Storm Brew

There was a stream of unpleasant shock rippling through me. My body jolted, my eyes baffled with the sight before them.

Two—no three, there was one hidden in a corner. Three dead bodies. Blood smudged the walls, clothes and some floor parts.

I lifted my aquamarine gaze to the person who remained in front of me—looking as lost as I did.

"I confess," My spine tingled with initial surprise, all had been quiet. Aric's voice emerging from behind me was more than a scare. "I did it. It was a little crowded when we arrived and I prefer more intimate gatherings." I could savor a certain audacity in his tone, a little smugness too.

He'd stopped walking forward, placing himself at my side. I whipped my head towards him with a soft forming frown.

"You killed these people...?"

"We needed a place to stay, luv. With no people eavesdropping, neighbors weren't an option." He ran a hand through his dark mop hair.

I was speechless hearing him speak with no care at all, he'd killed three innocent people. I didn't even know when he'd done it, but he had and I couldn't really scold him right this moment, even if we were definitely getting back to it later.

Aric's glowing green eyes were like fireflies in the poorly lit medium-shed.

"Long time, brother." There were ghost outlines of a smirk.

"Don't call me that," I felt my heart pick up, then drop.

It was the first time in almost two months that I heard his voice. The real one, not just the far-off phantom I kept in my memories. And it was angry.

"Why not, now? Isn't that what we are to one another?"

The illumination in the division made everything look spooky and I refused thinking about all the horror movies I'd seen—it didn't change the fact that being in the middle of the woods at night wasn't good.

"I didn't come here to talk to you, so shut up and let's leave it at that. Before I pay you back for kidnapping my girlfriend—again."

"Kidnap her? No, I didn't kidnap Melissa ever. Seems like every time she's with me is because she ran from you, maybe she doesn't want to be with you, mate."

There were sparks of conflict flying around between the two of them. Nate's face was hard and Aric's wasn't far behind.

"You wanna say that again?" Nate took a couple of measured steps, soft and deadly like a hunter right before he killed his prey. Male testosterone and all that shit filled the air—boys were such babies.

I shot my arms up, separating them, giving a hard push into both their chests.

"Okay, enough!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "You two are acting like idiots—scratch that, you are idiots, you're just making yourselves look like even bigger ones." My sigh was highly enervated, my gaze fell to the door, opening inches... "Of course you're here too, why wouldn't you be? Anyone else, Reed, maybe? I'd love to talk to him, I have many questions for him about my Mom."

Anna closed the door with her foot, the ponytail hanging high. The crossed arms and stern expression wasn't one I was accustomed to see on her.

"I was hoping you stopped acting like a bitch, I was wrong." Anna shot shifting her arms.

I smiled sweetly, enough for her to see I was faking it.

"I told you I could be a bitch." I smirked mockingly. "Did you have a nice sleep?" My head tilted adorably to the side, with a bat of my eyelashes.

"Don't taunt me. Right now, I'm tempted to tie you up and lock you in a room until this is all over."

I snorted at the threat looking her up and down, studying her in a all new way. I could take Anna if I ever needed to.

I held my chin high.

"I'd like to see you try, but right now I have more important things to deal with." I shot Nathaniel a glare telling him just what I meant, I said it anyway. "You and me are long overdue for a talk." I hissed nearly not recognizing myself.

Nate's eyes burned intensely into mine, imprinting themselves into my memory.

"You heard her," Nathaniel tonelessly stated, I knew he was talking to the other two people in the cottage.

"But—" Anna argued taking a step to us.

My low temper shot through the roof, hair was flung like a whip lash as I spun toward her.

"Will you stop meddling in mine and his business?" My sharp eyes went from aquamarine to icy-cold icebergs. "Get out. Both of you." I barked taking a page from Nate's book of outbursts. Aric rolled his eyes greatly, he showed gladness for leaving, Anna on the other hand...

"Come on now, no one needs a third leg, darling." Aric was still holding my boyfriend's gaze as he took hold of Anna's arm spinning her to the door. "Walk," I heard his velvet voice whisper when Anna stood up to him. "Let the love birds solve their problems." He jerked his head one more time—and Anna groaned storming off, Aric followed calm and quiet.

And like that here we were. Alone.

I put two steps between me and Nate. Now that Aric left, his eyes seemed to register my presence. His ash hair was perfectly trimmed like when I'd first met him, the faint stubble haunted his chin, lush lips set in a straight line.

"How did you find us?"

