ISHTAR.
"I hate it so much when those billionaire families come on TV to shove their wealth in our faces!" I spat, tying my hair by the mirror while the static sound of the television filled the room."Right?" Abby quizzed, darting her gaze toward it. "What kind of name is Kincaid anyway, and why must we be aware that he's taking over PRIDES conglomerate?""Like it even is my business," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Let's sell the television, Abby. You're leaving anyway. I'd search for a job immediately after."Abby stood up, walked to the TV, and slapped the top of it. It made a violent, roaring noise. The impact resounded through the walls of the room. "This thing? Sell this thing?"I shrugged. "For a few bucks? I mean, it has to be worth something, right? We're out of everything edible." I rubbed my belly. "I could eat you right now, Abby…but you probably taste like cobwebs and mint."Abby's brow furrowed, and she contemplated giving me a response for a while. Next to her was her bag, basically everything she owned, and it was ready to go, probably forever.Abby glanced at the TV once more, then at me. She shook her head. "Nah, this shit is worth nothing. It'd crumble the moment you tried to lift it.""I'd sell the good parts of it, then.""There are no good parts of it," Abby responded again. "You stole this off the roadside." She mouthed as if I didn't remember."Took, not stole," I corrected as I settled on the wooden bench— that was also my bed. My legs were on the armrest, and I flashed Abby a smug grin. "Thanks to me, we can watch news about billionaires.""Show off," She scoffed. This time she tried to lift the TV that weighed no less than a carton of cotton candy.The moment her hands were firm around the frame and she attempted to pull it up, it departed from the rest of the body and made a loud, banging sound.I snickered. "Well, that's quite the response."Abby burst into a peal of laughter, pushing her wild locs away from her face as she sat next to me. The chair creaked the moment she settled, and I moved to the right edge of it.Two people couldn't be seated in the middle, or it'd crumble— we've managed for two years, nothing we couldn't handle."Woah, don't ruin it completely!""It won't be of much use anyways. We have to move out today, Ishtar. It doesn't seem like Chick would listen to us this time."I sighed frustratedly. "My plan is to get the job," I responded briskly because I didn't want her to hear the doubt in my voice.There was no assurance that I was going to get 'the' job, or a job, at all. That never worked out because of my lack of qualifications. I'd known that for two years of trying."When is your interview supposed to be?"It was morning. I glanced at the wall clock, and it said afternoon. It was broken again."The clock, ah! Even after I got new batteries!""You stole the batteries from an old biker's radio," Abby said, laughing."Which makes it new for our buddy here!" I pointed to the clock. I fluttered my eyes shut and sighed again. Opening them, I said, "Wild guess? In about an hour or two?""In about an hour or two," she mouthed, "Same amount of time I have to catch the train," she steadied herself against the chair and tilted her body till she was fully turned to me. "Do you want to come with me?"I expected this question and have tried to avoid it since the owner of the room we stayed in gave us an ultimatum that ended today.I've known Abby for two years. She was the first person I'd met when I walked out of the orphanage at eighteen. Since then, we've sailed through thick and thin together.Now, life was prying us apart— I wouldn't say that was a new thing. Abby was headed back to her hometown. She ran away from home at sixteen. Now she was running back there. How ironic.I shook my head. "No, Abby…I know I'd find something. I don't know how, but I will.""Do you want to sleep on the streets then?""Would it be the first time? We spent two months in paper blankets. Don't you dare forget that," I teased, and we both laughed at the horrible memory."...but— what if you don't get the job? It's just being a sales rep at a convenience store. You're not qualified; hell, you didn't even finish high school!""Oh my! I didn't? Remind me," I teased again.Abby scowled. "Take this seriously. I won't be at peace leaving you all by yourself. I'd wait for you to go for the interview. If you don't get it, I will stay, and we can keep suffering here."I sighed once again. Sighing was becoming one of the things I was best at, asides from taking things that people carelessly left. Not stealing, don't call it stealing."I won't let you do that, okay? First, we go to the train station and get you in that vehicle. The rest of the world can wait, Abby. Today is all about you!""It's not. It really isn't. I'm concerned. If you don't get the job, you lose the house, too. Chick wants us out by tonight. We've not paid him for the last year and a half. What are you going to do?" Abby's voice was genuinely laced with concern.I hated to see her that way or to be one that made her that way. The poor thing has had her share of the world's misfortune."I will get the job," I affirmed. "I know I will.""You're sure they'd let you stay after getting it, right?""Yeah, accommodation was mentioned on the flier. I'd definitely get the job.""When you do, don't steal candy, okay?""Can't promise you nothing." I grinned."Take something more valuable. As long as no one gets hurt.""You sly thing!" I rubbed her cheeks. "As long as no one gets hurt!""I'm going to miss you, Ishtar. I'm going to miss you so much," Abby cooed, her big, brown eyes boring into the hazel of mine.I pulled her into a side hug that caused me to be in the middle of the bench, and it came crumbling down into two pieces.Our butts hit the ground hard, and we laughed till tears spilled from our eyes."Your dress is ripped, Ishtar," Abby said, and I looked at it.The torn part gave it a daring slit by the side, which could pass for a design."It's a new style now," I pulled the edge. "See?""You cheapskate! Go change!""You adore me!" I chimed."You bet I do. You bet I do."It was in the bad memories; the good ones were. I'd miss her too, so badly, and I didn't know what the next chapter of my life would hold.Or if I even had a life.