Serpent Twins: The Fall

Humans

Patrick’s POV:

“Hey, what are you doing here? Why are you standing in the rain, Kimberly?” I pulled her arm to get under the tempered glass awning, I stopped when I saw her tears falling down to her cheek, mixed up with the rain drops, “Kimberly, What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I asked her softly and raised her face.

She shook her head and suddenly hugged me then burst out crying.

“Kimberly?” I asked her again.

She ignored me and was still crying on my chest. I sighed, removed my coat then placed it on her shoulders, hugged her back, and gave her light pat on her back to calm her.

What’s wrong with her?

We had appointment in my office at 02.00 p.m., but she texted me arriving twenty minutes earlier and that she dropped off to the wrong tower, to the tower next to mine, and would go up for few minutes as she came earlier than our schedule. I tried to call her but diverted into voice mail, so I went to this tower, which recently had their tenants moved out for major renovation. Their securities were strict, but after mentioning my father’s name, they let me up after receiving approval from their head of security. 

I wondered who let Kimberly get in this tower?

After letting her cry for two minutes, I gently shook her shoulders when it became a sob.

“Doctor Vanderwood?” I called her out louder.

She suddenly stopped her sob, then looked up with teary eyes and slightly runny nose. I handed over my handkerchief to her and she used it to wipe her tears.

“I’m sorry for ruining your shirt and handkerchief, Patrick,” she hoarsely said after releasing her hug and then coughed.

I smiled, “Don’t think about it, Kimberly. Just tell me, what has happened?”

She tried to say something, but took a heavy sigh instead.

“I…someone broke my heart,” she said with trembling lips and released my hug.

I firstly thought someone important has just died. She used to be that calm and confident surgeon and now she became her old self, a fragile woman who was crying over man, just like seven years ago. 

“Who? Dylan Knight?” I curiously asked.

She shook her head, “It’s not him,” she said weakly and bit her lips.

I stood up in confusion for a second, then brushed her hair from the rain drops.

“Are you feeling better now? Let’s just go back downstairs, into my office. It’s getting wet and colder here,” I told her, pulling her arm and entered the elevator with her.

“Oh, my God. This is so embarrassing,” she sighed and rubbed her eyes with my handkerchief.

“It’s okay, Kimberly,” I softly told and wrapped her shoulders to guide her to a bank of elevators across the observation deck.

I attempted to push the down button when the elevator door next to us was glided open. A tall pale man with dark suit came out and came straight to us.

“I’ll take her from here,” he said and took Kimberly’s arm.

Kimberly’s face turned into pale.

“Kimberly?” I asked her, held her free arm.

The blonde man stared at me with cold look and then gave a soft gaze at Kimberly.

“Follow me, Kimberly,” he softly said to her, lightly pulled her into his side.

She nodded and turned to me, so I released her arm. 

“Thank you, Patrick,” she smiled and handed over my coat and handkerchief.

“No, please just keep it,” I told her and took my coat.

She hesitated for a second while the green-eyed man obviously showed his disapproval. She took back my handkerchief, politely nodded, then left with the man, who was dragging her into the private elevator next to my front. I watched him tap his card and they were gone into the shaftway almost immediately.

Was that the man who broke her heart?

I thought she was dating Dylan Knight. I sighed, thinking that I have lost a battle before it has even started yet. I turned around to give one last glance at the dizzying skyline from the second level of observation deck and shivered, suddenly remembered the man’s cold stare and where I stood at. Feeling a huge regret of letting Kimberly go with him but have no guts to find her, I decided to go back to my office tower and hurriedly entered the elevator whereas an elevator attendant stood quietly waiting for me to get inside.

Cole’s POV:

“Detective Hernandez, Detective Cole, thank you for meeting us. Please, take your seat,” Mr. Knight greeted us in his fancy private office.

His private security, Mr. Stevens shook our hands after his boss and quietly took a seat by the window.

“Very nice office, Mr. Knight,” Hernandez couldn’t hide his amazement on the beautiful Manhattan skyline in front of us and the modern luxury office.

Billionaires surely make respectable living and it’s mostly high on life, literally.

“What do you want to drink, Gentlemen?” he politely offered and tapped to his video intercom from his desk, “Maya, please get the tea person in,” he called.

