First Rights Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments Series.
Maia Roberts was thrilled. She was finally spending time with Simon without that other girl, Isabelle, hanging around too. It was nice to be able to talk and smile at Simon without being the recipient of Isabelle's evil glares. Really, Simon might be attracted to her beauty, but he and Maia got along much better, and on a personal level, too. Besides, Isabelle should back off since Simon would likely be hers eventually. Despite what either Simon or Maia wanted, they could only fight off the hatred between their species for so long. Once that hatred kicked in, it would be impossible to talk to each other, let alone for them to spend time together. But tomorrow's problems would take care of themselves, and Maia immersed herself in the current time, enjoying herself while she still could. She and Simon were both smiling, deep in their conversation about archery (a constant subject between them) as they walked to Simon's home. It was a little unorthodox for the girl to be walking the boy to his house, but all in the name of equality, yeah?
Maia tried to concentrate on what Simon was saying, but she found herself continually distracted by sounds from behind them. She could almost swear that there was someone following them, and yet her sharp eyes found no one. She tried to ignore it, but heard what sounded like growling a few times. Maia put it out of her mind, convincing herself that the sounds could be coming from a neighborhood dog with a bone or something. Before she knew it, they were standing in front of Simon's door and Maia had totally lost the string of conversation. Simon was staring at her, something strange in his eyes. She braced herself: the hatred could get the best of either of them at any time, and she had to be ready when it did.
Instead, to her shock, Simon stepped forward, putting them even closer. Behind them, a subsonic sound grew steadily louder: the growling? Simon looked awkward, nervous. Haltingly, he said, "Maia, you know - I had a - thing for Clary, right?" He didn't look up to catch her nod, but instead went on, staring at the ground. "Well, after she and Jace - anyway, I never thought I would feel that way about anyone again. I mean, Isabelle is pretty, but I don't... I don't think she likes me. I think she just likes the idea of having a boyfriend. Once, that - that would have been enough for me, but now..." Simon took a breath, then looked up, the intensity in his eyes shocking. "Maia, I like you. I like the way you spend time with me simply to spend time with me, not to have people see us together. With Isabelle... Well, this isn't about her. What I wanted to ask was, would-" he swallowed "-would you consider being my girlfriend?"
Jordan's breath caught in his throat. He had waited patiently for Maia to get out of the company of that thing, following them from a discreet distance. He had taken it as a sign of hope that Maia continued to look behind her as they strolled along. Maybe she hadn't given up everything they had shared. However, as things were now? It wasn't enough that this thing had the guts to spend time with Jordan's... with Maia, he was going to try to keep them even more together, to tie himself to her? To make her his and accept her claim on him? To take Jordan's spot in Maia's life? He waited, for what he didn't know. The growling Jordan hadn't realized that he was doing grew louder. His heart seemed to stutter as Maia nodded, accepting the thing's request. He realized that he had been waiting for Maia to reject the one she called Simon, to tell him that she was already taken. But she hadn't. Maybe she didn't remember him any more, didn't remember the time they had spent together, the memories he had thought they had shared. The beast rose up like a roar in his throat. He would make her remember.
The fog rose in his vision, and for the first time, Jordan welcomed the other. He leapt out of the darkness.
Maia nodded, filled with happiness. Simon did care for her! He moved as if to get even closer, whether to hug or kiss Maia, she didn't know, but he never got to finish the action. All of a sudden, the pair heard an awful yell, a combination of an anguished shout and a war cry. A split second later, something flew toward them. At first, it looked like the shape of a large canine, a wolf. Maia's mind flashed back to that horrible night so long ago. In that strange way that minds have, the shapes matched up. That, combined with the sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach, forced Maia to swallow a scream as she realized Jordan had come to find her. He landed on the ground in between Maia and Simon. Maia shouted for Simon to leave and tried to run, but Jordan grabbed her wrists with one hand and the nape of her neck with the other. Maia stopped for a moment to study her nightmare.
