DUSK BWWM

Chapter Seven

"Can we talk?"

Stella had been on her way back from the cafeteria alone, as Tammie was currently getting cozy with another Lykan named Rodney. She'd been so focused on getting sleep. She couldn't get over how easily she felt drained these days. She wondered if it was left over from her imprisonment. Teira was a dark place, with no air, no light...nothing. The abject darkness sucked a Capricorn's life force, and slowly a Capricorn would fade, and it wasn't pretty. Like a flower that withers, a Capricorn could go through such, if they didn't have any life running around them.

Now, her hand spasmed from where it clasped the handle to her room. She didn't turn around, knowing who stood behind was problem enough. "...and say what to each other?" she lifted her head, her eyes forward staring at the grain of the door with the focus of a carpenter. "If I recall your words, what was it again; ah! Nothing, I was nothing." She let loose a bitter laugh, "So doesn't that mean we've nothing to speak about?"

"Stella, look...I didn't mean it to come out that way," he reached out towards her.

"Don't!" she whirled, slapping his hand away. Smoke arose from her shaking arms. Her eyes narrowed at him growing red. "Don't," she said again. Her voice was cracking at the pain. She crossed her arms trying to find control. Her teeth were gritted as she closed her eyes against the pity in his gaze. "I've finally managed to regain a semblance of normality in my life," she reopened her eyes, "Why can't you just leave me alone!"

He shook his head, his familiar good looks; the face she'd trailed with her fingers now looked at her with pity. "I'm sorry, but I had no choice...we were destined-"

"Destined?!"

Her voice wasn't normal, and she couldn't seem to breathe normally as she glared at him struggling against the wrath boiling inside her. "Destined? Mated? Bullshit!" she yelled, her fury growing as she uncrossed her arms and let them rest at her sides. "What about me? What about everything we did for each other? I was there. I was always there for you and you—!" she choked shaking her head. She retreated a step as she felt her skin tighten. "You abandoned me," she whispered in a small voice.

He took a step towards her, a glimpse of what he once felt for her appeared in his eyes for all of a second. He turned his gaze away, "I know, no, I knew I shouldn't have approached you but..." he looked at her, "You were so beautiful and vibrant. I was drawn to you, and I never thought that I would find my mate. If I'd known..." he trailed off. "I-I wish we'd never met. I'm sorry."

His words couldn't have hurt her more than a sword. They pierced her more surely than the moment he'd called her 'nothing' a few years back. Her body jerked, and her eyes widened. "Y-you...wished we'd never met?" She dropped her head forward. Her shoulders were shaking as she stared blankly at the floor.

All this time she'd hated and resented him, but she'd never wished that she never met him. Cole had brought her such vibrancy that she hadn't known, even though Capricorns could move nature at their whim, love was something their kind tended to avoid.

Suddenly so angry she had her hand up before she could think fully about what she was about to do, she was already moving towards Cole with every intent of harming him. A hand grabbed hers, and she found herself staring into Christians gaze. He winced as he held the hand covered with flames, her eyes were wide as she looked from him to Cole who was being dragged away by Tammie.

"Let go!" She snapped, pulling against Christians hold. Her eyes were focused on Coles retreating, "Let go, Christian!"

He didn't. Instead, he forced her hand down between them. "Stop! You know your laws the same as I do, Stella." His voice softened as she stared down at her, "Even though Olive's in charge now, you can't violate them like this...not over him."