Tamed: A Huntress Spin-off Novel (19 page)

I heard footsteps stomping through the hallway, growing closer and closer until they stopped just outside of my door. My door flung open as Eli stood in the doorway, scowling at me.

“You’re sitting in the dark.”

“I’m not alone, though. I have Mr. Daniels with me, so it’s okay.” I held up the bottle before taking a drink. “I don’t want you in here,” I said.

“Well, unfortunately, I really don’t give a shit what you want right about now.”

He slammed the door shut and I could hear his heavy footsteps storming over to me until I could see his hardened face as the moonlight shined on him. He then snatched the bottle from my hand and threw it. I heard it break as its remaining contents splattered everywhere.

I huffed and stood up, invading his personal space. “What did you do that for?”

“You’re drinking too much. You’re going to kill yourself.”

I snorted. “I haven’t drunk enough, obviously. I haven’t passed out yet.”

His nostrils flared as he placed his hands on his hips, and I put my hands on my hips as well, mirroring his look as my mouth set in a hard line. He growled and his eyes began to glow blue. I was angering him even more than he already was. He then shut his eyes and took in a breath, trying to calm his temper.

“When I got home, Kyle said you didn’t look well so I went to your house to see you and saw Ms. Schultz carrying your bottles of
Corona
, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t stopped drinking since.” His voice was surprisingly calm, but I could still hear the frustration that slipped through.

“Hey, one of those bottles was Sean’s and he cut me off not that long after the party started. I have a high tolerance for alcohol.”

He let out a frustrated laugh and raked his hand through his hair. “You just don’t get it,” he said through his teeth. He exhaled. “Alcohol is your medicine. You. Are. An. Alcoholic.”

I took a step back, his words sinking in, shocking me as I stared up at him, unable to speak. He was calling me an alcoholic. I liked partying and having a good time. I liked alcohol. It helped me cope…it helped me forget for a little while. I was not, by any means, an alcoholic. No, I couldn’t be. I refused to believe it.

I laid back down, refusing to look at him. So I glared out of the window instead. “Just get the hell away from me, Eli.”

“No can do. You smacked me and yelled at me because I wasn’t there when you needed me, so here I am, baby.”

He climbed over me and squeezed his way by the window. I folded my arms, and my palms throbbed as my nails cut into my skin from my clenched hands.

“I’m so angry at you. I want to punch you,” I said through clenched teeth.

“You’re under Silas’ influence. You’re not actually angry with me. He’s controlling your mind. That’s one of his powers.”

“Why don’t you just leave him out of this for once? This has nothing to do with Silas. This is about me and you.”

He sighed. “It’s like talking to a brick wall. You’re not going to see reason until his influence on your mind weakens.”

“Oh, suck it.”

Caught off guard, he burst into laughter. “Okay, and what am I sucking?”

“My big toe for all I care.” I let out a yawn and rubbed my heavy eyes.

He nudged my arm and I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat as I almost fell off the window bed.

“Eli!”

He laughed. “Calm it down, thumper. Maybe you should take deep breaths like I am. It’s certainly keeping me from wringing your neck.”

My brows rose. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. You’re the only woman I’d like to choke, yet kiss at the same time. I think you forget that I have wolf in me, and because of that, I don’t have the best temper.”

I rammed my elbow in his stomach, feeling him tense. “I don’t care about your temper; I’ll piss you off just for the hell of it.”

“I know,” he replied dryly.

I sighed. The tiresome feeling from earlier was getting stronger, and I no longer had the desire to fight him.

I closed my eyes. “I’m tired…my body is tired. My mind is always tired. It never ends,” I said, sleepily.

I felt him turn on his side, and he pulled me close, placing a kiss on my neck.

“You have the power to stop it all,” he whispered, his breath tickling my skin.

I said no more, and neither did he. I listened to his steady breaths until I drifted off to sleep, finally able to shut out the world.

Chapter Sixteen

I hugged my knees to my chest and gazed out of the window at the storm clouds above as it forced the sun into hiding. I still felt tired, and there was an ache in my stomach that refused to go away. I cringed at the thought of last night. The rage that took over was now gone, and in its place was a deep, sorrow-filled hurt that threatened to break me. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be in the presence of someone whom I was hurting over.

I frowned down at Eli, who began to stir beside me, looking away once his sleepy eyes stared back at me.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Oh, you actually care now? I’m surprised you didn’t walk out during the night.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” He sat up and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You’re paler than usual. You’re still mad, I see.”

“I don’t feel well, if you must know, and I’m not mad; I feel hurt by you.”

“I left a note. He’s trying to come between us. He was the reason you went crazy on me last night.” He exhaled, then went on. “Did you dream of him while you were sleeping? No, that can’t be. I would’ve heard you.”

“Heard what?”

“Last night, before I came here, did you have sex with him?”

“No, I didn’t have sex with him. We kissed and that was it.” I got up and stormed my way to the door.

“Well, who really should be the mad one here? You’re playing me!” I heard him yell after I slammed the door.

I turned back around and opened the door. “You don’t have to be with me. You can leave whenever you want. You choose to stay, though.”

