Dedicated to the lovely girl who made me that fabulous cover on the side... Girl you ROCK!!! Thank you sooooo much!! This chapter is just for you! Just follow the external link and you'll see it. It's soo freaking awesome. I am in love lol Thanks sooooo much @07goidow
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She was dreaming of honey colored eyes. Eye's that seemed so familair but yet still that of a stranger. She felt herself melting into the golden hew, swimming in the thick yellow as they stared down at her. Features were unreadable almost as if the golden yellow was drowning out everything, even her. She reached out to touch whoever it was in front of her only to be rebuffed.
She went flying backwards. Shock ran through her. No one should be able to catch her off guard like that. She changed her stance, ready to meet her advasary head on only to freeze at the sight in front of her. She was looking into a mirror, a mirror of her younger self. Her baby blonde hair flowing around her. And no scar in sight.
She reached to touch her bare left shoulder only to freeze at the fierce howl that seemed to be coming from a distance. Then the thunder of paws resounded in the air. Where were the honey colored eyes that made her feel so safe? Weren't they here? As the footfalls grew closer Cory began to panic. She was too little to fight them. She didn't even have her height to her advangtage.
And then like a monster truck a familier scent hit her square in the chest. A scent so vivdly remembered that Cory didn't even care if she was too tiny to fight and found herself postioning herself in a killing stance. When the scent grew closer Cory found herself growling out into the stiffling darkness. Until, in what felt like hours, a blue black wolf skidded to a halt in front of her. She didn't waste any time and pounced but what she thought would catch him by surprise actually helped him capture her.
"MURDERER!" Cory screamed when she felt a hand wrap around her eyes, obscuring her view of him and everything else. No other words were spoken as he held her small body. Only the sound of labored breathing and thundering paws.
"I know who you are. I will never forget your smell." Cory whispered harshly and the arms tightened around her. With careful prosition she was turned around so that his hot breaths were brushing up against her proclien face. Yet his hand still obscured her vision. She bared her teeth at him but it didn't seem to faze him because he brought her close and pressed her against his body in a hug.
"I'm sorry" he whispered so softly it seemed to get lost in the muggy feeling of dreams. She tried to open her eyes now that nothing was blocking them but it seemed impossible and with seconds it didn't seem to matter whether her eyes were open or not. Because in a span of a breath lips pressed against hers. Soft, suple lips that seemed to take the very essence of her. And then whoever was there was gone and she crumpled to the floor in front of the same mirror only she was herself again with the ugly scar.
And as she looked at herself, a burning so fierce took ahold of her. Her scar felt like someone took a hot pocker to raw skin. She felt a scream building up in her but tried to hold it in until it became so fierce her whole body felt burned alive and, with a scream so loud it could have woken the dead, she woke up.
She gasped for breath, her throat raw, as she remembered the hot feeling of her dream. She hoped she didn't wake anyone only to be disappointed when her parents came bursting through the door. They rushed towards her, both of them looking around for any intruder before focusing thier attention on her.
"It was a bad dream guys you can go now." Cory rasped causing her mother to put her hand to her forehead. Cory pushed it away with a huff but she say that her mother exchanged her worried glance with her husband.
"Baby doll are you sure you're okay?" Her father asked.
"Yes dad it was just a dream."
"But honey you feel so hot. Are you getting sick? I don't know if you should go to school today." Christie rushed out but Cory looked at her confused because the worry her eyes were conveying looked to be running deeper than some imaginary sickness.
"Mom I'm fine okay, It's probably just a little stuffy in my room. Turn on my fan and I'm sure in a few hours I'll be alright." Cory assured as she looked at the clock on her bedside table to show that it was only 3:45am.
"But honey your window is open how can it possibly be stuffy?" Cory's head snapped to the open window, confirming her mother's words and felt her heart speed it up. Had someone been in her room? But even without extra training there were, currently, three werewolves in her room. If her parents hadn't caught a scent on the way in then surely she would have caught even before them. So who had opened it?
"Did you open my window?" Cory couldn't help but ask.
"Of course not" Her mother responded after going over and looking out at the wooded area close to the house. When she was satisfied she saw nothing she closed the window tight and moved back over to her daughters side, trying to subtlely cast a look to her Mate.