"What are you doing here?"

If tension wasn't saturating the air we were breathing, the situation might have been comic. It wasn't, though. We looked away from one another for a split second.

Nathaniel exhaled smoothly, I saw his chest falling, like he'd been concealing the biggest breath on the face of the Earth.

"Anna called about two weeks ago, telling me about the stunt you pulled. I met with her and we followed a bounty hunter who was looking for you—regardless to say he's dead now." The last part was an added after thought, so I wouldn't worry, I guessed. Not that I was worried. I wasn't. "She called me after trying to find you and she didn't want to tell Reed—"

"Whatever, I don't care about Anna. You gave me your answer, now here's mine," I placed my hands on my hips. "Aric's been teaching me how to protect myself. How to fight."

Nate's shoulders arched the slightest as admiration took its toll on him.

"I can fight now," His eyes weren't wide, shocked, yes. "I don't need a babysitter anymore, so you and Anna can stop throwing my safety between yourselves. If that the only reason you're here, for my safety, you can leave. Nothing is going to happen to me, so there won't be any weight on your conscious." I bit out with snark.

My eyes closed when he didn't say anything, just stayed there, looking me over trying to tell if I was lying or not.

"Do you honestly think I helped Anna find you because of my consciousness?" That deep-timbered voice I'd grown used to swoon over shook my eyelids open. "I care about your life because I love you, not because it's my job."

"Well, good, because it isn't your job—not anymore." I turned my back to him walking to the door, feeling my self-control slipping faster and faster and there was no telling what I'd end up doing.

There were two options, I couldn't decide which one I wanted. I never thought about what I'd say or do once Nate showed up—

His hands were on my shoulders, there was no skin contact since I was wearing my jacket but it was enough. I slammed it full force on the side of his face. I watched his head snap to the side, hand reaching for the spot I'd punched, tapping it. He shook it off a while after.

My fingers curled up. My temper triggered to the dark side, oh too bad.

"Okay," He said steadily. "I deserved that one, but you don't want to do this with me, Melissa." Nate gave a sort of condescending smile. "We both know my temperament isn't the best when I'm provoked."

I stared at him with fierceness and concentration half-expecting a light bulb to break.

"Is that a threat?" I asked sharply. "What if I don't listen to you, what are you going to do? Hit me? Newsflash, Nathaniel, you've done it before."

There was a awed horror filled expression on his face and against all odds my heart skipped. He swallowed thickly, I saw his Adam's apple bobbing harshly—like it was in slow motion.

"We're leaving,"

"No," I backed up as he reached for me. "No, we aren't." I said with defiance.

"I said, we're leaving—"

"And I said, I'm not going with you!" I shot out my hand to slap him and my breath caught.

His hand circled mine, just inches from his face. It wasn't like I was giving up on slapping him, I applied more strength but I wasn't stronger than Nate, not unless I wanted a broken arm. Little by little, my force died away as my blood circulation was cut off, I couldn't feel my hand. He forced my hand and arm further away from him—from his face—leaning in as he did.

I think that was one of the reasons I didn't just use my other hand to fight back, because I could, but he was so close... His fresh breath mixed with my accelerated short coming ones.

"Don't ever do that again." He whispered, lips near mine. With one last look over me, Nate's hand allowed mine to slip from his strong grasp.

"I'm still not going with you anywhere." I backed up one step from him.

He laughed, albeit bitterly.

"It's funny how you think this is debatable, it's not. You don't get to make decisions anymore." His eyes darted to the slaughtered people, I saw he wanted to comment how much of an idiot I was for being alone with Aric.

"When have I ever made a decision? My parents did them for me, now you and Anna do it—hell, even Reed! Aric is the only person who's allowed me to make my own choices." My voice was low, remorseful. "You think that you show up and everything is okay?" I stared with disbelieve, finally leading our conversation to what this was truly about.

Nate tilted his head.

"I said a horrible thing to you—"

"You said you hated me—and loved me... That you loved me and hated me with equal measure, sorry if I'm having a hard time processing whatever 'I'm sorry' you're trying to offer."

"Listen, that came out wrong, I didn't mean it like it sounded." He looked dismayed thinking about the scene of two months ago.

"Oh, really? What other meaning does the word 'hate' have in your vocabulary, hmm?" I was playing with my sarcastic front.

Nate didn't sigh as I'd expected him to, his brandy eyes showed themselves troubled, pained—and at their very core hopeful.

