Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 24 - Hyper-Awareness "He must have felt a disturbance just beyond the boundless world his eyes perceived. Maybe like dogs we know when we are being hunted."-Garth Risk Hallberg Kiya I need to get Odessa out of her mind. She's drivingcrazy! A lone thought of her sends my fury into a whirlwind of crimson. It's fast, unmistakable, and demands destruction. I can't have this. This is settingup for a dangerous dance and I need to stomp it out.

Breathe in, breathe out. The all-too-common mantra.

Bury the anger and conceal its leftovers behind a mask. Don't show or tell. My fingers tremble as I stuff it back to where it should be; aching to wrap themselves around Odessa's throat as she's done tomany times. before. And squeeze as her brown eyes turn a dull grey upon death.

No. Calm down, Kiya. You're okay. You're fine. I cannot let her words dictate my actions, no matter how much I want to punch those pretty teeth clean out of her mouth. I inhale slowly and exhale in kind, feeling the simmering heat die down to chill. As for Darien, I understand why he's saddened at the newest discoveries of Odessa's treachery. It's his mate-someone who's meant for him is betraying him in the most intimate of ways.

He doesn't deserve this. Figuring out how to save him will be one of my top priorities.

With a steady hand over my heart, I gait down the stairs to meet Neron at the front door. He invitedto go to the mall and since I had nothing better to do; I agreed. No training equalstime. And taway from this house. Too much has happened in the past weeks and I need fresh air.

"Hey!" He grins as soon as I'm spotted. Noticing he's dressed in casual jeans and a buttoned-up blue shirt, he looks like a normal commoner. No one would guess that he's an alpha werewolf. "Are you ready to go?" "Yeah. Ready as I'll ever be." I nod. Before I walked out, his hand gently grabbed my wrist. Looking back, Neron's face held concern.

"Are you okay?" He asks. "You seem...off." Damn him and his perception. Putting forth my best smile, I nod again. “I'm fine. I just found out a few things. I'll tell you in the car." I'm not in a hurry to leave, but to stop this potential line of questioning. The last thing I need is for my anger to brew again. Semi-satisfied with my answer, Neron released my arm and we exit the house in silence.

"So," I spoke. The breeze picked up, so I tied my hair in a ponytail. "Why did you inviteto the mall?" "There are sthings I wanted to take care of and..." Neron suddenly looks sky, brushing the back of his hair nervously as mellow pink painted his cheeks. "I wanted to spend more twith you, away from the craziness, for sure. I know it's selfish ofbut-" I chuckle. "It's fine. At least you toldthe truth, but I had my suspicions." "I can't get anything past you, huh?" 1/5 "You can, but you must try harder." "Auntie!!" Without warning, one-hundred pounds of little boy barreled intoin a fit of laughter. It's a good thing I have good reflexes or else Adonis and I would mimic a chopped-down tree! My nephew's arms are around my neck and his tiny legs around my waist. Laughing, I hug the child and adjusted him slightly for support. "Where are you going with Uncle Neron?" "Hello to you too, little prince." Adonis batted my hand away when I playfully ruffle his hair. Raina and unfortunately, her parents walked toward us. "Your uncle and I are going to the mall." "Are you going to geta present?" "Present?" I questioned. Raina shuffles over tonervously, twiddling her thumbs.

"Adonis" birthday is this Saturday and we're throwing him a party." She gazes at her son warmly with all the love a mother can hold. "He's been asking everyone if they're getting him presents. I warned Val about spoiling him too much for this exact reason!" Adonis is turning six! How exciting! I shined a big smile at the innocent boy wrapped aroundlike I'm his birthday gift, his green eyes shining with pure light and innocence. Gazing into those big emeralds caused tears to form in my eyes because...that's the light I want to protect. The light I wish I still had. The light too bright for this dark world.

My nephew remindsso much of how I was as a child and it hurts.

"Are you coming to my party?" Adonis squeezestighter. "Please, Auntie Kiya! Please come! It'll be fun and there will be cake!" "It'd be great If you were to come, Kiya," Steven spoke, earning a scowl from me. "It'd be the first the'd celebrate his birthday with you." "And he likes you a lot, see?" Ashley added. Another scowl. "Will you come?" "I assyou both will be there?" They nodded. Disgusting. Being in the sroom with my sperm and egg donors is repulsive, but I didn't give a shit about them. I cared about the little boy regardingwith a loving look. Sighing heavily, I grinned at Adonis. "You hadat the cake. I'll be there, Donny." "Yay! I can't wait!" As soon as he unlatched himself off me, the young pup ran inside the pack house in a flurry of excitement. My heart thuds in happiness for him but quickly stilled when looking back at the three people in front of me. Raina, smiling small, closed the distance between us.

"I'm thrilled you'll be coming, little sis." Her voice is full of hope and happiness. "It'll be great! This party will be a memorable one, I'm sure." "Right." My reply lost its luster but only because I'm standing around her parents for longer than I need to. "I'll see if I can get him something at the mall." "Coming together for the joy of a little boy is a wonderful occasion, isn't it, Honeybee?" That infuriating nickname! Ashley pressed her hands together like she's praying. I don't know why she's happy about this. "It'll also give us a chance to talk...maybe?" "I'm going to the party for Adonis. No one else I snarl. The three of their faces deflated to sorrow, but I couldn't care less. Turning on my heels, I strode away and hopped Into Neron's mustang without looking back.

Chapter 24 Мурат Ажмента A few minutes later, Neron hopped into the driver's seat.

"You should try talking to them. It wouldn't hurt..." He suggested in a small, fearful whisper as the car roared. to life and rolled out of the territory. I give him a look of disgust. Neron slightly winced.

