Morana knows she's different from other people in more ways than one. Firstly, she's sixty-seven years old but stopped ageing in her twenties. Weird things have also happened around her right after she's wished for it. But most importantly, no matte...
I felt angry and frustrated with myself as I stormed off. I knew perfectly well that I should trust Morana more. She hadn't done or said anything to warrant me thinking she would pick the coven over me. But I couldn't stop myself from believing it would happen. They were powerful and could offer her a lot of things. Knowledge, power, and a proper community. What did I really have to offer her? Friendship, that was all, and what a friend I was.
Maya handed me a cigarette and a lighter in silence when we got outside. I lit the cigarette and took a drag, felt the poisonous smoke travel down to my lungs where it calmed my storming emotions ever so slightly.
"How are you?" Maya asked after having lit one for herself.
"Crap," I scoffed and flicked the cigarette.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. It would be strange if you didn't have any reservations about her," Maya said in a comforting tone, but her words made my stomach turn to knots.
"I have no reason not to trust her. She's not the issue, the coven is. I shouldn't be taking it out on her," I stated, knowing fully well that was the case, but also knowing I likely would take it out on her again in the future.
"She's a witch, after all. Most witches are selfish, so you can't blame yourself for being vary."
"She isn't like most witches though."
"How can you be so sure?" Maya said and sighed in an almost theatrical way. "You haven't known her that long, so you can't really trust her. Not like you can trust Rick and me."
She placed a hand on my arm and I felt my heart sink.
Three years ago, me and Maya had ended up having sex. For me, it had just been a drunken mistake I had regretted enormously afterwards. Maya had, however, admitted to having feelings for me. I had given her the same reason as I had given Morana as I turned her down. We weren't mates, so what was the point? It had been an easy excuse compared to telling the complete truth. That I wasn't interested in her like that at all.
She had been upset for a while, but then seemed to accept it and move on.
By the gleam in her eyes now, she hadn't ever truly moved on.
I moved away a bit, moved so that her hand didn't touch me anymore.
"I do trust Morana completely. She's a good and loyal friend. Just like you and Rick are good friends." I put extra emphasis on the word friend in the hopes that Maya would take the hint.
"But how can you be so sure? How can you know there won't come a day when she decides to pick the coven over you? There's something weird about her as well. I can't put my finger on it, but as nice as she seems, I just don't trust her."
"Maya, stop it. You don't know what you're talking about," I said in a warning tone. She didn't stop though.
"I thought you were smarter than to blindly trust a witch. You really are setting yourself up for getting hurt. She is nice and all, don't get me wrong. But you should just stick to me and Rick. You don't need her."
"It is none of your business if I want to remain friends with her."
"Of course it is!" She moved closer to me again, and I backed away. "You're my friend and I care about you. Watching you risk yourself for her is hurting me. She isn't even anything special."
"Just stop it," I warned her again, and again she continued.
"Please, just listen to me. She'll obviously one day fall for one of the coven's tricks and you'll be the one ending up hurt. Is she really worth that? It would be one thing if she was your mate, but she isn't, so why..."
"I told you to stop!" I snapped at her and threw my cigarette to the ground.
"Come on, don't be upset with me," she whined. "I'm just telling you the truth. You'll do much better with just me and..."
"No, Maya. I won't. And I'm not interested in listening to you trying to trash Morana more."
I made my way back in with Maya on my heels.
"Don't overreact. You're being so sensitive. I'm just honest, that's all."
I ignored her completely and walked over to the table at which Morana and Rick were. Morana's eyes widen at the sight of me.
"What's..." she started before I cut her off.
"We're leaving," I decided.
"Geez, Alejo. You're being childish," Maya said behind me.
"We're leaving now," I repeated myself.
Morana looked from me to Maya to Rick and then back to me, but to my relief she didn't ask anything but stood up.
As soon as she was up, I grabbed hold of her hand and walked back out.
"You know you would be happier with me in the long run," Maya yelled after us and my hold on Morana's hand tightened.
As soon as we were out, I pulled her to an alley and teleported us home. There, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. I took a deep breath, let her scent calm me while feeling her hand move in circles over my back.
"I'm sorry I snapped before," I told her. "It's not about you, I just don't trust the coven at all. They've destroyed so much in my life and I'm scared they'll somehow manage to take you from me too."
"It's fine, Alejo. I get it. But that will never happen. There's absolutely nothing they could say or do that would change my opinion of them. I'll always pick you over them."
Her words had my heart racing while it calmed my emotions. And then something I had wondered for a long time slipped out. "Why? What is it that makes you so sure that you'll pick me?"
She pulled away a bit and our eyes met. Her beautiful blue eyes, which, in that moment, held such a gentle love.
"Because you're kind and caring. Because you accept me for me even though I'm a complete mess. Because you put me first and get angry and sad on my behalf. Because you're my first friend and also the best friend I could have ever asked for."
I placed a hand on her cheek and stroked her lightly with my thumb. My other hand was around her waist, holding her to me. I knew I would never be able to let her go.
"A better question is why me?" she then added. "Why do you care so much about me?"
"Isn't that obvious?" I said. "You're amazing in all ways possible. You're strong and know who you are. You'll never take the easy way if you know that's the wrong way. You don't judge. You're adorable and curious about everything and although you have quite the temper at times, your heart is always in the right place."
I felt myself leaning in. Noticed how she leaned forward. My heart beat fast, but not in an uncomfortable way, just in a way that made me sure I wouldn't be able to stop what was about to happen, and I didn't want to stop it. Not anymore. I was far too tired of trying to deny what I wanted.
"I care about you because I love you," was the last thing I said before our lips met.
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