6 comments/ 15221 views/ 21 favorites Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 01 By: EJ101 Moving out of my parents' house is a big step for me, especially since for my whole life my family are always there when I wake up in the morning and they're the last people I hear at night. But now, moving to a new condo has a bit of freedom; especially if I'm sharing a condo with my best friends. "This is really simple, sweetie," Hannah tells Matt, our roommate and her boyfriend, as she walks through the door with him, him carrying two boxes. "The Xbox will be in Victor's bedroom." Matt puts the boxes down and wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "What if he has a girl over, babe?" "Too bad, play the next day," she sighed, tossing her sunshine blond hair off her shoulder. "I don't want to wait for you to come onto the bed to have sex with me when you're going to scream at the TV screen." Matt takes a step closer to her and places his hands on her hips, "Baby, I'll never leave you waiting to play." He grins. Matt is a whole head and neck taller than Hannah. His hair glistens with sweat, making his hair black instead of dark brown. His white shirt clung to his chest because of the sweat but I know he's athletic, I grew up with him and his brother anyway. Hannah giggles and lightly kisses his lips. For one second she's happy as a puppy, but her face changed, glaring at Matt, "But the Xbox is still in Victor's room." He groans. "Okay, babe. The Xbox will be in Victor's room. Or should it be in the Z's room?" I shook my head, "Hell no, it will not be in my room." I walked up to him and lightly shoved him. "You boys will be up and screaming while I'm sleeping." Matt chuckles, "I'm just kidding." "Better be," I rolled my eyes. Hannah looks around the condo. "Where in hell is Victor? I told him to get the last two boxes!" I walked towards the window and peered down to see Victor talking to a pretty redhead. Unlike his older brother, Victor is shirtless and spends most of his time working out. Vic leans in towards the redhead and she meets halfway to kiss him...on the lips. "Typical," Matt mutters behind me. "I'll go down and get the boxes, after I give him a piece of my mind on being modest to our new neighbors." When Matt leaves with a click of the door, Hannah appears next to me. "You know it'll hurt you more if you keep looking," Hannah sighs, rubbing my back. "I'm over it," I said, my voice convincing myself. "Honey, you are not over it." I shook my head and turned around to lean against the ledge of the window. "It was a childhood crush. I was only five." "Yeah and after sixteen years of being best friends, you confessed to him a few months ago on his birthday your real feelings," Hannah points out. "He brushed it off and said that you guys are off being friends only. Now, he got this wild idea of all of us living together." She lightly bumps her shoulder with mine. "I let you keep the bigger room. Plus, it's farther from Victor's room." I give her a small smile. "Thanks Han, for everything." "Hey, you're like a sister to me," she smiles. "I'll even go against Matt." I giggled as I pictured her yelling at him and Matt would just do anything to please her. The sound of the door opening made both of us look up, first came in Victor with one box and Matt right behind him with the other. "I swear, you suck dick, Matt," Vic said. "No, because I get sucked," Matt said. "I want the neighbors to like us, not scolding us on our doorstep to give their daughter or granddaughter back." Victor smiles widely, "You think they'll do that? It's kind of sexy to think that I bring home their precious little angel." Hannah snorts, "Yeah it goes so well to have an angel with the devil." "Ooohh," Victor puts his hands in the air. "Hannah, I knew you wanted the better Cain but you know, I felt really bad for Matt, so I had to reject you." Hannah started walking to her and Matt's room, muttering 'asshole' to Vic. Matt gave him a look before going after his girlfriend. That leaves Victor and me in the living room. Shyly, I stood up and started to look for my boxes. When I found one, I lifted it and turned towards my room. Once I turned around, the box I was carrying immediately came into contact with Vic's naked, sweaty chest. Well, my hands made the contact. "Really, Victor?" I sighed. "Next time make noise when you're next to me." The corner of his mouth lifted, "Sorry. Need help?" I shrug. "Sure, I'm just putting the boxes in my room." "Just bring that box and start fixing the room, I'll bring the rest of your boxes inside," he said, not moving. "Thanks," I faked a smile. I've been doing that for a while now, when it comes to being around him. It's hard to get over a heartbreak, especially if they're your best friend. Vic didn't move, so I had to step around him. Entering my room, it was as big as the living room. All the furniture was placed except the bed that needs assembling. Moving into the room, I placed the box back on the floor and took out the apartment keys out of my pocket to open the box. A low whistle came from Vic walking through the door. "No wonder Hannah and Matt had a whole fight on who gets this room. But they both decided you get the room since you paid for the condo first." He places the box next to mine, "Damn, I