He’s crying.
He gently touches the cut on my bottom lip then I feel his soft lips on mine. A few more tear drops land on the apples of my cheeks and I immediately feel the loss when he removes his lips from mine. This is too real to be a dream, but I fear that if I wake up it’ll scare him and he’ll spit words of regret and mistake; so I keep my eyes closed and take everything he’s willing to give me. He rests his cheek against mine, rubbing it a few times again. I hear him as he takes a deep breath, taking in my scent.
“I’m so sorry,” Talon whispers, and then he’s gone.
****
I wake up midday as Nixon jumps onto my bed. I pull the blanket over my head and groan.
“Go away!”
“Get up, sleepyhead,” he says, pulling the blanket off me.
I groan again as I glare at him, but something catches my eye behind him. Sitting on my dressing table is a bouquet of black roses. They weren’t there when I went to bed last night.
I look at Nixon and he shrugs. “Those aren’t from me.” I pull the blankets aside and walk up to them. I pick up the little purple card that sticks out from the rest of the beautiful flowers and turn it over to read.
I always win…
“What the hell does that mean?” Nixon rests his chin on the top of my head as he snatches the card out of my hand.
I turn and look up at him. “It’s from Caspian. He told me last night that, “he doesn’t play games, he gets what he wants and he always wins…always”.” I say it in a deep tone, mimicking the Alpha’s rough voice.
Nixon looks down at me then ruffles the top of my hair with his heavy hand and chuckles. “You’re a tool.” His shoulders shake with laughter as he makes his way to my bedroom door.
“Get dressed, pack a bag, we’re going out,” he says, before leaving and closing the door behind him.
****
We drive in the direction of the Crystal Bay Pack and I look to Nixon confused. “We’re meeting up with Axel,” is all he says.
I message Daisy and let her know I’m coming into town in the hope that maybe we can meet up, but I don’t get a response.
Nixon stops the car in a beach parking lot. Looking down the bank we see a group of people sitting around on the sand. I immediately spot Axel, since he’s not wearing a shirt and he’s the only one in the crowd covered in tattoos.
As if he can feel my eyes on him, he turns to look up at me and smiles. He jogs up to the base of the stairs to meet me. I laugh when he lifts me up and spins me around dramatically. The bruises that Talon left on my side last night are still there, but at least they’re not unbearable.
Axel introduces us to a couple of his friends, but we don’t stay at the beach for very long. People continue to stare at me shamelessly in this town; I think they’re trying to figure me out. Some still have a look of fear in their eyes.
The three of us end up at a drive-thru, parking our car in the parking lot where we stuff our faces. I must say, my appetite has spiked since I’ve turned.
I excuse myself and quickly head into the restaurant to use their bathroom. As I’m walking out of the restroom and back out through the crowded diner, I hear a soft voice in my head saying my name.
“Angel,” the voice whispers.
I look around the room and my eyes immediately find her. Daisy sits amongst a rowdy group of people whom all seem a lot older than her. They speak over her, laughing with each other as if she doesn’t exist. She sits quietly in the corner trying to blend in, but her bright blond hair and the beauty that radiates from her makes it very hard not to notice her.
I smile at her and she instantly returns it.
I watch the transformation in her face as she realises I’m heading in her direction. She looks at the people that surround her at the table then back at me; she’s visibly anxious.
As her friends begin to sense me, some of them turn and look my way. The stares are followed by whispers that fade as I get closer. I look up at Daisy and smile. This time she gets up turning to hug me.
I can hear the blatant remarks at the table as we hug, but I refuse to pay them any notice.
“Hi Angel. How are you doing?” She says softly, as she looks up at me.
I smile widely. “I’m doing okay. How are you?” She quickly looks down at the people that are seated at the table.
Her demeanor instantly changes, so I try to lighten the mood as I say happily, “Daisy, the dress was amazing! Thank you so much.”
I hear sniggers from the girls at the table followed by a couple of childish giggles. This seems to make Daisy cower away into her shell even more and in turn only makes me angrier. I turn my gaze to the people around her table as I speak and look them over. “Are these your friends, Daisy?”