Rosalina's Hope by D.D. Dass (free novel 24 .txt) 📕

Prying my hands from his shirt, Sebastien took a step away. I blushed from head to toe at my audience. This was…bad.

“How dare you take advantage of my sister!” Wide-eyed, I shook my head, still fuzzy with Sebastien. What was she even talking about…? Oh yeah…the kiss.

“Iris please, stop it!” I muttered sheepishly. “Would you believe me if I told you he was performing CPR?” Isaac shook his head, stifling a smile. I couldn’t find the humor though, not when I wasn’t…Iris’ shout distracted me.

“You think this is a game, Rosalina Bray Payne? Oh wait ‘til mom finds out! We’ll both be dead!” At this point, I really did not care to think about my mother!

I sighed, realizing Iris wouldn’t let up until he was gone. “I’ll see you at school?” I asked him quietly.

“Tomorrow,” he muttered, eyes warm as he brushed past my sister and Isaac, both of whom shuffled backwards, jaws to the floor. Somehow him disregarding them pleased me. Why?

Below, the front door clicked shut and I let out a breath, perching on my bed. Way to go Rosa.

“Are you seriously going to snitch?” I doubted it. Iris would most likely want to avoid another family feud.

Iris shook her head in disgust, stomping into her room and slamming the door shut behind her. Ouch. I sighed again, feeling guilty as I fell backwards on my mattress, my head still spinning. Isaac, who remained silent at the doorway was nearly forgotten, but I forced myself to get up, grab his hand (barely noticing my discomfort) and tow him inside.

 “So, you and…Bastien Lacriox?” He looked like he was going to choke before he broke out into a laughing fit. Glad to know someone is entertained. I grumbled unintelligibly.

“And what is funny about that?” He looked at me, one brow arched as if to say isn’t-it-obvious.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” I bit my lip.  

“We’re not a thing Isaac. He just won’t leave me alone,” I lied, knowing I was more than a little infatuated. 

“Really?” he muttered skeptically. “Didn’t look like it with your tongue down his throat.” I groaned, internally begging Isaac to drop it.

Of course he continued to stare in that expectant way, breaking down my defenses until I finally caved.

“Fine.” I said sharply. “I like him a little, so what? And what’s up with you and Jason?” His eyes dimmed in that disturbing way. Mentally, I slapped myself.

Why am I such a bitch?

“Nothing…Nothing is going on and it never will. He like disappeared and now I just have all these...these girls all over me. I even think that captain of the soccer team’s gonna talk to me tomorrow,” he muttered.

My head tilted, interest sparked by the blush on his cheeks. “What’s his name?”

 "Asher but he goes by Ash."

“Ash,” I breathed, clutching my chest. “Oh Ash!” He stuck his tongue out.

"All right, all right. Let me get Iris to take you home," I told him, leaving the room with a heavy weight in my chest.

***

Later that night, I clutched Sebastien’s jacket close, inhaling that intoxicating scent. It was safe, even in the darkness. It protected me. In ways I hadn’t thought possible.

I wished, harder than ever before, that it was his arms, bands of muscle, trapping me… I wanted him, for as long as I was allowed…

Forever? a small, hopeful voice wondered. 

“Sebastien!” With a vicious snarl, I slammed awake, whirling out of bed to wrap my fingers around the throat of the intruder. But instantly, I registered the familiar face –my mother –who was now screaming bloody murder. Fuck me.

Breathing deeply, I released my hold, shoving my hand through my sweat soaked hair, rolling my tense shoulders.

Night terrors. The prick was killing me, and he was already dead. Had been for ages now.

My mother stared at me with wide, fearful bloodshot eyes. Instinctively, I stepped forward to cup her heated cheek. Jesus, what now? She sniffed, tears streaking her cheeks. All I could do until she calmed was murmur reassurances in French.

“Qu’est-ce quine va pas?” I dared to ask, stilling when her hand brushed stray hair from my line of vision. I blinked, asking again, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Aimee,” she sobbed. My blood froze. “S-She’s gone! And I don’t know where she’s gone…I’m so worried.” Forcefully, I smiled, guiding her to my sofa to sit her down. As I paced, there was the disgustingly familiar stinging at my chest –I didn’t have to look down to know the gashes were there. Hoped my mother hadn’t noticed them.

“Maman. I’m sure she’s well. I–I’ll find her.” She nodded shortly, ominously pale. Pressing my lips to her hair, I went into the bathroom, cursing as I shuffled around, brushing my teeth. Returning to the room, I was grateful to find it empty as I inspected the gashes, realizing they were deeper, and more gruesome.

How I managed to claw myself every fucking time I had that nightmare was beyond me. Shaking it off, I showered, carrying clothes in a bag before shifting in the yard, shooting away –towards mine.

The force of staying away crushed my willpower, made it impossible to stop myself as I shifted, pulling on the jeans I’d carried and climbing effortlessly up the slopping tree. I could see inside. She was asleep…It isn’t close enough. Quietly as possible, I tugged the metal-cover from the window, stilling when she tossed.

Thankfully, she remained asleep, heartbeat steady as I slipped through the window. Inside, I inhaled deeply, the scent raging through me like wildfire. Mine.

