Page 10 of Brutal Alpha Beast
And while Ellis is always going to hold a complicated place in my heart, I truly thought that I’d never have to see him again.
Witches and wolves hate each other; we’re never going to have to be in the same place at the same time, right?
But with Lacey and Sawyer, all that changed.
When I saw him again while helping defeat Willow’s curse, it was just easier to be snappy, to focus on hate, but now... Penelope wants to ally with him?
We’re at the meeting spot surrounded by an array of chatting witches, I try my best to focus on all the details that aren’t him. The blue sky, the stone altar, my friends, smells, sounds, noises—but it's like there’s something wrong with my brain.
“Danielle, what’s wrong?” Monroe asks.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him. I feel his presence—his copper hair is like a fire that burns my chest.
“Oh,” she says gravely. “That’s that Ellis guy. Danielle...”
I’ve never gotten into much detail, but as my twin, Monroe sort of knows.
“I’ll be fine,” I whisper. “It’s no big deal.”
But Monroe also knows when I’m lying, and she places her hand on my back as she watches me with deeply concerned eyes.
“It’s fine,” she says. “I’ll report back if anything happens, but seriously, you should go.”
A few friends come by to chat with us, and everyone’s bubbling with expectation about what this all means. I’m pretty confident, I know.
Penelope must want to work with him on something, team up somehow, probably for the protection of the valley. My best guess is that she requested we all come here to feel out his energy, to delve into the realm of intuition and spirituality, to figure out whether his intentions are pure.
But I’m not touching that realm with a ten-foot pole, not when it's directed at him.
I stay quiet, listening to everyone talk for a little while, before I find the perfect moment to slink off.
It still feels crazy that even after all this time, even with such a happy life filled with good friends, magic, acceptance, and purpose, a wound that struck me ten years ago can still feel as though it had just been cut.
***
Spending an afternoon with Lacey and her perfect daughter, Shea, feels good. I miss them living with us, but it’s also nice to escape into another reality when I need to.
It’s refreshing to be in a different environment, especially when there’s the Alpha who stamped on my heart and tore it to pieces hanging around my coven.
“Did you figure out what’s been going on with Penelope?” Lacey asks me as Shea is preoccupied on the floor playing with dolls.
I sigh. “Who knows what that crazy witch is up to.”
Lacey laughs, “I’m glad you came to see me today. You’re so close, yet so far!”
“Aww, I know,” I say. “And I’ve been busy too, I’m trying to figure out what we can do to prevent another tragic situation, instead of just reacting to one, you know?”
“Shea, baby,” she says, as she lies across the couch—Lacey looks the most relaxed I’ve ever seen her. “Auntie Danielle works too hard, don’t you think?”
I roll my eyes and smile. “Oh, hush.”
“What do you think, Shea?”
Shea turns, a broad smile plastered across her face, which is sweet enough to melt anyone's heart, almost sweet enough to make me forget about this morning’s events.
“Yeah, you should play with dolls instead!”
Lacey shrugs, her lips upturned into a cool, effortless smile. “Shea has spoken.”
