Juliet
It was hard saying goodbye to Louis after we had spent two days together. I wouldn't have let him go if Chris didn't say something. I was still trying to figure out how to get Louis to stay.
"Juliet… I figured out something while you guys were gone." I kissed Louis again and lingered, holding his face hostage. "I have been reading." I knew Louis had to get back to En-gannim. "It's about getting my abilities back." I lowered my head, shaking it from side to side. They were tag-teaming me… Like, I didn't see Louis imploring Chris for help… I was okay with it. I wasn't going to be alone. I kissed Louis one last time, and he indulged me with a deep kiss and a groan. I was thinking about our first kiss. How he clung to my chains and how it made me feel. "You're going to make me stay." Louis's voice was low on my lips.
"Go… before I change my mind." Slowly, Louis stepped back, letting go of my hand as he walked away.
I turned around to Chris. "What has you so animated?"
"I went to talk to Beatrice."
"Chris…"
He patted the bed. "I have to get better. I want my dance."
I snorted. "You know… If a dance made you all act like this, I would've started practicing earlier."
"You don't know us at all." He pointed to the room. "You should've known it would be Marcus's one weakness." I chuckled and blushed, thinking about how Marcus lost control. "Our swatches… I asked Beatrice about it. When Maya just started looking after Caleb, it was all she did… Ira didn't want me to know too much, so she never brought it up again."
Exhausted, I fell down on the bed. I was going to close my eyes for a few minutes. "Have you never wondered how or why they act supernaturally?" Chris went on.
"No."
"Well, I did. The over "space and time" comment she made had me wondering about it for some time now. We never got around to grilling her for answers."
Chris tapped me on the shoulder. I opened one eye. He nudged me over. I scooted closer and lay my head on his chest. Chris's fingers gently raked through my hair. "It's the stones they use at the tips of the embossing pens."
"Embossing?"
"If you were a normal girl, you would have known what embossing means."
I lifted my eyes and gave him a quick kiss. "No pecking… Anyway… the stones come from Palmyra."
I sat up. "What?"
He pushed my head down on his chest. "Beatrice told me that if I go back in time, I will be able to get my powers back."
I wanted to sit up, but Chris kept me in place. I chuckled again. "So if you could choose… where should I go."
"If you find me… kill me."
"Juliet, I'm serious."
"Really, Chris. Back in time? I can't even think about that! Not now. Let alone all the implications of something so monumental… If it was for real."
Chris pushed me over and got on top of me. He lowered his lips onto mine. "I don't have the energy," I said softly. Chris's fingers dug into my sides. They ran to just the right spots. I squirmed for my life, begging, "Don't… stop… please." He wasn't letting up. "Fine!" Chris's ceased his tickling. His hands found other ways to keep themselves busy. "I want you to go back to the night we slept together in the car. Take me out of the garden and kidnap me. First, dismantle all the watcher feed, and we can disappear."
"No…" He said slowly, and his eyes darted over my face. "That is not what I thought you would say. Louis would find us in about two minutes. Michael and Marcus will not stop until they know where you are. What would be different?"
"That's to say, if the timeline doesn't change. Or that I'm still your Juliet. Maybe you go back, and none of us know each other… And I… am some human girl working in a coffee shop."
"Can you be serious for one second?"
"If you kiss me… I'll think while your tongue is in my mouth." His eyes went to my lips, and he hovered over me. He did what I asked. I could feel movement. He was pulsating. Eventually, he was hard and grinding against me. I looked down at our mingled pelvises. "I thought you couldn't."
"Do you know everything that's going on?"
"I receive detailed reports. The highlights are bullet-pointed… How was my show?"
Chris laughed and rolled off me. "I'm going to fire Jessy."
"You can try… But no… If I had to be serious. I would choose the day before I met Marcus in the bookstore. Cut the feed and take me away after explaining everything to my father. Raise me…"
Chris put his hand over my mouth… "If you call me daddy, I might walk out of that door and never come back."
I shook off his hand and straddled him. "Oh please, daddy…." I kept shaking my head in that porn star way. "I want to cum, daddy. Spank me, daddy."
