to know anymore, she was regretting forcing him into it. His fear of losing her was starting to affect her too, scaring her even more.

    Theyy on the couch; she was tucked into his side, between him and the couch, part of her body on top of him. They had spent the night talking, about everything and anything, but never about him and the promise. They watched the sunrise before she nodded off to sleep, embraced by the new dreams that had taken over her sleep.

    * * * *

    Hey, Ash, long time no see!

    Lee looks really peaceful, I¡¯ll tell the girls to keep it down.

    Why don¡¯t you guys just move to the bedroom, Joe and I want to set up the new TV.

    Which t screen did you get?

    The forty-two inch, Billy wanted to get a bigger one but Maria wouldn¡¯t let him! They got into it at the TV store, so Ann and I just went to the counter and paid for this one!

    Well, we now know who wears the pants in your rtionship! Ashe on we want to watch the game, it¡¯s about to start.

    She¡¯ll wake up if I move her. Go home and watch it there!

    Ohe on, Ash!

    No!

    I¡¯m setting it up anyway!

    Billy¡­

    Ash, let him; Maria will have his head if it wakes Lee up!

    Go help Ann unpack.

    If Ann and I end up in a room alone, we won¡¯t be unpacking we¡¯d be undressing, and anyway, I want to watch the game!

    ¡°E, Billy! I really didn¡¯t need to hear that!¡± Lee shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of Billy and her sister naked. ¡°Ash, let them set up the TV, I¡¯m awake anyway, so much for keeping it down, Joe.¡± She lifted herself up on the couch reluctantly, kissing Ash on the nose before she got offpletely. Then she noticed the bewildered faces staring at her, their eyes were about to pop out of their socket!

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ everything is¡­fine.¡± Ash managed to answer as he sat up, but he still looked surprised.

    ¡°Then why are you all looking at me like I sprouted wings or something?¡± Their eyes darted to the ground except for Ash. His eyes had softened.

    ¡°Nothing, go say hi to your sisters, it¡¯s been awhile.¡±

    She walked away slowly, still a bit confused by their reaction, but that was washed away when she heard Maria¡¯s chirpyughe from Ann¡¯s room.

    ¡°Hi guys! I¡¯d missed you so much!¡± She hugged Ann then Maria, sitting next to her on Ann¡¯s bed.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°I bet. What you meant to say is ¡®I wish you guys hadn¡¯te back¡¯.¡± Leeughed, Ann was a little close to the truth.

    ¡°As much as I loved being alone here with Ash, I really did miss you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re back together, for good this time?¡± Maria asked, worry dominating her voice.

    ¡°For the rest of our existence,¡± she said repeating Ash¡¯s words.

    ¡°What?¡± Ann stopped unpacking and looked at her. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°When he tells me, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Ash had been saying a lot of cryptic things to her, some that implied marriage, but he never came out and said it straight. She was d; as much as she loved him she wasn¡¯t ready for such amitment, not after Steve, not until shepletely knew Ash-not even after that.

    She shivered remembering the agony in Ash¡¯s voice. He was so sure she would leave him after he told her the truth. The conviction in his voice scared her, she wasn¡¯t sure how she would react, but she hoped that when the time came, she would keep an open mind.

    ¡°So, how about adies¡¯ night out? We¡¯re done with finals, we¡¯ve been tied up with our boyfriends, and we haven¡¯t had time for us.¡± Lee needed a distraction, and a girl¡¯s night out was always crazy enough to do the job.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m down for that!¡± Ann was always willing to go out clubbing.

    ¡°What about Ash¡¯s psycho friend? I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll let you go out without him.¡± Maria had resurrected a ghost Lee had forgotten about.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s dangerous, she does need to make a reservation at a loony bin, but she¡¯s harmless, otherwise, she would have done something when she came.¡±

    ¡°Lee¡¯s right, and just in case she¡¯s wrong, I brought our toys from the shooting range.¡± Ann pulled out her nine-millimeter pistol out of her bag.

    ¡°Are you crazy? What am I saying? You are crazy!¡± Maria was on her feet. Her voice was raised.

    ¡°What, they are just for insurance!¡±

    ¡°What if it goes off?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t!¡±

    Lee moved from the bed and stepping away from the nose of the barrel that was now pointed at her. ¡°Ann, is that thing loaded, because I don¡¯t like the direction it¡¯s pointing.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± She pointed the gun down. ¡°And it¡¯s not, I¡¯m not that crazy!¡±

    ¡°Ann, take those things back, now!¡± Maria¡¯s voice had climbed higher, her face red and annoyed.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll take them back tomorrow.¡± Ann put them in her top drawer before she turned to Maria with a smile. Leeughed; they all knew she didn¡¯t mean a word she said.

    Maria exhaled, not out of relief but defeat. ¡°What time do we leave? I need a drink.¡± Theyughed; Maria sounded as defeated as she looked.

    ¡°Right after dinner.¡± Lee gave Maria a hug. She knew how hard it was for her to let Ann get away with her crazy stunts.

 Forty Three

    ¡°Do you think it was the bite?¡± Billy was pacing in the living room, agitated confused and scared.

    They had waited for the girls to leave before they talked about Lee and how she was able to hear their telepathic conversation. Ash had put up a fight, trying to prevent Lee from leaving the apartment. He tried to forbid her but it had only made her even more adamant to go. After thirty minutes of arguing he gave up. He called Dave the second the door closed behind them, and asked him to keep an eye on them. He felt at ease knowing that someone was watching her, but he was troubled by Lee¡¯s ability to read their thoughts.

    ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be I didn¡¯t bite her that hard.¡± Ash was at the edge of the couch, cradling his head in his hands.

    ¡°You bit her hard enough to leave a scar!¡± Billy yelled panicked.

    Ash¡¯s head shot up. ¡°How do you know that?¡± His voice was urgent.

    ¡°Ann told me. How did you not notice that? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been doing more than just helping her study!¡± Billy¡¯s voice was raised and impatient.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult to concentrate around her!¡± Ash¡¯s voice rose to match Billy¡¯s.

    ¡°Both of you, calm down.¡± Joe¡¯s voice was level and calm. ¡°Ash, do you think some venom may have gotten into her system, the bite was pretty close to the artery.¡±

    ¡°I think it would have been more evident if I had changed her!¡± Ash was on his feet, shouting.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you changed her, all I¡¯m saying is that if the venom is in her system, it would exin a lot.¡± Joe¡¯s voice remained calm. ¡°Her shoulder healed in half the time it was supposed to.¡±

    ¡°She could hear our thoughts,¡± Billy added on to the list.

    Ash dropped on the chair, his face in his hands. The realization of what he did weighing heavily on him.

    ¡°She threw a chair across her apartment with her bad shoulder,¡± Joe continued oblivious of Ash¡¯s new mood. The conversation, was now only between him and Billy.

    ¡°Her new sleeping habit, but we hardly sleep so that could mean anything.¡± Billy sounded a little hopeful.

    ¡°The fact that she is always sick, her body could be reacting to it.¡±

    ¡°But she looks fine now. She¡¯s no longer pale or weak. Ash what else have you noticed?¡± Billy turned his attention to Ash. He wasn¡¯t very concerned about his current mood.

    He swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°She¡¯s strong, she¡¯s very strong.¡±

    ¡°How strong is very strong?¡± Billy was even more anxious.

    ¡°She¡¯s strong enough to hold me down when I haven¡¯t fed. I had to struggle to get her off me.¡±

    Billy¡¯s eyes grew bigger. He was scared. Ash¡¯s strength when he was running on empty was equivalent to him when he was half full. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn¡¯t find his voice. He sank into the seat opposite the couch.

    Joe swallowed hard. ¡°What else?¡±

    Ash¡¯s fists clenched over his face. ¡°Her appetite has grown. She loves meat, rare or very close to raw.¡± He wed at his hair pulling on it hard. ¡°She used to detest the smell of blood, even the sight of it repulsed her. But now, she relishes it. She thinks I don¡¯t notice, but I can see the pleasure she gets from the taste of blood.¡±

    Billy and Joe were frozen, staring at Ash who was slowly turning pale.

    ¡°What have I done?¡± The words escaped from him like a tortured whisper.

    ¡°Ash, she¡¯s not a werewolf.¡± Joe tried tofort him, but the fear in his voice rendered his words useless.

    ¡°Then what is she?¡± Billy murmured below his breath, and then he looked up, ¡°We should get them back home. It¡¯s time Lee knew the truth, about us. She¡¯ll realize soon that something is wrong with her, we need to tell her before it gets worse.¡±

    Joe flipped his phone open and dialed. ¡°I¡¯ll call Maria.¡±

    Ash sat there, unable to think or talk. He was positively sure, now, Lee wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with him when she found out what he did to her.

    ****

    ¡°Lee, there¡¯s someone checking you out,¡± Ann shouted over the music. Maria had gone to the bathroom to answer Joe¡¯s phone call.

    ¡°Where?¡± She asked Ann without bothering to look up from her bottle of fizzy water. She switched drinks when her first and only shot of tequ had sent the room spinning. It had taken over an hour and four bottles of waterter to sober her up.

    ¡°He¡¯s behind you. He¡¯s kind of hot.¡± Ann moved closer to her ear, but kept her eyes on the mystery man.

    ¡°Ann, I have a boyfriend, and so do you.¡± Lee took another sip of her water.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t look. And if you didn¡¯t want anyone to stare at you, you should have dressed down.¡±

    Ann had a point. They had all dressed up in their man-hunting, tight, leg-showing dresses. That must be why Ash didn¡¯t want me to leave the house. She turned and followed Ann¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Which one is¡­¡± Her voice caught in her throat when she saw the guy she was staring at, and then he was gone.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She felt a cold rush through her, her legs felt weak under her. She leaned against the table for support. She could feel the blood rush in her head. It¡¯s impossible. I must be imaging things.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Ann was beside her, her hands on her shoulders.

    ¡°I think¡­I think I just saw my dad.¡± Without thinking, she pushed through the crowds of people and ran for the exit. She needed to see him again. She needed to confirm if it was him. When she got out, the streets were empty, with the exception of a drunken couple singing as they staggered away.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Ann asked her, rm in her voice. She shook her head, unable to speak.

    ¡°Lee, Joe called, we have to go home.¡± Maria draped her coat over her shoulders, and then she gently pushed her forward, holding onto her to keep her bnce.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the car.¡± Ann ran to the parking lot, with the car keys and her shoes in hand.

    ****

    Dave stood in the alley and watched his daughter get into the car and drive off. He hadn¡¯t intended on getting seen, but it was the first time he had been so close to her, and he couldn¡¯t help but stare at his beautiful grown daughter. She looks so much like her mother. Martha would have been proud. He pulled out his phone and dialed. ¡°Ash, she saw me.¡±

    ****

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Ash had her frozen body cradled on hisp, she looked dazed, her eyes fixed and empty, staring at nothing.

    ¡°Honey, please talk to me.¡± His urgent voice melted her, forcing her to blink a couple of times as she came back to reality.

    ¡°Ash, I saw my father. I¡¯m sure of it. Ann saw him too,¡± she whispered into his neck.

    ¡°Lee, I don¡¯t know what your father looks like, and that guy looked really young.¡± Ann was quiet, Lee could tell she didn¡¯t want to confirm or deny that she saw her father.

    She pulled out of Ash¡¯s arms and walked to her room. She got her shoebox out of her closet. It had been a while since she went through the contents. She took a deep breath before she took the lid of. It was filled with newspaper cuttings of her family. She took Ash¡¯s diamond pendant and put it on, she needed the security-it was the only good thing in that box. She then took out the clipping with the caption ¡®FAMILY DIES IN HOUSE FIRE¡¯, below it was a picture of her family, with her included.

 Forty Four

    It was a happy picture, with her seated on her father¡¯sp and Alice in her mother¡¯s arms with her little fingers in her mouth. Jayson was standing behind her mother and father with his huge dorky smile on. She¡¯d missed that smile.

    The first day she spoke after her family got killed was the day she saw their picture in the newspaper. Her social worker had to file a motion with the court, dering that she hadn¡¯t died in the fire. It was a long process but she was finally legally alive. She was d that the newspapers hadn¡¯t found out that she was still alive, she didn¡¯t want the attention and maybe not physically, but a part of her had died with her family that day.

    She looked up. Ash was standing at the door, his face distressed. She stood up and walked to him. She took his hand in hers and walked back to the living room. Without a word, she handed Ann the clipping then led Ash back to the couch. He sat down before she climbed back onto hisp, burying her head in his chest. He held her tight, cradling her.

    The gasp behind them answered everyone in the room. Lee wanted to disappear, to creep under a rock and nevere out. She pressed herself against Ash, hoping his body would give her the refuge she so badly needed. His arms tightened around her in response.

    The room was quiet, everyone¡¯s breathing sounded louder than they usually did. She kept her concentration on Ash¡¯s heartbeat. It was racing erratically. She needed him to stay calm so that she could draw that from him. She clenched her finger tighter on his shirt, keeping her other hand securely on his arm.

    ¡°Ash, will you please calm down. I¡¯m depending on you to keep me from falling apart. So you need to keep it together.¡± Her voice was t, emotionless and low.

    ¡°Okay.¡± He slowly shifted on the couch and stretched out on it keeping her cradled against him. He put her in between himself and the couch. Someone ced a nket over them. Lee didn¡¯t bother to move to see who it was. Then the breathing was gone. She and Ash were the only ones left in the room.

    She pressed her ear on his chest, listening to his heartbeat slow down, depending on it to keep her anchored to reality. She didn¡¯t want to think of anything. She needed to stay sane long enough to process the new curve ball life had thrown at her. She kept her concentration on Ash¡¯s heartbeat; it was now a stable rhythm. She pushed everything out of her mind, except for the loud thud of Ash¡¯s heart. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep, hoping she would drown in her new dreams.

    ****

    Ash spent the night ying out Lee¡¯s reaction when she finally reunited with her father. He was scared she would hate him for keeping her father from her. Adding the fact that they were werewolves on top of everything would be the final nail in the coffin. He knew she would want nothing to do with him. He spent the night holding her in his arms, filling her mind with the dream he had created for her to keep the nightmares away, knowing it would be thest time he would be like this with her.

    ****

    It was a miracle Lee had managed to sleep through the night. She thought she would wake up a couple of times, trembling, screaming, crying or something but she hadn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was to thank her new dreams, Ash or the orthopedic mattress. Ash had carried her to bed once she fell asleep. He¡¯d be a part of her existence, a vital part of her that she couldn¡¯t do without.

    She got up from their new bed picked up her toiletry bag and headed for the bathroom. She wanted to rx for a while before she started freaking out. The water was soothing, washing away all the tension that had built up inside her. She spent close to an hour in the water before she went back to her room and dressed, slowly prolonging her date with reality. She sat on the bed engulfed with thoughts of her family.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It took her a long time but she had finally epted that they were dead, and now, an image of her father was about to destroy it. It was going to pull her and drown her in her sorrows again.

    He looked exactly the same, like he hadn¡¯t aged. Jayson would have looked exactly like him if he had lived. Her mother always said he was a spitting image of her dad when he was that age.

    Jayson! How could I not have thought of that before! She jumped off the bed and ran for the living room.

    ¡°Ash, Ann was right! My dad should be in his mid-forties, that guy was too young! It could have been Jayson! Maybe he escaped!¡±

    She stopped when she saw Ann¡¯s and Maria¡¯s zombie faces in the kitchen, staring ahead toward the living room. Ann was standing, with Billy¡¯s arms around her. Maria was seated at the table, her hands buried in Joe¡¯s who sat so closely next to her. She turned following their gaze. She stopped when her eyes connected with Ash¡¯s, not daring to look directly at the person in her peripheral view.

    Ash¡¯s eyes were sad, scared. The side of his lips curved up in half a smile. But she knew the fake smile was for her benefit, his eyes didn¡¯t express the emotion he was trying to portray. He extended his hand and reached for her. She walked slowly toward him, keeping her eyes locked on his. His arms encircled her, tucking her under his shoulder. She fisted her fingers around the front of his shirt her other hand fisted around the shirt at his back. She looked up at him, still holding his gaze, too scared to break it.

    Ash rubbed her cheek, wiping a tear that had escaped, keeping his eyes locked on hers. ¡°Lee, someone¡¯s here to see you.¡± She didn¡¯t turn neither did she speak; she just kept staring into Ash¡¯s deep brown eyes.

    Then after what seemed like a decade, Ash broke his stare and turned his face toward the door. She blinked a couple of times as he released the hold on her eyes, but she didn¡¯t dare turn, instead she kept her eyes on the floor.

    ¡°Merilee¡­¡± She jumped as the familiar voice called out her name. She tightened her hold on Ash, turning her head into his shoulder. She wasn¡¯t ready yet, it was happening too fast. What if her mind was ying tricks on her again? Imagination or reality, she wasn¡¯t ready yet.

