swirls of roses

Summer. Eighteen. Writer.

[swirlsofroses]

Shiloh Holmes and Flynn Mason

The bass vibrated through every ounce of her body, guiding her hands as they slid down against the fabric of her shirt to rest of her hips for a moment. They slowly found their way back up and above her head, intertwined in such a dangerous way. Those hands begged for someone to grasp them, to bring back down and wrap around her own body while she used you as a wall. Something about her was so compelling, so alluring. She wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the place, she was ordinary in almost every sense except for the slash of freckles across her face and those bright blue eyes that could entrap you in seconds and leave you drowning in a sea of blue.

  It was the way she smiled or smirked. The way she moved her hands or tilted her head. Everything was a game to her, a challenge in every sense to see if she could beat the world—her ultimate opponent. All of the people were simply little pawns that she could move around and have her own fun with.

  Far too long had passed for her to have any more visible cracks in her exterior, giving her the advantage to those who even attempted to decipher her ways. Most of them knew it had something to do with her past, but none of them knew just where she came from or who she’d once known. From the rumors, she passed from town to town, leaving a fire blazing in her path to wake up the souls of each town. Other rumors spoke that she wasn’t like this before—something unimaginable.

  She seemed far too dangerous to have been any different.

  The moment she’d stepped into the town that was her current target, there was a sense of uneasiness in some. It was far too small of a town to be of any interest to her, but they didn’t know her preference. They didn’t know how it reminded her of a place she’d once thought of as home.

  Night had fallen over the town, the twinkling of the stars and the moon brightening up the faces of the drunk and the smiling. From off to the end, the music continued to spill out from the bar and she continued to move to the music, intoxicating all of those who were in the room with her. Some had attempted to make a pass at her, but she’d sent them off with an icy glare as she swayed her hips still. There was only one person who she had interest in and she spotted him getting up from his spot that he’d held for the past hour.

  Staring only at her.

  Despite her extra hearing, it would be impossible with the rest of the noise to hear his individual footsteps, but it was almost as if she could. Her lips turned up into a smirk the moment she felt him behind her, the heat radiating and adding to her own. Her head leaned back against his chest and shoulder with eyes closed as his arms encompassed her tiny body. The music and everything else flooded away as she brought her arms up around his neck, locking at the warm flesh at the nape of his hair.

  The moment she felt his lips at her earlobe, she smirked. She had him immersed in her dangerous game and he had no knowledge of it. It always made it sweeter when they had no clue; she’d said that on many accounts.

  Slowly, the song came to an end and she straightened herself up, boots clicking on the floor as she strutted away with a sway of her hips. For a single moment she stopped, looking over her shoulder at the man and quirking an eyebrow at him. As soon as he started moving once more, she turned back around to walk once more and the look on her face spoken enough for her. Checkmate.

  The outside air didn’t bother her as she stepped onto the sidewalk and glanced around to see who was still wandering out. When the door opened, she looked back at the man and walked the way to the side of the building, dipping behind the alley just was he came around the corner. She watched him swing himself around, arms coming on either side of her against the brick wall as his lips took over her own, bruising the tender flesh quickly. Not once did she make the effort to touch him with her hands, leaving them to dangle at her side.

  A second. Anything can happen in a second. It took only one second for the claws to break free and swing up into the chest of the man in front of her. The claws hooked into the flesh and she spun him around with the strength and advantage she had, pushing him hard against the brick wall as her claws dug deeper into the flesh of the human. Her status had changed after she’d left her past, the years slowly working together and teaching her many things. Most importantly, the gift of partial shift.

  “L-Lycan.” The man spat out, choking up on the blood that was coming up his throat.

  She smirked, claws of her free hand coming to his face to pat the skin gently. “Hunter.” It was the sole word from her lips as she slashed his face and down across his neck, letting his body fall to the ground and slump over as he quickly bled out.

  It had been four years since she’d started hunting the hunters. Most of the time dedicated to track them, to figuring out their routines and their cover ups. She’d put an end to many hunters now, the tally now adding one more.

  The blood on her hands dripped as she brought her claws back into hiding, sighing softly as she looked down at the man. “Reckon you ain’t gonna kill another Lycan again, are ya?” She asked to the dead body, toeing it with her boot before she spun around with a smile.

  “Shiloh.”

  It faded the moment she heard her name. The moment she saw the person. The moment she realized that her past had come back to haunt her. It had been so long since anyone had ever said her name. That moment made a crack in her, ruining the perfect image that she’d spent so long creating.

  “How did you find me?” She asked, claws coming out to make a clear point.

  After all, she’d been a Delta the last time the other had seen her.

  “This what ya been doin’? Four damn years, Shiloh. You left without a fucking word and this is what you’re doin’?”

  “Go away, turn back around. You never saw me.”

  Shiloh growled, lowering slightly into a defensive position.

  “Go on now, have at me.”

