I sat at my local café, staring out into the darkness of the streets as the snow drifted gracefully down onto the concrete of the porch outside.
“It’s still snowing,” I said quietly, watching the silver glistening flakes flutter to the floors.
Damon didn’t answer, but I could tell he was watching me.
I held my chai tightly in my hands, relishing in the warmth as it bled into my skin.
“Hey,” someone said then, stepping over to the table, “she taken?”
I gazed up then, finding a guy standing next to the table, giving me some weird eye-rake.
I had to resist shivering in disgust.
Ugh… one of those creeps must’ve snuck in. They always do this at this time of night… and they leave messes all over the bathroom as well as dine and dash.
“Leave,” Damon said too kindly to him. “Now.”
“Hey,” he said then, gazing down at me, “I asked the lady.”
I then turned away when his alcohol-filled breath soured into my nostrils.
Damon just gazed over at him, and I could clearly tell his eyes were green right now. “I said… LEAVE. NOW.”
The creep just stood as if someone just pulled up his puppet strings, and he walked casually out the door without looking back.
It was quiet alarming to find out that Damon could control a person’s movements… and their thoughts, too. Control their everything.
It wasn’t exactly the most… pleasant thing to think about.
But… alas…
It was quiet in here now… I didn’t know why it was so empty in this café when it was so cold outside. Maybe it was because it was so close to closing.
I then looked over at Damon, finding him staring at me.
“Do I have something on my face?” I said then.
He just lowered his lashes. “Something’s off about you.”
I just watched him in boredom. “And that is?”
“You have this spit-fire persona,” he said then, continuing to watch me, “but… it makes me wonder.”
“Wonder what?” I said then.
His lashes remained lowered. “Why you’re not afraid of me.”
I just arched a brow. “Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you?”
He watched me closer now. “Because I’m going to kill you.”
I blinked then, watching him carefully.
“When I said I would make your death painless,” he continued, “you said ‘I know’, as if that sentence didn’t impact you in the slightest. In fact, you sounded amused. Not only that, but a normal human being would actually run from me and hide from me, screaming for me to let them go, but you’re not even tense.”
I just continued watching him.
“That aspect of fear… doesn’t fit into your personality,” he stated then. “It just doesn’t.”
I continued watching him.
“You’ve changed,” he said then, lashes lowering, “but into what?”
“Is that supposed to be a question?” I asked him then.
“Yes,” he said then, smirking now, “and it wasn’t rhetorical. I expect an answer.”
I just looked away.
“You’re not leaving this café without an honest answer,” he said then, smirking. “Or… you could unblock your thoughts.”
“And why would I do that?” I demanded.
“Sometimes…” he said then, setting his cheek in his hand, “if you don’t want to say something, just let me read it.”
“I don’t want your werewolf dick-brain digging around in my mind,” I said then, annoyed.
He just chuckled. “Mm… then I guess we’ll be here a while.”
I just watched him, but he didn’t move a muscle.
We stared at each other, but neither of us was faltering.
But I lowered my lashes, caving. “For five seconds.”
“I can handle that.” He spun his finger around the rim of his mug.
I just closed my eyes, releasing a small little slip of my thoughts from the wall I put up so long ago.
I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, feeling my thoughts and memories flood past the wall as if it were an open flood gate, and I distantly counted for five seconds.
I then shoved the wall back up, and my internal sentences slammed against it at the action.
I parted my lashes then, gazing over at Damon to see his expression.
I was expecting a pale face of horror, maybe concern… or maybe a bit of fear and backing away once he heard what I really thought deep inside.
But I was wrong.
Because he was smiling.
“So that’s why you don’t care,” he said then.
I blinked then, brows drawing together.
“My,” he said then, lashes lowering as his eyes glowed a slight green, “you’ve gone insane, haven’t you?”
I just stared down at my cup, smiling now.
“You hide it well,” he said then, sounding more amused than concerned, “this act you put on is very convincing.”
“I like the act,” I said then, gazing up, “it makes me feel normal.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re far from normal,” he said then, leaning his cheek on his hand. “That’s what makes you so interesting.”
I gazed up then, watching his stance seem more predatory now. “You’re not afraid of me? You don’t think I’m weird?”
“No,” he said then, “I find you fascinating. But… the real question is what made you go insane in the first place.”
I stared at him for a moment, but my lips thinned. “You don’t know?”
“I have a suspicion.”
“What is it?”
“The death of your father,” he said then.
I smiled then. “You’re correct.”
“But there’s more to it, isn’t there?” he said then. “Do enlighten me.”
“I said five seconds,” I told him, gazing back down at my cup to take a sip. “I gave you five seconds. Figure out the rest by yourself.”
I then stood and caught my to-go mug. “Have a nice night, Damon.”
“Alpha Damon,” he corrected.
“I’m not an underling,” I said then, smiling still, “doesn’t work on me.”
“It will,” he promised.
I just turned and started to the door, exiting seconds later and making my way home.
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