    She could feel Ash¡¯s fingers under her chin, trying to turn her head. She pulled away burying her head deeper in his shoulder. She pressed herself into him, tightening her grips on his shirt.

    ¡°Ash,¡± Her voice was muffled, but she knew he could hear the panic in it.

    His other hand was around her, he¡¯d shifted her, and she was now pressed against his chest, his lips on her hair. But she never let go of his shirt, her palms hurt as her nails dug into them in a tighter hold.

    ¡°Lee, we¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready.¡± His voice was patient, soft; she could feel his breath in her hair.

    Ash I want to see her, to hold her!

    The familiar voice was impatient anxious.

    You¡¯ll wait until she¡¯s ready, not a minute sooner!

    Ash was firm but calm. She was d he was there. But she knew she couldn¡¯t hide all day, as much as she wanted to. They would still be standing here when the sunset and rose tomorrow.

    Why is she scared of me?

    He was no longer impatient, just desperate.

    Dave, shh! She can hear you!

    What did Billy mean I could hear him? I am in the same space as them! Lee thought to herself.

    What! What do you mean?

    He sounded shocked, but no one answered him this time.

    Wait, he called him Dave! It wasn¡¯t her brother. It was her dad! He was alive! She trembled as the reality hit her. Ash tightened his hold, and bent his head down. She raised her head to put her cheek against his. He was whispering in her ear, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention to his words, but his silky singing voice soothed her, calming her down as she took her time to process everything.

    She took a deep breath and turned her head, peeking from under her wetshes at the person who was now standing so close to them. It was her dad. He looked exactly the same as he did when shest saw him. Her family¡¯sst happy images were fixed in her mind, there was no way she would forget them.

 Forty Five

    ¡°Merilee.¡± He had a wide grin on his face, his voice sounded relieved, like he had finally found what he was looking for. She stayed quiet and just stared at him, half expecting he would disappear, or she would wake up from a cruel dream.

    Ash tried to turn her whole body around to face her father, but she wouldn¡¯t dislodge. He kissed her head, pushing it slightly; he did this till he reached her ear. He kissed it then whispered in her ear with his silky soft voice, ¡°Mi amor, he¡¯s real. You are not imaging him, neither are you dreaming.¡± He tugged at her hand at the front of his shirt. ¡°Touch him, and feel that he is real.¡±

    She didn¡¯t do anything, she just stared at him, and then he did something with his face. She recognized it immediately! It was his impatient face. He always did that when he was trying to be patient with one of them, except for one person.

    ¡°You never dared to do that with Mom.¡± She was surprised by her own voice. She couldn¡¯t believe she just called him out.

    Heughed, he looked more like her dad now than he did ten seconds ago, but there was a sh of pain in his face. ¡°It¡¯s called self-preservation, sweetheart.¡± He took a step closer. She leaned into Ash.

    She hadn¡¯t noticed he had managed to pry her fingers open, she mped down on his thumb, pulling and holding it tight against her.

    ¡°You are still as stubborn as you ever were¡­my mini-mar.¡±

    She gasped. She looked up at Ash, confused. It was getting too real. She needed him to tell her what to do. He looked into her eyes, and without a word, he extended his arm, forcing hers to go with his. She tried to pull back but he wouldn¡¯t budge. He stopped, pausing where their hands had reached and kept them there, it was like tagging on a statue! He kept his eyes fixed on hers. They were warm and reassuring.

    ¡°You used to hold on to me like that whenever I took you to the office. You kept saying that my boss was big and scary, you wouldn¡¯t dare look at him, let alone let him touch you!¡± Heughed. ¡°I thought you would get me fired!¡±

    She turned and looked at him, the memory shed into her mind as if it had happened days and not years ago. Ash started stretching again. She didn¡¯t stop him. He ced the back of her hand into her dad¡¯s open hand. He knew she wouldn¡¯t let go so he didn¡¯t try to pull his thumb out of her fist.

    The feel of her father¡¯s hand made her heart race, she felt lightheaded. He was real. It wasn¡¯t a dream or her imagination on hyper drive.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Ash asked as he moved closer to her dad. She nodded, moving with him. ¡°Breathe, mi amor.¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed she was holding her breath. She let go of the air and took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s good, now, let go of my thumb and take your father¡¯s hand.¡± He maintained his silky soft voice as he gave her instructions.

    She held on for a few more seconds before she let go and ced her hand in her dad¡¯s, but she kept her other hand tight on Ash¡¯s back.

    Her dad¡¯s hand felt warm, familiar, safe. She knew it was her childhood memories taking over now. She automatically let go of Ash and wrapped her arms around her dad¡¯s neck, hugging him tight. She was sobbing hard. ¡°Daddy!¡± His arms wrapped around her, his head buried in her hair.

    ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t cry. My baby! You have no idea how long I¡¯ve waited to hold you in my arms!¡± He pulled back and looked at her. ¡°Let me get an up close look at you. You look just like your mother.¡±

    She smiled, the universe had done something right for her atst; it gave her father back! He pulled her to the couch; she turned and looked at Ash.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry he¡¯s not going anywhere!¡± There was a hint of annoyance in her dad¡¯s voice, she couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°You are going to have to like him, remember I¡¯m eighteen.¡± Ash smiled, moving closer to stand behind the couch, he looked happy seeing her rxed and so happy.

    ¡°And you love him.¡± He sat her down, the annoyance in his voice lighter.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She turned and faced Ash with a beaming smile on her face. He smiled back, it wasn¡¯t his normal smile, it was crooked, but his face spoke volumes, his eyes in earnest. ¡°I love you too, more than my own life.¡± His singing voice caressed her with his words; she could feel herself melt inside.

    The effects he had on her weren¡¯t any less with her father around. She should be happier having her dad back after so many years, it should have been the epitome of her life, but she couldn¡¯t help but be happier having Ash stand by her through all her crazy moments. A father back from the dead was the craziest. Ash was her rock, her safe haven, and a part of her she couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t live without.

    ¡°He¡¯s lucky I left my shot gun at home,¡± Dave feigned disapproval. As silly as it might have seemed, she was happy they were acting out the years he had missed.

    The rest had moved closer, they stood behind Ash watching them. Ann¡¯s eyes were red, and Maria was wiping away the fresh tears.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ****

    Lee and Dave talked about her, her life and his; catching up on the years they had missed. They talked about her mother, Alice, and Jayson and cried over them. She felt rxedfortable like he had never disappeared. They were in their own little bubble.

    She caught the scent ofsagna. Maria was cooking. They had moved to the kitchen to give the two of them some privacy. Joe, Ann, and Billy were seated at the table talking andughing. Ash sat closer facing their direction with his eyes on them, she smiled at him, and he smiled back, she was d he made her-in his own gentle way-talk to her dad. She felt like life was finally going great for her.

    ¡°Dad, I want to introduce you to my family.¡± She shifted on the couch and looked at the group in the kitchen.

 Forty Six

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know them all.¡± He sounded so casual.

    ¡°Oh, you had time to talk to them when you came?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡± There was a shadow across his face, his eyes shifted and looked behind her. She turn around, he was staring at Ash.

    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± She could see the silent conversation they were having, the trepidation in their faces was so evident it couldn¡¯t have been clearer if the word were stamped on their foreheads.

    Ash stood up and moved toward them slowly, dragging out the seconds he had left to reach her. He sat on the table facing her. He took her hands in his and buried his face in them, her palms felt wet, was he crying? She¡¯d seen him sad, angry and in agony, but this was very new to her. He kissed the inside of her palms and whispered in them. The words sounded like ¡®forgive me¡¯, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. He was scaring her.

    She ced her palms t on his cheeks and gently pulled his face up, his hands still covering hers. His eyshes were wet. He was crying! She felt her lips quiver, but fought to keep them straight. ¡°Ash what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He stared at her, long and hard, and then he pulled her hands back down and pressed his face in her palms, tears were filling the arch her hands had made. She realized this was about his promise-the one he was so sure she would leave him for. It must be really bad for him to be so broken like this.

    She swallowed hard, tears dripping down her cheeks but she kept her control, she wasn¡¯t going to get hysterical. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, you don¡¯t have to tell me!¡± She was shaking her head hard.

    ¡°Tell her about you, if she can take that, then I¡¯ll tell her the rest.¡± Ash¡¯s voice was shaky; he kept his head in her palms when he spoke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you! Ash, please don¡¯t tell me, please!¡± Her voice came out more like a weep, she was begging. Ash pressed a kiss in her palms but said nothing. She cursed herself for demanding this from him at the beginning. She never knew that she would love him so much, and now her stubbornness was about to take him away from her.

    She turned to her father and shook her head even harder, her voice trapped by the sobs she was holding in her throat. Dave turned to her, he ce arm around her and hugged her shoulders since her hands were preupied.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Honey-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She cut him off before he could say another word.

    ¡°Please listen.¡±

    ¡°I said no!¡± she shouted at him, shaking off his arm.

    Ash squeezed her hands, but he didn¡¯t move them from his face. ¡°Lee, listen to your father.¡± His voice was authoritative but she could still hear the shakiness at the edge of it. She went quiet and kept her eyes on his jet-ck hair. He wasn¡¯t giving her a choice and yet he was going to hide in her palms. She kept her gaze fixed and her mind busy with all sorts of things, she wanted to block out whatever words woulde out of her father¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Merilee, there is no gentle way to say this, so I¡¯m going toe out and say it¡­¡± Dave paused, his voice had gotten shaky at the end. He cleared his throat before he started again, ¡°Your mother, Jayson and Alice didn¡¯t die in the fire, and they were¡­¡± He stopped. She turned to him, her faced creased in disbelief. She was right, all the years they tried to convince her to ignore the truth. He squeezed his eyes shut. A tear escaped before he brushed it away, he clenched his fists over hisp.

    ¡°They were killed by some bad people.¡±

    She stared at him so hard it felt like she could see through his tormented eyes. He kept talking but she was already seeing everything in her mind. It was like she was watching a movie, like she was in the movie, but only through someone else¡¯s eyes. She wasn¡¯t paying attention to him, but to the images that were running through her mind.

    There were two big wolves, one over her mother and Alice, the other over Jayson. She watched her mother cradle Alice against her, reaching for Jayson with her other hand. Jayson was like a zombie, tears flowed down his cheeks but he didn¡¯t say a word he didn¡¯t even move, he just stared at their mother. Someone was pleading, crying. Her host was trying hard to move, but he was held tight by something. She couldn¡¯t see him, but his voice was familiar. It was her dad¡¯s voice. Then she saw the wolves rip her brother apart, then her sister and finally her mother.

    ¡°No! Stop! Please stop! Don¡¯t, please don¡¯t!¡± She was screaming out loud, sobbing hysterically, but she still kept her eyes on her father.

    Her host went quiet, his head hung low and he was staring at the floor. Then a tiny voice came into the room. The head shot up and around. ¡°Merilee run!¡± That little voice was hers. She saw herself run out the door, she looked scared. ¡°Go after her!¡± A big booming voice filled the room. Then she could see the room, rush past her, it stopped when her host hit something and fell with a thud. She saw someone run out after her-her young self, but he came flying back into the house, crashing into the far living room wall.

    Three big guys shed into the house, they looked angry, dangerous. She looked closer, she recognized them, Ash was in the middle, Billy and Joe nked him. They went at the other people in the living room, hitting, breaking and drawing blood out of all they came in contact with, adding to the blood all over the room.

    Her host couldn¡¯t move, his eyes roamed around the two rooms but he didn¡¯t move. Everything went quiet, all the screaming, the sounds of furniture and bones breaking were gone. Then Ash came and knelt in front of him, his eyes were full of sorrow and guilt. The little voice was back in the room. The head turned and stared at her-at Merilee, and then it turned back to Ash. Her dad¡¯s voice spoke up again, and then Ash picked her up and handed her to a tall beautiful woman-she looked like Ash¡¯s psycho, she carried Lee out, she was crying, stretching her hands out toward her-toward the person. Then his head turned, people were talking but he couldn¡¯t hear. Then his eyelids began to close, cutting off her sight, but she could see Ash, he was leaning down toward the person. Then it stopped, as if the stop button had been pressed, and then everything was shaky.

    She came out of her trance. She was on her feet close to the door, facing away from everyone. Ash had his hands on her arms shaking her, he was shouting but she didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. She blinked a couple of time, incoherent of her present surroundings. It all seemed so real. It felt so real.

    She looked up and met Ash¡¯s eyes, he was leaning over, their faces close enough to touch, his lips were moving. ¡°Lee stop, you need to stop now!¡± Then he looked above her. ¡°Dave, clear your head, stop your memories, now!¡± He sounded angry. Why?

 Forty Seven

    ¡°What?¡± she whispered at him, the images still swimming in her head.

    He raised his hands and cupped her face, rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs. ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± His voice was soft, shaky but level.

    ¡°It was so real. Like a movie, but, my family¡­¡± She stopped, she thought about what she was saying, and she couldn¡¯t seriously be considering it.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ash sounded miserable, what was he talking about? Someone touched her shoulder, and then turned her around. She starred at her father, his face looked pained.

    ¡°Honey, it was real. That¡¯s how our family was murdered.¡± Thest word came out like a pained whisper. All the images came flying back into her mind, hitting her with the reality that it had happened. She gasped then pulled away, walking backward as far as she could from the two.

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s my mind; it¡¯s ying tricks on me again. Dr. Warren said they died in a fire, and that my mind was just trying to cope. My family wasn¡¯t ughtered, wolves don¡¯t exist and the three of you couldn¡¯t have been there, you would have been in your teen years!¡±

    Joe and Billy stared at her, the heart wrenching truth written all over their faces, she turned back toward the door, Dave and Ash hadn¡¯t even tried to dispute it.

    It all sank in, tearing her into pieces as it slowly dawned on her, her nightmares were real they weren¡¯t her mind on overdrive or some mechanism to try and cope with the death of her family, it had really happened. Her family had died in the most brutal way.

    A scream escaped her mouth as she sank to the ground. Ann and Maria met her halfway and gently lowered her down on the floor. Their arms were wrapped tight around her. The pain was too much. She couldn¡¯t stand it. She cried and screamed, trying to get it out of her system.

    It felt like hours had passed before she finally went mute, but the pain was still there. Ann and Maria still had their arms around her. She was in a daze, ying and reying the images in her head. Dave came and crouched down next to her, but he kept his arms to himself.

    ¡°Lee stop, you are torturing yourself!¡± Ash¡¯s voice came from behind Dave. He was speaking through clenched teeth; he looked as pained as she felt. Her pain was his pain-he always said that to her. She tried to push the images out of her mind; she needed a clear head if she was to understand everything.

    ¡°Why did that happen?¡± Her voice was blunt, emotionless.

    ¡°Because I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m sorry, they were all killed because of me.¡± His face looked so guilty, but it didn¡¯t move her. All she emotions had been drained out. All she wanted was answers.

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°Ash will exin that to you.¡± His face shed from guilty to angry, her eyes flickered to Ash. His face was tight, his eyes unsteady. She looked back at her father. She asked him a question that she should have when he walked through the door. ¡°Why did you leave me, especially after¡­ after what happened?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to keep you safe, away from my new life. I didn¡¯t want to lose you too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here, alive. What makes you think I would have been in any danger being with you?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He stood up and walked away. ¡°You would have, and I wasn¡¯t willing to risk it, I didn¡¯t want to lose the only family I had left.¡±

    She stood up, breaking Ann¡¯s and Maria¡¯s hold on her. ¡°What makes you think they wouldn¡¯t have found me in whichever orphanage I was in and killed me?¡± She could feel the anger rise in her.

    He turned and faced her. ¡°I made sure there wasn¡¯t a chance of that happening!¡±

    ¡°No, they made sure there was no chance of that happening! They killed everyone in the room.¡± She nodded her head in the guys¡¯ direction, they were standing together by the couch, she heard a gasp behind her but she ignored it. ¡°Feed me another line!¡±

    ¡°There were more of them, those guys¡¯ they killed weren¡¯t the only ones. I didn¡¯t want you to get caught in the middle. That¡¯s why I moved you from New York to Florida.¡±

    She felt like she had just been pped in the face. The fury was boiling inside her. ¡°You knew where I was and you didn¡¯te get me? You didn¡¯t even care enough toe see me!¡± She took two steps closer to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I watched you every day of your life! I even kept tabs on you through your psychiatrist!¡± His voice was louder, but the fear remained in it.

    ¡°Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± the words hissed out of her mouth in a whisper.

    ¡°I gave you money, an apartment, a car, you nevercked anything!¡±

    ¡°Of course, how dare I be so ungrateful!¡± she shouted at him, shocked by his statement, ¡°Money, a home and a car were supposed to rece my family! They were supposed to make me get over being thest of the Jackson¡¯s alive, is that what you are saying to me!¡± She was so angry she was shaking!