#You called it. I didn't get the job— and I expected that much. What I didn't expect was for the owner to be rude fuck who suggested using other 'means' to replace my lack of qualification.I wouldn't fuck the old hag if he had the last dick on earth. It was evening already, and the environment was dipped in the golden hue of the setting sun.A few more hours and Chick would have my things out— this wouldn't be the first time, but it was certainly the last.The closer I was to the apartment, the faster my heart thudded. I had seen Abby off to the train station. She was gone.I didn't cry. Yet.I tore open the chocolate bar I'd ripped off a high schooler by the railway and stuffed my mouth with it. The chocolate bar would be the first thing I tasted today that wasn't my saliva.Fuck, I was hungry. I didn't need much. Just a house, a job, and unlimited money. That seemed a bit far-fetched. I didn't even care to be happy or sad. As long as I survived this day, I was good to go.As anticipated. Chick was waiting for me at the front of the apartment, a cigar in his mouth. I stared at his tall frame and saw the school bag in his hands.It was mine— the only thing I owned. This was it. I inhaled sharply and walked to him, the floor seeming wobbly with every step I took."Here, get out," Chick said as he threw the bag at me. "Y'all don wrecked me already. Got a new tenant, and she willin' n rich as fuck!"I eyed him. "It's sad that someone would let you put your thing in them, you brute.""People dying for this dick. I don't know why you not taking it. I smash, and you don't pay, ain't it simple, Isitar?""Ishtar." I corrected him. " And you're disgusting. Keep your half a sausage in your fucking pants.""All your panties have holes. I packed them good!" He pointed to the bag that I was rummaging through.I said nothing, just satisfied that my items were complete. I walked about three feet away from him and turned. "Hey, Chick? Lend me two dollars?""Get the hell out of here, bitch!" He barked at me, and I snickered. Life was so fucked up sometimes. "Leave me the fuck alone!""Like your mom did?" I retorted and stuck out my tongue at him before running off the block. My stomach had already begun to digest itself. I might have to visit that convenience store to 'take' things.Just this once.DAMIAN."Here, Mr. Kincaid, come on in," Alfred ushered and I followed him through the gates of the mansion that was now my home.Compared to the lush greenery of the place I'd just left, the towering buildings that lingered around were numerous, choking even. All owned the same light brown and cream color; one could barely tell them apart.We arrived inside the building. Its minimalistic furnishing wasn't the worst. The living room alone could accommodate six more people, including Alfred and me."What do you think of it, sir?" Alfred asked, his voice shrill. The last time I'd seen Alfred was when his father worked for me about seventy years ago. He was a boy child then— From generation to generation, they've served me. Each first male of his family led that legacy. It was the pact I'd made with his ancestor when the unfortunate incident happened."It's not the worst," I responded, taking off my cufflinks and placing them on the marble table before me. "I still can't get over seeing
ISHTAR.We held each other's gaze for a brief moment. The unusually handsome man had a look in his eyes that I couldn't understand. His chiseled jaw clenched, and he balled his fist without tearing his gaze away from me."Is this your way of hitting on young girls, you cunt? Get out of my way!" I yelled again. He didn't seem present even though he was looking me in the eye. The next thing he did was to lunge his arms at me hurriedly. I froze."Don't fucking touch me!" I yelled as I slapped his hand away. "What are you doing!?"His brown eyes had lost focus, and he aggressively muttered something under his breath. I got terrified by the second, and he didn't seem to back down.He reached out again, aiming for my neck, this time with bloodshot eyes. I'd never seen a person look so scary. The veins in his head popped out as his thick brows furrowed.The store's ventilation did a number on his brown shoulder-length hair, swaying it. If he didn't look like he was bent on murdering me, I'd
