Falling into the White (The Ancients Series) (2 page)

“I’ll get your food out to you soon.” She said and walked off without another word. Mikael looked amused, and Evan was back to looking pissed.

“You didn’t have to take everything out on the poor girl, how was she to know?”

“Well, I’m in a mood, and she rubbed me the wrong way.”

“I think she was offering to rub me the right way, though!” Mikael waggled his brows at me, and I just glared at him. “Tough crowd.” He took a sip of the beer the waitress finally brought out to him. “So, where do we start? What are your ground rules?”

“No more togetherness. I don’t want to be in the same room with both of you at the same time anymore if I can help it.”

“Easy enough,” Mikael offered.

“Done.” Evan added.

“No questions. I don’t want either of you asking what I did on a date with the other.” I thought for a moment and added, “If there is something major that you need to know, I will tell you.” They both nodded in agreement. “Sundays are off limits, for both of you. It’s my personal day where I don’t have to deal with anything if I don’t want to. My class schedule is also not to be interrupted unless it’s life or death. Thankfully, Ashley’s dad was able to get me an excuse for the time I missed when Marcus…” My gut clenched at his name, and I paused to swallow down the bile. Evan’s hand came up to hold mine, and Mikael offered me a sympathetic smile I didn’t want. I hated looking weak. I couldn’t help my reaction though. The scar I looked at on my shoulder when I dressed every day was a constant reminder of just how out of control my life had gotten. I was trying to take some of that control back for myself. “Anyway, I don’t want to miss anymore, because I would really like to graduate one day. It’s my personal goal, and I don’t want it fucked with. It’s something I had before any of you came along. It’s mine. I want it.”

“Point taken,” Mikael said softly, while Evan just squeezed the hand he was still holding.

I couldn’t think of anything else to add in that moment, so we sat for a while in an uncomfortable silence. When our food came, the bus boy and the manager brought it over. Our waitress was nowhere to be seen. “Shelly had an emergency, and took off for the rest of the day,” the manager explained. “I’ll take care of anything you need for the rest of the time you’re here.”

“Thank you,” I all but whispered. Great, now I got to feel bad for running a woman out of work. I was just a giant ray of sunshine! Mikael held up his empty beer glass and before the manager, Geoff, could walk away, he also held up two fingers. Geoff just nodded at him and turned for the bar.

I nibbled on my chips as the two of them ate their food. I wasn’t really sure where to go from here. Did we set up a date night schedule, or would I be forever trapped in an endless fight about who got dibs on a certain day? I groaned inwardly at the thought. Both Evan and Mikael stopped eating to look at me. Apparently, I had groaned outwardly too. I looked back and forth between them, and noticed a surprisingly astute look cross Mikael’s face.

“Thinking about how we’re going to schedule things?”

The shock that registered in my body language was apparent, and I was about to ask him how he read my damn mind, but he started telling me before I could.

“I was thinking the same thing, when you groaned I figured it dawned on you too.”

“Why not first come first serve?” Evan said sarcastically.

“Yes, that way you can claim every day until the solstice.” Mikael shot back.

“Well, I already did, when I claimed her publically, but apparently that doesn’t matter when daddy steps in and carves out a few days for you on her calendar.” For the first time in all of this I finally got to see Mikael peeved. He growled, but held his position at the table, unlike Evan who had already come half out of his seat.

“And this is why I groaned in frustration. How do you want to do this? Every other day? Tuesdays and Thursdays for one Monday’s and Wednesdays for the other? I mean, seriously, what are the two of you going to be okay with?”

“I’ll be okay with him taking a hike, and not coming back. Beyond that, I’m not okay with any of this. Not at all.” Evan wiped his mouth and hands with his napkin, and looked down at his phone again. “Our distributors brought the wrong fucking beer to the bar this morning. I need to go make sure everything was corrected. How about the two of you figure out the scheduling issue, and get back to me. I’m not going to be happy with whatever is decided, so there’s no need for my input.” With that, he got up and left.