    ¡°My father was supposed tofort me, protect me, instead you let me live with this remorse and guilt for thirteen years! I was a baby! You offloaded me on the state to be raised in orphanages, so you could go on living your life without the burden of a child.¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that. I loved you then, and I love you now!¡±

    She went on, her body shaking in anger. ¡°You loved me so much you let me live in torment for years. What better way is there for a father to express his love for his daughter but to abandon her!¡± Sarcasm dominated her voice, she was heaving, her shoulders tight, her hands clenched in fists.

    Shock shed in his face. ¡°Your eyes¡­¡±

 Forty Eight

    Joe and Billy moved fast behind her. Ash took slow steps toward her, his arms wide, and his hands up.

    ¡°Come near me and you¡¯ll regret it!¡± she hissed the words at Ash with such venom it stopped him dead in his tracks.

    ¡°Lee, you need to calm down,¡± he said it slow as if he were talking to an infant.

    ¡°You knew about me, my dad, my family and you kept it from me! You know exactly how much pain it caused me.¡± She turned to him, she forgot she loved him, she forgot the fear of losing him, and all she wanted was to attack him, rip his heart out and shred it just like they¡¯d done to hers.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the right time-¡± he managed to get out before she cut him off.

    ¡°Give me that bullshit about the right time again and I swear¡­¡± She felt a rumble deep inside her.

    Ash inched closer to her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my ce.¡±

    It irritated her how calm he was.

    ¡°It was your ce! As the man I love, it was your ce! As the man who imed to love me, it was your ce!¡± She moved closer to him, she could feel the anger build inside her, flowing through her veins and into every part of her. She didn¡¯t recognize this side of herself, but she had no intentions of stopping her.

    ¡°Lee, calm down.¡± He took a step closer.

    If she were to swing, she would hit him in his jaw and hopefully break it and stop all the liesing out of his mouth.

    ¡°Calm down? Is that all you are going to say? Calm down!¡± Her voice was dangerously low. She felt another rumble in her, but it was heavier. Her arms were wide at her sides and her fingers were spread out. She was ready to knock that calm out of his face.

    In a blink, Ash had her in his arms. He held them tight around her in a lock, pinning her arms down. She struggled, trying to get free but he wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Let go of me, Ash!¡± she yelled, pushing her weight back against him. But he stayed steady on his feet, his arms locked around her tighter.

    ¡°You need to calm down.¡± His voice was soft but demanding. He bent his head down and put his cheek against hers. She turned away from him, trying to get her face as far away from him as possible, but he only moved his closer, pinning her head against his shoulder.

    Her new precious dreams began filling her head recing the images of the ughter. The love in those images soothed her, her rigid body rxed. She was sobbing, all the anger gone.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Ash was now gently rocking them, whispering in her ear in Spanish-his lovenguage, she could feel the love in the words as he whispered them over and over again in her ear. The only words she understood were mi amor, he had said them to her so many times it was hard not to recognize them.

    ¡°Please let go of me.¡± Her voice felt spongy.

    Dave walked in front of them and looked into her tear filled eyes. He nodded at Ash and took a step back. Ash let her lose. He turned her to face him. Before he could say anything, she raised her shaky hand up to stop him. She took several steps back so that she could be out of his reach.

    ¡°I need some time, alone. I need to process this, I can¡¯t have any of you around me, not now, and I just need¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t find the words. She needed to get away, she felt like she was suffocating. Ash¡¯s face creased, and then he hung his head low and nodded. He was right; this was something she could leave him for, her chest tightened. The pain had increased tenfold.

    She ran into her room and grabbed a duffle bag. She packed a few clothes and her toiletry bag. Her hands moved fast, not bothering to fold. She grabbed her car keys from her night table, then reached into her shoebox and pulled a set of house keys. She ran back out and stopped at the living room. The girls were nowhere insight, but the guys were there, they stood around Ash who was leaning against the couch. Dave was on the couch his fingers intertwined at the back of his neck.

    ¡°Where are the girls, I want to say goodbye,¡± she whispered, trying not to crumble whatever was left of the little sanity they were all holding on to.

    ¡°We are right here.¡± She turned around in response to Ann¡¯s voice. They each had a duffle bag of their own. Maria walked past her and went to the closet. She opened the door, took out their coats and closed it. She walked up to her, handed Lee her coat, and then went past her to Ann, handing her, her coat before she put hers own on. ¡°If you thought you were leaving without us, you are very wrong.¡±

    Billy jumped up. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go with her.¡± He took the words out of Lee¡¯s mouth, but there was panic at the edge of his voice.

    Ann turned to him, cool. ¡°We all need a breather, and we are not going to let our sister go off alone. We¡¯ve been together for close to ten years; we¡¯ve been through so much together. That¡¯s not about to change any time soon.¡± She turned back to her.

    Maria picked up her bag, she gave Joe a light kiss before she went to Lee. ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± With a smile she took the car keys out of her hand and went to the door. She opened it wide and waited for them. Ann had her bag in her hand. She looked at Billy for a few seconds before she took Lee¡¯s hand and pulled her toward the door.

    ¡°This is my problem, not yours.¡± Lee spoke to them when the door closed behind her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s our problem. Let¡¯s go before Maria drives off without us.¡± She gave Lee a weak smile then walked ahead. She knew she was hurting them. All her problems were bing a barrier between them and their happiness. She was d they were with her; she knew she was being selfish, but she really needed them.

 Forty Nine

    The ne ride to New York was short and quiet. They rented a car at the airport and drove to a ce she never thought she¡¯d go back to, home.

    ¡°This ce is huge, Lee, who owns it?¡± Maria was in the back seat; her head was sticking out the car window and into the freezing air.

    She had inherited it when her family died-well that was the story until a few hours ago. This was the first time since that fateful day back home and she had to admit, Maria had a point. It looked bigger than she remembered; no longer a house but a mansion. Hopefully, it was still the same on the inside.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°This was my home thirteen years ago.¡± Lee turned the ignition off, ignoring the pity eyes staring at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    She got out of the car and walked to the door. Her hands trembled as she tried to put the key in. Ann took the key out of her hands and opened the door. It swung open, hitting the wall behind it before it came to a stop.

    Lee expected the horrific images to rush into her mind; instead, all her childhood memories¡¯ filled her. Theughter, the love and the happiness that they shared in this house wrapped around her. She walked into the open living room, the couches were ced facing the fire ce, just as they were years ago, but they were brown leather and not velvet covered.

    The memories of her and Jayson fighting over one of his toys while Alice slept on one of the couches and her mother and father sat on the other, engrossed in each otherpletely, ignoring the noisy children at their feet. Everything seemed to look the same except there wasn¡¯t any trace of human habitation.

    She walked into the small kitchen and stood next to the round table with six chairs around it. The only thing missing was a high chair. She saw her mother cooking and at the same time trying to talk Alice from throwing her food and scolding Jayson for encouraging his baby sister while she walked around the kitchen modeling her mother¡¯s high heeled shoes and cocktail dress.

    Leeughed to herself. She was such a little diva, theplete opposite of who she was now.

    She went up the spiral stairs and into each room, taking a few moments in each of them embracing the warm memories they contained.

    ¡°Which room are we taking?¡± Maria had finished exploring the house and was ready to settle down. She looked exhausted, they all were.

    ¡°The one at the end of the corridor, it¡¯s the biggest, and mine.¡± She chuckled as she remembered the big fuss she had put up to have Jayson evicted from it, and when that didn¡¯t work, she nagged him day and night until he finally caved.

    She stood in Alice¡¯s room. She could hear her squeakyughs bounce off the walls. Alice wasn¡¯t a crying baby, unless it was at night and in the dark. When she woke up from her nap, she would sit quietly in her crib waiting for one of them toe get her. As soon as she saw them she would jump on her feet and let out a shrill ofughter. Lee could see her crawling on the floor chasing after a bug so that she could put it in her mouth.

    ¡°Lee, this ce looks clean; someone¡¯s been taking care of it.¡± Ann came up from behind her.

    ¡°A cleaningpanyes once every week.¡± Lee turned to face her. ¡°They must have been here yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± She rubbed Lee¡¯s arm with her hand. She really didn¡¯t need Ann feeling sorry for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m dealing.¡± She smiled before she went for the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll go make us some breakfast.¡±

    Ann raked her hand through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m so exhausted, and I need a hot shower and afy bed.¡±

    ¡°I need my life to go back to its normal, uneventful, one-trackne,¡± Lee mumbled to herself as she descended the stairs.

    ****

    They¡¯d spent two days at the house already. Lee told her sisters all the childhood memories that she had in this house. They were afraid that remembering would hurt her; instead it made her feel stronger. She was surrounded by her family in this house, remembering them was the only way she could honor them.

    She thought of her father, the pain he must be in after she walked out on him, after she used him of not loving her. She didn¡¯t stop to think about his pain or the guilt he must be carrying after watching his family get killed so brutally and not being able to do anything about it.

    ¡°Lee, what are you thinking about?¡± Maria put a cup of hot chocte in her hands and then joined Ann on the floor close to the firece.

    ¡°I was really selfish. I didn¡¯t stop to think what my father must have been going through. I was too busy screaming about me and my pain.¡± She looked into her cup, ashamed of herself.

    ¡°It was a normal reaction. Anyone of us would have done the same considering the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Maria is right, as much as he says it was dangerous for you to be around him, he should have told you he was alive, sent letters, called once in a while or found a good home for you.¡±

    ¡°If he found me a home, I wouldn¡¯t have met you guys.¡± Lee looked up and smiled at them. Out of the horror story her life had been, meeting her sisters was the one good thing that came out of it.

    ¡°Lee, I hope you don¡¯t mind my asking, but what happened at the apartment. It¡¯s just that Maria and I didn¡¯t understand a word of your ranting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what your dad said didn¡¯t match your reaction. It¡¯s like you knew more than what he was saying.¡±

    Lee was wondering what had taken them so long to ask. ¡°What exactly did he say?¡±

    ¡°Just that bad people killed your family and that he was badly hurt when you were taken away,¡± Maria offered, moving closer to the couch Lee was on.

    She took a deep breath before she started. She knew they wouldn¡¯t believe half of what she¡¯d tell them because most of it sounded impossible, but they wanted to know.

    She told them what she¡¯d seen-the wolves, her family getting killed, Ash and the guys, the psycho ex-girlfriend, the blood, the fight, everything. She told them exactly what she saw and heard. She tried to exin to them how she saw what she did which was hopeless, it sounded like she was describing a sci-fi movie. They were mute; they looked at her with clueless expressions. She knew they¡¯d think it was ridiculous, or that she had finally totally lost her mind.

    ¡°You got all that by looking into your dad¡¯s eyes?¡± Lee knew Ann meant to ask a question but it sounded more like an usation. She nodded. ¡°So you read his thoughts or memories, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

 Fifty

    ¡°Yes. I know it sounds impossible, I didn¡¯t believe it myself. I thought it was my imagination, or my nightmares but more vivid andplete. But I never saw how they died. Since Ash and my dad didn¡¯t dare deny it, I knew it was the truth.¡±

    Ann looked spacey, her eye brows were raised, and her voice a whisper, ¡°And how did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She¡¯d never thought about it until now. She had been able to read his mind as if it was something she did every day, it hadn¡¯t urred to her how abnormal it was. She also used to struggle to remember her family, but right then, sitting in that room she effortlessly remembered every experience she had in it. She was now the weirdest person she knew, as if she didn¡¯t have enough going on in her life! ¡°How the hell did I do that?¡±

    ¡°What I would like to know is exactly how the guys fit into this?¡± Maria hadn¡¯t talked since Lee finished talking.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know that. I think that¡¯s the part Ash was supposed to exin before I went psycho on them.¡±

    ¡°I said it! They are in a cult! How else can you exin the fact that ording to Lee¡¯s memory download that they haven¡¯t aged?¡± A few days ago, Lee would have dismissed Ann¡¯s crazy ideas but today, she was taking them seriously. Maria¡¯s face went pale. She too was contemting it.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your theory about Lee and her memory download?¡± Maria turned to Ann, her face pale white. Ann looked at Lee, concerned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one yet. But when she lost her temper, she scared everyone in the room.¡± Ann turned to Maria. ¡°Did you notice how the guys were so tense when they stood in front of us? It was like they were shielding us from her!¡±

    Lee remembered they moved behind her, but she didn¡¯t realize it was to protect Ann and Maria, from her? She thought of how her dad reacted, and how Ash bolted her against him until her dad gave him the all clear when she had calmed down. Something was happening to her, and she had been oblivious of it at the time. Ann said something that gave her something new to worry about.

    ¡°I think we should call Ash and ask him. He was going to exin something to you, this may be it.¡±

    Ash! She hadn¡¯t gone a night without dreaming of him, but her anger had kept her from thinking about him when she was conscious. The thought of calling him scared her. She hadn¡¯t thought about their predicament either. She missed him, a lot, and she still loved him. What if what she¡¯d said and done made him think she¡¯d left him?

    What am I thinking, I did leave him! She asked for space, which was as good as saying she didn¡¯t want him anymore. She panicked, she didn¡¯t want to lose him, not now not ever, and especially not to something that couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°When he said, ¡®if she can handle it, I¡¯ll tell her the rest¡¯ didn¡¯t he mean that if you were able to handle the truth about your family, only then he would tell you the rest? Lee, you didn¡¯t handle it quite well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Especially if he thinks he¡¯ll lose youpletely if he does.¡±

    Ann and Maria were right, but she knew Ash, he would still tell her. ¡°Ash wants us to have a life with no secrets, no lies. He¡¯ll tell me, eventually.¡±

    ¡°Before or after you take him back?¡± Ann¡¯s reality checks were now starting to bug Lee. ¡°What if what he tells you drives a wider wedge between the two of you?¡±

    ¡°Ann, it¡¯s no longer only about her, remember Billy? We need to know, I need to know!¡± Maria was anxious. ¡°Ash wasn¡¯t the only one keeping secrets, Joe and Billy were too!¡± Her voice was raised, angry and confused.

    Ann was the pale one now. She looked nervous. Lee¡¯s mess had be their mess, only more than they had bargained for. She picked up the phone and dialed Ash¡¯s number.

    Her heart raced; worried that he wouldn¡¯t answer when her number showed on caller id. She was worried he didn¡¯t want anything to do with her anymore. Maybe he had found someone new, or he¡¯d gone back to his crazy girlfriend. What if dealing with her drama wasn¡¯t what he intended on doing anymore, or he might have grown tired of her demanding nature. What if he didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth and he¡¯d taken the easy way out. Or he could have stopped loving her, what if he was like Steve and had a backup girlfriend all along?N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    The phone barely rang twice when Ash¡¯s frantic voice was on.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay? I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    Lee swallowed hard, scared but yet relieved to hear his voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Ash, I need to talk to you, about¡­we¡¯ll talk about it when wee back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have toe, we¡¯re in New York.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We followed you. Sabrina and the rest are still out there. I couldn¡¯t stay in Florida knowing you are in danger. I needed to be close by to protect you if you needed me.¡±

    Ash was so over protective. Sometimes it annoyed Lee, other times it made her feel exactly how much he loved her. ¡°Ash, you need to chill, I¡¯m not in constant danger all the time. Anyway, tell my dad to bring you home, all of you. It¡¯s prettyte now, soe by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are in danger or not. For my own piece of mind, I¡¯d rather keep an eye on you. We are really close by, we coulde now.¡± Ash sounded eager.

    ¡°It¡¯s an hour¡¯s drive from the city Ash-¡± Before she could finish he cut her off.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t in the city.¡±

    ¡°You rented a room at the motel?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then you aren¡¯t close by, unless you asked our only neighbor for amodations or you are camped out in the woods.¡±

    ¡°Thetter, really close to the house.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it. She stood up and went to the window. She looked out trying to get a glimpse of them but it was too dark. ¡°You are really getting carried away with this protective thing.¡± This was one of the times his over protection was annoying. ¡°I thought I asked you to give me some time and space!¡± That came out more irate than she intended. He was quiet for a while before he spoke.

 Fifty One

    ¡°Mi amor, you called me, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have known I was here.¡± He had his cool matter-of-fact tone. It annoyed her even more.

    A smile crept on her face, she hadn¡¯t heard that phrase for a while, and it touched her more now than it ever did before. She¡¯d missed it and that silly tone he used when he talked to her like a child. She¡¯d missed everything about him, him annoying and wonderful.

    ¡°Okay, mister smarty pants, see you in-¡± A loud bang startled her, she dropped the phone and it shattered when it hit the ground.

    She turned toward the noise, the door was on the floor and Sabrina stood on top of it. Ann and Maria were on their feet staring at her, frozen by shock. Sabrina stepped off the door and looked around the room. When she spotted Lee at the window she turned and faced her, her face lit up, her face curved in a smile. She looked happy, not happy joy, but happy wicked.

