Word Count: 1788
~Meara
I draw the curtains back, the sun warming my skin.
That feeling used to be one of my favourites. After a satisfying sleep, standing under the morning sun rays would bring a pleasant feeling. Now, that feeling is suffocated by what I've woken up to.
I feel like I am a completely different person.
Sire was asleep next to me when I woke up this morning. I snuck from the room and headed downstairs, wanting to avoid the conversation that I know is inevitable.
Even doing that was difficult. Since waking, I can feel a tension between us, that I almost deluded myself into thinking I could physically grab it. The more I've stepped away from him, the more the bond has tightened.
I already can tell that if we are too far away, it will go from feeling vaguely uncomfortable, to overwhelmingly painful.
The witches weren't lying about the connection...
"Good morning."
I flinch, whirling around.
With my thoughts no longer crowded by thoughts of the bond, I feel the tension ease with Sire's proximity. My body immediately responds to his presence, trying to draw nearer to him.
"Morning," I mumble awkwardly, keeping my eyes from straying to his naked torso, from his hair, mussed from the way I ran my fingers through it last night...
He steps into the kitchen, the bond practically dragging me behind him.
This is going to take a while to get used to...
He fills a glass with water and takes a long drink, spending an uncomfortable amount of time drawing his eyes over my body, tracing very limb and muscle with incredible scrutiny.
"What's that look?" I question, resting back against the counter.
"Nothing..." He shrugs, although the curve in his lips is hardly innocent. That look reminds me of last night, which are thoughts I'm desperately trying to avoid for my own sanity.
"We should probably talk." Now that the curse has been dealt with, we need to start focusing on others things.
Sire nods, draining his glass. "I agree."
"About Carran, I mean. About your plan for you to become Alpha again," I add.
I know he feels the bond, and we both know we are trying not to jump at each other like last night. As tempting as it is to give myself to him completely, the issue of Carran is still very pressing.
"Ah yes. I've been thinking about it endlessly," he states, sweeping his hand through his hair.
He isn't being sarcastic. This is important to him, even if I can see him fighting to stay on point, when he wants to launch into convincing me to take more time off so we can enjoy each other, and our bodies.
"What's your strategy?" I ask. I want to feel for any ideas he may have, because mine are pretty sparse.
Sire folds his arms, shrugging. "Well, so far it's been marching straight into that ridiculous estate and killing Carran."
I sigh. "Sire..."
"But I won't, for you." He steps forward, taking my hands in his, giving me a pointed look. "What do you suggest?"
Swallowing thickly, I shrug. I'm trying to trust that Sire will hold back, that he will wait for the right moment to take back his position as Alpha, but I'm still wary. I'm the only thing in the way, and if there's a moment he decides I'm not enough reason to hold back, terrible things may happen.
"There is no point taking over a Pack where the members don't want you as Alpha," I remind him steadily. He needs to be careful, or they will turn on him.
Sire straightens. "Once they see I am strong, capable and made for this job, they will accept me."
"It's not that simple," I insist. People don't like change, and they won't like the idea of an ancient Alpha appearing out of nowhere. "Now that Carran probably knows you're out of the tomb, we can introduce you to as many Pack members as possible."
"How do you suggest we do that?"
"We gather as many as we can in the centre of the Pack and we announce who you are to them. Many won't believe you, but hopefully enough of them will," I state. The only danger of this is Carran, who won't hesitate to kill both Sire and I if we threaten his position as Alpha.
Sire rubs his face, seeming unsure. Alpha's are usually born into their power, and although it is often threatened, they almost never have to fight to get back what was taken from them.
"I'll do a demonstration using my magic. They will have to believe me," he decides.
"From there, people will spread the word. Once people learn the real history, they will want you back as Alpha," I agree.
Sire nods. "Great."
Our plan relies on a lot of 'ifs'. There is a good chance people will see Sire as a fake, as an impersonator of some old legend they never thought was real. My hope is that enough people are familiar with the story, and see the reality in front of them.
"We just need to make sure we can get the real, original history books distributed to the people. Our whole lives we have been told another story," I remind him coldly.
In school we were taught a version of Sire's story that I now realise is false, misleading. Only old stories passed down by some witches and others are what tell the real story, like the book Hazel's family have.
