Last chapter, folks! I hope you enjoyed the story! ^_^
The first thing I notice when I begin to emerge from my dreamless rest is the sense of warmth engulfing me from all sides. After that comes the scent of a freshly brewed cup of steaming coffee, almost completely masking the one of a man. Yet even without opening my eyes, I know Dyson is watching over me from his usual place at the kitchen island. With an irritated growl I open one eye and look at his smiling face. Somewhere in the back of my mind a little voice whispers that I'm sprawled naked in his bed, but I wave it off, not deeming it worthy of my worry.
"When will I wake up and find you lounging in bed with me?" I grumble and push my body slightly up on my elbows.
Running a hand through my messy hair, trying to put in order, I don't skip to notice the way the male's breath hitches when my back comes bare, my tattoos contrasting nicely on my skin.
"I'm just an early-riser." his husky voice and the sudden darkening of his eyes are evidence for the thoughts that are swirling in his mind, yet I pretend not to notice.
"And here I was, betting against all hope that at least this morning I'll wake up and find you still in bed." whining I roll to the side, with my back facing the wolf completely, and stretch my hands.
Movement from behind catches my attention, yet when I peak over my shoulder, I'm met with a mess of golden curls. Nuzzling my neck, Dyson quickly pulls me flush against his clothed chest, his hand resting in a rather possessive manner on my naked skin. Humming lowly and allowing him better access by tilting my head to the side, I bathe in his scent and the warmth that radiates from him and gently licks my cooled down skin.
"See? It won't kill you to spare a minute or two in cuddling." I murmur and place my hands over his, my cold fingers tracing his skin.
"I'd spend the whole day cuddling if you so much as wish it." his low voice sounds seductively in my ear before he plants a few butterfly kisses here and there.
"Oh, I do wish." purring like a cat, I move in his hands so that I can seek out his lips and kiss him.
"But I guess work comes first?" I whisper against his skin when we part, slightly panting.
"Unfortunately." he admits and plants a gentle peck on my forehead, making me cuddle into him even more.
"Only a minute." having completely spun around and now facing the wolf, I snuggle into his chest and try to steal as much of his scent and warmth as possible, faintly realising that I may have become addicted to him.
His small laugh vibrates in his chest, making it shake slightly, and I hum in content, as his sole existence has come to offer solace and reassurance to my rather bothersome soul. His hands snake around my waist and he cradles me even closer, leaving no space between us. With his face nuzzling my neck, gently kissing the flesh, I can't help the small moan when his teeth gently graze the tender skin, making it prickle.
A distant buzzing sound snaps us out of our little moment, shoving back reality in our faces. With an irritated growl Dyson pulls away from me and stands up, but not before placing a small kiss on top of my head.
Deciding I have had enough of lounging around, I toss my feet from the edge of the bed and stand up. With delicate, yet confident steps, I stride towards the bathroom, not bothering to put on some clothes. As a reward, a low feral growl sounds from behind and makes me sway my hips seductively before disappearing behind the bathroom door.
While leaving in a rush, the male knocks on the bathroom door, making me jump out of the shower cabin, and open it slightly, allowing the steam to engulf him. A wolfish smile tugs at his lips at the sight of me, before bending down and placing a delicate kiss on my cheek.
"I'm running off. Trick mentioned wanting to see you at the Dahl later this afternoon." filling me in, he's quick to bend lower and capture my lips in a small kiss.
"Mmm. What do you want for dinner?" I purr when we part.
"Hm. I'm into the mood for something spicy and hot. Surprise me." the hungry look in his eyes speaks volumes, making me bite my lip.
"I'll see what I can do for you, champion." with that I hide back into the warmth of the bathroom and resume washing my hair.
As asked, in the late afternoon, after a few small stops here and there, I find myself once again entering the Dahl. And despite all the tables being full and everyone chatting, there's a certain eerie feeling lingering in the air, making my senses stand on high alert. After a quick look around the room, a probable source of this disruption of the atmosphere doesn't catch my sight. So heading down Trick's lair, after making sure he's not behind the counter as usual, I can't help the sudden deadness that seeps from each and every cell in my body. The closer I get, the more I know something's about to go terribly wrong.
"Finally you have arrived, sister." a female voice resonates in the room, bouncing off the stone walls and hitting like steam hammer my sensitive ears.
There, sitting in an armchair with her legs crossed in a warning manner, I see a spitting image of myself, yet with more hostility written over the pale skin and less life in her eyes.
"Val." I spit the word as if it's poison.
