ALPHA SIN

ARTEMISIA My nose crinkled as I emerged from the fifth room in the house, searching for Julie. Despite an hour of searching, I couldn't find her. Returning to the dance hall, I observed that some party-goers had already passed out, while others were vomiting into dustbins, potted flowers, or any available thing they saw. I gagged as a blonde staggered toward me. She had barf on her clothes, and I wondered what she would have done if she had been in the right state of mind. “Julie!” I called out upon stepping outside. Inhaling deeply, I braced myself against the frigid air. I rubbed my palms over my exposed skin, shivering involuntarily. The sudden chill surprised me; Lanes had experienced warm weather for the past week, and such coldness was unusual for this time of year. Perhaps the weather report I had checked earlier had been wrong. I dismissed the thought with a shrug, wandering around the house's car park. The building itself appeared large and unremarkable from the outside, save for the balcony adorned with an array of beautiful flowers— the fuchsia, morning glory, and red rose flowers. The rest looked quite foreign. But I was sure I had come across it before. "Where could she have gone?" I muttered to myself while standing in the moonlit lot. Glancing at the lamppost beside me, I noted its nonfunctional state, seemingly present only for decorative purposes. My gaze turned upward, and I noted that the moon was at its zenith. The clock had shown past eight when I checked before heading outside. Normally, the moon wouldn't be fully visible at this time of day; yet its presence didn't startle me. While I spun around, a low groan caught my attention. I spotted Julie hunched over a nearby dustbin, wincing as she clutched her stomach and retched. "I won't drink anymore," she moaned, using the back of her palm to wipe her mouth. "Perhaps it's better not to make promises you can't keep," I remarked gently. I gently brushed away the hair cascading over her face. I'd heard her make promises many times before, only to return to her old habits by the end of the day. This wasn't her first time swearing off booze; it might be her fifth or sixth attempt. Possibly even more, considering she'd obtained a fake ID two years ago and had been partying ever since, back when we were barely sixteen. "It's nice to see you sober," I said, patting her back before I gathered her hair into a ponytail. I handed her bottled water, which she took and used to rinse her mouth and face. "Artemis," she said after a while, straightening up, "you look way better than I do now." "That's because I've only had one drink," I replied. It was Julie who had convinced me to come to the house party- she was a friend of the host, Jordan. It was the night before our graduation, and she had argued that we wouldn't have an opportunity like this after tonight. When we arrived, she'd tried to pressure me into drinking the tequila she'd ordered, but I declined. Still, that didn't deter her from attempting to force the awful drink down my throat. I had chosen something different, not wanting to appear as the prude she'd labeled me as. Even though it contained only a small amount of alcohol, it affected me, as I was a lightweight. The first time I'd tasted something as strong as vodka was when I'd sworn off all alcohol due to getting excessively drunk from just a few sips of the potent liquor. I'd embarrassed myself that time. While I had managed to keep that vow until tonight, I was relieved I hadn't consumed more than I could handle. "Let's go in," I murmured, wrapping my arm around her waist. The leaves rustled around us, and the cold air grew even chillier. I tugged at the sleeve of the blouse I was wearing with my free hand, though it proved futile since it was far too short. I groaned, feeling a shiver run through me. I also sensed Julie shivering, which puzzled me because she had a long-sleeved leather jacket on. Furthermore, I assisted her in zipping it up before proceeding toward the house. Despite my departure from the side of the bush where I initially heard it, the rustling persisted, audibly startling me. My ears perked up at a low growl that reached my ears. Glancing back, the scene was unchanged, just as I had left it moments ago. However, the growling lessened, prompting me to wonder about its source. I shrugged, finding nothing out of the ordinary as I surveyed the surroundings. When I turned toward the house again, a yelp escaped me as a man appeared before me. "s**t!" Looking up to glare at the man who had taken me by surprise, my breath caught in my throat. Initially, I had believed Aaron and Jordan were the epitomai of perfect boys-the only people who had caught my attention in the house- but the person standing before me redefined perfection. Though not a boy, he didn't appear much older than I. Possibly in his early twenties, I frowned as a smirk played on his lips, suggesting he had caught me in the act of staring for too long. Not that I could entirely blame myself. Encountering a 6ft man towering over my 5ft 6 inches wasn't an everyday occurrence. His eyes, despite their indiscernible color due to the dim light, held my attention. His physique, to the extent I could discern, was impressive. Admittedly, I found myself almost drooling over this stranger. He possessed an almost mesmerizing beauty, an attractiveness that seemed almost effortless. It was unacceptable to be this striking without apparent effort, though I wasn't complaining. My gaze could have remained affixed to him indefinitely, but I knew I should stop lest I appear weird. I moistened my lips, my eyes returning to his face once more before drifting to his large palms. My thoughts wandered to the possibilities of those hands on my body in pleasant and wicked ways. "A penny for your thoughts," he chuckled, tucking his hand into his pants pocket. God, apart from his appearance, his voice exuded a certain allure. What an embodiment of charm he was! What a freaking s*x god! His tone bore the unmistakable trace of a foreign origin, indicating he hailed from elsewhere. A pronounced accent, thick and