A Late Night Visit
Raven
Night had fallen, and I had returned home to the packhouse an hour ago.
I had decided to get my stuff unpacked. I was opening my parcels, admiring my new bedding and curtains, when I paused, remembering part of the conversation that I had with Al and Kia as it replayed in my mind.
My stomach twisted, and I dropped onto my bed, sighing heavily.
I was so scared of this talk that I knew we needed to have, but it needed to be done. I picked up one of my parcels before sighing and tossing it on the bed again.
Rejection… Al was so adamant that it would need to happen. Why did Selena pair us together if all she wanted was to hurt us and tear us apart? I sighed, standing up and grabbing a plastic tub from the bedside table.
I think I needed to talk to Damon about this, and I wouldn’t lie, I needed to see Aunty M. I walked downstairs; the warm bustle of the other young adults around the packhouse was pleasant. I snuck out and headed towards Damon’s place.
I wondered if they had found any lead on the killings. I knew for a fact that Kiara didn’t know, but I had seen the guards posted around their house too. Well, I guess with everything they had going on, they didn’t need any more stress and they weren’t here for long anyway.
I looked around. The entire place was like a small town.
Lights glittered in the windows of the houses and the few shops that lined the streets.
There was the odd person walking around, but one huge difference that I noticed was that there were no children out and about.
I guess it made sense. I stopped outside the Nicholson home and rang the doorbell.
“Is that your dad, Damon?” Monica’s voice came. I closed my eyes, feeling so broken at the hope in her voice.
“No, Momma, I’ll get it,” Damon’s voice came before the door was opened. His eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised to see me. “Raven…” he said softly.
“Sorry for intruding. I got brownies that Kia baked?” I offered, holding out the small tub and smiling gently. My heart was racing under his gaze, but when he smiled, stepping back, I felt relieved.
“Well, I can’t turn down an offering,” he said, shutting the door behind me. “I won’t lie, though; I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I know, I just... why didn’t you ever tell me Aunty M’s health was getting worse?” I asked quietly. He paused, his dusky blue eyes meeting mine before he looked away.
“I didn’t want to worry you. You left and-”
“I made a mistake; I should never have left,” I said quietly as we entered the living room, ending the conversation.
Aunty Monica was sitting on the sofa, holding a book limply in her hand. She looked at me and smiled slightly.
“Oh, Raven. Welcome, I’ll put on some tea…”
“I’ll do it, Momma.”
“No, you two sit and talk…”
A better day? I asked through the link.
One of those where she thinks Dad will be home soon, he said quietly as Aunty M left the room.
“The usual? Hot chocolate for both?” She called out.
“Sure, thanks,” Damon replied. I frowned at him, taking a seat on one of the sofas.
“You know, you should have still told me. Then again, I knew you had just lost your dad, but I still left,” I said quietly. Sure, I had stayed around for two months, but it clearly wasn’t enough. We had become closer at that time, but then everything went out of control after that Blood Moon.
Damon sat down on the opposite sofa, and I looked at him. He was playing with a ring on his finger, his head down. It was almost as if he was keeping that distance between us.
“Damon…” His head shot up, his heart thumping.
“Hmm? Sorry I spaced.”
Yeah, I could see that... It was almost as if he was worried about something.
“Mind sharing what was on your mind?”
“Not much, I guess.” He flashed me a smile, but I wasn’t blind or stupid. Like I said, I was a pro at those fake smiles.
Aunty Monica returned with the hot drinks and a Victoria sponge cake.
“There you go. I’m going to head to bed, I’m so tired. Have fun, you two,” she said, smiling brightly.
“Sure, Momma, goodnight,” Damon said. Standing up, he gave her a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. I smiled, watching them.
“Thank you, Aunty M, I love your hot chocolate!”
“You love anything with chocolate,” Damon added with a small smirk. I smiled sheepishly.
“Well, yes, but still…” I pouted.
Aunty Monica laughed. I just wished she would always remain like this: happy and herself... but it was just thanks to the illusion that her mate was alive...
She left the room, closing the door behind her as Damon sat on the sofa a few feet away from me. Picking up the TV remote, he put a random movie on. I knew it was so a tense silence didn’t fall between us. A typical Damon move.
