“I’m your soulmate? Are you joking?” I humorlessly laugh, which only seems to make him mad.
“Yes, and trust me, I’m not happy about it,” he growls out. I think back to when Maxx admitted I was his mate to Cameron, and know he isn’t lying. This alien asshole is my soulmate…what did I ever do to the world to deserve this?
“Thanks,” I reply and exhale a long breath. “Right, well, explain the marks on my forehead and stomach? The ones that look like yours. Explain why I woke up from a car crash that should have killed me with nothing more than bruises, blue marks and hair that grows out pink?”
“Another day, I have things to do,” Maxx suddenly says, getting up, and I quickly jump up to stop him walking out.
“You can’t just tell me you’re my soulmate and an alien from another planet, then walk away,” I shout as he keeps walking away. “I have a lot more questions.”
“Ask Landon and forget the crash, Freckles. I need to go,” he says with a slight chuckle at the glare I give him, and I step back as all of Maxx glows a bright blue light—and then he disappears. I stand speechless, staring at the empty room before sitting back down on the sofa and placing my head in my hands. Aliens that disappear…how do you deal with that?
Chapter Fifteen
“Why did I get a phone call to say you’re not in school today, Ura?” dad asks after I answer the phone and pause in my walk down the street to the bus stop.
“I’m just running late to school. I missed the bus,” I lie, hating that I have to lie to him at all. I keep walking as I hear dad sigh down the phone.
“Alright, at least you are going in. I will call them and let them know,” dad replies.
“Sorry, dad,” I mutter.
“Skipping school is a normal teenage thing to do, don’t worry about it,” he says, making me smile. “I have to go, have a good day.” I close the call after saying bye and slide my phone into my bag I picked up from the house. I turn when I hear the loud rustle of the bus engine and hold my hand out to stop it before it gets to the bus stop. The tires squeak as the blue bus pulls up next to me, and I wait for the doors to open. I jump on the bus when they do and pay the driver before making my way down the aisle as the bus starts up again. The bus is completely empty, in a creepy silent way, and I sit myself down at the back, resting my feet on the back of the seat in front of me. The bus suddenly stops again, and I look down the aisle, wondering who would be getting on at the end of my road when there are no other houses near ours. Austin walks onto the bus, grinning at me as he hands a note to the driver and tells him to keep the change. I straighten my back, feeling that cold wave creep over me as Austin gets closer. Austin sits right next to me, and I press myself as close to the window as possible as the bus starts moving again.
“What do you want?” I ask, not trusting Austin at all.
“To talk away from your light up boy,” he says, clearly meaning Maxx. “It is near impossible to get you alone.”
“He isn’t my anything,” I snap. “And I’m alone all the time.” He only smirks, leaning back in his seat.
“Good to know you aren’t his…yet,” Austin replies, and I give him a questioning look as he rests back in the seat.
“Again, what do you want?” I ask, wanting to get to the bottom line. I freeze when Austin suddenly places his finger on the top of my hand, it glows a bright grey color. A cold feeling overwhelms me, making me feel like I’ve stepped into a freezer, and I can’t move. The light suddenly has a pink glow around it, and I’m frozen as I stare at our hands.
“I wanted to see what color you glow. I should have guessed pink, with the hair, but I had to be sure,” Austin says and then moves his hand away, allowing me to finally feel like I can breathe. “Humans dye their hair all the time.”
“What did you do to me?” I breathlessly ask.
“Oh, my power overwhelmed you, and until you know how to defend yourself, it always will,” he says, like it is nothing.
“Don’t touch me again,” I warn him, and he chuckles, trying to face me and leaning into my space.
“Don’t tell me what to do, little halfling. You need me on your side, or I might just tell the wrong people about you and your light up boy,” he states. “Or drain those pretty light up sisters he protects.”
“Fuck you,” I spit out.
“That would be a good way of keeping me on your side, but I think a date first would be better,” he says. “I have something I want to show you, and we need to leave town to do so.”
“You are blackmailing me for a date?” I ask.
“Yes. This town is boring, and you’re the only remotely interesting girl here,” he shrugs. “Plus, you are a half, and there are certain things I can’t do with humans because they couldn’t handle it,” he winks, and I flash him a look of disgust.
“You’re insane,” I spit out.
“Most people call it charming,” he says, sounding a little annoyed at my lack of interest in his offer. “I will pick you up on Saturday at eight, and don’t even think of standing me up. I don’t care about peace as much as my brother and the light up boy.”
The bus stops to let people on in town, and Austin stands up, smoothing his white shirt down before walking off the bus. My heart pounds in my chest until the bus doors close, and I finally feel a little safe. I don’t doubt for a second Austin will ruin everything, threaten everyone if I don’t do as he asks. I sit silently as the bus pulls up at school, and I quickly get off, wrapping my arms around myself as the cold wind blows towards me. I run up the school steps, trying to get out of the bad weather as fast as I can. I get inside the school and see Maxx stood in the middle of the corridor. He storms up to me as I stop just in the archway. For some reason, all the fear and doubts I was feeling disappear when he is near me and are replaced by a safe feeling.
“What did he want?” Maxx asks, and I know he means Austin.
“How did you know?” I question, raising an eyebrow but Maxx seems focused on my hand like he knows what Austin did.
“I keep an eye on you in case of trouble, and Austin has been following you since you came here. I knew from how he looked at you there might be trouble,” he admits, but it’s more of a statement with no apology about him following me. I suppose, in a weird way, it is sweet that he wants to keep me safe. In other ways, it freaks me out that I need to be kept safe in the first place.
“That’s creepy of him, and weirdly sweet of you,” I answer, and he finally pulls his blue eyes away from my hand to meet my eyes.
“I’m not sweet,” he snaps, his lips pulled in a thin line.
“Sure, you’re not,” I laugh.
“Freckles, what did Austin want?” Maxx asks.
“He blackmailed me into a date on Saturday,” I answer, and Maxx honestly looks shocked.
“He did fucking what?” he snaps.
“What I just said…” I say, drifting off when Maxx starts glowing brightly. I should be scared, I should run, but instead I end up moving towards him. I step closer, placing my hand on his jacket-covered shoulder, and his eyes burn down at me.