A young woman with exotic skin came inside and politely offered us drinks. I requested for water, while Hernandez asked for a coffee and Mr. Knight asked for a tea.

  I cleared my throat, “So, Mr. Knight. What kind of leads for us that you mentioned over the phone earlier?” I asked.

“It’s about the late Mr. Dayton Booth and Miss Emily Pearson. Did you aware that they have similar disrupted necks and completely lost their blood while the crime scene had minimal blood spatters?” he asked.

“Blood loss, yes, but disrupted necks, no,” I answered.

I looked at Hernandez to confirm and he shook his head, “I agree with Detective Cole, Mr. Knight.”

Mr. Stevens came with some pictures and placed them on the table. I took one of them, depicted the late Mr. Booth inside a casket. I took another picture, a close-up one on the neck, before the mortuary makeup artist applied the skillful camouflage makeup on it. It was obvious severe biting marks on the neck. I took more pictures and found even more vivid proofs of the marks.

The tea lady came with our drinks and light snack. We gathered the pictured and piled them backward.

“We could only retrieve three pictures of Miss Pearson,” Mr. Knight told me while I was examining picture of the poor young lady.

I really didn’t remember of seeing those marks and the autopsy reports didn’t mention any.

How could this be?

“You both seemed quite surprised as if you didn’t see their bodies in the morgue before,” Mr. Knight’s voice shook us.

“May we have the original digital files, Mr. Knight?” Hernandez asked.

“They were real, I intended to hand over to the Fed, but since your department handled the case before, so I thought I should get confirmation first from people who saw the bodies,” Mr. Knight said.

“Honestly, I don’t remember of seeing those marks, Mr. Knight. The postmortem reports didn’t mention about it too,” I calmly uttered, but in the inside, I was confused and shocked.

Even if we’re no longer handle the missing hearts case, I felt obligation to recheck the autopsy reports with the pathologists who did the autopsy and coordinated with FBI agents about our strange missing detail.

Mr. Knight was obviously displeased, “How could you both forget about important…”

I thought he was about to continue his sentence, but suddenly he was lost at his words, as if he just recalled to something else.

“Mr. Knight, I really don’t remember seeing those neck wounds,” Hernandez told.

“Can you get mortuary pictures from another victim, Jackson Reid?” Mr. Stevens asked.

“I’ll talk with the agents,” I replied with a guilt.

Severe neck biting marks, blood loss, missing hearts, glowing red eyes, if media could find similarity on the three victims and also previous cold cases, I bet the missing hearts case will turn into blood sucker case.

“Do you believe in supernatural beings, Detective?” Mr. Knight suddenly asked me.

I shook my head, “Are you referring to vampire? No, I don’t believe any,” I answered.

“Me neither,” he commented, “But let’s just open to all possibilities, even most ridiculous one. We know that Pythagoras was being laughed after proposing the round earth theory and Aristotle with his sphere earth theory was also the same,” he continued.

I nodded. 

“I agree, Sir,” Hernandez responded, “I’m a religious person, so I do believe in the devils,” he told.

Oh, come on.

I cleared my throat, “Well, Mr. Knight, is there something more to discuss?” I politely asked.

I hope he could have another lead for Daniel Bradshaw and the kidnapping case as we both have just appointed to be in FBI’s Joint Task Force for the case. He sighed and gave me one picture from inner pocket of his suit. It was blurry, but I could see there were Doctor Vanderwood with a tall man with shoulder length blonde hair went down the ladder from a huge plane.

“What is this, Mr. Knight?” I asked and gave the picture to Hernandez.

“I personally request you to check on the Mircea Brothers, Detective,” he said.

“Mircea brothers?” I repeated him, “Doctor Vanderwood…”

You may think, but not utter her name, Moron.  

 “Yes, both of them. Alexander Mircea and Nicholas Mircea,” he confirmed, “Doctor Vanderwood previously went to the nightclub the day Daniel Bradshaw got injured with Alexander Mircea and now she was seeing his brother, Nicholas Mircea, the one with the long hair in the picture,” he explained.

So, Doctor Vanderwood dated both brothers. Most likely was still dating one of them as Mr. Knight couldn’t hide his jealousy tone over the brothers.