  Pushing off from her feet, Shiloh hurled herself at the other, the two clashing and rolling till Shiloh hovered over the other person as another growl rolled out. The claws hovered in the air, ready to come down at any moment. Typically, there would be no hesitation but she couldn’t do it. Shiloh felt the hesitation, could feel it loud and clear.

  In that moment, her anger faltered, breaking. “What do you want, Gabrielle?”

  “Come home, Shiloh.”

  “They don’t want me back. I don’t want them back. No one stopped it, no one protected him. Someone should have protected him!” Shiloh spat out, anger flaring up in her eyes once more.

  “Shiloh, he was supposed to protect us and you know what happened that night. We were all in danger!” Gabe still laid there on the ground, staring up at the girl who was once her packmate.

  “He didn’t deserve it…He shouldn’t…”

  Gabe’s hand came up slowly to touch Shiloh’s and bring it slowly back down. “I know.”

  There was only silence. Shiloh staring at Gabrielle. Part of her did want to cry, but all her tears had been shed years ago. Shiloh hadn’t cried a single time since then.

  “Shi…you’re always gonna be his Freckles. But this ain’t the Freckles he fell in love with. This ain’t the girl that came blowin’ through and makin’ everyone smile. You belong back at home, Shiloh. You know that’s what he’d want for you.”

  Shiloh felt the tears building up in her eyes as she looked away, pushing herself back to stagger to her feet and shake her head.

  “I-I can’t just go back. Kinsey’ll kill me the second I step on that land and if they all know—”

  “They don’t.” Gabe interrupted. “And we’re gonna work this out. I don’t care how long it takes, you’re pack and you always will be.”

  Shiloh turned around again, shaking the blood that was still on her hands while trying to think. Her mind was scattered into a million different places at once and she wasn’t sure what to do. There was still the thirst in the back of her mind. The thirst for revenge and for the blood of all the hunters. Ignoring that after embracing it for so long? She knew that wouldn’t be easy. She’d become a killer…but she knew she had hope. She knew she had hope for change because of one reason.

  “What’s the plan?” She asked unsteadily.

  “Reckon we getcha a place in Greenville and you lay low, take it one step at a time. Gettin’ Kinsey to let you back is gonna be the hardest part and the longest part.”

  “Can’t take too long.”

  “I know—”

  “No.” Shiloh interrupted this time, looking up from the ground to Gabrielle. “I took pack away from not only myself.”

  Confusion came over Gabrielle, making Shiloh bow her head low before she started walking.

    The sound of the key in the door breaking through the notches of the lock echoed in Shiloh’s ears, completely aware of the eyes on her frame from behind. Pushing the door open, Shiloh walked into the house and rubbed at her hands. The gas station bathroom soap had cleaned away the blood, but she still felt as if there was blood still on her hands. Shutting the door behind Gabe, she was careful to not make too much noise. As soon as the lights were on in the living room of the hotel room, Shiloh nodded to the couch.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  The Beta disappeared down the hallway to where the bedrooms were and the sound of the clock ticked loud enough for even Shiloh to hear despite her distance from it. The stupid clock had never really bothered her since she’d gotten here, but now it was breaking out the anger once more. It disappeared a second late.

  When Shiloh came back out to the living room, she cleared her throat to get Gabe’s attention.

  Right then, she must have looked like the Shiloh Holmes from the old days, before everything had happened. There was the innocence on her face once more, the soft eyes, and the tiny frame all coming together once more.

  “Sweetie, this is Auntie Gabrielle. She’s come to visit.” Shiloh sat, pulling on the tiny hand in her own as the four year old came out from behind her legs. “Gabe…this is Ella.”

  The little girl stood beside Shiloh, blonde hair falling past her shoulders. Her eyes were big, but resembled Flynn’s so much that those eyes alone could have told you that she was his daughter. She was tiny, but even being so young, she carried herself as if she knew she was tough and nothing could get to her. Shiloh joked to herself on some nights that Ella and Flynn could have a tie as to who could be more stoic.

  Picking up the little girl, Shiloh kissed Ella’s forehead before looking back to Gabe with an unsure smile.

  “Help me, Gabe? I need the pack….she needs the pack.”

  There was a moment when Shiloh was unsure that Gabe would stay now, wondering if she would just walk out the door now that she’d just walked right in.

  It took a second for Gabe to wrap Shiloh into a hug, Ella complaining about being squashed in the middle. That was enough for Shiloh.

  Things would get better.

[swirlsofroses]

She's poisonous. The way her legs move across a room, the way her dainty fingers slid along your arm. The way her lips purse into a secret smirk when she finds a victim. She'll pick one that she likes, lure the person in, and by the end of it the person has lost all sense. She's sickeningly sweet and sexy, knows just how to get into your system and leave you craving for her for days, weeks, months. Rumor has it, some die from the cravings they have of her. And when people ask her about it, she gives that cheshire girn and curled a finger into her palm as a beckoning signal before whispering, "You tell me."

[swirlsofroses]

Sun and Moon

From far off in the mountains, Wind took up flight and send off whispers to every living creature on Earth. Wind had never been good at keeping secrets, not when it could breeze so easily between everyone and spread the gossip all around to those who would lend an ear. The trees rustled as the news flew on past, those hiding between them gasping and making their way to the mountains.