"Hmmm" Cory said at that and reached up to rub on the marred skin. For whatever reason the ugly scar felt tingly, like a limb when it falls asleep, and itchy. It even felt a little warm to the touch and she couldn't help rubbing feverishly at it.
"Is your shoulder okay?" Blake asked her seeing the discomfort on his daughter's face.
"Yea it just feels really weird right now." Cory responded as she continued to rub. Blake's head snapped quickly to his Mate. There she silently conveyed her concern but they had a very observant daughter and she quickly noticed.
"What's wrong with you two?" She asked in confusion and watched as they plastered smiles on thier faces.
"Nothing baby we were just thinking that you need your rest. I don't think you should go to school today. Not until your fever goes down a bit." Christie told her.
"Oh come on. I can't miss school now. You know I have to keep my attendence up and grades where their at if I wanna a chance at the senior class privilage. Exams are not for me mom. Both of you are worrying way too much. You need to lighten up a bit." Cory huffed which surprised her a bit. She had never been much of a complainer and prided herself in never acting like a hormonal pre-teen. Yet today all that went out the window. She sounded exactly like the girls she hated, moody and childish.
"How about we let you rest and see how you feel when you actually have to go to school." Cory nodded still preplexed as to her moody attitude but let her be guided safetly into her duvet.
"I love you doll" Blake told her giving her a kiss on the forehead.
"I love you too daddy" Christie gave her kiss on the same spot and followed her Mate.
As soon as both of them were alone in their room Christie gave her Mate the worried look that she was trying to keep hidden from her daughter. She moved to sit on the bed while Blake took off the shirt he put on as they both rushed to Cory's room when they heard her loud scream.
"Blake.." Christie said letting the sentence die with just his name.
"I know, love, I know"
"What are we going to do?" Christie asked desprately
"Nothing Chris. We can't do anything." Blake scrubbed a hand down his face as he sat down on his side of the bed with a long sigh.
"But Alpha Leo-" She started.
"No!" Blake spoke out firmly startling Christie, "No" He said more softly regreting the harsh tone that he spoke to his mate.
"But Blake-" Christie started only to be cut off again.
"No Chris we can't tell him. He'll have her killed if he finds out." Blake finally looked at his mate to see tears streaming down her face. "She's our daughter we have to protect her." Christie nodded her head vigorously at his words yet the tears didn't cease. The path they were about to take was a dangerous one but they had to for the little girl that they took in all those years ago. For the little girl who crawled into both of their hearts and made it her home. Losing her would be like loosing Jeremy, Cory was their daughter in every sense of the word and Christie agreed with her mate, she would do anything to protect their little girl. Even if it meant facing death.
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Later that morning Cory had to fight tooth and nail just to get out of the house. Her parents were borderline demanding in their insistance that she stay home. Which in turn only made her bitchy pre-teen mood worsen. She couldn't understand what their problem was. They were acting like she was going out to battle. Which she knew now more than ever wasn't the case. She was more or less grounded because of that Leon incident.
It was true that she felt a little hot and bi-polar but she figured it was her parents hovering as well as the couple of days since her last mission. She had been in a constant flow of getting closer to her packs murderer but now because of a soon-to-be-alpha she was halted from working further. But even with her already out the door her parents followed.
"You're running a fever. What's one day Coraline?" Her mother demanded, using her full name, which caused Cory to almost cringe. Oh yea her mother was pissed.
"Mom I am fine. I think you're over reacting. Come on dad tell her." She said turning to look at the unreadable expression of her father.
"I'm sorry young lady but I'm agreeing with your mother on this one. You are staying home and that is final." Blake's voice held no room for arguement and Cory was left flabberghasted at her parents unreasonablity.
"What the f-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Coraline Colts or you are grounded indefinitely starting from right now!" Christie threatened her voice rising an octave. That was the moment that Cory felt her own temper rise up to meet her mothers. Their were alot of things that Cory was not and being rebelious was one of them. She didn't even like arguing to her parents but they both took it to far. Her mother especially. So with her nostrils flared she pinned her mother with a glare that she only reserved for her prey.
"I have done absolutely nothing to warrent this from you. From either of you." Cory didn't yell. She spoke so calmly but with such intent that her mother actually took a step back in slight fear. "I will be going to school today and I don't want to hear another word of this. Unless you have a better explaintion than me running whatever imaginary fever I'm going and I guarentee that niether of you can stop me."
