Aimee laughed, "Seems like a pretty intense way to be. Sirens seem pretty awful."
Aleks nodded, "Yup they are but they don’t normally take a human as a permanent lover. They love them once and move on. Her mother did something no one ever imagined. Sirens fall in love everyday, they can't even help themselves. Her mother loved the same man until her death."
"She falls in love that often? Why is Marcus with her?"
Aleks shrugged, "He believes he loves her. It's her charms. She makes men fall under her spell the same way me and Ari and Dorian do."
Aimee blushed, "Sam does it too. Why is it there?"
"In the born ones, it’s a survival and reproductive instinct. In me it was the shaman's way of guaranteeing I would suffer. Girls fall for me, I make them follow me around and my father kills them. Pretty sick actually."
Aimee cringed, "How's the hunt for daddy dearest going?"
He sighed, "It never seems to end. He's always a step ahead. Now that I don’t feel the longing to help the families we don’t even know how many victims there are."
"I'm sorry."
He nodded, "Me too."
She took his hand in hers, "No Aleks I'm sorry for everything that happened. Shane and everything."
Aleks felt his heart being crushed by her touch, "Aimee I fell in love with you, you the way you were before. Then all the chaos and drama changed you. The you that is in this room right now is not the girl I fell in love with."
Her eyes glistened but he could see she couldn’t argue the point with him.
He cleared his throat, "I see that girl when you're with Shane. As much as it kills me inside I know you made the right choice. I still get to see the girl I love and that’s all I need. With him you're the Aimee from before, the you before me happened."
Tears rolled down her face, "Thank you. I needed to hear that."
He nodded. He hurt more than he was capable of showing but he knew his words were the truth. With Shane she was funny and sarcastic and shy and sweet. With him she was a demon slaying heartless Rose.
She sniffed, "I want you to think about something, I don’t think you're seeing. I was always under your spell. I fell for your magic hook line and sinker."
He nodded, "I know." He smirked remembering the nights he'd spent with her.
She blushed, "Giselle never has. She thinks you're hot but annoying. She doesn’t see you as this perfect Adonis every other girl sees. She just sees you. She likes you for you. She sees your faults too."
He frowned, "I don’t have faults."
She nodded laughing, "Yes you do and she sees you, past them and with them."
He laughed, "Well I guess that is something. It's all someone like me wants in life, to be seen not smelled or felt."
Aimee leaned in closing her eyes, "I still like the way you smell."
He felt his reaction to her and stepped back, "Okay lets go before I do something I won't regret." His eyes burned.
Aimee blushed, "Sorry. Sometimes I forget how it affects me."
"Take us to Hanna's." He spoke quietly.
Instantly they were staring at the front door with its forest scene, which always made him smile.
Aimee looked at it skeptically, "Who buys a door like that one?"
Aleks laughed, "Someone old."
He knocked and waited for Roland to answer.
"Do you smell that?" Aimee asked raising an eyebrow.
Aleks chuckled, "That’s Hanna."
"Wow I get why they don’t really do the whole staying with one person thing. Marcus might be dead in there."
Aleks sighed, "Ahhh but to die that way."
Chapter Forty-Four: Campfires at Lydia's
Hanna
Hanna watched Marcus as he slept. She reached into the small box and pulled the bracelet out. She examined it again and slipped it on. She held her breath and waited to see if she felt different. A cooling sensation slipped over her, it was as if her feelings and emotions were pulled into the bracelet. The white shells turned bright red. She watched them change color. It hadn’t done that when she held it in her hand.
Marcus woke from his slumber stretching like a cat, his muscles flexed making her think about biting him again.
He smirked at her wrist, "You put the bracelet on?"
She laughed, "Yeah, I think I need it. I feel so much better with it on. Like my emotions are normal sized again."
He looked puzzled, "You'll take it off when we make love right?"
She blushed, "I don’t think that’s what we did and no."
He smirked, "I love you and you made me love you more. That’s making love."
She laughed covering her eyes in embarrassment, "Oh my god you're a loser."
He sat upright, "Aimee is here."
She shot up, "Aimee, death dealer Aimee?"
He climbed off the bed, "The very one."
She jumped up and grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt.
Marcus smiled watching her dress.
She frowned, "What?"