Up high above everyone else were two souls, caught up in a moment of love and passion between their lips. They had no knowledge that their engagement was being made public thanks to Wind who had always been an enemy of their love out of jealousy. The two nameless souls parted, but held tightly to each other in fear that they would have to let go and be lost without one another again. Those were always the long days, when they returned to their lives and were forced apart for days on end.

There would never be enough time for the two of them to be together, not when the world ran on labor and family duties that were of importance. None of the world below knew of their love, a forbidden bond due to their roles in society. She was meant for greater things, to share her family name and duties. He was to remain a man of labor and tend to the Earth like the rest of his kind. Unfortunately, their secret was now spread over every part of the world and every soul had knowledge of the two of them.

Families, friends, and strangers all ran to the mountain with faces and hearts of anger and foolishness. Their blind minds kept them on their path as they searched for the lovers on the mountain, following Wind’s directions.

Noises of feet and voice broke the two lovers apart, eyes wide and hearts beating against their chests like the drums of familiar ceremonies. There was no escape, not for the two souls who were full of fear and dread.

“Daughter! You dare to disgrace the family name!” The towering man led the people, the anger steaming off of his skin and forcing those closest to move away from him.

“F-Father! You do not understand, we love each other. Nothing you can do will ever separate us; I will fight till the end of my days in order to love him.” She said in reply, finding herself in the arms of her lover once more.

A moment of silence passed over before her father clapped his hands together—the signal of a decision.

“No forgiveness will ever come to either of you. This love is unlawful and shall be punished. From this day on till the rest of time, both of you will take your places. You, Daughter, will be Moon and live in cold so as to never feel warmth ever again. You, Boy, will be Sun and burn every moment with no relief. As Sun and Moon, you will forever be apart from one another, circling in an everlasting chase that will give you no freedom. You will endure the knowledge of one another’s presence but never touch again.”

At the end, the man clapped his hands together once more and Sun and Moon were ripped apart from one another. Sun took her place in the sky, her heart frosted over and glazing down at Earth. Moon took his place in the sky, his heart scorched and glazing down at Earth. The two desperately searched for each other, but when one surfaced, the other fell below.

Even to this day, they run their circle in hopes that there will come a day in which they can touch once more. Their love has never stopped, only growing stronger with each year that passes.

[summerisnotover-deactivated2017]

[swirlsofroses]

The room seemed as if it was only getting smaller and smaller, forcing Elise to sit down for a few minutes and work on breathing normally. As of late, she’d constantly have moments when the world would shift on her and it was all due to the nerves that ate away at her. They were good nerves, ones that made her smile every single time she thought of just why she had the nerves in the first place. It was impossible for her to think that anything could go wrong, although she knew to always keep in mind that something could happen. The whirlwind of her life was slowly slowing down though, making it that much easier for her to breathe and focus on whatever her current task was.

From somewhere outside the room, Elise could pick up the sounds of people talking and moving about, reminding her of just what she should be doing. Standing up, she walked out from the sitting room and into the connecting room, smiling at the woman who was there to help her for the moment. Elise did what she was told, following the steps and making sure to be patient with everything. The nerves weren’t helping, but she was at least trying. It was another half hour before the woman was done and left, leaving Elise alone in the room for a few minutes.

When the door opened, her fingers had been running over the pearl white dress with a little smile on her lips. She looked up, the smile growing and a laugh coming from her lips when she noticed her mother was standing there, hand over her mouth and getting teary eyed.

“You promised you wouldn’t cry!” Elise joked, picking up part of her wedding dress as she stepped down from the stool.

“I know, I know! It’s just…Oh, you’re so beautiful and I’m so happy.”

Elise smiled at Charlotte, hugging her mother tightly. If there was one person she had expected to cry, it was her mother. The two gushed over the dress and about the wedding itself, all until they were told that it was time to start and Elise started to get more nervous. Charlotte left after a quick kiss and Elise was left alone for a few minutes till her signal came. With the veil covering over her face, she walked out from the room and into the entrance hallway, moving closer to the double doors.

It was that moment that she used to dream about as a little girl, back when she didn't think she'd ever have her parents, let alone a father. He stood there, dressed up in a suit that made him look like a giant penguin, but she loved it nonetheless. "Don't cry on me too. I can't handle both of you crying." Elise whispered softly, taking his arm just as the music began to play and it was time for her to head down the aisle.

The walk seemed to take forever, having so many eyes on her. Elise was never a fan of attention being put on her, leaning into Daniel for the sake of comfort. Once he was sitting back down though, she was on her own. Although, not completely. Her eyes ran up to the end of the aisle where her soon-to-be husband stood, smiling but nervous from the way he was standing.

Once they reached the end, Elise turned toward her father so he could pull the veil up and over her head, a symbol of giving her over to Dmitri. She kissed her father's cheek before she looked over to Dmitri and smiled happily.