“Wait, we’re not private investigator, Mr. Knight,” Hernandez tried to remind Mr. Knight.

Is his request based on love rivalry?

“I’m not that shallow, Detective Hernandez,” he bitterly smiled, “I just found some odd discussion in the dark web on Mirceas. They didn’t mention about particular names, but reading at some descriptions, I think those Mircea brothers fitted the images. Like I said, I just want you to look further into the case and related cases with more open-minded,” he uttered.

“Is this about secret society with their satanic cult?” I asked.

“Yes. The harvested blood and hearts could be used for their rituals,” he said.

“This could be just a rumor, but we will look into it. By the way, I should return you this picture, it was illegally taken, Mr. Knight. This might not be a crime, but it’s not right either,” I handed over picture of the pair to Mr. Knight.

“It was taken by a friend of my employee,” he excused.

“Still,” I smiled at him.

“Anything else, Mr. Knight?” Hernandez asked.

“Nothing, just please check whether the Mircea brothers hold dual citizenships with our country as they have abundant investments here, but keep using their foreign passports, Canada for the older brother and Germany for the younger one?” he asked, “They are twins, by the way,” he added.

“Not everyone aims to be global citizens, Mr. Knight. As long as they’re obedient tax payers with legitimate businesses, we cannot touch their private assets and I have to remind you to stop illegally digging into their personal things unless you encountered legit evidence that they did or took part in a criminal offense,” I uttered.

Mr. Knight is a bright person, he already knew, but his action could lead him into violation of the law if keeping his judgment clouded. I thought he’s been dating Doctor Vanderwood, won over her heart but apparently, she has not set her heart yet on him.

Dylan’s POV:

After the having telephone conversation with Special Agent Fanning and made appointment within an hour, I texted Kimberly on our dinner plan.

Hi, Kimmy. I’ll pick you up at 06:30 p.m., how’s that sound? Please let me know. Smiling face with halo emoji.

I looked through the window, the raindrops have started to wet the glass. It’s unlikely torrential rain, but it gave me an idea for the dinner as the weather could get chilly tonight, so I took my phone to dial particular number. After making a call, I intended to go out for a lunch when picture of Kimberly and Nicholas fell from my pocket on the floor. I picked it up and stored it into my drawer. 

Should I tell her about my suspicion on Mircea twins? 

Seeing the tiny red dots on her neck and she said she had such marks for three times, making me worried a lot, especially after Billy retrieved those mortuary pictures from families of Dayton and Emily. I don’t think they were biting marks, but somehow the marks reminded me with the missing hearts case. Although I felt something wrong with the twins, I just couldn’t point on what it was to convince Kimberly or even myself.

Excuse me, Sir. Our source passed me this. Please have a look into it. Billy texted me with attached pdf file.

I opened the file and tried to read some documents inside several times until I found conclusion. I sighed, thinking that I wouldn’t pass this information to Detective Cole, as I deliberately mentioned Kimberly was dating with Nicholas Mircea only to let him know his contenders.

I knew he has his eyes on her too.

øøøøø

I held her hand and bent a little to give her slow peck on her cheek. She’s really a stunning beauty with her long brunette in pony tail, in oversized black coat over black turtle neck figure-hugging silhouettes long dress, and long leather boots. She wrapped her arms around my waist and put her head on my chest. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could feel her restlessness.

“Kimmy, what’s wrong?” I gently asked.

She raised her face and weakly smiled, “I’m fine, let’s go.”

I raised my eyebrow, feeling an obvious lie, but I opened the passenger door for her and I went to the driver’s seat. Soon after getting on Henry Hudson parkway, I held her left hand.

“Kimmy, what’s wrong? Were you having a bad day at work?” I softly asked.

She shook her head, “No, I’m just feeling a little tired,” she said.

“We can postpone the dinner if you’re not feeling well,” I lightly touched her forehead.

She pushed my hand, “I’m alright, Dylan. Perhaps the good food will enlighten my sour mood, please excuse my naughty mood,” she chuckled. 

I sighed in relief, “Well, I guess we cannot let down Miss Moody, then.”

“I guessed,” she mumbled.

Is she having that period-thing syndrome?

øøøøø

“You’re living in a hotel?” she asked when I pulled over near private entrance in the hotel area.

