Author's note: sorry this has taken forever, I've been on vacation for
quite some time, then had to get ready for university practically straight
afterwards, but now my life has some sort of order to it again, parts
should be coming much more rapidly again.
Part 13
Even though everything seemed to be fine, Astara wad convinced it wasn't going to last. Ardon had become as attentive to her as ever. Regan's plans to destroy Cayla had gone nowhere, whatever she and her friend Kharma planned, the irritating bitch seemed to avoid them and weasel out of every trap.
The peacefulness of the past month came to an end one Sunday afternoon. The downward spiral of events started first while Astara sat in a coffee shop at the mall waiting for Regan to show up. She was surprised to be approached by a beautiful raven haired girl.
"You're Astara Blackthorn?"
Astara looked at the beautiful elegant girl dressed in a white silk blouse with pearl buttons and designer jeans. She sat down without an invitation, Astara tried to recall why the girl seemed vaguely familiar. "Yes, and who might you be?"
"Verlaine Redfern," the girl said. "Ardon's sister."
Astara shrugged. "Oh, right." She had met the girl a few times at Ardon's parent's, and recalled him complaining about what a bitch the girl was, how unfair and annoying it was she was so spoiled. "Once or twice." She sat back in her head. "What do you want?" She looked around the busy mall for signs of someone she knew, unfortunately, there was no one she recognised around.
"You may have noticed your enemy Cayla has a new friend."
Astara frowned, recalling how a new girl had started two weeks ago, she and Cayla had become almost instant friends. "Yeah, sow hat?"
"Ask Ardon who Ocean Gellar really is." Verlaine stood up and waved, tossing her glorious black locks over her shoulder before sauntering off.
Astara stared after her, wondering what the hell she was talking about.
"Who's she?" Regan finally turned up just as Verlaine turned the corner.
"Ardon's sister, and you're late," Astara snapped.
"What'd she want?"
Astara shrugged.
"Then let's shop."
Verlaine's words kept floating back to her mind. What did Ocean have to do with Ardon? At home later she sat staring at her phone, debating whether or not she should call him and demand an answer. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust her. She wanted to believe that Verlaine was just being a bitch and trying to psyche her out.
She flopped back on her bed, annoyed to admit that if that had been the purpose of Verlaine's visit, she'd done her job.
Astara reached out to pick up the phone when her friend Miranda Lewis came bursting into her room. "You are *not* going to believe what I've just heard!" Miranda was a Night World spy who lived in the Daybreak mansion. From what Astara knew, she wasn't doing much of a job. Now it looked like she had actually found something useful.
"What?"
"Cayla Lupine is *pregnant*," Miranda announced.
Astara just stared at her. "What?"
"It's all over the Daybreak mansion."
"And you're telling me, why?" Astara felt numb. She was too shocked even to fly into a rage.
"Well, I thought you should know so you could start.you know.moving on?" Miranda moved away from the bed, closer to the door.
Astara laughed hollowly. "Move *on*?"
"Well, it's kind of obvious who knocked her up."
Astara had known things with Ardon had been a little too perfect lately. Did he even know about this? "Do you know who Ocean Geller is?"
Miranda shrugged, tugging on her long dark braid. "Some werewolf who moved into the Daybreak mansion about a month ago. Ardon dated her and dumped her, like two months ago."
"Like, two months ago, Ardon was still with *me*," Astara hissed through gritted teeth.
"Guess he's not as wonderful as you thought."
Astara nodded. Tears were burning in her eyes but she refused to cry in front of Miranda. "Obviously not."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Astara smiled.
* * *
Part 13
Even though everything seemed to be fine, Astara wad convinced it wasn't going to last. Ardon had become as attentive to her as ever. Regan's plans to destroy Cayla had gone nowhere, whatever she and her friend Kharma planned, the irritating bitch seemed to avoid them and weasel out of every trap.
The peacefulness of the past month came to an end one Sunday afternoon. The downward spiral of events started first while Astara sat in a coffee shop at the mall waiting for Regan to show up. She was surprised to be approached by a beautiful raven haired girl.
"You're Astara Blackthorn?"
Astara looked at the beautiful elegant girl dressed in a white silk blouse with pearl buttons and designer jeans. She sat down without an invitation, Astara tried to recall why the girl seemed vaguely familiar. "Yes, and who might you be?"
"Verlaine Redfern," the girl said. "Ardon's sister."
Astara shrugged. "Oh, right." She had met the girl a few times at Ardon's parent's, and recalled him complaining about what a bitch the girl was, how unfair and annoying it was she was so spoiled. "Once or twice." She sat back in her head. "What do you want?" She looked around the busy mall for signs of someone she knew, unfortunately, there was no one she recognised around.
"You may have noticed your enemy Cayla has a new friend."
Astara frowned, recalling how a new girl had started two weeks ago, she and Cayla had become almost instant friends. "Yeah, sow hat?"
"Ask Ardon who Ocean Gellar really is." Verlaine stood up and waved, tossing her glorious black locks over her shoulder before sauntering off.
Astara stared after her, wondering what the hell she was talking about.
"Who's she?" Regan finally turned up just as Verlaine turned the corner.
"Ardon's sister, and you're late," Astara snapped.
"What'd she want?"
Astara shrugged.
"Then let's shop."
Verlaine's words kept floating back to her mind. What did Ocean have to do with Ardon? At home later she sat staring at her phone, debating whether or not she should call him and demand an answer. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust her. She wanted to believe that Verlaine was just being a bitch and trying to psyche her out.
She flopped back on her bed, annoyed to admit that if that had been the purpose of Verlaine's visit, she'd done her job.
Astara reached out to pick up the phone when her friend Miranda Lewis came bursting into her room. "You are *not* going to believe what I've just heard!" Miranda was a Night World spy who lived in the Daybreak mansion. From what Astara knew, she wasn't doing much of a job. Now it looked like she had actually found something useful.
"What?"
"Cayla Lupine is *pregnant*," Miranda announced.
Astara just stared at her. "What?"
"It's all over the Daybreak mansion."
"And you're telling me, why?" Astara felt numb. She was too shocked even to fly into a rage.
"Well, I thought you should know so you could start.you know.moving on?" Miranda moved away from the bed, closer to the door.
Astara laughed hollowly. "Move *on*?"
"Well, it's kind of obvious who knocked her up."
Astara had known things with Ardon had been a little too perfect lately. Did he even know about this? "Do you know who Ocean Geller is?"
Miranda shrugged, tugging on her long dark braid. "Some werewolf who moved into the Daybreak mansion about a month ago. Ardon dated her and dumped her, like two months ago."
"Like, two months ago, Ardon was still with *me*," Astara hissed through gritted teeth.
"Guess he's not as wonderful as you thought."
Astara nodded. Tears were burning in her eyes but she refused to cry in front of Miranda. "Obviously not."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Astara smiled.
* * *