---------

The reception had been in full swing for a while now, but everyone had seated in order for Elise to say something. She'd purposely set this time for what she wanted to say, feeling like it was needed. From where she was seated, she gave her husband a quick kiss before standing up and getting everyone's attention.

"I know everyone wants to get to dancing and eating, but I really want to say a few things before that."

She looked over to her parents, smiling at them while trying hard not to get teary-eyed.

"I spent a long part of my life looking for a family. I had my grandparents, but I wanted my parents like every other kid. When I finally got to meet my mom and live with her, I was so happy because she was the perfect mother. She was nothing at all like the mothers I'd thought up in my head, she was so much better than that. She is the most important person in my life and she always will be. There have been some bumps in the road, but she's always done what she thought was best for me and since the day I moved in with her, she's been what I want to be as I get older."

Elise paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she looked over at Daniel.

"My dad. He's an interesting one, like to be all strong and eat all the sandwiches in the world, but he's a teddy bear. My dad has been there for me since I came to Emerald Cove, even if the beginning wasn't as we thought it was. He is such an amazing man with such a big heart and I will always know that he will be there for me every single step of my life and even if it's three in the morning and I'm in a bad mood and need him, he'll be there. My dad can be stubborn and we buttheads plenty of times, but at the end of the day, we know that we can just smile and it's all better. We both know that time is short and I honestly don't want to lose anymore time with him."

Elise felt her hand being taken, smiling down at Dmitri before looking back up.

"I just want to thank my parents for being the best parents that I could have ever asked for and I will never not have you two in my life. I love you both so much."

[swirlsofroses]

Lightning sparks down from the sky in bright strands, blasting the dark sky for a moment with a brilliant white color before it disappeared until another took its place. To those on the outside, it would seem like the most dazzling lightning storm saved just for those who got the chance to witness it. Those on the outside would recount the story to children and friends, the lightning that was so concentrated, so bright, and multiplying so quickly. Only those on the inside would know the truth and by the time the realization dawns on them just what it was…

It’ll have been too late.

 -------

It wasn’t clear and probably never would be as to when the darkness descended upon Emerald Cove. Everyone had begun to feel it, but it wasn’t ever clear as to just what it was. Most would have thought it was only the feeling of a storm coming in soon. Essentially, that was partly true. A storm had come down; one that lasted for days and seemed as if it would never end. It was strange, the rain the fell down hard on the citizens and the dark clouds that smothered everything. Shadows erupted in every corner.

The shadows are what slowly began to take over. People began to go missing; one by one they would vanish in the middle of the night or in the day. They would disappear from their homes, the streets, and everywhere else in between. It was unexplained and there was nothing they could do, not when it came to fight shadows. Most tried to hide away, burning brightly lit candles when the power began to go out slowly.

One by one, the days grew longer and those who lived within the shadow cast houses were slowly growing terrified. There wasn't a choice in running, not if it meant leaving their homes. Most were convinced they could defeat the deity that was slowly devouring the city in darkness.

It was a night like any of the others, one where the streets were quiet and the houses were all boarded up. For a moment is seemed like it would be a night where no one would die, but that never happens. Somewhere underneath the shadows and hiding had been a talk of fighting back, but no one was quite sure just how to do that. All they knew was that the master of the torturous shadows came from the north side and soon enough they were all marching there. Warlock, witches, berserkers, valkyrie, and all the others were forming alliances and working together to be rid of this monster.

The battle was long, dragging on. The shadows they all had to fight through were endless and they were all giving up hope. So many were hurt and some now laid dead in the streets or disappeared altogether. But hiding somewhere was a glimmer of light.

She wasn't suppose to be out. She'd been told to stay in the house with all the doors locked and in her hiding spot. Elise was always one to follow rules and she'd done what she had been told for a bit of time. The worry had begun to eat at her, to twist her insides and she had to see what was going on. Her parents were out there, fighting side by side, and she was left to simply hide.

Elise had made it all the way to where the bloodshed was, her stomach curling at the sight and her nose turning up at the stench of blood and the black ooze that came from the shadows. Terror rippled through her and she was stuck in place by fear despite hearing her name called by someone familiar. Was it Addison?

The valkyrie witch didn't have time to see who it was, not when her eyes landed on the sight of her mother on the ground and her father fighting against three shadows. More were closing in, but Charlotte wasn't getting up and Daniel was crumbling as more and more shadows jumped in. A scream ripped through Elise, tears in her eyes as she watched the blood that start to fall into the street. The blood of her parents.

Her feet moved before she knew what was happening, darting past people and shadows, aiming straight for the circle of darkness that had come around her parents. Elise pushed her way through, finding herself standing in front of her parents who were both on the ground, clasped together as if their final moments had come upon them and they were ready to die together. But Elise refused to allow that.

