e i g h t e e n
t a t t o o
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dedicated to katniponbroadway

"YOU TWO ARE not sharing a room, by the way," Daniel hollered as he led an exhausted Connor and dreary Eretria up to the second floor of his exquisite house. The majority of decorations from the Winter Ball had been torn away, leaving behind bare plaster that had been painted until it resembled a blank piece of paper. Mahogany paved the floorboards beneath Tia's feet as she stared in awe at the chandelier above her head. Tethered to the vintage ceiling on a single metal hook, it appeared as though it would clatter to the ground from the smallest of movements. The shards refracted the radiating moonlight in a display of stars, scarring her eyes with white dots every time she blinked. Behind the chandelier, and at the top of the well-oiled staircase was the twisting vines of Daniel's family symbol. The stone carving was just as menacing – and perhaps just as old – as the vampire himself.

"I wasn't planning on it," Tia murmured into her chest. The journey from the kebab shop on the East side of Armour Heights to Daniel's mansion on the opposite side of the town had taken half an hour through traffic, by which time Tia was exhausted. She had barely managed to pack the minimal belongings she had had with her, and now regretted not taking up Daniel's offer of a chicken kebab.

The clan leader led Eretria and Connor along a wide corridor once they were at the top of the grand staircase, and halted with two doors on either side of him. Daniel waved with both arms to the wooden doors set in beige walls. "These are yours," he announced, the night having no effect on his alertness. He was just as alive as the breathing night itself, whispering bitter wind against the house as the trees creaked outside. "If you need anything, you know where to find me." Tia gulped, remembering her first encounter with the British vampire in his dining room, which happened to next to what she presumed was his office.

The werewolves nodded consecutively, Tia giving Connor a warming stare.

"Great," Daniel responded with ease. His hand fidgeted with the cufflink on his perfectly ironed suit, the grey shade framing his ruffled brown hair. "We'll plan tomorrow – and please don't try anything."

Daniel shot Tia a heated glance, knowing exactly what he meant, but there was nothing between herself and Connor, surely? He was an alpha, and she was too violent for her own good. Eretria didn't want a mate – she didn't need one, either. But the comment was enough the make the woman blush a familiar shade of crimson.

Turning away from the two men staring intently at her, Tia flashed a middle finger and disappeared into the room to her left, not allowing herself to believe that she liked Connor more than what they had been forced to endure due to their alliance. Sighing loud enough for Connor and Daniel to hear through the stiff walls, Tia face-planted on the bed situated in the centre of the grand room. It was extensive, with beetroot stained walls which had been overlaid with a swirling pattern. The room was different to the rest of the house, and Tia immediately understood why as she sat up on the soft mattress: the previous owner had had a thing for black and dark colours. The drawers directly in front of her, and vanity mirror cleared of make-up items was charcoal, and Tia welcomed it.  The night – the darkness – was where she thrived. It was the same for any supernatural creature cursed to reside in the human world.

Eretria allowed her rucksack to limply fall from her fingers, and pulled the covers of her new bed over her head. It was the third place she had stayed since the death of her pack three weeks ago. Time had stretched into oblivion, leaving Tia stranded in limbo. She inhaled the scent of washing power as she hugged the crisp purple sheets close to her face to block out the beaming moonlight that wound around the curtains. After an hour of shutting her eyes, and the lack of sleep, the brunette finally opened her eyes and shuffled out from underneath the duvet. She didn't get nightmares, but the reality that Jared wanted her to himself, and that Connor's warm presence had been withdrawn had sent Tia's world spinning. Connor was her warmth, and without it, Eretria had never felt so cold.

Eretria pushed her fingers against her dry forehead whilst debating what to do – either prepare for another sleepless night, or face up to the fact that Connor stirred something within her, and went across the hall. She decided on the latter.

Picking up her toes so that she wouldn't make up a noise, Tia edged out of the room and held the door to prevent it from slamming shut. She shivered in her white vest top and lack of leggings as she walked across the hall and slipped into Connor's room without so much as a breath.

Tia immediately regretted her decision.

