Alex and Angelica (7th in werewolf series)

Chapter Two

"Can I come in?" Laney asked. Angelica nodded and then realized that Laney couldn't see that.

"Yes." she said. Laney opened the door and came into the room.

"Your hair looks really pretty today!" Laney said as she saw the silky quality, Angelica's normally frizzy hair had taken.

"Mother always said to brush it one hundred times. No more and no less." Angelica replied as she picked her brush up off the tan carpet and began to run it through her hair once again, resuming her counting where she had left off.

Laney felt pity fill her when she looked at the frail woman. Laney had always been the care giving type and when she looked at Angelica, she just wanted to take care of her.

This woman had been through hell and she had survived, though she was so scared and nervous at all times that Laney figured she was still living through hell in her mind.

"Are you going to come downstairs today?" Laney asked and Angelica shook her head and sat down on the bed.

"No...." she said as her eyes darted nervously to the window.

"Why not?" Laney asked patiently as she bent down and retied her tennis shoe. Silence met her question and she finished tying her shoe and looked back at Angelica who had set her brush on the bed beside her and was chewing on her lip as she stared at the carpet.

"Angel, there is nothing that's going to hurt you. Victor and Rotan are gone. They don't have any spies watching you now and they cannot ever hurt you again. My dad killed Rotan and Damien killed Victor. They're not coming back."

'She's lying to you, dear Angelica. You know I would never let you go that easily.' Victors voice sneered inside his head.

"Go away!" Angelica exclaimed angrily and Laney quickly nodded and walked toward the door.

"Okay, I'm leaving." Angelica's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"No. No don't go. I wasn't talking to you." Laney stopped and fought to keep her impatience from showing on her face.

"Who were you talking to?" Angelica picked at a string hanging from her dress and shrugged.

"No one." she said. She didn't want to tell Laney that she was hearing Victor's voice. Laney would tell Damien and Damien would get angry. It wasn't like Angelica wanted to hear Victor's voice. She could control her 'friends' voices, only allowing them to speak when she was alone and afraid and in need of comfort. Victor's voice was different. It came whenever it wanted and it taunted and tortured her just the way it had when he'd been alive.

"Do you want to come downstairs then?" Laney asked. Angelica stood up and wrung her thin hands nervously.

"Yes." she said and Laney smiled and wrapped her arm around the thin woman's shoulders.

"Come on then." The two women went down to the kitchen to find Lane grabbing his camero keys off the hook by the door.

"Where you going?" Laney asked him.

"Town." Lane said matter of factly. "I have been a good boy for a week and haven't had a drop to drink. I finally come down here to just have a glass of one of my best friends Jack or Jim and what do I find?" he demanded. He walked over to his liquor cabinet and opened it, revealing the empty shelves within.

"Oops." Laney said sheepishly and Angelica tilted her head.

"It's empty." she said, wondering if maybe the man didn't realize that. Lane growled and slammed the door back shut.

"Yes. It's empty. Because apparently every woman in this family is nothing but a damn drunk!"

"Not me." Joey said walking into the kitchen with Charlie on her hip. Laney saw the way her uncles face brightened at the sight of his mate and she smiled. She didn't know what had happened between the two of them but whatever it was had her uncle beaming every time he laid eyes on her aunt.