Before either of them could realize she was there, her hands were shoved outward in front of her. Where the power or knowledge of it came from, Elise would never know, but light sprang from her hands the moment they were held out in front of her. The brilliant white light sent the shadows shrieking away and she shook with the power that hummed inside of her as she held her position. Some bigger growled and the thrumming of the magic in her grew louder as the bright light grew 

In the dark clouds, the lightning began. A circle of rapidly striking lightning that lit up the sky in every direction. Slowly the shadows disappeared, the dark clouds disappeared, and the deity disappeared. Everything was completely silent as the white light died out, flickering for a few seconds before Elise dropped her hands. She could hear her name being called out, her parents both worried but in pain. Elise heard them, but her body crippled down onto the ground, the coldness of the street seeping into her skin. She could smell and taste blood, her own blood that dripped from her nose and from her mouth.

Her body seized, twisting and turning until it calmed down and she felt the tiredness come over her in waves.

"Elise, Elise..." 

Her name seemed so distant. Everything seemed so distant. Except for one moment when her eyes flicked into the direction of two faces, dirty and bloody, but alive and well. Her parents. Daniel and Charlotte. They were alive, that's what mattered. They were together.

With that thought, she closed her eyes and listened to her last heartbeats.

[swirlsofroses]

"And what if I just disappeared? What if you never spoke to me again, never saw me again? What if you never heard a single thing about me ever again? Would you care? Would you look for me? Or would you just do what you do now? Would you carry on as if I'm nothing? Would you pretend like I was never there? Would you take back everything you ever said and make it all just disappear? So what if I did just disappear? What would you do then?"

[swirlsofroses]

Elise Rigby and Charlotte Rigby

The rain hit the window hard, threatening to break the glass and spray the shards all over the room to ruin the silence and stillness of the room. Outside reflected the inside, at least the inside of the bedroom that sat to the west end of the building. It was late into the night, the early morning hours greeting those late night souls. Some were stumbling home from late night parties, some were cramming for tests or filling out late night paperwork for either a dead-end job or a corporate railroad, and there were a few who were awake not by their own choice.

Wrapping in a warm blanket and staring out the window at the stormy night was Elise, the darkness of the room shadowing over her entire body except for her face. The moon aimed right for her pale features, lighting up the round of her cheeks, the line of her jaw, and the soulful eyes that stared intently at the gloomy world just inches away from her. To those who looked close enough, it was almost as if the moon was giving a comforting touch to the girl who sat there, attempting to shine away the sadness that had taken over her beautiful face.

If you listened close enough, you could almost hear the moon whisper ‘do not be sad, my child’.

Scraping against the house made the ginger jump from her spot, her heart racing in that moment and ringing loud in her ears. Elise shook her head in attempt to get rid of the sound, throwing the blanket she had over her away from her shoulders so she could swing her legs around and hop off her bed. It was still strange to her to think that she was now living somewhere entirely new, in a house with her own mother. There were some days when the crippling fear of this being only a dream threatened to tear her apart.

It would never matter if her mother hadn’t been there through the beginning of her life, had kept secrets away from her. Elise loved her mother from the moment she was born, that love simply having been a longing from being so far away for so long. Now, the love was present, real, and something she never wanted to let go. The moment that love was gone would be the moment Elise would lose touch on reality.

There was also the matter of her father, the man Elise had never known much about other than what her mother had told her discreetly. It still amazed her that he’d been right there, helpful and kind to her. She could remember when she’d mentioned who her mother had been, the look on his face and the tone of his voice. When she found out, she hadn’t known what to do or what to say. He hadn’t known anyway, so what could she have done? But then he did know and it was the beginning of an unwritten story. Her unwritten story. Her family, the family she’d been looking for was right in front of her.

And yet, it was falling apart.

She wasn’t a child; things couldn’t be so easily hidden from her or assumed that she wouldn’t understand. She knew there was tension between her parents; she knew there was history between her parents. She also knew what they wouldn’t admit to herself, something that made her angry but sad at the same time.

Walking over to her dresser, Elise picked up the picture frames that were there. There were only two, pictures of her mother and her father together. Her slim fingers hovered over the surface, a look of longing for something that seemed so impossible. It seemed unfair, to have everything so close and yet not close enough. Elise had told herself on countless occasions that she was being selfish for wanting her parents together.

After spending so much time without parents, Elise knew she should be grateful for having one parent around. In truth, she didn’t want to be one of those kids who went from one parent to the other. She wanted both her parents together, in one house, as one family. She wanted what she’d been craving for, what she’d been denied for so long. It killed her to know that they were in a disagreement—although that was putting it lightly. Elise didn’t think Daniel hated her mother, but she was sure that he was rather furious with her.

It wasn’t right.

Elise looked down at the pictures, her grip on them tightening around the frames as she looked toward her bedroom door. The late hour didn’t matter to her as she left the room, walking down the hallway with the picture frames hugged to her chest, one on top of the other. Elise made it to the bedroom door that belonged to her mother, bouncing from one foot to the other before she knocked loud enough that she hoped her mother would rouse from her sleep.

