Affinity

Chapter 12: Creature of the Night

Later that day, Anastasia was sitting in her living room reading Wuthering Heights for English class. She had no love for bitter Heathcliff, she decided. And she did not envy his and Catherine's love for one another. It seemed toxic to be so affected and so controlled by desire for someone else. Who would want that?

"Ha!" Niccolò snuck around the back of her recliner and grabbed at her side making her jump out of her skin and her seat. His hands pulled back before she could hit them herself. Smoke rose as a result of his skin coming in contact with sunlight. She looked at the ticking grandfather clock.

6:48 pm

"Why are you up so early, Niccolò ? It is still atleast another hour before sunset." Irritation from being snuck up on laced her voice.

"I know that. Can a brother not wake up early to see his sister even if said sister won't stay up past 8:30 to visit him while he is in town? C'mon, rebel. It's Friday night. Ditch the book. I'll give you a ride on the bike."

Under normal circumstances, Nastia would have taken him up on that. She loved riding on the back of his motorcycle. But she had been avoiding her family for a reason. She crossed her arms stepping back towards the window, the warmth of the sun like a barrier shielding her secrets. "Thanks, but no thanks. I am not feeling well... and I have to read a couple more chapters before Monday."

His brows knitted together. "I've been in town for almost two weeks. You've been so distant. Father said you told him you were sick. Do you want to talk about it?"

She shrugged then sighed. "There is nothing to talk about. I want to spend time with my human friends before my Affinity comes. And Mother has been..."

"Mother."

"Yeah. You know how she is. You had human friends, didn't you?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Did you miss them after you awakened?"

"Well, they were entertaining. But I didn't grow particularly attached to a specific one. Not like you have. And I warned you about that."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She sat down on the couch which was half covered in the shadows of the approaching night. Her brother sat on that side. She did not want her family to notice anything was different about her for fear they would realize she was awakening. Then they'd ask why she was stalling. That inquiry could lead to her being forced to tell them all about Pam knowing. That had to be avoided.

However, if she keeps avoiding her family like this, their suspicions will only fester.

"You know what? Homework can wait. I'll ride with you."

Her mind raced as she held onto her brother's jacket as the night air whisked through her hair. The motorcycle flew down the road at an alarming speed, not that Nastia was scared. Niccolò 's reflexes were quick enough to avoid any accident. He wouldn't risk her safety by being too reckless while she was still unawakened and vulnerable. She leaned back against the sissy bar looking up, the streetlights looking more like shooting stars.

He had installed the sissy bar and foot pegs insisting they were for her, but she was sure his midnight flings used them more than she did. Getting lost in her thoughts as she stargazed, she thought about the last week and a half since she found her Affinity.

Truthfully, if Nastia had been able to control herself that Thursday she was with AJ.... if she had retreated instead of getting caught up in her bloodlust and exposing herself to Pam... if things had gone right, she would've asked her family the next night for help after her father returned from his trip. They would've helped her stalk AJ over the weekend and be done with it. She would be talking to Niccolò about how to get over her lingering feelings of sadness over leaving her friends.