"Who is it?" A voice enquired from the en-suite bathroom. Tia felt the flicker of a smile pierce her lips. Her body wavered tentatively at the door, suddenly feeling extremely under-dressed. Connor had only ever seen her in short dresses at the minimum, and perhaps the quick glimpse of her in her underwear after a shower in their small room above the kebab shop, but that had been unintentional. Tia told herself that her actions at that precise moment in time were unintentional as well – which was indeed a lie.

Tia bit her cheek, wondering whether to leave the room before Connor realised it was her, but the alpha appeared from the bathroom before she had the chance. The woman drew in a breath when she noticed he was shirtless, muscular torso dripping with shower water. He was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants, which contrasted to the suits Tia was so used to Connor wearing.

"Who the fuck do you think it is?" Eretria retorted, swiftly folding her arms over her chest. The woman hoped Connor couldn't hear the exhilarated beat of her thrumming heart. What had he done to her? She wasn't in love, but lust was certainly on her agenda. Tia had captured the attention of many men in her eighteen years of life, but she had never felt something so powerful to a member of the opposite sex.

Connor grabbed a crumpled white shirt from his nightstand and shrugged it on. "Hi, Eretria."

The aforementioned rolled her pristine eyes. "Anticlimactic much."

The male huffed in response, eyes beginning to shut involuntarily as he used the nightstand to hold himself upright. "What do you want?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Huh."

Tia banged her fist against the wooden post of Connor's new king size bed. She watched him visibly jump. Frustration had built up within her, and melted into liquid silver waiting to encase her alive. Eretria admitted it to herself, Connor was beautiful, and kind when he wanted to be kind. But an arsehole was always an arsehole, no matter how much you dug under their skin. Tia had practically ripped the man open to his ligaments and flesh, yet he still acted as though there was nothing between them.

"You're pathetic," Tia snarled, and in a swirl of mocha tresses stormed to the door.

"Tia!" Connor called after the female alpha. He held out a weak hand, relieved when she glared back. The door was cracked open; Tia was ready to make her exit. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

Tia felt her fingers fall from the door handle. Her gaze shifted to the male, his dark hair even darker from his recent shower. Still, she liked the colour on him, and the contrast between his pastel skin.

"It's ok," Tia shook her head. "I don't know what's up with me. I guess I just kind of miss it being the two of us."

Silence filled the room. The wind did not exist, and the night was too old for creatures to make any form of sound.

"Me too."

The two words made Tia's head prick upright, wondering if she had heard right. A shiver ran across her body until it was glacial, craving Connor's touch. She didn't need permission as she clambered into the left side of Connor's bed, unsure of what else to do. Connor slid in after her, and pressed his palms against the mattress to keep a manageable distance between them.

Nerves tingled up Tia's spine, but as she hugged the duvet closer to her body, she indefinitely felt warmer. Connor's warm breath fanned on her back, beckoning her body closer to him.

With her shoulders bare, a black mark caught Connor's eye. Etched into the she-wolf skin, right below her right shoulder, and following the curved crook of her neck, was a cross no bigger than a coin.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo," Connor uttered. Curiosity got the better of him as he outstretched his hand, trailing his bony fingers along the mark.

Eretria shrugged her shoulders. "It's the mark of my pack. I got it when I was three," She replied, careful not to reveal too much information about her early life.

"What pack was that?"

Tia stiffened under Connor's touch for the first time since realising she felt something for the male wolf. Suddenly, his fingers felt more like molten lava than electricity. "It doesn't matter," she whispered sorrowfully. "They're all dead now, anyway."

Connor exhaled, the rare feeling of regret pooling in his stomach until the point where he felt nervous. The man slid an arm around Eretria's waist and pulled her closer so that he could murmur directly into her ear.

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." Although Tia would never reveal what she was sorry for. It was part of her shield; her façade. And like hell she was going to let it shatter that easily.

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

OMG I ACTUALLY LOVE THEM!! WHO ELSE IS KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT TIA AND CONNOR??

hope you enjoyed! just a little hint, there are tiny clues in every chapter from here on out, so be sure to look out for them ;) any guesses as to who the murderer is? we're also going to meet another villain soon, and this story is going to have even more action and romance whoop!

plus colton will be returning very soon ;)

thank you so much for reading!! let me know what you thought - I love all of your comments! <33

lotte xx