Chapter 14 - Alisha
The next morning, I feel shaky and sick. The nightmare lingers at the edges of my mind, leaving me full of dread and utterly certain that an unnamed evil is slowly creeping up on me.
I take my time getting out of bed, trying to brush the cobwebs of impending doom out of my mind, but my limbs are heavy, making it almost impossible to move. The intense terror of my nightmare keeps ringing through my bones, making my stomach flip and my nerves sing with tension.
I text Grace to tell her I won’t be in, and shuffle out of bed to stumble down the stairs. When I sit down at the table, Brad puts a plate in front of me. The second the scent of food hits my nose, my stomach growls so loudly that Brad hears it and chuckles.
“Hungry?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I answer, smiling. “If you had asked me ten minutes ago, I would have said no, but now the food’s in front of me, I realize I’m starving.”
I grab a fork and dig into the fluffy ham and cheese omelet, spearing a little cherry tomato and savoring all the flavors when they hit my tongue.
“Oh, wow,” I mumble. “This is really good.”
“I went with your second favorite,” he says, sitting down across from me with a cup of coffee. “I didn’t think you could handle a full breakfast wrap today.”
“You were right,” I reply, taking another mouthful. “This is perfect.”
“Look,” he sighs. “I hate to do this, but I have to go out today. Council stuff. I don’t want to leave you alone, but this is kind of important.”
“I understand,” I answer. “I won’t be doing much today—don’t worry about that. I don’t need entertaining.”
“No, but you might need someone to take care of you,” he says. “So, I’ve asked Scarlett to drop by.”
“Scarlett?”
“She’s my best friend’s wife. He’s alpha of Rose Hollow, the nearby pack.”
“Oh, okay. So you’re close with them?”
“Yes, very close. I’ve been like brothers with Rex almost my whole life, and when he decided to settle here, I did, too. I was his first choice to be appointed alpha of this town.”
“You still owe me a big explanation there,” I mutter, taking a sip of coffee. “I don’t like how you and Grace danced around that topic.”
Brad looks down into his coffee cup, frowning. I watch a little ripple of tension run through him, and I realize that whatever he’s hiding, it has to be pretty nasty.
Maybe I don’t want to know what it is…
For some reason, the dread from my nightmare returns. I can’t remember much of the threat itself, just that it was powerful, massive, and approaching.
Just slowly enough that you might go insane from fear before it ever gets to you.
“Don’t stress,” I say. “I’m getting that it’s a long, difficult story to tell. I trust you.”
When Brad looks up, his beautiful blue eyes look pale, as if they’ve been drained of color. I’ve never seen such a hopeless expression on his face—as if he’s been defeated, and didn’t even get to fight.
He reaches over and gently takes my hand, rubbing his thumb across my skin. “I will tell you,” he says. “But the trouble is, I’m not even sure what happened. Explaining that will also mean telling you about other…events, and I’m just not sure how to do that.”
“Okay,” I answer, smiling. “I accept that, and I trust you.”
Even as I say the words, I realize that part of me still doesn’t trust him, and it only adds to the sense of doom growing inside me.
“Okay, I’d better go,” he says, getting up. “Scarlett will text you when she’s on her way. I hope the two of you have a good day. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I say.
Brad comes around the table to give me a quick hug and kiss goodbye, then heads off towards the front door. When the door slams closed, a little shock runs through me. The house feels too empty, full of echoing spaces that seem to be filling up with shadows.
Shadows where bad things hide.
Even though the jitters affect my stomach, I finish my food and feel much better for it. I take my cup of coffee to the living room, where I settle on the couch.
The doorbell rings. I hurry over to open it, and I’m greeted by a stunning woman with long red hair, bright green eyes, and a friendly smile.
“You must be Scarlett,” I say.
“I sure am!” she answers, holding out a hand. “And you’re Alisha?”
“Yes,” I reply, and we shake hands before I step back to let her in.
“It’s weird knocking here,” she says, chuckling a little as she looks around. “It used to be my cottage.”
“Really?” I answer. “You lived in Eccles?”
“My hometown,” she replies. “Not the best of memories, I’m afraid, but I did love this little place.”
“Come in,” I say, feeling ridiculous as I invite her into her own house. “Come and sit down in the living room with me. Would you like some tea?”
