CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - FETISH

Trust me, I didn't survive my Heat without a scare.

It was the next day and I was moaning on the bed, accompanied by Weylyn. He distracted me with conversations and food from the kitchen. I was doing well with controlling my urges; I was winning against my wolf. However, it wasn't me who was struggling the most - it was Julius.

Out of nowhere, the bedroom door was kicked down.

Julius Monclaw stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes wild and feral. His scent overwhelmed the bedroom and now aware of his presence, my wolf overtook me. I leaped from the bed, dodging the hands of Weylyn, and straight into the arms of Julius. My legs wrapped around his waist and my fingers curled into his soft, blond hair.

He planted his hands on my ass, before crashing his lips against mine.

My wolf howled in victory, in relief, in pleasure. His touch was causing my skin to tingle, like sparks igniting all throughout my body. It also created this heat within my core, this need to rip off his clothes. His lips moved with mine, fast and hungry, as if we couldn't get enough of each other.

When he broke the kiss, my wolf whimpered.

He looked at me, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. "You're so beautiful." He grabbed the back of my head, bringing my lips back to his. This kiss was more passionate, more romantic. When he pulled away again to breathe, he uttered a single word, "Luna."

My whole body went rigid.

He leaned forward to give me another kiss, but I leaned back with a frown. That passion for him, that craving for him, was suddenly replaced with rage. My wolf was not happy. My emotions quickly became dark and upsetting when only seconds ago, I was happy and relieved.

"I'm not her," I stated, pushing at his chest. His blue eyes widened slightly when he realized what name he had said. I struggled in his arms until he finally released me, allowing me to stand back on my own two feet. An ugly scowl came onto my face as my hands curled into fists at my sides.

I was suddenly so angry.

"It was an honest mistake," Julius said, holding up his hands. "My wolf notices the resemblances - "

A loud growl came from my lips.

"You've offended her wolf," Weylyn spoke, carefully moving forward. He was calm, even in this situation. "You should leave the room. Let her cool down."

"What are you even doing here?" Julius asked, rudely. "I told you to get the hell off my territory! You are not welcomed back - what part of our conversation did you not understand?" My focus was on Julius, as my wolf was in control for the most part. "You're lucky that I'm even letting you live."

Weylyn blinked once. "I'm not your biggest concern right now." His brown eyes flickered to me and he nodded in my direction. "Her wolf is taking control."

Julius looked at me. "Chloe, you need to - "

I snarled at him.

"Leave the room," Weylyn said, his expression unreadable. He squared his shoulders and clasped his hands together below his belt. He was absolutely, terrifyingly calm. I wondered if he was afraid of anything. So far, he seemed invincible, untouchable, to me. "I will stay here and look after her."

"Like hell you will," Julius seethed, angry. "I don't want you near her!"

He frowned. "I will keep her safe."

"Like you kept Luna safe?!" Julius shouted, stomping towards him. There was fury in his blue eyes; this was the first time that I was seeing him lose his temper. When he reached Weylyn, he lifted his fist to swing at him, but surprisingly, my wolf stepped in. I snatched Julius's wrist with a snarl, moving between them.

My claws were extracted, slowly sinking into his skin in warning. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I released a low growl, then shoved him away. Julius stumbled backwards, looking back and forth between us. I was daring him with my eyes to make a move. My wolf was very brave and angry.

"We will talk later," Julius declared, jabbing a finger at Weylyn. His blue eyes shifted to me, slightly softening, before he said, "Let me know when she calms down."

As soon as Julius was gone, my wolf backed off.

I dragged myself back to the bed, plopping down on the edge. My eyes were watering as I placed my fingers against my temples. An uncontrollable sniffle came from me and Weylyn pinched his lips together. I was startled when he approached me, then sat down next to me, not saying a word.

Wiping underneath my eyes, I said, "Sorry, you don't have to see me cry."

He was silent for a minute.

"I don't think you're supposed to have it easy," Weylyn said, staring across the room. I was confused by his words. I looked at him, blinking away the tears. He turned his head, his brown eyes locking with mine. The shadows made his features seem sharper. "Don't let these tough times make you a villain."

"A villain," I repeated, thoughtfully. "Do you really think that I could become a villain?"

His dark eyes were swarming with emotion. "You're in a powerful position. You have two Alphas who would go to great lengths to keep you safe." I nibbled on my upper lip, nodding. "You also have the pain and suffering to drive you. So, yes, I do think you could become a villain because villains usually start off as victims."

I couldn't believe how true his words were. "I'm a victim."

"You are," Weylyn said, watching me. "All because you resemble a woman who was loved by many."

"Did you love her?"

He raised his chin. "I thought she was a nice person." I frowned at his short answer. I was expecting more and when he saw my expression, he thankfully continued, "I cared for her in the way a friend does. She was a good listener."

I hesitated. "Am I anything like her?"

"No," he answered, flatly. "You're a completely different person." His brown eyes lingered on me as his shoulder accidentally bumped against mine. "If only others would see you the way that I do - that you're your own person. You are Chloe."

"Yeah," I murmured, taking a deep breath.

I could feel my wolf returning to her Heat, craving the man who had pissed us off only minutes earlier. An idea came to me and I rose from the bed, walking towards the door that connected to a bathroom. I flicked on the lights, then began rummaging through the drawers beneath the sink.