It was cold though. Inside, it was disturbingly cold. I wasn’t comfortable with that. Not at all. Christ why is it so damned cold?! As I started towards the closet, in search of another coverlet, she winced, curling up. Ah damn.

In a trance, I stared. Her slim arms were wrapped around my jacket. Yes! Smirking, I knelt, brushing the blonde strands of hair away from her face. “Je t'aime le mien bien-aimée,” I love you mine beloved, I breathed, bittersweet.

She would never know the depth of that love– that absolute faithful adoration. Couldn’t. And though I understood that, she was only human, it was a powerless, foreign pain.

Mine, I thought impulsively. She was mine. Nothing could alter such a fate.

As the temperature rose, I smiled, satisfied as I sauntered around the space, combining my scent with hers. Should’ve brought more clothing. But that would be a mistake –she would know I was there, she wasn’t clueless.

In farewell, I brushed a kiss to her brow, sighing –yeah, damn pathetic– when her palms flung out, flattening over my chest. Electricity imploded deep in my bones. Control, I reminded myself, shutting my eyes, gritting my teeth and retreating.

Back outside, I made sure there was no evidence of my visit then let myself fall. With a soft, inaudible thump, I landed on the pads of my feet, tracing my sister’s scent through the forests. It wasn’t easy. Tracking was not my strong point, but hours later, around two in the afternoon, I found her –all the damned way in Utah.

The thick forests were dangerous for a small Omega female; there were thousands of males prowling the states. Males that would not hesitate to take advantage of her frail state. Oh Aims, you idiot.

In a lake, she paddled. Though she wouldn’t be visible to humans, she was more than clear to me. A growl ripped from my chest and I cursed myself, cover blown. Wiping her head around, her eyes locked on mine and she made a run for it.

I was faster though and tackled her before she made it ten feet. Rolling through the leaves, she fought me, but I held my ground over her, absorbing each bite, claw, kick, motionless. Eventually, maybe an hour later, she grew exhausted, growling furiously.

‘What the hell were you thinkin’ Aimee?’

She bared her canines. ‘That I could live a normal life, Bastien. That’s all I ever wanted!’

Fury–deep and feral–threatened to consume me. I’d defended her from him! I’d raised her for years! I’d given my all for her! And still, it wasn’t enough –the girl, mine sister loathed me.

‘Just go home,’ I barked. ‘And I mean it. You don’t, I will find you. Think of maman the next time you decide to run off and leave her sick with worry.’

She stilled, black eyes gleamed before she blinked, shoving me away. This time, I allowed it.

‘I wish you’d never been born!” It should not have hurt by now…yet, it did. The pressure in my chest built.

‘Don’t we all?’

Her eyes glinted. ‘Fathern especially…Don’t act like you don’t remember, like he doesn’t stay with you in those worthless nightmares. That you don’t wake up screaming and clawing at your own black heart.’

The pressure skyrocketed, threatening to crush my ribs. But I had been through this with Aimee before. She was aware of my weak point…She knew what nerve to strike.

‘I get it, Aimee. Dieu, I’m a useless male and you can’t stand me. No need to bring him into it, trust me, he’s already here.’ Inside me.

‘Burn in hell with him then, fucker.’ She ran, instead leaving me to burn with him in the forests of Utah. I swallowed a shout at the sudden memory.

“You’ll burn with me in hell, one day, little bastard.” Except I never had. Not with him. Of course he’d always anticipated I’d die first.

Practice, I thought numbly. Starting home, I kept a steady pace. There weren’t any thoughts, not really.

Later, at home, my mother rushed forward. I smiled softly. “She’s fine. Home, now I’m sure.” Unexpected her face dropped and I brightened my voice. “Practice starts in a few so…” Anything to avoid that convo. Walking away, I showered again, packing my duffle about to leave.

“Sebastien,” my mother’s voice was gentle behind me. I froze, not turning to answer.

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about Aimee, please. She’ll come around.” The weight doubled, making it nearly impossible to breathe now, fuzzy edging my vision.

“No, maman,” I croaked, shaking my head, fighting the deadweight. “She won’t. And it’s nothing different. Even you hate me sometimes…”

I exited then, jogging to the car and reversing so sharply that my tires squealed. I didn’t care, not that I’d spoken wrongfully, it was the truth. I was hated by many, and I dealt with it the way I did everything else.

Fathern hates us, the adolescent in my wolf was shrieking irritably. For being born. Mother hates us for making her leave France. Aimee…Aimee well, just does. Laden’s pack wants me dead –‘cause Fathern, the success, and this pack is repulsed by a vicious Alpha who supposedly ‘murdered’ his own kin. Hell, even I hated myself, for being fucked in the head.

But I could handle the hate from my father, from my mother, from Aimee and all the damned packs in the world…What I couldn’t handle was hate from Rosa.

And I couldn’t even hope she wouldn’t come to hate me too.

~~

“Let’s go ladies!”
    “Faster! Watch offense!”
    “GOD DAMN IT, LACRIOX! Get your head out your ass!”

The coach’s shouts sounded far away, but I exerted no more energy–sure if I did, it would be far too much for the humans. Still, I made the touchdown, but there was no triumph to it, not four hours of work and only one touchdown.

There