Twisting the doorknob, Elise pushed the door opened gently and looked to the bed. Her mother, Charlotte, was there, obviously having been asleep and look clearly confused but also worried. Elise didn’t blame her; it wasn’t a normal thing to be woken up at two in the morning by your daughter.

“Elise, what’s wrong?”

Looking down at her arms, Elise removed one arm to use a hand to push back her ginger hair from her face, making her way over to the bed and crawling up from the end to the pillows so she could set next to her mother in the bed. The moon allowed plenty of light for the pictures to be seen clearly when Elise set them down on the bed, staring at them before she looked up at her mother.

“When I look at these, I see my parents… I see two people who love each other so much, more than the other realizes. I see two people who have so much to give each other and to share with each other. The fighting needs to stop. Your own daughter can see the truth between all the glares and the words thrown around. You two love each other and you both deserve to be happy with each other.”

Elise turned the pictures around on the bed so they were facing her mother, looking at Charlotte with bright and smiling eyes.

“We all deserve to be the family we’re supposed to be, a family full of love.”

[swirlsofroses]

Shiloh Holmes and Gabrielle Fowler

The sky was painted a brilliant scheme of colors, taking in Shiloh’s attention as she laid in the back of the truck and stared up at the sky. Reaching a hand up, she pretended to cup a hand around a cloud before slowly letting her hand fall back to her side, eyes closing in contentment. She could stay here in this moment forever and not have a single qualm against it. Other people would, but at the moment she wasn’t giving them much thought.

“Are ya done over there?” Shiloh said as she rolled over on the blankets set down, burying her face in the old pillow that was carelessly thrown on the truck bed earlier.

“Hold ya horses, will ya!”

The blonde giggled, eyes opening up to look toward the end of the truck bed where Gabe stood, hands on her hips with a sorry attempt at an angry glare. The smile didn’t help at all. Shiloh shifted back over into her area, clearing up the space for Gabe to come lay down.

“The others are gonna worry eventually.” Shiloh whispered, laying her head on Gabrielle’s chest when the other ‘wolf was comfortable.

It had been a spur of the moment type of thing, to just throw in the blankets and pillows, head out to a field, and just watch the sun slowly set. They’d have to be back at some point, Shiloh waiting for the moment her phone would begin to ring with one of the Betas or Kinsey calling about the two of them. Being cooped up around everyone else could get a bit tiresome though, at least to Shiloh.

“But this is my favorite time. Our time.”

[swirlsofroses]

She stood there, eyes focusing on nothing at all straight ahead of her. There were hundreds of people passing by her, making their way off to their job or to their home. Everyone was in a rush to get to where they needed to go and no one could see her, could see the look in her eyes.

They were stormy, the green eyes darkened over with a sadness in them. The light that usually shined so bright in her eyes was completely gone and nothing but a distant memory. She thought there were people who would help, would notice that pain that she was going through every single day. Life was as it was in that very moment, every single person just passing by without ever really noticing those who wanted someone to ask the simple question, ‘what can I do to help’? That question alone would mean so much and begin the process of slowly putting everything together once again.

Her head tilted back and she looked up to the bright blue sky where the fluffy white clouds drifted by like any other day. Everything else seemed so happy, so serene and yet she was falling, falling down faster and faster into something she did not know.

The feeling of someone’s shoulder hitting her own jolted her out from her thoughts, forcing her to spin around to the person. Whoever it was had already gone off and slowly the crowd began to grow smaller and smaller. She was left there all alone, the cold beginning to seep into her skin and into her bones.

The only question she could form in her mind was, ‘will this cold last forever’?

[swirlsofroses]

Shiloh Holmes and Gabrielle Fowler

The sun blared down like hell had decided to come up and make things that much harder. Shiloh was working as hard as she could to get everything in the barn cleaned up and reorganized, but it was proving to be a lot harder than she thought. Somehow within the winter months, things had just kept being moved and put out of place. Shaking her head, Shiloh continued to pick things up and set them where they belonged while trying hard to ignore the sweat that ran down her neck and down her back.

She wasn’t wearing much; it was hard to do so when the day was so hot. Her jeans shorts covered nothing of her legs and her boots protected her feet. She had on a shirt originally, but now it was tossed off to the side and that left her in the light blue tank top. The worry of sunburn was the last thing on her mind, but the barn provided enough protection anyway.

Her fingers picked up a few of the dirty buckets, moving them outside of the barn to where the hose was. Turning it on, she aimed the water at the buckets to get out the dirt rinsed out and be able to let them dry. Just about when she’d finished, her ears picked up the sound of boots crunching on the ground and she looked up to see Gabe walking over. “Reckon the least ya could’ve done was bring me a glass of water.” Shiloh said to poke fun at the other ‘wolf, fingers uncurling and curling around the hose again.

Before the sarcastic remark could be said that she expected from the girl, Shiloh had the hose up and aimed at Gabe, laughing when the water sprayed over the other ‘wolf and she could hear her name being shouted along with a curse or two. Stopping, Shiloh backed up a bit while trying hard to stop laughing so much. “Shiloh!” The yell made her stop and her eyes grow wide, the blonde turning and running away while laughing again.

