You Belong To Me

Chapter Four: Genevieve

So, for some reason, I'm carrying a child in my arms and following a man I don't know to places unknown.

I had not pictured this happening at all, and I would've made an excuse to get out of it, but damn if I could refuse this little angel anything.

Especially when she shined those baby blues my way and pouted like that.

Eva and I had become friends shortly after I'd graduated high school. She used to drop by the house a lot to take art classes from my mother, and she and I used to chat a little when she arrived.

I would take my mom's car and drop her off at Mrs. Jones's house, and during that time, we learned we actually had quite a bit in common.

Even after I started my job and began to travel a lot, I would drop by to see her when I came home.

I'd spend time with her, Cole and Noelle, and even helped out his mother in the kitchen when I could.

Noelle had named me Gigi because she couldn't pronounce my name when she was younger, but the name had stuck.

It's been a while since I saw her, and the fact that she hasn't forgotten me made my heart squeeze.

So obviously I would go anywhere with her.

But also, I was very curious about my reaction to this guy.

I mean, logic couldn't explain why I had felt so drawn to him so soon. I hadn't even laid eyes on him before I started reacting to his presence.

I'd been feeling a little restless since I arrived, and I'd walked around the large, expansive area hoping to ease it just a bit, but I'd been unsuccessful.

I was just about to return to my friends when I saw Noelle charging at me through the crowd, and I'd been so happy to see her, I'd swept her up into my arms like she was still four years old.

My heart had warmed, and the restlessness had settled for a second before I'd turned around and seen him.

He was f*****g gorgeous.

Like, face carved by the gods, kind of gorgeous.

I mean, come to a standstill and stare, kind of gorgeous.

It was my first, proper look at him since I was a child, and I knew for a fact that I hadn't reacted to him the way I was now.

No, the first time I'd seen him, I had been plenty curious, and I'd wanted to be around him, sure, but that was it.

I think anyone my age would've been curious about the prince with the white hair.

My friends and I most certainly were.

But I hadn't gone near him.

I'd just sat in my dad's car and watched him walk past with Rehan, smiling and tossing a football into the air.

He wasn't just cute anymore, though.

He'd grown into a tall, broad-shouldered man, with gorgeous lips and snowy, white hair. His arms were thick with toned muscle, and adorned with a variety of tattoos, all of which made him look a little more attractive to me.

His aura was a bright, almost blinding gold that fascinated me more than his eyes did, which was saying quite a bit because the way he was looking at me right now...

Dark, possessive and intense, with just a dash of curiosity. I felt fixed to the spot, like I couldn't move as he came closer.

His scent hit me then, a mix of masculinity, power and raw, unadulterated emotion.

He was like an exposed nerve right now, and I wondered if I was the only one who could feel the shift in the air, the imbalance we were causing.

The tension between us tightened, and the closer he got to me, the more I wanted to lose myself in him.

His smile, when it comes, reveals two adorable dimples in his cheeks. I didn't think he was even aware that he was grinning down at me right now, though.

I've never reacted to any man like this before.

Except for a tug in my loins - crude, I know - I was mostly unaffected by beautiful men.

They were so obnoxious, arrogant in the way they carried themselves, but Wren seemed anything but that.

So yes, I'm following him.

Because I need to understand what's so special about him that I was behaving like a teenager at the sight of him.

"Would you like anything to drink? I'm afraid this isn't going to be much fun," he said, his voice gruff and deep, the sound awakening parts of me I didn't even know existed.

"Some lemonade, please. I'm a little parched," I said.

He leads us to a stall where two teenagers are selling cold, fragrant glasses of lemonade.

I accept one with a straw and hold it up for Noelle, who eagerly sips at the beverage, holding the glass in her small hands.

I sip from the straw while Wren pays for the drinks and then he carefully leads me to a Mrs. O'Neill's stall, who's selling a bunch of different items.

She smiles up at us warmly, her brown eyes softening at the sight of Noelle in my arms.

"Well, if that ain't a sight," she remarked, handing me a spicy pork kebab.

"Hey, Mrs. O'Neill," I said, taking the snack.

"It's good to see you home, sweetness. How was Indonesia?"

"Overrated," I said, smiling at her.

She sighs almost wistfully, looking off into the distance, her mind far away.

"I envy you for that, you know. I've always wanted to travel to some exotic country, and immerse myself in other cultures and what have you."

I'd heard that from plenty of people before. What I did for a living allowed me to go anywhere at the drop of a hat, and I was fortunate to have seen so much already.

"It's a rather unique experience, I'll admit. But nothing beats home."

"Just how often are you gone, exactly?" Wren asked then.

"Most of the year. I usually come back for Christmas and Thanksgiving, though."

He takes a bite of his kebab, his gaze roaming over my features.

