I was driving to Daniel's house, thinking about Dolores. Today, she was officially moving in. She assured everyone it was just temporary, but I wasn't fully convinced. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but people had burned me in the past. I shake my head, tossing the thought from my mind.
There are a lot more pressing issues I need to focus on. One being, Sarah Good. I know she's planning something. There's no way she would leave the way she did if she wasn't brewing something up wherever she was. I had planned to spend this weekend meditating, trying to get a vision. That lasted a couple of hours, then Daniel texts me.
All it took was one text from him and I was in my car.
Dara was spending the day at the library and mom was with Gellar. I'm not sure what Gran was up to, but she had been gone when I left. I think everyone was mentally preparing themselves for Dolls' move in. She tried to take back her old room, which happened to be Dara's room. Gran put her foot down, telling her she could take the spare bedroom. There was enough space for us, we didn't all have to be cramped on the second floor.
I get out of the car, walking down the driveway. I'm on autopilot as I knock three soft rasps on the front door. I could walk in, Nancy's car is gone. It's probably only Daniel home. Giu is rarely ever home, she's always on a date or out. I don't really ask Daniel what all that entails. I shiver as Daniel opens the door.
He's shirtless -- that's the first thing I notice.
My jaw drops a little, head tilted to the side. His complexion is better, nearing on bronze. My eyes wander down his abs, following his happy trail. He's wearing black jeans that hang on his hip lowly. Was it hot in here? I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.
I was glad Daniel text me, distracting me from everything.
"Hey," Daniel's voice was smooth. He knew he was causing this reaction in me. I looked over my shoulder, making sure no one was around.
"Hey," I couldn't help my eyebrow raise, suggestively.
Before I knew it, Daniel's arms were reaching forward, grabbing me. One arm slung around, lifting me upwards and his other shut the door. It slammed with a force that should have scared me, but I was preoccupied. My heart raced against his bare chest.
In a blur, he ran us up the stairs and into his room. Again, he shut the door and it slammed shut loudly. All of which happened in mere seconds. I hadn't breathed since he opened the door. My head spun and I started to get dizzy. When I was with Daniel I forgot a lot of things, apparently breathing was one of those things.
He lowered us onto the bed. His bed was a mess of sheets and comforter in disarray. He positioned me on top of him, but he held me tightly. I let my hands wander as I took a deep breath in. His skin was damp like he just got out of the shower. It explained the extra springy curls. During all of this, I hadn't thought about if I wanted to stop.
Things seemed to be moving forward. Did I want to go all the way with Daniel? As my fingers traced his bicep, I thought about it. His hands gripped my waist, holding me tightly against him. It drove me crazy. We were as close as you could get with clothes on, it was a tease. I think I did want him, but then randomly Erik popped into my mind.
It wasn't anything bad, just a memory of me, him, and Addie at the lake. It was an innocent thought, but why was I thinking about Erik while I was making out with Daniel? Slowly, I pulled away, rolling off Daniel. I laid on my side, staring at Daniel. He was hot and he had told me he loved me twice, what was wrong with me?
I sighed.
He frowned at that.
"What's wrong?" He asked me, reaching to stroke my cheek. It was the first time he acted soft towards me. Lately, everything was quick, passionate, and lusty. I hadn't minded, but a part of me missed how Daniel used to act. He had been the most innocent and kind person, being Cursed had changed him. I liked this version of Daniel too, it was just different.
"Nothing!" I said too quickly.
"Did we go too far?" Daniel was confused.
So was I.
"I don't think so," it didn't sound very reassuring.
"If I did something wrong, you have to tell me." It would be easy if he had done something wrong. I stared into those brown eyes. One thing I knew was that I could absolutely not tell him about the random thought of Erik. Honestly, it was a mood killer -- for both of us. I didn't want to think about Erik while making out with Daniel.
He was supposed to be my distraction.
"It's not you," he cut me off.
"If you say, "it's not you, it's me," I swear." He was laughing.
"I wasn't going to say that." I playfully hit him on the shoulder. He kissed my nose. "We've never talked about stuff like that." I hinted.
His face shifted.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Neither of us wanted to actually say it. It was awkward.
"Yes, I think I do. I want to know what exactly this is and if we're going to be that couple that goes there." Okay, I was starting to confuse myself.
He laughed.