As I said it, my heart crumbled at the thought of him walking away. Even if he did decide to give up on me, I couldn’t find it in my heart to be angry about it because I didn’t deserve him. What guy would put up with someone who couldn’t decide which guy she wanted the most? No one.

I dashed my tears away and tried to calm myself down before going downstairs. I heard voices coming from downstairs as I descended the second pair of steps that were connected to the kitchen. Taylor, Chelsea, and Sean stood around the breakfast bar while Chelsea was occupied with the blender as she made a smoothie.

“Hey there, Aunt Paige,” Sean said.

“Good Lord, who would want my crazy ass as an Aunt?”

Sean laughed. “You’re right,” He winked my way.

I sat on one of the stools and rested my head on the cool counter.

“You’re not looking too good,” Taylor said.

I lifted my head and frowned. “Please, don’t. Eli already questioned me. It didn’t turn out that well.”

“I can’t imagine why. It’s not like you’re breaking his heart or anything,” Chelsea said with her brows high and her glossy lips pursed.

“I’m quite aware of what I’m doing. I don’t enjoy doing it. I’m stuck.”

“Put yourself in his shoes for a second, Paige. If you had to see Eli with another woman, who you knew wasn’t good for him, yet he was still seeing you, what would you do?” Chelsea asked.

I sighed. I can become a very jealous person when it comes to my guys. If Eli was involved with a succubus and he was still seeing me then I would be absolutely heart broken.

“I wouldn’t like it, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I care about them both. I can’t change that.”

“So you’re seeing two people?” Sean said.

“Unfortunately.”

“By the way, you left a
present
at the manor. Does Mr. Electric ring a bell?” Taylor said.

“Oh, yeah…I’m not used to carrying Mr. Electric around.”

Feeling lost, Sean’s eyes shifted from Taylor to me. “You guys are being weird.”

I jumped as I heard the door slam shut upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps stomping through the halls and down the stairs. As he approached, my eyes fell to my lap. He was very angry with me, and I didn’t like it, despite my feelings toward him at the moment. I could feel the stinging pain of sadness fill my heart, and a weight that settled in my stomach tore me down.

“I’m going home,” Eli said as he stormed out of the kitchen, not even bothering to look my way.

I exhaled.

“Are you okay, buddy?” Sean asked.

“I thought he would be there when I woke up.”

“Is it fair, though, for you to be angry at him when you have Silas as well? The way that I see it, both of you were wrong,” Chelsea said.

With his brows high, Taylor pointed at me. “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”

“I didn’t want this to happen,” I grumbled.

Chelsea handed me a strawberry smoothie.

“What, no alcohol?” I smirked before taking a drink.

“In your dreams, princess.”

“So, how long do you plan to stay? I could have Ms. Charlotte prepare a room for you back home,” Taylor said.

“Oh no, that won’t be necessary. I’ll be leaving today. It’s going to take me half a day to get back home, and I can’t stay away for too long.”

A part of me fell sullen over his departure, yet there was still a sense of relief. Him leaving meant that he was getting far away from me and far away from the danger that surrounded me.

“I’m actually gonna get going.”

“Do you mind driving me home before you go?” I asked.

“Not at all. We have much to discuss, anyway.” He raised his brows, and I knew right away that I was in trouble.

“But of course we do.”

With a grin to my face, I looked at Taylor then Chelsea. “Annoying 1, annoying 2, I’ll see you later.”

“Now is this the face of someone who is annoying?” He ran his hand down his face then grinned. “You’re right about her, though.”

Chelsea chuckled and smacked him in the stomach.

“Bye, guys. It was nice seeing you again, Taylor. I’ll have to come back and meet your little one when she arrives,” Sean said.

“Yeah, that would be awesome. Come back whenever you want. It would be nice to see you more often,” Taylor said.

“Sure, that’ll be nice. Chelsea, it was nice meeting you.”

Chelsea’s face warmed. “You, too.”

I followed right behind Sean, only to be pulled back by Taylor as he lifted up my shirt in the back and slid the dagger in my pants.

“Don’t lose it.”

“Fine, fine.”

The dagger felt strange as it pressed against my back, and I resisted the urge to take it out and hold it. I wasn’t up to explaining to Sean why I was carrying around a dagger, so I let it be.

I took in a breath as I stepped outside and saw Sean’s siren red, Chevrolet Tahoe. The sound of the engine had already roared to life, igniting the anxiety within.
It’s just a car, remember. Sean knows more than anyone how to prevent a crash
. That thought had only sparked a question that I had yet to ask him. I didn’t know if he still raced or not.

Sean quickly removed the open duffel bag filled with dirty clothes from the floor on the passenger side as I slid in the seat.

“I spilled soda all over my shirt the other day and had to change it. Just forgot to close the bag.”

I grinned as I carefully picked up a pair of his boxer briefs, and he quickly snatched them away and threw them in the back. He actually looked quite embarrassed.

