Chapter 19
With that one word, everything became silent. Did he just say he loved me? My body automatically wanted to run, but I remembered what I had told myself earlier. I would not walk away again. I would not run from anything.
Stepping up, I yanked the doors open without invitation. There was no one in the foyer, so I walked towards their study. The doors were left wide open for anyone to see their argument. They weren’t thinking right. It wasn’t safe for them to be so distracted. I could have been someone else, someone who wanted to cause harm.
I walked through the doors as if I owned the place. If I was going to be their queen, I needed to start acting like one. Two sets of eyes widened as they finally realized I was there.
“How?” Michael asked. I could tell by looking at his face that what he really wanted to know was how much I overheard.
I shrugged my shoulders. “You made it possible. The soap made my scent go away. I am immune to your chemical obstacle. Also, the fact that you two were so distracted,” I flashed him an evil smile before continuing. “Tsk tsk, Michael. Do you know where that pretty little wife of yours is?”
“You wouldn’t,” he hissed at me.
My smile widened. “I wouldn’t? You are meddling too much in business that is not yours. If I was you I would watch my loved ones a little closer if you’re planning on angering someone like me.”
“You don’t even know how to control you’re powers.” His smile was smug and it took everything I had not to claw it off his face.
My eyes glowed and I let a partial shift take over. It was enough to do some damage, but it was mainly a scare tactic. One that obviously worked, as he glanced from my elongated nails to my sharpened teeth with surprise. I tilted my head to the side and let my grin widen. “I know enough.”
“You think I can’t do that?” he asked with slight hesitation.
“I think that if I tell you that you will never shift again, then you will never be able to enjoy your other form again. How would you like that; to have that urge inside of you, but never to be able to relieve it?”
His face turned white, but he didn’t say a word. Someone else did though.
“You would really do that, Alex?” Sebastian asked.
I didn’t look at him as I answered, “Yes. If he is trying to cause harm to me or mine, he is an enemy. He obviously cannot be trusted, but I didn’t think he would take it this far.”
There was a moment of silence before Seb said, “That’s ruthless. I’m proud of you, Alex. I wasn’t sure that you would be able to do something like that, but after hearing the conviction in your voice, I know you can. You’ll be a great leader.”
I finally turned to look at him. What I saw made my heart skip a beat. Standing there, he gazed at me with a smile and a gleam in his eyes. I had seen that gleam for a while now, but I just realized that it was love. How long had it been there? He hadn’t known me for long, but he was already showed his emotions. I guess that was part of being human.
“Thanks, Seb. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?” I asked him with a tiny smile.
“You will not take him anywhere!” Michael screamed.
Surprised, I took a step back. I mentally cursed. This was not a time to show fear, and when I stepped back, that was exactly what I was doing. I pierced him with a glare.
“Sit down and shut up until I leave this house.”
It was a command, and everyone knew it. I saw Seb give his grandfather a sympathetic look, but he didn’t come to his defense. Michael’s face was full of rage. I guess I just made him hate me a little more than he already did.
“Yeah. Do you want to go talk in my room?” Seb asked.
I looked at him with surprise causing him to laugh at me.
“What? You didn’t think I had a room? Just because you’ve never been in it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Now, come on. Let’s go.”
He grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the stairs. The heat radiating off of his hand made me want to snuggle closer. I didn’t though. Instead, I let him lead me up the stairs and into his room. Looking around, I took in his bedroom. I was pleasantly surprised by the blue walls and brown furniture. There weren’t posters of half-naked girls on the wall or anything else I expected from a teenage boy.
I looked closer at a picture frame on the table beside his bed. As soon as he noticed where my eyes were, he ran over and slammed it face down. I looked at him with surprise. “What is that?”
“A p-picture,” he stuttered.
I gave him a smile and walked towards him. “A picture of what?”
“Nothing,” he said while darting his eyes around the room.
Now in touching distance, I rubbed my hand up and down his arm causing him to take in a deep breath. “Just tell me what the picture is.”
“No,” he said, but his grip on the picture loosened. I almost shouted in triumph as I snatched it and ran away from him. He stood still for a moment before realizing what had happened. His face flushed red, and he took off after me.
I ran around the room with him following. Just as the back of my knees hit the bed, I flipped the picture frame over. I gasped as I took the picture in, but before I could say anything, a body smashed into mine. We tumbled back onto his bed with the picture frame in between us.
Landing with him on top, I looked up into his eyes. “When did you take this?”
“When you were working at the diner,” he said with a faint blush.