"I'm not sure what you mean by all of that, but I would like to have sex with you, Cornelia. If and when you're ready." He brazenly answered back. Hearing him say he wanted to sleep with me, made my stomach flutter. It made me excited to think about. It's one thing to assume someone wants you and another to hear it out loud.
He wasn't pressuring me.
It was an enticing thought. I looked him up and down.
"I have some questions first," as I said this he propped himself up on his elbow. His bicep flexed.
"Sure, I'm an open book." He flashes me a smile.
"With you being Cursed, what does that mean for sex?" There were so many questions I had about him being Cursed. He didn't talk about it a lot, but he had said he was an open book.
"Uh, I don't understand your question." He chuckled.
"Like," I tripped over my own words.
"Obviously, Cursed Ones can get people pregnant, if that's what you're getting at." He continued to laugh. He might be laughing, but I was genuinely curious. I was silent. "Wait, are you asking me if I bite, during sex?" Slowly, I nodded.
It had been the one thing stopping me from going all the way with Daniel. I was dead set against being bitten. My vision of the future had warned me of what could happen.
"Corn, I would never do something like that. I-I--
"I don't want to be bitten. I know we haven't talked about it before and I was afraid to say something. I didn't want to offend you or anything." I blurt out.
There are a million emotions rushing between the two of us.
"I wish you would have told me before, I could have eased your worries. You know I drink blood bags, I don't bite people." The way he said it, was like he was trying to convince both of us. I bit my lip. "I'm not saying I haven't thought about it, I'll admit that. Your blood calls to me and I don't think that will ever change. But I would never just bite you," he hugs me. I let him.
I do believe him.
"I knew it was silly, but I had to say it. I know you would never hurt me." As I said it, I realized we both had hurt each other already. I had this bad feeling we had been hurting each other for years and lives. It's like that dream (at least, I thought it was a dream at the time) when I first met Daniel. It had been some time in the 1800s at a ball. I had known the girl was me and the guy was Daniel, despite our appearances looking differently.
I had killed him then.
I knew it wasn't the only time one of us had killed the other. It was this gut feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me my fears were true. My arms held Daniel tightly. Things would never be uncomplicated between us.
"I'm glad because you're right I would never hurt you. I know you'd never hurt me either." He grins, then leans in to kiss me. It's softer than previous kisses, but I taste the urgency in his lips. Even when he tries, he can't tone down the passion. I don't mind though. I kiss him back, my hand around his neck.
We continue kissing and before we know it, it's back to where we were before. I'm out of breath as his kisses intensify. I gasp when his hand strokes the side of my body, working it's way up to my breast. I wasn't thinking of anyone or anything except his hands taking over my body. His hands were everything and my body was in fits of fire. I wanted him.
"Daniel," it came out as a hot whisper.
His hand lifted from my breast.
"I want you too," my breath against his ear. There was a low growl that came from him, nearing animalistic. I wasn't scared. I could barely hear over the sound of my heartbeat. It was the hormones talking, but I felt like I had been waiting for Daniel forever.
He was already shirtless, so it didn't take him long to take his jeans off. I fumbled with my own clothes. It was always awkward the first time you slept with someone. Briefly, I thought back to the first time I had sex. It wasn't anything too special and only happened a couple of times. We had dated for a while, most of the ninth grade, then during the summer his family moved across the country. I wasn't too broken up about it.
This felt different. Daniel felt like a man, not a ninth-grade boy unsure of what to do.
We weren't totally naked, but it was the most of each others body that we had seen. I was continuing to be impressed by Daniel. He pulled the comforter up and started kissing my neck. Every time we touched the sparks between us were magnetized. I reached for him, pulling him back to my lips.
"I'm so glad I waited for you," he murmurs.
What did he mean? Was Daniel a virgin? No, there was no way he was a virgin. I opened my eyes, meeting his. He was a virgin. Part of me felt bad that I wasn't a virgin, but the other part was lit on fire with more passion. Daniel was a virgin.
"Are you sure, you're ready?" I asked, making sure one last time. This was a big deal for both of us, but it meant something different to Daniel. If we did this, there was no going back.
"Yes, I've been--
He stood still and tilted his head like he was listening.
"Daniel, esti acasa?"A voice I never heard before called. Whoever it was, just walked inside and was proceeding up the stairs. I grabbed my shirt and tried to find my pants. In a split second, Daniel was dressed.