He shrugged, "Nothing. I just like you in jeans. They sit perfectly on your hips."
She shook her head, "I think I need two bracelets or an anklet too."
Roland knocked on the door, "Miss James and Aleks are here to see you."
She called out, "Okay I'll be down in a minute."
She looked at Marcus, "Go out the window and come in the door."
He laughed, "Not a chance. I'm older than anyone in this house, except Roland. I will absolutely not climb out a window like a teenage boy."
She raised an eyebrow at him, "You'll climb in like one though?"
He smirked, "That’s different."
She opened the door and walked down the stairs. She felt him beside her instantly. He was buttoning his shirt still, "Wait Hanna. Aimee is never to be trusted.
She felt her eyes blaze, "Neither am I, haven’t you heard?"
He chuckled, "I'm pretty sure I got the memo on that one."
She felt nervous seeing Aimee in her house again. She thought about the problems she'd caused at Lydia's and the people she was certain her beast had killed before she got it under wraps.
Aimee sat in the sitting room with Aleks. Hanna tried not to notice how hot he was in his light blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She tried not to notice his white blue eyes or how tall he was compared to Aimee.
She barely noticed Aimee.
"Hey Hanna."
She smiled brightly at Aleks, "Hi Aleks."
She knew she sounded like a schoolgirl. She rubbed the bracelet to try to gain some composure.
"To what do we owe this honor?" Marcus asked placing one of his warm hands on Hanna's. She loved the feel of his touch but knew it was his way of peeing on her leg and marking his territory. She was surprised he hadn’t peed on the trees in the yard.
Aimee smirked, "We need to know what the new chemist looks like. I have a picture of the guy I think it is."
She held up the picture but Marcus never budged, "Why do you want to know this?"
Aimee sighed, "Please Marcus no effing around. Please just answer."
Aleks looked at Hanna, "Have you ever seen the chemist?"
She shook her head and looked back at Marcus. He looked stoic that was a bad start.
Marcus never flinched, "Why do you want to know this?"
Aimee stood and paced, "My sister is involved with him. He was my best friend when I was a teenager."
Marcus remained perfectly still, "Why do you suspect him?"
Aimee looked like she was going to lose it, "He hurt a friend of mine, got her hooked as a blood bag. She was being blood drugged. I just think it's him. I think he's gone evil."
Marcus looked deep in thought. Hanna watched him closely, "Marcus just answer the question."
He looked at her, "Stay out of this love." He looked at Aimee, "If I do this you will do some thing for me."
Aimee nodded, "Fine, whatever I can."
Marcus licked his lips, "Oh Aimee don’t toy with me. Its my way or no way."
Aimee laughed, "I hate you Marcus. I hate the things you've created almost as much."
Aleks looked at Aimee, "Giselle?"
Aimee flushed, "Well not her obviously."
Marcus laughed, "I want the Roses to leave Hanna alone. No convincing her to join the club or campfires at Lydia's. Leave her be."
Hanna looked at him appalled, "Don’t you dare."
Aimee looked at her, "You want this?"
Hanna shook her head, "No. I want to know more about the Roses and choose for myself."
Aleks laughed, "Okay well maybe we will just wait for your answer in another room."
Hanna ignored his dig, she never took her eyes off Marcus. He looked adamantly at Aimee. He wouldn’t meet Hanna's eyes.
"I will give you this answer now but Lorri leaves her alone."
Hanna looked at Aimee, "Don’t promise him anything. I will get your answer for you myself." She stormed from the room, "It was nice seeing you again Aleks."
She couldn’t believe Marcus. She felt sickened and betrayed again. She knew it would be the way things would always be with him. He couldn’t help but be old and set in his ways. She didn’t even know exactly how old he was, just old. She stomped up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and huffed. She pulled out her new cell phone and dialed.
"Yes?"
"Lorri it's Hanna I was wondering if I could come now to the Roses?"
Lorri laughed into the phone, "Eager to be killing bad guys again Hanna?"
She frowned trying not to recall the things she'd seen the beast do, "No. Marcus is trying to forbid me from doing it. He wants me excluded from the Roses."
"Ahhhhh, yes you would never be one of those stay at home Sirens. He is a fool to try to make rules for you. I will send Aimee tomorrow."
