Page 9 of Shades of Scars

“Oh, it’s definitely important. You completely went off the rails the day afterwards. Something happened while you were out.” I can feel her glare heating the side of my face, but I don’t look in her direction again. I should get up and make my way to my desk. I could be working on a piece to sell on my private auction site right now, but I can’t force myself to get up. There’s no inspiration to be found within the hollow shell of my imagination.

Not unless I want to draw the faces of alphas that can never be mine.

God, I hate this. Hate that all I want to do is call up Mr. Madden and take that stupid job I never should have applied for in the first place. Just so I can be close to them. So I can smell them. Just one more time.

But I fuckingcan’t. I justcan’t.

And it’s tearing me to shreds inside. Knowing that my goddamn mates are so close, yet so far away. I can’t be the one to breach that gap between us. I have to be strong, fairy-tale.

It’s why I haven’t left the house, either. The fact that they’re out there somewhere in the city, waiting for me to come to my senses, is enough of a deterrent.

“You met someone.” She suddenly accuses, and I make the mistake of snapping my attention back to her. Triumph bleeds into her expression as it lightens with glee. “Ha! I knew it! Tell me all about it! Please, I’m dying Scarlett. If either of us deserves an exciting life, it’s you.” Her tone goes all shrill, and I can’t stop the wince as it grates on all of my nerves.

“I didn’t meet anyone.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. Then, I decided to be at least a little truthful. “I had a job interview, and it didn’t go as planned.” There. That wasn’t so hard. I can make connections and shit without having to hide every single thing about myself from those closest to me.

Her brow furrows. “A job interview? I thought you had a good thing going with your art?”

A pang shoots through my chest at her words, reminding me I haven’t picked up my pencil and sketchbook in quite awhile. “That’s a hobby. It’s not something I can live off of long term, and I refuse to be a freeloader.” That isn’t really the case between us, and we both know it.

Which is why Kate scoffs. “Your last sold piece paid our rent for the last six months. I still owe you for the new tires on my car, too.”

I wave a hand at her dismissively. If only she knew the price I’d be willing to pay, just so I can maintain this tenuous hold on the illusion of my freedom. Kate’s annoying as hell, but she’s the closest thing I have to a friend. The first one I’ve ever had in my entire life.

It’s fucking tragic and nauseating.

“Stop bringing that up. I thought I told you it was a Christmas gift.”

I peek over at her just as she cocks a perfectly trimmed brow at me. “A Christmas gift you gave me in April? After we’d only known each other for two months?”

I pin her with a stare. “Don’t you have a shift to get to in fifteen minutes?” It’s enough of a distraction to have Kate glancing towards the clock hanging above the fake fireplace mantle, on the opposite side of the living room. She curses and springs to her feet, effectively halting any further interrogation she might’ve had planned for me, thank fuck.

She blows me a kiss as she rushes for the front door after snatching her purse and keys. “Stay out of trouble, Scar. Watch some trashy TV and draw me a pretty picture. I’ll bring you home a burger for dinner.”

Then she’s out the door, and I’m all alone again. I groan as I pull myself up off the couch, long enough to flick all the locks on the front door, before heading to my room, right where my makeshift nest is calling my name. Fuck real life obligations for a little while longer. I’ll finish up my pity party for one.

And afterwards, I’ll come up with a reason to call up Mr. Madden and reject him.

My life sucks so hard.

6

Lark

“Stop slinking in the shadows like a serial killer. It’s not a good look for you.” Caito’s slightly accented voice calls out to me from my spot where I’m crouched in the bushes at his back, right by a park bench off of the sidewalk he’s currently standing on.

Keeping sentry over our omega’s apartment.

“Her roommate just left.” I point out when I drop the spy act and finally join him. I lick my lips as I stuff my hands in my pockets, my fingers curling around the delicate gold chain I always keep on me. It helps me more now than it ever has before.

We haven’t been in this city long, but I already hate almost everything about it. The only good thing just so happens to be the newly discovered mate I have, hidden away in a fourth floor apartment.

When Wren had come back to the penthouse that night three days ago, I’d gotten one good whiff of him and had instantly fallen in love. There isn’t anything more to it. I haven’t even laid eyes on the mysterious omega, and I already crave her in a way that’s otherwise unnatural.

But she’s my scent match. The other half of my soul. The woman I’ve been searching for my entire existence.

Nothing’s more simple and beautiful than that. Life’s now a kaleidoscope of colors that now fully revolve around a woman I’ve yet to meet. I know what she smells like, and my alpha yearns to breathe her in every single day for the rest of my life.

I wonder if she tastes as good as she smells.

---