My eyes watered as my smile grew. “You took a picture of me and keep it beside your bed?”
Concern masked his face as he nodded his head. “If you think it’s creepy, you can have the picture. I just didn’t know what to do, Alex. What if you chose Blake? I would fight for you, but once your mind is made up, I would leave you alone.”
“You would fight for me?” I whispered in awe.
A laugh rumbled out his chest causing us to shake on his bed. “Of course I would fight for you. I love you Alexandria. I would fight anyone and anything for you.”
Reaching my arms up, I pulled him closer for a hug. How could I be so lucky? I never thought anyone would love me. Love was never a factor in life. I never even thought it was possible to find someone who felt like that. There was only one problem.
“Seb, I don’t know how I feel.”
He smoothed down my hair. “I know. I know. It’s going to be okay. You will figure it out eventually. Until then, I think you should put me and Blake to the back of your mind. You have a year to figure this entire thing out. What you need to worry about right now is being the queen.”
I didn’t let him pull away as he talked. I knew he probably felt slightly uncomfortable holding a conversation like this, but I was too relaxed to move.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. You need to work out who will be your counsel. You’ll need a second in command, an enforcer, and a bunch of other people. The fact that you go to school is something that we need to revise. You can’t rule a species and go to school every day. If you want to get your GED, you can.”
“I already have it,” I told him.
This time, when he pulled away, I let him. He looked down on me with a confused expression. “What do you mean you already have it?”
I tried to shrugged, but couldn’t. “I got it when I lived with the pride. It wasn’t necessary for any of us to go to school, but they thought it would be good for us to have an education. We were home schooled, I guess you could say. I took all the subjects that were required by the state.”
He shook his head with a smile. “Then why did you go to school?”
“It was a good cover. So, you’re saying I should drop out?”
“Yes, if that’s what you want to call it. You should drop out and worry about ruling your species.”
“What about Tory and Anna?” I asked him with sadness in my voice. I had a feeling that he was going to say something I wouldn’t like.
“You can still be friends with them, but we both know the danger in that. A lot of people are going to be trying to kill or control you. If we’re going to do this, we need to have people we know won’t get hurt.”
“What do you mean we?”
He flashed me a smile. “Do you really think I would let you do this without me?”
“What about school?” I asked.
“It doesn’t really matter. I’m a part of this now. If I want, later I will get a GED. I have good enough grades as it is.”
I shook my head at him. “I will not let you quit when you have this year to finish.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me though. I just want to help you out.”
“I know you do, but what are a couple months?”
He gave me a harsh look. “A lot can happen in a couple months, and I am not about to let you get hurt because I didn’t take care of you like I should.”
I tried to stay get angry with how he was treating me, but it was impossible. “Fine, but you have to promise me you will get your GED and go to college if you want to.”
He nodded his head. “I promise.”
We stayed there staring at each other for a minute. His eyes shone with love as he smiled down at me. I knew he said not to complicate things, but all I wanted to do was lean up and connect our lips. He must have seen it in my eyes, because he pulled away more. Giving me a look of longing, he got completely off the bed.
“Now, you want to go tell them were dropping out?”
I shook my head. “Can’t we do it later?”
“I guess. What else would you want to do?”
I hesitated for a minute. “Find my enforcer.”
“What do you mean find your enforcer?”
I gave him a sheepish smile. “When I was running. There was a man in his early twenties that helped me once. He didn’t even talk to me, but we both knew that the other was a shifter. I couldn’t identify his smell, and if he knew what I was, then he gave no indication. He will be a great enforcer.”
Seb gave me a look of total disbelief. “And you trust this guy?”
“There was something about him that let me know he would be trustworthy. I followed the directions on the slip of paper he gave me, and it brought me to a free place to rest and a little bit of money.”
“Just because someone shows you kindness doesn’t mean that you can trust them.”
I shook my head at him. “You don’t understand. It wasn’t kindness. It was as if he knew he should do that. As if it would be an important step in our lives. I guess he was right.”
“Where is this man?”
“In Colorado.”
“Wait. You want to go all the way to Colorado to find this man? A man that might not even be there anymore?”
“Oh he will be there.”
“How do you know?” he asked with renewed disbelief.
I pulled out my wallet and grabbed the piece of paper I always kept there. Handing it to Seb, he read the words aloud, “When you need me, meet me where you met me.”
He looked up at me. “Are you serious? Do you honestly think he will be there?”
I nodded my head. “It’s cryptic enough that no one but me and him understand it completely, but yes. I believe he will be there.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Just like that?” I asked him astounded.
“Just like that.”