“How do you know?” I curiously asked, then laughed after seeing Mrs. Jones near private elevator talking with one of the cleaning service staff.

I quickly got off while a valet opened Kimberly’s door and then took over my car. I held Kimberly’s hand and took her to the private elevator.

“Where’s Mrs. Jones?” she mumbled and looked around.

“She probably took different elevator, Kimmy. We have three private elevators here,” I replied and tapped my card on the reader.

“Wow,” she responded in sarcasm.

I laughed and pulled her closer, “Where’s my cute and kind Kimberly?” I joked.

She shrugged her shoulders, “She’s probably still cute, but a little sour, so please beware,” she gave me her tongue from the mirrored wall.

I held her shoulders and kissed her forehead then her lips, “You’re really something, Babe.”

As the door was opened, I took her hand to enter the living room, “Please have a seat or look around, I’ll have to go to the bathroom,” I told her and left to my bedroom.

When I returned, I found her at the expansive terrace with sweeping views of Central Park across the living room.

“It’s pretty cold outside, Babe,” I hugged her petite body from the back.

She sighed, “It must be very beautiful on daytime,” she turned around and held my arm to enter the living room, “How many bedrooms do you have here, Dyl?” she asked and took a seat on the chair.

“It was supposedly seven on this floor, but I renovated few months ago into five, so that I could have bigger dining and living rooms,” I replied.

“On this floor, so you own another floor?” she asked.

“It’s one floor down, but not entirely floor, just for my security and other staffs,” I told.

“Don’t they have full services for this residential hotel?” she asked again.

I removed my coat and came over her, “I prefer my own, Babe,” I told and motioned her to get up and let me help her to remove and store her coat.

She was wearing sleeveless dress.

Damned hot.

I tried to divert my attention, “Shall we have the dinner?”

øøøøø

“So, how’s the food?” I asked, sipping my Louis Treize.

“I told you, it’s delicious, but…” she didn’t finish her sentence.

“You felt bad because the venison meat came from deer-killing game?” I asked, “It’s family tradition, passed from previous generations, Kimmy. Not to justify the killing, but my father and his brother went for hunting only during the season and they always compete to take down one deer only for both of them and must share the meat after. So, I got some of my father’s venison,” I uttered.

“So, did you hunt?” she asked, scooping her blacksapote pudding.

I could see that she tried hard to hide her disgusted after hearing my further explanation or excuse. 

“I did only until I was eighteen,” I replied.

I was a good shooter.

“What made you stop?” she asked.

“I really don’t know, perhaps I just want to do at least one rebellious act,” I smirked, recalling the day when Ryan said the same thing.

“Will you do it again?” she asked.

She was testing me.

I gazed at her, but my mind went to my SVI Tiki titanium in the safe and the fact that before the incident, once in a month I underwent training to Westside Rifle and Pistol Range with Billy.

“I will not, if that’s what you want me to, Babe. I haven’t done it again for like thirteen years,” I answered and held her hand, “Kimmy,” I called out softly.

I had enough with the hunting topic because the next thing I feel, we could argue of me being a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms.

“Yes?” she gazed back and wiped corners of her mouth with the linen napkin.

God, I really want to kiss her luscious lips again.

“May I talk about Mircea?” I asked.

I could feel a sudden tension from her hand, so I lightly rubbed it to calm her.

Vladimir’s POV:

I zoomed into Kimberly’s pale face.

What are you looking at Kim?

I slightly moved my goggle to follow her sight and gasped.

Is that Prince Alexander? She knew him too?

I could see that the prince put his eyes fixed on hers behind his dark glasses, then I moved back to Kimberly and was even more shocked after examining the way she was looking at the crown prince. 

What were they doing? It almost like they were…

I slowly blew my breath as if I held it minutes ago. That was when the prince suddenly looked in my direction and walked away into the building, but some of his guards went to the opposite. I quickly stored my goggle back into my backpack, smeared random vampire blood from the vacuum insulated bottle to my nape to disguise my odor, and climbed down these spiral staircases to nowhere through funicular escalator as fast as I could be, ignoring humans terrifying scream and tried to mingle with other humans after exiting the building, but as I sensed the presence of other vampires, I ran away to the subway around one thousand fifty feet away from the stairway’s steel sculpture. I kept running on the subway tracks, trying to avoid oncoming trains. I stopped running after ten miles and tried to mingle with humans. I felt so reckless following Kimberly too close, only five hundred twenty feet away from the ground or six hundred seventy feet away from the highest point of the staircase I previously stood by.