"Now, now, sister, don't frown like that. You'll get wrinkles." leering at me with her sugar-coated smile, my twin proudly shows her sharp canines, a reminder of what she, we, truly are.
"For what business have you come here?" I draw nearer, not really in the mood to waste my time with her troublesome nature.
Yet, just like me, when threated with something less than she believes she deserves, the woman in front of me hisses and bares her teeth in warning. Trick, being the only one in the room who seems to still be keeping his cool façade on, clears his throat and invites me to take a seat on the couch. I feel tempted to decline his offer, turn of my heel and leave that bothersome reminder of my past. After taking a seat, I look at the older man, hoping he'll shed some light on why my twin is here.
"When everyone comes, I will explain everything." he promises and resumes whatever he was doing before I arrived.
Not even five minutes later I hear the others coming down the stairs and the knot of nerves in my stomach tightens. It takes me all my strength to push away the anxiety that washes over me and sit still. Knowing Val, she'll definitely provoke me the second she senses my scent lingering on Dyson, so it will be best if for now I stay away from confrontations.
"Hey, Allice!" Bo chirps at my sister, as I'm still out of sight.
Surprisingly, Val smiles at her sweetly and nods in salute. Thankfully Dyson can't be fooled that easily and immediately senses that's not me.
"Who are you?" he growls, his eyes quick to change their colour, making a sudden fit of proudness swirl in me.
Before anyone can answer I speak up.
"That's Val, or how I like to call her – my evil twin."
My sister's eyes narrow my way in a dangerous manner and she hisses, obviously forgetting her previous mascaraed. This time the newcomers back away and draw their weapons, with the werewolf taking a threatening step her way, to which she snarls.
"Could all of you please calm down?" Trick's once again the one who settles the dispute down before it has even begun.
Grudgingly the three stand down and spread across the room; Tamsin leans against the wooden pillar near the door, Bo goes to stand next to her grandfather and Dyson comes to sit next to me, his hand gently brushing against mine in a gesture of greeting.
"So this is your newest pet, sister? He's quite the charmer, but reeks of dog." Val's words hit their mark and in a blink of an eye I have her by the throat, apply just enough pressure so that she feels pain.
"Don't try my patience, Valeria or you'll find the hard way if the fire is as hot as it looks." my voice, unlike my actions, is calm and mild; yet the grip around her throat tightens.
Whining and hissing, she tries to pray me off, but it's all in vain, as currently I'm stronger than her. Once again Trick has to tear us apart, asking her to be more tactic when she speaks and me – less hostile.
Sensing that Val won't let me have the last word, I halfway expect her to jump at me, but what she does catches me off guard – she starts to cry hysterically, making me spin around and look at her with wide eyes.
Ever since we left our mother's womb, she has hated me with passion, rivalled only by her bloodlust. Quarrels and yelling were common in our house, so no one really noticed when the things got shattered or insults weren't speared. And not even once in my long existence have I seen my sister cry – she would scream, howl, whine and hiss, but never shed a tear. So when now I see the small droplets of salty water running down her pale face, I'm left agape for a whole minute, before a dark frown graces my features and I once again stride her way, only for Trick to get in my way.
"Don't tell me you are falling for her charade?!" the amazement makes my voice come out a little bit high-pitched.
"You don't understand." he looks me up in the eyes and begs me silently to step back and listen to what he has to say.
Shaking my head in disbelief at how he can allow my cunning doppelganger to play with him as if he's a puppet, I take my sit back next to Dyson. He simply lets his hand drop around my shoulder, a clear sign that he's neither mad, nor wishes me to engage in any more quarrels. With a sigh I lean back against him, admiring the way his muscles tense under me and the warmth engulfs me in a soothing and welcoming manner.
"So, enlighten me, Trick. What is Val doing here?"
"Well, first I think you should know that this isn't your sister. At least not entirely her." arching an eyebrow at the bartender, I basically force myself not to snarl.
"What does that mean? Something had taken possession over her?" Tamsin voices the mutual question.
"Not quite." the reluctant answer and the sideway glance my way don't stay unnoticed by the rest.
"How come? Is she's not herself, then she's possessed." Bo eyes Val once again, as if looking for any signs of a ghost lingering in her body.
"In order to be possessed, a creature needs to have a soul which the interloper attaches to so that to control the body." Trick clarifies, yet by their confused looks I know they aren't getting what he's implying.
"Long story short – we can't get possessed because we don't have souls to which the ghost or whatsoever can stick to." I interject and once again look at Val.