She felt Gabe run into her, the two tumbling down to the ground and rolling before Gabe was over Shiloh. “Aw, you’re all wet, baby.” Shiloh giggled, leaning her head up to kiss Gabe.

Her smile only widened when the other kissed back.

[swirlsofroses]

She's become a cage, a cage for something wild and untamed. The battering of the monster vibrates in her bones and the hunger hums in her veins. She's at constant war against the monster, putting up her arms and pulling a brave face on. She refuses to submit, she refuses to let it take over her. She is not the monster. The monster is the society's creation. The monster is the mirror image of what the other people want. It is not her. She knows that and she accepts that so she fight and fight because she knows that when the sun comes up at the end of the long battle, she'll put down her weapons, wipe the sweat and dirt from her face, and see the truth of it all. The monster and all of them do not rule her, she is the ruler of herself. Queen of her domain and she dares anyone to challenge that.

[swirlsofroses]

Emerald Cover is no longer active, but a single paragraph in this was started and I felt the need to finish it out. I’m not a fan of leaving things unfinished. This was not a present thing, something that was far beyond the current point.

Sadie Bradley and Lucas Eastwood

Note: Sadie is my character, but Lucas is not and so I claim no ownership over him.

Dawn had made its arrival, painting the sky and the earth into color. A masterpiece created that only few were granted the privilege of being seen. Every dawn, one soul in particular would rise from the warmth of her bed and slowly make her way to the balcony and glance across the outside world that Mother Nature put on display. She leaned against the wooden railing, looking out across the backyard of her new home. It had taken some time to make the decision, but leaving had been the best idea after the incident.

Sighing at the beauty, Sadie forced herself to turn away and head back inside her home. It was secluded now, in the forests in New York where many people kept their distance from fear or just pure boredom with the nature. Sadie was far enough away from her original home, but close enough that she could still see her parents without it being a terribly long drive.

Even in the safety of her home, she glanced around at every sound and every creak with fear beating on her tiny frame. Her fingers always instinctively went to the scars on her arms, the ones that ruined the fair skin she had and kept her from wearing anything but long sleeved shirts when in public. There were too many questions that she could not answer and too many excuses that she couldn’t come up with to cover the suspicions.

In the comfort of her kitchen now, the scent of freshly brewing coffee overwhelmed her nose and relaxed her tensed muscles. Sadie had poured herself a mug and had just sat down at the kitchen table with her favorite book in hand when she heard the sound of something scraping along the side of the house. Her arm froze midway in the air where it was aimed to bring the rim of the mug to her lips; Sadie turned her head from left to right before she slowly moved up from her seat.

Her fingers shook with fright, her knees threatening to knock together and shatter the sudden silence that came upon the house. No. She told herself that there was nothing there and the paranoia from the past was crawling through her like a poison, ruining her life that she was trying so hard to turn back around. Sadie knew it was impossible though, not after what had happened.

She turned around slowly and everything was red. Everything was covered in the thick mass of blood and she screamed as she stumbled back to try and get away from it all. Sadie shook her head, closing her eyes and forcing the image away from her mind. The moment the incident came into her mind, she could remember all the blood, she could remember the loud noises, and her own piercing screams.

To this day, she couldn’t remember how it had ended. Her memory only went to the last of her bloody screams before everything went dark. When Sadie woke up, she’d been in the hospital and told very little because everyone knew very little. A man had found her nearly dead and brought her to the hospital. The doctor had told her that her heart had stopped twice, but they managed to revive her. They were worried about brain damage, but everything was in the clear.

After that, she was asked questions. That’s when the lies and the excuses started to spew from her lips. She told them all that she couldn’t remember what happened, that she only saw darkness. She told them all that nothing was wrong with her and that she just wanted to move back to be near her parents. She told them all that the scars were just from a dog attack and they believed it. As far as anyone—human wise—knew, it had been a dog. Others knew better, but that was it. Sadie had refused to let anyone know what she knew.

Returning to her coffee, she drank the mug while keeping an eye on her surroundings. Sadie must have read the same sentence in her book at least a couple dozen times before she finally set it down and cleaned out her mug. There wasn’t much for her to do for the day, not with being on break with work and her parents away on a vacation. Sadie didn’t even have friends anymore, unwilling to let them into her lives.

Much like every day, she went up the stairs, got dressed, and came back downstairs in hopes of doing something to keep herself occupied. That was the plan until she heard another noise, similar to the first. This time, it sounded closer to where she was in the house and her eyes instantly darted to the nearest window. Sadie took a deep breath and made her way over to the back door, sliding it open and stepping out on the wooden patio cautiously.

Her eyes moved around slowly along the rim of the forest, the little hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose up in alarm. She could hear her heart beat clearly in her ears, a sound force that made her want to hunch over and hide herself away from her own heart. There didn’t appear to be anything outside and Sadie moved to turn back into the house when she heard another noise. This one was different, a rustling.