“Jess,” Mikael started and then paused momentarily. “I…” he sighed. I watched an internal struggle playing out on his face. “There’s a part of me that wants to let you off the hook, and let you go. And then there’s the part of me that likes you. The part that doesn’t like the choices my brother is making where you’re concerned is the one that’s keeping me here. I hope you don’t hate me for it, but I can’t just walk away. Honestly, even if I could, I don’t think my father would allow it. His schemes usually have some twisted end game that the rest of us fail to see.”

It never even occurred to me that Mikael might actually be interested in me as anything other than the miraculous white wolf of power, but then Ashley’s speech from a while back was nagging at the back of my mind. Mikael had cared enough to come looking for me, before he knew what I was. I had to at least respect that. Mikael downed the rest of his beer that the manager had slipped on the table just as Evan was leaving.

“How about we alternate Saturdays, and the rest of the days of the week are a free for all.” I smiled at that, but then he added, “I do at least want a fair shake, Jess.”

“I can promise you an equal amount of time, but beyond that, I’m not sure what I can…”

“I understand. You had my brother before I ever came along, and I didn’t exactly make the best first impression. I’ll work on changing your mind, if you keep it open.”

I couldn’t say anything to that. Saying okay would mean a part of me was giving up on what I had with Evan, and even though he was being a royal pain in my ass about all this, I couldn’t fault him for it. I certainly wasn’t ready to give up on him. I gave Mikael a tight smile, and reached down for my bag.

“I’ll do what I can,” I finally said to him as I stood to go. He got up and placed another bill on the table, I wasn’t sure the denomination, because I was already walking away. I was pretty sure the staff at Angelique’s were about to get a healthy tip for their troubles today though. As I reached the door I realized Mikael had stopped to talk to the manager momentarily, but before I could push the door all the way open, he was there by my side holding it for me. Mikael walked me to my Jeep, closed the door for me, and leaned in quickly to kiss my cheek. I didn’t try to stop him, but mostly because he was there and gone so fast I barely had time to register the gesture for what it was. As he walked away, I took the time to zip the window back up in my Jeep before I took off. I suddenly felt chilled to the bone, and it had nothing to do with the cooler air temperatures.

Ashley, are you busy? I texted into my phone.

Nope. How was the date? You never even told me which one you were with!

Both of them, I texted back. Can I come over?

Holy shit! The door’s open, and Asi’s working, get over here and spill!

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

“Get in here, and fill me in on everything!” Ashley grabbed my arm, and pulled me through the door to her apartment at the speed of light.

“Damn, Ashley, you’re a wolf now. That shit hurts!”

“Oh, crap! Sorry, I forget sometimes.”

“I’ll forgive you since you’re still adjusting.” I walked into the living room, and plopped down onto Ashley’s comfy couch, letting out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t even realize how stressed I was until you sucked it all out of me.” I pet the couch, like it was a living being, “good couch!” Ashley just laughed at me.

“So, how did it go? More importantly, are you nuts, or something? What were you thinking going on a date with both of them?”

“I was thinking, if we were in public we could settle some ground rules before things got out of hand.”

“Why don’t you just not date Mikael at all, if Evan is who you want?”

“It’s not that simple. I’ve tried ignoring Mikael, and it literally causes me pain. I’m talking shooting pains through my brain. Every time I see there’s a call from him and I don’t answer it-WHAP-instant headache. Every time he asks me to do something, and I say no, BAM-migraine central.”

“Oh my God! Jess, I had no idea.”

“That’s what it means to disobey a direct order, and its only getting worse. I don’t want to stroke out, or die from an aneurism, so I really don’t have a choice here. I needed them to both know that.”

“Did you tell them about the pain?”

“Not in so many words.” I picked at a piece of lint on my pants. “I mean, they were born into this life, so they must know what it feels like to disobey.”

“Evan probably doesn’t. Remember, his dad let him get away with a lot because he had two older brothers and he was different?”

“Yeah, maybe that’s why he seems pissy about all this, he doesn’t really know the consequences.”

“I bet Mikael does. He looks like the type to break all the rules, and gladly pay for them later.” Ashley waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Seriously, Ash? How can you even joke about Mikael in a good way? I mean, he turned you, against your will.”

