The Moonless Dark

Exiting the kitchen, I twisted my lips to one side, wondering what to do with my suddenly free afternoon.

Vaunders didn't have any expected guests, meaning that he had no need for a guard. Edgar had been stuffed up in his office for the past two days, overwhelmed with paperwork. Solomon was out running about finishing errands and doing his own thing. To be honest I wasn't even sure where Lyer was, leaving me with absolutely no idea what I was going to do.

The truly sad thing was Jax was on vacation, so causing my own brand of mischief and maybe slipping in an ass kicking or two were completely out.

Passing the main stairs I deciding to check out the game rooms to see what everyone else was up to before relenting to going up to my room. Nearly to the hallway beside the stairs I felt that familiar tingling playing down my spine. Arms encased in blue sleeves to the wrist wrapped around my middle as his scent reached my nose, my back hitting his chest. I lunged to the side, reaching for the railings of the stairs to hold onto, but was shot upwards before I was able to latch on.

My Wolf protested instantly, crudely. I echoed her thoughts. He laughed in my ear and rose further before alighting on the railing of the third story. Dangling in front of him, he suspended me over the railing for a moment before loosening his arms, and watching me plummet downward like a stone. I felt him rush past me, rather than felt the gust of wind he crated in his wake, to land before I did. Contorting my body I flipped, placing my feet under me, so they would touch down first.

My legs bent as I hit the floor, flinging my hand out on the floor to balance my landing. Shooting up straight I punched the bastard hard in his middle. Placing a hand over his stomach, he bent in half, partly coughing and partly laughing.

"Oh," Tirsyn exclaimed, "You wound me!"

I slapped his shoulder, shaking my head. Idiot. "How many times have I told you I don't like to fly?"

"Aw, come on. You've never wished you were a bird?"

"Maybe at one time in my life, but I'm a wolf now. A land animal. I prefer to keep my feet on said land."

He rolled his eyes. "Wolves," He muttered. Taking my hand he bent at the waist and placed a kiss on the back of it. An engraved manner that hinted at just how old he really was. Not that I knew how old that was, exactly. Though I was dying to know, we never talked about his past. History can be horribly boring, but can also be extremely interesting when you have someone who lived through the time depicting it for you.

"Funny, I was thinking something along those lines a few minutes ago." Alphas
His eyes lit in new amusement as he asked, "Would a certain Top Dog have anything to do with that?"

I couldn't stop a small smile accompanied by a sigh. Top Dog is Tirsyn's nickname for Thraxx. One that never failed to get some kind of response from my, at the moment, bonehead boyfriend.

"Partially" I grumble.

"You have my ear, lovely Lady Wolf, if you need it." He offers.

I purse my lips for a moment. it would be nice to talk to someone about it. besides I had nothing else to do for awhile.

I nod, "Okay. I could use it."

He makes a sweeping gesture towards the stairs. "After you, Lady Wolf. I presume you'd rather not discuss this in the front hall."

"You would presume right."

Entering his room, the first thing my eyes are drawn to a delicate wooden antique vanity. The first time I saw it, Tirsyn had laughed at my facial expression. this was another thing I was dying to ask him. There had to be a history behind that piece of odd furniture. And it was the odd ball out compared with the rest of his bedroom set up. Where the vanity was dainty, the rest was big or bulky. Claiming it's space with a firmly masculine undertone. In other words, a bachelor pad. Where the vanity looked like it belonged in a queen's bedroom.

Gesturing for me to sit on the edge of his bed, Tirsyn seated himself in an over-sized gray chair. I settled onto the edge and started without being prompted.

"One of the new recruits keeps hitting on me."

His eyebrows lifted. "In front of Top Dog."

"Only in front of Thraxx."

"Ah," He smiles. "And Top Dog is getting covetous."

"Maybe just a little too much. He talked me into not going back out with them to train. I guess when I agreed I was just trying to get him to loosen up, but the more I think on it the more I think I might of made a mistake hiding myself away in here."

"Well, of course you did. A big one, too." He states brazenly, and unlike any girl friend I've had these kinds of talks with.

"Excuse me?" I was speechless.

"Your feeding into his insecurities." He explains, "You have only been dating for a month or so. The relationship is relatively new and powerful." He nods to himself, "Definitely powerful, but still too new for him to feel completely secure in his position. When he convinced you to stay here instead of going back out with them, you should of stood your ground and gone out anyways, to show him that you have no doubts of his position. If you show him you aren't unclear of things he will eventually overcome his insecurities.

"But only if you are by his side. A relationship is an equal connection between two people. Equal being the key there. By letting him stash you away, you just gave him more power over you. That will lead to a harder fight on your part the next time he doesn't want you to do something. He needs to confront his insecurities instead of letting them dictate to you, as if you have a smaller role in your relationship."

I blinked at him. Tirsyn, the Vampire, sitting before me saying these things was not the prank-loving, happy-go-lucky, make everything a joke male I have come to know.

"Who are you?" I couldn't stop myself from saying.

His lips twitched, but he held his serious expression.

I got up and walked to his window, searching the open field. I could see Thraxx and Nikoli down there with the recruits. I processed what Tirsyn was saying as I watched them. Relationships were a partnership. I was supposed to be down there right now with them. How had I let him talk me into this?

His smile.

Damn it.

My jaw clenched and I didn't notice when my knuckles turned white on the windowsill. Tirsyn appeared beside me silently, placing his hand over mine to gently ease it off the windowsill so I wouldn't break it. I pulled my hand off, still staring out at them. How could I have let one smile let my reasoning fly out the window? Pathetic. I was pathetic.

I heard Tirsyn running some water in his bathroom. I turned to him confused when he return with his hands held behind his back. I raised an eyebrow in silent question.

He grinned the grin of the Tirsyn I knew and pulled two water balloons, one in each hand, out from behind his back. "Feel like letting a little frustration out?"

I laughed. Seriously?

"Yeah, kinda." I replied, "But water balloons? Isn't that a little too childish for an older vampire?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that 'old' part." He said, opening the window. "And water balloons are perfect."

He gave one to me, then turned me to face the window, silently urging me to do it. The water balloon was cool in my palm, slightly wet, and good sized.

I looked out at Thraxx. Should I really through a water balloon at him in front of all the recruits? Could I? It seemed like undermining him in someway, which we had just discussed wasn't good in a relationship. Then the smile he gave me in the kitchen formed in my mind.

All movement stopped on the field, all going quiet, everyone turning to look at Thraxx. It was only when Tirsyn dropped down, out of view, did I realize that half of Thraxx's shirt was wet.

I looked down at my empty hand and said, "Oops."

The silence on the field was broken by a booming, echoing, and very pissed off voice saying, "MARLEE!"

I jerked my head up, my eyes connecting with fierce green ones. "Oh, shit."