“I mean,” Marco rubbed his head, “she has the scent but just…I don’t know. I don’t think she’s one of us.”
“A shifter?”
Marco let out a low guttural sound of warning. Reyna only rolled her eyes, “Come on,” she shrugged, “we can’t lie to ourselves about what we are. It’s not like we’ll ever forget. We’re just staying in the city temporarily, remember?”
“It’s been over a year, Reyna,” Marco gave her a deadpanned look. “How long is temporary for you?”
“Touché,” she said, “but we can’t pretend to be human and eventually fall for that lie. That’s going to backtrack us right into extinction. You know better than anyone how terrible it is to feel alone. Like you’re the only one like you out there.”
Marco looked away and leaned his head against the window, taking a deep breath. Reyna was right. It was foolish to believe they could ever fully integrate with humans. They were so different. Too selfish and self-centered and invested in technology and other frivolous things. Shifters are also attuned to nature to keep up with such a disconnected community of people.
But Amelia…Marco believed she was different. He just knew it.
“So,” Reyna started a little more confidently, “back to the question. What is it about Amelia?”
Marco had to give it some thought before answering. The last thing he needed was to be invalidated, considering how his actions so far have been impulsive regarding her. He knew the Rouge twins had never seen me like this before.
“I just…I don’t know!” He threw his hands up in the air, “It’s what I want to figure out myself.”
“And it needs to be on a date?” she teased.
“It’s not a date,” He grumbled.
“You wish it were, though,” Mason chuckled. Marco shoved him, sending the car steering off course for a few seconds and giving them both a heart attack.
“MARCO!” Mason yelled, “I’m driving!”
“Then stop talking.” He huffed at him and focused on the road, “Take the highway shortcut.”
“Huh,” Reyna piped in curiously, “You usually want the longer routes to finish your song.”
“I just don’t feel like it tonight,” He shrugged. He hoped he would be better in the morning, though. And so would Amelia…
She looked so peaceful as she slept as if she didn’t have a care in the world. In a world like hers, maybe sleep was her only refuge. He remembered thinking he wanted to lie down next to her and hold her, and maybe have the chance to feel the peace she was feeling. He wanted to feel her body against his, the softness of her skin, and the scent of pine and river engulfing him all around, taking him back to when the pack had a good reputation, and they were safe.
At the back of his mind, he had this matter to worry about, too. He knew any day now; his pack would need him. And, he'd have to go back. He had to do something about the occasional riots. He had his men stationed there all times, updating him about the constant on-goings, and luckily, nothing severely upsetting had turned up. But Marco had been experiencing a peculiar feeling lately. Like the dawning of a miserable event. Marco felt his head throbbing.
No, not right now. Marco shrugged off the thought, eyes returning to the road.
***
As Amelia slid into the backseat of the cab, Marco's face hovered in her head like a fragment of a beautiful memory. She was still overwhelmed by emotions that she wasn't sure she fully understood. She pressed her forehead to the windowpane and heaved in a huge sigh. Her eyes were trailing across the series of scars curled around her fingers, fresh wounds still burning red.
Some part of her hoped that this would pass. That one beautiful morning, she would wake up with Kyle's arms coiled around her waist, his head buried in her hair and his fingers caressing her neck. That she would catch his hazel eyes stealing a glimpse of her, gaze dripping with unwavering love. The same way they did the day he dropped to his knees and proposed her. That was when she couldn’t imagine saying anything but yes.
But somewhere along the way, the string tying their hearts together split. And with every passing day, Kyle drifted away, leaving her world shattered to bits. She spent long nights, staring vacantly in the arms of the shadows, pondering over her doings. Where did she go wrong?
Yet her reasoning always failed her. While Kyle's rage only grew worse.
And here she was today, head in her hands, caught in the aftermath of yet another episode. Her thoughts troubled by a man who wasn't her husband. She pulled herself closer together, and her mind wandered off to dear Alex – two bulbous tears escaping her eyes. No. Right now, her son needed her more than an intimidating man she had accidentally stumbled upon.
The cab came to a stop.
Handing the driver cash, she headed out towards the coffee shop. Mark was already there. Her face lighted up as she caught sight of him, and she pulled him into a tight hug, chin nestled in his shoulders. He patted her back, and after a few long moments, withdrawing her head from the embrace, she said,
"I'm so glad to see you." She tried to have a grip on her emotions, but it was too hard. The ache in her chest was sharp, and she broke into a rush of tears.
"Hey, hey." He held her face in his hands, wiping away the tears that cascaded down it. "It's alright, Amelia. I'm here for you, okay? We'll figure this out. Here, have a seat."