“Well, it wasn’t entirely against my will, just not the way I always pictured it going down.” She sighed, and moved her butt from where it had been perched on her coffee table in front of me, to the couch beside me. “I can’t be mad at him though. I mean, I’m happy. I am really happy, and Asi is everything to me. I can’t even imagine life without him now. It wouldn’t have happened if…”

“I get it.” I was beginning to think the lint on my leg was imaginary, because every time I looked down, I found more to fiddle with. Maybe it was just my nerves. “Well, I’m going to stay mad at him about that, anyway. I’ll be angry for the both of us.” Ashley just laughed at me.

“Do what you need to, but that could backfire on you. All that pent up frustration when you’re alone, on a hot date, and he moves in close…” She pounced on me and started tickling my sides. I retaliated, and in moments we were in a heap of giggling girl parts on the floor in front of the couch.

“You know I hate to be tickled,” I yelled at her breathlessly.

“I know. That’s why I did it. You needed to get the hell out of your head.” Ashley’s attention immediately went from me to the door as someone knocked. She jumped up and crossed the room in record time to look out the peephole. I was still getting used to the idea that Ashley wasn’t human anymore, and moments like this still sent a little shock through my system. She turned back to me with a quizzical look on her face, and then proceeded to open the door as I picked myself up off the floor.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were we interrupting anything?” Leanna, Antoine’s mate, asked with a knowing look when she saw me adjusting my shirt. Oh, she so did not know anything.

“No,” Ashley answered in her slightly snotty tone. She had apparently caught the accusation too. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, Annabelle and I thought we’d come meet the newest lady in our midst. It helps if we’re all on friendly terms, you see. Besides, if you’re with Asriel that means you will be around my Evan quite a bit. I just want to know who he has at his side.” Leanna glanced between the two of us once more before adding, “I do hope we weren’t interrupting anything.”

She didn’t sound like she hoped that at all. “Well, Eleanna, actually, the polite thing to do is to call before coming over. Ashley and I were having a conversation.”

“Mmm, so I see.” The disdain in her voice was evident. “Please, do call me Leanna, I prefer it.”

“Why don’t you both come in and ask your questions, we can be friendly for a while, so you get your quota for the day or whatever you’re trying for, and then you can be on your way.” Ashley added.

“How dare you? Both of you! Who do you think you lesser beings are speaking to? This,” the younger woman held her hands out reverently to Leanna, “is the Queen of our people.” It was the first time I had heard Annabelle speak since they came to town, and I hoped I never had to hear it again. She had a nasally tone to her voice that grated on the nerves, especially as she hit the shrieking high notes as she chastised us.

“Listen, apparently we’re getting off on the wrong foot. Come in, sit down, and get to know Ashley when she’s not being defensive because of me.” I said to them, pointing to the couch. Then I turned to Ashley, “I’ll just come back to hang out later, Ash.”

“That won’t be necessary. Please, do stay here and chat with us for a bit, Jessica.” I didn’t even respond, I just turned around and walked into Ashley’s kitchen. I was on the verge of losing it with all the De ’Lune Clan, not just the men, apparently.

“Just grabbing some drinks,” I called back. I brought out four Pepsi Throwbacks from Ashley’s fridge, and handed a cold can to each of the women, who were now seated. Ashley had taken her big wide chair, and that left one spot open on the couch between Annabelle and Leanna. After giving those two their cans, I turned and walked back to Ashley, “Scoot,” I demanded. She stifled a giggle and slid over so I could plop down next to her. We were stuffed into the oversized chair, but this was actually how we sat to watch scary movies together anyway.

“There was plenty of room over here,” Leanna scowled and patted the empty space on the couch beside her.

“It’s okay, we sit like this often.” Ashley took a moment to pat my knee with her hand, and smile up at me sweetly, as if she were more than just a friend. I nearly spit out my Pepsi.

“Clearly, you two were fast friends long before Evan and Asriel came into the picture. Your familiarity with one another seems to be that of…”

“Sisters?” I chimed in.

“Best friends,” Ashley added at the same time.

“Yes, those things.” Leanna added sharply. Then she calmed herself, “I apologize. We are not getting off to a good start, are we?”