As we drove down the driveway, I couldn’t help but to shake my leg. My chest was beginning to tighten and my heart started to pound. My anxiety had snuck up on me. I rolled down the window, and was instantly relieved when the breeze hit my face. I shut my eyes and took deep breaths as I tried to keep calm. Maybe if I talked it would help. I just needed a distraction.

“So, before we get to the whole stop your crap and straighten up talk, I wanted to ask if you still raced.”

He frowned as he watched the road ahead. “Not since that night. I couldn’t even stand to look at a race car. What happened to Tessa pretty much killed the passion I had for the sport. All I could think about was her.”

“I ruined you, too, didn’t I?”

“Absolutely not. I put the thought in your head. I raced alongside you. If anything, I was the one who ruined me. What happened made me change me. I no longer think so carelessly and irrationally. In a way, it opened my eyes.”

I gazed out of the window, watching the trees drift by as I listened to the radio.

“So, you have two lovers. You’re crazy, you know that? It’s work keeping one person satisfied in a relationship, and you take on two.”

I shrugged. “Complicated is my middle name.”

“Is that why you drink a lot?”

I looked down. I knew it was coming. “I only drink when it’s convenient. I’m not that bad.”

“Why do you need it? What does it do for you besides kill you in a couple of years with the way you’re going?”

“It helps me forget. It makes me numb for a while.”

“You will never forget, Paige. You can’t force yourself to try to forget about it either, and the booze isn’t going to take what happened away. Don’t numb the pain; face it.”

Tears spilled down my face as the pain cut my insides. I held my breath, trying to lessen the pain, because in that moment, I couldn’t feel the weight and I didn’t feel the sorrow.

“You face it again and again until the pain lessens, and it will, because it did for me.”

I wiped my tears away.

“Take one day at a time.”

“My therapist used to say that…maybe I should’ve listened to her.”

“What made you stop seeing her?”

“I didn’t want to talk about my feelings. I didn’t want to talk about the accident, or Tessa. It only seemed to bring more pain.”

He turned in my driveway. “Do you have that one person in your life who you know you can tell anything to? Someone who is willing to listen.”

Eli came to mind. “Eli.”

He smiled. “Oh, one of the boy toys, huh?” He looked at me. “What is it that you like about Eli?”

I smiled, my stomach filling with butterflies as so many thoughts came spilling in my head.

“He has this thing about him that calms me. He’s like my comfort. I don’t really have that with anyone else. He’s not judgmental toward me when it comes to my drinking, and he looks at me with hope and warmth.” I sucked in a breath as the warm, fuzzy feeling that coated my insides overwhelmed me. “I love how he is always there and willing to help me. I love how he thinks that I’m a beautiful mess. I loved when we kissed the very first time…it felt magical and right. And I love…” I paused, my breath hitching as my eyes found Sean’s, who had a knowing smile on his face. I loved Eli. I didn’t realize it then, but now I knew. I loved him, even though I felt so completely hurt by him, and I would choose to forgive him because of that.

“Him…you love him. What is that you like about Silas?”

“He brings the fun. I can relax with him more because my time with him doesn’t turn into any serious talks. I think he sees how messed up I am, he just doesn’t push the issue. I like his mysteriousness. I like his mischievous grin when he is about to piss someone off on purpose. I love how he can charm the pants off me. I love how protective and self-sacrificing he is when it comes to me. I love his playfulness.”

I smiled as the excitement I once felt for Eli, filled me once more. I noticed, though, that the feeling wasn’t as intense for Silas like it was for Eli. I didn’t get that warmth with him like I did with Eli. Silas didn’t feel like home. I adored him and loved having him around, but I didn’t love him. Eli was the one that truly captured my heart. Even though I didn’t love Silas, I still wanted him to remain in my life as a friend.

“But do you love him?”

I shook my head. “It’s a strong like. It could turn into something more, though I won’t let it now that I know I love Eli.”

“You just chose Eli over Silas. See, it wasn’t that complicated at all.”

“It’s still complicated. I have to tell Silas.”

My stomach plummeted at the thought of me hurting him.

“Everything will turn out just fine.”

I hope
. I threw my arms around him. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me, too, Paige. I’ll be back, though.”

Tears burned my eyes. I wished he didn’t have to leave so soon, but it was for his own good.

“Bye, Sean.” I started to get out of the car when he grabbed my arm.

“Do me a favor, would you?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t let the guilt ruin you. You have that second chance Tessa wasn’t fortunate enough to get, so make something good come out of that. She wouldn’t want to see you like this. You and I both know what she would do to you if she knew you were an alcoholic.”

I scowled and looked down. “She would kick my ass.”

“That’s right. I’ll have to do it for her if you don’t stop your crap. No more booze. No more parties. Don’t kill yourself, Paige.”

I nodded and wiped away my fallen tears as I sniffled. “Okay,” I choked out.

I got out of the car and watched as he drove off, waving to him as he beeped his horn for a final farewell. I turned and started walking to the door when I found drops of blood on the step. My stomach dropped as I immediately thought of my dad. The swishing sound of my blood pulsated through my ears and head as fear took over. I grabbed my dagger from the back of my pants, hoping that it would protect me. There was a note taped to the door. I ripped it off the door and read it.