Both Blake and Christie were left astonished. Cory had never, ever been disrespectful. Even with alpha blood running through her she treated both her parents with ultimate respect. Never once did she use her alpha heritage against them. She was already turning away from them when Blake felt his anger bubble up at the way Cory spoke to Christie.
"Don't you dare talk to your mother like that!" He yelled following after her. She turned abruptly, the look in her eyes halting Blake's steps, before she answered him.
"Good thing she's not my real mother huh?" With those last words she turned and hopped into her car, feeling a crushing guilt wiegh on her heart as the words she let loose finally sink in. Looking into the review mirror wasn't helping any either because the last thing she saw as she turned the bend was her mother burying her face into the chest of her stunned father.
As she rode down swiftwater road towards the east campus of her high school she couldn't help asking herself why. Why was she acting this way? She thought she had been bad this morning but she only got worse and now she said something to her mother that she could never take back. She said something, that although it's true, was not something she deserved. Christie, her mother, took care of her, nutured her and loved her just as much as her own blood son, Jeremy. Blake, her father, treated her like a princess. He tried to make up for everything that she had lost and for that she couldn't love him more. Her brother, Jeremy, was a jackass but he was her jackass and treated her and protected her like a big brother should. Like Daxon tried to do.
Cory knew that the path for revenge would put her family in harms way. She also knew that she didn't regret it. But she promised herself a long time ago that she wouldn't treat them like she was in fact an alpha. She wanted to be their loving daughter and for some reason today was a complete and utter fail. She wanted to go back and apologize but didn't risk it. The unnatrual anger that bubbled up before stopped her from doing so and she really didn't want to say any more hurtful things to her parents.
She decided, as she finally pulled up to the school, that she would apologize once she got her hormones in check.
When she was finally climbing out of her car Layla didn't waste time in rushing over to her. The look on her face had 'I have juicy news to dish out' written all over it. Although something in her best friends eyes was bothering her. There was a sadness and a puffness that a smile and make up couldn't quite cover up and when Cory went to ask her what was wrong Layla effectivly cut her off.
"You will NOT believe what I have to tell you." Layla firmly said causing Cory to quirk an eyebrow.
"Well what is it?" Cory prompted when Layla didn't continue.
"THERE IS A NEW JANITOR!!" Layla yelled. Cory's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. This was her news?
"And that matters because..?" Cory couldn't help but ask as she sidestepped her best friend to walk through the front doors.
"because Cory we have a HOT new janitor. H-O-T hot!" Layla pressed and Cory looked back at her when she heard a certain tone in her voice.
"It doesn't really sound like you think he's all that hot Lay." Cory commented and resumed her walking down the hall to get to her locker.
"Trust me Cory it doesn't matter if I think he's attractive or not. Any girl on the face of the earth will get a little lust crazy just looking at him. He's like filot mignon in a field of patty's"
"Nice analogy Lay but how hot can the guy be? He's a freaking Janitor for christsake." Layla snorted a short laugh and mumbled a very confident "you'll see" as Cory rounded the corner. She was instantly met with a crowd of people, which seemed very unusal considering that the weather was so nice outside. She pushed her way through, rolling her eyes at the gaggling girls whispering some very dirty things that they would "love to do to that smoking hot janitor" that had Cory wishing that there was ear soap. I mean really it's just a guy, Cory thought when she finally got through to the other side of the mobbed hallway only to freeze in shocked silence that she refused to show on her face.
Honey eyes met her full force causing a tingle to start on her scar that had her reaching up to rub at it. She felt Layla reach her side, trying to tell her something, but Cory just couldn't bring herself to pay attention. She felt hot, and exposed as some of the male wolves in the school turned to look at her. She'd never felt like this and she clutched her backpack tightly as she felt her body heat up further. She couldn't understand what was happening. she felt defensless, all her years of training useless to her now.
Layla was tugging on her arm but she couldn't look away from those honey colored eyes. Her last thought as she her body gave into the scorching heat was 'I know him'.
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Author's note: Yes kill me I'm sorry I took forever. But in my defense I started school and couldn't find the time to finish this chapter.
Also theres a mention of a senior privilage somewhere in the begining of the chapter and I'd like to explain it a little. When I was in high school we had a senior privilage that said if we could keep a B or higher in the class we wouldn't need to take final exams. It inspired that part of the story.
Love you guys XOXO