I felt a relief, realizing that the crown prince who has teleportation ability probably never went to the maze-like structure yet. Mother told me that the prince won’t be able to teleport to places he has never been yet, but she could be wrong, perhaps he could simply travel to places he ever saw them once because I could feel his presence right behind me, but I was no longer be able to sense him after I reached Yankee Stadium, probably tried to trace me by hacking all of the stations security cameras. Either way, I was at advantage because I was running away in broad daylight, even the small rain started pouring when I went further until Pelham Bay Park station and hailed a cab to go to the bus station to get hidden stolen car I have prepared in Delaware to make my final stop to Wyoming, one of my safe houses.

øøøøø

On my way to Delaware, I kept thinking about what I saw, the way she was staring at the crown prince, as if she was hurtful.

What has happened between the twin princes and her?

She was clearly being escorted to the hospital by the same guard as yesterday, Prince Nicholas’s guard. Mother informed me through her latest subliminal message from podcast that the headquarter for database server and laboratory, being called as The Hive, is located in Manhattan. I believe it’s the tallest office tower that the crown prince and Kimberly met, the new extravagant building with spectacular two observation decks, one of them is a mind-blowing hanging observation deck, jutting out more than one thousand feet above the city. I sighed, thinking that I couldn’t tell mother about Kimberly or even asked her about the relationship between Kimberly and the twin princes. Mother will send her private guards to kill Kimberly.

I don’t want her to die, but I don’t want her to be the prince’s mate too.

All I have to do was laying low and seeking for opportunity to kidnap her. 

I made my decision.

At least I knew that Alyona was appointed to be one of the queen’s maid, so she would be fine until I could figure out how to save her later. 

Alexander’s POV:

My sweet scent Kimberly.

I was talking with Lord Sonnenberg and Cameron in my office suite when I sensed her presence.

I told Andrei.

“Please excuse me, but I have to leave now. Lord Sonnenberg, we will talk further over the phone. I give you my word that my brother will not bother any of your businesses,” I looked to Lord Sonnenberg.

I told my cousin who came to see me about bodies with apotropaic marks found in Los Glaciares National Park and teleported into my car.

And her mind was floating into mine. Strangely, I could feel a hint of loneliness when she looked up to the cloudy sky.  

For the ancestors’ sake, I miss her.

I commanded Jan.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied.

They couldn’t hold their curiosity of why I got out of the building only to enter again from the main lobby, but I shut them off and focused on Kimberly’s. After waiting like years, I finally saw her, standing with disclosed emotions in her blue eyes. 

She looks tired, but as beautiful as I remembered.

As I stood still, suddenly I smelled something repugnant up in the air.

The werewolf!

I told and went inside the lobby because I couldn’t let Kimberly see me teleporting to the top of the spiral staircase.

I heard humans gasped, I simply ignored and tried to sniff in the air, but the werewolf has gone down to the subway and the scent has become vaguely, so I quickly teleported to the front and ran after him from there because I have never been to the subway before. Obviously to all subways, after almost getting struck by a train and electrocuted by its third rail, so I had to cut off the direct current supply to shut down all of the operation of the train services.

“Put him on FBI’s Most Wanted and Interpol’s Red Notice,” I commanded Andrei over the phone, “And make sure the tech team activated our real-time facial recognition system by tapping into street and transit cameras in every corner of this planet,” I added.

“Right away, Your Highness. And forgive me, Your Highness, but Miss Vanderwood is in The Hive, on the lower deck,” Andrei informed.

I hung up on him without answering and was about to call Nicholas, but my finger tapped on picture of Kimberly. 

Can we be together if I’m not a vampire, but a human?

I teleported back to The Hive.

øøøøø

“Alexander, if you talk another nonsense, I will leave now,” her voice was shaky and she started to walk out.

 “Please don’t be angry, Kimberly. I just want to tell you that it’s okay for you to be with my brother if that’s really what you want,” I said.

If you don’t want my brother, I will what?