"I don't hate you," He began. "I'm jealous sometimes…"

Right, jealousy—in Nate's book—was hate.

"I thought… it seemed like I did but I don't hate you. I love—"

"Very good speech, I'll be sure to nominate you for an Oscar." I spun around deciding I'd had enough but my arm was twisted—albeit softly—making me meet his chest.

"Please, okay? You have every right to be angry, I was a prick when I said what I said, just… hear me out." Nate pleaded taking a step back to glance at me.

I crossed my arms looking bored—or doing my best to look it. Nathaniel wanted to comment on my behavior, I saw it.

"One minute to try and earn redemption, jerk." I said looking up at the ceiling like it would fall at any second.

There was a tense line in his jaw muscle.

"I'm jealous of you because—"

I rolled my eyes sick of hearing the same old story; I stole his life—indirectly—blah, blah, blah!

"Because you were trained to be a killer and I got to grow up with—"

"Mel come on, let me finish." He cut me off, something quieted down in me. "Yes, I'm jealous because of that, I mean… It's complicated—it makes sense in my head, though…" Nate ruffled his hair. My eyes almost showed sympathy for him since I knew how hard talking about emotions was for him. Almost, though. I was able to restrain my heart. "Look, this is the best way I can put it," With a tender sigh he took another step to me. "It makes me jealous because you're this great person—compassionate, caring, kind and righteous. You're so much better than me and I wonder… I wonder if I'd grown up like you did if I'd be like that. I wish I was a better person, a person like you are. I wanted—I want that so I can be better for you."

Oh crap. That was… Stay strong, Mel. Don't let him see how he's breaking through.

"Well," I cleared my voice. "Is that all…?"

"No," Nathaniel brushed a strand from my face, squinting his eyes at my cut bangs.

I turned my face away from his touch, catching a shadow of sadness creeping inside his irises.

"Hurry up then, your time is running out." My heart beat more intensely as I said it.

He nodded looking to the floor recuperating composure.

"I've always wondered how I'd be, if my life had been different but if someone gave me the opportunity to change my past... I wouldn't change a thing." I looked bewildered and he choked a tired chuckle. "Because if I changed it—even a second of it," The deepness in his voice lulled the hurt in my heart away, it was incredible the hold this guy had on me. "I might never have met you."

Shit…

My eyes shone into his. I was speechless but… I didn't want everything I worked for to crumble. I wouldn't back down. I knew what I wanted and it wasn't to suffer. So when he closed his eyes and leaned down… I dodged his lips even when my insides churned. But despite that horrible feeling I held strong, remembering what I wanted to hear from him—what I wanted him to do for me.

His eyes were confused as I shook my head giving off a sour smile.

"Words aren't enough. I'm done forgiving you for all the shit you've ever done to me. You abused me, manipulated me—pushed me around and lied. So boo-freaking-ooh if I'm hurting your feelings, because you've hurt mine more times than I can keep count. If you really love me you'll quit." There. It was what I wanted. I wanted Nate to quit the Hive because otherwise it wouldn't be worth being with him, because I knew, if he kept being an assassin I wouldn't be able to have a life with him. So, if Nate couldn't do that, we should just stay apart, it wouldn't hurt as much in the end.

"It's not that easy—" Nathaniel began with a deep frown.

"Yes it is, you quit. You're done with it!" I threw my arms and eyes up, I swear it was like trying to make a kid understand what's right and what was wrong in the world.

"It's not that simple for me! They're my family—I"

"A family that doesn't care about you." Nate's face bleached for a second before growing into hard concrete. "You said so yourself, your parents didn't raise you. Growing up you only had Drew and you didn't even like her. So, what's holding you back?"

He ruffled his hair, not only with one hand, but both. The level of frustration on him was massive.

"They still gave me everything Melissa, I owe them my whole life."

"Ah, so it's a debt. Like when my parents asked you to be my bodyguard? I forgot how seriously you take those." I moved into a darker area of the cottage not wanting him to see how I chewed up on my lip.

Anger appeared to appease in his features.

"You know I'm with you because I want to be."

"Are you?" I didn't waste time shooting back with a rough tone.

Nate's eyes sought mine like always, locking our gazes as if by magic.

"At the beginning I did hate you and I was forced to the promise I made to your Mom and Dad—but now it has nothing to do with that. I fell in love with you, Mel." The end was a torn whisper making my eyes waver.

Maybe I was pushing too far with the family thing? They were his family, and as far as he was concerned they were the only ones. Aric was completely out of question.

