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Chapter Text

The cold wet glop of Veronica's smoothie slid down the back of my neck and into my shirt. I could hear her and her trio of minions cackling behind me. I didn't even want to think about all the people who were watching from where they stood by their lockers. I was humiliated enough as it was. Reaching up I tried to wipe away as much of the mucho mango madness as I could. It was going to be hell to try and rinse this from my hair in the bathroom sink. I could still hear their snickering behind me. It just continued to add to the embarrassment. I knew my face was beginning to turn a bright shade of pink. I absolutely needed to get out of this hallway.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, loser."

A soft yelp escaped my lips, against my will, as I felt Veronica's well-manicured hand grab my arm and yank me backwards effectively pulling me to the floor. The laughter around us growing. God, sometimes I wish I could just disappear completely. I don't even know what brought on this round of bullying. I mean, it's not like my sister had any reason for it most of the time but come on this was over doing it for absolutely nothing.

"I said where do you think you are going?" Veronica repeated the question, her usually nasally voice going up an octave, if that was even possible.

I looked up at her, her brown eyes zeroed in on me with disdain. I was beneath her, right now both figuratively and literally. It had been like this my entire life. She was the golden child, and I was just the one who happened to be born five minutes later.

"I was just going to class Ronnie." I mumbled, annoyed that she even had the nerve to ask such a dumb question.

Veronica pursed her lips in frustration. I knew she hated it when I used that nickname, especially when I used it around other people. Ever since we started school in kindergarten, she tried so hard to make people forget she even had a sister. And the fact that that sister was me was apparently a social status nightmare.

"Don't. Call. Me. That." She hissed through her teeth. Yeah, I definitely struck a nerve. Great.

I pushed myself up off the floor, grabbing my bookbag as I did. I so desperately wished the bell would ring already so people would forget about me like they always did and go to class. Almost like fate was in my favor this time the bell did ring. I let out a deeply held sigh of relief as I watched everyone turn away. 'Thank you' I whispered silently to whatever god was listening to me this time. But just when I thought I would be able to make a clean getaway I watched as Veronica pushed her way in front of me.

"Listen here you worthless waste of space, if I ever catch you eyeing my boyfriend again I will personally end you. Do you understand?"

"What the hell are you evening talking about?"

Veronica's eyes narrowed into slits as she tossed her bleach blonde hair behind her shoulder. I could almost see the steam coming from her ears. "Don't you dare play dumb with me Melody." Oh god, she used my name in public. Shit she must really mean business.

"I'm not playing dumb Veronica if I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, I saw you in Mr. Norse's class eyeing him down like the whore you are. It was absolutely disgusting and besides he would never go for someone like you."

"What? Oh, for fucks sake Veronica I wasn't eyeing Liam because I wanted him, I was watching him because he was the one presenting his groups project. It's a common respect thing you idiot. As if I would even go for some like him. I swear the pores on his face have more intelligence than he does."

By this point Veronica was fuming, her face redder than mine was just a moment ago. Behind me I could hear her friends gasp in shock at what I just said. In our school Veronica was the bitchy queen bee and I just disrespected her and her authority. Sometimes I really didn't know how to shut up when it was necessary.

"When you get home, you are dead. DEAD. You hear me. Just wait until I tell mother."

With that Veronica spun on her heels, the scent of her Victoria's Secret perfume slapping me in the face. The three equally as evil she-devils that hung around her seemingly snapped out of the shock they were in and pushed past me as Veronica's heels clicked farther down the hall. One of them even managed to knock the books I was carrying out of my hands with a snicker. Fuck. I was in for it now. Picking up my things for the second time in a span of five minutes I turned around and ran to class, praying that my English teacher was late like she always was. I couldn't handle having detention on top of whatever hell was going to be waiting for me when I got home tonight.

-----

"You said what to her!"