Chris covered his ears. "Stop. Please." I was happy to see him better already. "Why do you want to be alone with me? You really want to cut out everyone?" He tried to say between laughs that didn't want to subside.
My hands strayed, and I cupped him. "You were always the male lead in this story. And I love you." Chris's laughter stopped abruptly. "You don't say?" He pulled his lips in an upside-down smile. "I thought it was Louis?"
"In my story, the girl ends up with the second male lead… And you know what… You could go, get your powers, and come back. If it is across space and time… You'll be able to come and go as you please."
"That would be a little overpowered for even a male lead."
I cupped even harder, applying unwanted force. "That is the only option I would consider. What about my children? Nothing would make me want Caleb to vanish into thin air."
"Your children?" He smiled, not at all deterred about my rough handling. Chris was becoming even harder. "I won't be that stupid. I do love our kids. Even if I seem indifferent to Sammy." He rolled me over and straddled me. His hand strayed into my pants. "But for now…." He pushed my legs open and took deep dips between my thighs. "He needs attention."
"A little movement isn't enough… It's all in the follow-through."
Chris laughed. "Should I pull down my pants and show you how ready I am to… follow through. He'll even dance for you. You can have a cock dance?"
I laughed out loud.
Chris's hand reached out for the glass plate on the nightstand. "Read this and tell me what you think… While you were in Paris… And your hair looks great, by the way… I had to go into the library that Soren had been working on. He had not even gotten through half a quarter."
I took the plate. It was full of images, markings, and writings. "What text is this?"
"Ancient Werewolf writings."
"How did you translate it?"
"Ahasuerus didn't take everything."
"No way? This is so cool. Look… even the cover is the same as some swatch symbols."
"That was what I looked for."
"Not bad, Mr. Rheed."
He slid off me and held the plate up so we could read together. It was quiet for a while.
"You haven't even asked me where I would want to go. Or what I would do when I go back." I stiffened next to him. I didn't want to know. Scared of the answer. "Juliet… That night in the garden… If Louis came just twenty minutes earlier… What would've happened?"
I wanted to push up on my elbow to answer him. The door opened, and Louis was back. Chris and I stared at him. The look he had before he left was gone. Somber Louis was back. Two more figures appeared and walked through after him. I glanced at Chris. He took my hand, and I knew we were in for a ride. Michael closed the door behind him.
Marcus told us everything that had happened.
It was never my intention to start a war. It was only a possibility. All I wanted was my child and my husband. En-gannim was a stepping stone. I thought about just walking away… Letting them have it. If they wanted it so badly… I thought we could all live on Earth. But that would mean that the new leaders on En-gannim and the generals on Earth would have to work together. We would have no idea what they would do with the humans or us. The worst would be if they enslaved all of them.
Packing up and moving to Zoreah was an option. My army was already in the city… Helping them populate. We would all be together and safe. We would have to evacuate our loved ones anyway. Leaving my mom somewhere undefended. It wasn't an option. Agatha and Marcus's grandmother were still out there. I didn't want to interfere. The three of them were seated on chairs, looking at Chris and me on the bed. Everyone was waiting to hear what we would say.
We would be throwing all we accomplished in the water. All Palmyra's books. I did see the Earth as one of my homes. But… I didn't necessarily trust them with the secrets to the universe. Giving humans the power might be worse. If the answers to restoring Chris's powers were there… We couldn't. It had taken us a weeks to empty the libraries and travel it all.
The other problem was the teleporting ability; we had no idea how to move. Michael was going to some planet we knew nothing about. We didn't even know where the vault was hidden. How long would it take him to find it?
I fixed my gaze on Marcus. "I gave you that emblem for a reason. I'm not making this decision. What do I know of war? You're the general."
"It's not about making one decision, Julie. You need to tell me what you want. This is a family discussion."
It would be our first one, sitting down together and deciding. "Then you four go first and tell me what you want."
My eyes traveled over to Michael, wanting to hear what he would say. I needed to hear anything from him… He was going to need to take a lot of risks. Michael sat with his hands under his armpits, propped back in the chair. At least he was looking at me. We all waited.