"How do we do that?" Sire questions.
"A while ago, Hazel slept with this guy who worked at the library," I tell him. "I know they ran a publishing press out of there. It's small, but it might be enough."
All we need would be a few flyers, maybe some booklets. People may not take what they see to be the truth, but even if it places some doubt on Carran, then we are making progress.
Sire gives me a long look. "This seems awfully complicated when there is a simple solution."
I roll my eyes. He doesn't realise that killing Carran may cause far greater problems than we know right now. Especially since we don't know his current line of succession.
It could be anyone waiting for Carran to die so they can take over...
"Let's just give this a try, okay?" I raise my brows expectantly. He knows I'm not going to stay with him if he does anything to Carran.
He closes his eyes for a moment, but nods. "Alright."
Silence stretches between us for a moment, the plan swirling around in our heads. It feels good to have something to fight for, and I know Sire is meant to return as Alpha.
"Do you want to talk about what happened last night, about how you feel?" Sire asks softly.
"I feel different, definitely. I'm trying not to think about it," I admit.
Knowing we can both feel the bond is unnerving. He's looking at me like he's holding himself back, and I'm afraid I'm looking the same. It's difficult to be in such proximity to him and not intimate with him.
How long is it going to take for me to get used to this?
"I feel great. I haven't felt this good in a long time," he notes. That smirk on his face tells me everything I need to know.
"What matters is that the curse is gone, remember?" I note, although I can't help the smile that touches my lips also.
It's hard to hate this. I'm flooded with all sorts of positive emotions, and I don't feel like fighting them.
Sire dips his head. "Of course."
"Let's go speak to Hazel. We need to get her on this quickly," I state, holding my hand out to him.
We do actually need to see Hazel, but I will admit, it's much easier to avoid this conversation than stare into his deep blue eyes and be tempted back into bed with him.
He grabs my hand and pulls me closer, my chest bumping against his. "Just remember, Meara, you can't hide from this bond forever."
I draw in a sharp breath, nodding quickly. "I know."
Being this close to him is a visceral reminder of our bond, that it's permanent and overwhelming now. Although it scares me, it also comforts me in a way, and excites me.
Sire gives me a knowing smile before the world drops away at my feet, sending us falling into a pit of darkness. Closing my eyes, I grip Sire's hand tightly, until my feet touch the group, the forest and Hazel's home appears before us.
Slipping my hands from his, I rush past her car and up the porch steps, knocking rapidly on the door.
"Hazel?" I call out.
Minutes pass and she doesn't answer. I knock a few more times, trying to peer into her windows, although her curtains are drawn.
Strange...it's the middle of the day.
"I don't think she's home," Sire notes from behind me.
"Her car is here. Usually she gets picked up for work, but today is her day off," I tell him, my heart pounding suddenly. Something about this feels off...
"She will be out. I don't sense anyone here," Sire states, grabbing my arm. "Let's come back later."
I shrug him off, testing the doorknob. Sure enough, it turns, the door opening slightly. "The doors unlocked. She never leaves it unlocked."
Opening some more, I call her name out again, in case she is with someone inside. When there's no answer, I press inside.
With the curtains drawn, the place is dark. Switching on the light, I reveal her living room and connecting dining area, completely trashed.
Sire steps in after me. "What the..."
Lamps, paintings from the wall and plants are all smashed, debris littered about the room. Either there was a struggle, or someone purposely destroyed everything in their path.
"Hazel!" I call out, pushing open all the doors, rushing around the house to find her.
Her bedroom is trashed although her bathroom is fine. I step from room to room, checking every inch of space out of fear of finding her body.
I step back out into the living, seeing Sire inspecting a small puddle of blood near the couch.
"She's been taken," I tell him, breathing harshly, my heart pounding against my ribs.
Sire nods grimly. "You know who did this, right?"
I can feel my limbs shaking, anger and panic overcoming me. Although I can't bear to think about what has happened to my friend, I know exactly who took Hazel.
And I know now...
💚••💚
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"...I've never had an orgasm before!" I blurt out, backing away a few steps.
He sits up, dark hair ruffled and messy from the fingers I ran through it. His eyes, once wide, slowly darken.
"You what?" He breathes.
~Midika 💜🐼