They aren't my parents and there's nothing to talk about.” I crossed my arms as the trees whizzed by us a blur. "I won't waste my breath on people like them." Right...it's your choice." He whispers again, almost ashamed for bringing the subject up. There's no place in my heart for Steven or Ashley. No love or forgiveness. What they've done tois beyond redemption, and I've made peace with cutting those cords long ago. I feel nothing toward them, and It'll remain that way.

Their presence remindedall over again why I need to tread with caution. To be careful who I put my into. Those two will earn my trust when hell freezes over.

faith Wanting to change the subject because the silence is annoying, I filled Neron in about what's happening with Darien and all he told me, including Odessa's influence over him. He listened intensively, his finger rhythmically tapping on the steering wheel. With the sun glittering on the road, we made our way through human lands. "Thank you for telling me." He responds with gratitude. "I'll keep this in mind. One of my guards is both monitoring and is reporting her actions to me. Over the past few days, she's been chatting with random pack members and keeping them company. I don't believe it's from the kindness of her heart." "A guard?" I asked curiously. "Who is it?" "Tristan. He's one of my best who gives110% every time." My voice hitched in my throat, and ice immobilized my spine. Fear engulfedand I felt incredibly uncomfortable. I try my best to smile and nod, but I'm internally falling into chaos. Why does that nhave a profound effect on me? I never met Tristan, but his nsends my heart racing. I rolled down my window in hopes the wind will help calmdown.

I don't like this feeling.

Once we entered the overcrowded mall, it beca flurry of activity. There were so many things to do, but in so little time. And this moment granteda chance to see Neron when he runs errands-or what I think are errands.

First, hair business. He cares a lot about his hair, so he draggedto what he insists is the best hair salon for werewolves and humans. Hair salons are typically a woman thing, but it's nice to see him break that gender barrier given he's the most masculine-looking person I've met. I sat in the guest chairs as I watched another werewolf from a neighboring pack give him a needed trim.

But the sight of a six-feet-five, two-hundred-something-pound skyscraper in a salon chair with a cape and a lopsided grin is photo-worthy. Holding in my laughter as I secretly snapped a picture of him was so hard, but damn, I'm enjoying this. He's like a child! I'll never have the confidence to let anyone else besides Jackie, Abigail, and Violet touch my hair.

But, hey, I have the ammo to tease him later! Chapter Hyper Awareness Secondly, we scoured the Toy Zone for Adonis' birthday presents. What would a six-year-old boy want? They hate clothes and love staying up all night, but I can't exactly gift wrap insomnia. A plethora of toys of all shapes, sizes, and colors made it impossible to choose from. Even Neron is having a tough time, and he knows Adonis better than I do.

"What about this?" He gestures to the Avengers toy set. It had all the major characters from the superhero And my heart knows Donny would love this! "It's perfect!" I exclaimed, pulling out my debit card. In seconds, Neron and I fought over who'll pay because he didn't wantto spend my money, but I insisted since it's my gift to my nephew. After our mini verbal battle, the Alpha gave up and brought a Spiderman toy set. We got our bags and left the store.

Then, we hopped to Party City, Nordstrom, and Lush before we decide to take a break. Our arms are full of shopping bags and my m stomach was growling for sustenance. As much as I enjoyed spending this twith Neron, I felt eyes onthe entire tthat isn't his. Like I'm being watched from afar. I looked over my shoulder every five minutes to see if anyone was ogling me, but there's no one from the bustling crowds stood out.

It worried me. Being hyper-aware is a curse, sometimes.

But since Alphas are naturally perceptive, my actions didn't escape Neron's eyes. "Are you okay?" He asksas we head toward the food court. "Is something bothering you?" "I-I'm fine." I nod vigorously. "I just thought I felt someone watching me, but maybe it's all the stress getting to me." "Maybe sfood will do you good." Oh, he has no idea.

chicken Because by the twe sat in our seats, I've already ordered food from four different restaurants and began devouring them in front of him. Fries, pizza, chicken sandwiches-all the good stuff. And don't forget water for the balance! While he simply has a burger combo, Neron watchedwith his mouth agape as I ate more calories than he did in his entire lifetime. "I-I..." He stammers. "Can I say something, Kiya? And please don't take it the wrong way." I quirk an eyebrow as 1 stabbed my cheese fries with my fork. "Do I reserve the right to kick your ass if I do?" "Yes. It's not like you haven't done it before." He smirks.

I smile at the thought. "Alright. Speak." "You cat like a fucking horse." "Correction: I eat like three fucking horses. Get it right." Neron blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Then he laughs as he gently shook his drink. The sloshing of ice is heard. "My mistake. I knew you're a big eater from the rumors, but I never have seen you in action like this, especially at dinner." "I'm sure you eat more than me." I gesture to his bulging muscles. "There ain't no way you get that big by eating only three meals a day." Chapter 24 - Bipper AwareneLK.

"What can I say? I eat a lot of protein." My eyes involuntarily rolled when he started flexing his arms.

"Nope. You just got an advantage because you're an Alpha." I scoffed playfully. "Plus, muscles are hereditary." "You also have an advantage because you're a Beta." "Nope." I shake my head. "Well...that's partially true, but I think my body is compensating for years of missed nutrition. And I have a ridiculously fast metabolism."

There's that feeling again. Of heavyeyes piercing at my back, eyeing my every move like a hawk. I turned. around again to see if any human or werewolf is paying special attention to me, but once again, I see no one of interest. I shouldn't be this worried, but, with Osiris out there and the Odessa disaster waiting at the house, I couldn't catch a break. I want to believe this feeling is a fluke; an urgent reminder that I need to rest.

X But I can't.

Because I know this isn't normal.