I have to set Noelle down for a bit so she and I could both eat properly, and Mrs. O'Neill leans on her table to watch me help Noelle with her snack.

I remove all the meat from the stick and place it on a paper plate before setting it on my lap for her.

She takes a bit of chicken and pops it into her mouth.

"How come we've never seen you with any young man around here?" the older woman asks.

I shrugged, aware of Wren's eyes on me.

"I guess I'm just not ready to settle down yet. I still have plenty I want to do, plenty I want to see. I don't want to be tied down to this place forever."

"Even if you met someone worth it?" she asked softly.

I shrugged again, uncomfortable with where this conversation was going. As far as I was concerned, my relationships were none of anyone's business.

But I couldn't say that to her.

My mother had taught me never to be disrespectful to my elders, and telling someone something like that was definitely under the "no" list.

"I guess we'll see. Anything could happen. We make plans and the gods laugh, right?"

She makes a sound of assent turns to help someone else, leaving me with Wren and Noelle.

I finally take a bite of my kebab, and I moan my way through it before taking another one, and another, all different flavours.

Wren watches me with an amused grin as I wolf down the snacks, and even Noelle giggles at my reactions.

"What? It's really good," I explained.

"May I ask if you'll be around the rest of the summer? Or will you be jetting off some place new in a few days?"

If he continues to ask me so politely, well, I just might answer every questions he asks me.

"For now, I'm home," I tell him. "My intention is to stay until winter, but I may be sent somewhere a little sooner than expected."

"And you'll have to go?" he asks quietly.

I turn to him, and the softeness in his features knocks the wind right out of me.

For goodness sake, breathe!

I nodded, inhaling somewhat deeply. "It's my job. I can't exactly say no."

His gaze lowers to my lips again, and he reaches out almost subconsciously to wipe the bit of sauce on the corner of my mouth with the tip of his finger.

My face heats when he puts the digit between his lips, and I almost melt into a pool at his feet when he begins to suck on it.

Nope, Gene.

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

I had to leave.

I had to go right now.

"I'm going to use the bathroom," I said, standing up.

He wraps a hand around my wrist, keeping me in place momentarily and looks at me.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped. You don't have to go."

I'm about to respond when a tall woman with bright red hair and icy blue eyes pulls up at our table, her hand resting possessively on Wren's shoulder.

My eyes sweep up to meet her narrowed eyes, and I school my features to keep from showing the irritation at her presence.

"Would you mind if I stole my fiance back for a bit?" she asked, smirking at me.

On the outside, I seemed unphased by her appearance, by the hand touching him like he belongs to her.

But on the inside, honey, I'm raging.

My wolf, usually so calm and well-tempered, clawed at my insides, fighting to get out and rip her hand off of him.

My gaze lowers to where she's touching him, and I practically growl when she digs her fingers into his skin.

I turn to Wren, who's looking at me curiously, probably with the same amount of surprise I'd shown a few minutes ago.

"Not at all," I said, my voice light and unbothered. I keep my eyes on his even as I stand up, hoping the disappointment is reflecting well in my eyes.

He reluctantly lets go of my wrist and I bend down to kiss Noelle's forehead and gently fix up her hair.

"I'll see you later, sweetie, okay?" I said.

For once, she doesn't throw a tantrum, but pulls me into an adorable hug that brings the smile back to my face.

"Bye, bye, auntie Gigi."

She kisses my cheek with her sticky mouth, and I giggle as I let her go.

I meet Wren's gaze for another second, and the intensity there catches me slightly off guard.

I turned and walked away, trying really hard not to look over my shoulder when I could still feel the heat of his gaze on my back.

***

As is the ritual since my return, I make the drive to my parents' house. I get out of the car with the tea in a small packet and shut the door.

I make my way to the door and walk in without knocking, the way I usually did when I got there.

I make my way to the living room, where my dad is usually sitting in front of the television, watching sports of some kind, but to my surprise, he isn't there.

"In here, darling," my mother called.

"Where's dad?" I asked, kissing her on the cheek in greeting.

She smiles up at me and gently squeezes my hand in hers.

"He's with Bree's dad at the farm, collecting this week's supply of meat. He should be back in a bit," she said.

"He mentioned your dreams were back. I brought you this to help you sleep."

She takes the herbs and examines them closely, sniffing at them cautiously.

"Should I make you some tea?" I asked.

"Yes, please."

I pour some water in the kettle and set it to boil, while I remove two mugs from the cupboard.

"Lemon peel or vanilla chai?"

"Lemon, dear."

Once the water is done, I pour the water into the mugs and dip the teabags inside. I place hers in front of her and sit down.

"Mom?"

She turns to look at me, her expression subdued from the lack of sleep.

"What was it like when you met dad?"

