• Chapter 2-Realizations

    Sleep was all but impossible after he left. Visions and dreams danced along my subconscious, causing me to toss and turn until my alarm went off. Wonderful, I thought, I get to play normal.
    Of course my witch of a mother would bind my powers when she found out what I was really doing at night; not that it stopped me. By this time, my powers had been bound so many times that it was like I didn't have them anymore. I found that I was getting stronger at hand to hand combat, mostly thanks to the life-switching leech. He graciously offered to help me because Dasi was constantly at our throats about getting along. Just because she fell for him, didn't mean I had to like him, or vice versa, and we made our disdain for each other quite apparent whenever we had to deal with one another. Fight training just made it easier to deal with since we got to take a few kicks and jabs now and then.
    I pulled up in front of the school, getting the usual stares and glares from the other students that I always got as I walked up to the college; happens when your step-father gets a wing named after him. Don't get me wrong, he didn't buy my way in. I have a 3.9 GPA and got a 1500 on the SAT's, but that doesn't stop everyone from thinking that "daddy's little girl" got bought in when they all had to work so hard to be average.
    I was in my seat in English Lit. just in time to hear yet another lecture on Romeo & Juliet, which I had read so many times, I could recite the entire play from memory, so of course, my mind went to wandering.
    As always, it went directly to Lasarn's odd visit; as it always seemed to when he popped in on me, and it began picking apart every detail I had seen, heard, or felt. In theory, this was a bad idea. Thinking led to feeling, feeling led to falling, and falling led to...well...the end of everything as I knew it. He'd been proposing to me for a year now, but I've always turned him down; giving excuses like I was too young, or we were too different, or I didn't love him...but he would just shrug and move to another topic. If I ever hurt him, he didn't show it. In fact he almost seemed to be expecting the refusal by now. And then to ask about Daamon last night, something he'd never done before...it confused me.
    Just then, the class started packing away their things, and I followed suit, grabbing my bag and heading out the door to Economics.
    Thankfully, that wasn't a class I could goof off in. Those two hours, my mind was nothing but numbers, terms and definitions, all topped off with a five page paper on the importance of proper Economics in the government. With my 'family' off hunting tonight, I was thankful I'd have something to do. Yet not as thankful as when the professor dismissed class early. It had been a long day.
    Which only got longer when I saw him standing by my black BMW convertible in the lot. Now, you see, people had already been staring at my car for the last couple of weeks. It was my birthday present from Daamon and Dasi. Now they stared at the Elvin Prince as though he was a supermodel, and were probably wondering why he was waiting on the school freak.
    I got into the car without looking at him, revving the engine when he wouldn't move. He looked at me through the darkened windshield, a grin plastered on his smug face as he made his way to the driver's side window. I was trapped by a large carpool van from the front and a truck from behind, and I couldn't help but growl when I heard his finger tap on the glass. I didn't look at him, but was thankful I had decided to leave the top up on the car this morning. It would have been so much harder to resist the urge to punch him if I could hear what his lips were mouthing outside.
    *You will be mine Aurelia* I jumped when his words entered my mind, and his grin became a little more sinister.
    *Never* I thought, opening the window and glaring at him.
    "Don't look at me like that honey. I know I messed up and I want to make it up to you," he said, his elvin accent too much to bear.
    "Don't...you...dare," I growled, seeing the look in his eyes. He opened the door, pulled me into his arms, and pressed his lips to mine; tightening his grip on my waist so I couldn't escape. Not that I was really fighting back at first. The shock alone stunned me into incomprehension. He took it as a sign of defeat and grinned against my lips, pushing my back against the car. The jolt of hot metal on my uncovered lower back brought me out of the shock, and I began to fight him. Unfortunately, he towered above my five-foot-seven stature, and despite my being three times stronger than a human bodybuilder, he easily pinned my arms to the car, his lips never leaving mine.
    *Play along, there is actually a reason behind this* he thought, and while I didn't like it, I followed his instructions; pulling my hands from his and pulling him closer.
    *You had better have one hell of a reason for this* I thought as I growled when his hand slid a little too low for my taste. He pulled away, gently kissing along my jaw.
    "I'll see you tonight," he murmured in my ear, and I glared at his retreating back, finally noticing the crowd that surrounded my car. I felt the blush leap into my cheeks and quickly got back into the car to escape the whispering murmur and twitter from my classmates.
    Not exactly caring if I hit anyone, I revved the engine and backed out of the space, bolting to the main road where a silver Audi was turning in the opposite direction as me. I looked in the car, flipping off the seemingly-angelic driver before speeding off in the direction of home.

    It was almost dusk. Mother, Daamon, and Liam had gone hunting, so I was home alone, working on my Econ paper when he arrived. I could sense his presence before I saw him, and was quickly pulled back into his arms again, his lips gentle at my throat. He didn't notice as I pushed my hands against his chest, because he just trapped me in his arms.
    "Let go of me Lasarn."
    "I don't think that's what you really want," he murmured. His warm breath on my skin sent shivers down my spine. He smiled when my pulse quickened under his lips.
    "Then what do you think I really want?" He chuckled.
    "Control yourself Aurelia, this afternoon was just a distraction, a way to get into the minds of your classmates. Daamon suspected a blood-bonded human was sent to hurt you." My blood felt ice cold in my veins, though my skin was still red hot as he laid me on the bed; his lips exploring the curve of my collarbone. I could feel the binding on my powers loosen, and it was easy enough to roll over and hold him down away from me.
    "Then there is no reason for you to be here. I'm protected enough by Dasi's spells." I stood up, and watched him cautiously as he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at me with his overwhelming emerald eyes. Moving slowly, he pulled me closer by the hand until I was standing directly in from of him, and held my hand tighter.
    "Daamon assured me you'd be alright, but I can't stand the thought of being away from you Aurelia. It kills me to be away from you, despite your obvious hatred for me. You, my dear, have been my whole world since I first laid my eyes on you." I stared at him, taken aback by his response. This wasn't the Lasarn I knew. This wasn't the stubborn, infuriating, demanding, perplexing man I knew; not this sweet, caring person I now saw before me. He stood up, sliding his hands gently along my sides until they rested on my hips. Lasarn looked into my eyes, and at that moment, I could no longer deny what I had tried so hard to deny for so long; I was hopelessly in love with him.
    The realization made me shudder.
    He pulled me into his arms and gave me a pleading glance before his lips met mine; softly as though taunting me to fight him off. I hesitated, pulling away.
    There's no going back from this chirped the tiny voice in the back of my mind, but I didn't hear it as his fingers caressed the back of my neck, twining them in my hair as his lips pressed against the skin under my jaw.
    All the anger, frustration, stress and confusion he had caused me in the last eighteen months melted from my heart as my hands reached for his face, and I brought my lips to his.