ISHTAR.This wouldn't be a bad shelter for the night. I thought to myself as I set my foot to the ground after slipping in through the window. The room I'd walked into seemed to be the living room, but the strange man wasn't in sight yet.My pulse quickened as I cautiously made my way around and tried to stop myself from gasping every single time I looked around me. It felt like I'd made my way into paradise, unknowingly. The air was warm, and it coated around me nicely as I hugged my arms, turning multiple times in the middle of the parlor.This was my first time being inside someone else's house, and that little voice in my head— the judgemental and reasonable one— wouldn't stop telling me how much of a terrible idea that was. J should not be doing this. Nobody should be doing this. The large living room was no different from the ones I saw on TV. I wished Abby was here with me to witness this breakthrough. Thinking about her being gone for good made my heart squeeze, but I couldn'
DAMIAN.I opened my eyes to the blinding white ceiling and sat up immediately before I was hit by a nauseating feeling and profound headache as though my head was being pounded on. All this because of that scumbag from yesterday.I gritted my teeth and shuffled out of bed. My head rang the moment I stepped my feet on the floor. It was as though something was different inside me. I just didn't know what it was yet. I passed out last night, as soon as I got home.I remembered my senses being so distorted that I even smelled a human in my home, although I knew that was impossible. That girl was making me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time. I sat at the edge of the bed and placed my hand on my chest to summon my wolf.I heard shrieking and snarling sounds in my head, and I knew what it meant. My wolf was weak and still hasn't recovered yet, but it gladdened by heart that he showed up yesterday and said a word, thanks to that fucking traitor.The sunlight slipped past the curtains, d
ISHTAR."Oh, fuck!" Mr. Beast yelled and shoved Reiss off him. The scrawny lad staggered backwards and fell into the chair while I stood in awe, just a step away from the door.I'd been glancing at it to see how easy it'd be for me to open and spin out, never to look back, never to return. My backpack was where I wanted it to be, by my feet, and I could easily pick it up, but first, we needed to solve the problem at hand.The patch of green on Mr. Beast's white T-shirt was spreading rapidly, and he let out a strained, disgusted gasp as he tore it off without any hesitation. I'd never seen a person look so physically disturbed over something like that, and from what I'd noticed from their relationship, these two weren't close at all.Saying I was appalled wasn't nearly enough to describe the fear I was feeling. I had stupidly fallen asleep after the stranger named Reiss walked in and indulged me in this random discussion about his love life.The comfort was to die for, and because he
DAMIAN. A blackmail. Oh, pray tell, what could it be? I tightened my cuffs and leaned back against the chair immediately after the call, waiting to see the next weird experience I was about to encounter.It had just been three days, and I already had eight pages of frustration to write off in the walls of my mind. It made me miss being in hiding, but for the right cause, of course, I could handle it.A small moment passed, and my officer door swung open after a brief knock. I sat upright, my eyes locked on the door as I anticipated the person to walk through and whatever the hell they wanted to blackmail me with. I was very interested in this crime I committed.The receptionist stepped in first and gave way to the last person I expected. Minerva's vessel. What was her name again? Ishtar. I didn't even know why I believed that to be her real name. My throat tightened, and I tugged at my tie. I was beginning to get used to the surprise element that surrounded this creature. Didn't
ISHTARHe agreed.Mr Beast agreed for me to stay in his home, and I conceded so fast. I was gullible, I know, and the rest of the world probably thought of me as the most stupid person to exist, but really? Intelligence or acute thinking was for people who had something to lose.Not me. I didn't have a care in the world about what happened. Well, except for the idea of rape and gruesome murder, if those two were excluded, then I might as well do whatever the hell I wanted.What have I got to lose? I held his gaze as I stood before him, trying to contain the wave of fear mixed with happiness that churned inside of me. The thought of being in the warm, cozy mansion again owned me, and I believed that was the best thing that could happen to anyone.Even if he were going to end up killing me, then I'd ask him to give me three more days to live my life to the fullest. I was still in his office, red in the face with a pounding chest after he'd cupped my face, and I did everything in my powe
DAMIAN.Everything I wanted to say died on my tongue as I stared in disbelief, watching the dining party in my home, that I wasn't even invited to. It looked like a ceremony was going on, except it was just with two people. Reiss and some girl I didn't know about.How much more complicated was this going to get? I sneaked a glance at Ishtar and registered the surprised look on her face, too. At the same time, she looked at me, and I tore my gaze away immediately, shifting my focus back to Reiss, who didn't seem to notice that we were in.He finally did, and turned to me, gesturing for me to wait before he muttered something to the girl and hurried over. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he walked to us like he'd forgotten how to move his legs. I was already stressed enough from hearing Ishtar rant all the way inside the car. Why did I have to deal with Alfred's immature grandson, too? This wasn't the kind of break I'd hoped for. "Hi…" Reiss said, clasping his hands together