“In a minute,” she replies, following me. “I’ve got some things for you first.”
“Oh?” I ask, sitting down on the couch and turning to look.
Scarlett sits down beside me and shows me the two big bags she’s carrying. Inside is a selection of beautiful clothes—skirts, dresses, pants, and blouses, as well as pajamas and sweaters.
“Oh, these are beautiful!” I gush, pulling things out to look at. “Where did you buy them?”
“I didn’t,” she says proudly. They were made by me—well, and other members of the textiles guild. I’m responsible for the embroidery.”
“This is exquisite,” I say, looking at a pattern of entwined leaves and ferns around the hem of a skirt. “You really did this?”
“I did,” she grins. “Brad mentioned you didn’t have any clothes, so all the girls donated a few pieces. You really like them?”
“I do!” I answer enthusiastically. “I don’t think I’ve ever had clothes as nice as these.”
“Well, get used to it,” Scarlett grins again. “The guilds are constantly competing to be the most popular, and I’m sure you’ll have baked goods, produce, fruit, and handmade delicacies being delivered to your door very soon, being the alpha’s mate!”
“Oh,” I mutter, realizing that everyone must think that, and that by now, news of me being here has spread to the next pack.
“ Aren’t you the alpha’s mate?” Scarlett asks, getting comfortable on the couch. She gives me a secretive little grin. “How did you end up in this town, with no belongings with you, not even clothes?”
“Well, I was running from an ex-boyfriend,” I admit, deciding to just straight up tell the truth. “He was tailing me, determined to do me some pretty serious harm. I’d been running for quite a while.”
“Did you come here looking for Brad?” she asks. “I mean, obviously, you knew him. You wouldn’t have just become mates overnight with a total stranger!”
I chuckle. “Actually, that’s kind of the crazy part. I did know Brad, but I didn’t come here looking for him. I hadn’t seen Brad in years, and I never thought I would see him again.”
“Ooh, this is exciting,” Scarlett says. “Let me grab a snack so I’m fortified for the conversation.”
She hurries off to the kitchen and comes back with a tall glass of chocolate milk and a plate of cookies. With a cookie in her mouth and chocolate milk in hand, she gestures for me to continue.
I sigh, letting the weight of the memory lift as I prepare to share the burden with someone else.
“I met Brad years ago, in Vegas. We dated for a couple of months. I know…that doesn’t seem like enough time to form a real attachment to a person, but I really did.
There was this feeling in the air when we were together, I just can’t explain it. ”
“Like magic?” Scarlett asks.
“Actually, no,” I answer. “It turns out I’m a witch, too, and being with Brad didn’t feel like magic. Magic feels exciting, but also scary. It’s unpredictable. My time with Brad felt…safe.”
I swallow back a hard lump of sorrow, fully understanding the irony of how safe I felt versus what actually happened.
“Oh, sweetie,” Scarlett says, rubbing my arm. “I can already guess this didn’t end well.”
“No, it did not,” I answer. “Brad just disappeared. It was insane. I even went to the police. I was so sure he wouldn’t just leave me, I thought something had to have happened to him.”
“Wow,” Scarlett whispers, reaching for her milk and taking a thoughtful sip. “I can actually kind of relate to this, but you finish your story first. What happened next?”
“I was practically grieving for Brad when I met Paul. There was heaps of space between us at first. I just wasn’t ready.
He seemed to really understand that, and just stayed at a distance, supporting me.
Then it…evolved. Suddenly, I couldn’t live without him, and he was in every single element of my life. ”
“Could be bliss, or a nightmare,” Scarlett muses, lifting her milk in a little toast.
“It was a fucking nightmare,” I mutter. “I didn’t know, but he’d turned all my friends against me. When I finally realized what had happened and tried to get away, the hooks were in too deep. I persisted, and then he tried to burn my fucking house down.”
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Scarlett exclaims.
“Yup. While I was inside it.”
“Add Mary, Joseph, and the holy spirit!” Scarlett shakes her head. “You got out okay?”
“Barely. I lost everything I owned. He tried to kidnap me, and I almost didn’t get away. I’ve been running ever since, and I’ve only just stayed ahead of him. At least until now.”
Scarlett’s eyes are huge as she looks at me, and her face has gone extremely pale. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you,” she says. “Are you sure you’re safe now?”
