© 2016 SilverStream22. All Rights Reserved.

~

  Blue jeans, white shirt
Walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn
It was like James Dean, for sure
You so fresh to death and sick as ca-cancer  

~

"Wait, why are you here? Aren't there more important things for a goddess to do besides attending a mortal's birthday party?" I whispered fiercely.

She laughed- the same sound of a sprinkling stream over pebbles- before stepping back. "I came to give you a gift. I created you to tame the twins; you are the only mate that I've ever reincarnated. However, this will be your last reincarnation." she held a closed fist over my open palms that I didn't even realized had stretched out to receive her gift.

A cold, biting metal fell into my hands. I glanced down to see a long and thin necklace with a glass box that looked like it was shaped as a coffin. What intrigued me was the swishing silver inside, constantly changing forms from solid to liquid.

Jazz and Draver grabbed either ends of the necklace, fastening it around my neck. The cold pendant laid between my breasts.

"That is Moonlight- a precious metal that can be harvested by only me. Use it in moments of need- there is only one dose. I've altered the properties to your future needs; it can be a poison, or a cure, depending on what you truly want it to be." The Moon Goddess smiled, flicking her curtain of long dark hair back. "Happy birthday Faye McAllistair. Enjoy this year to the fullest, for you'll never be 21 again."

With that, she turned abruptly, her white dress spinning along with her until she vanished.

I whistled, "Well, thanks for the great gift...I guess."

Jazz released a deep breath before muttering: "That was unnerving."

Draver stepped in front of me, cupping my cheeks to tilt my head up. He looked as if he was examining me. "Are you alright? Do you feel sick?"

I jerked my face from his hands. "I'm fine. What did she mean by reincarnation?"

Draver's brows furrowed and he shoved his hands into his pockets, straightening his shoulders. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about, it's our problem."

Hearing those words from him created a hairline fracture in my chest.

"Ah? Is that so?" I could already the hurt spreading through the cracks of my composure. "So now I'm a problem?"

Jazz's eyes hardened and he spun me around to face him. His silver eyes glinted like deadly gun metal. "Do not twist his words around to fit your needs."

And there it was. The thing that they always did: choose each other over me, whether they were right or wrong. It made me wonder about whether or not they cared about me as equally as they did about each other. Every time they felt attacked by me they would band together and go back to their mindset of them two versus the world.

I ripped my wrist from Jazz's hold. "Then don't crash my party unannounced." I shoved my way past Draver and around the curtains, heading back to Beau and Leila.

An arm hooked around mine just as I was in the middle of the dance floor. I scowled and spun around, fully prepared to give those twins a piece of my mind. Instead it was Molly.

"Where were you? Did you have some cake? It's absolutely fantastic, sweet pea."

I sagged my shoulders and followed her to the towering cake. She sliced me a hefty piece and I properly stuffed my mouth with it while I explained what happened, excluding the Moon Goddess. My mind was still reeling about what she said- me being reincarnated?

"I swear- they're so hot and cold!" I stabbed my fork into the cake, poking through the plastic plate. "Jazz thinks he can step all over me and I'll listen to him like a good little girl. Draver treats me like a sister when he's not groping me. I don't understand them! They want me to be with them, but they're so- so- ugh, it's like they have their own inside joke going on and they never let me in on it. They both want me to be their lover, but how am I supposed to do that when they seem to care about each other more than me?" I swallowed down another piece of vanilla and buttercream frosting cake as Molly patted my back in her soothing manner. "The worst part is that I can't be legitimately mad at them. They're twins, siblings. Of course they'd be closer to each other than they are to me. I guess I was just expecting more. It's my fault for having such high expectations as the years we were apart grew."

Molly gave me a sad smile, stroking my arm in a comforting manner. "I know you're frustrated, cupcake, but just have patience with them. I've heard that they had a very difficult past that led them to be so close..." she trailed off as her eyes flickered over my shoulder.

I felt Beau's chin on my shoulder before he spoke. "Ahhhh~"

I stabbed the last cake piece and held up to his mouth. He bit down, pulling the fork from my grasp too. I turned around to see him grinning around the fork. "What's gotten you so down? Upset you haven't had a dance with me yet?"

I scoffed. "You wish. I'm actually going to take Leila back to the dorms. I'm sure she's intoxicated by now." I glared at Molly over my shoulder. "Don't think I didn't notice the spiked punch."

