The Living Game

(11) The Way of Nature

Dedicating this to jokerthejoke for being such an awesome fan. You were pretty much the whole reason I got thinking about this chapter and then I got ideas so I could write it. Thanks. <3

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When I got inside and shut the door, my feet resumed their previous, slow pace. I could hear Jace laughing and the sound of the TV. It sounded like Spongebob.

I picked up my pace again, this time willingly, wanting to see Jace. I'd been out later than usual so I hadn't gotten much time to see him tonight. Besides, Kiera could go home now and I didn't want her to wait long. And Alek would go with her, leaving me with some peace for a while.

However, I never made it through the kitchen and into the living room. Had I been paying more attention, there was no way I'd have missed him. That being said, I almost walked right by him in my hurry to the living room. Almost.

He was sitting on my kitchen counter, his boot-clad feet swinging lightly and his hands folded neatly in his lap. He was wearing worn jeans and a tight black shirt with a leather motorcycle jacket over it. I fought the urge to slowly take in every contour and muscle on his chest, as they were all clearly pronounced by the shirt he was wearing, which was probably why he was wearing it. His arms were covered by the jacket but they hinted at thick muscles. His hair was messy and flopped lazily across his foreheard, curling slightly at the ends. His eyes were as bright as ever, his lips curled up in a small smirk.

"Come here." He ordered. He said it low, so that I was the only one who heard, but it rung loudly in my mind. My feet walked to him and I didn't bother struggling. Might as well get this over with and then I could make dinner for Jace and go to bed.

I couldn't wait until my body caught up with the fact that I was a vampire now and I wouldn't have to sleep so much. I hated to lose any time sleeping.

Alekzander made a face at me. "You can ask me things, you know. You don't have to wait until you see Theo again to ask him questions. I may not have been born this way but I was turned around the same time and I know just as much about us as he does."

I scowled at him. "Get out of my head."

"I don't really have a choice. I can block it out to a point but your thoughts are always still there, in the back of my mind." He frowned, as if it was the biggest burden in the world.

"Try being in my position." I retaliated, scowling.

He chuckled and then looked up for a moment, thoughtful.

"Is that because of the bond?" I asked, honestly curious.

He nodded. "I'm not Edward Cullen, I don't get to read everyone's mind all the time." He paused, frowning. "That would be awful, actually...I only get to tune into yours. I can hear some of your thoughts, if you let me. You can block your thoughts; it's called guarding. It takes practice but it's where you just shield your mind from me. It'll take a while for you to master it."

I frowned at him, confused. "Why are you telling me that?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you tell me that I could block my thoughts from you? Don't you want to be able to read my mind?" I walked a little closer to him, leaning on the counter a few feet away from him.

He smiled — a real smile, not a smirk — and my breath caught for a second. He should smile more often, it made him look less irritating. "No, I don't. You deserve your privacy, I don't want to take that from you. I wouldn't give up the bond and I like controlling you," his smile widened to a grin, "but I don't want to intrude on your thoughts. That's not fair of me."