"I want to fight." Is all he said. His eyes were cold, and the tone in his voice was still flat and emotionless. It was strange seeing Michael like that.
My gaze drifted to Louis. His eyes were down on the floor, not looking at anyone. We had spent the previous night together as a couple. It would mean more time apart. We were waiting for him to say something. Louis knew what we were all thinking. He would have all the information already cataloged.
Me { Baby… It's only you and me in the room. What do you want to do? I'll back you no matter what. Do you want to take me and leave? }
Louis shook his head, and two blue oceans met in the middle. "You know I would never. But thanks for asking… I want to fight."
I drew in a breath, slowly exhaling. I wasn't expecting it. I considered his answer for a while. Finally, I looked over at Marcus. We all did and waited.
"I want to run."
I turned a little to meet Chris's sensitive brown eyes. Our hands were still fixed together. "I think I know until when I should wait." I shook my head slightly. I didn't want him to tell them all what he had learned.
"I want to run. I can't come to you, Juliet… We can wait it out. There would be no point in staying, from my perspective. They would never dream of invading Zoreah. You give back the child, and all will be well."
"I won't be able to get drunk."
Chris stroked my cheek. "It will only be until we know how to challenge them. I can't protect you… It will drive me mad."
"We won't know without the books." It was quiet in the room. Chris and I were on a whole other level. Our own little world. "We don't have time to negotiate. Can you be serious for one second?"
Chris gave me a genuine smile. "Fine… we have no time to try anything or figure out something like we always did. There would be no lucky avenue presenting itself. Caleb is in danger if you don't give back, Aries. And…" He tapped me on the nose. "You created nets and bondages... Fahan has swords… We all know what you're going to say. So say it."
"I want to fight." I was breaking the tie. Chris leaned in. "Now I have my answer."
My shoulders slumped, and I leaned into Chris's hand. "Does it change anything?"
"No."
As soon as Louis answered, he had two votes and knew which way it would go. My eyes met Louis's again. { You want to change your mind? } Louis shook his head. { I love you, and I still can't get you out of my system } Louis's eyes were fixed on me. I was thinking about that night and wished again that he had followed me. The answer Chris wanted to hear. How twenty minutes changed all our lives. I was going with him on this. We all knew who had the power anyway. And it was him. He had me, and there was nothing for it.
"Before we jump into action. I need to talk to Marcus… Alone." I dropped my legs off the bed, and he followed me out. I took his hand, and he laced our fingers. I led him down the lane of trees. "I have to talk to Michael. I can't take it anymore."
Marcus stopped dead in his tracks. "Immediately, no!" I implored with my eyes. "What do you mean, Julie?"
"It's not the time or place, but if I don't do it now… I might never have a chance. And after, he might open up."
"I thought you wanted to wait till after the pregnancy. Protect our child."
"I'm more than four months. I'll be showing soon… If it's not today… Then it's only in eight months… Or till he gets back… If everything works out. The war will go on for years… I did want to wait because I wanted the two of us to get married for real. But now it's more…."
"Seeing where you two are at… This has been going on for a long time, Julie. Can't it wait? He's not going anywhere. This might give him the time he needs."
"Do you want to take that chance? He's unhinged. Almost breaking. We would count on a soldier with PTSD and is all three. Just waiting to snap. There will be no whipping him into submission if one of us dies. And even if he didn't mean it. Could we really blame him… Are we going to leave him to prove himself to us? Like you all want to do… Will his test be somewhere in the near future? When Caleb's life is on the line?"
"Michael is a lot of things… But he's not that far gone."
"Would you have trusted him if he was anyone else?"
"Maybe not… You want to push again. Has my father's death not taught us anything? If you know, he is our weakness… Then, rather keep him close but have control… Help him through it, rather than pressing him into a corner… Michael asked you to give him space to come and speak to you. Like you said. It's not the time or place. A lap dance will not solve all your problems."