“Honestly? No, I can’t be sure. I’m not even sure how I stayed ahead of him all that time.
I’d just get this feeling…like, high anxiety, something telling me I had to move.
The few times I didn’t listen, he got way too close, and it was difficult to cover my trail.
So, I just learned to move on as quickly as possible. ”
“You haven’t had that feeling since you got here?”
“No. I have to say, I feel so much better around Brad.”
Scarlett smiles and gives my arm a friendly rub. “It’s so great that you two found each other again. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I chuckle. “For a long while, I blamed him for leaving me and getting me in trouble with Paul.”
“Oh,” Scarlett says, her eyes shining with sympathy. “It was that bad?”
“He just left me so vulnerable,” I say, looking off into space as I remember the aching feeling of abandonment I suffered when Brad left.
“I needed support and comfort, and Paul was so attentive and caring. It feels really silly sometimes, because I didn’t know Brad for that long, but we just…
clicked. I could tell. It felt so right, and I couldn’t understand why he left me. ”
My thoughts spin on this point, worrying at it as if it’s a terrible knot in my mind. Brad still hasn’t explained, and I’ve been too distracted to pursue it.
Maybe it’s time I got him to confess. We can’t truly move forward until I heal this wound.
“Look, I’ll never forgive his actions,” Scarlett says, going for another sip of chocolate milk. “But I do understand how difficult it would have been for Brad.”
“Excuse me?” I say in nearly a whisper. It feels like Scarlett just shot me point-blank in the heart.
“No, no, don’t take it the wrong way,” she says, putting down her glass to take my hands. “I’m not defending him! I’m just saying it wasn’t as black and white as you think. With him being a secret agent, there would have been a good reason why he had to leave.”
Excuse me…fucking what?
“Yeah,” I choke out, my voice rasping through my closed throat. “I’m sure it was…important.”
“Probably for your protection,” Scarlett goes on matter-of-factly. “You know how these big missions go. Wolf’s Shadow works for the good of shifters and magic workers all over the world.”
Wolf’s Shadow?
I’ve never heard of it.
“Uh-huh,” I answer, nodding. I don’t trust myself to speak. There’s a scream building in my chest that’s desperate to get out, and I don’t want Scarlett to hear it.
How could Brad do this to me? I’ve been completely open with him, laid my soul right open…and he kept this from me!
“Are you okay?” Scarlett asks, sensing my anguish. She rubs my shoulder.
“I…I’m just considering a few things I never thought of before.”
“Well, it’s no wonder you feel safe!” Scarlett says, finishing her milk. “With Brad, one of the top agents, sleeping beside you, and Wolf’s Shadow patrolling nearby, your ex will never get to you!”
“That’s a relief,” I mutter, swallowing as I try to settle my churning stomach.
I haven’t felt well all day. The nightmare shook my nerves right out of my body, and now this hits me like a fucking train! My body is going to disintegrate if I take any more shocks!
“It must feel so much better between you now,” Scarlett says.
“I know it was the same for me when I found out about Rex. I mean, of course, I was still upset at being left behind, but understanding why helped me to make peace with it, especially after he made it absolutely clear how much he loved me.”
None of this makes any fucking sense! I gave Brad all the space he needed to come to me, to be open with me, and he kept his whole fucking life a secret!
Am I just an asset to him? Is he using me for one of his secret missions?
“I need to get going soon,” Scarlett says. “I have to get home to take care of my son, but let me know if you’d like me to stay for a bit longer. You’ve gone very pale. Are you really okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, nodding as I force a smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and my stomach has been a bit off.”
“Okay,” Scarlett says, smiling and giving me a quick hug. “I’m so happy we got to have a talk and get to know each other. You rest up.”
“Thank you for the clothes,” I reply, getting up to walk Scarlett to the door. “It’s really thoughtful of you.”
“Don’t mention it,” she says, giving me another quick hug. “And you take care, okay? Let me know if there’s anything else you want to talk about, and I’ll be here in a jiffy to help you out, especially if you’re unwell.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I mutter. “Just tired.”
“Uh-huh,” Scarlett says, a little coyly. Her eyes flick downward to my belly, and she smiles, giving me a little wink.
“Anything you need,” she says. “Just call.”
I watch her get into the car and drive away, frozen in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob, the other on my belly.
Jesus, no. Not this. Not now!