Twinned Flame

To Dance

Sylvie slowly caught her breath, listening as best she could through the heavy rhythm of the club to hear if anyone else came into the bathroom. She brought her knees to her chest, ignoring that she was on a dirty bathroom floor. She gripped her bleeding arm and a soft sob escaped her lips. Fighting on a field with other recruits was so much more different than fighting for what felt like your life in the real world. The girl out there was a wolf. She had the strength and power Sylvie would never possess. It had her terrified to fighting. What if she shifted? Where would Sylvie be then?

"f**k, f**k, f**k!" Sylvie mumbled to herself as she pulled at the toilet paper roll and attempted to stall the bleeding as best she could. Her hand ached from the impact of the punch, but she didn't pay it much mind. She was lucky the girl was distracted enough that she was even able to get a hit. Sylvie pulled the phone Aelis had given her out of her pocket, the screen lit up with multiple messages. Remembering what Aelis taught her, she clicked open the ones sent from him.

"Where are you?" "Are you taking a s**t?" "There was a scuffle at the bar, did you see it?" "Seriously where are you?" "Did you die on the pot?" "Hellooooo" They kept going, and she laughed a bit at his ridiculousness. She didn't want to respond right away, so she clicked out and saw Braxton had texted her

"If you ran away, be up and ready to head to Crestfallen tomorrow 8am" then "I'll drive" were the only texts. She clicked out of his and saw that she surprisingly had one from Hugo. She opened it

"Aelis texted and said he gave you a spare phone. I always meant to get you one, even in secret. — Hugo Gaines"

"Hey Kiddo, don't be afraid to call me if you need anything. — Hugo Gaines" Sylvie smiled, debating whether she should take him up on that offer or not. She peeled the toilet paper away to see the deep puncture wounds of the claw marks on her arm, some were still dripping with blood. She stood and peeked out from behind the stall door, making sure no one, especially that girl, had snuck in. Not seeing anyone, she walked over the sink, using the holes in the sleeve already to rip the sleeve off to assess the wounds more visibly. They were deep, but not deep enough to keep stitches. She used the torn sleeves to wrap them around the wound and tighten it to help with the ones that were still bleeding. She washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face, taking even steady breaths. This was her first time in a club, something she'd dreamed about experiencing ever since her academy days when kids would gush about weekend plans with friends. Her element was definitely in a training field, but what was that going to get her in the long run? She can't spend her whole life training and not using it. She looked at herself in the mirror, her hair was a little frazzled, but she smoothed it down with the rest of her outfit. Her eyes looked dull in the florescent light, and slightly reddened, she splashed her face with more cold water before she made the decision to finally leave.

Taking a breath and straightening her back, she opens the door and steps out, glancing down the small hallway to see if the girl was still there causing a scene. When she didn't hear anything, she walked back out to the end of the bar, everything was just as normal as it was on her original trip down here. People danced and swayed to the heavy rhythm of the music that pulsated the ground she stood on. Others grouped up at the bar happily chatting away and drinking colorful drinks. Sylvie didn't have any money on her, so the bar wasn't an option. She looked at the dance floor. Some people were paired off, while others danced for themselves. She gently swayed to the music, bopping her head along to the beat as she cautiously walked towards the floor. People surprisingly made way for her as she moved through trying to match the movements of those around her. Someone gently grabbed her by the waist and she tensed turning around to see a guy smiling down at her,

"No need to be tense, just wanted to ask if you wanted to dance" He said, his eyes were a deep brown and his hair, also brown, was gelled back.

"I saw your little fight at the bar, you threw one hell of a punch," he commented, and she blushed. He continued to smile.

"So.. Care for a dance?" he asked after another quiet moment. Sylvie bit her lip

"I've never danced before," she admitted. He laughed.

"It's OK, I'm not much of a dancer either, we can just sway to the music," he suggested. Sylvie nodded, allowing herself to be guided further into the crowd. He spun her until her back was against his chest, and she gently guided her to sway her hips in rhythm with his. He was a couple inches taller than her, so she took to looking up at him. He was smiling still, taking her non-injured arm and moving it up her own body before having it rest around his neck. His other arm snaked around her waist, holding her against him,

"You sure you're not a dancer?" he teased, and Sylvie felt her face flush. He chuckled at her reaction, moving his face into the crook of her neck. He breathed deep and Sylvie's breath caught,

"You don't smell like a normal wolf," he commented, causing Sylvie to get tense. People in the pack knew of her, a rogue on the outskirts of pack lands, but not everyone knew what she looked like or even her name. She didn't carry the scent of a wolf, and wasn't allowed blockers, which gave off its own smell. She went to pull away, afraid of the immediate rejection she was about to receive when this guy found out she was the rogue. He held her tight, shushing.

"Hey, it's OK, I don't mind," he said, but it didn't quell her initial fear. He wrapped both of his arms tighter around her waist, keeping his face in the crook of her neck and just continued to sway her.

"I'm not saying it's a bad smell," he said when he felt that she still hadn't relaxed,

"It's just different," he continued. Sylvie set her arms to rest on top of his, and she allowed herself to continue to be swayed by the beat. It continued through until her pocket began vibrating relentlessly. She moved out of his embrace, pulling out her phone to a call from Aelis. She looked up at the balconies, but couldn't see him through the colorful dancing lights. She answered, not knowing if she was even going to be able to hear him.

"Get up here NOW," he demanded before disconnecting the call. She looked at the guy, whose arms she'd just been in and half smiled at him.

"Sorry I have to go," she said, moving close so he could hear her,

"What are you Cinderella?" he asked. She gave him a confused look.

"No, I'm Sylvie," she said, and he laughed.

"And I'm James," he said. He took her phone and added his contact.

"In case you want to not dance with me again," he said, smiling at her, she took the phone back and nodded before weaving her way off the dance floor and finding her way back towards the stairs. The same burly security guard was there. When he saw her approaching, he moved out of the way, and she was surprised, thinking she'd need to explain to him.

"I have good memory," he grumbled when he saw her puzzled expression. She nodded, rushing up the stairs and back towards Braxton.