I pinched the bridge of my nose and took raggedy breaths. That was precisely what I had been hoping for. Marcus pulled my hand away. "Don't. Just let it out. Stop bottling up everything…"
"Please don't say it." Marcus closed his mouth. He was going to say that I was not mature enough to handle them. I knew I wasn't. "I'm trying… Why didn't you want to fight? Is it because of the baby?"
Marcus turned when we heard the gravel under boot soles. Neither of us had seen Michael or knew how much he had heard. That day, his hair was loose, hanging over both of his shoulders, almost touching his pecks. He didn't look at either of us.
"I'll give you two a minute," Marcus said. He walked up to me and took my face in his hands, pulling me in and kissing me. He sighed when I didn't respond like I should have. He bobbed his head. "It's not me, is it?" Marcus stepped back. He turned to Michael, and the two predators stared at each other. "Don't touch her. Not like that." Michael scoffed and turned away from him. Marcus pulled him around. "I'm serious. No one will hurt her again! That's what you said… be careful." Michael's shoulders fell, and he closed his eyes slowly.
We stood in silence. Michael was moving around, kicking at stones and grabbing his hair behind his head, only to let it go again. "Juliet! Tell me why you are talking to Marcus about my dance?"
My faculties went into defensive mode at the clipped tone in his voice. "I asked him… to help me," I said nervously. Michael bit his bottom lip between his teeth and let out a slow cuss word. "You said I should practice." Eyes closed, his head tilted away from me. The next moment, he swung around, and his fist hit a tree. It irritated me immediately. Why did he have to get violent? Why was he so inflexible. My snarky side bubbled up. "So much for taking time to calm down… You're avoiding the inevitable, honey."
He turned and pointed a finger at me. "I told you to go take lessons… From a woman… Take a few pole dancing sessions at a cardio studio… Not from your other husband… It was mine…." He pressed his finger into his chest. "I asked for it… And you took it from me."
I snorted and laughed at the same time. "You're kidding, right. I don't think you know how a harem works. Isn't that what you told me… And whether I sleep with him in a bed. Or take him down into the tunnels to help me with music choice and my outfit… What's the difference?"
Michael glared at me. He paused and lifted his torso. The six-foot-three towered over me. His finger started moving up and down like a teacher in a grade school class with no patience. "That's what they were talking about…." The offending finger waved all over the place. "Marcus and Louis… So not only has all of them had a dance before me, but it doesn't seem that you care."
I was almost in tears before he came over. At that moment, I felt like bawling. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. The hole in my stomach that Michael created twisted and turned from all the stress. The emotional toll I was under because of him… I took a deep breath. I didn't want to invalidate his feelings. I had not even considered how Michael would take it. His jealousy was new. Marcus was supposed to give me input. I couldn't help what happened afterward. Or that Louis had my footage floating around. I reached out a hand. Michael slapped it away. "Don't touch me. Didn't you hear your husband tell me to behave? We get to do so little as a couple, and you couldn't even ask me?"
"I'm sorry, Michael." I walked past him. Not ready for him to hurt me again. Done with the conversation.
"Where are you going? Take me! I want to see it!"
I thought about going down into those tunnels with him. Red flags were flapping at me. My gut told me not to.
"Now! Juliet!"
I jumped at the pitch in his voice and turned on my heels. He grabbed my wrist and pulled at me. "I'm sick of walking everywhere."
He placed his hands on my hips. His fingers were soft and gentle, squeezing the exposed flesh. He rubbed my sides with his thumbs, slowly pulling me closer. I wrapped my hands around his neck, and he traveled us. "Further down." He traveled again. It really was just a round tunnel, creating a way through the whole compound. I stopped in front of the room I had chosen, swallowing hard. Michael pushed past me and grabbed the handle. His eyes roamed the room, taking a moment. And I guessed, judging me. Michael's index finger pointed and rubbed underneath his nose. Agitated, he said, "What did you do, and what did Marcus do?"
I walked over to the curtain to take off my original outfit. "This is what I wanted to wear. He didn't like it.…." I dropped the dress on the stage. "I chose strip club music, and he didn't like it."
"And!"
