Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

FIFTEEN

FIFTEEN – Miracle [Victoria]

Waking, I blinked my eyes open to see the sun starting to set. With most the wall being window, it was all I could see over the treetops. It was beautiful. The hues of the dark blues and blacks pushing the reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows over the horizon. But it had nothing on tiger eyes. Amber or sapphire.

I took a moment to feel Lex's hand drawing patterns on my bare arm. The soft brush of his fingers against my skin. As I did, I remembered everything from earlier. The claiming. What was happening to me. That I would go "feral" if I didn't go through with it. And the pain. I also remembered that my mum and Charlie would be worried sick about me. I also knew that my choice earlier was gone. Now it was accept Lex or die. Not much of a choice really.

"Lex?" I asked in a whisper. Not wanting to break the intimate silence.

"Hmm?"

"Can I phone my mum?" I asked. "And Charlie?"

"Crap," and the silence was broken. "I'm sorry, Vic, I forgot... I'll get you a phone."

Minutes later I had a phone in my hand and my mum yelling at me sick with worry.

"Where are you? You didn't come home last night? You couldn't have given me a call? I was about to go to the police with Charlie!"

"Charlie's with you?"

"Of course he is, he's been here waiting for you since you went on your date! No more dates, Victoria, not if I'm going to loose you for days on end without a single word!"

"I'm sorry, mum."

Seeing a shadow fall over me that was made by the last rays of the sunset, I looked up to see Lusan holding his hand out for the phone.

"Umm. There's someone that wants to speak to you?"

"Who?"

"Lex's brother."

There was only silence. "You went out with Alexander Olde!"

I winced at the tone she used. In reaction, Lusan took the phone, and Lex growled, wrapping his arm around my waist. I blinked at the hold. One date, one night of indescribable pain, and a day of bed rest because of the pain that wouldn't leave... and Lex was holding me as though he'd never let me go. Funny considering he hadn't even known I'd existed until our birthday a couple of days ago.

Shaking my head, I listened to Lusan talk to my mother.

"Mrs. Evern," Lusan said politely. "The only reason you have not been contacted is because we had no way to do so."

As Lusan paused, I heard the anger my mothers reply from where I lay on the bed.

"Mrs. Evern, your daughter has been ill and unable to give us any numbers to contact you. And Lex has been too upset to give us any either. I apologise that you have not been contacted sooner, but we thought it best that Victoria recover first."

I was sure that my mouth had hit the floor as Lusan smoothly lied in a polite, caring voice to my mother. Not that he really lied, I decided, too much. But I knew as a fact that if I hadn't known the real truth, I knew I would have believed every word he was saying as much as I knew my mother was. He was good. Really, really good. I just wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

As the phone call got quieter and quieter and finally ended with my mother assured and hoping that I got well enough to return home soon, Lusan crouched near to where I was laying.

His amber eyes stared into mine as he spoke. "I will never lie to you unless it is absolutely necessary."

Before I could question him, Lex spoke up. "He means it, Vic. Take it, it's more than we've ever had from him."