Jordan had changed since the last time Maia had seen him. He still wore jeans and long sleeved tee shirts, as did every lycanthrope, but his hair was different now. Instead of merely hanging down in its amazing, dark perfection, it was trimmed into an emo style, the back shaved slightly shorter and spiked, the ends tinted a light blue. Jordan's body was different now as well, longer and leaner than it had been when they were younger. His muscles were apparent under the shirt, but they were sleek and subtle, gained from use, not bulky muscle from lifting weights. She brought her gaze up to meet his, but soon wished she hadn't. His bright blue gaze never left Maia's face as he kicked behind him, nailing the approaching Simon in the stomach. As Simon was thrown against the wall, stunned, Jordan released Maia's neck and grasped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Slowly and distinctly, with mocking grin upon his face, Jordan said in a voice that was darker and smoother than she remembered it being, "I, Jordan Ripley, claim First Rights upon Maia Roberts."
She gaped. First Rights? That was an ancient practice, one that no person in their right mind would even think about using today. Except Jordan had, he had used them, and would be supported by the Lycan government. First Rights gave the person who infected another person and turned them into a werewolf the right to claim the person they had turned. This claiming was supposed to be used as time to introduce the person to the world that they would be living in from then on, but was (disgustingly) more commonly used as an opportunity for inappropriate behavior. As Maia saw it, both 'options' would force her to spend time with Jordan and both were unacceptable. He had forced her hand... but wasn't he too late? Smirking, Maia jerked her wrists and chin out of Jordan's grip. "You're too late, asshole. First Rights can only be claimed within the first year after I've been turned. It's been far longer than one year."
Jordan looked at her, the grin still upon his face. "I'm sorry to take your hope away, dearest, but that rule only applies if you're eighteen or older when you're turned. Since you were underage when it happened, I can claim First Rights at any time until five years after you were first infected. To the best of my calculations, it's been a mere three years since you were turned, I can claim First Rights with plenty of extra time. I'm pleased to inform you that you're stuck with me for as long as it takes me to introduce you to the lycanthrope world."
Maia punched him in the middle of his chest as hard as she could. "You son of a bitch, I'm already introduced to the lycanthrope world, and I managed it without you! I'm not going to accept your 'help', so just go away and pretend you never saw me! Simon, would you mind if I spend the night here tonight?" There was no answer, and Maia glanced around, seeing no one. "Simon?"
His face now devoid of his earlier smirk, Jordan said, "He left at the very beginning of our disagreement. I'm afraid you agreed to go out with a coward. Another thing that will have to stop while I'm helping you grow used to being a werewolf." Sensing another tirade coming his way, Jordan simply held up a hand. "I know, you think you're used to it, but are you really? Are you comfortable with your other half, the one that will be with you for as long as you live? They say hope springs eternal, but we can't let it in this case. There is no hope of being cured. Ever. Understood? And no matter how you think I slighted you by turning you, we're going to be spending a great deal of time together, so I suggest you get used to the idea."
Curling her lip in Jordan's direction, Maia spat out, "I don't care what you or those idiots on the Council say, I'm not spending that much time with you. I can prove that I'm acquainted with the lycanthrope world, and you and I will not be engaging in any inappropriate behavior, so there is no point for you claiming First Rights. As far as I'm concerned, you will never be a mentor, a friend, or anything more to me. The only thing you are to me is some asshole who cursed me to live the same demented, horrific, unnatural life that he is forced to do. You are nothing more. I wish I had never met you."
Jordan's face hardened. "The Council rules all. If you refuse to acknowledge my claim, they will execute you. And also, Maia, you assume far too much. You assume that I would want to be a mentor to you, or a friend, or anything more. You have forgotten the main idea behind the First Right clause. The Council hates all of us lycanthropes who were made, not born, and First Rights were created as a thinning technique." When Maia still didn't understand, Jordan leaned forward, using the invasion of her space as yet another insult. "I wanted to spend enough time with you that you would accept my apology and perhaps we could even become friends of a sort. However, now that you have informed me of how you truly feel about me, and emphasized that we have no hope of a future together in any capacity... How are you so sure, my darling Maia, that I don't want to take the most common route and eliminate you?"
Author's note: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and I want to explain something. The Mortal Instrument book City of Ashes has some inconsistencies where Maia's age is concerned. I took advantage of that when saying how many years it has been since Maia was turned. I'm not really sure about this series. I'm going to continue it for a while, no threats if people don't review, but if you have thoughts on the series, I would love to hear them!
