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The alarm that Roan had set, sounded loudly in the quiet room, startling her awake. Amelia looked at her own phone by the bed. There was an hour before sunrise. Plenty of time to sneak into the bathroom, brush her teeth, and throw on a little bit of makeup.
She tiptoed past Roan, still fully asleep, as she hit the snooze button on his phone. Sneaking into the bathroom, she made sure she was presentable. After coming back into the room, she took the liberty of ordering breakfast, for both herself and Roan. As she hung up the phone, she heard him shifting, and sitting.
“Good morning,” She said. “By the sounds of your snoring, I’d say you slept pretty good,” Amelia grinned.
“I didn’t keep you awake did I? I had a bit of trouble getting comfortable but then I must have just passed out from exhaustion. I may take you up on your offer tonight. For the extra bed in the room, I mean.”
“No, you didn’t keep me up. I can sleep through almost anything. And I’ll take care of the extra bed when breakfast gets here,” She said.
“When do you want to do the influencing thing?” He asked.
“That’s entirely up to you. Looking at the time, I would say we have a little less than an hour before the sun comes up.”
“Well, we can go ahead now, get it over with,” He suggested.
“That works for me,” She said, coming to sit down on the pull out bed beside him. She repeated the same process, digging deeper and deeper until she found the feeling. It was easier to find this time, she noticed, now that she knew where to look. Which was good, less time messing around inside his mind made her more comfortable.
This time he came out of the trance a lot quicker too. Maybe the less time she spent there, the less time it took for him to come back.
“And . . .” Amelia waited.
“And I feel fine, the same as yesterday. And no headache this time,” He said smiling.
“You let me in a little easier today, and I knew which feeling I was looking for, so it took a lot less time,” Amelia explained, as a knock came at the door.
“Oh, and I ordered our breakfast,” She said with a grin.
“I’m guessing food for me and room service for you.”
“Yup,” She smiled.
He got up from his bed, opening the door to a rolling cart full of food. “I didn’t know what you liked for breakfast, so I ordered a little of everything,” Amelia said with a smirk.
“I’ll eat pretty much anything, but this is perfect,” He said. “And I’ll leave you two alone,” He whispered, taking off to the bathroom himself.
“Good morning Miss, where would you like your breakfast?” The nice young woman asked politely, as Amelia’s mouth began to burn, the taste of her own blood hitting her tongue as her teeth broke through.
She stepped in front of the woman, reaching into her mind as quickly as she could. She influenced the woman that she wouldn’t feel afraid. That she wanted to block out any memory of being in this room, and that she wanted to be quiet and still.
Amelia prayed it worked as she gently grabbed the woman’s arm, her Garkain fangs rupturing through the woman’s soft skin like butter. She barely punctured the vein in her wrist, tasting her blood. She had to control herself, to take just enough to lose the pangs of hunger. A few more big gulps and Amelia withdrew her mouth completely.
The young woman stood there, unmoving as Amelia watched the coagulant in her saliva stop the flow of blood. Two small and barely noticeable marks colored her skin, but the wound was sealing over already.
“Thank you for breakfast,” Amelia said, hoping the woman would take her cue and leave. But she still stood silent, unmoving.
Amelia re-thought what she had influenced the girl to do. Ah, be quiet and be still. She very well might stay quiet and still all day. Shit, she thought.
“Uh oh, what did you do?” Roan said, laughing as he came out of the bathroom.
“Oh, hush! I told her she felt like being quiet and still. Now she won’t speak or move,” Amelia said with frustration, as Roan erupted in laughter. “And you are not helping! Shh, I need to concentrate.”
“Okay,” Roan silently laughed in the background as Amelia felt her way back into the woman’s mind. She influenced her to feel like it was time to go about her normal day, and that the couple in the penthouse was very nice to her.
“If there’s anything at all I can do, just let me know Miss,” The woman said, coming out of it.
“Wait, yes, there is. I almost forgot. We’re going to need another bed in here,” Amelia told her.