Elizabeth screeched in my ear, the half-eaten bite of peanut butter sandwich hanging out of her now open mouth. It was lunch and as usual me and Elizabeth were sitting under our usual tree in the corner of the school's courtyard. We had been best friends our entire life. She lived only a few houses down from me and she was the one and only person to stick up for me when Veronica would bully me. Somehow though that didn't make her an outcast like me. She was still super social around the school and didn't have trouble making friends. But as for myself, well, Elizabeth was my only friend. Apart from Mr. Johnson, the school's sole janitor, that is.

"Geez Lizzy, will you take it down a notch. I would love to preserve my hearing for future necessity if that's ok."

"I'm sorry Mel," she said, taking another mouthful of her sandwich, thankfully quieter this time. "But you have to give me some sort of break here. I can't believe you talked to Veronica like that in front of people."

"It wasn't in front of everyone. They had all gone to class by that point. Just the three hags she calls friends, that's it." I responded, plopping another pretzel into my mouth.

After we sat down with our lunch, I had started to recount the earlier conversation I had with my sister to Elizabeth. She seemed to hang onto every word I said like it was the newest soap opera episode where the grieving widow finally kissed the pool boy when she thought no one was watching. It wasn't quite off though, my life was like a soap opera, a melodramatic somewhat depressing soap opera but one, nonetheless. It wasn't until I started telling her everything that happened that I really realized how much shit I was in. Normally I was pretty good at biting my tongue when it came to Veronica but today, I don't really know what happened. Maybe it was the added benefit of being bathed in her smoothie. I was still finding chunks of it in clumpy glops throughout my hair.

"Yeah, but still. You usually don't let her get to you like that. You called her an idiot. That had to have pissed her off immensely. I can't believe you said that. This is totally like the sixth season of the Bachelor newsworthy. I doubt any of her little friends managed to keep quiet all morning. They had to have said something. I bet the whole school is talking about it."

I sighed; Elizabeth was right. Someone definitely said something because I kept catching people throwing side glances my way all through the last two periods. I was used to being ignored. It almost became comforting but after this morning I apparently had become the talk of the school. Man, I hated high school. I can't wait to be done with it already. After graduation I plan on getting as far away from this hellhole of a town as possible. Maybe I would move to the city, start over, change my name, something.

"I don't know Lizzy, you may be right, but it doesn't really matter what I said. Veronica would probably find another reason to be pissed off at me. I just still can't believe she thought I would look at Liam like that. He's so ew."

"He's not ew, he's hot. Like ultra-swimsuit model kind of hot. You're just cynical and you want to deny what's deep down inside you because he's dating your bitch of a sister." She giggled.

"You can't be serious. He's stupid. And all he cares about is lifting weights and how well his hair looks."

"Still hot. Besides, I like them kind of dumb. Gives me those sappy golden retriever vibes if you know what I mean." Elizabeth looked at me, her eyes wide while she held her hands up in a puppy dog kind of way while she panted.

I laughed. She had always been kind of boy crazy our entire life, but I thought after living in the same small town with the same guys from when we were little, she would get over it. I guess not. It just kind of aged like her maturity. Very slowly and very far in-between. At least she knew how to make me smile.

"Maybe I'm not into that whole dog thing you know. I like my men a little more domesticated." I giggled back, throwing a stick at her.

"Hey there's nothing wrong with a guy who has a wild animal side. You'll see one day when you finally have a boyfriend."

"Really. Did you have to bring up my lack of a love life."

"Yeah, to teach you not to hate on what you don't know."

"Whatever you dufus."

I grabbed another pretzel, my mind wandering to what would happen when I got home tonight. It wasn't going to be good. I had already ignored three calls from my mother. Maybe not the best idea but today seemed to be a day of very poor decisions on my part.

"Hey Mel, do you just want to come spend the night at my place tonight?" Elizabeth asked. I'm sure she could read the uneasiness on my face.

"No, there's no point in avoiding the inevitable."

"Okay well the offer still stands you know; in case you need to sneak out or something. We could stay up late and watch a chick flick or something while we stuff our faces."

"Thanks Lizzy, I appreciate it, really."

"Of course, Mel, you know I got your back. Always."

As soon as Elizabeth finished speaking the first bell rang signaling that lunch was ending. I groaned, not ready to get back to class. There were only three more periods before the end of the day and seeing it was Friday, I really wished school was longer at this point. I so didn't want to go home. Maybe I should just take up Elizabeth on her offer.