    ¡°Hallo, Merilee. I knew I would find you here. After the big blow up you had at your apartment it was really obvious you¡¯d be here.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Lee stayed quiet, moving directly in front of the window trying to stay visible, hoping Ash could see her. Considering her present predicament, she was grateful he was close by.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what I¡¯m doing here?¡± Her grin widened, but Lee still stayed quiet, stealing nces out the window hoping to see Ash running for the house, but all she saw was darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you anyway.¡± She moved to the couch past Ann and Maria and sat down. She crossed her legs and leaned backfortably. ¡°I came here to kill you. And what better ce than where your family got killed, isn¡¯t it just poetic!¡± Sheughed, and then her face dulled. ¡°You took Ash away from me. Do you know how long we¡¯ve been together? Over half a century.¡± Her face creased in anger, her lips drew back over her teeth.

    ¡°What?¡± Lee was stunned. She looked too young to be over fifty. What was she, and how old was Ash?

    ¡°Since the day heid eyes on you, you¡¯ve been a pain in my ass. He was always concerned about you. Do you know he made me keep track of you for over a year? After you moved to a second home, I stopped. You weren¡¯t my kid so why should I have cared? He didn¡¯t see it that way, so slowly he pulled away from me, then, he didn¡¯t want me anymore. And now that you are a grown woman, he¡¯s in love with you-¡±

    She stopped abruptly and turned to Maria, her face livid. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ann moved in front of Maria, blocking her from Sabrina¡¯s line of vision, ¡°She isn¡¯t doing anything.¡±

    Sabrina was off the couch in seconds. She pushed Ann aside with one swoop, sending her across the room and into the wall. Ann hit her head hard against it, and then dropped to the floor unconscious.

    ¡°Ann!¡± Maria screamed. She tried to run to Ann but she was hauled back. Sabrina held her hand that had the phone in it, crushing it with her grip. Maria gave a pained scream before she sank to the ground, her hand still in Sabrina¡¯s.

    ¡°Who were you calling?¡± Sabrina hissed. But Maria was in too much pain to answer. Sabrina raised her hand to strike her.

    ¡°No!¡± Lee screamed, moving closer to them, shifting her gaze between Maria and Ann before she finally rested on Sabrina. ¡°You came here to kill me, not them.¡±

    ¡°They are a bonus.¡± She looked at Lee, her eyes now silver. Exactly like Ash¡¯s when he almost killed Steve. It scared her, far more than Ash did. She knew Sabrina would kill them all. She thought about Ash and if he figured something was wrong, or if Maria was able to give Joe some sort of clue of what was going on. She needed to stall, for her sisters if not herself.

    ¡°You came here to kill only me. Let them go then you can do whatever you want with me.¡± She tried to keep her voice level but it was shaky, fear branded the edge of it.

    Sabrina let go of Maria¡¯s hand. Maria held her hand against her chest and crawled to where Ann was. Ann had a deep cut on her head and was still unconscious. Lee looked at Maria as she checked Ann out. She was afraid the hit had hurt her far worse than it looked.

    ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Maria¡¯s relieved voice floated in the room.

    ¡°Not for long.¡± Sabrina moved toward them, Lee ran ahead of her and ced herself in between them.

    ¡°Sabrina, I¡¯m begging you please! They have nothing to do with this!¡± She felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She was desperate, she was ready to hand her a butcher knife if that would make Sabrina concentrate only on her.

    A heinous smile crept on her face. ¡°It will hurt you more if I killed them and made you watch. And then, with both the distractions taken care of, I can kill you slowly.¡± She took a step closer.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough you¡¯ll have my dad and Ash after you, do you really want to add Joe and Billy to the hunting list?¡± Lee thought that would scare her, but her smile only grew wider.

    ¡°Killing all of you would be a perfect revenge against those four dogs.¡±

    Lee couldn¡¯t exin it, but her fear was slowly being reced with blinding rage. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve got everything nned out. Where I¡¯m going, they wouldn¡¯t dare follow me.¡±

    ¡°Sabrina, stay away from them.¡± Her voice was masked by the rage that was boiling inside her.

    ¡°Or what?¡± the smile was gone. Her lips were straight and hard-pressed.

    ¡°Take another step and I¡¯ll show you what.¡± She crouched down, her arms wide. She heard a loud growl escape from her throat as her lips drew back away from her teeth. Sabrina took a step back, her eyes wide with surprise. Lee wasn¡¯t sure what was happening to her, it had made Sabrina take a step back, so she went with it.

    Sabrina froze. ¡°Your eyes are golden¡­how¡­did Ash bite you?¡±

    ¡°How does that concern you?¡±

    What Sabrina said shocked her, but she wasn¡¯t going to lose her concentration on her. She needed to keep her away from her sisters until the guys got here. How far was their campsite?

 Fifty Two

    ¡°That son of a bitch changed you!¡± she yelled, and then a loud growl followed. She crouched, mimicking Lee¡¯s current stance. Lee felt her muscles tightened, her fingers curled at the tip.

    ¡°I was fine fighting a ghost. I was irritated having been lowered to fight a human, but now I¡¯m pissed off that I have to fight my own kind!¡± Sabrina leaped knocking her onto the floor.

    Lee hadn¡¯t seen hering. She cringed holding her knees to her chest as a searing pain tore through her belly. Sabrina rose leaving her on the ground breathless. She moved over her toward the girls.

    ¡°Lee!¡± She heard Maria¡¯s frantic shrill behind her.

    Lee turned on her side and looked up. Maria was holding Ann against herself, her back toward Lee. Sabrina was standing over her; she reached down to grab her hair. The rage was back, hotter than it was twenty seconds ago. Lee sprang to her feet and rushed toward them. She grabbed Sabrina by her hair and flung her backward. She flew, hitting the firece. She went down, taking much of it with her. Before she recovered Lee attacked again, she kicked her in the stomach then picked her up and threw her out the door.

    Lee stood there for a few seconds waiting to see if she¡¯d sh through the door. When nothing happened, she turned and went to her sisters. Maria looked at her stunned. She didn¡¯t know what shocked her more, the yellow eyes or Lee¡¯s new strength. Lee was still debating on what shocked her most about herself. She could feel so much going on inside her, physically and emotionally, but she knew she didn¡¯t have time to ponder over it.

    ¡°Maria,e on.¡± She put Ann¡¯s arm around her neck and pulled her to her feet, leaning Ann against her. Lee couldn¡¯t feel her weight. Maria tried to help her but she stopped her. ¡°I can carry her just fine, you go ahead. Get into the kitchen.¡±

    They had barely taken three steps before a whole wall came into the living room. They fell on the ground, shielding themselves from the shattered ss and splinters of wood. A loud growl and raged heavy breathing made Lee look up.

    There was a six-foot, brown furred wolf in the living room. Its eyes were a deeper grey. Its lips were drawn back, exposing its razor sharp teeth that were bared at her.

    Lee scrambled to her feet. She took Ann¡¯s arms and dragged her into the kitchen Maria ran in front of them. She managed to pull her as far as the kitchen closet before the wall separating the living room and the kitchen came crashing in. There was nowhere else to run. Maria went down on her knees and cradled Ann against her. Lee moved in front of them shielding them as much as she possibly could from it.

    She stood there too shocked to move. She stared at it waiting for it to attack. The images of her family being killed shed into her mind; she was going to die just as they did. And then Ash¡¯s beautiful face was there. Her chest tightened, she didn¡¯t want to die before she saw his face again. She wanted to be in his arms onest time, to feel his kiss, his touch. She wasn¡¯t ready to die yet, but death was ready for her.

    The wolf lunged at them. Lee raised her hand to cover her face, expecting to be dead in the next second.

    ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t think twice about killing you!¡± An angry voice snarled out the words. It was Ash!

    She moved her hand and stared at him. He had the wolf¡¯s neck in his hand. He held it up as if it was a stuffed doll. The wolf¡¯s hind legs were on the ground but its fore feet kicked around, its tongue hanging out of its mouth. The dangerous growl was reced by a scared breathless whimper. Ash hurled it out of the kitchen bringing the whole wall down. He then moved into the living room where the wolfy moaning on the floor. Lee followed quickly behind. Ash raised its head and crushed it into the floor several times making the whole house shake. He then picked it up and hurled it through hole it had made in the wall; it went flying out into the darkness, Ash dashed after it without even glimpsing in Lee¡¯s direction. It was just like the diner, a raging bull after its target.

    Lee stood next to the crater in the floor, relieved that he came, but surprised he was alone. She turned to her sisters behind her. Maria¡¯s wet eyes stared at her, and then out through the hole in the wall. Then Ann stirred in her arms. Maria looked down at her, her face more rxed. Lee felt a cool breeze on the back of her neck. Before she could turn to see what it was, Billy and Joe were next to them.

    Billy crouched down and picked up Ann who was awake but disoriented. Maria hesitated staring at Joe¡¯s open hand, stiff, silently debating whether or not to go to him. After a minute, her shoulders drooped. She stood up and walked into Joe¡¯s open arms. He held her tight and buried his head in her tousled hair. Maria broke down crying, what happened was going to haunt her more than it would Lee or Ann-Ann was unconscious when everything went down, and Lee was already screwed up.

    Lee walked behind the guys as they carried her sisters to the living room. When she stepped through the huge hole a pair of arms went around her. It was her dad. He held her tight in a bear hug, and then stepped back to look her over. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Lee held her breath and waited for him to react to her new eyeshade just like he did at the apartment, but he didn¡¯t. He kept checking her for cuts and bruises. She exhaled. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She was relieved her eyes were back to their original hazel. ¡°Where is Ash?¡± She broke his hold and walked around him to the other gaping hole.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°He¡¯s taking care of Sabrina.¡± Billy¡¯s voice came from behind Lee. He had Ann on hisp on the couch, holding a cold towel to her head. Joe and Maria were at the other end of the couch. Joe was in his vest, gently wrapping Maria¡¯s hand with a cloth. It was his shirt. Maria¡¯s hysterias were gone and she was calm. She sipped at a ss of whisky as she watched Joe tend to her hand.

    ¡°She almost killed you.¡± Dave was standing closer to Lee. He said it like he was informing her of what had happened. His words hit home. She looked at Ann and Maria again, finally acknowledging how badly hurt they were. They were almost killed because of her. Because a psycho wolf thought it was the best way to punish her. And a wolf that big shouldn¡¯t exist. And since when did people turn into wolves? She almost lost another family. She almost died.

    She rocked back, feeling light on her feet. The room was spinning and she could feel herself go down slowly.

    ¡°Lee!¡±

    Someone shouted, but her vision was too hazy to see who it was. She was turned to face the hole. The cool air hit her but it didn¡¯t help get her out of the spinning hole she was falling into. Out of her half-closed eyes; she saw big silver eyes look at her. They moved closer, and then something wet gently nudge her head. She lifted her hand to touch it. As soon as her hand rested on it, she was wrapped in pitch-ck darkness.

 Fifty Three

    ¡°Joe, we need to do something.¡± Maria was on the couch with Lee¡¯s head on herp. They immediately left for Florida after Sabrina¡¯s attack. Ash had spent days watching Lee hoping she would wake up but scared she wouldn¡¯t. When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore he drowned himself in liquor and left Maria and Ann to look after her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± He crouched down by the couch next to Maria. He wanted to touch her but she was still jumpy. They hadn¡¯t told them what they really were, but Maria had some idea with an image to back it up and she was scared.

    ¡°Why not take her to the hospital?¡± Ann was down next to Joe holding Lee¡¯s hand.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. We can¡¯t risk humans knowing of our existence.¡± Billy stood over Ann his hands crossed over his chest.

    Ann stood up with a questioning look on her face. ¡°You are worried abouting out of the closet?¡±

    ¡°People are going to get killed if they so much as get an inkling of what we are, of what she is.¡±

    Maria moved from under Lee, cing her head gently on the cushion. Joe stood up and went behind, careful not to stand too close incase she pulled away again.

    ¡°Are you saying that she¡¯s going to be like Sabrina and Ash?¡± Fear dominated her voice.

    ¡°Like Billy and me, too, yes she will,¡± Joe answered from behind her. Maria turned to look at him. He had the same sad expression since they got back. She didn¡¯t mean to hurt him; she just needed some time to adjust. She stretched out her good hand and ced it on his belly, stroking lightly before she turned her attention back to Billy and Ann.

    Joe smiled. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Ann yelled.

    Lee could hear distant voices pulling her from her sleep. She didn¡¯t open her eyes; she kept still, her body too tired to move. She waited for the voices to be familiar. They were loud and angry. She tried to concentrate on them to ce a face to each.

    ¡°We have to take her to hospital,¡± Ann insisted.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡± Billy yelled back.

    ¡°What do you mean we can¡¯t do that?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not sick.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that? Are you a doctor?¡±

    ¡°No, but she isn¡¯t close to human either!¡±

    Then there was silence, a quiet voice spoke up, and it was Maria. ¡°We still need to get her to the hospital. Sabrina hit her pretty hard.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been out for two days; we need to get her checked out!¡± That loud angry voice was definitely Ann. Lee needed to wake up before she hurt anyone.

    Lee forced her eyes to open. The light stung her eyes. She closed them again tight. Then she slowly opened her eyes again, turning away from the direct sunlight. It took sometime for the blur to clear out. Someone moved to her and ced something soft on her face. ¡°Lee, Lee. She¡¯s waking up.¡± The light was suddenly blocked by tall shadows. Lee squinted, trying to get a clearer look. It was Maria.

    ¡°What happened?¡± She struggled to get the words out of her dry throat.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Can you sit up?¡± Maria reached to help her but she was pulled back.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt. Let me.¡± It was Ann, her voice warmer. She put a hand under Lee, her other held her shoulder. Ann pulled her into a sitting position, her legs dangled at the edge.

    Lee held her head in her hands, pacing herself before she looked up. Everyone was there, staring at her; their faces full of worry.

    Great, I fainted again and I have an audience to watch me resurrect from my long slumber. This is just wonderful.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    She turned away from them and looked around the room, it was different. The walls were painted ivory, the d¨¦cor was an unusual¡­she didn¡¯t even have the word for it. It looked like the inside of a historical museum.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Maria was seated next to Lee, Ann appeared from behind the leather couch with a ss of water. She had a bandage above her right eye, which ran from the middle of her forehead to her hairline.

    ¡°What happened to your head?¡±

    ¡°This is the guys¡¯ home. Cool, huh? Strange, but cool.¡± Annpletely ignored her question. She handed her the ss and sat down, her eyes roaming the room, trying hard not to look at her.

    She let go of the ss too soon. It slipped out of Lee¡¯s wobbly hands, a hand caught it before it could fall and spill all over her. It was Billy.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She held the ss tighter and sipped at it. Ann had her hand at the bottom of the ss, holding it steady for her. Then she realized someone was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Ash?¡±

    Joe and Billy looked at each other trying hard to hide their amusement. She turned and looked at her sisters, they didn¡¯t look so amused, but they didn¡¯t seem to want to tell her either.

    ¡°Okay, where is my dad?¡± The amusement was gone. Billy and Joe¡¯s faces were hard, their jaws clenched tight. She looked at her sisters, they looked nervous, but Maria looked especially frightened. Lee followed her gaze down to herp. Her hand was wrapped in a bandage.

    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± she asked her franticly, letting the ss fall into Ann¡¯s open hand before she reached out for Maria¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothings broken.¡± Maria paused and then looked at Lee, her eyes soft, and full of concern. ¡°Do you remember what happened a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lee didn¡¯t understand what she meant; a few days ago they were at home-in New York. Nothing happened, a part from her missing Ash like crazy.

    How did we get back to Florida?

    ¡°Lee, you¡¯ve been out for three days.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± And then everything came back to her. The attack, the wolf, almost dying. She swayed back feeling lightheaded. A wave of nausea hit her.

    ¡°Lee!¡± Ann and Maria yelled in unison.

    She closed her eyes and took a few breaths, swallowing the bile in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The second she finished talking, the bile came up. ¡°No I¡¯m not, bathroom!¡± Joe pointed her toward it, she was grateful it was close by. She ran, throwing the door open before she went on her knees and leaned her head over the toilet basin.

    When she was done, she sat on the marble floor and leaned her head against the cool wall. Ann and Maria were there, watching her. She still felt ufortable having them around when she had her head over the toilet.

 Fifty Four

    She looked around the bathroom. It was huge! It looked like a catalogue bathroom for the rich and famous. The floor and walls were cream marbled with a historic feel to it like the living room. ¡°Are these guys¡¯ billionaires or something?¡±

    Annughed then reached down to help her up. ¡°No. They¡¯ve just lived long enough to save up to afford it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You are the one who said they looked exactly the same as they did when you were five.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Lee supported herself on the crystal sink. She ran her fingers over the bronze taps which looked really expensive-ording to the little history she paid attention to in ss-the taps do belong in a museum.

    ¡°We are waiting for Ash to exin it to us.¡± Maria handed her, her toothbrush. ¡°I had it close just incase.¡± Then sheughed, more out of relief than amusement.

    ¡°Where is Ash?¡± Lee leaned against the crystal sink. She felt guilty spitting on the beautiful art work.

    ¡°He¡¯s in the AA room, sleeping off his hangover.¡± Annughed. Maria joined her.