She meets my gaze with the usual snarl hidden behind her black eyes, the hostility I grew up with still there. Yet the more I stare at her, the more she fidgets under my glare, until eventually looks away; something the real Val wound never do. Narrowing my eyes at her, I once again rise and near her with cautious steps, paying close attention to her reactions. At first she follows me with a dark glare, but the small twitch in the corners of her eyes, the wrinkles around her mouth give away her anxiety.
"What has happened to you?" I ask in the Old language we were taught as kids.
What greets me is the dull and empty look of a woman who has absolutely no idea what I just told her.
"You don't understand me, do you?" trying once again, the response is the same, save for a puzzled look, in which I can see fear creeping in.
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" I ask, not letting Val's gaze slip from mine.
"Yes and no."
"Can we help her?" it's Bo who interjects, yet doesn't risk coming any closer.
"We first need to see if something has actually found a way into her body…"
Frowning I move away from my twin, who seems to not be my twin at all, and return close to Dyson, whose presence sooths my suddenly strained nerves.
"And how we do that?" Tamsin's glare is once again aimed at the seamlessly harmless figure.
"Bo." Trick nods at his granddaughter, who just blinks a few times his way before the realisation hits her.
"Oh! But… " she looks at me, a little bit ashamed, before continuing, "If you don't have a soul, do you have chi?"
"We are about to find out." I say and near her, my predator side kicking in.
"Is this even safe?" Tamsin's question stays unanswered as my lips capture Bo's in a dominating kiss.
There's a slight tug in the back of my mind, but apart from that nothing happens. Pulling away, I notice Bo's eyes are a blazing blue, but when she shakes her head, the colour fades away and returns to its usual brown.
"So no soul, no chi, what else don't you have?" once again the Valkyrie mocks, making me look at her with an emotionless face.
"Patience for stupid questions." with that I take my sit next to Dyson, allowing his hand to once again take its place around my shoulders and pull me against him in a possessive manner.
"So if there's something in Val, Bo will sense it?" I ask.
Trick nods and looks at Bo, asking her if she's okay with what she's about to do. The brunet nods and heads towards the armchair, only for Val to snarl at her, showing her sharp canines. Quick to react, in the next instant I'm in front of her.
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." I warn her, only for another hiss to fill the silent room.
"Your will." with that I quickly grab her by the wrists, pull her up, spin her around so that her back is against my chest.
Making her kneel, with her hands held tightly behind her back, I force myself not to be too harsh on her, despite knowing that if my actual sister was here, she'd do the same thing anyway.
Using my free hand to grab her jaw and turn her head towards me, I order with that air of dominance only the elder sibling has.
"Retract. Your. Fangs. Now."
For a whole second she fights against my will, but eventually submits and with a soft click her fangs are gone.
"The promise with the fireplace still stands, if you plan on doing something stupid."
With that I nod towards Bo, indicating she can come near. As expected Val tries to fight me away and attack, but my hold, both physical and mental, has her simply wriggling, but nothing more. When the Succubus's lips capture hers, the body in my hands stiffens before a muffled scream fills the room. Immediately Bo jumps back, her eyes big and glowing, her heart beating erratically and fear oozing from her pores. In a moment of carelessness, my hold around Val loosens, and she uses this to launch forward, only to end face first against the hard floor, with my body pressing hers down. A scuffle follows, which no one dares near, as there are sharp objects flying in all directions. Finally I manage to pin my sister to the ground, with my hips firmly pressing her lower body.
"Enough!" only when my words echo as a hiss do I realise my fangs are out of their hiding places.
Deep down I always knew one day it will come to this – one of us subjecting the other, as our society is matriarchal and women fight for dominance all the time. And while I never had the urge to actually subordinate my twin, nor do I want to be her personal pet on a leash, I simply stood as far away from her as possible. And now here I am, applying my dominance over her, defending a non-existent title of a leader, in a room filled with other Fae.
However, the order did its job and Val stands down. The flames in her eyes have now subsided and she shows her subjected nature by averting her gaze and allowing her body to ease under mine. When we are back on our feet, her head stays bowed and her eyes study her nails.
"Cool!" once again Tamsin's the one to break the heavy silence, bringing me back into the present.
"So?" throwing a glance at Bo, I see her nodding her head, her eyes filled with fear.
"Whatever is in her, it's damn right evil, and doesn't plan on going anywhere." her voice is husky and groggy, as if she had been screaming for a long time.
Frowning I avert my eyes and look at Val's submissive posture.
"Well, whatever it is, Allice here scared the living light out of it." the blonde comes slightly closer, obviously wanting to expect my work.