“I can bring in a rollaway, if you’d like,” The woman offered.
“No, I mean like a real bed, frame, mattress, and all,” Amelia re-phrased.
“I’m sorry Miss, we can’t do that,” The woman said apologetically.
Amelia sighed. “The rollaway will be fine, thank you.”
“Yes Ma’am, I’ll have one sent right up.”
She watched as the woman rolled the table away. Roan had already cleared it while Amelia was trying to fix her mistake. The entire breakfast menu was laid out on the table as Roan sat, taking his plate and piling it high.
“Didn’t go as planned did it?” Roan said with a snide smile.
“Hey, it’s not as easy as it looks, and that was my first time, with the whole feeding thing. With you, I know exactly where I’m going, and what I’m looking for now. I know what the end result is supposed to be. But trying to convince someone they’re okay with a stranger nibbling on their arm is a little new.”
Roan started laughing again. “Hey, I was going to go back in and influence her to bring a real bed in here, but I didn’t want to scramble the poor girl’s brain,” Amelia said, as she burst into laughter too.
“So, I didn’t mention is last night, because by the time I got off the phone you were nodding off, but Michelle and I made plans for today. And I want you to come with us. I hope that’s ok,” She said.
“Totally fine with me. As I said, it’s been ages since I’ve been to the city, and I’d like to look around. And I like your sister, she seems nice. A little ditsy, but nice. I know she cares about you. And since we’re all going to be family now, I’d better get to know them all a little better,” He grinned.
“Then I will leave you to your breakfast, while I get changed into something more comfortable, as in sneakers,” Amelia said trotting off to the bathroom and closing the door to the closet. Jeans and a light gauzy purple sweater seemed right. She dug through her original suitcase finding her comfy pink and white sneakers, pulling them on too.
“All set,” She said as she walked back into the kitchen.
“And I am stuffed. Thank you again for the breakfast. Now I’m going to change and then we can get out of this room!”
“I’ll text Michelle and see when she wants to meet us,” She called after him. Michelle texted back right away, as Amelia figured she would, offering to meet them whenever they were ready. She was already here, which didn’t surprise Amelia at all. Michelle seemed to be early to everything.
“I’m ready, how do I look?” He asked as Amelia looked up from the phone.
Amazing, sexy, attractive, I want to kiss you. All these thoughts flew through her head in an instant. His hair falling just across his eyes, the black polo shirt fitting just perfectly to show off his muscular physique. And altogether, he looked like a model or a movie star. She suddenly felt very possessive.
“Um, good, I mean great. You look great. Perfect actually,” She stumbled through her words. “You know, Michelle? Right, well she’s waiting in the lobby right now, so if you’re ready I’m ready,” She said turning away as she squeezed her eyes shut with embarrassment.
The entire ride down to the lobby she chastised herself for acting like such a fool. She kept avoiding eye contact as much as she could. Thank God he couldn’t read her emotions, she thought.
The door opened into the main lobby, as two lattes were thrust in both their faces. “Coffee?” Michelle offered.
“Yes, please, but I think you’ve reached your limit,” Amelia quipped, as she reached out hugging her sister tightly. “It’s so good to see you, you have no idea,” Amelia whispered.
“You too,” Michelle said finally letting go.
“And I’m glad I finally get some time with you, brother-in-law, kind of,” Michelle said laughing to herself.
“She’s not usually this crazy, I promise. Actually no, I don’t promise,” She said to Roan, loudly so her sister could hear.
“Okay, point taken,” She said, taking a deep breath. “And I’m calm now.”
“Thank God. So where to first? You are our official tour guide today, just make sure we swing by somewhere close for a dark pair of glasses. My eyes will be killing me in the sun,” Amelia reminded her sister.
“Right, I know just the place, but first, we need to acclimate,” She said with a sigh.
“Roan, we need to stay in the sun for a minute or two before we head out if you want to be our cover. Mother stood just off to the left of the back door, there’s a semi-private area there, where we can wait.”
