Page 36 of Those That Don't Exist
The room becomes a flurry of activity. I can’t remember when the music stopped but it's quiet now except for the scrape of chairs and sounds of a pack chastised.
Mitch comes over to me, Atlas too, who must’ve joined us when the commotion started. They haul me into a sitting position between them.
“Fucking hell,” Atlas breathes, touching my useless arm. I flinch.
“You know how to pop it back in?” I ask wearily.
“I do, come here.” Mitch moves around to my other side and gently lifts my arm out. He gives me no warning as he yanks it in an upwards direction. The joint goes back into place with a sickening crunch but not before I let out a few curses. Thankfully, the pain quickly subsides and I can stand.
“I thought you were going to kill him,” Mitch nods to Ronan, who is being carried out by his groupies. He’ll take a couple days to sleep off the broken neck but I’m sure will wake up just as much of an asshole as ever. He’ll be famished too,great.
"If only,” I reply.
I try to help scrub the room of blood but as I’m still bleeding from the wound on my arm the others pass me a couple of towels and tell me to get out and go heal.
I stumble back to my room. Once inside I take a minute to just breathe in the darkness, leaning back against the door. My shadows thicken around the injuries on my body, as if assessing how hurt I am. Their comfort is a soothing balm to my skin.
I nearly killed another male over comments about Aurora. And there wasn’t a single thought in my brain about it being over my potential future leader. None about the fact those comments were lewd and misogynistic - they were, but that isn’t where my brain went.
No.
The only thought I remember when that prick’s voice hit my ears was I’m going to end him for thinking of my female in that way. The rage and jealousy was all consuming as the image of him with her filled my brain.
Bile rises in my throat every time Adicious refers to her, my heart stops beating every time he calls her his mate. But the blood bond stops me acting on it. Ronan, however, I have no such bond to and I immediately went to end him. I knew my feelings towards my Red were growing out of hand but this cements it. I’m on a one way suicidal mission with her. She’s going to be the death of me if I act on my feelings again. Tonight was too close. If Adicious had been in the room, seen my reaction in person, I’m sure he’d see right through me. I’m pretty sure Mitch just figured me out. Atlas already has.
I need to squash this now. I need to do as Adicious says, speed along this process. Once she’s mated to him I’m sure these feelings will disappear. I’ll be blood bound to her as a member of her pack. Nothing more.
I move quickly, well as quickly as my injured body allows. I pack a bag, sling it over the shoulder which hasn’t been recently dislocated and I leave. I’ll take the day to heal and then tomorrow I’m telling Red everything. I’ll force blood down her throat if I have too to get her to turn. Enough with the games I’ve been playing.
CHAPTER 15
AURORA
It’s not light outside yet, but I’m awake, have been for hours. The shorter winter days meant we wouldn’t see the sun’s light for a while yet. I kick and shuffle under the bed covers as I try to get comfortable. Nerves had taken root in the pit of my stomach, I had a date set with Ty for today.
Ok, so it wasn’t a date, date. In fact a voice in my head is telling me he was going drop a life changing bombshell on me. Or you know, murder me.
One or the other.
I couldn’t shake the excitement buzzing through me however. This guy had intrigued me for weeks and I couldn’t wait to see his sparkling irises or cocky smile again.
I turn on my stomach, punching my pillows, trying to get rid of non-existent lumps. Fuck it, this was futile. Turning back over I swing my legs out of the covers, deciding to just get up, and start my day even earlier than usual. I still needed to get a few bits of research done before the solstice break so the extra time would be well spent.
I tiptoe quietly past Bree’s room and up the stairs to the bathroom on the third floor. Clicking on the light and locking the door I turn to the sink to check out my reflection in the mirror.
My hair looks vibrant in its brunette tone, hanging in waves around my face and flowing down to my shoulders. My skin looks soft, if slightly pale with the lack of sunlight. My eyes appear bright with no trace of the constant sleep depravity. Bracing my hands on the sink I couldn’t stand it a second more.
I let my magic drop, revealing my real self. I’d lost too much weight. I’m no longer thin but scrawny. I have muscle tone but not an ounce of fat and my skin is drawn, almost translucent. It’s no shock as I wasn’t eating enough, or at all on some days, but I gagged any time I tried.
I lift my fingers through my hair. It hangs limp but I smile at seeing my true colour, the ginger is vibrant even in the false lighting - it used to look like flames in the sunlight.
Behind me an audible inhale has my body locking tight. My heart skitters in my chest as my blood all pools down to my feet, leaving me lightheaded.
I’m not in here alone.
Slowly, I move my gaze in the mirror to the shower behind me, from where the gasp had come from. Standing there, in the cubicle, the curtain pulled back enough to expose his face, is Ty. Shock registers on his features as he takes in my appearance.
“Aurora,” he barely whispers, “you’re a Glamourer.” He says it as if almost to himself, like he’s having an epiphany.