It’s not like that she will want me again and even if I don’t believe in inevitable fate because the future is not set, I knew that she will be killed if I didn’t let her go, but seeing her back on me, trying to leave me, suddenly I couldn’t hold myself to lunge at her, grabbed her waist and turned her body on mine, and put my lips on hers, feeling her warm and fragile body on mine.

I was so badly craving for her.

And she hit me on my face, shoulder, and chest. Her lips were so soft, I tried to enter her mouth, but she resisted me. When she shouted out my name, I realized that she was about to cry, so I held her body tight to calm her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 “I’m sorry, Kimberly. I’m so sorry,” I softly said and released my hug.

“I hate you,” she wiped her lips with the back of her hand and wrapped her hands over her chest, but her mind said differently. 

She loves me. 

Rather than being over the moon, I felt pain in my chest because my love for her is a death sentence for her. That was the main reason why I left her. 

If I have to watch her being happy with someone else, so be it, as long as she is alive.

“Please let me out of here,” she asked me.

“Kimberly,” I softly said, not wanting her to leave in state of anger and sadness.

“Don’t touch me!” she shouted out.

I sighed and opened the elevator door which I previously held with my power.

“Goodbye, Kimberly,” I told her before the door was closed.

Knowing her cries and how she felt, I tried so hard not to run after her since I don’t know what to offer to her except death.

Kimberly’s POV:

“Please stop right here,” I asked to the cab driver.

“But Miss, the tower is over there, the next one,” he reminded me.

I smiled and paid the fare in cash, “It’s fine, I’ll just walk. Thank you,” I said and got off the cab.

I arrived half hour faster than the appointment time since I didn’t want to disturb Patrick’s lunch time, I’d like to walk for a while, burning broccoli pasta I ate with Glenn earlier, but I texted Patrick to let him know. I walked slowly to the pedestrian connecting bridge linking the bustling skyscraper buildings to the train hall. I stopped after climb the sinuous steel structure to admire the neighborhood, but then felt a regret as the weather got quite windy. I looked up to the cloudy sky, noticing the rain was about to come. I tightened my black coat over a black shift dress and climbed down the stairs and crossed the street to the tallest tower when noticing a black Rover followed by black Maybach and another black Rover pulled over fifty feet away. Suddenly my heart beat faster, recalling to Alexander’s car although I was fully aware where I was standing at, but still I couldn’t hold myself to slow my pace and turned my face.

What are the odds of that?

He got off and stood handsomely tall in dark suit wearing dark sunglasses. I felt like to stop breathing.

Does he see me?

I was surely he did as he just stood and looked in my direction although I couldn’t see his eyes.

His beautiful green eyes.

And suddenly he looked up somewhere and turned back on me to enter the building. I felt so angry.

Did he pretend not to know me?

Without rationally thinking, I stepped into the building entrance only to be stopped by the securities, but before I could explain my intention, strangely one of them letting me in and even escorted me to the elevator whereas an elevator attendant was standing inside.

“Would you like to go to the observation deck, Miss?” he politely asked.

I nodded and got into the full mirrored cab.

What was I thinking?

But I decided to stand still and quiet, noticing that we’re climbing up so fast and took only less than a minute to reach observation deck on the one-hundredth floor. As soon as the door was opened, spacious empty space with the panoramic views of the city welcomed me.

“Please take your time, Miss,” he told and smiled.

“Thank you…” but door already closed.

How could a place like this be so empty?

This would be a hit place for sky-high restaurant. Now that I noticed, even the lobby on ground floor seemed oddly quiet, but I saw two men in long-sleeve shirt and dark slacks with brown safety helmets were pushing pile of boxes with cart, so the tower could be under some sort of renovations.

Does he own this fancy tower?

I walked to the outdoor observation deck protected by nine-foot wall of boldly angled-glass.

Why did he ignore me?

Humiliated feeling started to swell up in my chest. I felt so miserable because even after not seeing him for two weeks, I realized that I still have deep feeling for him and the damned feeling has kept me caged from moving on no matter how many good times I spent with Dylan and Nicholas.

God, how can I forget him?

I couldn’t hold my tears, breaking my own promise to stop crying over the man who seemed forgetting me already.

øøøøø

“Alexander, where are we going to?” I asked him hoarsely without looking at him.

