AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He grabs my hand and pulls me through the door of the dark shop.
“It looks like it’s been closed for a while,” he whispers for my benefit. I think he’s trying not to spook me, but it’s already too late for that. The energy in this place doesn’t feel quite right.
My heart sinks, and I want to cry out in frustration. Why does this shit keep happening to me? Can I catch a break for once?
The whole place is deserted. The two couches that sit near the window are turned upside down. The cushions on the chairs are ripped down the middle with the white pad coming out. The glass from the piercing display cabinet litters the floor, and every step I take makes a loud crunch as I try to tiptoe through the mess. If anyone is here, I’m sure they can hear me.
“Let them come for us,”my wolf shouts in my head.
I take a moment to stop and glance around the area. It’s as if someone tore the store apart while they were looking for something. I wonder if they found whatever it was. Unlike me, I can’t seem to find the answers to my questions. It seems like every day the unanswered questions keep piling up.
The only people that might have known what really happened with my tattoo are gone. I’m starting to get frustrated by all of the dead ends.
I touch my cheek, and the tattoo is pulsing against my fingertips. I can feel that it wants me to find a way to set it free.
I watch Az looking around the room, twirling his knife between his fingers. I’m not sure what exactly he’s searching for. His training makes him look so lethal. He always seems ready for anything.
He looks up at the ceiling, and I follow his gaze to a camera. The red dot is blinking brightly. How did I miss that?
“It’s time to go, Kat,” he says, as he grabs my hand and we walk out of the tattoo shop. My body shivers at the thought of being watched and not knowing who it is.
“Who do you think is on the other side of that camera?” I ask Az.
“I don’t know, but I’m not getting a good feeling about this.”
You and me both.
My body tenses, waiting for someone to attack.
His eyes roam around the shop like someone is going to appear out of thin air. I almost laugh at where my mind takes me, but I sober up once I realize that might be a huge possibility. After all, I don’t know every supernatural there is, and appearing out of nowhere could be a probability.
“I need to get you out of here before someone tries to come after us. I’ll have to let Tyler know to hack into this camera.” Having Tyler being a computer nerd is a huge asset.
“Yeah, my creep-o-meter is going up.” The hair on the back of my neck stands, and my eyesight changes as my wolf takes over.
Az opens the door, and we rush into his car. He puts the key into the ignition, and we high tail it out of here.
My heartbeat starts to slow down as I take a much-needed deep breath. I almost feel bad for making Az come all the way here for nothing, but then I remember what we did on the hood of his car, so I can’t say I really regret it too much.
“Do you remember what the tattoo artist looked like?” he asks as he turns right, heading to the freeway.
I shake my head before answering, “No, I was too drunk to remember.” I only recall it was this place because Jess mentioned it once, and I looked it up because I wanted another tattoo, but in the end, I chickened out, or maybe it was Theo’s influence after all.
“Jess died with my secrets, and now there’s no one for me to ask. No one for me to go to for answers.” I stare out the window longingly.
“We’ll figure out a way, Kat. We always do.” There is no doubt in his voice. He’ll go to the ends of the world to figure out a way I can remove this heart if that’s truly what I want, and it is. I need to know if this is what’s truly stopping me from being able to use my powers.
“Do you think this can be taken off with laser surgery?” I ask hopeful.
“The heart is a tattoo but it holds magic. It can’t be removed the human way.” My hopes deflate once again but I’m committed to finding a way.
Three hours later we make it back home. I’m tired but my body keeps vibrating with adrenaline. I don’t know if it was the sex I had with Az earlier or if it’s because I’m determined to figure out a way to remove the heart, but my mind is on go-mode despite my body aching for sleep.
I go to the bathroom and take off my shirt. I look at myself in the mirror and see the red stains on my skin. The remnants of what Az and I did. I never thought I’d let someone control my body this way, but I loved it. I love giving myself to my mate.
I take the rest of my clothes off and step into the shower. All the red runs off my skin, tinting the water pink as it spins around the drain and disappears.
Once I’m done, I go back to my bedroom and stare at my tattoo. The tattoo was the craziest and most exhilarating thing I had ever done in my life at the time, but now, it’s a reminder that this is hiding who I truly am. The people who did this to me thought I was so dangerous it was best to keep it a secret—even from myself. I was led to believe I was human my whole existence.
