The rest of my day was quiet, peaceful, if I wasn't expecting a hazel-eyed storm, but the more the day pressed on and he didn't come home, the more I realized he wouldn't be back tonight.
Piper kept me company for a while, but there was only so much boredom a girl can take when there is no genuine friendship to fall back on. Trent was the one that thought we'd be good friends, which only goes to prove just how much Trent doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does.
When the darkness took over the sky, it was easy to fall into and hard to keep the terrors of it away. A long time has passed since the depths of the water pulled me under. I always try to remember what the accident was like, but all I ever remember is him.
***
The sound of my heart pounding is so loud that I think it's making waves around me. My limbs are exhausted from running in place as I try to reach the only light source I can see, but as my head breaches the surface of the water, something feels different.
I see him, Trent, and his boyish charms that locked onto me immediately, holding on like I was the one making his heartbeat, but I hesitate to take his hand. All the other times I've scrambled to get to him, to be in his arms where I feel safe and he asks his dad if he can keep me.
Something feels out of place this time, and as I look back, something so bright its blinding rips me back to consciousness.
***
"There's no time for pleasantries," Corbyn's rough voice had me clutching the covers.
"There's a time when you're pleasant?" I grumbled under my breath, knowing full well he would hear me.
He sighed like he was already annoyed with me and ripped the blankets off of me as he strode into the closet, "Come on Devlin, we don't have time for this right now and I hate to break it to you," he looked back at me when I gasped at my sudden nakedness, shamelessly dragging his eyes up and down my body, "but I've seen it all growing up and even if you weren't Trent's, you're not really my type."
"Right," I rolled my eyes, remembering all the times I caught him readjusting himself in front of me, "why are you here? Where's Trent?" I'd already been accused of giving away his prize to one guard. The last thing I need is for him to walk into this, even if Corbyn had always gotten some kind of weird pass when it came to me.
He was murmuring rude comments to himself as he flipped through my dresses about how my butt was too big for some of them, or how my chest wouldn't fill others out before he finally landed on a pink monstrosity that he tossed at me.
"Trent's filling Gavin in, and you have less than three minutes to slip that on because he wants us all down there for family breakfast this morning."
"Why?" I could feel my face scrunched together because the last thing I wanted to do was spend more time around Trent's father than I had to.
"Are you questioning an Alphas order?"
"No," I slipped the dress on quickly, and threw my hair up into a messy bun, but Corbyn ripped it out and fussed with my hair for a minute, giving me a disapproving look. Yea, I knew Trent preferred my hair down, but if it was up to me, I would chop it short enough it wouldn't land on my neck. He tugged a bit at the ends and my scalp burned with the reminder of why I need to get my attitude back in check. Corbyn might be a butt nugget, but he's never been violent with me the way the two men waiting downstairs were.
"Are you-"
"Save it," I snapped, looking up into the dull grayness of his eyes, "you don't get to act concerned after when you're not there to stop it from happening."
"It won't always be like this," he said a little too gently as he fussed with the last strand of my hair, laying it gently over my shoulder before looking up at me with his back-to-business expression, "times up."
Walking down to the dining room was unnerving at best, but getting through it nicely would depend on how well I could pretend we were the people that existed before Trent's first shift, before a few years ago when Gavin destroyed the last few shreds of my Trent that were left.
As soon as I stepped through the doors to the kitchen, Trent's arms caught me around the waist, spinning me and pinning my hands over my head against the wall. He stared down at me and I playfully tried to get on my tiptoes to kiss him, but couldn't quite reach him.
"I missed you," I pouted, licking my bottom lip slowly, "didn't you miss me?"
"Did you?" He pressed into me, showing me just how much he missed me and exactly what was on his mind. I'd thought about giving it to him a million times, using it to my advantage before one day he snapped too far and just took it, but I settled on giving him other parts of intimacy and saving that for our wedding… if it had to come to that.
"Sooo much," I wiggled my hips a little and reveled in the groan that slipped past his lips, "I wore this just for you," his eyes traveled over me with such intensity that I rubbed my legs together, needing the friction between my thighs. "The day with Piper was just what I needed to forget about everything, but then you didn't come home."
"Well," he scooped me up and then sat me on his lap sideways with my legs resting between his, "I won't be home tonight until late either, but if you're lucky, I'll come to see you when I get in."
I just nodded and kissed his lips gently over and over. If I was lucky. If he's lucky, I won't smother him with a pillow.