Weylyn slowly approached me. "What are you doing?"

My eyes landed on a pair of scissors and I grabbed them, slamming the drawer shut. Weylyn was instantly at my side, gently catching my wrist. "Sweetheart, put those down."

"I'm not going to hurt myself," I assured him, softly. His jaw clenched, right before he released my wrist. I shifted my attention to my reflection in the mirror. I looked horrific - from my greasy hair to my dirty features, I didn't understand how anybody wanted me. I was a sweaty, depressed mess.

I pulled my long hair to the side, then snipped off three inches.

Weylyn just stood there in silence, watching.

Three inches wasn't enough. I chopped off another four inches, leaving my hair right above my breasts. A surge of frustration rushed through me. I wasn't her. I was Chloe Mars. I cut another three inches, so my hair was barely brushing my shoulders. This was good enough - this was enough of a change for me.

I skimmed my strands of hair on the floor and in the sink. I had long hair for most of my life.

"Do you feel better?" Weylyn asked, breaking the silence. I couldn't make eye-contact with him. If I did, I was going to have a breakdown. I just knew it.

My bottom lip trembled. "Not really."

He didn't respond.

-

My Heat was over the next day.

"You cut your hair," Julius said, eyeing my hair with curious eyes. I was seated in the living room, curled up into a ball on the couch, and he stood in front of me. My hair was the same length as his now. He clasped his hands behind his back, popping out his chest in an intimidating motion. "Why?"

"I wanted to," I stated, simply.

His lips twisted. "Okay." He was waiting for me to respond, or to say anything really, but I remained silent. I didn't want to talk. I was angry at the world. "Look, I just want to say that I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. My wolf misses her. I miss her. Your similarities to her make it difficult for us to think before we speak."

I scowled. "It's difficult for you?" He stepped backwards as I rose to my feet, shaking my head. "I'm the one who looks like her! How do you think I feel?"

"I know," Julius muttered, exhaling loudly. "I'm just trying to apologize."

I folded my arms across my chest. At least he was apologizing, but it didn't really make the situation any better. I began pacing back and forth, nibbling on my bottom lip, to hold back the fiery words that I wanted to say. He watched me for a long moment, carefully pondering his next words.

"You stopped me," he said, his tone deep. "When I was about to swing at Weylyn, you stopped me."

I didn't look at him. "Yeah, I did."

"Have you taken a liking to him?"

"He's been kind to me," I responded, finally looking at him. "And, that's why I'm going to ask you to not send him away. I want him here."

Julius frowned. "He failed Luna."

"All of you failed her," I blurted, tossing my hands into the hair. "All of you fought to protect her and she still died! You all failed her - and you can't bring yourself to admit that, so you've been putting all of the blame on him!" I jabbed a finger at him, bitterly adding, "You can't do that."

A long moment of silence filled the room.

"He can stay," he spoke, quietly. "Only because I need the numbers right now. I have no idea what Roarke is planning. . ."

This caught my attention. "What do you mean?"

"His pack is lingering on the outskirts of my territory," Julius told me, watching my reaction. "I will have to challenge him soon."

"If you challenge him, one of you will die."

"Yes," he said, nodding once. "But, it needs to happen. He knows it, too." I wasn't liking what I was hearing. I didn't want more blood to be spilled because of me. He took a step towards me, his demeanor gentle. "He won't touch you ever again. I will finish him."

"Unless he kills you," I countered, cocking an eyebrow. "Then, he will take me back with him, am I right?"

His nostrils flared. "I won't lose."

"But, what if you do?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. "Do you know what will happen to me? Let me tell you - I will fall into deep grief for months and I will be taken by Roarke." I dragged a hand through my hair, blowing out a breath. "You should just let me go. Don't fight over me - "

"That's not happening," he interrupted, quickly. "You are safest here with me. You are worth fighting for."

I was so tired of this. "I'm really not."

"Yes, you are," Julius argued, moving towards me. "Not only do we have a bond, but I believe you are a good person, Chloe. I want to know you better. I want to see where this goes." My lips formed a straight line. "I will fight for you. Always."

"I don't want there to be any fighting," I told him, frustrated. "I want the killing to stop. All of this violence is ridiculous."

A peculiar expression crossed his face. "Wait, are you afraid that I might defeat Roarke? Are you concerned for that bastard?"

"Now you're just putting words in my mouth," I said, huffing. "I just don't like violence, okay?"

"You forget that we have a bond and I can tell what you're feeling," Julius said, a hint of anger in his eyes. "I think that you care about him. You spent weeks with that bastard. That's a lot of time." I didn't look at him, just stared at the wall. "Tell me, do you have feelings for Roarke Farkas?"

I gritted my teeth together.

Julius growled. "Don't ignore me."

"I'm not sure," I answered, rather harshly. "I just know that I don't want to see him die - and I don't want you to die. I don't want anybody to die." I watched as his jaw tightened and his shoulders stiffened. "I'm done talking about this."

"Yeah, me too," Julius grumbled, shaking his head. "I've heard what I needed to hear." I sputtered for words as he stomped out of the living room, waves of anger rolling off of him. I released a groan of irritation, walking over to the couch and plopping down on the cushions.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

As I was trying to pull myself together, Roarke was arriving on the outskirts of the Monclaw territory, waiting for his opportunity to come get me.