"I'll call you later and tell you how it goes ok." I said, hugging Elizabeth before we went our separate ways.

"Remember, chick flicks and food. I'm thinking "The Notebook." She yelled over her shoulder, disappearing into the crowd. Leaving me all alone, again.

Chapter Text

The final bell rang and as I gathered my books into my bag, I could feel my stomach began to turn. I was beginning to regret my stupid commentary from this morning and I kind of wished I could just crawl under my desk and hide. Everyone around me chatted excitedly about whatever meaningless plans they had over the weekend while I watched them with silent envy. How nice would it be if I could, you know, just enjoy my weekend like everyone else instead of spending it locked away in my room. As if on cue my phone started vibrating in my bag, my mother hadn't stopped calling me all day. Most likely to bitch me out before I got home where she would continue to bitch me out. Today was turning into such a headache. I listened to the phone vibrate a few more times before it fell silent. Ignoring her wasn't going to make my situation any better but I needed a little bit of peace. Even if that peace was only going to last me the ten-minute bus ride home.

The best thing about being my parent's least favorite child was the fact that I got to ride the bus alone. No overbearing, self-absorbed sister. When we turned fifteen, she got her first car which she managed to total two hours after getting behind the wheel. But our parents didn't care, they just bought her another one. She was the princess of the family anyways, and a princess always got whatever she wanted. I, on the other hand, was stuck riding the public-school bus. It was fine really. I enjoyed the ten minutes it gave me before and after school where I could pretend that I totally wasn't a part of my particularly dysfunctional family. Today however the bus ride seemed to zip by a lot quicker than normally and before I knew it, I stepped off onto the corner of our street. I could see our driveway a few houses down, Veronica's blue kia soul already parked in front of the garage. No doubt she was sitting inside on the couch waiting for me to walk through the front door so she could make my life a living hell.

I sucked a deep breath in through clenched teeth. I had to get it over with, the longer I waited out here the worse it would be for me. With even, calculated steps I walked down the sidewalk towards my house. Trying so hard to make the walk last longer than the few seconds I knew it would take. I had barely made it to the front steps before my mother flung open the door with a silent rage that sent shivers down my spine. Boy did she look pissed. Her eyes cut daggers into my skin and the smile she forced on her lips since we were in public made me want to vomit. I hated how fake she was when she thought people could be watching. It made me want to gag.

"Why there you are Melody, I tried calling you earlier sweetie." She cooed, the venom in her words slipping past the sweet exterior.

"Uh, hey mom. I'm sorry but my phone was on silent." I replied, walking up the steps and standing before her. My right hand sat against my back, its fingers twirling in the long curls of my hair.

"Well, that's just unfortunate now isn't it. Very well, you're home now. Why don't you come inside and have a seat on the couch, your father and I would love to have a word with you about the little incident at school."

Shit. I didn't realize dad was home. Normally he worked late on Fridays so he could go in late on Mondays. Well that just dropped my hopes of getting out of this situation easily. Normally when it was just Mom, I could ease her out of her anger a little bit but anytime my dad was there it was impossible. I walked past her and into our house. Veronica was sitting in the living room like I expected, and she had this smug look plastered on her face. I groaned internally. This was about to be a shit show. Putting my bag down on one of the dining table chairs I walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa opposite my sister, my hands instinctively placed into my lap. My dad looked over at me. His anger clearly marked in the hard lines of his forehead while he frowned at me. I knew that particular look very well. It was the same one that told me a million times before how disappointed he was in me and how he wished he had only one daughter not two.

We sat there for a few minutes in silence while we waited for my mother to join us. She was no doubt reapplying her lipstick in the bathroom. Veronica learned her excessive need to look like a runway model from her. I on the other hand could care less how I looked. After another minute or so she finally joined us and sat next to Veronica. Good now the whole party was here. We all kind of looked at each other, me sizing the three of them up trying to get a read on how tonight was going to go. Them staring me down, their own forms of hatred clear as day. Whoever I pissed off in a past life must surely be laughing now.