“Perfect! I had to rush to the bathroom and hang out in a stall. That’s where I was when you texted, by the way, before I got coffee,” Michelle said, as the group headed out of the back door of the lobby.
Her transition was quicker than Michelle’s she noticed, as less than a few minutes passed and she was a deep golden brown. She waited patiently for Michelle to achieve the same dark tan, and then the three of them set off on their adventure through the city.
“Tell me about you Roan. Leave nothing out, I must know everything!” Michelle said as they walked past by the Marina enjoying the cloudless sky.
“Not much to tell really. I’ve been a part of the pack since birth obviously, and I spend most of my time with them. This whole life is completely foreign to me, so take it easy on my first day in the real world,” He said. “I have two degrees, online courses. I’m kind and understanding, and I think I kind of really like your sister,” He shot Amelia a wink.
“I’m sold,” Michelle said, then turned her attention to Amelia. “So, what’s it like, being half Larougo and half Garkain? I only saw you once after you Unbound, what’s it been like since then?”
“Challenging, but exciting. My eyes are doing better with the whole adjusting thing, but it’s still tough. My hearing is a lot better. I can focus on things, but it’s not the overwhelming noise like it was in the beginning.
“I can feel everyone’s, well almost everyone’s emotions very strongly. You nearly knocked me out with yours this morning, by the way. And I think I’m getting the hang of the gift. This morning I had breakfast, and with one minor hiccup, everything went fine,” She could hear Roan chuckling in the background.
“Oh, you hush,” Amelia said jokingly.
“What’s so funny?” Michelle asked, glancing from Roan to Amelia.
“She told the poor girl to be quiet and still, then she couldn’t get her to leave,” He told Michelle still laughing.
“Look, it was my first time, other than you. But I fixed it. She did leave. Eventually,” She told Michelle, who was still grinning from ear to ear.
“Don’t feel bad. Mother had to help me with my first influence, and it didn’t go that great either. I couldn’t get into the guy's mind quick enough, and then he started asking me why I was staring at him,” Michelle admitted. “I think he thought I was trying to get his number or something.”
“Okay, that’s almost as bad as mine!” Amelia said, not feeling quite as embarrassed.
“Shut up,” Michelle said nudging her sister into Roan’s side, which he happily took as an opportunity to throw his arm around her.
“It does seem like you two are getting along well, I’m happy for you. Both of you,” Michelle said.
They followed Michelle around and around, through different parts of town that Amelia hadn’t been to yet. She noticed that the shops began to look much fancier as they kept walking.
“Okay, so, quick cheat. Before you go into a store, stand in the shade, and let your skin change, obviously. An alleyway, like that one there will work just fine. Keep your head down and look at your phone, no one likes to bother people who appear busy,” Michelle instructed.
The girls did exactly that, while Roan stood at the entrance to the narrow alley looking bored but not complaining. A few minutes later, and noticeably paler, they walked into one of the high-end stores, one specifically selling sunglasses in every tint and style, color, and shape Amelia could imagine.
She tried on each pair, but every time she looked toward the window and the glare from the sun, they were never quite dark enough. Finally, she found a pair that worked.
“Holy shit,” she said as she looked at the price tag.
“Well, you have good taste. Designer taste. I guess that runs in our genes too,” Michelle said with a laugh. “What do you think that card Ambrose gave you is for anyway?”
“Are you sure?” Amelia said with a flash of shock.
“Absolutely,” Michelle said nodding. “And they look great on you.”
They paid for the expensive glasses, then took their time staying in the shade and browsing from store to store. Amelia picked out a few more things that she liked and even convinced Roan to pick a few things for himself.
She doubted this was the kind of day he had in mind, but he was a good sport, which she greatly appreciated. She’d make it up to him.
She felt like he’d put up with enough shopping for one day, so they decided to go to the park and walk around for a while there. It was a pain to have to acclimate every time she walked into and out of a place. Another thing she marked down as a con.
By early afternoon, Amelia suggested they stop by one of the food trucks near the park, so Roan could grab something to eat.
