Chapter Two: Alpha Castle
612 Words
Chapter Two: Alpha CastleHe points out various landmarks briefly as they passed them. There is an air-strip about a mile and a half from the town that they had just passed. "It's useful," he says smoothly. "When I have to leave for work."
He drives past the towns too quickly for her to remember any of the names, only a hasty impression of houses and hotels huddled side by side. It feels rather touristy and he tells her that there are mansions hidden among the mountains with private airstrips, so she gets the impression that the island is where those ridiculous rich people come to hide.
"If you're tired, you can have a short nap. It's a long drive," he tells her at some point and she wonders if her exhaustion is so clear or he has gotten tired of her company already.
"I'm not tired," she says mutinously, but her tail curls around her body and she grabs onto the end of it. She holds onto it with both hands on her lap and leans against the door of the car, her eyes fluttering close despite her declaration.
She must have dozed off because the next time she opens her eyes, she's looking at a massive castle, built of pink granite and creamy sandstone. It stands on the cliff-top, four-square to the winds, the westering sun turning to told it's turrets and towers. She wishes someone had warned her that she would be managing a castle.
He catches the awe and surprise in her eyes and smirks. "There are a lot of empty rooms and dark hallways in the castle, Miss Tina. Do such things scare you?"
She meets his eyes, knowing that the light would catch her eyes just right at that angle, allowing him to see a faint glow in them. It is difficult to find a place that is so dark that she wouldn't be able to see anything. "I don't scare easy," she lies. She is afraid of just about everything.
"Don't you?" His voice holds the slightest hint of menace, while his eyes appraised her cooling, clearly with mock exasperation. "Do you always find it necessary to double up like a hedgehog? It's just a question."
It's never just a question with him. "Self-defense, Mr. Castle," she corrects him primly. He is the one who has been insulting her from the moment he laid his eyes on her.
"What was it that drew you here, Miss Tina? Was it a broken heart? A love affair gone wrong? Or did you find your suitors lacking?"
She bristles and bites the inside of her cheek, claws digging into the palms of her hands in her effort to keep herself from lashing out. "You couldn't be more completely wrong."
"I've yet to find myself completely wrong about anything," he replies with infuriating dryness.
Stung, she flashes back at him, "That has nothing to do with it!"
"It could have," he taunts. "You certainly look the part of a broken-hearted lover."
Her heart jumps. She's broken-hearted, but it's not from a failed relationship. She opens her mouth, thinking of telling him the truth, the reason behind her need to hide away in a place like this, but she doesn't want his commiseration. She only wanted to forget. "I suggest we call a truce, Mr. Castle. I would rather we keep this relationship professional."
He nods, driving into a wide paved courtyard through a huge stone archway.
It's good that they've arrived. The air in the truck have turned stifling, her anxiety making the air sour.
"If you're quite ready, then," he says.
She nods, managing a smile. "I'm ready."
- Writer
