Frozen Flames ~ 1/3

XV

"We'll explain, just get in the car", Luke reasoned.

"The hell you think I'm about to get back in that car", I said backing away further my foot sinking into the dusty land that stretched out beyond the paved road.

"You'll have nowhere to go, they'll kill you!", Michael yelled throwing his hands up in frustration checking the cheap watch on his wrist like he had time to lose

I was too paranoid- maybe I should just get in the car.

No-

"What! The fucking 'lord' ", I yelled my stomach turning with fury and confusion, I swallowed hard pushing hair out my face, now the only thing on my mind was the thought that I had just cursed

"How do you know about that?", Calum questioned.

Is he stupid?

"Because everyone keeps demanding that they need me and I just got mixed into all of this, why does the lord need me!", I yelled.

"We don't work for him Adara", Michael picked up on my suspicions.

"Right now it's like I'm just going off of my nightmares ", I said realizing how insane it sounded after it left my mouth.

"Oh my god", Calum groaned.

"We need to get you to Ashton", Calum said getting back in the car.

"How do I know Ashton is not this 'lord' ", I said and the three boys laughed.

"A gerbil is more capable of being the lord than Ashton is, now get in the car"

-

-

-

This guy, Aiden?- uh-

Ashton!

He lived in a nice ass house and I found my jaw dropping at the sight of the beautiful three-story brick mansion surrounded by a large white fence, a few expensive looking cars were parked in the driveway and two large men stood by the gate.

"Holy- wow," I said and Luke raised his eyebrows with a laugh,

"You get used to it", Michael laughed and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"It doesn't really seem like the best time to be trying to stop cursing?" Luke rambled and Michael nudged him in a silent 'shut up about it'

"Who even is this Aaron guy anyway"

"Ashton is a rich ass scientist that happens to be the biggest idiot in the world while being the smartest idiot in the world at the same time.", Calum said with a chuckle.

I nodded, makes sense.

We all climbed out of the car and Michael was automatically by my side, it was kind of weird he had some need to protect me in a giant house full of guards.

But, I wasn't complaining.

Calum walked up first pressing the buzzer on the large door.

"Who is it", a deep Australian accent spoke through the scratchy speaker and I nodded, he sounds cute.

"It's your mom!", Michael yelled over Luke's shoulder and a deep chuckle came through the speaker.

"Come on in Mike", he laughed and soon after he said that the gates opened and we all walked in, I was hesitant, but it's not like I had a choice with Michael's hand on my lower back leading me in.

I looked like a tourist looking at the small gardens around his mansion in awe wanting nothing more than to gallop and smell the roses.

Once we walked into the door alarms went off, it was so loud my hands instinctually went to cover my ears, it reminded me of the fire alarms that went off at school.

Then suddenly I was exposed when a bunch of guards yanked the three boys away from me, Michael no longer by my side and my hands came off my ears when they pointed their weapons at me.

You would think I would show them my palms, but that seemed like a horrible idea.

I took a frightened step back, but took another one forward when a gun nearly jammed into my back, I was surrounded and looked at a panicked Michael.

"UNRECOGNIZED MUTANT IN THE BUILDING", a robotic voice rang through the building and my eyes watered in fear, I hugged under my shoulders in attempt to make myself small and I seriously thought I would have to protect myself against the people who were supposed to protect us.

Wait- Mutant? Is that what I was now?

Since when did they use that word.

"Whoa whoa! She's with us Ash!", Michael yelled and all the guards stood down and I let out a breath the pressure behind my eyes dropping and the boys went to stand with me again, Michael now standing even closer, if that's even possible.

I thought it was obvious I was with them, I was indeed- 'with them'. I walked in with them for fucks sakes.

For fudge sake? Maybe Luke was right, right now was not the best time to break a habit.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs and soon a muscular guy with long hair appeared and greeted the boys with one of those man hugs, like they tap each other's backs roughly because a normal hug is too gay.

"And this is..", He said facing me.

"Adara", I smiled taking his hand and shaking it, there was a familiar warm feeling to his hand and it was comforting, like coming home after a long day work or petting a kitten.

I smiled to myself at the comparison, I tried not to think of the job I had before I left. I wondered if just disappearing was grounds for being fired- did they rehire? Bagging groceries was the one thing I wouldn't miss.

"Ashton", he said pulling his hand away from me but still looking me in my eyes for a little too long, but not in a 'I'm attracted to you' kind of way... more like a 'I've seen you before' kind of way.

"I swear we've met before", he said looking at me once more and tilting his head.

"I don't recall?", I said now confused looking around to avoid his questioning face, his face wasn't really something you would really forget I mean-

"What's your name?", Ashton said and I laughed.

"I told you it's Adara-

"No like your last name", He said waving his hand like he was pushing away my answer and I scoffed, what's up with men cutting me off?

"Smith, it's pretty basic", I joked getting a little uncomfortable, I had a fully white family of course my name was Smith.

"No like before", He said.

"Before", I repeated pursing my lips and he nodded making the boys look at each other, confused.

"Come on Ashton-" Michael started but I put my hand up to make him shut up.

"It's fine," I said too curious to have this brushed off.

"I don't know what you mean-"

"Yes you do", Ashton said and I raised my eyebrows.

"Excuse me?", I said taking a small step back.

I've never really ever talked about or even thought about what happened before all of this, I never knew my real parents and everything else was terribly confusing. So how can a complete stranger that I feel oddly comfortable looking in the eye suddenly question me?

I didn't like to talk about being adopted because I just wanted to be normal, which kind of isn't really a realistic goal right now so who cares if they know.

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard- remembering my name before.

"Ashton what are you even-", Michael started to say, but I cut him off this time.

"It was, uh, it was-"

"It was Irwin"