“So, want to share exactly what’s going through that mind of yours?” I asked. He glanced at me before placing a slice of cake on a plate for me. He held it out, but I simply smiled, taking the icing-coated slice in my hand. He grinned at that.
“You never change.”
“Nope, and you shouldn’t either. So, how about for one evening, you forget I’m your mate and talk to me like a friend?” I said, biting into the cream-filled cake and licking my lips to remove the layer of icing powder that coated them. I didn’t miss how he swallowed at that, and I looked away.
“I thought we are doing that already?” He sidestepped. I raised a brow, tilting my head,
“Really, Damon?” I replied, kicking my boots off, and turned towards him on the sofa, crossing my legs. Damon smirked, spotting my Little Miss Naughty socks.
“Nice socks.”
“Why thank you, I got them in a pack of six,” I replied proudly.
“Are they for adults?” He asked teasingly.
“Hey, I have a small foot… and maybe they were from the kids’ section...” How the hell did he figure that out? They weren’t that childish! He chuckled.
“So you.”
“I like my socks and tights,” I protested, sticking my tongue out.
He reached over, taking one of the mugs, making my attention fall to those bulging biceps of his.
Damn these boys for having mighty fine sexy bodies.
I quickly looked away, blushing when I remembered the dream that I had this morning.
He leaned back against the sofa, relaxing visibly, and I smiled internally.
“So… can I ask you something, and will you answer me honestly?” I asked, finishing off my cake.
“Do I even have an option?”
“Not at all, or my socks might come to haunt you in your dreams,” I said, sticking my foot out and wiggling my toes. Damon chuckled, reaching over. He grabbed my foot, making my stomach flutter.
“These tiny feet can’t scare me,” he teased.
My stomach jumped when he smiled. His eyes met mine, and his smile faded. I couldn’t bring myself to look away from those eyes that always held warmth.
“Talk to me, Damon,” I whispered.
“What do you want to know?” He asked quietly, letting go of my foot, but only after brushing his thumb across it gently.
“Everything.”
I reached over and took his hand. I didn’t care what anyone thought, I didn’t feel guilty about Liam right then either; this was one friend to another.
I needed to know. Before we had this sit down, I wanted to know what was inside Damon’s head because I knew he wouldn’t be able to be completely honest in front of Liam.
Damon stared down at our hands, before turning towards me and placing his mug down. He blew out a breath before nodding.
“I messed up. Unlike Liam, who stayed true to you, I didn’t… I feel fucking guilty for that, and it’s no excuse…”
“But?” I asked softly, sensing his turmoil. He was struggling to say what was deep in his heart.
Speak to me however you find easier, I mind-linked. He looked into my eyes before looking down at his hands.
That night of the Blood Moon… I was scared I would lose my best friend, someone I considered a brother, my Alpha, whom it was my duty to serve. I respect him, and I would die for him… The pain in his words squeezed at my own heart painfully. Why did Selene do this?
I’ve always loved you; you were always the warmth of our group.
Kiara was the heart, but you were that bright flame that wrapped us all in your warmth.
I always thought… you know, maybe Kiara might be my mate and you would be Liam’s.
He’s always loved you, after all. He looked into my eyes.
I gave him an encouraging nod to continue.
He sighed heavily, looking down at our hands once more.
But after Dad died, I started seeing you fucking differently, and with it, it became more…
there was a small part of me that was greedy and hoped that maybe you might be mine.
I know I was fucking wrong to wish that when Liam has-
Don’t. Don’t put yourself down like that, I whispered His words had sent a storm of emotions through me, and with it, his pain was so obvious. He nodded and continued,
But then you were mated to us both. I didn’t know what to think but I was ready to accept it instantly.
Then, when Liam walked away, I felt like my worst fucking nightmare had just come true.
Everything went out of control, and I felt like I just didn’t fit into the equation.
You are luna material. Liam is an alpha who obviously doesn’t want to share.
.. and with his beta? Why should he? I’m like the third wheel in this entire equation that shouldn’t be here.
He swallowed, and his grip on my hand tightened.
