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Chapter 8
Now I have 9 done, but Bri hasn't approved that because she's physically unable to read past the past few lines. Don't blame her.
AN: Another short chapter, but it’s building to something.
Chapter 8
February 15, 1982-3:00 PM
“Hey Mand?” James walked into the kitchen, leaning casually against the oak table.
“Hmm?” Mandy turned away from the sink, gently dropping a plate into the water.
“What is it?”
“Well, I was wondering about something.”
“If it has to do with me, I’m scared.”
James laughed, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, gently rubbing his hand against her stomach.
“It’s nothing bad, promise.”
“All right, I’m sure I’ll regret it, but shoot.”
James licked his lips, knowing he was wandering into a very dangerous place.
“Why won’t you change me?”
Mandy froze under his touch, gingerly stepping away. She walked past him, trying to get out of the kitchen. James stopped her, grabbing her by the sleeve of her ratty pink robe.
“Mand.”
“You know why James.”
“No I don’t. I knew in the past, you didn’t want to curse me.”
“And I still don’t. That’s never going to change.”
“Mand, you know as well as I do that I have maybe five years left, tops. What would it hurt to change me?”
“Because after I did, you’d hate me!”
“Why the hell would you think that? You’d be saving my life.”
“But afterwards. After a couple years, you’d start wondering if your life was worth saving. Every full moon would make things tenser between us.”
“At least we’d have a chance to be together that long! Jesus Christ Mand, how about you don’t think about us? Think about Jamie, the baby. How the hell will you manage on your own?”
Mandy stiffened again, turning back to him, glaring at him with pain and anger in her dark blue eyes.
“I’m not weak James.”
“I know you’re not…Mand…please hear me out.”
“James, unless you and your windpipe wish to part ways, please shut up.”
James noticed her clenching her hands so hard that her nails were drawing blood from her palms and he stepped back, sighing.
“All right. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to go lie down.”
James nodded, watching her walk away. After she’d left his sight, he walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Dammit, there had to be a way to make her see that make him her true mate wouldn’t be a curse, it would be the best thing that could happen to them. But there was no way to get her to do it. Hell, the only reason she’d turned Brian wasn’t because of love, but because of hate. She’d bitten him just a little too hard in a fight and…
James’ eyes lit up when he thought of that. She’d turned Brian when she was angry at him, admittedly the pain hadn’t been personal it had been because Brian had attacked him, but still. Maybe if he could rile her up enough…
No. There was no one she cared about the same besides Jamie, and he could never hurt her. But…hadn’t she lashed out when her father hurt her? That had been physical, sure, and he could never raise a hand to her, but he had seen her fangs come out when the asshole insulted her.
James shuddered slightly as he thought of the kinds of things he would have to do and say to get her to attack him. It would hurt, it would hurt like hell and he’d hate himself the entire time. But it was the only way. He had to try. If it didn’t work, she’d either ignore him or kill him, and that was the fate he was headed for anyway. But if it did...
James sighed, glancing outside. The moon would be up in a few hours, meaning he still had time to get a little alcohol in his system to prepare himself for the horrible things he was going to do tonight. He reached into the pocket of his torn blue jeans, pulling out the chain that he're removed from the bedside table for some reason. He ran his finger over the black pentagram, smiling sadly when he remembered what he had said when she gave it to him nine years ago.
“You said something about werewolves marking their victims with pentagrams…"
She'd laughed then, biting and nipping at him, the play fighting that eventually ended up with the two of them naked in the snow. That had been the start of everything, and what he was planning could easily be the end. God, let her forgive him if it worked.
AN: Another short chapter, but it’s building to something.
February 15, 1982-3:00 PM
“Hey Mand?” James walked into the kitchen, leaning casually against the oak table.
“Hmm?” Mandy turned away from the sink, gently dropping a plate into the water.
“What is it?”
“Well, I was wondering about something.”
“If it has to do with me, I’m scared.”
James laughed, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, gently rubbing his hand against her stomach.
“It’s nothing bad, promise.”
“All right, I’m sure I’ll regret it, but shoot.”
James licked his lips, knowing he was wandering into a very dangerous place.
“Why won’t you change me?”
Mandy froze under his touch, gingerly stepping away. She walked past him, trying to get out of the kitchen. James stopped her, grabbing her by the sleeve of her ratty pink robe.
“Mand.”
“You know why James.”
“No I don’t. I knew in the past, you didn’t want to curse me.”
“And I still don’t. That’s never going to change.”
“Mand, you know as well as I do that I have maybe five years left, tops. What would it hurt to change me?”
“Because after I did, you’d hate me!”
“Why the hell would you think that? You’d be saving my life.”
“But afterwards. After a couple years, you’d start wondering if your life was worth saving. Every full moon would make things tenser between us.”
“At least we’d have a chance to be together that long! Jesus Christ Mand, how about you don’t think about us? Think about Jamie, the baby. How the hell will you manage on your own?”
Mandy stiffened again, turning back to him, glaring at him with pain and anger in her dark blue eyes.
“I’m not weak James.”
“I know you’re not…Mand…please hear me out.”
“James, unless you and your windpipe wish to part ways, please shut up.”
James noticed her clenching her hands so hard that her nails were drawing blood from her palms and he stepped back, sighing.
“All right. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to go lie down.”
James nodded, watching her walk away. After she’d left his sight, he walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Dammit, there had to be a way to make her see that make him her true mate wouldn’t be a curse, it would be the best thing that could happen to them. But there was no way to get her to do it. Hell, the only reason she’d turned Brian wasn’t because of love, but because of hate. She’d bitten him just a little too hard in a fight and…
James’ eyes lit up when he thought of that. She’d turned Brian when she was angry at him, admittedly the pain hadn’t been personal it had been because Brian had attacked him, but still. Maybe if he could rile her up enough…
No. There was no one she cared about the same besides Jamie, and he could never hurt her. But…hadn’t she lashed out when her father hurt her? That had been physical, sure, and he could never raise a hand to her, but he had seen her fangs come out when the asshole insulted her.
James shuddered slightly as he thought of the kinds of things he would have to do and say to get her to attack him. It would hurt, it would hurt like hell and he’d hate himself the entire time. But it was the only way. He had to try. If it didn’t work, she’d either ignore him or kill him, and that was the fate he was headed for anyway. But if it did...
James sighed, glancing outside. The moon would be up in a few hours, meaning he still had time to get a little alcohol in his system to prepare himself for the horrible things he was going to do tonight. He reached into the pocket of his torn blue jeans, pulling out the chain that he're removed from the bedside table for some reason. He ran his finger over the black pentagram, smiling sadly when he remembered what he had said when she gave it to him nine years ago.
“You said something about werewolves marking their victims with pentagrams…"
She'd laughed then, biting and nipping at him, the play fighting that eventually ended up with the two of them naked in the snow. That had been the start of everything, and what he was planning could easily be the end. God, let her forgive him if it worked.