    ¡°AA room? You two quitughing and tell me the joke.¡± She walked out of the bathroom, unsteady on her feet.

    ¡°How about we show you.¡± Maria walked ahead; Ann was beside Lee holding on to her incase she fell over.

    Maria opened the big double doors. She stood at the door, bbergasted by what she saw. They had wall-to-wall alcohol! The bottles of different types of alcohol were their version of wallpaper. A huge t screen TV mounted on the wall and a mini bar in the far corner.

    ¡°AA-as in Alcoholics Anonymous.¡± Now she understood the joke.

    ¡°They call it Alcohol and Amusement.¡± Maria was whispering. ¡°Ash is asleep on the couch.¡± She pointed to a huge ck leather couch that was facing the TV.

    She walked toward it. Ash was asleep shirtless on his belly, a bottle of tequ still in his hand. His eyes were swollen and red, his hair was messed up, his chin full of stubs of a growing beard. He smelled like a brewery!

    She held her breath as she sat on the edge of the couch. His face was creasing and then rxing; his lips kept shifting from a frown to a stiff line. He was having a bad dream, fighting his own demons. She felt sad that she had done this to him; made him a restless drunk. She thought that she was the one who clung to him like a lifeline; she never realized exactly how much they depended on each other to stay sane.

    She ran her hand across his back and stopped on the huge round scar under his shoulder de that stood out on his soft even skin. She¡¯d never noticed it before, she¡¯d never noticed a lot about him until it was close to toote. Well, betterte than never. But he would tell her everything, once he was awake or courageous enough. This time I won¡¯t leave him, no matter what, I won¡¯t make that mistake again.

    She thought about Sabrina, and if Ash hadn¡¯t got there in time. What if she had seeded in killing her? If her being unconscious for three days put him in this current state, what would have happened to him if she had died? The only thing that came to mind was what would have happened to her if the roles were reversed. She shuddered trying to erase the possibility from her mind. She wouldn¡¯t be able to bare it if he died and left her behind, she¡¯d rather die before he did.

    She died once the day her family was killed, reborn when Ash came into her life. It would be another death sentence, the only difference is this time it would be unquestionably explicitly permanent.

    ¡°How long has he been like this?¡±

    ¡°Drunk or passed out?¡± Ann asked her tone cold. Lee didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Maria?¡± She controlled her irritation and waited for Maria to answer her.

    ¡°He¡¯s been drunk since we arrived, he¡¯s been out for a half a day now, but Joe says he¡¯ll be awake soon.¡±

    ¡°To get drunk again and pass out. But you¡¯re awake so, you¡¯ll save us from that.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Ann¡¯s indifference was getting to Lee. ¡°Ann, please don¡¯t speak. If you don¡¯t have anything helpful to say, don¡¯t speak.¡±

    She sat there for a few more minutes before the stench got to her. It was making her nauseous again and her stomach was too empty to throw anything up. Her stomach rumbled; the three-day involuntary hunger strike was catching up to her. She stood up and walked to the door. ¡°Where is the kitchen?¡±

    ****

    The kitchen was huge and open, painted in a cool cream color. It looked like a professional¡¯s kitchen; everything was there; all the kitchen stuff she could name at least. There was an ind in the middle, with tall stools surrounding it. The refrigerator was a huge double door. Two times as big as the one they had in their apartment. Her stomach growled, reminding her why her was in there in the first ce.

    ¡°Would you like me to make you something to eat?¡± Joe walked into the kitchen with a crooked smile, Billy behind him, his hands buried in his pockets.

    ¡°No, you really don¡¯t have to, I can do that myself.¡± Lee didn¡¯t want to be a nuisance-that and the fact that she didn¡¯t want them to watch her empty out their fridge. Joe walked past her and opened one of its doors.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± He pulled a tray of eggs out then put them back. He reached up and pulled a pack of steaks. ¡°Ash told us about your new¡­diet.¡± He closed the doors and walked to the stainless steel, six-te, built in stove.

    Do these guys tell each other everything? She pulled out a stool and sat opposite her sisters. Billy had moved and was standing behind them, staring at her. His eyes looked guarded. She got the feeling the prison guard look was for her. She realized he wasn¡¯t his rxed self around her anymore. Did she do something wrong? How could she? ording to them she was out for three days.

    ¡°Billy, why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± Lee tried to be cheerful.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m good.¡± His voice was level, reserved. His hands were now hanging loosely at his sides.

    Something about his cold posture made warning bells ring in her head, she felt defensive. She put her hands, palms t on the ind table, shifting herself on the stool, measuring the obstacles around her, and thinking of all the advantageous positions around the kitchen in case she needed to defend herself.

    ¡°Thanks Joe.¡± Lee turned her head slightly and gave Joe a smile, but she was keen on keeping Billy in her peripheral view.

 Fifty Five

    Joe turned, he gave her a smile, and then he looked up at Billy, the look in his eyes lethal. Billy backed down, rxing his stance, but still kept an eye on Lee. Joe had noticed their silent cold war. She turned to face her sisters, pretending not to have seen their quiet exchange. She ced her elbow on the table and put her chin in her palm. She wanted to look at ease but she was still ready for anything-just as Billy was.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a shower first before you eat? You¡¯ll feel morefortable.¡± Ann spoke, oblivious of the tension in the kitchen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my stomach will be willing to wait that long. I can do that when we get home.¡±

    Billy moved, she dropped her hand and ced it on the table. Her eyes shot at him, meeting his fidgety eyes. The tips of her fingers were already curling inwards. He stiffened then paused. They held each other¡¯s gaze, both waiting for each other to jump. What is going on with me?

    ¡°Lee, we brought our stuff over. Yours is in Ash¡¯s room.¡± Maria spoke and reached over the table for her hand. ¡°The guys thought it would be safer for us to stay here for a while.¡±

    She stretched out her fingers and took her hand. She turned her full attention to Maria; she needed Billy to rx, so that she could rx.

    ¡°Ash didn¡¯t catch her?¡± Lee shivered, remembering the near death experience.

    ¡°No,¡± Maria¡¯s voice was down to a whisper, ¡°he came back when you copsed.¡±

    ¡°Lee, when you passed out, what was thest thing you saw?¡± Ann was fishing. She always did that when she knew something but wanted to make sure they didn¡¯t before she spilled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Lee looked at her, waiting for the answer.

    ¡°Lee, I know you were out but are you seriously telling me you don¡¯t remember a grayish wolf sniffing you?¡± Her voice was high pitched in disbelief.

    Lee was quiet for a while. All she remembered was something wet and big silver eyes. The only wolf she remembered was a brown one eager to kill her.

    ¡°No. The only wolf I remember is the psycho obsessed one that wanted to bite my head off,¡± Lee said it so casually as if it was an everyday event. Maria¡¯s grip tightened around her fingers, a dark shadow crossed her face.

    Joe walked around and went to her. He hugged her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She reached up with her bandaged hand and rubbed it along his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Maria smiled, the dark shadow gone.

    ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡± Joe¡¯s voice was harsh. His jaw was tight and his grip on her tightened around her. ¡°You¡¯ve had nightmares since!¡±

    ¡°What! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Lee was worried and angry with herself. She had torn down Maria¡¯s whole cheerful secure world.

    ¡°Joe, she really didn¡¯t need to know that.¡± She was heated. ¡°Lee, you were out so I couldn¡¯t possibly tell you. And anyway, I¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll all be fine once Sabrina is out of our lives.¡±

    Sabrina, the cause of her new demons, she could never catch a break! When she was done with one problem, something worse always popped up. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Your dad went after her, but he called before you woke up. He lost her scent so he¡¯sing back.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand?¡± These days, she didn¡¯t understand anything. What did he mean by scent?

    ¡°They won¡¯t tell us either. We have to wait for the drunk to wake up,¡± Ann spat out. Her eyes widened when she noticed the re Lee was giving her. She wasn¡¯t the only one, Billy moved protectively behind her.

    Joe pulled away from Maria and walked back to the stove, cing a hand on Lee¡¯s shoulder.

    Calm down Lee, should I make the steak medium rare or would you like it a bit raw?

    Her eyes widened in surprise. How did he know that? How did Ash know that? She¡¯s been very careful not to let him notice her new taste. She always cooked his meat more than she did hers. Was she that obvious, or did nothing she did go unnoticed?

    Lee felt ufortable. She expected the girls toment on what Joe said but they were quiet, like they didn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Thetter please,¡± she practically whispered the words out.

    Coming right up!

    Billy¡¯s eyes shot at her then at Joe¡¯s back, furious. What had she done wrong now?

    Would you like anything to drink, that¡¯s not one¡¯s traditional beverage?

    Lee turned and stared at his back, confused by his question. What did he mean by that?

    Joe, stop that!

    She turned back to Billy. His face matched his warning; he was livid! Seriously, what was this guy¡¯s problem?

    ¡°A fruit juice will be fine.¡± She stood up slowly, careful not to provoke Billy. She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed the juice bow. A tantalizing scent hit her; she could feel all her senses stir in response. She was salivating, moving closer into the fridge. She breathed in deeply, taking in the appetizing scent.

    She stopped then quickly shut the door and leaned against it. She had breathed in more than the appetizing scent. She closed her eyes and put her hand over her unsettled stomach.

    ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡± Maria¡¯s sounded scared.

    She nodded then swallowed the bile in her throat before she spoke. ¡°There¡¯s something rotten in there.¡± She walked back to the stool and sat down.

    Joe ced the te of hot red meat in front of her. The steak was submerged in some sort of red-brown broth. The sight of it made her drool. Her stomachunched in agreement. She picked the fork and knife and began cutting into it.

    ¡°Ewe! Lee, that isn¡¯t fully cooked yet!¡± Ann had no problem expressing her disgust, but she wasn¡¯t going to let her ruin the moment for her.

    It had been a while since she had this glorious taste tease her taste buds. She cut a piece and put it in her mouth. The pleasure flooded her, kissing every nerve inside her. She closed her eyes to appreciate it, and then tore into the bloody meat.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said to Joe, keeping her concentration on her dish.

    You are wee. Would you like another one?

    ¡°You are a god, Joe, keep theming.¡± She cut another piece and put it in her mouth, chewing on it a lot faster. She heard a low rumble from across the table. She didn¡¯t bother to look up; she knew it was Billy, disapproving of something she may be doing. She wasn¡¯t going to let him ruin this for her either.

    Her sisters and Billy sat watching her stuff herself. This was one time she wasn¡¯t concerned about her audience, Joe, her new favorite person in the world, was burning up thest steak. She¡¯d cleared out six steaks already and wasn¡¯t even close to being full.

 Fifty Six

    They heard a stir, and then a grumble. They all looked toward the door, waiting. The next minute they heard a ss shatter and an enraged growl. Billy sprang out of his seat and stood in front of the door, Joe shed beside him, blocking the girls¡¯ way.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Ash gave a loud roar from the living room. It made the guys stiffen. Thest time she saw them so alert was at the diner. Surely Ash wasn¡¯t going to go on a rampage?

    ¡°Ash is awake,¡± Maria spoke above a whisper.

    ¡°Is he going to turn into a wolf again because he really sounds mad scary?¡± Ann looped her hand with Maria¡¯s. She sounded scared. The girl who was hitting out on the drunk wasn¡¯t so courageous now that the drunk was awake.

    There was a loud break then a crash from upstairs. ¡°Where is she?¡± Ash¡¯s temper was mounting.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Lee was wrong he was already on a rampage. He was taking out his frustration on the furniture. Her sisters looked more frightened.

    She put her fork and knife down and reluctantly pulled away from her meal and went for the door. ¡°Guys sit down. If he sees you on guard like that; he¡¯ll think something¡¯s wrong. I¡¯ll go show myself to him before he brings the house down.¡±

    Billy pulled her back. ¡°Lee, Ash is dangerous when he¡¯s like that.¡±

    ¡°What, sober or suffering from a massive hangover?¡± Ann spoke behind them, her tone sarcastic, but Lee could still hear the fear at the edge of her voice. Billy was the one who showed his displeasure this time.

    He spoke, his eyes still fixed on Lee. ¡°Ann, this isn¡¯t the time for your humor.¡± His jaw tightened. ¡°He hasn¡¯t fed for a while, and his senses are crazy right now. If he doesn¡¯t catch your scent right away, he may attack you if he hasn¡¯t seen you first.¡±

    ¡°And we won¡¯t be able to help you.¡± Joe spoke, his voice level and direct. She remembered the diner, how they hadn¡¯t been able to stop him when he was attacking Steve. But Steve he didn¡¯t know, and he despised him with a passion, she was the woman he loved, he wouldn¡¯t hurt her even if he were deaf, dumb, and blind.

    Something crashed and shattered. Ash was getting out of control. She pulled out of Billy¡¯s hold. ¡°He might, if it was someone else, but he won¡¯t attack me.¡± She took a step closer but Billy ced himself in her way.

    ¡°You may have faith in Ash, but don¡¯t be too trusting about the animal inside him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s love that makes me so sure of both of him. His animal didn¡¯t attack me at the diner, so why would it now?¡±

    ¡°You saw what he did to Sabrina, even in her wolf form.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much and she had iting.¡± She sidestepped trying to go around Billy but there was no room to go past him.

    He hasn¡¯t fed!

    She didn¡¯t see any lips move, but she was sure one of them spoke. It sounded like Billy. She looked at him astonished. She had forgotten her new ability to read minds, but she didn¡¯t see anything, instead she heard him. It felt different and very familiar. Did I do that, or did he?

    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt me.¡± She spoke out loud, with emphasis trying to reassure him, and then turned her eyes away from him. Whether or not he knew what she was doing, she wasn¡¯tfortable picking stuff from his head. He didn¡¯t budge.

    She exhaled and gave in. They weren¡¯t going to let her anywhere near him. ¡°Ash, I¡¯m in the kitchen.¡± The guys went rigid; they looked above her, fear in their eyes. She turned-they were staring at the girls. Something inside her triggered, she went rigid, more alert and defensive. ¡°Ash, you need to be calm before youe in here.¡± She moved closer to the girls, ready to shield them from whatever was going toe through that door.

    Ash was there in a sh, he was about to charge past the guys but he stopped. He looked the three of them over, taking his time to assess the mood in the room. His eager face dropped. He shifted his gaze between the guys.

    ¡°At least he¡¯s dressed,¡± Ann whispered. Lee fought the urge to turn and look at her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt her.¡± He tried to sound calm but there was a connotation of hostility in his voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not me they are really worried about.¡± She spoke to him as calmly as her voice would allow. She hadn¡¯t moved and she was still on the defensive. She longed so much to be back in his arms, where she was supposed to be and never should have left, but after the events of the past week she wanted to make sure her sisters were safe, even from him.

    He looked past the guys to Lee. Then he leaned his head to the side to look behind her and looked back at her, reading into her posture. His jaw clenched, he looked mad, but his eyes were sad. He didn¡¯t have to speak for her to know what he was thinking.

    She almost broke into a run, squeezing herself in between the two guards by the door and leaped at Ash, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her head on his shoulder, her lips close to his ear.

    ¡°We are just being cautious we don¡¯t mean anything by it.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything he didn¡¯t even put his arms around her they stayed dead at his sides. ¡°Ash, we are sorry. We just needed to make sure you were okay.¡±

    ¡°You are right. I¡¯m not safe to be around any of you when I haven¡¯t¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish his sentence, his voice sounded urgent and scared.

    Lee¡¯s hands were getting tired of holding her weight up, and Ash wasn¡¯t offering any help. She pulled her dangling feet up and around his waist, and then leaned back to look at him.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m safe with you always no matter the situation.¡± She smiled at him, kissed him lightly on his lips and then reached up with her fingers to iron out the worry lines on his forehead.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ash¡¯s tone sounded strained. The veins in his neck were visible. He swallowed hard, his eyes wide with desire.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked him, more guarded than she should have been.

    ¡°That scent¡­¡± His eyes settled on her lips.

    ¡°Lee¡­¡± Joe said her name sounding out a warning. She heard Joe shuffle forward then he pushed a stool away.

    She kept her eyes on Ash, monitoring his expressions. His eyes hadn¡¯t moved from her lips, but his mouth was now parted slightly. Without warning, his hand shed up and pressed her head down. He caught her lips and kissed them viciously. His other hand was on her back, pressing her hard against him. It wasn¡¯t his normal kiss; there was no pleasure in it. It felt like he was sucking on her mouth rather than kissing her.

    When she realized what he was doing, she stayed perfectly still, holding a warning finger behind her back to the guys. Her breath was bloody and fleshy from the meat she had been eating for the past few hours.

    The hunger, the feeding, and the caution Billy and Joe had with Ash around them, she finally understood it. They were cannibals. They took wolf form-she was sure Ash and Sabrina did, so why wouldn¡¯t they feed like the animals they were.