Daniel was standing by his door. I still didn't have my pants on. Where the Hell were they?
"Who is that?" I hissed through clenched teeth. I wasn't mad, just freaking out that whoever it was was going to see me half naked. Daniel moved too fast for me to see, but when he stopped. He was standing in front of me, holding my pants. He hands them to me. I take them and pull them on as fast as I can.
"Da, tata," Daniel tells the door. He bends down and kisses me on the forehead. "It's my father." He tells me, speaking English. What language did he just speak? Then, I remember he's half Romanian. It might seem weird, but I haven't met his father. I guess that is about to change.
"Your dad?" I ask again. He nods and moves to the door. He opens it. His dad reaches the top of the stairs right after. Daniel is quick, making it look like we had the door open the whole time. I'm not a good actress, you can easily read on my face we're guilty.
Plus, my hair is a tangled mess.
"Mama ta stie?" Daniel's dad only spoke in Romanian and to Daniel. Briefly, he looked at me, then quickly away. I got the vibe he didn't like me. I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, looking for Daniel to explain.
They looked a lot alike. Daniel's dad's hair was darker, nearly black. It had some curl to it, but not as much as Daniel's. He had blue eyes, nothing like Daniel's brown ones. They had the same olive colored skin. Daniel had maybe an inch on his dad, but they were both shy of six foot.
"Ce?" Daniel replied, clearly annoyed.
"Voi mergeti pe o linie periculoasa, fiu." I didn't know Romanian, but I could hear the warning in his dad's voice. He narrowed his eyes at his dad. It was starting to feel awkward in here.
"Maybe I should go," I reached for my bag slowly.
"You don't have to, he's leaving anyway." Daniel didn't break eye contact with his dad the whole time he talked. I had never seen this side of Daniel. He was beyond respectful to his mom, so why was he acting so strange with his dad? My hand hovered on my bag. Do I go? "La revedere," he ushered his father out. His dad didn't protest and left the room, shaking his head slightly.
Once the door was shut, Daniel sighed in irritation.
"I'm so sorry about that. H-he doesn't understand." Daniel crossed the room towards me, gently he took my hand. My bag dropped from my grasp. His mouth was on mine. I kissed him back, then pulled away.
"What just happened though? I don't understand why he doesn't like me. Did I do--
"You didn't do anything wrong." His voice trembled. I hugged him. I needed to learn Romanian. We sat on his bed and I waited for him to explain the conversation that just happened. Finally, he sighs and translates. "My dad isn't like me and my mom, obviously." He scoffs.
"So, he's human?" I ask.
"Yeah. He doesn't know English, that's why he was speaking Romanian. He doesn't want to learn English, so don't feel bad for him. He's--
"Your dad." I finish for him. He rolls his eyes and nods.
"Anyways, he and my mom have an arrangement. It's pretty common with our family actually. There are a few families around the world that make a deal to uh marry someone from our family?" Daniel finishes is awkward.
"You mean your family buys husbands and wives?" I tried to keep my voice under control.
"It sounds worse than it actually is, but yeah. So, my dad was born and raised in Romanian, but he always knew he would marry my mom. It was arranged at birth. It's a little more than just marrying and having kids." Daniel didn't want to make eye contact with me. "He's uh donor for my mom." My eyes widened.
"Daniel, you said your mom drinks out of blood bags? I thought that meant she didn't bite people?" I stood up and started pacing. I couldn't help it. I felt betrayed. Why had I believed him?
"She does, but every now and then she has to drink from him. Most of the time she bags his blood. It's safer that way, biting causes more blood loss and it's not humane." He chuckles to himself. "Trust me, he doesn't mind." Again, he scoffs at his dad.
"You two don't get along, huh?" I could relate to not getting along with your dad.
"No, we don't. He just was always this guy that lived with us. I remember my brother," his voice cracked slightly. He never talked about his brother. I had found out from other people he had an older brother who killed himself. Daniel and he had been close though, I could always tell that much. "Brody was more of a dad than Mikhail has ever been." Brody was his older brother who committed suicide the day before his sixtieth birthday.
A day before he was Cursed.
I bet Daniel has made the connection.
"So, Mikhail doesn't like me?" I try to gently change the subject.
"It's not that. He doesn't like the idea of me alone with you. He doesn't trust me as much as you do." Daniel winks at me. "He thinks I'm going to lose control and kill you." Daniel leans back, lying down. I gulp.