"He put my favorite music on and told me to choose something that I would like to wear, and I chose this." I yanked the hanger of the railing. The delicate material snagged on a buckle in one of the other garments and tore. Michael came closer. My hand was shaking, trying to untangle the mess. His fingers rubbed the fabric, and he gently took it from me. "This is what you chose?" He held it up.
"You don't like it… I knew it… You would have wanted me in that." I pointed to the black leather crumpled up. It was pretty. A tight little number with mesh on the sides that pushed up my breasts. A lot of straps around my shoulders and neck. Michael did like the biker vibe. It didn't matter. My poncho slash dress was ruined. It was so beautiful… Just like that white dress I had on that night with Chris. My head was pounding. When I cried, it always shot up through my skull.
"What else?"
I swiped at my eyes.
"Marcus suggested the chains… If you would like it, of course… After everything, it was only an option."
Michael sat down on the stage, knees high off the ground, playing with the ripped material in his hand. If he had still been the old Michael, he probably would've tried to fix it for me. He bent down and ran his hand over the carpet. "You did all of this?"
"Y…es…"
"The lights? The stage? The chair? The pole?"
"Yes."
Michael let out a chuckle, lifted his head in the air, and kept laughing. "What?" My tears were gone. Insecurities took their place. He was laughing at me.
He shook his head and ran one hand's finger over his eyes, rubbing at his brow. I took a step forward. "I am really sorry. I wanted you to enjoy it…." I dared to reach out my hand and touch his shoulder. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. He had stretched out his legs, so I had a place to land. He pushed one arm under my knees and got up.
I wrapped my arms around his furry neck. The next moment, we were on En-gannim in a field so vast that I couldn't see the borders. Michael stepped into a small building where we landed. I followed and looked around his shoulder to see what he was doing. Not afraid anymore. "Coordinates? A trip?" I asked excitedly.
He snorted and picked up a glass plate mounted on the wall. It looked different. Michael turned to me. His eyes sparkled. My mouth responded, and the corners lifted. Marcus was right… He was still in there somewhere. We stood there fixed on each other. Michael bent down and kissed me quickly. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out until we were standing somewhere in the middle of the field. "Can you stop yanking me around?"
"No!" He pressed some buttons. A loud rumble made the Earth move. I laced my fingers in his, standing closer. Patches in the grass slowly opened. Massive pillars drove up into the sky. I stood even closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. Michael picked me up in one swoop. Even one of his arms held so much power. "Hold on, honey." He pressed me against him.
My face was buried in the hair of his neck. I took a deep breath… All I smelled was him. His chin turned towards me, and he let out a groan. I watched his fat paw pads trying to push the launch button. His groan turned into a growl. "Help me." He roared softly.
I chuckled. "Say, please." Michael turned his head, snapping and chomping his white teethy rows at me.
I licked my lips, biting the bottom one for effect. "When you're behind me… Yes, please." I challenged in a sultry tone. Michael's nails dug into me. "Right here in my neck." I bit down on the muscle covered with hair as hard as I could. Michael laughed as I tried to get the strands out of my mouth, spitting and gagging. "You can be glad I love you. You are so stupid." He whispered.
As he said the words "I love you." I slowly took the last hair out of my mouth. The love you had stabbed right underneath my rib, straight into my heart. My tense stomach turned into butterflies, and I melted into him. I leaned over and pressed the button. I didn't care where we were going or that it was somewhere neither of us knew.
When our feet were on solid ground, he was back to human, and his lips were on mine, tongue in my mouth and moving. Arms around me, hand on my ass, clenching and fondling. Hands everywhere, pushing me into him. I was trembling, knowing what I had been waiting for. I pressed myself into his chest, letting his hand run down between my thighs from behind, cupping me and squeezing. I was fisting his shirt and moaning. I knew who I needed release from. Who I was desperate to connect with.
"Excuse me!"
We were both startled and spun around. "Charlene!" She almost ran me over, flinging her arms around me, making us topple over. We landed on the ground with her on top of me. I hugged her so hard. "That was hot!"
"Michael seems reserved… But in the bedroom, he's really not… Why have you not come back yet?"
"Romero and I slept together. I can't ever leave. I'm stuck to him. Supernaturally."
We both burst out laughing.