 Fifty Seven

    She felt a sharp pain in her inner lip, and then she could taste fresh blood on her tongue. Ash flicked his tongue on the spot, and then he sucked deeply. It hurt but she didn¡¯t move neither did she stop him. He was hungry and for some insane reason she didn¡¯t mind him feeding off her.

    She heard Billy and Joe hiss behind her. She opened the hand behind her back, cautioning them not toe near them. A deep angry growl rocked the room. It startled everyone, even Ash. That had to be Billy.

    Ash pulled away, for a moment she saw his eyes sh golden yellow and his face had desire all over it then they were back to brown and he had disgust in his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He pulled at her legs, trying to unwind them around his waist but she only tightened the lock.

    ¡°Stop that. I was just stuffing myself with some steak, would you like some? There is only one left.¡± Her lips throbbed. She passed her tongue over the long cut he had made with his teeth, it was still bleeding and it hurt but she hid the pain in her smile.

    He looked like he was about to argue, but Ann spoke before he could.

    ¡°She ate them all raw!¡± Ann said sickened. ¡°Lee you get weirder every day!¡±

    Joe handed Lee a chipped ice cube then wiped her lip with a cloth. It had blood on it. Put it on the cut. It will stop the bleeding.

    His lips didn¡¯t move, she heard him in her head. She took the chip and put it in her mouth baffled. Ann was right she was getting weirder by the day.

    Ash walked into the room with his arms nowfortably rubbing her back, his face amused but he still seemed strained. He bent his knees and put his hands around her waist. ¡°You keep eating. You look a lot better now than thest time I saw you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She even looks like she¡¯s gained a couple of pounds over thest few hours of stuffing herself with raw meat.¡± Ann spoke, more to herself than anyone else.

    Lee stayed where she was. ¡°What will you eat?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Down.¡± He smiled her smile. She felt a warmth rush through her, making her weak. She shook her head at him, her voice caught in her throat. She wasn¡¯t going to let go so easily, she hadn¡¯t been this close to him in a while and she wasn¡¯t about to let go any time soon.

    He spread his fingers over her waist, his thumbs resting on her belly. He was about to pull her down but he stopped then startedughing. ¡°How much have you been eating?¡±

    ¡°What, why?¡± she said feeling self-conscious. He pressed his thumbs down and she jumped, a dull pain stung her.

    ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± He stood up straight, leaned her back and pulled her shirt up. ¡°What is that? What happened to you?¡± He spoke fast, his fingers moving all over her belly.

    ¡°What?¡± Lee panicked, bending to see what he was looking at.

    ¡°She got that bruise and bump when Sabrina tackled her. I put some ice on it but it¡¯s still swollen.¡± Maria spoke calmly behind them. ¡°I thought it might be the reason you were out for so long.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Maria is at it again, seeing a sickness where there is none.¡± Ann had a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been very annoying today. That blow should have been on your mouth and not your forehead.¡± Maria spoke to her. Lee stifled augh, the panic washed away. She wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed Ann¡¯s intolerable attitude.

    Her attention was drawn from the big purple bruised bump on her belly to the exchange behind her. Billy and Joe were watching too, they didn¡¯t attempt to hide their amusement. Ash¡¯s attention however, stayed on Lee¡¯s belly.

    ¡°Hey, at least I wanted to have her checked out by a qualified doctor, we can¡¯t always depend on a quack-not you Joe.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the same quack that helped treat your forehead? You know you had your eyes closed the whole time; I might have put something in your wound. Watch out for some sprouting branches.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Ann¡¯s hand shot up to her bandaged head. ¡°Maria, what do you mean by that?¡±

    Maria shrugged her shoulders and went back to what she was doing. ¡°Don¡¯t bite the hand that cares for you.¡±

    Ann¡¯s eyes slit at her. She was fuming. She turned her lethal look at Billy who wasughing behind her. He stopped; worried he had drawn her attention to himself. He was most certainly going to be the one suffering her rage.

    ¡°Do you think she is okay?¡± Ash was the only worried one in the room. There was something about that bump that didn¡¯t sit right with him. Her scent was the same but stronger and sweeter. Her blood tasted close to human, but then again he¡¯d never drunk from whatever she was bing before. But the thing was, there was something very different about her, and he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We should still get her checked out, just to be sure,¡± Maria answered.

    ¡°How about we just wait and see,¡± Joe said concealing his true opinion. ¡°She seems perfectly fine, exempting the bruise.¡±

    ¡°I feel great. Stop worrying.¡± Lee turned to look at him. His gaze was still fixed on her belly, his fingers lightly tracing the bruised bump that was barely visible to her.

    ¡°That will never happen.¡± Ash spoke under his breath, his voice serious.

    Lee pulled his hand away and pulled her shirt down, forcing him to look at her. ¡°Worry if you like, but I¡¯m fine. Now put me down and go eat.¡± He put her on the stool and kissed her on the forehead.

    ¡°She ate everything meaty in the fridge, but I¡¯m sure there is something else we can make for you.¡± Maria stood up and went to the fridge. Joe was next to her, opening the doors for her. ¡°I¡¯m not handicapped. I am quite capable of doing things myself.¡± She looked up at Joe who had both doors wide open for her.

    Joe looked down at her impatient face with a heart-breaking smile on his. ¡°Of course you are, honey. So what is it you were looking for?¡±

    Maria¡¯s face rxed, she was putty in his hands. ¡°Anything we can cook for supper. First we have to find what¡¯s rotten in here, because I can¡¯t smell whatever it was Lee did.¡± Her voice was softer.

    Joe reached up and pulled a number of things out the fridge.

    ¡°Eat. I¡¯m going out for a while I¡¯ll be back in a few hours.¡± Ash turned Lee to her te and walked toward the door. Billy stood and followed him. ¡°I¡¯lle with you. Joe will stay until Dave gets back.¡±

    Ash stopped his face grave. ¡°Sabrina?¡± Billy shook his head. Ash¡¯s face tightened and he clutched his fists at his sides.

    Lee knew the minute he fed he would go after her, but she didn¡¯t want that, they¡¯d barely been together. ¡°Don¡¯t think about that now. Just go ande back to me. I¡¯ve missed you.¡±

    He nodded and left. Joe and Maria kept busy with the food, Ann walked out of the kitchen through a different door. Lee went back to her meal, feeling more at ease with the two left in the kitchen.

 Fifty Eight

    The cold droplets on Lee¡¯s face woke her up. She lifted her hands to cover her face before she opened her eyes. Ash was standing over her, his head bent down shaking his wet hair over her.

    ¡°Ash what are you doing?¡± She turned, hiding her face in the pillow, but the water droplets were now on her neck. She couldn¡¯t help butugh at his silliness. ¡°Ash, will you stop that!¡± The drops stopped, but she stayed as she was, just in case it was a trick.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t turn, I¡¯ll pour a whole bucket on you.¡± His voice was full ofughter. She turned to look at him. He wasn¡¯t pale anymore. His earthshaking smile dominated his face, his eyes reflected his happiness. He was shirtless and still wet, in ck nnel pants.

    ¡°You look better, healthier.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad yourself, especially in my shirt.¡± He tugged at the edge of his light blue, long-sleeved shirt. It wore Lee more than she wore it.

    ¡°I was too tired to look for my clothes. To think after two days sleep I would be well rested.¡±

    He pulled her up and into his arm. ¡°I was so scared. I thought I had lost you.¡± The cheer in his voice was gone.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t. How about we spend this time catching up, instead of talking about what happened.¡± She didn¡¯t want to spend any more time talking about Sabrina. She¡¯d taken enough time of her life away.

    ¡°Okay. What do you want to do first?¡±

    ¡°You really have to ask?¡± She pulled away from him then lifted herself onto hisp. She grazed her lips over his before she tasted them. She had missed their intoxicating taste.

    She leaned deep into the kiss, his hand was rubbing her back, the other traced up and down her thigh. Having him touch her like that again made her shiver.

    Ash pulled back. ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    It took her a while before she got her voice. ¡°Your touch has that effect on me. Could we go back to what we were doing?¡±

    ¡°With pleasure.¡± He pulled her down against him, deepening the kiss. She went weak in his arms. He tucked his hand under her knees and put her t on her back. She expected him to pull back like he always did but he climbed on top of her and lowered himself over her. She loved the direction this was going.

    She reached under his arms and sped his shoulders, pulling him down, reducing the distance between them. She felt his muscles tighten under her grip. He gave a ragged groan before he pressed himself against her.

    The pleasure was cut short. A sharp pain stung her stomach. ¡°Ouch!¡± She pushed him away and ced her hand lightly over her belly. The pain felt like a long tear across her belly.

    ¡°What is it? Did I hurt you?¡± Ash scrambled off her and to her side.

    She shook her head. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the pillow, biting down on her lip as she waited for the pain to fade away.

    ¡°Lee, talk to me!¡± Ash was panicking. If she didn¡¯t speak, he would blow his top.

    ¡°I really hate Sabrina right now!¡±

    ¡°Should I get you something?¡± He moved, but she grabbed his hand to stop him.

    ¡°No stay. The pain is gone.¡± She opened her eyes and exhaled. That hurt more than it should have.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± His face was creased with worry.

    She pulled him down to lie next to her. ¡°You worry too much. The only thing I need is you. Now where were we?¡± She pulled him closer to kiss him, but he held back.

    ¡°We were where I wasn¡¯t going to make your pain any worse. That endeavor has been postponed until you are fully recovered.¡±

    She grunted annoyingly. ¡°I really hate Sabrina!¡±

    Ash chuckled and pulled her closer to him and held her. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± He kissed the top of her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too. I¡¯m sorry about what I put you through.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°When I woke up, you were passed out in a drunken stupor. I didn¡¯t know-you really love me don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Do you really have to ask? When you wouldn¡¯t wake up, I went out of my mind. I thought of everything that could be wrong with you and how I couldn¡¯t help you. The only way I could handle it was by not handling it. That¡¯s where the liquor came in.¡±

    ¡°I hope never to go through that. The thought of losing you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear losing someone else.¡± She pulled herself closer into him. He tightened his hold around her.

    ¡°I promise you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯d kill myself minutes before you died.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that!¡± His body stiffened and his voice was harsh.

    ¡°You stay alive and I¡¯ll stay alive.¡±

    ¡°Lee, you can¡¯t tie yourself to me. There are things I need to take care of and I can¡¯t guarantee that.¡±

    She leaned on her elbow and looked down at him. His words frightened her. ¡°What do mean? Are you telling me you are about to run off on some suicide mission?¡±

    ¡°Lee, it¡¯splicated.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t guarantee your life and follow with ¡®it¡¯splicated¡¯!¡± She was even more scared.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be stubborn about this.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be glued to you henceforth. Where you go I go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± His tone was sharp and direct.

    ¡°With or without your knowledge, I¡¯ll go where you go.¡±

    He pulled her down back into his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever let you out of my sight.¡±

    She stayed quiet for a moment before she spoke out her fear. ¡°Ash, why am I so different?¡±

    A few beats of silence passed before he answered. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for that. I made the mistake of biting you the first night we were together.¡±

    He had left her with more than bruises and a broken bed. ¡°Did you change me into what you are?¡±

    ¡°No, not fully.¡±

    ¡°Sabrina was really mad when my eyes turned yellow and when I kicked her ass,¡± she said proudly.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    He chuckled. ¡°I saw that, good job. You would have been very different if you were fully changed.¡±

    ¡°Apart from the eyes, super speed and strength, I saw into my dad¡¯s mind is that also normal?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unnatural, but yes, it¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°Will I stay like this for good or will I change even more or go back to normal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He sounded distressed. She wanted to ask him about her new diet but it was only going to make them more tense. Not knowing what would happen to her was scaring her and unsettling him.

    ¡°The things you need to take care of, Sabrina isn¡¯t one of them is she?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she is, just not at the top of the list.¡± He was very cold.

    ¡°Who is at the top of the list?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon. Right now, we both need to rest.¡±

    ¡°I was in aa, you were passed out drunk. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve had enough rest?¡±

    Heughed then he lifted her and pulled the cover down. They got into bed and he covered her, holding her closer to him.

    ¡°Remind me to thank Billy.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°He wanted you for himself at first, but he thought you might be better for me.¡± He chuckled, remembering the first time they met.

    ¡°We should thank Billy, but he and I would never have made it past the table.¡±

    ¡°Why, he can be pretty convincing.¡±

    ¡°I think you might have noticed by now, I¡¯m not that sociable with people I don¡¯t know.¡±

    He arched a brow at her. ¡°Oh really? How long did you know me before we made love?¡±

    She punched his ribs, but it didn¡¯t seem to hurt him. ¡°You were different. I felt like I knew you, like I should trust you and it turns out we¡¯ve met before.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you let me feed off you? That by the way was a very daft thing to do,¡± he scolded.

    She sighed dramatically. ¡°The things we do for love, besides it was just a little blood.¡± She herself didn¡¯t understand why, but it felt right to her.

    ¡°You are going to be a handful.¡± He exhaled. ¡°Mi amor, please sleep.¡±

    ¡°Mi amor, that¡¯s another thing I¡¯ve missed.¡±

    ¡°Mi amor,¡± he said it more passionately, the words rolling off his tongue like honey.

    ¡°I love you too, more than life itself.¡± She draped her arm over his bare chest.

    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to share it.¡± She felt a bump on his smooth skin. She looked at it to see a huge round scar simr to the one he had on his back. ¡°Ash, how did you get this?¡±

    He took her hand and held it in his away from the scar. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another day. I think you¡¯ve had enough scares for now.¡± She wanted to push, but he was right she really wasn¡¯t ready for more surprises especially if they pertained to his life. ¡°You look good in my bed, like you belong in it.¡±

    ¡°I belong in it because it¡¯s our bed and I¡¯m never leaving it.¡± She settled back and made herself even morefortable against him.

    ¡°Good, because I won¡¯t let you.¡± He kissed the top of her head, and held her closer to him, a ce she would never leave ever again.

 Fifty Nine

    How They Met

    ¡°Guys, breakfast is ready!¡± Martha shouted from the bottom of the steps. Her husband, Dave, walked into the kitchen holding Alice and ced her in her chair before he took his seat at the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three. One, two¡­¡±

    Dave chuckled when two doors mmed shut as Jayson and Merilee came racing down the steps. He always wondered what woulde after two, but Martha always got them to do what she wanted before she reached the dreaded three.

    Dave looked around the table at his family and smiled. They were a close nit African family. He and Martha had gotten married young and moved to America when Dave got a job immediately after he finished varsity. They were happy and had three beautiful children to show for it. Jayson ten, Merilee five, and Alice had just turned three.

    They had made it a point to have their meals together. Dave worked round the clock to pay off the house loan. The extra hours and the normal workload kept him very busy and left little time to spend with his family. Martha wanted a house outside the city-for the fresh air, peace and quiet, not forgetting the huge backyard the kids would y in-like the one she grew up in, in Tanzania. So, he did everything in his power to get it for her. It was an hour¡¯s drive into the city, but it was still close enough to the kids¡¯ school and Dave¡¯s work, and very worth it.

    Once breakfast was done, Dave dropped the kids off at school and went to work. He was having a good day; his family was wonderful, and he had just closed the biggest deal that would surely earn him a bonus.

    Life is good, the loan is as good as paid and we can finally loosen the belt at home. Thank you, Lord! He leaned back in his seat and started daydreaming of how he would spend the extra money and the more time he would have with his family. A long family vacation was definitely in the cards.

    ¡°Dave, Dave, Dave!¡± His secretary yelled, pulling him out of his daydreams.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he answeredzily, swinging the chair to turn to her.

    ¡°The big guy is calling you.¡±

    Finally! ¡°Thanks Tracy.¡±

    Dave walked to his future with a big smile on his face ready for another life changing door to open for him. He checked himself out in the window¡¯s reflection before he knocked on his boss¡¯ door. It was a losing battle, but he tried his best to hide the excitement that was bubbling inside him and was now showing on his face.

    This is it; I¡¯m finally going to get the recognition I deserve, he thought as he opened the door and walked in. ¡°Sir, you called for me?¡±

    He smiled when he saw the full room. This is going to be better than I thought. All the partners are here.

    ¡°There he is the man of the hour! Sit down, boy genius!¡± His boss bellowed happily. He looked like Santa use, his big belly moving up and down as heughed. Too bad he scared the hell out of Lee.

    ¡°Dave, you did a great job, and greatness should not go unrecognized.¡±

    He paused for a moment, like one of those annoying game show hosts drawing out the suspense when they were about to announce the winner. And it was working because the suspense was killing Dave; he was now at the edge of his seat, literally.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°The partners and I have decided to give you a new office.¡±

    What? That¡¯s it? Dave thought, his eyebrows drooping with disappointment.

    ¡°Of course, with added benefits, a bonus and a fatter pay check.¡± The man¡¯s grin grewrger exposing all his teeth.

    Wait, was I¡­

    ¡°Congrattions Dave, you just made junior partner!¡±

    Dave was shocked and speechless. This was more than what he expected. He was pulled up on his feet, shaking hands with the partners. The only words he could manage were ¡®thank¡¯ and ¡®you¡¯.

