Dear Alex A.

Chapter 7

"Evelyn wants to talk to you too." Damien announced just before we reached the steps, to which I reacted by coming to an ungraceful grinding halt. Did she see?! I tried my best to seem as casual as possible, but after that performance, there wasn't much hope.

"About what?" I clung to the last bit of it I had.

"How should I know?" He shrugged, climbing the steps and disappeared inside.

"Sit." The tall blonde paced as she pointed at the end of the table, her bottom lip was snagged between her teeth. Like an obedient dog, I dropped like a stone, sitting up straight.

"Is something wrong?" I grimaced, ready to flinch from the fury I thought would come. Normally she didn't scare me, but I knew the damage the woman could inflict when scorned.

"No, not particularly. Luke tells me you're getting better out there?" I simply nodded. "And you've managed to shift a few times?" Nod. "Good, he seems to have grown to trust you a little more too." She noted more to herself than me.

"I'm still alive so I would assume he does." Maybe not after what happened earlier but before that? Yep there was some definite progress.

"Alrighty!" She clapped her hands together. "Starting tomorrow you'll work at this store as a cover. It's just a small part time so you can earn your keep around here. Trial time's over, you're in." I blinked as she handed me a sticky note with an address scribbled on it.

"Thanks?"

"Your welcome. Now, when everyone gets here we need to talk, make sure you tell Luke." I nodded, shuffling away to my room, the one my sisters had used before. The moment I closed my door I heard the bathroom door creak open. I prayed someone else would run into him first, as I fell back onto the mattress. A soft knock bounced to my ears and a piece of me died from disappointment. No, I won't be a coward! I cleared my throat and took a deep breath.

"Who is it?"

"Does it matter? Open up." Warden sounded as annoyed and impatient as ever. Obviously he wasn't affected by what happened, why should I?

"What do you want?" I huffed trying to imitate his tone.

"You really want me to leave you without a door?" I could hear his dark, twisted little smirk. Groaning, I opened the door just enough to see his eye, but made sure to place my foot down as a stopper so it wouldn't get any wider.

"What do you want?" I repeated trying to look as intimidating as I could. He burst through the doorway after a hefty grunt. "What the hell?! You can't just come barging in like that!" He closed the door for me as I began insulting his rude, audacious behavior. The bed creaked slightly under his weight as he sat on the edge. His gaze drifted about my small living quarters. The bed was pushed against the far right wall, a little closet on the left wall, by the door was a tall mirror, and a simple dresser sat under the window opposite the door.

"You're so plain." Luke stated flatly. Again with the insults!

"What the hell do you want?!" I snapped, feeling the heat returning to my face.

"What was that earlier?" His whole persona darkened with uneasiness. The tips of his ears turned pink. If he was so embarrassed, why did he ask?! And what was he expecting me to say? 'I don't know I started dazing out then went all up on you?' What kind of reason is that?

"I'm not answering that, just forget it even happened. Now get out, Evelyn's calling a meeting as soon as everyone gets home." I opened the door for him but he remained sitting. "Forget it happened and get out!" I growled feeling my face grow hotter by the heartbeat. He stood slowly, his eyes mesmerizing me as he got closer. I shook my head, clearing it before it grew more cloudy.

"What's up with you?" He repeated quietly his voice low, my pulse sped up to dangerous speeds.

"Nothing." I answered less certain that he'd just drop it. "Get out." I hid myself behind the door. 'Can't he get a clue?! Or does he really like torturing me that much?'

"You see? It's not very nice making people uncomfortable, is it?"

"Why didn't you-" I began but before I could get everything out, somehow he had managed to whirl me around, shut the door, and pin me against the wall.

"Tough ain't it?" Luke whispered, his warm breath on my neck. I could only gasp as the tall green-eyed man toyed with my hair. "Being trapped, feeling vulnerable? Not knowing what's going on? Or what comes next?"

"L..Luke I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do that! I didn't know what I was doing!" A sensation buzzed through me every time his skin made contact with mine.

"Mutts aren't allowed to be dominant over their masters. Those who try are punished." So that's what this is?! He wanted to regain his dominance over me because I had unintentionally psyched him out earlier? He's just mad cause he dropped a rank? But there was something else in his voice. Calming myself, I tried to breath normally and ignore everything else.

"Don't like losing control do you?" I smiled. "Luke, are you nervous?" Emerald stopped playing with my hair, his gaze holding mine. "Have you never been this close to a girl before?" I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. He smirked but his face flushed instantly as the distance between us decreased little by little.

"Not one bit." He wrapped his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear, continuing this battle of will. I wanted to push him away but I refused to lost to this mental game of his! I finally had something on him and I wasn't about to give it up!

"That's not how it was earlier." I snickered, gently blowing on his neck. Emerald's skin grew goosebumps but he refrained from moving away. 'He does smell good though.' My mind had begun to wander again, surrounded by his solid warmth.

"You just caught me off guard." He smiled arrogantly, losing his hesitation at the same speed I was losing my confidence. "But I can assure you that won't happen again." Luke inched closer with his smirk plastered on his handsome face. I never noticed how full and soft his lips looked. "How about you Fay? Nervous yet?" He stopped devastatingly close, as if to tease me. I couldn't breathe, my thoughts were scrambled momentarily trying to register what was going on or what was about to happen. My body screamed to close the gap but...wait... This is Luke!! Shoving him away as hard as I could, I yanked the door open.

"Pervert!!" I yelled at him, completely flustered. After slamming the door shut I took off down the hall to look for somewhere to hide. Damn him!!! No matter how bad either of us wanted to win, I couldn't go that far. That was too much for my wits. That was not going to happen. EVER! I banged my head against the wall of the kitchen. How could I have thought all of those moronic things?! I banged my head again for wanting to find out exactly how soft those lips were. And again for the stupid hormones controlling my body.

"Whatever the wall did, I'm pretty sure it surrendered after the first one." Cleo laughed, leaning against the doorway. "You ok?" I nodded, rubbing where a small bump was forming.

"Just a moment of idiocy." I grimaced. That's all it was... That's all it is...

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Soooo hi! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Vote, comment, both? >~O Hope everyone has a fantastic week, INCLUDING Monday! ^.^