But still… I wish we could make it work, he said quietly, looking straight into my eyes.
“Me too… you are not a third wheel. Don’t ever feel like you are not enough or that you are below someone else,” I replied firmly, so happy that he had opened up to me. Al’s words rang in my mind once again, making my heart skip a beat.
“What is it?” He asked softly. I shook my head, and he tilted his. “Now, you can’t go around having double standards, beautiful. I shared; your turn…”
“I’m just… scared... what if Liam doesn’t want to listen?” I asked, the fear I had been trying to suppress for so long coming to the surface. He raised my hand to his lips, kissing it gently, sending tingles of pleasure through me.
“I promise you, you won’t have to ever choose between us.
No matter what,” he said with a soft smile, yet there was a confidence in those words, although I couldn’t understand the emotions in his eyes.
Despite that smile, despite the love and warmth on his face, I felt a sliver of doubt.
Why did those words of his scare me? “Now, shall we drink that hot chocolate and actually watch this movie?” He asked.
I smiled, pushing my doubts away and feeling a lot better.
“Sounds like a plan, but I get to choose the movie!” I said, grabbing the remote.
“That isn’t fair!”
“Life isn’t fair, dear boy,” I said, smiling as he chuckled.
Please, Selene, let stuff work out… please…
Training was over, and I felt exhausted.
I had ended up falling asleep at Damon’s, waking up to find that I was in his bed, but he wasn’t there.
I came downstairs to see he had slept on the sofa.
I thanked him before rushing from the house to get to training on time.
I had just returned to the packhouse when I saw Liam leaning against the wall near my door.
“Hey. You didn’t come home last night, everything okay?” My heart skipped a beat, and although I shouldn’t feel bad, something about those sharp cerulean eyes watching me made my heart thump.
“Yeah, I was at a friend’s and ended up falling asleep watching a movie,” I said, praying that Damon’s scent wasn’t all over me.
A prayer that was in vain. The moment I opened the door to my room and moved past him, I heard him inhale and knew he had caught the scent. His eyes blazed a deep magnetic blue, and the surge of power that rolled off of him made my heart thump.
“Damon’s,” he stated, his voice full of such anger that I wasn’t sure if it was smart to speak.
“Yes,” I answered, about to close the door behind me when his hand shot out, forcing it open. “What are you doing, Liam?”
“Tell me, Raven, do you want Damon?”
What the hell? I moved back, wanting to put space between us.
“You are both my mates, Liam, and I love you both. Don’t do this,” I said firmly yet quietly.
“Love us both? You don’t love two people at once, it’s not possible.”
“It is.”
“Not in the same way,” he said quietly, his eyes raking over me.
For training, I had borrowed Aunty Monica’s leggings and one of Damon’s oversized shirts to put on top, but it had clearly been a bad, bad idea.
His fury was only heightening as he glared at me.
“You are mine, Raven, and only mine. I swear, I’ll destroy anything that stands in my way,” he hissed, his hand wrapping around my throat.
His grip was tight yet not painful. My chest was pounding as I stared up at him.
Never had I seen him so angry. How much pain was he keeping inside that it had birthed such deep embedded rage and hatred?
“Liam, please... calm down, nothing happened.”
“It better not have because I assure you, if he touches you again, I will kill him.”
“Liam!” I cried out in shock, shoving him back. “He is your friend! How can you be so cruel?”
“Oh, darling, you haven’t seen cruel,” he said. His voice was so dangerously calm and cold that it sent a shiver of fear through me.
His eyes darkened, and my stomach twisted. The burning dark navy shade of his eyes was something I had never seen before. I backed away, my heart thundering loudly.
He reached over suddenly, grabbing my shirt and yanking me roughly towards himself.
In one swift moment, he ripped it right off of me and tossed it to the ground.
Although not once did his gaze dip down as I crossed my arms over my chest, which was clad only in a black bra, I still felt humiliated.
A surge of pain and hurt rushed through me, but he simply glared coldly into my eyes.
Reaching over, he grabbed my chin, jerking my head upwards.
“Let me make this clear to you one final time… you are mine and only fucking mine.”