Nate leaned on a girder opposite from where I stood allowing a deep, weary sigh to rumble through the space between us.

"I told you," I gave in, returning my aquamarine gaze to his face but he wasn't looking back. "I told you I'd disappoint you."

Taking the chance that his eyes were locked on the dead bodies—glazed over—my cheeks softened. I hugged my elbows as if reliving our moment in the ally back in Philadelphia. I wanted to tell him he hadn't, I wanted to kiss him—but I wanted him to do something. Without that...

"Nate," I watched as his attention slowly returned to me. "I love you," I whispered. "Against all the odds in the world, I still love you after everything we've been through." I should let him know he still had something to fight for, he deserved that at least. "But I can't be with you if you don't promise me that when this is over... When this is over you'll quit the Hive—I want to have a life with you, us together. I don't want to be left alone, at night, wondering if you'll come back or living knowing the money you make is dirty—I can't. I know I said I accepted you, but I can't, not this part of your life. So," I took one step closer holding Nate's gaze in mine. "Either quit and be with me or loose me." It was my turn to swallow. "After everything we've been through you owe me that."

I couldn't look him in the eyes more than I already had—it was like they were made of honey.

"Mel," He sighed softly.

"Nate," I drew the word out.

Nate's face pinched for what felt like an eternity, I bid my time looking down at my shoes.

"I can't," He muttered at last. "Not right now, I need time—"

My head lifted.

"Then you shouldn't have come back, that's what you were off doing alone, wasn't it? Taking time to think."

I saw him grit his teeth, the gesture was so hard I wondered if his teeth would shatter.

"I didn't want to be away anymore. You want me to commit to you—to leave my loyalty for the Hive behind and… I can't." It took a lot to admit that, I saw it. "I love you so much, I should be able to do it. It should be like snapping my fingers. I just can't… it's like part of me—tiny as it may be—belongs there, it's all I have ever known, Mel. I feel like I owe my parents too, you know? They raised me so this is my way to pay them back." Nate always had one aspect at his favor. His loyalty. Drew knew how dedicated he was, her own parents would believe him over her. I loved that he showed devotion, I just wished it could be over something else. Like... for me.

I kicked gravel absently.

"If you can't then we're... over." I whispered feeling broken and torn on the inside. "The more I get involved with you—" I pressed down the memories we had together, shutting my eyes. "The more it will hurt in the end when we have to say goodbye, so you should leave."

I could feel his stare.

"I love you," He whispered right in my ear. "Always," I refused to glance up because I knew he was peering down at me. "I'm not going anywhere, you're not making this easy for me Melissa, so I won't either." There was a short chuckle, deep and ironic making me look. "I know what you're doing, you know. This game you're playing with me? The one where you keep everything bottled up, when all you want is to give in and not think of anything else." I stayed exactly where I stood, not showing any desire or intimidation, no matter how close he came—or how much I wanted him. "I've been playing this game since I was eight," He smirked a little softer than he usually did. "You're different, though, I could tell just as soon as I laid my eyes on you—I'm not talking about the hair, either." He brushed a finger over the veil of russet strands. "You looked tougher, confident—fearless." His forehead came in contact with mine, we were so up close I could truly feel the fire that always existed between us. "I'm going to win you back, princess."

No, no, no! Why couldn't he take a hint? Even if Mr. Smartass was right, and I didn't want him to leave me. I told him he needed to stay away if he couldn't quit the Hive, and he wanted to torture both of us—

"I told you, I want you to quit being an assassin, if you can't I want you gone." I pushed him by his shoulders, his smirk didn't waver.

"No, you don't," I rubbed my forehead. "I'm sorry for lying," Slowly I let our eyes meet, his were holding a mix of triumph and anguish. "I shouldn't have done it, and as for the quitting part—I need time."

"Always with the time," I muttered stalking off, conscious of Nathaniel following me—I wanted him away from me, I knew how loyal he was and grateful, he wouldn't quit... "You're aware I just broke up with you, aren't you?" I summoned a cool face, lips tugging upward—and God it killed me with each second.

Nathaniel's chest heaved a long sigh.

"I know," It was more broken than he thought. "I'm still not leaving, Melissa, so spare yourself." He fell into pace beside me.

"I'm not faking anything." I gritted growing annoyed, because he saw through the whole thing—but I knew my words got to him too. I saw the hurt I'd caused him by saying those things.

"Of course not."