I cleared my throat, noticing that we went up fast. My heartbeat went crazy ever since he appeared from the elevator. The door behind me suddenly glided open and so I turned around. It was probably the brightest event space I ever saw, with all clear glass walls and sat around ten thousand square feet. This must be the new office Nicholas mentioned to me once, as I could see their house symbol on the wall. The room was fully installed with frameless glass and all white interior and minimalist furniture. I walked quietly behind him, ignored him taking a seat on white sofa in the middle of the room, and went to the empty space across the elevator and stood by the glass window overlooking a jaw-dropping hanging observation deck outside, extended probably around seven thousand square feet away from the building, made up from steel and glass with clear glass windowed floor in the middle of the deck. Judging from the unmatched views of Manhattan’s skyline and Hudson River, it must be the highest hanging skyscraper observation deck in this city with more than one thousand feet up in the sky.

“Unfortunately, it’s still raining outside,” Alexander’s voice reminded me that I came without even knowing his purpose.

I took a deep breath and turned around. He was sitting with his eyes fixed on mine.

He looks the same as in our last meeting.

“What do you want, Alex?” I asked, trying to lower my heart rate.

He patted empty space next to his side, “Please take a seat first, Kimberly.”

His tone was soft and so his gaze, but I was feeling anger rather than earlier miserable pain and humility.

“So, how are you?” he softly asked after I took a seat in front of him.

His green eyes flickered bright. 

It’s really him. Alexander.

“Please let’s cut off the intro and straight to the point,” I said, staring blankly to the back of his head to avoid his gaze.

“Kimberly, are you seeing Nicholas now?” he asked.

None of your business.

“What if I am?” I replied, feeling angry as he said nothing about leaving me or fooling me around.

He did say it over the phone and letter, but this is the first time we met again after Naples. 

After Mykonos, I thought he’s the one for me.

I took a quick glance to him, I could see that the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.

Am I a joke to you?

“Well, he’s single and meant to be with you. If you have feeling for him, you have nothing to worry about us,” he said.

Us? There was no us in the first place! 

My mixed emotions started to burst out.

“Alexander, if you talk another nonsense, I will leave now,” I stood up.

How dare he said things like that?

“Please don’t be angry, Kimberly. I just want to tell you that it’s okay for you to be with my brother if that’s really what you want,” he said again.

I walked fast to the elevator and pushed the down button. Suddenly I felt my body was lifted and pinned against the elevator door, then his cold lips brushed mine. I instantly smacked his face, but he didn’t budge. I hit and pushed his shoulders and chest, but he didn’t move an inch. He kept chewing on my lips, brought me memories of us. 

Alex!

When I was about to cry, he stopped and hugged me tight.

“I’m sorry, Kimberly. I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear then released his hug.

“I hate you,” I wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

I love you.

I stared into his green eyes, strangely he seemed suffering. I turned my body and pushed the down button again, but the door wouldn’t open even when the cab was already on the floor.

“Please let me out of here,” I demanded him sternly.

I couldn’t stay any longer with him, my feeling for him weakened me inside.

“Kimberly,” he touched my arm, but I dodged him.

“Don’t touch me!” I yelled out.

He sighed and the door glided open. I went straight into the cab and pushed lobby and close buttons without looking at him.

“Goodbye, Kimberly,” he bade me farewell.

Soon after the door was closed, I bit my lower lip hard, trying to stop the urge to cry. I have so many things to say to him, but I couldn’t even properly stare at him. I touched my left chest, feeling so much unreal pain in my heart, even more than before.

If he did love me, why did he tell me to be with his brother? 

I touched my lips and uncontrollably burst into tears.

Why couldn’t I stop crying over a man who kept hurting me?  

øøøøø

“Kimmy, please talk to me?” Dylan softly asked and drove his car slower, “Can you please forgive me just for this time? I really didn’t mean any harms to you, I just want to protect you,” he said, trying to hold my hand.

“Dylan, it’s over. I can’t be with someone whom I can’t trust, broke his own words,” I told him, “It’s best if we don’t see to each other first, at least until we both can accept the fact that we’re just meant to be friends,” I added.

“Kimmy, please. Don’t be like this. Please give me another chance?” he pleaded.

