POWERLESS • mikaelson mate

chapter two

CHAPTER TWO

The rain ruthlessly pounded against me as I hurried down the sidewalk. Keeping my head down, I narrowly avoided the puddles as well as the many people that rushed past me. I used to love the rain. I used to run outside as soon as it began and lift my face to the sky, basking in it. Now, I just considered the rain to be an inconvenience.

I barely suppressed a flinch when a man bumped into me in his haste. I hated being touched, even if it was only fleeting, but it was inevitable when you lived in a city. I wasn't fond of cities. I didn't mind them but I always dreamed of living in a quiet town in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, cities offered more anonymity than rural areas.

Finally entering my apartment building, I took a moment to wipe away the rain that had gathered in my eyelashes. With my vision no longer obstructed, I made the long trek up the stairs to the fourth floor since the elevator was once again out of order. When I made it to my apartment, I quickly let myself in and collapsed against the door as it closed behind me. My apartment was fairly small and the walls were incredibly thin, resulting in me hearing my neighbours nightly escapades, however it had been cheap.

I removed my coat and rang out the water in the kitchen sink before hanging it on the radiator. The heating wasn't on so it was mainly just a place to put it. After taking off my boots, I made my way to the bedroom, removing my clothes as I went. My bedroom was fairly plain; I hadn't wanted to decorate it and become too attached.

In only my underwear, I collapsed onto my bed and took a deep breath. I felt like I was in a constant state of stress, especially over the last few days. I'd been living here longer than planned and I knew that it was nearly time to move on.

Stretching, I closed my eyes and listened to the rain. It was a much nicer sound now that I was inside. Despite it only being the middle of the day, I was already exhausted. I was nearly drifting off to sleep when I felt it, a tug in my belly. My eyes snapped open and I was now feeling very awake.

I'd been feeling the tug every now and then since yesterday, the feeling growing stronger each time. It was an odd feeling, one I had been unfamiliar with until yesterday, and it wasn't unpleasant in any way.

I had originally written it off as anxiety but now I feared it may be magical. I was rather untrained when it came to magic but maybe it was trying to warn me. Was witchy intuition a thing?

The tug pulsed inside me and I flinched when there was a knock on my door. I hurried off the bed and wrapped a robe around myself, my pulse hammering. The remaining members of the Coven must have finally found me. Not knowing how long they'll wait before bursting into the apartment, I quickly hurried over to the closet and hauled out my emergency backpack. If I could escape then I'd need it.

I grabbed a kitchen knife on my way to the front door, my heart racing. I peered through the peephole and froze when I saw a blonde woman and nobody else. The tug felt stronger than ever. I opened the door halfway, plastering a polite smile on my face. Behind the door, I gripped the knife, hoping I wouldn't have to use it.

"Hi there, can I help you?" I asked.

The woman's blue eyes met mine and a warm smile adorned her face as she looked at me. I had to choke back a gasp at how beautiful she was. I was suddenly praying even harder that she wasn't here to hurt me. Maybe she was one of the neighbours I hadn't met? If so, maybe I could invite her inside and have some company tonight?

I abandoned the thought as soon as it came. Luck was never on my side and I refused to let this beautiful, smiling woman destroy my survival skills. Taking a deep breath, I regarded her with caution.

"Hi, you're Kresley, right?" She beamed at me as my heart began pounding anew. She knew my name, which was never a good thing. "We've been looking for you for ages."

"I'm sorry, you must have gotten the wrong address." I said with a polite, apologetic smile as I processed to lie my ass off, "The lady in an apartment block down the street has a really similar name and we have the same zip code. We are constantly receiving each others post."

I let out a fake laugh to accompany the lie, as If I were thoroughly amused when really the adrenaline was the only thing stopping me from having a panic attack.

The blonde's happy expression faltered for a moment as she spoke next, "No, we haven't got the wrong address, see, we followed you here."

My eyes widened and I gripped the handle of the knife tighter.

"Well done, Bekah, now she thinks we're stalking her." A male voice commented and that was when I realised my mistake.

Leaning forward slightly, I peered to the left of my door. Two men stood in the stairwell, out of view of the door. My mouth dried out as I looked at them in horror. They weren't meant to know I exist and yet here they were. I dropped the knife, the weapon practically useless.

It wasn't the Ashvail Coven, it was the Mikaelsons.

Originally published: February 16th 2024