“Ah!” Gavin boomed as he came into the room. “No trouble in paradise then?”
“None.” Trent was back to being serious as he sat me in the chair next to him. Gavin’s vision drifted over my bare legs as they swung off of Trent, and I barely managed to suppress the shiver that caused, but Trent’s arms stiffened in a way that told me he noticed too.
“Good,” Gavin chirped as he sat. The help came silently out and set our plates out in front of us, “there’s a charity event tomorrow that you’ll be attending.” Trent only looked at him in acknowledgment before squeezing my hand under the table and kissing the side of my head, a promise that he would be back after it. Gavin’s crooked smile was the first clue I would not like what he had to say next, “Devlin’s going with you.” Trent's brows pushed together as I almost choked on my food.
Me? Going? I never got to go anywhere, and Trent hated when I had to because it meant being out and around other people who all had abilities, that I did not. I wasn’t sure if it was purely for my safety or if he was embarrassed by me, but either way, I didn’t particularly want to be around other abilities with no way to protect myself. Trent’s hand was crushing mine, his anger over it mounting, but when the Alpha gives an order… you follow it.
Gavin ate the entirety of his meal while Trent sat there staring at him, and when he wiped his mouth to signify he was done, the plate was removed from in front of him and he stood behind us. The hair on my neck was standing, fully aware that he could see what little cleavage I did have on full display from where he was. He set his hand down on each of our shoulders and nothing could stop the small squeak that escaped me.
I’m second-guessing my boldness to leave here. I can’t protect myself. I'm pathetic in every way when Gavin comes around. My plan really needed some work.
“If you show up without her, you won’t get in,” Trent looked straight ahead as his father spoke, “you know what kind of blood bath things can turn into, son, and it's a charity event, they can’t have any of that. Bad publicity.” His thumb was stroking my shoulder where I was certain it wasn’t Trent’s, “It’ll look good, strong, to have someone on your arm there and I don’t think I need to tell you how important it is that we secure certain meetings.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Trent roughly got out as I tried to rub my thumb along his hand, but his hand just tensed more around mine.
“I should hope not,” Gavin gripped my shoulder painfully, “and be sure that everything from last night gets wrapped up today. We can’t have any loose ends making us look bad tomorrow night.”
I wish the tension in the room left with Gavin, but once he was out, Trent remained still. Corbyn stepped in and we all just sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. “We need to go,” Trent announced and as his hand started to slip out of mine, I found myself clinging onto it, earning an angry kind of confused look from Trent. “You just got back,” I half whined, and what I was doing - even I didn’t know. I wanted him gone, right? But I also didn’t want to be left alone with Gavin. Nope. No, thank you. “Dee,” he sighed, gently getting me to stand with him. I thought he’d be upset, but he liked this. He liked me needing him. This I could work with. “Please, Trent,” I squeezed my arms around him and tucked my face into his chest, “I don’t need a new bodyguard. Just take me with you and then we never have to be apart.” “It’s too dangerous and you know that,” he made me look up at him but his eyes were scanning behind us like he was thinking the same thing - the intera
I’m not sure how Trent even managed to drive when he was staring at me through the rearview mirror almost the entire way. The weight of his stare was demanding to be looked back at, but I refused. Building after building flew past the vehicle, people walking out on the streets completely oblivious and seemingly fine with each other’s abilities. ‘Dad said it’s not safe out there, Dee,’ Trent had told me after he went with his dad the first few times, ‘we can only visit Pop’s and then straight home.’ There was water building behind my lashes, but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Tears mean he’s won, tears mean he’s broken me, and I know that’s what he’s waiting for. Well, he’s not getting them, so my traitorous body better get its act together. “Maybe,” Corbyn cleared his throat, “we should send her to that elevation school.” Silence. “You know your mom wanted you to go, and maybe they could help her abilities come out.” Corbyn really didn’t take a clue. T
"Pet, don't make me ask twice. You won't like it." The words were out of my mouth before I can help it. Where did that come from? My dick. It officially thought it was in charge. Bad dick. “I am NOT a pet,” she scowls back at me, but it’s like a little cub trying to do a big bad roar, and her voice sounds just as sweet as she looks and smells. She stands still while I look at her, waiting for her to give in and follow my command, and she does, with her own little flair of false bravado. “Good girl,” I whisper so low I’m not sure she hears it. I can’t help myself. She deserves the praise. Confirmation she heard it comes when there’s a little misstep in her stride and then she quickens her pace.The throbbing problem in my pants wants her to run, but not with this girl. That will cause too many unwanted complications, even if she’s the best eye candy I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking at. Trent has himself a little hidden gem. No wonder he was so uptight about keeping her away