“Eating in front of you two isn’t fair when I know you’ve got to be hungry too. I’ll wait here while you two grab something, or someone for yourselves,” He said, taking a huge bite of his burger.
“Sounds good to me, I saw a small dive with only a few people inside just back over that way, we can grab something in there,” Michelle suggested.
“Okay, we’ll be right back,” Amelia said to Roan.
“I’m not worried at all. I’m sure you two will be just fine,” He smiled.
At the small restaurant, the two wandered inside. The light dim enough to hide their skin transition. As Michelle had said, there were a handful of patrons inside taking lunch at this hour. A couple at a table near the back caught Amelia’s attention.
Michelle whispered, “Okay, so we’ll tell them they need to go to the bathroom, and that they want to follow us. Then tell them that they want us to feed on them and that they don’t want to make a sound while in the room. That should work, I hope.”
She nudged Michelle and gestured in their direction. Michelle nodded, and they headed for the table. Michelle took the lead.
“Hey guys,” She said in a friendly tone to the couple. Who looked confused, but returned her hello, not wanting to appear rude.
The two women quickly sat. Amelia taking the woman, and Michelle taking the man. They both stared at their person, delving quickly into their minds. As the women both stood, the couple followed them into one of the restrooms. The rest was quick.
Amelia rinsed her mouth in the sink, while Michelle did the same after her. The two women walked out of the dimly lit joint as easily as they walked in, and far less hungry.
Returning to the park they spotted Roan, sitting just where they left him.
“Better?” He asked. The girls both nodded, as he stood. “So, what’s next?” Roan asked.
“How about we just walk around for a bit, take a swing by the Marina on the way back to the hotel,” Michelle suggested.
“Sounds good,” Roan said, although Amelia knew he’d had about enough for the day, and so had she, honestly.
Michelle sensed her sister's mood, being kind enough to end their outing. “Well, I think I’ve had it for today, and I can honestly say that you, my dear sister, got lucky,” She said, shooting her a smile.
“And you better live up to the high opinion I already have of you,” Michelle said, looking Roan right in the eyes.
“I promise, to not only meet, but exceed your expectations,” He said with a playful bow.
They said their goodbye’s and the pair snuck back in through the rear door, heading quickly to the elevator before Amelia’s skin began to change.
Back in the suite, she landed face-first onto the bed, dropping their bags next to it.
“Ugh, what a day! But a good day?” She said with a hint of a question.
“Of course! And I like your sister. I honestly do. And I really like that she looks out for you,” Roan said, sitting on the bed next to Amelia.
She sat up, looking at him, again struck by how attractive he was. “It means a lot to me that you two like each other,” Amelia said. “My family back home is . . . kind of difficult to understand. I was a foster kid, adopted when I was older. I never felt like I fit in anywhere. Until now,” She said.
Roan reached out and tucked a strand of loose curl behind her ear. “It’s funny how life ends up working out, hu?” He laughed and looked at her, leaning in for a polite kiss.
He wanted more. She could tell. Desire shot through as his dominant emotion. And she wanted to give in to her own. But she didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. She wanted to be lady like, while at the same time she wanted to be anything but. Eventually she knew her emotions would override her restraint. As much as she hated to, she needed to put those thoughts out of her mind for now.
“I’m going to change, and put away our goodies,” She said, not moving.
“Sounds good,” He said, still sitting beside her. “And I’d probably better get my new bed settled.”
She nodded and reluctantly scooted to the edge of the bed, standing and going into the closet to change.
When she came out Roan was already in his bed, still fully clothed.
She laid in the big bed, her mind keeping her awake tonight. She replayed the day and the afternoon. She replayed the tender moment with Roan on the very bed she was laying in. She thought about their life together and what it could be like. And the life she pictured made her smile.
She tried to push the other thoughts from her head, for tonight at least. Tomorrow was another day. And an undecided one. Only three days now and she’d be headed back to the States completely deleting her former life, starting over with Roan, her family, and the Colony.