“I wish you all the best, Dylan,” I tried to smile, but he just shook his head and heavily sighed.

The rest of the twenty-minute drive was spent in silence.  

“Thank you for the dinner, Dylan. Safe drive,” I told him soon after the car stopped in front of my apartment building.

“Kimmy,” he weakly mumbled and attempted to remove his seatbelt.

“Good night,” I greeted him after quickly removing my seatbelt and got off.

I didn’t look back anymore and entered the building.

øøøøø

Hello you too. Thanks for the bouquets, Nic. They’re so beautifully arranged and brought happiness for our patients. When will you be back?I asked, replying message from Nicholas.

An incoming video call from him appeared on my screen right after I sent the message. I quickly fixed my pajama and hair, then picked it up. My heart was racing fast, but I have to tell him now before changing my mind.

“Mein Schatz, you’re not sleeping yet?” he asked.

I could see that he was sitting on backseat of a moving car. I smiled, knowing that he addressed me with term of endearment in German.

“Not yet. Where are you now, Nicholas?” I anxiously asked.

It was almost midnight here, so I assumed it was very early morning there as London is five hours ahead.

“Going to the airport,” he grinned.

“Are you coming back?” I asked, examining his tied back hair and his slightly opened lips.

He shares same face with Alexander.

“I have to go to Ireland first, so I’ll be there in two days. What, do you miss me?” he smirked.

I imagined walking with him, with his luscious wavy long hair.

Can I really be with him?

I cleared my throat, “Maybe.”

“Please wait for me, Kimmy,” he said with glistening eyes.

I couldn’t see him clearly in dim light, but I found his stare was rather cold even when his lips were formed into smile and he talked so sweetly.

Can I really trust him?

But he has proven himself several times that he could be trusted. I bit my lips.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Nic. Have a safe flight,” I ended my call after exchanging farewell.

Instead of putting off the phone for sleeping, I texted him.

Nicholas, I just want to tell you that I want to be with you. If you still feel the same way, just come back and let me know. Bashful emoji.

After tapping send button, I quickly set my phone on vibrate mode, tossed it on the nightstand, then hid myself under the comforter and tried to sleep, but then I burst out in tears, suddenly realizing the real reason I sped up my decision was because of my encounter with Alexander. I felt like I have to show him that I could forget him and try to make him suffer for making me suffer. It was unfair for Nicholas, but I could learn to love him. At least, I was already physically attracted to him.

Was I not?  

Nicholas’s POV:

“We have to increase security for Kimberly. The werewolf has spotted her having related to us,” my brother said over the phone.

Us?

“You don’t have to worry about my woman, Brother. She’s in very good hands,” I replied, feeling annoyed, “But she did come to see you, so I heard,” I continued.

I knew exactly they have met and what bothered me was the fact that she came to my brother without being told first.

“So you heard,” he coldly responded.

Did he try to brag out that my mate coming to see him?

 “Did you tell her?” I asked.

“Nicholas, I’m calling to advise you for security reason. If you’re not going to listen, I’ll do it myself,” he warned and hung up on me.

I grinned and ordered Peter to withdraw all of our security personnel for Kimberly including himself, except for that Ragnhild woman. I knew Vladimir wouldn’t dare to harm her, but I could use Kimberly as a bait to lure and catch him before my brother could.

“Your Highness, my apology. We already found another passport dealer for the werewolf,” Peter informed me.

“Did you get what we need to know?” I asked, examining the small flat with worn out furniture in Barking.

“Yes, we did, Your Highness, already sent them to you,” he replied.

“Then track all of his fake passports we found,” I commanded.

“We were on it, Your Highness,” he offered his bow and left.

I doubted if the dog dared to try visiting my nearest mansion at Kensington Palace Gardens because it would take him forty minutes by car to go there and he had to pass through armed police checkpoints. I already asked Peter to control entry for pedestrians as well, as normally they didn’t.

As I didn’t find anything because the flat was already cleaned, I decided to go to Epping Forest District, it would take half an hour from here.

øøøøø

She kept tossing to the left and right for few minutes under her comforter before eventually burst out crying and slept. I couldn’t read her mind, but I knew exactly the reason of her stupid cries. I closed the surveillance app and looked through the window. 

Why do you keep making me angry, Human?