Tethered to You (Alastor X OC)

Ch 47

I've redesigned the cover of this book completely. The art now belongs to me, and is specially catered to the theme!

Ariel's POV

I stared at the mark on my back in the bathroom mirror.

It was intricate and seemed to be almost like a tattoo, but it was red and looked...more embedded.

I touched it and gasped softly when it glowed.

"Oh..." I said softly, surprised, but then jumped when the bathroom door slammed open.

"What happened! Why'd you call me!" Alastor said, breathless. I cocked my head to the side and chuckled at his fluffed up hair and crooked bow tie.

"Why does it look like you just rolled down a cliff," I giggled and he sighed.

"Dear, don't do that, I was in the middle of a meeting," he groaned and I walked up to him and straightened his bow tie. After that I ran my fingers through his hair, then I kissed his nose.

He sighed again, softer this time.

"You know, you're lucky you're cute," he grumbled, squishing my cheeks. I put my hands over his and smiled.

"What is this mark anyway? I meant to ask you the other day when you gave it to me, but I forgot," I asked him, as he shamelessly looked over my half dressed body.

I was wearing a sports bra and underwear.

When he met my eyes again I was staring half lidded at him with my arms crossed.

He blinked and laid his hands on my waist, "well, it's a mark that lets others know you belong to me...and also you can use it to call me no matter where I am or what I'm doing," he explained.

I hummed and then felt his fingers brush over the sore mark on my neck where he bit me. I winced and he pulled his hand away.

"Sorry, my love," he hummed and I grabbed his hand, playing with his knuckles.

After a moment of us just standing, he sighed, "well, sweetheart if there was no emergency I should probably get back," he turned to leave and I watched him, raising my hand to wave.

My small smile faltered, however, when I noticed something.

"Alastor...?"

He stopped and turned back around, and it was then I really noticed the differences.

"You're...are you...bigger?" I asked him, tilting my head, "and...your hair is longer," I said absentmindedly, reaching up and touching his hair. It was just about shoulder length, now.

He looked at me curiously, then his eyes widened.

"Ohhhh no..." he said under his breath and turned away quickly, exiting the bathroom in a hurry. I followed him, watching him curiously as he scrambled to his office.

I walked over and leaned in the doorway, watching as he held the phone to his ear, waiting for Alex to pick up.

After about the second ring she did.

"Hi, Alex, sweetheart," he said, sounding a bit panicked. There was a pause and he chuckled nervously, "yes of course, darling! I'm perfectly fine, I just need you to tell me what day it is..."

More silence. I could faintly hear Alex on the other end.

Alastor's ears lowered.

"October 2nd?" He squeaked, then nodded, "thank you, honey..." he hung up the phone, blowing a heavy sigh from his chest.

I watched his cheeks puff up, looking on in slight worry as he kept his ears lowered and leaned back against the office desk.

"Uh...on second thought...I'm going to stay here...locked away in our bedroom," he said then shot me a worried smile.

I shook my head, bewildered, "um...why?"

I took a step towards him and watched as he tensed up and his pupils constricted. He threw his hand up, "stay!—" he cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "s-stay back, love...go on out to the kitchen, ok? I'm going to...calm down a moment, Ok? But I need you to leave..."

I'm so confused by this insanely strange change of behavior. Wordlessly I nodded and backed out of his room, keeping my eyes on him as long as I could. He was worrying me.

As soon as he was sure I'd actually left, which took a couple of minutes, he rushed out of his office and to our bedroom. I watched him from the kitchen table, flinching when he slammed the door.

I tilted my head curiously, shaking it slightly in bewilderment.

"What in the blazes...?" I said quietly and then froze, cracking up slightly. Did I just say blazes? God, I'm around him far too much.

Suddenly I heard something behind me and turned just in time to see Mai forming from her black lightning cloud thingy.

"Howdy, babe!" She said happily, and plopped into a kitchen chair, "I was bored, so I wanted to stop by. Al should be at that overlord meeting, right? I'm not invited to those yet," she grumbled crossing her arms. She sighed, "but I figured you'd be bored!"

I nodded, "well...uh, yea I was, but..." I looked to the bedroom door, she looked too, "he came home because I called him on accident, and then I noticed he looks different..."

Mai sat up a bit straighter, "different? Like...?"

"Well, he's taller...he looks more muscular, like...not by a lot but it's pretty easy to see his clothes were a bit tight on him. He's just...oh, his hair? His hair is longer? And he's just being really strange," I said, looking over to Mai. Her eyes were rounded, the glossy buttons holding a knowing look.

She stood up, "on second thought, I think I'm going to get as far as physically possible from this building," she chuckled nervously, starting to walk away and I lunged forward and grabbed her hand.

"Wait! Why? What is going on?" I asked her, exasperated.

She turned and looked at me, wiggling her eyebrows, "you're about to have a very...fun month, sis,"

I looked at her like she was out of her mind, "what are you saying? What's wrong with him, is he ok?" I said worriedly. She gave me a cockeyed look, tilting her head.

"It's October...you two are deer demons..." she said, slowly. I raised an eyebrow at her,

"Ok, and?"

"Have you noticed him being more protective...? Possibly more territorial? Even a bit more aggressive?" She said.

Our fight...the railing...the bite...the mark...

"Yes..." I said after a second, putting my hand over the healing bite on my neck. Mai tilted her head.

"Sis...he's in heat," she chuckled, "and you are too, but I'm not sure if does have as aggressive symptoms as bucks..."

My eyes widened.

Heat...? As in...mating season?

"Like...wait, so like mating?" I asked her, dumbfounded. That...that happens in hell?!

She nodded, "yup, and if he sees me anywhere near you, he will kick my ass so I'm gonna bounce, and I'll see you in a month, bye baby!" She said and poofed away.

I blinked, looking over at the bedroom door slowly.

Why wouldn't he tell me...?

I'm going to go and talk to him.