"Get out," I tell him, but Mysterio is just standing there, tall and lean like a tree that could care less about the hissing winds - me, I’m the hissing winds - because it knows it will never get pushed down, "you're going to get yourself killed." Doesn't he have any self preservation? He should value his own life… I value mine, and if he's caught in here, Trent will kill us both. The longer he stands still, the more I realize how much my whole body is on high alert. I can feel the prickles of fear of being left alone here with him. Some of his hair has fallen out of where it's tied back and his muscles somehow seem more pronounced than they were five minutes ago. With thumbs tucked into his pockets, his fingers are tapping against his jeans and he makes this small sound, almost like a decisive grunt as his fingers still and the corners of his lips tip up revealing those canines that shouldn't exist in his human form. He looks deranged. Crazy on all counts with this attractiv
I want to avoid Mysterio's watchful eye so I make my way to the corner of my room where a chaise sat, but of course, his light blue hues drew me in to where he was now sitting on a chair of his own against the door. It's such an obnoxiously large chair that I’m not sure where he actually got it from. It certainly wasn't in here when we arrived, but there he is, draped over it like a lazy prince as he toys with a stick in his mouth. No. Not a stick, well, kind of, but a lollipop. A grape… freaking… lollipop I could smell from here. The sugar was calling my name, but of course, he ruined that too. "Like what you see?" I yank my devious tongue, which was licking my lips on its own accord, back into my mouth as the heat in my cheeks is making it unbearable to even face him anymore. Do I like what I see? On both accounts, yes. Twisting the chaise around so that I could sit on it without facing him wasn't easy, especially when his low chuckle sounded at my expense, but when it was do
"Behave,” Trent half snaps at me as I toy with the edge of my dress. The slit in it is so high that half of my butt is hanging out as I sit beside him, but fine. If he doesn’t care how Corbyn is staring, then why should I? We have a driver tonight, and thankfully that means that I only have to deal with Trent and Corbyn because Brixton gets to ride shotgun with a fully tinted glass divider, making it private back here. “I’m just nervous.” I yank my hand from Trent's, where he is currently crushing my hand that he removed from my pulling at my dress. “Brixton was supposed to go over-” “He did,” I cut him off as his brows pull together. “I know the rules. Don’t speak to anyone unless you’re with me. Don’t leave Brixton’s side for ANY reason. Be cautious of my surroundings and tell you if something feels off because there’s no telling what, or who, will be here tonight. The rules don’t make me less nervous, I don’t know what to expect. It’s not like I get a genuine experience with ot
"A little obvious," Pierce's low grumble announces his arrival as he stands next to me, dragging his vision over my attire, "even for you." "And what would you have me dress as?” I keep my vision forward and voice low, “A bloodsucker? Perhaps you wanted me to put on furs and pretend to be your long-lost cousin?” My outfit was expensive, but nothing less would have been acceptable to a man of my stature. Are there any other Minerva’s owl descendants? No, but would anyone connect me with the Cartiers? No. I know my mask comes with risks, but some of us don't have the luxury of being overpopulated. He, on the other hand, could dress in all the half-rabid wolf masks he wanted without worry. Wolves were a dime a dozen and few people have seen his face and lived to tell the tale. “Ah, brother, you only wish you could have half the charm my furry ass does.” Charm. I tried not to scoff out loud at such a ludicrous thing for him to pretend to have. I may love him like a brother, we may hav
"Am I the cause of that blush, Devlin?" Corbyn asks as he puts some distance between us, spinning me with practiced ease before pulling me tightly against him. Trent won't care. He never cared about how close me and Corbyn used to be, but it's noticeable when Corbyn spends our entire dance staring directly at me. I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted, but his attention is unnerving, nonetheless. "For someone who can't stand to look at me, you sure are spending a lot of time looking." As soon as the words are out, I regret them. Corbyn likes to take care of me, dress me up like the perfect little doll. But dolls don't talk back. They sit perfectly at all times. They do exactly what you want, and only what you want. "Did you think you were allowed to come tonight for fun?" I blink slowly at him, unsure how to answer that. I know I'm here out of obligation, but does that mean fun is off the table? Apparently. He pulls me in even closer, whispering so softly I strain to