8. Adrianna

ADRIANNA

Just say the word.

Just. Say. The. Fucking. Word?

Who the fuck is this guy?

Irritation claws through me, and I can still sense his eyes along my skin as I get the fuck out of there. With a shake of my head, I back up, and take off in a sprint

That's way too serious. I could hear it in his voice. If he said it in the carefree fun way he usually says everything else, I would have likely brushed it off and jumped on his dick, but that was far from the Brody I'm used to. My usual interactions with Brody are funny, but that was bordering on commitment, and I'm not here for that.

Shit, he had me talking about myself, which is far enough outside of my comfort zone as it is.

My muscles relax a little as I follow the path and turn so I'm no longer visible from the forest, his gaze disappearing along with it. My ovaries are disappointed, but my head isn't.

Stupid fucking men with magic fucking dicks.

I keep my head high and my gaze locked ahead as I stomp down the path back toward the fae building. I pass a few people, but I pay them no mind as I have my sights set on my destination. I've got my hands full with last night's drama, the annoyingly hot guys that continue to appear in my way, and life itself. Not to mention the looming crown I refuse to allow anyone else to win.

I don't need to add any issues with anyone else along the way. Not when I've still got Vallie and the majority of the female wolves to contend with too.

Stepping through the front door, I spy Arlo still passed out on the sofa, but nobody else seems to be around. Heading straight upstairs, I exhale with relief when I reach my floor, but my steps falter as I near my door.

A rose.

Just as crimson as the other.

Balanced on my door handle.

What the fuck is going on?

Glancing around, I see nothing, hear nothing, and sense just as much.

"Who the fuck is this?" I call out, getting nothing in response as I grab the thorn-free stem and peer down at it. "Stop being a weirdo and show your damn face," I push, my irritation growing, but I still get no reply.

Assholes.

It's annoying that the flower is so pretty, though. It calls to the earth magic inside of me, and the desire to nurture it takes over.

Stepping inside my room, I kick the door shut and place the flower beside the one I found this morning. It's a pity there's nothing to put them in.

I could probably steal a glass from the dining hall, or if I can get my hands on some sand, I could make something myself with my fire magic.

That's a thought for later, though. A distraction of a good kind when I may need it.

As much as I want to nurture the flowers, I need to take a minute and nurture myself, even if it's simply in a mental capacity. Life is sucking big giant monkey balls right now, and I really need to get my head on straight. It's one hurdle after another, and my body is feeling the ache.

I almost consider rushing back to Brody to let him fuck it out of me, but the reminder of his words has me standing firmly in place. I need a release, not another layer of madness to add to the pile.

The familiar sound of my cell phone vibrating on my nightstand makes me jolt and I whirl around to face it like it's sent from the devil himself. Apparently, I'm a little jittery this morning, which only serves to irritate me even more.

With a sigh, I cut the distance and retrieve the device, watching as my sister's name flashes across the screen.

I should have known. It wouldn't be anyone else, but how can I talk to her like this? After last night? Today? There's so much going on, and I'm not ready to tell her any of it.

But if I don't answer at all…

Shit.

Taking a deep breath, I muster the best smile I can, knowing full well she will be able to tell the difference if I don't.

"Hey." The word breezes past my lips effortlessly, and a rush of relief runs through me.

"Hey, how's your weekend going?"

"Boring," I lie, flopping down on the bed, and she scoffs.

"That's because you have no academy stuff to do. You need something to do outside of that, Addi. You need to live a little."

I roll my eyes even though she can't see. "I don't have time to live a little." Or, more specifically, every time I do, something goes drastically wrong. Like last night, for example, or my birthday, for another. Nothing good comes from veering off track.

"Video chat with me, Addi. I'm bored and I miss your face."

Dammit.

How does she have such an ability to wedge me between a rock and a hard place?

If I decline, she'll only push and know something is wrong. If she notes a single ounce of uncertainty on my face, she'll grill me until she pulls the truth from my lips. If it's going to go wrong, it's out of my hands, so I opt for the latter. If she does see right through me, at least we took the shortest journey to get to my demise.

Clicking the video chat button, I wait a few seconds until her face appears on my screen. My heart warms at the sight of her. I can't describe how much I miss her. Everything I do is always for her, even being here, but the distance between us makes it harder. If she were here, I wouldn't be dealing with all of this mess. I'd probably be dealing with more.

"Where's Dad?" I ask when I notice she's sitting in his brown leather armchair.

A look flashes in her eyes before she answers. "In the barn, fixing up my wheels."

Panic strikes through me and my eyes widen. "Why? What happened?" I rush, and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Quit worrying. It just broke on the way back from the market. See? I'm fine." She aims the cell phone farther away so I can see more than just her face.

Her feet are settled on the carpet, a blanket over her lap, and she's wearing one of my hoodies. She's such a menace. I don't call her out on it, though. I like that there's a piece of me there with her.

Despite the happiness I feel when I see her in one piece, as she promised, my heart still aches.

I know it's because of me that she couldn't be healed. I'm the reason she looks perfectly kept together, but her legs are deceiving. Her wheels, as she likes to call them, are the only way she can get around. It's because of me my sister is confined to a wheelchair.

I didn't know at the time. I was so small and scared that I didn't realize what I was doing, but the knowledge remains inside of me, and it will do so forever.

"I know that look on your face," she states, and I gulp, trying to widen my eyes and smile.

"What look?"

"You know exactly what look," she retorts with a cock of her eyebrow.

"I love you, Nora."

She shakes her head. "Yep, definitely that look that is always followed by those heartfelt words."

"What?" I'm terrible at faking innocence with her, and she knows it.

"Don't what me. You're just jealous that I get carted around like an extra special princess and you don't." We both have knowing looks. Just as she points out mine, I can see hers. She loves to make light of the situation like this. She's forever my savior, the good in this world, and it only makes me love her harder.

"You're wicked," I state, and she chuckles.

"And you love it."

"I do," I admit with a nod.

"Any guys we should be excited about?" she asks, veering away to lighter conversation. In her opinion, at least. In mine, it's a loaded topic.

"Definitely not," I grumble.

"You're boring, Addi." If only she knew.

"Maybe, but that's my life goal. One of us has to be boring so the other can bask in all of the epicness," I state, making her grin grow wider.

"And you can't have any of my epicness. I'm not good at sharing," she retorts, and I shake my head at her.

"I have permanent bruise marks to confirm that statement."

"You're welcome." She preens, making me snicker, when a knock echoes from my door.

I glare at it before turning my stare back to her.

"Why is it, whenever you call, someone knocks on my door? Are you drawing people toward your awesomeness without even being here?" I quiz her, despite the uncertainty I feel. I'm not all that keen on opening the door right now.

She giggles. "I just can't help myself."

I stand, swallowing down the concern in my throat. "Of course you can't. Talk soon?"

She nods. "Talk soon. I love you."

Those three words from her fill my heart with so much love I can't even find a strong enough word to describe it.

"I love you too."

She disconnects the call and I slip my cell phone back into my drawer as another knock sounds from the door.

Why is there no patience in this place?

With a heavy sigh, I place a palm on my door, trying to read who is on the other side. I can't seem to decipher their thoughts. Reluctantly, I grab the door handle and pull it open.

Ah, fuck.