The Wolves of Crystal Cove

Chapter Three

The feeling of rope tugging at my wrists followed by the burn in my neck from him latching his fangs there has be screaming. "I've got you Erin," he hisses before sinking his fangs back in my neck.

"Stop! Get off me!" I shout thrashing around. My vision seems to fade to black until I'm just in a dark room. My senses finally heightened but overly so. The scent of grass mixed with that of starfruit is the only smell I can pick up. Neither of which belongs to him, to the vampire.

"It's okay, I've got you," a deep voice mutters. Instead of burning in my neck I feel a hand on my arm gently rubbing.

  I instantly shove him away only to fall off the bed. I scoot back until the back of my head hits the wall. "Where am I? Who are you?" I call out, tears streaming down my face.

  The guy turns on the small light beside the bed before he slowly approaches me. "It's Stark, we met yesterday. You're home, in your room, safe," he says softly before crouching down in front of me.

  In the back of my mind it makes sense. I know what he's saying is true but the flashes from the nightmares still pop through. I shake my head as I fist my hands in my hair. "It was just a dream," he says again, his hand outstretched towards me.

    I let go of my hair before feeling my neck only to feel the scars. No blood just sensitive skin. My body tenses up as he sits beside me, not touching but close enough where I can feel his presence. "I wish it were," I mutter, my voice rough from screaming. Before he can say anything I'm up and moving to my window, opening it and then sitting in the windowsill.

    I'm not sure when he joined me but we sit there for at least an hour before he decides to speak. "I can't imagine what it's like for you, what they did to you. It'll haunt you."

"It does."

"Why doesn't anyone try to help? No one else came in here. Not your parents or brother, not even Jasper."

  I pick at some skin around my nails before looking off into the fog. "Usually Ares is here, he's the one that tries and the only one who doesn't typically end up hurt. They've been warned not to come in here," I explain. It took them weeks to come to that realization. I hurt everyone who tried including Ares. He's just strong enough to prevent most of it. Sure my father is an Alpha but his fatherly instincts hold him back.

"I didn't get hurt."

  I look over at Stark, with only the assistance of the moon and the dull little lamp by my bed. Not a scratch on him. No bruises or welps. Nothing. "My father should've warned you when he decided to make you my punishment." I don't miss the shock that flashes across his face. "It's not fair to you. Everyone in the house already has some issues sleeping with the endless screeching. There's even less barrier between our rooms. It's a shit deal for you."

"I don't mind. I only sleep about four hours a night anyway, my father said the less amount of time it took me to be rested the better for the pack."

  I let my leg dangle out the window, slowly moving it back and forth. "I don't know what I would do with four straight hours of sleep, maybe I would be less of a bitch," I joke.

"You're not a," he pauses not saying the word.

"Bitch."

"I'm not saying that," he retorts looking down at his lap.

"Oh come on Stark, it's not that bad of a word," I tease. Slowly rain starts to fall making me pull my leg back in. We get out of the window before I close it and head back to my bed. I fold my legs under me before patting the spot beside me. "Say it."

  His cheeks brighten to a pink color as he timidly sits on my bed. "No."

"Oh come on man. It'll make my night to hear you say it."