Beau snatched up my plate and threw it in the trash bins at the end of the long table that held the food. "Michael already took Leila home."

I blinked. "Wait- what? Leila is Molly and I's ride!"

My best friend smirked, ruffling my black hair. "That's why you have me, silly. I'll drop you to NYU. Molly and I are staying at the same hotel- don't worry, not the same room, haha."

~

Even though I had already made it to my dorm, I didn't feel like entering. Mostly because I had a feeling that Michael and Leila were probably getting in on in there. It was either our dorm or Michael's. I wasn't risking it either way. I pulled the sleeves of Beau's jacket lower on my wrists and found a bench just as I was zipping up the jacket. I could feel the cold air seeping into my bones, making me jittery. I glanced up at the clear sky, several stars scattered above me. It felt relaxing, and for a second I almost thought I was looking at the fabric of my dress.

The dress... I groaned and pinched my thigh as punishment. How could I snap at them? Just as they'd return, soon enough they would leave- all because I couldn't keep my composure around those two.

My nose was about to fall off and when a flood of warmth ran through my legs. My head snapped downward and my breath caught. It was Draver crouching in front of me with my feet on his thighs. His hands were glowing a soft amber, not nearly as intense as the heat that burned his hand print into my coffee table. Draver shuffled the dress so that my legs were exposed by the slit up the side. His was massaging the heat along my legs and thighs.

"Draver, you don't have to." I pulled my legs away, standing up.

He smiles sadly. "I'm sorry. About everything. He and I are just worried about you. We'll explain everything in due time, but for now- please just let us spoil you."

I stiffened. "Jazz is here too?"

Draver responded hesitantly. "Yes, and he's sorry that he-"

I hooked my fingers on my disregarded heels, "Jazz can apologize for himself. He has a mouth, he can use it."

His raspy voice came from nowhere: "Gladly."

Jazz slanted his lips over mine, his hand cupping the back of my neck so I wouldn't move. My heart slammed in my chest as his tongue scorched me. His palm splayed across the small of my back, pressing me into him. He pulled away just before I fell into a daze.

"I apologize for my unacceptable behavior at your birthday party, Faye." the way he spoke my name, like it was the sweetest nectar given to the gods, sent chills down my spine.

I backed away slowly. "Okay, I'll forgive you if you give me my birthday gifts."

Draver frowned. "You're not getting any gifts from me. It's not fair; he gets to kiss you first. We did rock paper scissors on this years ago and I won but instead he blows it all off because he can't say sorry without making a big deal about it."

"Okay-okay, what can I do to even it out?"

A Chesire grin that reminding me of shark teeth appearing before its prey flickered on his face. "Kiss?"

I climbed onto the bench since I wasn't tall enough to execute a kiss without having Draver lean forward, which I knew he was going to embarrass me for if it ever happened. I gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek before biting his ear.

He laughed out loud, sweeping my legs out from underneath me as I fell into his arms. "Ha! Bites are higher ranked the kisses."

The corner of Jazz's mouth tipped up in a brief smirk. "I used tongue." He then vanished.

Draver growled, "Don't fall for that Lycan, Faye. He's rude and cold as a marble statue. I swear, the only sign of humanity he shows is when he's around you and I. Other than that, he's a robot with comebacks. Oh, and hold on tight. I'm going to be running. Of course, you won't feel like running, it'll just be a breeze. I know Katya gets queasy when Stark carries her and runs. Maybe you won't."

He flashed forward until the city lights of New York blurred in a messy canvas that resembled a Jackson Pollock painting.

I gasped for air when we stopped, my hair flying forward.

"Fun, right?" Draver set me down as I pushed my hair back.

"In what reality would anyone consider that as fun?" I wheezed, setting my palms on my thighs as I hunched over for breath.

Draver shook his head. "Just like Katya."

"Who is she again?" Jazz pulled me up as soon as I asked the question.

"She's the one with the child; Stark's mate." Jazz replied, his voice back to monotone. "Close your eyes. I'll be disappointed if you don't listen to me."

I automatically slammed my eyes shut as they both guiding me up a pair of stairs and into the elevator. I could tell because the floor beneath me changed from cement sidewalks to tile elevator floors along with the familiar ding.

"What exactly is this?"

