Liam walks over here, making me all flustered again. He's not going to steal it, is he? I frown a bit and hurry to slurp the last of those noodles, leaving the soup. I'm stuffed already and I don't want to risk throwing up in front of him...
Yet, he's getting close, a bit too close for my poor heart to handle. Shouldn't I have developed a little immunity after that kiss? I mean, I touched those abs, that torso, but it's still so... hot. I gasp a bit as Liam walks up to me with a little smile. He finally puts his hands right next to my knees, one on each side, and faces me with a faint smile.
"So? What else is on your list?"
"M-my list?"
"Of crazy things to do?" he says, tilting his head. "You've gone through the barrier, got into a witch's house... I feel like there's more coming. I am not going to get bored with you, am I?"
"Probably not..." I mutter, my voice slightly raspier than usual.
I take a deep breath, looking around. Damn, this place feels... big and empty, with the two of us facing each other like this, so close.
"So this is your place?" I ask, a pitiful way to change the topic.
"Yeah... My brothers bought it for me, though. I don't really like to use it now, since I didn't actually... pay for it."
"I know what that feels like..."
I'm in such a similar situation, it's easy for me to relate. I still don't really get what my sister meant by buying me my own place either. Is this their way of looking after us, of keeping control over our lives? I wonder... I don't really like it, though. I mean, the place is nice, but it's not like I paid a cent for it. Even this place. Liam doesn't really... fit in here, and I understand why he hasn't been really using it, aside from microwaving food and crashing on rainy nights.
I glance outside. It's not like we will be able to go out anytime soon, either. The downpour doesn't slow down, and the storm seems to be coming our way. I'm surprised my headache has subsided. Probably because I'm inside a building and behind double-pane windows. Perhaps because I'm very distracted from the pain too...
"...I keep wondering how you can possibly feel the bond," suddenly whispers Liam.
I turn back to him, surprised. His eyes take me a bit by surprise. He's close, a bit too close... I need to stop myself from staring at those lips and close my mouth.
"What?"
"You're not a werewolf," he mutters. "I mean, we would know, even complete stranger werewolves can feel each other, we recognize our kind. Yet, you're my mate, and there's... something odd about you."
"Thanks... How odd, exactly?"
He frowns, coming a bit closer, making me even more self-conscious. I almost regret asking now... He sighs, shaking his head.
"I don't know. There's something strangely familiar. Werewolves have an aura, some sort of... halo. It lets us know who is friendly, who is dangerous. Our statuses, like, Alphas have scary auras, and Betas have a much less... menacing one."
"Oh... Like your brothers?"
He looks surprised for a second.
"My brothers?"
"Yeah," I nod. "When I saw them, earlier, they had that... scary dark halo around them. If it wasn't for Nora and Selena being next to them, I don't think I could have approached. It looks like some dark cloud, right?"
Liam stays speechless for a few seconds, making me realize there's something wrong again. I bite my thumb.
"...You're going to tell me I shouldn't be able to see that either?"
He slowly shakes his head.
Oh, crap... I gasp. Another thing not normal to add to the list? I feel the headache coming back. I try to relive that morning, remembering what I saw... what I experienced. I take a deep breath, and Liam suddenly grabs my hand.
"Mara, calm down. Explain to me what you felt, okay? And then we'll try to sort it out."
I nod, and trying to be as precise as possible, I detail everything. How I felt the first time I saw Bonnie, and how his brothers, Nora, and Selena felt different to me. The whole thing, my senses, the halo, all of it. Liam listens to me, without expressing anything. He does frown from time to time, but not in a too-shocked way, which I appreciate. I'm tired of feeling like an alien and realizing I experience more than I should is kind of disturbing enough in itself. Liam gently rubs the back of my hand the whole time, which both calms me down and excites me. Yet, I need to stay focused.
"...Like snow?" he repeats.
