The Curse Of The Alpha’s Mate

Chapter 5

The rest of the day slips by faster than I’d wanted it to. I didn’t want to think of it that way, but it felt like spending my last day of freedom before being plunged back into the life I’ve been running away from. It’s a pessimistic thought, but I’m probably right.

I don’t see Justin Fairfax —my now ex-boyfriend, for the rest of the day, and it may be because I’ve been avoiding him, or that I’ve temporarily taken away his ability to walk.

“You sure you won’t be needing this?” Natalia asks, waving the shiny pink taser for the second time. “You know, just in case some douchebag grabs you again, you can tase him in the balls.” She then proceeds to dramatize exactly how I’m supposed to tase a person in that specific area.

I haven’t had a moment’s rest since I told her about what happened with Justin.

“Tali, put that away, before you hurt yourself.” I reply with a sigh. The edge of my bed that I’m sitting on feels like being at the edge of a cliff. The overwhelming urge to flop back into my bed and snuggle under the covers until this whole nightmare is over crashes into me. “Oh dear God…” I bury my fingers in my scalp and hold my head for a second. If Tali wasn’t here, I’d probably be crying.

Thankfully, my roommate Vanessa is off to a night out, sleepover or some sort of clique party with her friends. I’d lied to her that I’ll be visiting relatives, just so she doesn’t get worried by my absence, although I doubt she cares at all. In fact, she seemed a little too happy to have the room all to herself for a while.

Natalia snaps her fingers. “Hey, sexy lips, look at me.”

She cradles my face and forces me to look up at her. She pouts, accessing the emotions I’m sure are written all over my face. I can see the worry etched into her features, although she’s trying to hide it with humor.

“Don’t you dare let them break you.” Her eyes soften. “Don’t you dare give them that power, do you understand?”

I nod, willing some of her fierceness and confidence to seep into my skin from her warm palms.

“We will figure out a way, but for now, you keep your head high and you show them that you’re no longer the scared girl who ran away.” Her voice is steel; strengthening my resolve. She pats my cheek and smiles, her rings cold on my skin. “Now repeat after me; I am a badass b***h from Hell with a fat ass and—“

“I’m not saying that.” I cut her off, snorting.

She shrugs. “Someday.”

The clock ticks away annoyingly loud in my head, and I am hyper aware that we only have minutes left until midnight. Mentally, I try to assure myself that I’m not stepping into a dungeon, but no matter how I think of it, a prison is a prison, even if you once called it home.

“Don’t forget to call me once you get there and keep your location services on—“

Fauna doesn’t knock.

There is only her footsteps, then the turn of the doorknob to alert us of her presence before she steps into the room, bringing along with her an icy and dangerous energy.

She is in a black suit; face pale, jaw set, and a black necktie dangling loosely against the backdrop of the white shirt underneath. I can make out the outline of a gun strapped to her waist, and the hilt of a small dagger flashes from her breast pocket.

None of us move.

Fauna’s eyes trail from me to Natalia. Her gaze lazily regards her, and something flashes in those cold jade green orbs before they turn blank again; betraying nothing. I know enough about my twin sister to understand that Natalia seems like a threat to her. She closes the door slowly and soundlessly behind her, then leans on it, crossing her legs at the ankles.

“You have company?” Her voice is grainy, rough; laced with sarcasm. “Who is she?” She asks, raising an eyebrow, tilting her head in Natalia’s direction.

A snarl breaks the silence. “If you dare lay a hand on her again—”

I quickly place a steady hand on Natalia’s shoulder, trying to let her know it’s fine, praying and hoping she relaxes. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to let her cross paths with Fauna. I can feel the energy radiating off of her, and I know her anger is barely restrained.

They stare each other down.

“How quaint.” Fauna says, rolling her eyes; the edges of her lips curling in disgust. “You.” She points a gloved finger at Natalia, who’s standing protectively in front of me. “Are in my way, and in the way of pack business.”

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that this is where I step in.

“I’ll call you, Tali.” I say, sidestepping her before pulling her into a tight hug. The scent of strawberry muffin and smoke invades my senses for a while, and I never want to let go.

“I’m going to be fine, I promise.” I whisper in her ear, pat her back twice, and pull away before I start to cry and give my twin sister another thing to ridicule me with.

Natalia lets me go reluctantly.

I turn to Fauna and give her a pointed stare. “Let’s go.” I mutter, my voice harsh, the ball in my throat tightening.

She digs both hands in the pockets of her perfectly tailored black trousers, and straightens from the door; lights bouncing off her polished loafers. She’s dressed so fancy to come and chain me back to that prison. Her eyes linger on Natalia for an extra second before she drops her lazy gaze back to me.

“After you, sister.” She says; pronouncing each word with venom.

I set my jaw and take a deep breath. If I have to walk back to Hell, the best I can do is do it with some dignity.

Fauna opens the door and throws a final curious but scalding gaze in Natalia’s direction. She gestures with her head to the open door and follows me closely behind as I head out.

My backpack holds the weight of the world, and I don’t look back.

The halls are eerily silent. Usually, there’d be some activities at this time, but today it feels like everyone is asleep; like they had evacuated the dorm rooms in fear of my sister; in a silent farewell to someone that was never really part of them.

When I step outside, a shiver goes down my spine.

The mornings and afternoons might still be hot in the midst of May, but the nights are always, always cold.

I glance up at the starless, moonless sky; a blanket of darkness threatening to crush me, and matching the black, miserable feeling in my bones. The chilly breeze tugs at the edges of my shirt, and my mind wanders back to the dream I had last night. I close my eyes and will myself to stop drifting away from the present; from this.

The limousine is darker than my father’s sins, and my sister’s heart. It doesn’t shine, but unnaturally absorbs the streetlights that are supposed to bounce off it. It looks so out of place on the lonely street, just there by the curb.

If the situation had been any different, I might’ve joked about feeling like Cinderella.

A young man in a black suit opens the door and bows —not to me, but to my twin sister who has now turned into a menacing cloud behind me.

“Get in.” She commands.

I don’t argue. I don’t try to fight it. A time will come for that, or maybe it might not. Maybe never. Maybe this is my forever. I slip into the cold interior, the leather seats smooth and solid under me. Like everything tied to the Lysidas family name, the limousine smells strongly of my father’s cologne. The monster marks everything he owns.

Even his own daughters.

Nausea rises in my throat, as the memories plague my mind. I blink and push it down. I’ve become an expert at running away, even from my own memories.

“Drive.” Fauna orders, her tone dry and authoritative; the voice of someone born to bark out commands at other people.

I stare out the windows as we speed past buildings I’m too dazed to recognize. The darkness blankets them; or maybe it’s the tint of the limousine that dulls all the familiarity and light of the outside world. It’s too painful to look. I tear my eyes away from the window.

Fauna slips out a sleek black phone.

“We knew your whereabouts from the day you left, you know. He’s giving you a second chance.” She says without considering me; her eyes glued to the soft glow of her phone screen. “Don’t disappoint him again.”

My gaze drops to my powerless hands. “My very existence is a disappointment to him.” I whisper to myself, traitorous tears pooling in my eyes. I’ve tried so hard to get away from him, and now with just an order from him, I had no choice but to go back.

Next to me, Fauna hears me sniff and she snickers.