Lifelines{Unedited}

Chapter 7~ Forgiveness and Confrontation

I realize that I started to forget to put dates and stuff at the beginning of the chapters like I did with the first few. I'll go back and do that when I edit this when I'm done with the book but I'll be labeling major event dates as I continue now.

James was silent as he drove me back to the Alenko's. "Be careful with Kaidan. He's dangerous when he wants to be but that's not what I'm talking about. He's already hurt you once whether intentional or not." He says as he pulls into the dirt driveway. I knew he was referring to what had happened with my nest. "He tends to only care about himself and only does things if they benefit him. Especially when it comes to women." He continues and I shrug. "I know James. I promise to be careful." I reach over to hug him. "I know you do but I can't help but worry." He tells me when we part. "I want emails, or a video call every day." I nod chuckling as I get out. "Yes, Mom. I'll make sure I call and text you every day." I say grabbing my stuff from the back.

I wave as he drives off before trudging up the driveway. I knock on the door nervously. Gemma smiles brightly as she opens the door. Pulling me into a hug she asks me if I had fun. I nod pulling away. She purses her lips lightly "Kaidan has a girl over." She was warning me, and I tense. I wonder if she knew I had feelings for him. She steps aside and allows me in. I go quickly up to my room putting my stuff down. I then grab the 3 boxes I had gotten from the shop before heading back downstairs. I find Gemma first, she was in the kitchen cooking. "Merry Christmas." I tell her as I hand her the box. She opens it and tears pour from her eyes. I knew she knew what the gift meant. I had given her a moonstone and onyx necklace. She thanks me after pulling me into a hug.

Next, I go to find Alister. Walking into his home office I find him sitting at his desk reading a report. I knock lightly on the door frame. "You're back." states Alister as he motions for me to come in. I nod sitting in the chair in front of his desk. I look down at the black box clutched in my hands. "I got you a gift." I say handing him the box containing his gift, a black leather bracelet with the Alliance symbol stamped in white gold on it. He smiles once he opens it. "You didn't have to." He says standing up and I shrug. "I wanted to. As a kind of way to repay your kindness." I explain hugging him. He stands shocked for a moment before hugging me back. I leave him to get back to his report.

Right, on to Kaidan. I make my way to the backyard and open the door. I freeze when I get smacked in the face with the scent of someone extremely uncomfortable making me a little on edge. I clutch Kaidan's gift to me tighter as I take in the scene before me. A blonde-haired woman is laying all over Kaidan who's the source of the pungent scent. I can tell by his expression that he wants her to leave as she rubs herself on him as he talks to her quietly. I quietly turn to go inside. They hadn't known I was there. As I shut the door quietly Kaidan must have caught my scent. He stands abruptly the woman falling off him in shock.

I make my way through the living room towards the stairs when a strong but gentle grip stops me. My name is said softly almost apologetically. "What did you need?" he asks turning me to face him. I just stare at my feet still holding the box. "Nothing." Fear was causing me to freeze up and not tell him what I wanted. I was afraid he knew what my gift was and would reject me. He makes a scoffing sound of disbelief. "I doubt that it's nothing. It's important enough that you came to me on your own when you've been avoiding me like I have the plague." He says gently and his breath hitches when I meet his eyes. "Your Christmas gift." I mumble looking anywhere but his amber eyes that held so much emotion.

"I have one for you too." he says just as the woman from before stomps into the house. "What the hell." she whines glaring at me with her top lip curled. I inhale and her putrid scent has me fighting a gag. She had some sort of infection. The overly floral scent that was combined with the scent of infection was the same as the one that clung to Kaidan that one night. "Who's she?" the woman sneers placing a badly manicured hand on Kaidan's shoulder. He flinches away from her touch and she scoffs. "You need to leave." he says still looking at me. I scoff and turn stalking out of the room to the front door. I struggle to put my boots back on as tears threatening to fall cloud my vision. I flinch as someone grabs my chin forcing my head up. I stare into narrowed blue eyes. "Pathetic bitch, he's mine so stay away from him." she snaps. "Sofia get out. I'm not going to tell you again. I'm not yours so stay the fuck away from me and my family." Kaidan snarls out. "Your choosing this pathetic bitch over me?" she screeches and he flares. "The only one that's a pathetic bitch is you. She greater than you in so many ways." he says stepping towards her. "This FREAK is not better than me. You'll regret this." she screams stepping closer to Kaidan as Gemma steps into the hall. She snatches the box out of my hand and aims it at Gemma.

The bottle inside shatters as hit hits the wall pieces of glass reigning down on Gemma cutting her face and hands. I snarl at her releasing a Depth before charging at her. We crash out the front door the Depth also surrounding me but not suffocating me as I feel my features shift. Her screaming gasps are silenced as I crush her throat between my teeth. The metallic taste of her blood flooding my mouth reminding me of the game. I instinctively shake my head a few times with my teeth still latched into her neck to make sure she's dead. I release her neck and spit out the blood in my mouth.

The reality of what I had just done crashing down on me.I hang my head not willing to meet the disgusted and fearful gazes of the Alenkos' or Kaidan's. I flinch when someone grabs a hold of me.

Ooooh Shit, Zerdali went from timid and sad to vicious and deadly in only a few paragraphs. I wonder how the Alenko's feel about this display of aggression from Zerdali.