    Life wasn¡¯t good, it was great!

    * * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Dave stood impatiently at the door, elegantly dressed. He was taking his family out to dinner to celebrate and had no intentions of getting therete. He had booked a table at Caf¨¦ Blue in uptown New York and had to pay a little extra, after begging for thete reservation. Losing their table after all that would be a major pain.

    ¡°Come on guys, chop chop!¡± he yelled, pacing with his watch held out in front of him.

    ¡°Will you calm down? Guys, let¡¯s go before your father wears out my floor!¡± Martha walked toward her husband holding Alice¡¯s hand. She then picked up the kids¡¯ coats and helped them put them on as they walked out to the car.

    Dave strapped the kids in their seats then ran round to his side and got in. ¡°You all look great,¡± he blurted out, started the car, and drove off.

    The restaurant looked fancy and expensive, even the menu echoed sophistication. And the best of it, he didn¡¯t have to sweat as he looked through it; he had a huge bonus to cover the expensive prices of a half a te of food.

    ¡°How do you guys like the food?¡± Dave asked half-heartedly. He was halfway done with his te. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to finishing it and by the looks on their faces neither did the children, but Martha seemed to be enjoying her dish.

    People pay top dor for this? He thought to himself as he forked the food around his te.

    ¡°Daddy, do we really have to eat this?¡± Jayson asked him with a tortured look on his face. Merilee echoed his question with the same look. Her lips were now curved downwards in a harsh pout and her eyes were bigger, begging her father to say no.

    ¡°Kids, your dad is spending a lot¡­¡±

    Before Martha was done, Dave turned to her with the same puppy look Merilee had. All of a sudden, she looked relieved and exhaled as if she had just put down a heavy load.

    ¡°Thank God, I was contemting shoving the rest down my throat. How about, we have pizza for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± the kids screamed, already heading for the door. Dave gave a low chuckle and paid for the meal that was barely touched.

    Alice put down her spoon and held out her arms for Dave to pick her up. ¡°You know, we should have just stuck to what we are used to.¡±

 Sixty

    ¡°Sabrina, that¡¯s enough.¡± Ashat shoved her off him. He pulled on his pants and got out of bed to get another beer.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, using her horny voice. She was now seated on the bed, naked. She rubbed her right foot slow and seductively over her left leg, as her fingers yed with her long hair.

    If you are trying to seduce me, you¡¯ll have to try harder.

    Her face dropped and then suddenly turned red in a rage. She growled at him and in a huff pulled the sheet to cover herself.

    ¡°I may love you but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to treat me like a whore! You shouldn¡¯t have bit me if you wanted to dispose of me once you grew tired of me!¡±

    Well, that was your profession. Biting you was a mistake, a huge one. He shrugged. I guess I was hungrier than I thought. Then the familiar pain settled over him. I only love one person, and you are not her. Rosa¡­

    ¡°Rosa, Rosa! She¡¯s been dead for over five centuries now, get over it! Even if you drink yourself into a stupor or sleep with as many women as you want¡­¡± Her rage was now reced with sadistic humor. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m the only one you can screw.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Tough having a guilty conscious, huh? Either way, she is nevering back! And if you hadn¡¯t noticed you are immortal, so the afterlife reunion will be a bit dy-¡±

    Before she could finish, he had his fingers wrapped around her throat. He wanted to rip her head clear off her shoulders. He was in such a rage. He¡¯d had enough of her taunts. He had put up with her bullshit for over seventy years, this was thest straw! He should have killed her the day he had turned her, saved himself the headaches.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say her name, ever again!¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    He let out a loud growl and lifted her a foot off the floor by her neck. She kicked and scratched at his wrist, gasping for air. He had cut off her air supply, a little tighter and he would crush her neck.

    And prove the guys, right?

    Before he could toss her across the room, there was a loud knock on the door.

    ¡°Ash, Billy¡¯s gone again. Do you always send him out or are they personal errands? He wouldn¡¯t have gone to the bar without me, would he? Hey, can you hear me?¡±

    Joe, he could be a nuisance sometimes.

    ¡°Mind your own damn business!¡± Ashat put her down and shouted back at the door. ¡°Go do something useful.¡± He turned back to her. ¡°You are too.¡±

    * * * *

    Joe and Ash arrived at the bar to find Billy seated with two women on a sofa in a dark corner. The music was loud, and the club had dark red lighting, and dancers on poles, with others on swings hanging from the ceiling.

    ¡°You dide without me!¡± Joe said sulkily at Billy.

    ¡°You can be such a chic sometimes,¡± Billy replied, paying very little attention to him. He had other interests on his mind, they were also on hisp.

    To think after all these years, he would have gotten tired of partying all the time. But then again, as the years had gone by, women and booze were the only constant factor in their lives.

    Ash walked to the bar and sat down. He liked drinking alone; he liked being alone. Now that he was sure Billy was okay, he could unwind a bit but still keep an eye on them. Unfortunately, tonight, he would have to be the sober one and make sure they didn¡¯t trash the ce.

    He ordered a whole bottle of tequ and started the short journey down the bottle, one ss at a time.

    * * * *

    ¡°We need to find him before he finds us!¡± Baku was in a rage. It had been a whole century since hest saw Ashat; he had gotten close, too close for Baku¡¯s liking.

    He was currently living in Manhattan, renting avishly furnished mansion. The wealth he had umted over the past centuries allowed him to live an expensive life. He was sad that he might not be able to live there for long though. A man on the run never stayed put in one ce for too long. He might as welly out a yellow brick road for Ashat.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find him in New York,¡± Seth, his right-hand man, offered.

    ¡°After all these years you¡¯d think he would have moved out of our ancestralnd,¡± he said with a sarcastic snort. Baku turned his attention back to the small group of immortals. ¡°I have no ns of leaving this earth before he does, now find him!¡±

    His minions ran out the door in bem. No one wanted to be near him in case heshed out, which he did often and loved every minute of it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find you, Ashat, and put you out of your misery once and for all. I mean, it¡¯s the least I could do, considering¡­¡±

    Seth walked into the huge room where Baku was standing at the firece. ¡°Baku, the boys found him and his pack.¡± He held the phone close to his ear as he waited for their instructions.

    Baku turned to him with a tense smile on his face. ¡°Kill his pack, and then bring him to me!¡± he eximed victoriously, but there was an echo of doubt at the edge of his voice. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. Anything that involved Ashat was never that simple and it bordered on dangerous.

    He smiled knowingly. It was a good thing he had idiots to sacrifice themselves for him.

    With no one to back him up, Ashat would be an easy target, well not so easy, just difficult to handle.

    ¡°Finally! I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you, Ashat.¡±

    * * * *

    Ash, Joe and Billy staggered into the pizzeria. It was half an hour to closing time and they were the only ones left in the restaurant. They may prefer blood, but they still ate human food, and pizza was Joe¡¯s favorite. Ashat and Billy sat in a booth while Joe ced their orders at the counter.

    ¡°We should have asked how fast they could make twenty pizzas. I think the alcohol is starting to lose its effects.¡± Billy held three fingers in front of his face. He held them away before he pulled them closer then held them away again.

    Ash wasn¡¯t paying much attention to Billy. He too wanted to go home and get drunk. He didn¡¯t like how fast the alcohol metabolized in his body. Being drunk out of his mind helped him get through his immortal life; he didn¡¯t want to face life sober. It was too hard.

    Twenty minutester, a ck man dressed in an elegant ck suit walked into the pizzeria towards the counter. He seemed to be in a good mood. He ced his order, and then turned toward the door, smiled and waved. Ash followed his gaze outside. Parked outside was a SUV. A tiny hand stuck out the window, waving back frantically.

    Ash turned his ear in the SUV¡¯s direction listening to the heartbeats of the upants in the car, trying to figure out how many there were. There was one strong heartbeat and three smaller but strong hearts beat as well.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    His wife and three kids¡­that could have been me five centuries ago¡­they could have been us, Rosa!

    Before Ash had time to recover from the anguish he was in, he caught a familiar scent. Billy¡¯s head jerked up, Joe turned towards the door, their faces stern and their body rigid. They had smelled it too. The ck guy was busy on his ckberry, he seemed oblivious to the looming danger.

    Get him out of here! Ash¡¯s thoughts screamed at Joe.

    It¡¯s toote! Get him behind the counter, now! Billy¡¯s thoughts yelled. He turned and looked outside into the darkness.

    Joe turned to the elegantly dressed ck man with a forced smile on his face. ¡°Excuse me, sir. Hi, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Dave,¡± he said returning Joe¡¯s smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m Joe, that¡¯s Ash and Billy. Would you please do us a favor?¡±

 Sixty One

    Dave paused before he answered and looked around suspiciously. He panicked when he turned to see two huge, over six feet tall, guys standing between him and the door. Terror tagged at him knowing his family was on the other side of the door. He hoped they hadn¡¯t seen them.

    ¡°Take what you want from me just let me walk out of here.¡± He extended the hand that had the ckberry in it to Joe.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want your money,¡± Joe pushed Dave¡¯s hand away.

    Before Dave could speak again, Joe picked him up by the cor and threw him behind the counter. He hit the floor hard on his side. Blood trickled from the cut on his head where it had met with the corner of the counter. He was dazed and confused. He stumbled a bit on his knees as his head was spinning. Before he could stand up, the door opened, and three pairs of footsteps walked in.

    ¡°Hi Ash, Baku has a message for you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A heavy coarse voice answered.

    The next thing Dave heard was six loud growls and the furniture breaking. There was a shadow as somethingrge blocked the light. He slowly rose to take a peek over the counter.

    There were sixrge wolves, all paired up attacking each other with paws and teeth. Dave was frozen. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. It looked like a one hundred-twenty-inch 3D TV with a wolf documentary on.

    Was it shock or fear that kept him rooted there?

    One of the wolves was thrown through the window into the parking lot. Dave was shaken awake when he realized the danger his family was in. He stood and ran out the new exit toward his car.

    ¡°Doggy! Big doggy!¡± Alice screamed at the top of her voice pointing to the back of the SUV.

    ¡°Mum, Dad doesn¡¯t have our pizza!¡± Merilee yelled sulkily, when Dave appeared on her side of the car.

    ¡°Honey, what¡¯s going on? We heard ss shatter-¡± Martha stopped when she saw the blood dripping from Dave¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you okay? Why are you bleeding?¡± Her voice was raised in rm.

    Dave didn¡¯t answer her. He didn¡¯t want to frighten her. He started the car and drove away like a mad man.

    * * * *

    The pizzeria was in rubble after the fight. Ten minutes ago, it was a beautiful room with the walls covered with pictures of pizza and an Italian fat chef holding a pan of pizza sauce and a mouth-watering lovely aroma of Italian herbs sailing in from the kitchen.

    Now the walls were smeared with blood, and the smell of wet fur dominated the air.

    Ash and Joe were back in their human form, naked. They were going to have to pay for the damage, right after they burned the ce down. The staff had heard themotion and had run out the back door. It was a good thing none of them were brave enough to go see what was going on.

    They had managed to kill two, one ran off as soon as he freed himself from Billy¡¯s grip. For once, he had wished he werepletely sober.

    ¡°Guys, we have a problem. Dave isn¡¯t here anymore.¡± Joe reappeared from the back of the counter. He now had a red and white-boxed tablecloth tied around his waist.

    Ash turned to the parking lot; the SUV was gone. He was in awe at Dave¡¯s effort to save his family. But he knew more than anyone that Baku would never let him live now that they were exposed. They had to find Dave¡¯s family before he did.

    ¡°It¡¯s decided. We must have a packed bag in the car. That was my favorite shirt!¡± Billy moaned. He was now in his human form and searching for something to cover himself with.

    Completely ignoring him, Ash turned to Joe. ¡°Did you catch his scent?¡±

    Joe nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, get some clothes and a packed bag, and then find them before he does.¡±

    They all knew to whom Ash was referring. They knew how grave the situation was and how fast it could go bad for Dave¡¯s family.

    * * * *

    Martha stood by the bed. Her attention was divided between her husband, who stood still at an interval of five seconds in the middle of their room before he paced again, and her three children tucked in their bed. The stern looks on her husband¡¯s face scared her more now that it seemed he was trying to protect his family from something.

    ¡°Dave, talk to me. You¡¯ve been pacing up and down for thest three hours! It¡¯s already two o¡¯clock in the morning!¡± She was agitated and scared, and it echoed in her voice.

    She waited for Dave to say something, anything. Instead, he walked toward their bedroom door and tried the lock.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Will you stop that? You¡¯ve locked all the windows and doors in the house and double-checked them. You made the kidse and sleep in our room, but you still won¡¯t say a word to me. What the hell is going on?¡±

    Dave turned to his wife. He could see he was scaring her. She had ced a protective arm over Alice now. She was trying so hard to be patient but whatever ghosts her husband was afraid of was tormenting her, especially since he wasn¡¯t forting on what was scaring him so much.

    He walked to his wife and held her tight. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±

    Hey on one side of the bed, so that the kids would be sandwiched in the middle and watched his family sleep. He knew there was no way in hell he would be able to close his eyes.

    At the first hint of dawn, Dave woke up his family. Right after Martha had fallen asleep, he got out of bed and packed their bags and loaded them in the car.

    ¡°Everybody up! We are leaving in five minutes!¡±

    Dave pulled the cover off the children. They curled up into balls when the cold air hit them. Dave lifted them out of bed one by one and ced them on the floor. Merilee sank to the ground and curled up back to sleep. Alice followed her sister and curled up next to her. Jayson stood there with his eyes closed and his body drooping still very heavy with sleep.

    Martha struggled out of bed and stood by her husband. She hadn¡¯t slept very well and now she was up going¡­ Where were they going?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, and where are we going so early?¡±

    ¡°To the airport. The bags are packed and loaded. We are going on holiday. Kids get in the car. You can continue sleeping on the ne. You¡¯ll take your bath, change clothes when we get there. Martha, will you please change your clothes, I¡¯ll go strap them in their seats.¡±

    Dave picked up his two daughters and tucked them under his arms and tagged Jayson forward with his fingers. Jayson looking like a little zombie dragged his feet and made his way out the door.

    Dave made for the door, but Martha grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. She didn¡¯t like being left in the dark and was about to demand for an exnation when she saw the scared look in his eyes. She looked at her sleepy daughters hanging like dead fish on Dave¡¯s arms. There was no other way around it; she had to let him do things his way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± She reached up and kissed his cheek then headed for the bathroom.

 Sixty Two

    Ash, Joe and Billy got out of the car and walked up the driveway of the cream-colored house with red and white roses bordering the path. Joe had tracked them here, to Dave¡¯s house.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Billy reached to ring the doorbell when Ash stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother no one¡¯s home. They left; I hope for good.¡± Ash was relieved. He could now go back to hunting Baku without worrying about the humans. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a bigger fish to fry.¡±

    ¡°Ash, could we get some pizza on the way?¡± Joe said sounding rxed, ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t go back to that ce, the sauce smelled pretty good.¡±

    Ash turned and looked at him, a perplexed look on his face. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Only Joe can think of food at the oddest of times,¡± Billy said tly as he walked back to the car.

    ¡°Joe, when I first met you, you were a pretty serious guy, what happened?¡± Ash asked Joe who was staring at him with an amused look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been alive for over a century, being carefree is a better way to live.¡±

    ¡°Women, booze and carefree, the three essentials for an immortal life,¡± Billy called out from the car.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between you and me?¡± Joe asked Billy walking back to the car.

    Ash looked at the two guys as they squabbled over something nonsensical as they usually did. He envied the stride the two had taken with their immortal lives. They had easily gotten over watching their families die while they stayed alive.

    But it was different with them. Their families had died from old age or disease. Ash¡¯s family was murdered. They were brutally killed out of spite and jealousy. Ash was constantly tormented by the memory of his dead family.

    Rosa¡¯s pale, bloody, pregnant body, her arms wrapped around Kiowa¡¯s blue body.

    Ash felt a tight squeeze around his heart. The pain was still there, a constant reminder of his punishment-his slow, lonely painful death. Once Baku was dead, he would finally end his misery. Five hundred years was already too long to keep suffering like this.

    Baku would pay for what he did, and Ash intended to make it a slow painful death.

    * * * *

    Dave was a bit rxed now. He had put quite a distance between his nightmare and his family. He would have driven past Miami if he hadn¡¯t felt guilty for dragging his family across the country. He copsed on the king size bed and closed his eyes. He could finally get some shuteye.

    He rented a cottage on the beach, on top of the rocks where water crashed into at high tide. It also had a spectacr view of the sunset. He intended to make sure that his family had a wonderful time during their three-week vacation. He also hoped that in three weeks he wouldn¡¯t be so scared anymore.

    As he came out of his long-deserved sleep, he could hear his children¡¯sughter in the background. The sun was setting with its yellow-orange glow looked so beautiful over the ocean. Cool breeze made its way into the cottage; it tickled his skin as he rose from the bed. He had been asleep for nearly eight hours.

