Bloodlines: Everything That Glitters (31 page)

I took the box from him once more and wasted no time looking into to; a small pink diamond promise ring lay in the center. “Why?” I breathed as I choked back tears, “I don’t deserve this.”

Nikko stepped closer to me and pulled the ring from the box, “Don’t think that way. I got you this for two reasons, first because I promise to always be there when you need me and second because I needed you to have something from my heart that will make that possible.”

“Possible, how?”

“It’s just easier to teleport to you when there’s something that links us, but by accepting it you also link yourself emotionally to me,” he looked down shamefully, “I’ve never gave anyone anything, but I feel like you need me,” he continued before pulling away from me.

“I already have emotions for you,” I said, stepping closer to him.

“What I mean is, your fear, your lust, your anger and anything in between I will be able to feel, the same as you are feeling it.” He then slid it slowly down my finger.

I looked down at the single diamond and smiled, it was a small price I was willing to pay. “I accept it then,” I replied as I threw my arms around him and pressed my lips against his, for a second at first, then longer. I unlocked my arms from around his neck and tugged at his shirt, motioning for him to come closer; when he didn’t move; I pressed my body to his.

My body heated as I slid my tongue into his mouth, his sweet breath fueled my hunger for him and a small moan escaped from my lips.

“We should stop,” Nikko whispered as he broke away from me.

I took a step back and looked at a distance tree through the window; he moved farthest away from me now yet he made no attempt to disappear from the room. After taking a deep breath he looked into my eyes. “I’m a virgin.”

Wanting to just desperately end my sexual drought, I grabbed the bottom of my purple tank and lifted it over my head, exposing my bare chest; the cool air in the room instantly hardened my nipples. “No one is here, we have all night,” I smiled.

“Put your shirt on, Aliza,” Nikko replied solemnly, not even looking at me.

I inched closer to him, taking one of his large hands and pulling it up to cup my breast. “I don’t think you really want me too,” I whispered as he gave it a very light squeeze.

“This is your
parents’ house.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

I stood on my toes and kissed him softly on the lips.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he breathed as he leaned down and traced his lips over my cheeks then meeting back at my lips. I smiled widely as his warmth rushed over me; I fought back the flames as they threatened to escape from my body.

Nikko’s body pressed firmly against mine, I could feel the tiny nips of electricity at the tips of his fingers as they roamed over my body.

“Not here,” he said before transporting out of the room and onto the cream sheets of a king sized bed.

Through the sheer canopy I could see the waves of the ocean as they crashed against a black-sanded beach.

Not caring where I was, anticipation built as Nikko fumbled with his pants; saving him the trouble with mine, I took all of my bottoms off and lay naked on the bed.

“I’m not going to judge you,” I comforted with a smile.

Minor stretching and discomfort occurred as Nikko entered me then slowly faded away. The songs of the birds in surrounding trees played softly in the background as the sun set on a perfect day.

***

Tuesday October 19, 2010

“Ok, I can’t take anymore,” I said while pulling away from Centure.

“Very well,” she replied.

I stood and blinked continuously to regain sight. “A lot better than I did last time, right?”

I’d let Wade convince me to allow Centure access into my mind, but in order to do that, I was forced to sit through a Cinema of Centure’s mind. It wasn’t a fair trade at all; she’s done a lot of living.

“So what is it you’re looking for, exactly?”

Centure sat back in her recliner and rocked lightly, looking out of the window. “I’m not quite sure. Your mind only allows one to search blindly.”

“Why? I’m trying to be as open as I can.”

“It’s not you, just another precaution your mother took.”

The air in the cabin smelled of the same sweet cedar as I inhaled deeply and took a seat on the loveseat. “So she really didn’t want me to know about you guys or my power?”

“Your mother would do anything to keep you safe, even if that meant shielding you from the rest of us. Though I disagree with her decision, I understand why she made it.”

“Did she ever think of how this all would make me feel? For so long I felt like a part of me was missing.” I tried relaxing in the chair
as my mind began to get carried away with what my life
could
have been like had my mother not made the decision she did.

Wade walked into the room, breaking my concentration. “So, anything new today?” he inquired excitedly.

I stood, taking my keys from my pocket. “That depends on if you see the glass as half-empty or half-full,” I replied, whistling for Triton. At the sound of the whistle, Triton rounded the corner and stood next to my feet.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, I have a lot of studying to do.”

Wade shook his head lightly and sat. “When will you learn?”

Ignoring him, I waved goodbye and left out of Centure’s cabin. When I’d made it to my car, I examined myself in the pull-down mirror as I’ve down a hundred times over. Each time it seemed as though a different person stared back at me; somehow instead of finding myself, I was beginning to lose everything that made me, me in the first place.

Wednesday October 27, 2010

The seasons had now begun to change autumn slowly died and winter rolled in; I glared out of the window at the light snowfall gracefully sticking to the glass. I barely paid attention to the television as it blared on unnoticed and stretched open my arms then placed then placed them behind my head; this was a good feeling.

A small recap of the last few weeks replayed in my head then I eventually began to wonder over the last few months. I felt a familiar wave of static and knew Nikko was about to pop in, seeing
that he always came over unannounced these days.

One of my parents was bound to be in the room one day if he kept it up (not that they even came in here often).

“You gotta stop coming unannounced,” I said as he transmitted into the room.