"So, Melody," my father began, his tone eerily level, "would care to explain your abhorrent behavior today during school."

"And before you have the nerve to try and tell us whatever lie you must have already come up with just know Veronica here has already told us everything that happened." My mother added, crossing her legs.

Great. I can only imagine what story she told them. I looked at them, my palms already clamming up. I didn't even know what to say. Of course, I couldn't start with the fact that Veronica had dumped her smoothie on me. They wouldn't believe it; they would probably think I was trying to toss the blame so I could make myself look better. I also couldn't really say that I did nothing, that would just piss them off anymore. At this point I was screwed either way.

"Well young lady we're waiting." My father tapped his foot impatiently while he leaned forwards, expectantly.

"I uh, I didn't really do anything that bad Dad, it was just a misunderstanding between me and Veronica." I stammered, trying my hardest to find a way to diffuse the situation.

"She's lying. She always lies."

Veronica whined as she looked over at our parents, her lip already in full pout mode. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that she even had a few tears in her eyes. How is it that she was so damn good at pretending to be the victim? It made me sick.

"I know sweety, it's ok, we'll make sure she tells us the truth." My mother cooed at her, placing her hand softly onto Veronica's knee before looking back at me. "Do you see what your behavior is doing to this family." She spat.

"B-but I didn't do anything I swear."

"Enough! I'm sick of all the lying Melody." My mother's whole body was tense now while she screamed at me. "Now you better tell us what you said to your sister right now or so help me god you will not leave your room or have any sort of privileges until your graduation do you hear me."

Like I had privileges anyways. "M-mom I'm telling you I didn't do anything to her. She's the one who came up to me this morning and dumped her stupid smoothie on me. Why can't you see she's just playing you? She does this every time, she's manipulative and quite frankly a bitch and you and Dad just completely ignore everything. " I yelled back, my anger bubbling beneath the fear.

The room grew deathly silent while my words sunk in. Oh. My. God. I can't believe I just said all of that to them. What the hell is wrong with me? I am so grounded, or dead. I gulped. By now my entire
body was covered in a nervous sweat. Both of my parents just sat stone still, their eyes so wide I was kind of surprised they didn't just pop out of their heads.

"How dare you." My father finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot believe you just spoke to your mother that way. And all those awful things you said about your sister. I am so utterly disgusted with your lack of self-control young lady. I don't know why this family was burdened with such a disgrace of a daughter, but it ends now."

Veronica smiled. We both knew that I had crossed a line there was no coming back from. Whatever happened to me after tonight was all in God's hands. I doubt I would see the light of day outside of school for the rest of my life. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't even make it to graduation at this rate. The silence following my father's words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Really, what was wrong with me. Something must have snapped in my mind; this was truly it.

"From this point on you are grounded Melody. No friends. No going out after school. You will report home immediately, and you will go straight to your room where you will stay. Plus, all your chores will be doubled, and if you so much as think of putting one toe out of line I promise you you will regret everything. Do you understand me."

I just nodded, too afraid to say anything else.

"Good, now go to your room and if I see you at all tonight, I will make sure you never leave that room again."

I got up; my knees were weak. I had to force my body to move towards the stairs while I replayed the entire conversation in my head. Grabbing my school bag as I passed it I sent every prayer I could think of that this was it for the night. But I began wishing too soon because as soon as I reached the stairs I heard my mother call out after me.

"Oh, and Melody, you can kiss your birthday party this weekend goodbye. As far as I am concerned, you are no longer a part of this family."

I stopped for a moment, the gravity of what she just said sinking in. Then I slowly made my way up the stairs and into my room, making sure the door was closed before I slid to the floor, tears already streaming down my cheeks.