unfamiliar, enveloped his speech. My presumption leaned towards him being English, given the uncanny resemblance to a teacher I once had from England. "I'd love to say I'm a god, but I am not even close to it," the stranger remarked, abruptly pulling me out of my reverie. A flush of warmth rushed to my cheeks, prompting me to avert my gaze momentarily to the floor. Cockiness radiated from him, I observed, yet he struck me as an improvement over the lecherous boys I had earlier encountered in the house. "What are you doing out this late?" I inquired, evading his question in turn. "Umh…" I hesitated, my query shifting course. "Do you attend school around here? I mean college," I clarified, interpreting his puzzled expression. "School?!" He chuckled as if the notion amused him. Perhaps my phrasing had come across as humorous. I couldn't disregard that possibility, considering my tendency to be oblivious sometimes. However, my conviction remained steadfast: education was universal. Although rumors swirled about adults attending Lone Oaks High, I hadn't crossed paths with any such individuals. It's plausible that I had encountered them and simply hadn't registered their presence. The man before me exuded maturity, yet he didn't fit the mold of a high school student, nor did he strike me as a typical college-goer. His appearance leaned towards sophistication, accentuated by the impeccably tailored suit he adorned. A man-bun crowned his head, an addition that only further heightened his appeal. "Artemis…" Julie groaned, yanking my attention back to her. My grip on her hand, perhaps released inadvertently due to my earlier startle, was promptly re-established. “Artemis,” the stranger repeated, stroking his smooth chin. “Intriguing.” I managed a small smile on my face and stepped away from him reluctantly before Julie began to bug me. Also, I didn't want to freeze to death. It was better to avoid it than stay out with a stranger who might not be interested in me. As soon as I got inside, I groaned as I remembered I had forgotten to do something. “I didn't even ask him for his name. But he knew mine.” Maybe it wasn't a big deal to other girls. However, it was to me. I had found someone that attracted me. Someone I would like to be in contact with again. Yet, I had lost it because of a drunk Julie. I glared at her sleeping figure. She dozed off instantly as soon as I laid her on the brown couch, which was the only vacant seat in the house since the party-goers had passed out on the other three. I walked towards the entrance and squinted to check if I would see the stranger again. I went outside further and scanned the area whilst standing near the shrub I was in before. I let out a disappointed sigh as I saw no one. “Perhaps we were better off as strangers,” I mumbled, trudging towards the house. I was almost close to the entrance when I heard the rustling again. I turned and this time, I wish I didn't because what I saw was beyond me. It looked like a dog. Or maybe I was delusional and thought it might be. It was overly large, with dark, gleaming fur. Its red eyes glowed, and two sharp canines protruded out of its mouth as it snarled. “Okay, okay,” I muttered to myself whilst doing a timeout sign. I placed my hand on my chest whilst trying to calm my erratic breathing. It didn't stop, despite taking in some considerable amount of air in my lungs that seemed like it would close up soon. I should be running. I was close to the entrance of the house and I could dart inside in just a few seconds. But, I couldn't. I didn't know what was stopping me. But it seemed like they glued my legs to the spot. I placed my clammy palms on my still thudding heart and my eyes flickered around. I didn't know what I was searching for. Even though I had a weapon with me, I didn't think I could lift my hands to attack it because I was far too stunned. The beast prowled slowly to my side, still baring its teeth at me. I counted slowly whilst praying for at least one of the boys, who was not drunk in the hall, to come out. Perhaps, he might have the nerves to scare the beast away because right now, it seemed like I was a dinner to it. It got closer and for a brief second, I shut my eyes whilst awaiting my fate in its hand. I shrieked, lurching as I felt someone grip me. “Bloody hell!” The stranger from before exclaimed whilst breaking my fall. “I-I…” I stammered, panting. I didn't know what to say. Although I seldom talk to strangers, I have never been tongue-tied before. “Shhh.” He said. I disentangled from the embrace I was in and noticed he wasn't staring at me. Rather, his eyes were trained on the creature before me. It didn't look like it was backing down. Instead, it seemed pleased that another person was here with me. I imagined it saying, 'Wow, I'm going to have the best meal today.' I shuddered, wrapping my arm around myself. “You are cold.” The stranger noticed. He pulled his jacket and extended it to me. I accepted it without a second thought, and I slipped into it. I sniffed the collar of his jacket whilst he wasn't watching, and I couldn't help the warm sensation that was building within me. It was weird, but it felt nice. I had never felt anything whilst sniffing a man's jacket before. Heck, I never got the privilege to go sniffing attractive men's jackets because they would surely think I was odd if they saw me doing it. But now, the stranger was making me feel a funny sensation. Even when he had embraced me. I felt a tingling sensation and I assume he did too because he inhaled sharply. Also, he had been the one to pull out of the hug, which was quite disappointing. “Come on, run along.” He nodded towards the door. “I have a business to finish.” I wanted to protest that I was fine since I was in his presence. But he shoved me. I heard a growl from the beast, and I quickened my pace. I didn't look back until I got inside the room. Whilst inside, I remembered the reason I had gone out and facepalmed. “I didn't get his name again,” I mumbled. But, I know before tonight ends, that I was going to get it since his jacket was with me, and I was certain he would surely come for it.