The Forbidden Mark (Book 1)

Chapter 5

DEIDRE

By the time she reached home after her first day, her heart shattered to a gazillion pieces. She loathed herself for rejecting Thomas' proposal. He had been pushy yet sweet. She sensed a connection between the two. They were combined somehow. 

Yes, he had been a bit rough with the locker slamming and not taking her protests lightly. But she had done the same, kind of, when she had bit on his shirt, not being able to distance herself from him at the start of the class.

That night, she screamed into the pillow, frustrated by the new emotions. And in the days that followed, she avoided him at all cost. Thomas was not delighted by this. Yes, every time in class, he would find new ways to touch her: graze his leg against hers; move incredibly close, his body heat combined with hers; steal sneaky glances; "accidentally" plant his hand on her knee; stretch and hands his fingers linger down her side. But whenever she would move keep a distance, he would shorten it, sneakily move closer.

He found ways to talk to her, ask for help, ask her questions about her old town, family, friends. It grew harder and harder to ignore him. He was desperate. He was really desperate. Yet, for whatever reason, it brought a smile on her face every night when she laid in bed. Perhaps it was the thought that he could not get enough of her. Maybe he had real feelings? Maybe Erin was not right?

Her eyes blinked open in the sun-filled room, joy kissing her lips at the thought of seeing him again. It was six. She went for a run. Did yoga for half an hour. Took a shower. She stepped out of the cold shower, pulled on a yellow sundress, fixed her hair into a ponytail, pulling out loose babyhairs. This dress had sat in her closet for ages, it was too fancy for school, but the urge to wear it was overpowering.

And she was not going to deny that she wanted to impress Thomas.

One last look in the mirror, she rushed downstairs, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her mother greeted her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, hi, sweetie! You going to school already?"

"Yeah, I just want to get there early," she replied with the brightest smile.

"Yeah, to see Thomas," the strange voice in her head spoke.

Fiona frowned, disapprovingly. "Deidre, are you all right? I have noticed that you have not been yourself lately, ever since we arrived here."

Deidre quirked a brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's just.... you have been happier, I don't know. You always get so lost in your thoughts and smile like a goof for minutes straight. So, has something happened?"

"Don't tell her," the female voice warned.

Perhaps it was wrong listening to the voice, the stranger, but she did so. Thomas was her secret.

"No. Everything is fine. And I am only accepting this Pack even with all of its flaws. And I'm happy, I am really happy."

Fiona was hesitant, no belief in her eyes. But chose to accept it. "All right then. But sweetie, I am always here if you need to talk to me."

"I know." She nodded, kissed her on the cheek. "But I have got to go now. I will see you after school, say goodbye from me to dad, also."

She rushed out. She had not lied, not in reality. She had just held some parts to herself. This did not count as lying. And yes, she was starting to accept the Pack. It was not as bad as people made it out to be. Well, if you did not count the daily news that said to keep an eye out for possible rapists, murderers, thieves and a bunch of more criminals. Those sounded like bad people.