Chapter Text

The weekend seemed to drag on and on and I was beginning to wish for my Monday alarm to go off. I hadn't spoken to a single soul all weekend and my body ached from all the cleaning my parents had made me do. I wanted to scream every time they gave me something else to do, it was like a never-ending parade of punishments. Come Saturday evening my parents had me locked into my bedroom, too afraid to let any of the party guests even see that they had another person living in their home. I had been instructed to stay out of sight and stay quiet. As if I even wanted to be a part of their little charade anyways. I was just sitting on my bed re-reading twilight for like the millionth time when Veronica burst through my door.
"Hey loser, where is that super cute top you stole? You know, the one with the pink flowers."
I looked up, annoyed that she was interrupting my team Edward time. Like come on who doesn't want a mysteriously hot bad boy with a dangerously hotter secret. Veronica just stood in front of my open closet staring at me like I was crazy.
"Did you not hear me, Melody. The top, where is it?"
"I didn't steal anything Ronnie, some of us are just capable of saving our money. And what does it matter to you anyways, you have enough clothes in your room. You don't need to start taking mine."
I picked up my book again trying to show her that I wasn't going to entertain her any longer. As always it didn't work. Instead, Veronica grabbed the book from my hands and shoved a perfectly manicured finger into my chest.
"Now listen here, I want that top and I want it now. You wouldn't want me to tell Mommy and Daddy that you were picking on me again would you. Especially on the night of MY seventeenth birthday party."
I looked at her, trying desperately to not let my eyes roll back into my head like I really wanted them to. I can't believe this was happening. One day that's all I wanted. "It's hanging up in my bathroom Ronnie. Just take it and leave me alone. Now can I please have my book back."
Veronica huffed, stomping her way into my bathroom before reemerging with my top. She peeled off the tank she was wearing and slipped mine over her head, pulling her blonde hair into a loose bun. She smiled greedily in my mirror, twirling around like a little girl. It was really gross how self-absorbed she always was. It always shocked me how totally into herself she could be. I mean she wasn't exactly unattractive; with her slim figure and blonde hair she totally had the whole stereotypical model beauty thing about her. But her attitude tainted whatever natural beauty she had.
"My book Ronnie." I reminded her, stretching out my hand for the novel.
She looked at me, a smirk growing on her lips. "Do you mean this book," she said picking twilight up from where she laid it on my dresser, "I don't know why you always read this crappy story anyways. It's not like any of it is real. Vampires and werewolves, come on Melody grow up already."
"I don't care Ronnie, just give it back to me."
"No. I don't think I will. I think I'm going to save you from yourself just this one time, call it a sisterly favor if you will."
"What do mean Veronica?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Idiot." She scoffed, picking up the lighter I kept on my dresser for my candles. "This is for your own good Meldoy. Maybe now you'll learn to get your head out of the clouds and realize that you're good for nothing other than cleaning and cooking and making sure I have everything I need. You get me."
I watched Veronica hold the corner of my book over the lighter before she flicked it and set its pages ablaze. The fire catching quickly onto the overworn pages. I cringed inside, my heart breaking a little. It took my three months of saving up what little allowance my parents gave me to buy that book and here it was being burned up right in front of me. I couldn't believe she would stoop so low. Hell, I gave her what she wanted. What did I have to do to be left alone for once? Veronica laughed as she watched my horrified expression. It felt like my entire soul was being burned up along with Bella and Jacob and Edward. Tears had already started to prickle up in the corners of my eyes.
When she seemed satisfied with the destruction of my book Veronica walked back into the restroom and I could hear her drop it into the open toilet. She came out looking smug and proud of herself. I knew if I said anything to her now, I would just end up in trouble with our parents, so I stayed where I was and tried to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over. As soon as she walked out of my room, I bolted off the bed and ran for the bathroom, pulling the soaking pages out of the water. It was completely and utterly destroyed. There was no way in hell that I was going to be able to salvage the pages. Five years of comfort flushed down the drain. I hurt all over, my heart aching in my chest. I hated her. I had all of this. I hated my family and this stupid town. I hated the fact that I was ever born. Why did I have to be born, why couldn't I have just died and given my parents their one wish.
As I sat on the bathroom floor crying over the destroyed book in my hands, I could feel the anger burning down inside me. It turned in the pit of my stomach slowly, its bile creeping into the back of my throat. I've never felt anger like this so strongly before. It almost seemed like it seeped into every crevice of my body. Dark inky tendrils that snaked their way around my veins and bled into my heart. It scared me. Sweat began to roll down my temples as my body heat grew stronger with the anger inside. Standing, I looked at myself in the mirror. The person who was looking back at me looked like my face, but I swear that for a split second I could see my brown eyes flash golden in the reflection.
What the hell was happening to me. I took a step back, afraid that if I stared at myself too long, I would see myself disappear. Throwing the book into the trash I stumbled back into my room, the rage inside me blinding me. I had to get out of here. I needed to breathe fresh air. Suddenly I could hear a voice in the back of my head clear as day. Her sharp melodic sound rang around behind my ears.
"Run."