She takes a moment to consider my words, and I watch as the smile on her face slowly begins to spread across her beautiful face.

"It was strange at first. I was just a child when I met him. Just sixteen, you know. I couldn't understand why I was so attracted to him, so drawn. It wasn't until we met a second time, years later that I realised what it meant.

"When I saw him again, he was a little older, more mature. I felt like I couldn't breathe, I was so overwhelmed."

Yep, yep. Sounds a little familiar.

"My heart was racing, and I was edgy and tensed up. When I think about it now, it's actually embarrassing."

She giggled a little bit, thinking back to the moment she met my father.

"He came right up to me and introduced himself, even though it was totally inappropriate. But he didn't care. From that point onwards, it was impossible to stay away from him for long."

"Did you feel restless? Like there was something you had to do, and you couldn't relax until you like..."

"Saw him? Yeah, it was exactly like that. Did you finally meet your mate?"

She perked up at that, taking my hand in hers and squeezing affectionately.

"I think. But," I sighed. "The situation isn't exactly ideal. Besides the fact that I'm never around, he's not exactly available."

She frowns in confusion.

"He's committed to someone else."

My mom makes a comforting sound and rubs my back soothingly, trying to ease the tension in my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry. Are you sure he's your soulmate?"

"I think," I said, dipping the teabag into my mug. "The timing just sucks. And if he were anyone else, this wouldn't even be an issue."

She smiles gently at me, her golden eyes twinkling with concern and tenderness.

"Don't worry, darling. I have a feeling everything will work out eventually. It'll be impossible to stay away from each other for long, and I'm sure you'll figure it out."

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"We'll see, mommy. I'm a lot more concerned about you, though. It looks like your dreams they're a lot worse this time."

And it showed.

There were large, dark circles under eyes, and her skin looked a little grey, as if the lack of sleep was draining the life from her. Her honey-gold hair had dulled to an almost platinum blonde, which worried me most of all.

She held the tea in her hand, examining them a little closer. They gave off a rather sweet scent, completely different from the actual taste, which was bitter and strong.

I'd bought the tea from a healer in China because I had a bit of trouble sleeping a few months ago, nightmares haunting me every time I closed my eyes.

I gently shook my head to dispel the haze that fell over my brain every time I recalled that day, and focused my attention on my mother.

"They're getting a lot more vivid, more real. There's one in particular, that starts with a sharp crack of lightning and then rain. I'm standing in the middle of the forest, and the temperate starts to drop, chilling me to the bone. I'm shivering, walking through the woods trying to find a trail back to town, using the moon to light my way, but I can't seem to leave. Every turn I take leads me back to this spot."

She traces a mark on the table, her manicured nail scraping against the wood.

"Then suddenly, I hear this rumble, like thunder or something. Or maybe it's hoofbeats, I'm not sure. But it gets louder and louder, as if the cause is getting closer.

The temperature drops to freezing, and when I turn around, there they are. They're always dressed in black, with faces made of absolute darkness under wide brimmed hats, red eyes glowing from atop these black horses. Every night, they chase me through the woods, and just as I'm about to escape, they catch me and drag me back to town. I'm forced to watch as they kill every supernatural creature in sight. They burn everything, everyone, leaving piles of ash where the town once stood."

I shiver, rubbing against my arms to restore some heat.

"Is it always the same dream?" I asked, taking her hand in mine.

She shook her head.

"Sometimes I dream about you, wielding a sword and facing down an army by yourself. You know you don't have a chance, but you stand there bravely, gripping your sword between your hands.

"Other times I see you with someone, standing beside one another, holding hands. It always varies, but I'm not as scared for you when I see you with them," she says, squeezing her hand around mine.

I had no idea what any of those dreams meant, but I couldn't help but wonder if they may be predictions of the future. My mother had predicted a few things already, small and inconsequential to most people, but they'd happened exactly as she'd said.

Which is what really scared me, if I was being honest.

"Does dad know about this?"

She nodded slowly. "He does, and he's just as worried as I am because I've started to walk around in my sleep."

I gasped at that.

"Mom..."

"I know," she says, closing her eyes. "I get a little further each night and your father is worried that time may be running out. He thinks that once I get to that spot in the woods, they'll be coming for me. For all us."

She locks her golden eyes onto mine, looking more serious than I've ever seen her.

My mother was a vibrant, bubbly person who attracted good, positive energy wherever she went. I had never seen her act out in anger or malice, nor has she ever hated anyone in her life.

I'd always thought of her as an angel, because she's so damn good all the time.

Except for when she was disciplining me, she was always smiling or laughing at something.

Always.

This is new for her.

This edgy, seriousness.

"I think he may be right, Genna. I think..." she pauses, her features marred with tension. "I'm afraid that something is coming."