Is that a possibility? Of course it is, I'm not that stupid. Then again, I have been playing with fire being alone with Daniel. He seemed more in control today. It's easy to forget how strong he is. His teeth are deadly weapons. I couldn't forget that -- ever.
"Will you teach me Romanian?" Again, I changed the subject.
"Sure," and we sat like that chatting about language. I tried to stay away from talking about Daniel killing me and things Cursed-related. It felt nice to simmer down and just talk. We had the longest conversation without kissing since we have been back together. Sure, it was blissful to make out with Daniel, but it was also nice to talk.
There was so much I didn't know about him. There was even more about his family that I didn't know. Eventually, I left. I still had to meet up with Ivelyn, Erik, and Addie to have a mini Coven meeting. Daniel tried his best to hide his jealousy. He didn't like that Erik was apart of the Coven, which meant I would be hanging out with him.
He knew that Erik and I had feelings for each other in the past. He also knew that I had chosen Daniel over Erik. You would think he would feel honored, but it brought back some past hostility between the two of them. I didn't care -- Erik was my friend and Daniel was my boyfriend. They didn't have to be besties, but they would have to act civil.
Daniel walked me to my car. On the way, we passed by Mikhail who waved goodbye to me. He looked like he wanted to tell me something, but Daniel ushered me past him quickly. The tension between them was mildly uncomfortable. Daniel's relationship with his father and mother was like night and day.
"Text me?" He asks as I hopped inside my car. I got the feeling that Daniel wanted to come with me to a Coven meeting, but he already knew that wasn't a possibility.
"Of course," I tell him quickly. He kisses me goodbye again and then I drive over to Addie's.
As I pulled up I see Ivelyn's shiny car already parked. I'm not surprised I'm late. I had meant to leave earlier, but Daniel was hard to say goodbye to. I park and walk towards the lake. The three of them are standing at the edge of the lake. Erik's shoulders tense and he looks over towards me. He sees me before the others. I smile and wave, but he makes no reaction.
"Nice of you to join us," Ivelyn hints at my tardiness. I roll my eyes at her playful remark. She's wearing all black, except for a red leather jacket. I see she's joining the leather jacket party. Addie smiles up at me and hugs me. She's wearing a Cosplay outfit I can't quite figure out.
"So, what's on the agenda for this meeting?" It's just the four of us because Mir has practiced and Kate went with her mom to pick up her brother, Kyle, from college. Apparently, he didn't know about the divorce.
"I've been thinking about how Sarah Good said she had a Plan B." Ivelyn started. "I think she's planning something big and we need to all sharpen our Witch skills. I've been working with my powers, seeing if I can invoke another Element." She's right. I have been thinking about Sarah Good coming back too. We know Thana and Vayne are missing -- well, their bodies. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Sarah Good had taken a hold of Thana's body.
I knew she had plans to bring Levi back, but I wasn't sure how she was going to pull that off. Dara was persistent in thinking she brought Vayne back. If she did, wouldn't he try to make contact with Dara? I guess she had killed him, so maybe he held a grudge against that.
"Yeah, I've been trying to work on my visions. Maybe if I can get a vision about Sarah Good, we can figure out what she has planned." By everyone's facial expressions I could tell no one was holding their breath on my visions working to our favor. I sighed. "At least we know my shield holds against Sarah Good," I add with a shrug.
I wasn't useless.
"That's right! You were such a badass with your shield. Plus, it caught her off guard!" Addie grinned at me. She was always nice.
"Yeah, but now she'll be expecting it. She knows two of your three powers. I don't see how seeing the past will help in this case. We need a plan." There's Ivelyn, the pessimist.
"Still, it will help us." Erik finally said something. "I don't think we can plan until she makes a move. As bad as it sounds, we can't really do anything yet." And there's Erik with logic. The two of them can be real downers sometimes.
"Well, whatever happens, we got this. We've proven before that we can handle whatever comes our way, this won't be any different. You'll see." Addie persists. She isn't letting them dim the mood.
I look from each other.
"Addison is right," Ivelyn raises an eyebrow. "I'm serious, she's right. We are a badass Coven and we got this." Addie fists bumps me.
"You guys are dorks," Erik mutters, putting his hands in his pockets. We all laugh, agreeing. As long as we stick together, I know we can handle whatever is thrown at us.