When she turned to the forest, she’d thought she’d caught the sight of something glowing, but there was nothing. She blamed it on the sun and the beams of light; sure that it was only a reflection off of something in her backyard. Yet, she wasn’t convinced and only closed the door behind her as she stepped further out onto the patio, looking around with wide eyes and her arms encircled around herself.

“Hello?”

Sadie would not be able to tell anyone a reason for why she called out, her voice acting on its own accord. Something was not right; Sadie knew that in her heart but still kept herself from turning to go back into her home. Something kept her there. Fear? Curiosity? Hope? The hope was a long shot. Sadie had given up that hope after four years of waiting.

No answer came to her and so she finally shuffled her feet to turn herself around until she heard it again, only this time it was louder. Sadie paused, her back to the forest as she closed her eyes and turned around slowly. The sight in front of her threatened to do a million things at once to her fragile body and mind, but she stood there still with the emotions filling her entire being.

“Four years. I waited four years and you never came. I knew it was you who saved me. I couldn’t…I couldn’t remember seeing you there, but I knew when they said a man had found me that it was you.”

Sadie stepped forward a few steps but the grey wolf stepped back and she stopped short, refusing to have him disappear on her once again.

“Why did you not come find me? You never came to visit me in the hospital, you never came when I got out, and you never came when I moved here. I purposely left you that note and you didn’t come.”

There was anger in her words, but also devotion and hopelessness among a million other emotions. There were too many for her to control herself and think about what was rational. Nothing was rational when you were face to face with something that was supposed to be irrational.

“You blamed yourself, didn’t you? You blamed yourself for what they did and that’s why you didn’t come. You couldn’t have thought that I didn’t want to see or talk to you because I’d made it clear that I did, but you couldn’t bring yourself to come near me because you knew it was the wrong thing to do. I don’t care about the right or wrong thing. I don’t blame you. I don’t hate you. I hate them. I blame them. But you? I love you, Lucas.”

Sadie rushed to wipe away a tear from her face, realizing then that she didn’t have a jacket on, making her scars completely visible. She looked at them, twisting and turning her arms to look over the angry marks that would never go away.

“That night… I shouldn’t have gone out there. I thought that you might have been out there when you weren’t at your place. I thought I could find your wolf and I don’t know, but I shouldn’t have gone out there. I heard them before I saw them and they weren’t wolves. They were human at first, standing there… so menacing even in that form. I was scared; they weren’t like they had been when I’d met them in your home. I knew something was off about them at that point, but there in the forest…it was so much more dangerous. I understood why you’d told me not to be alone with them. I remember the taunting, the insults, the glares, and the looks they shared. I remember the shifting and I remember that it seemed like they were flying in the air at me…”

Sadie stopped, looking down to the ground. “I remember it all till I blacked out, but what sticks out the most is that in my thoughts at that moment when I thought I was dying was that I never told you the truth. I never told you that I looked outside for you day after day as a kid. I never told you that I longed for you when I was a teenager and I hadn’t seen you in so long. I never told you that when I first talked to you, there was something inside me…something that whispered that you were familiar even though I’d never heard you say anything ever before that point in time. I never told you that I was madly in love with you.”

She crouched down, hands held out slightly in hopes that Lucas would come near her, but he stayed there and she felt the reject like cold water in her veins. Quick as she could, she stood up and moved toward the house. Sadie had taken a bit of time inside, but when she’d come back outside, she knew he was right in the tree line. She could always feel his presence.

The clothes in her hands were an old pair of his from when he’d stayed at her place back in Emerald Cove. Sadie set them on the porch, looking out at the forest edge at the same time. “Come inside, Lucas. Please.” The words left and hung in the air as she went back inside, finding a spot on the couch in the living room and curling up as she chewed on her nails in nervousness.

It seemed like a million years before the back door opened and she looked up, her legs moving to get her on her feet and over to him. Sadie stayed back, looking over him and then to his eyes. It was clear at that point.

“Welcome home.”

She ran to him, caught up in the kiss that smothered them both with a happiness that had long since been gone. Even his touch made everything that happened a distant memory, something that could almost be called a nightmare. Sadie pulled away slightly when she felt his fingers running over her scars, watching as he seemed to look over them and get lost in the marks. Moving her hands, she raised up his head so his eyes were on her and not her arms, smiling at him.

“I love you Lucas.”

[swirlsofroses]

In the crowded darkness of winter, the cold licked at every surface and froze the time for those within. She remained alive and in her bodily warmth, the sun within burning bright as gold. Not a drop of fear could be found on her expression or in her mind, the girl of green grass and bright flowers calm at heart. There was a familiarity that came with the winter frost, one that many would cower in fear when in his sight. She stood tall on her toes, the hardened glaze of her eyes and the twist of a smirk on her lips revealing that she—much like him—was tainted by playful sins. And he, the one of fire, ice, and death knew that unlike the masses of souls that he had seen and touched, her bright sun was one that he would cherish and trust. As bright as it may be, he knew her secret…

That she was just as dark as him.