As expected Val's head snaps her way, a warning growl vibrating in her chest. With a roll of her eyes, Tamsin retreats to her previous place and glares at me, obviously waiting for an explanation why she hasn't turned into a brainless puppy. Unfortunately for her, I'm not in the mood to answer; instead I circle around my twin, trying to pinpoint what may have allowed whatever this is to enter a vampire's body. Yet apart from the uncharacteristically pale skin and the sucked out look on her face, there's nothing different or wrong with her.
"Any ideas Trick?"
"One actually."
Steps come from behind me, indicating that Dyson has decided to also test the boundaries I put of my twin. To the utter surprise of all of us, upon standing by my side, and in Val's line of sight, she stiffens, eyes him strangely, then looks at me before once again looking at him, until eventually bows her head in a submissive manner. Agape we stare at the clear show of obedience, until Tamsin voices the question that definitely everyone's asking himself.
"Why didn't she react?"
"Maybe because he's a dominating male?" Bo guesses, looking at her grandfather for support.
"No. I believe because they bear each other's smell. Allice is now Val's matriarchate, so she obeys her in any way. And since Dyson smells of her, and vise verse, she knows that she can't hurt him without risking her sister's wrath. She obeys him, because she thinks they are connected." Trick's explanation actually bears truth in it.
"Seriously? They fucked and now every creature obedient to Allice will bow down to Dyson as well?" as usual Tamsin's filter doesn't work when it comes to me.
"No. The clan doesn't obey whoever passes though the mistress' bed. They only bow down to the chosen mate." Trick clarifies, all the meanwhile throwing glances my way, worrying if it's okay to share such information.
When I simply nod, confirming what he said, silence settles in the room. Suddenly I'm aware of Dyson's body stiffening next to me, all his senses on high alert. Deciding that now is not the time, nor the place to discuss what he is to me, I nod at Val.
"What do we do with her?"
"We chase the demon away. But it will be painful. "
It's hours later when we finally finish the extracting ritual, which in truth was as painful to Val as it was to me; the connection we share as identical twins runs deep enough for me to share her suffering up to the point where I had to sit down and squeeze my eyes shut, praying that it ends soon. Thankfully whatever had possessed my sister was persuaded to leave by whatever Trick injected Val with, so the fucker found himself trapped in a body that started dying and left. Only then did we give her the antidote. She came round at some point, but the effort of staying alive when poison runs through your veins quickly knocked her back out, saving me the trouble of having to explain what was happening.
Now we are back at Dyson's apartment, me almost dragging my body after him, as his wide strides are unmatchable for my rather short legs. Eventually I let him disappear into the kitchen area, grabbing himself a beer, while I throw myself on the bed and close my eyes.
At the point of drifting off, I feel someone gently tracing my lips. Opening my eyes, I find the wolf next to me, his hand on my face, with a sorrow-filled look on his handsome face. My own hand finds its way to his cheek, gently stroking it and admiring the way he leans into my touch.
"What has been troubling you, champ?" I whisper.
The look he gives me, a mixture of regret and sadness, is enough to make a sad smile find its way on my face.
"It's about what Trick said – that she didn't attack because you are my mate?"
His small nod and the averting of his eyes, as if he can't bear to look at me, make me sit up and gently cup his face.
"Look at me Dyson." it's a small command, holding the right amount of authority that will leave him no other choice but to oblige. "I know where your heart lies. It's with Bo. I knew that the moment I saw the way you two look at each other."
Stroking his stubby cheek with my thumb, I once again search for his eyes, only to find that sadness from moments ago mixed with regret.
"It was my choice to stay, champ. And I have never laid up claim on you, despite wishing to. I can only hope you found our encounter as enjoyable as I did."
"I hoped you'd stay for a little while." he finally murmurs before taking my hand away from his face and planting a kiss on the back of it, his blue eyes filled with pain.
"I can't. I want to, but giving the circumstances, I'll have to take up the position I stood up for. My clan needs a new matriarchate."
"Fast death." the whispered words make me stiffen and look at him with wide eyes.
"Where did you hear that from?"
"I told you by the time Trick got the chains off, I'd find out which clan you come from. It's known as Fast death, isn't it?"
Smiling at him, I nod.
"Celerem mortem." I say in a low voice before crawling next to Dyson and sitting in his lap.
He just raises an eyebrow my way, obviously not expecting such turn of events.
"What? You are still hot as hell! I may not be able to have you to myself forever, but I'll have you now." with that I bend down and kiss him.