    He walked out onto the patio. He smiled as he watched his children build sandcastles under the watchful eye of their mother. She had one of her mesmerizing smiles running across her face.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Alice shrieked as she stood up and ran toward Dave. The other two kids were also on their feet now. They passed Alice with ease. Jayson jumped on him as Merilee wrapped her arms around his knees and hugged them tight. Dave held onto the pole for support.

    ¡°Take it easy on your dad,¡± Martha shouted as she pulled up the rear.

    ¡°You were asleep for a long time. We wanted to wake you up so that you could y with us,¡± Jayson said as Dave put him down to pick up his baby sister.

    Alice hade running with her arms extended up. She didn¡¯t appreciate the fact that her brother wasfortable in a ce she considered being only hers. If Dave had held him for five more seconds, she would have erupted like a volcano.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Mommy said that you were very tired and that she¡¯ll pull our ears out if we did,¡± Merilee¡¯s squeaky voice came in response.

    ¡°How about we y now?¡± Dave could barely manage to utter the words past his heavyugh. The kids took off happily back to their sandcastle. Martha went to him and hugged him. She drew back without letting him go and looked up at him with concern.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now, and before you say anything else, I really want to enjoy this time with my family without thinking about it.¡± Reluctantly he added, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you¡­just¡­not now.¡±

    He held his wife close as he watched his children throw sand at each other. How did I get so lucky, and yet so unlucky?

    * * * *

    Ash had been searching for close to three weeks for Baku and his pack. He was getting frustrated and impatient. They had held off feeding for a week when he thought they were close to finding him, but they¡¯d been duped again. Baku disappeared every time they seemed to get close, now it just felt like a wild goose chase.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been searching for weeks; there is no sign of him. I¡¯m hungry, tired and getting angrier by the day!¡± Billy groaned as he paced in the living room of their bungalow house.

    ¡°Does Baku have some magical powers we don¡¯t know about, because he reminds me of that guy¡­Houdini? I mean there is no one else he could have learned these disappearing acts from, unless he is a magician too.¡± Joe copsed in the seat. ¡°Ash since he¡¯s yin and you¡¯re yang, do you also have magical superpowers we don¡¯t know about, apart from your hundred times more power than what we have? Because if you do, you could just telepathically track him down¡­wait¡­you would have tried that already¡­unless you didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Joe¡­¡± Billy hissed and took a step closer to him. ¡°Now is not the time to be funny!¡±

    Joe jumped behind Ash and held his hands up in surrender. He wasn¡¯t about to take on a frustrated Billy, especially when he was sober.

    Ash was close to hitting Joe himself if Billy hadn¡¯t stopped Joe¡¯s foolish ranting, but he was also not going to let Billy attack him for his stupidity. They needed the little strength they had to hunt and feed, and that meant getting out of the city and into the country. Did he really have the strength to even drive?

    ¡°Sabrina, I need you to drive us into the country. I don¡¯t think any of us are up to driving or running.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just feed on the humans? It¡¯s much easier, and plus I won¡¯t have to drive you anywhere. I¡¯m tired and¡­¡± She looked up and caught Ash ring at her with murder in his eyes.

    ¡°Have you¡­¡± Ash hissed out, too angry to finish his words.

    Sabrina, sensing danger, replied hurriedly as she stood and headed toward the door. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t been feeding on humans! I drank the stash you left in the freezer. And I don¡¯t mind driving. Meet you at the car.¡± She ran out the door, she wasn¡¯t giving Ash a chance to pounce on her.

    Billy looked at Ash amused and yet annoyed. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have lost control on a mute or a less annoying prostitute?¡±

    ¡°We should have just fed on her before she changed. Saved ourselves years of torment,¡± Joe added. It was bing a dialogue between Billy and Joe.

    ¡°It¡¯s kept him from sleeping with another human, I can¡¯t imagine being monogamous for eternity. I wonder if the constant angry sex is what¡¯s making her more irritating.¡±

    ¡°Well, it is turning him into more of a sour puss every day.¡±

    ¡°Not. Now,¡± Ash growled so loud it made them quicken their pace to the car. He knew the mistake he had made and he cursed himself every time he saw her. He regretted having the annoying bitch around, but she would cause less havoc with him around and he had no one else to relieve his sexual frustration on. That, and the fact he was too scared to bed another human.

 Sixty Three

    Baku threw things around. He felt caged and that made him anxious and uncontroble. Soon he¡¯d be taking his frustration out on his pack.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep hiding out like a rat. We need to get rid of him now! Seth! Why is Cole taking so long! All I did was ask him to kill a family of weak humans, how hard can that be!¡±

    Seth smiled. He was unmoved by Baku¡¯s erratic behavior. ¡°The humans will be back from their vacation tomorrow. They will be dead by the next morning. I thought you would want to kill two birds with one stone, so I set a trap for Ash-¡± Before he could finish telling his master n, Baku interrupted him with an air of arrogance and a hint of mockery in his voice.

    ¡°Thinking and strategizing is my forte. Let¡¯s face it, it¡¯s not your strongest suit, but there is a first time for everything, continue.¡±

    Seth clenched his jaw and fisted his hands tightly. Baku ignored his frigid frame, instead a sarcastic smile spread across his face. He knew what he had done, and better yet, he knew Seth would not be able to do anything about it.

    ¡°One of your men is following him. Tomorrow night he will alert him of the threat on his humans¡¯ lives. By the time he gets back, it will be toote for the humans. We will catch him and kill his pack before he knows what¡¯s happening. The rest is up to you to strategies. ¡±

    Baku didn¡¯t like the sarcasm in hisst sentence, but he had other things worrying him. ¡°Well then, what are you waiting for?¡±

    * * * *

    That one¡¯s mine! Billy knocked Joe to the side and nabbed the deer he was chasing in his teeth.

    Billy! That¡¯s not fair! You¡¯ve had three already!Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    So?

    I¡¯ve only had two!

    And how is that my problem?

    They were each holding one end in a tug of war. Their childish behavior was irritating Ash. Will you two stop that! Five more minutes and we leave. I don¡¯t want to risk being seen, or Sabrina taking off with the car.

    They were in their wolf forms, it was the quickest and simplest way to hunt. They were stronger now and the thuds of their paws on the ground spoke as much. Sabrina had decided not to hunt. She had no intention of ripping or staining her new outfit. She decided to wait in the car, if they took any longer than they already had, she would drive off with their back up clothes and without them.

    They had driven for close to seven hours and had arrived in the daylight. They drove deep into the forest to avoid being sighted. They didn¡¯t take the time to undress, instead they transformed immediately, ripping all the clothes on their backs. They had fed, slept then woke up in the middle of the night to feed again.

    Ash stopped, and the others followed suit. He lifted his nose into the air and took a long whiff. There was another wolf close by, and it wasn¡¯t Sabrina.

    We havepany¡­ Billy your left!

    In an instant Billy¡¯s bronze wolf form ran into the forest and tackled the intruder down. The intruder immediately changed into his human form, knowing very well they wouldn¡¯t dare kill him in this form. Ash¡¯s pack was known to believe in fair fights.

    Ash transformed into his human form and went after them. He stopped where Billy had the naked scared intruder pinned down. Ash didn¡¯t like the fact Baku was always two steps ahead of him.

    After a few minutes, Joe¡¯s light brown fur emerged from the cluster of trees to join them. He¡¯s alone. What does he want?

    ¡°I was just about to find out. What do you want and what¡¯s Baku up to?¡± Ash said staring down at the soon to be dead man.

    ¡°I was sent to watch you, to make sure you didn¡¯t interrupt him while he killed the humans.¡±

    Ash¡¯s entire body went rigid. Baku had found them. He thought they had left for good. He had hoped he would have gotten rid of Baku before they came back. If they came back, which they did!

    Baku was going to destroy another family, another helpless innocent family. Ash couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.

    Ash struggled to catch his breath. He couldn¡¯t see straight, he seemed immobilized, unable to even flinch. It was happening again. It wasn¡¯t his family that was going to be ughtered, that already happened, but for some reason he had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He felt responsible for the humans, at fault and guilty for their inevitable fate. They were caught in a fight that wasn¡¯t their own. Knowing Baku, he would make the man watch his family die before he killed him. That¡¯s a fate no man should suffer.

    Ash what if this is a good thing. Our existence should be a secret. They know what we are, that¡¯s a potential threat to us. Billy spoke up and his words sent Ash¡¯s anger boiling faster than it was seconds ago.

    ¡°They are innocent humans! They have nothing to do with this fight! You have never had your family ughtered by evil, so you wouldn¡¯t know the kind of pain and agony thates with not being able to protect them! And if he was going to out us, he would have done so by now!¡±

    After a long pause and a little calmer he added, ¡°Rip his head off and cut out his heart, when you are done meet me at the car.¡± He ran as his body slowly shivered into his grey wolf form. He hoped they wouldn¡¯t arrive toote. He couldn¡¯t face that kind of guilt again before he had gotten over the one he was already suffering.

    Before the intruder could utter another word, Billy had his head in his mouth and ripped it clear off. Then he wed his chest open and took out his heart. Blood was shooting out of the torn arteries as he bled out into the earth. Billy threw his head aside and followed the rest of the pack to the car.

 Sixty Four

    It was dark when Dave pulled the car into his driveway and the moon shone brighter than the streetlights. The vacation seemed so short, but he was more rxed than he was three weeks ago. He had enjoyed the time he had spent with his family. It showed him exactly how much he loved them and wouldn¡¯t want to be without them. The kids wanted to stay longer, but he had to get back to work.

    ¡°We are home,¡± Dave announced to his family. Jayson jumped out of the car, Martha followed suit with Alice in her arms. Merilee had fallen asleep and didn¡¯t seem to be waking up anytime soon.

    ¡°Honey, wake up we¡¯re home,¡± Dave whispered as he nudged her gently to wake up, instead shey t on her belly in the vacant back seat. She looked so sweet and peaceful, deep in her slumber. But he knew better, Merilee was just pretending so that he could carry her in. There was no other choice but to submit to the little princess, thene back and get the bags.

    Before he could step out of his car, he heard his wife¡¯s chilling, piercing scream. Fear gripped him and he froze. His wife¡¯s pleas jolted him awake. He opened his car door, and ran into the house.

    There in his living room were six people and two six feet tall, huge wolves, hunched down, like they were cramped in a tight space. A ck one stood over his son, while the brown one was over his wife and daughter. Alice held on to Martha, crying loudly as if she knew the danger they were in. Jayson didn¡¯t move a muscle. He had fear written all over his face. Martha was now sobbing, trying to calm Alice down while she still pleaded for the lives of her children.

    ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± One of the men pointed at Dave with an using finger, a smug look on his face.

    Another man who looked like the leader, turned toward him with a wicked smile. ¡°Hallo, Mr. Dave Jackson. I was just getting acquainted with your family.¡± He pointed down toward them. ¡°You know, this is your fault. You saw our kind, and watched them inbat. You are a witness to our existence and we can¡¯t have that. If you had not been in that restaurant, at that time, we wouldn¡¯t have to be here.¡±

    ¡°Please I beg you, don¡¯t hurt them. Do what you want with me, just let them go?¡± Dave tried to remain cool but panic was already taking over him.

    ¡°Of course we will.¡± Relief flowed over him but it onlysted as long as the words were uttered.

    ¡°Oh damn, we have another problem. They now know that we exist. I was willing to let them go but¡­you can see howplicated the situation has be?¡± He pointed at his oversized dogs with sarcasm spewing out of his lying mouth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move this along. Cole kill Mr. Jackson, you two take them out. Oh, and another thing, make him watch, and then kill him.¡± He gave the assassination instructions as if he was asking them to take out the trash.

    ¡°No, please no!¡± Dave was crying now, out of anger, despair, pain, guilt, frustration and resign. He had brought this fate to his family it was his fault. They never should have gone back home, and now he was going to watch his family die.

    Cole held Dave¡¯s arms behind him and held up his head. Dave tried to fight his grip but it was useless, he held him down effortlessly, it was like fighting a brick wall.

    The ck wolf attacked Jayson first. It tore him to pieces as if he was disassembling a doll. Blood shot everywhere. Dave was paralyzed now, he couldn¡¯t cry, nor move. His throat was burning and his chest tightened. His feet gave way under him, but his position was fixed. Cole held him up and supported his weight with his one hand. Martha¡¯s screams only got worse. She was close to fainting when she watched the wolf eat her son¡¯s body parts while the humans licked his blood off the floor.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    They then turned to Martha and Alice. Martha held on to Alice as tight as she could. She then pinned Alice under herself and shielded her with her body. One of the humans pulled Martha off Alice with one hand. Alice ran out of the room but a woman came back with the child silent in her arms. She held Alice¡¯s arm like a rug doll and threw her up in the air. The two wolves lifted their heads and caught her head and feet. With a swift movement they tore her in two. Martha fell silent at that sight. She slumped down on the floor, empty in despair and resignation. She sat there and waited for her fate. It didn¡¯t take long before they descended on her, ripping her flesh apart, eating and drinking her.

    Then all the attention fell on Dave.

    Dave couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He wanted to die, as soon as possible. His breath shortened, his chest felt tight like it was being crushed in a paper mill. His eyes were red and burning with tears.

    Full of despair, he closed his eyes and waited.

    ¡°Daddy what¡¯s going on and why is there red paint all over?¡± Dave was startled. He hadpletely forgotten about Merilee. ¡°Daddy, I want mummy, where¡¯s mummy?¡± She whined in fear.

    ¡°Merilee, run!¡±

    Shocked and even more scared by her father¡¯s tone and the people approaching her, she turned around and ran out the door. One of the men ran after her, he went past them like a breeze. There was no way she would out run him. Dave tried to fight the death grip Cole had him in, he wanted to save thest of his family, but he wasn¡¯t making any headway and was slowly giving up.

    All of a sudden, the man came flying back into the house. Hended at their feet. With a closer look, the man was headless and bleeding from his torn neck and his chest had a massive hole in it. Cole let his grip loose, the others had fear written all over their faces. In a split second, three men came running in, taking out all those in their way, swiftly and methodically. All Dave could hear was breaking bones and cries of pain.

    Dave recognized the faces of his three saviors. They were the men from the diner. He turned to run out to find his daughter. After his first step he was grabbed by his neck and thrown against the wall. Pain shot through his body, and then he went numb. He was oblivious of what was going on around him now. He could taste blood in his mouth but couldn¡¯t move his hands to wipe it off. He knew he was dying, but he was more concerned about his daughter and her safety.

    ****

    It was all over as fast as it had begun. Joe took a body count and threw all the visible body parts in the middle of the living room, which was washed in more blood.

    Ash went to Dave¡¯s limp body and hunched over him. He was spitting out blood trying hard not to choke on it. Ash could see he had injured his spine and wouldn¡¯t be alive for long.

    Without warning Merilee ran into the house with an unconcerned Sabrina walking in behind her. She looked around the room, searching for a familiar face. She turned to where Ash was, their eyes locked for a moment before she shifted them and saw her father, lying there motionless with blood pouring out of his mouth.

    With a soft frightened voice she called out to her father, but didn¡¯t dare move any closer, ¡°Daddy.¡±

    A tear ran down Dave¡¯s cheek and uttered thest words Merilee would ever hear from him, ¡°Please. Don¡¯t¡­let¡­her¡­¡±

    With that, Ash picked her up and tried to hand her over to Sabrina, but she had fists full of Ash¡¯s bloody shirt in her tiny hands. Ash looked into her soft tearful hazel eyes. He saw fear in them; fear no child should ever have. He felt the heaviest load of guilt fall on him. He caused the fear she had, the pain she would soon be suffering when she was old enough to understand what happened.

    Ash turned her head so that she could look into his eyes and away from her dying father. He then gently pried her fingers open, whispering thoughts in her mind that momentarily pulled her out of their immediate environment.

    She looked nk and a little confused but stayed quiet. The soft sobs slowly fading away and her eyes fixed on Ash¡¯s.

    ¡°Get her out of here! Take her anywhere but here!¡± Ash spoke harshly at Sabrina once she had Merilee in her arms.

    It didn¡¯t take long before Merilee was back to reality. She kicked and fought; she didn¡¯t want to go, especially since her father looked so hurt. She cried and screamed at the top of her voice, but Sabrina didn¡¯t pay much attention to her.

    Ash turned back to Dave, Merilee¡¯s cries ringing in his ears. He couldn¡¯t let this happen, not again, Baku wouldn¡¯t win this one. He resolved to try and lessen both Dave¡¯s and Merilee¡¯s pain.

    ¡°Ash, don¡¯t.¡± Billy held him back by his shoulder, ¡°let it be.¡±

    Ash looked at him with a stare that made Billy retract his arm like he was holding it over a hot pan. Ash then turned his attention to Dave. He walked slowly toward him and hunched over him. He was going to give a father a gift no one had ever cared to give him.

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