When he was in full form, he walked over and sat on the bed then rubbed the outer side of my thigh. “I will.”

I took my hands from behind my head and sat to give him a tiny kiss, then patted the spot on the bed next to me. I lay back down on the bed and face the TV while Nikko cuddled behind me.

“So how has your day been so far?” The warmth of his breath on my neck was enough to raise the little hairs stand up.

I ran down a list of all of the things that I had done today, they mainly included watching bits and pieces of television and reading the book that Benjamin had given me once I’d went back and asked for it. “Nothing special really, was learning a little bit about the role of our beasts. That’s about it,” I replied finally.

“Well after work would you like to join me and my family for dinner?”

“I work eight hours today, I’ll be a walking stink bomb,” I said before pinching the sides of my nose.

“You’re forgetting something, I’m a teleported remember? I’ll take you to work, pick you up and then we can shower,” he whispered the last part in my ear, indicating that it would be less of a shower and more of something else.

“You really are a virgin,” I teased while rising up from the bed. His hand reached up and lightly grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I looked deep into his eyes then intentionally turned up heat where his hand was.

             
“Ouch,” he said as he yanked his hand away.

“Virgin mistakes,” I said laughing, knowing that he wasn’t really hurt. After getting out of the bed I walked around the room in search of my uniform.

“I made you hot,” he joked.

I pushed my hair from in front of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. “Help me find my work clothes.”

“For what?” Nikko was out of the bed and looking around on the floor as well.

“It’s time to get to work
already; I really don’t feel like dealing with these people.”

“Christina and Jesse still giving you a hard time?”

I walked over to a small pile of clothes on the floor, eventually I’d get around to washing these things. “Not so much anymore, did I tell you I made them slap themselves the other day?” I replied with a hint of pride in my tone. “It felt great.”

“Yeah, you told me.”

After bending over to pick up the small black shirt I reached in the closet to find a pair of jeans. “I’m not sure, and of course Centure won’t tell me. That would be too much like right.”

Nikko walked over to me and pulled me closer to him, I felt his body surge with electricity as he leaned down to kiss my lips. “I know something else that’s too much like right,” he whispered.

“We can’t, I have to get ready for work.”

I thought about being with him before work but didn’t want to risk being late. “But then again, it would only take about half a second to get there,” I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him. I dropped the shirt back to the ground and lifted the tank I wore over my head. Nikko was already ahead of me when our bodies came together again,

“Mom’s coming,” Ash whispered from the other side of the door.

“My mom’s coming,” I whispered while I picked my shirt up and threw it back on. “Make yourself disappear,” I continued as I walked across the room. He was gone seconds before my mother tapped lightly on the door then walked in.

“What’s up mom?” I said, dropping down onto the bed.

“Just checking on you. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work? Are you sick?”

“I’m fine, just had a late nap. I called and they said they don’t mind if I’m a few minutes late.” Being surrounded by liars made it easier to lie to my mom.

             
“Ok then, I’ll let you get to it then.” She walked deeper into the room and kissed my forehead. “Who’s shirt is that?” she asked puzzled, noticing a shirt that wasn’t mine sticking partially out from under my bed. “Have you been having people over here?”

             
“Of course not, that’s Ash’s shirt. I asked him to borrow it the other day for one of the groups I joined.”

             
My mom picked up the shirt and examined it slowly. “Looks a little too big to be one of his shirts.”

I took the shirt from her and threw it on the bed, “You know boys these days like their clothes bigger. It’s a teenage thing that I hope he soon grows out of, but you can’t tell him anything.” I hoped the extra detail convinced her of my story. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to be getting ready for work now. I’ll take Ash his shirt later, what time will you be home tonight?”

“The usual, you know I was thinking that we don’t talk as much as we used to. I feel like we’re drawing apart and I don’t’ want that to happen. What do you say you and I go out and have a mother-daughter day one day next week?”

I was taken back; we hadn’t had one of those days since the day after my thirteenth birthday. “Yeah that sounds like fun,” I smiled and gave her a hug.

“Have a good day at work,” she replied before turning and leaving out of the door. I waited until I heard her footsteps disappear before letting out a sigh of relief. As if on queue, Nikko walked out of the closet.

“You forgot something.” I said as I picked up the brown tee and threw it at his chest.

“I’m sorry, nice save though.”

I looked down at the clock on my nightstand; I had less than five minutes to be ready for work. I ran over and grabbed the shirt from the ground and snatched the pants from the hanger then dressed quickly. “Come on, let’s go,” I said before wrapping my arms around his waist.

“As you wish master,” he replied playfully.

A few seconds later the back of the building came into view and the anxiety subsided. “Be here at eight.” Nikko said as I let go of him.

“Yeah ok,” I replied, seeming half annoyed.

“I’m sorry about the shirt, Aliza.”

“Yeah I know.” I walked slowly around the side of the building before I heard Nikko phase out behind me. Once I made it to the entrance of the building, I opened the door and walked into the restaurant; it was nearly noon so we were having the usual lunch rush.

“Hey Aliza, you’re on tables three, four and five.” Louise called from behind the behind the bar. I stood for a moment in shock that he wasn’t tucked away in his office like he always is. “Your apron is in the back, hop to it.” He called over the mass of chattering people.

I hurried to the back and into the employee lounge; Christina stopped me in the cramped space and stood in front of me. “There were nine of us that helped your mother escape,” she said softly.