Chapter Text

I don't exactly remember how I ended up outside, but I was there, desperately sucking in deep breaths. My body screamed at me, the anger slowly starting to build again. It didn't care that I was outside now, I was still standing on the side of my house, too close to everything in there. It wanted me to keep going, pulling me away from all the abuse and hatred that no doubt was waiting for me inside. I put my hands on my thighs, doubling over in pain as I tried to recollect my thoughts. If I didn't go back up to my room, then someone in my family was sure to find me missing and that wouldn't be good. But I also couldn't just waltz into the house like I belonged there, everyone would notice me and that would be worse. To be honest I don't even know how I got out here without someone seeing me.

"Let it go Meldoy. Just keep going. You won't regret it I promise."

There it was the voice again. It's foreign sound bringing my heartrate back up. Seriously what the hell was happening. I had gone crazy. That must be it. It's like all those sad stories of the kids who develop like alternative personalities or whatever when they experience trauma. That's what was happening to me. It had to be. I couldn't believe it. Dammit this couldn't be real.

"You're not crazy Meldoy. Confused maybe but not crazy."

"Get out of my head!" I screamed out loud. My voice cracking.

I tried to steady my breathing once more, rubbing my hands down the sides of my legs in an attempt to ground myself. If I could just calm down for one second, then I could come up with some rational option. Shit, I would settle with something semi-rational at this point. I just need to think. After a few minutes I knew that I needed to just suck up my fear and go back inside. It was starting to get dark outside, and I was out here in nothing but a pair of shorts and a tank top. I didn't even have shoes on. I pushed myself up off the ground, supporting my body against the side of the house. A few steps towards the front door and the rage hit me again, the feeling washing over me in a wave. My stomach churned, I had to hold back the vomit that threatened to come up.

"Don't you dare go back in there Melody. Turn around right now." The voice scraped against my brain, almost like it was trying to bite my consciousness into submission.

I ignored it, or at least I tried to. Another couple steps forwards and my legs gave out. I dropped to the ground, throwing my hands out in front of me in an attempt to break my fall. A cry left my lips as a sudden pain radiated form my wrist. I could see it already starting to purple and swell. Great. Just another thing to add to the long list of why this weekend has to be the worst weekend ever.

"I told you Meldoy. You are not going back in there."

"Who are you. What is happening to me?" I cried, my emotions boiling over. I wanted this feeling to go away. Somehow in the last two days my entire sense of self had completely morphed into this foreign creature. I barely even recognized who I was right now.

"I am you my dear and you are me. We are one." The voice replied. "Everything will make sense my child I promise, but you have to trust me."

"Trust you?"

"Yes Melody. Now turn around and leave. Just run and don't look back."

I thought about it for a minute. What she was saying made sense. Kind of. When I took a step back into the alley by my house, I could feel the rage lessen. As if it was responding positively to my retreat. I stopped again, took one last look at my house which hummed with the party inside before I turned around and booked it down the street.

-----

I had stopped running about an hour ago, my sense of direction completely turned around the second I entered the tree line. I had never strayed so far from the town boarder before, and I had absolutely no idea where I was at the moment. I don't know when the voice in my head or the anger I felt had stopped but they did, and I was getting kind of lonely. I continued to move my way through the overgrown foliage as I tried to navigate my way out of the woods and back into society. It was dark and it was late, and I was pretty sure my parents had already realized I was gone. I was going to be in so much trouble when I got home.