We got out of the elevators and onto a carpet; we proceeded to take a right before stopping.

"Open." Jazz murmured just as the sound of a door swinging open greeted my ears.

"Oh no. You didn't."

Draver sighed contently. "We did."

They got me a condo. It was absolutely beautiful, completely to my taste. It was decorated as well, bamboo partitions and lantern lights were strung around the living room, giving it a soft glow. Leather sofa sets were set in the middle of the spacious living room that had a floor to ceiling view of New York. I was even more surprised to see the same coffee table I had back in Leila and I's dorm with Draver's sunken in hand print. There was industrial lighting speckled around the condo. The kitchen had me singing choir hymns internally. White marble counters and oak shelves and cupboards. It fit with the modern rustic theme. But then I realized what this meant-

"Is this your not-so-subtle way of asking me to move in?" I murmured, looking back at them as they stood leaning against the door frame of the entrance.

Jazz tucked his hands in the pocket of his white suit. "Actually, we're not really asking. You're 21 now, Faye. And that means by werewolf law, you belong to us."

I wrinkled my nose as my feminist side came out. "Belong to you? I'm not property."

Draver jumped to rectify the situation before it turned into a heated debate. "What he means is, we don't have to keep our distance anymore. We can be with you. And we really want to- we need to. Spending so many years apart from your mate is painful, especially for Lycans. It's rare that our people find our mate in the first place, and to have you be here is a blessing within itself. So please, don't make us wait any longer."

His hands rested comfortably at my sides, drawing me near to him. He swayed me softly, coaxing me to accept the offer of moving in.

I was going to say no- not that his story wasn't convincing, but I just had a few more days until college was over. Then I would move in with them. But the look Jazz and Draver gave me (like a kicked puppy) had me utter words of acceptance.

For once, I saw a smile flicker across Jazz's face first. The moment I saw it, I knew I'd be addicted and constantly yearn to see it again. It was a peaceful smile, full of hope. Like the first sprout of spring among the harsh winter snow.

"We'd give you a tour, but considering how eventful this night has been, perhaps the bed is a good option." Jazz muttered, noticing how I swayed unstably. "I believe the spiked punch is getting to her."

"I have a feeling that the cake had alcohol mixed in the batter as well." Draver chuckled, shadowing me as I made up my own dance with him.

"Cake?" I perked up.

Draver paused, blinking before looking at his brother. "I think we actually have cake in the fridge."

Draver had me stand on his shoes as we penguin walked to the kitchen. Jazz lifted me up on the counter top while Draver pulled out a bundt cake with a vanilla frosting.

They both stood next to me, cutting a slice of cake for all of us.  I noticed Draver pop his thumb in his mouth to get off the excess frosting as he sliced and realized that I wanted to do the same. So I dragged my finger across the edge and suckled on the sweet, creamy frosting that had a tinge of lemon.

"Wow." I stated, going in for seconds. "That's really good."

They both were eerily quiet as they watched me take another swipe at the cake frosting.

Slowly, Jazz copied my action, twirling his finger in the frosting. But this time, he held it in front of my parted lips. I complied, holding his wrist with both hands as I worked to get the frosting off the appendage. His bright silver eyes were now gleaming with a storm. 

"I think," Draver whispered huskily as his arms hooked around me to lift me up, "that it's time for bed."

"I agree." Jazz seconded. 

I frowned, glancing back towards the cake. "But I want more?"

Twisting out from Draver's arms, I stuffed my face with the cake. The lemony flavors burst in my mouth. Damn, I loved bundt cake. 

Hearing them close in on me, I turned around quickly with big eyes, like a kid who got caught in the cookie jar. My hands were speckled with frosting and cake bits, as well as my cheeks.

"Oh love," Draver growled, taking my hand in his. "The things you do to us."

I tilted my head to the side, confused as to what he meant. My eyes grew wide when he licked a clean line across the palm of my hands, removing the frosting.

"We'll have to clean you up, Faye." Jazz's tongue stripped across my cheek, removing the vanilla frosting.

"Wait, guys, stop-" I mumbled, pushing them away. 

"What's wrong?" Draver asked, looking hurt that I'd pushed him away.

It was the same with Jazz, but he looked a lot more angry than hurt. "What did I tell you about pushing us away-"

I hurled right there in the kitchen counter.

Worst birthday ever.