Shadow Bite || WATTYS 2017

Chapter Forty

It doesn't seem like a week has gone by, but every night since the death of that man, Asher has slept with me in his bed. I don't know if I just need some other presence to chase away the dreams of Killian and his murders, or if Asher has settled down snuggly into my heart, but I haven't protested; not once. Every day and night, our werewolf warriors have gone out to chase down Killian's accomplices, with their Alpha in tow during the days he's not stuck in the office with pack business. Every time, they've come back with a deeper darkness filling their hearts and souls. Asher hasn't told me anything, and I'm beginning to turn more and more to the temptation of seeing Mrs. Lee again to control my powers. If I can't help physically, nothing's going to stop me to use my Caster gene to our advantage. 

Sunlight presses on my eyelids and I blink, adjusting to the morning glow streaming in through the balcony's glass doors. I groggily lean back on my elbows, taking in the cozy bubble of Asher's room. Speaking of the devil, our legs are lazily intertwined with sheets all over, and he's lying on his back, his rippling naked back on display, with an arm sprawled over my stomach. I gently try to remove it, but he stirs in his sleep and instinctively tightens his hold. 

I blow out a breath and battle with it with all my might, finally managing to push it aside. I swing my legs over the bed's edge and shiver when my feet make contact with the cold floor. I practically jump to the carpet at the foot of the bed and the coldness disappears under my feet, replaced by warm and fuzzy cotton. I shower, get dressed and struggle with my hair in the bathroom to tie it up in a messy ponytail. Sleep slowly begins to leave me as I drink down a glass of water and turn around. 

The glass shatters on the floor in a million pieces. 

"ASHER!" I yell at him while he bends over and laughs, and laughs, and laughs. "Seriously?" 

He stands upright again and I cross my arms, glaring at that stupidly dazzling smile. He shrugs and takes a step forward. "Your face was priceless." 

-Haha, well I'm glad that my face amuses you so much." I snap back sarcastically, "Now, if you'll excuse me I-"

My words are cut off as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his bare and muscular chest. I'm surprised for a second, but then I melt into his warmth, wrapping my own arms around his chest, just leaning with my cheek against him for a while as he strokes my hair. His lips skim my ear and I shiver. 

"Happy birthday buttercup." 

I look back at him with a stupid look on my face. "Huh?"

°°°°

"HOW THE HELL COULD YOU FORGET YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY DUMBASS!?" 

Now - after all of the events concerning my best friend lately - if someone had told me that Emma would be standing in all her glory and yelling at my face with more power than any ghostly sick person could, I would have slapped you, just to bring you back to reality. However, this is very much my reality right now. 

I'm sitting cross-legged on Emma's bed, she's standing by its foot with hands on her hips and shooting daggers at me, and Zander's leaning casually against the wall, seemingly enjoying my scolding more than he should. I swear, he and Damien are becoming one, and it's frankly pissing me off. 

"YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY!?" She continues, waving her finger dramatically at me. I sigh and throw myself on my back into the soft pillows, lifting up one and pressing one to my face to muffle my groans. 

"I DON'T KNOW!" I exclaim back. Since we were little, Emma and I have always made it a tradition to do the most cliche girl's birthday-day together when the day came for both of us, without fault. This year, while I just walked out of the room to leave Asher looking at me like I was stupid and went to find Emma, I'd just blankly stared at her and blinked dumbly as she'd wished me the same thing with a bone-crushing hug - twice. Tragic, I know. Pathetic? Definitely.

"YOUR EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY!" She emphasises, throwing a pillow at my face. "WE'VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT THIS DAY FOR YEARS CAMILLA WINSTON! YEARS!" 

Yes, Emma had already turned eighteen, and we'd both agreed to wait until I did the same, so that we could make the best joined birthday mankind has ever seen. 

"I KNOW!" I groan louder and throw my own pillow at Zander when he laughs at me. "I know, I know, I know-"

-WHO'S LEGAL!?" A new voice saunters into the room and Jack throws himself on the bed, smiling at me goofily right in my face. 

-CAN WE STOP SHOUTING!?" I shout, and Emma sighs, pinching her nose and calming her breathing. In and out, in and out.

"Fine, but we're not done-" She looks at me with a pointed look and casts a look in Jack's direction, before heading out of the room with Zander who quietly closes the door. Seconds later, Emma opens the door and shoots us both ten feet under with her eyes, before slamming the door shut harder than necessary. It literally shakes on its hinges. 

"Sooooo..." Jack sings, placing his cheek on his hand, lying on his stomach and facing me, and staring at me cheekily. "... the girl's finally legal huh?" 

-Jack-" I whine. 

-NO! I'm not done yet honey, because you see, in all of those cliche romance movies, the girl loses her purely white virtue on her EIGHTEENTH birthday and you know what?" I look at him grumpily and he sighs dramatically again. He leans closer to me with a  smug smile. "Asher's a hopeless romantic." 

-Jack!

-What? 

-Don't be so sexual all the time!

-Aww, but you love it!

-Fuck you.

-See? I know you want to but please girl, restrain yourself! I don't swing that way!

-AAAAAARRGGHHHH!" I attack him and he laughs, sauntering out of the room with happiness. 

"DON'T FORGET WHAT I SAID! VIRGIN MARY WILL BE NO LONGER!" And then he disappears out of my sight, the door swinging open loosely. Yeah, he said that way too loudly than necessary. In fact, I tilt my head and see Aiyana appearing in the hall just outside the door, looking at me, then where Jack disappeared to, and then back at me, with a puzzled look on her face. 

I wave her off as she looks at me questioningly. "Don't ask." 

She nods and wanders off herself. I sigh and face-plant right down into a pillow. 

Happy birthday to me. 

°°°°

A/N: Whooooaaaa, this was a short one. 

Yeah, sorry about that. Next chapter will be a continuance of this chapter, with her beloved birthday. By the way, I know that people are going to wander about the place of the story since Cami's eighteen and legal. The story is situated somewhere in Europe, probably in England, simply because I live on this continent and it's way easier to write about a place that you actually know the legal rules of. Anyway, it's not in America, but feel free to imagine any place you want: I don't want to give any exact location, since it tends to take away the magical feel about the setting.