While I tried to determine which way I should go, I could swear I could see something move out of the corner of my eye. Moving a few more steps I paused mid stride when I saw movement again. My head moving like a swivel on my neck. I didn't know what I was looking for exactly but there was this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something that didn't quite sit right. The hum of her voice vibrating in my head again.

That's when I saw him, he was standing about 20 feet away hidden behind a couple of trees. At first, I thought I had imagined it. That maybe my delirious brain had conjured up a person where I only saw shadows. I wouldn't have put it past myself at this point. After everything that had happened tonight one more strange thing wouldn't be unheard of. But when I turned around again, he was still standing there. A tall looming silhouette of a man. I couldn't move, my limbs frozen in place. It started to get harder to breathe, the cold air of the autumn night causing gooseflesh against my skin. There was something about him that called to me like a siren song. Dangerously alluring. I blinked a couple times, trying to get him out of my head but he was still there, still real.

"Go to him Melody." The voice chimed. Her tone almost giddy with excitement.

I was already starting to get used to the inner commentary inside my head. I couldn't quite explain why but it was comforting. Like somehow it was always meant to be there.

"Who is he?" I whispered to no one in particular.

"He's a god, our god. That is our destiny."

I thought about what the voice was saying. It didn't make sense but then again none of this made sense. I felt like I was dreaming and before I knew it my feet started walking towards him as if they had a mind of their own. My heart rate picked up, the faint pitter patter deafening my ears. I could feel the crunch of leaves under my bare feet as I continued my approach, the smell of the wet dirt invading my nostrils. I didn't even realize it had rained today, I had to been too busy getting everything ready for Veronica's party.

But there was something else in the air too. Something that smelled sweet and intoxicating. The rich aroma of chocolate and pine. For a second, I thought it was coming from him, but it couldn't have been. There was no way a human could ever smell so invigorating especially from so far away. The voice in my head whined, wishing we were beside the strange man already. It confused me, my sudden need to be there. As if brought to life by my slow approach the man moved, slipping out from behind the trees he had been hiding behind. I could see him better now and it caused me to stop moving.

He was tall, taller than anyone I had ever met before, and I could tell now that he wasn't from our small little town. He towered over me, and it scared me a little. The reasonable part of my brain urged me to turn around and go back the way I had come. It kept telling me that I wasn't safe out here in the middle of the woods with a strange man who could probably out power me. But I wasn't listening to the reasonable part. The voice in my head still urged me forwards and right now she seemed like the right voice.

"It's him Melody. We have found him. I know it." She continued.

"Him," I repeated out loud, unsure of who he was.

I didn't realize I had stopped walking until I looked up and was met with his striking green eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. Up close I could see that he was shirtless, his chest smooth with muscles that rippled under his skin. The sweet mouthwatering smell that I noticed earlier was stronger now. It blanketed itself around me like it was trying to lure me in closer to him. He looked down at me, his eyes wide as if he too was shocked to see someone else walking through the woods in the middle of the night. I could make out the perfectly chiseled features of his face too, high cheekbones and a square cut jaw. My god, the voice in my head had been right. He was a god. I swallowed the spit that had started to gather in the back of my throat, my palms turned clammy. I didn't know what to do now that I was here right in front of him.

"Wh-who are y-you?" I stuttered, annoyed that my voice was giving away the fear I so desperately wanted to hide.

He didn't answer. I didn't expect him to quite frankly. Instead the voice inside my head responded. "He's our mate," she cooed.

Mate? What did she mean by that? Everything was so confusing right now. The world started to spin around me. My brain trying so hard to process what was going on. I could feel beads of sweat dot the back of my neck while I tried to slow my breathing again. It didn't help. My surroundings were moving too fast around me and before I knew it, I could feel my knees give. A soft 'oh' left my lips as I tried to brace my body for the impact I knew was coming when I inevitably hit the floor. But the impact didn't come. Instead, I could feel my body being supported by strong warm hands that burned my skin where they touched it.

"Mate." I heard him speak, his voice smooth like velvet before I blacked out.