would chill here more since it's not their bedroom." He chuckles. "Can I, best friend?" I blinked slowly. He started calling me that since his birthday, the night I told him. "Yeah, sure," I shrugged. "Even the bathroom?" he asked, opening the bathroom door. "But it's okay if you don't want to, I just can't be in the bathroom with Matt and Hannah in there too." I sighed, I'm going to regret what I'm about to say. "We can share the bathroom. On one condition." He smiles, "Anything." "Knock, please," I said. He laughed. "Come on, we've been best friends since we were little. When you started to grow boobs, you showed it to Matt and me and asked if it was swollen." "Shut up!" I covered my ears. Victor started to laugh even harder. "Come on, it's cute. Especially on the part when you're becoming a werewolf, you know, down there where your pussy is." I glared at him and crossed my arms across my chest. "Victor, I want the rest of my boxes." "I hit a bad spot, didn't I?" Victor's smile disappeared. "Boxes, Victor," I said, turning my attention back to the opened box. When he came back in with a second box, he tried talking to me but I ignored him by connecting my earphones with my phone and started listening to music. It usually calms me down. After what seems about two hours, I was done with my bookshelf and my drawers, I took off my earphones. "Finally," Victor's voice startles me. I quickly turned around to find him lying on my now assembled bed in his basketball shorts. "I've been waiting here for about twenty or so minutes hoping you'd see what I did." "You put my bed together?" I slowly asked, stepping toward it. "You didn't have to do that." He shrugs. "You were mad, I got a little too far. So I'm saying sorry by putting your bed together." "Thanks, Victor," I said, looking down at him. "I made sure to put it against the wall," he said. "I know you're easily scared when you sleep on your side, thinking someone will be behind you." I smiled, for real this time. "Hey, you may never know when a killer is right there." "If he or she is, yell and I'll come running," he chuckles. I raise my eyebrow at him. "What if you can't hear the scream if your girl is in the middle of an orgasm?" "I'll come," Victor said, matter of fact. Looking at me in the eyes, "I'll always be there for you." He reaches out and gives my hand a little squeeze. My stomach started to flutter with butterflies. Why does he always do this to me? Damn, I want to kill him. "Hey, we got neighbors visiting!" Hannah's voice echoes. Victor immediately lets go of my hand, gets out of my bed and walks out. I sighed and followed after him. Matt and Hannah was already at the door, but by the posture of Matt, stiff and tensed, something was wrong. "Please, come in," Hannah said. I stand next to Victor and we both were shocked to see that two people came inside. One of them was the redhead that Victor kissed outside for the public to see and right behind her is a huge guy built to kill in an expensive suit. The man had to be near the age of thirty, his hair nicely gelled, his suit wrapped around his broad chest and his muscular arms. His face shows anger because his sharp jaw is tensed since he's pressing his top and bottom teeth together, and his bright blue eyes looks like he's waiting for a lighting to strike someone, which is most likely Victor. "Oh, crap," Victor whispered to me. "Please don't tell me that's the boyfriend." "Either way," the man spoke, hearing Victor. The voice is deep enough to send chills through me "You're in trouble." Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 02 Hey guys! Thanks for viewing the first chapter and I appreciate the comments. Thanks to my editor, aisielynn, for reviewing this chapter for me and supporting me whenever it comes to what I'm going to do next! Happy reading and don't be afraid to comment! :) ***** The man introduced himself as Hunter. Well, he does look like one. If you replace the suit with bear skins, hell yeah he's a hunter. I can imagine his tanned skin, glistening with sweat, muscles rippling with each movement his makes. I snap out of dreamland, starting to feel uncomfortable looking at him now. Hannah took the initiative to introduce everyone. Hunter nodded at everyone with acknowledgement. When it came to Victor, Hunter stared at him with an irritated expression. Victor, who I've known as the brave one, actually took a step back behind me. Finally, it was my name Hannah introduced and Hunter looked at me. I was immediately drawn to his blue eyes, they made me want to get on my knees and beg to be pleasured. I shook my head, what the fuck was I thinking? Hunter broke into a boyish smile. "Hi, Elizabeth." I blushed; he had just made himself really attractive. "Hi," I said, shyly. For a short time, Hunter and I were just staring at each other, smiling. "So," Matt said, awkwardly looking back and forth between Hunter and me. "I'm guessing you're here because my brother did something?" Hunter snapped out of the trance we both were in. "Yes," he said, serious. "I own this condominium and I don't want the residents here to lack respect towards my cousin. I just want Victor here, to know that." He looks directly at Victor. "If you wish to do something with my cousin, I'd rather you do it in her room or yours. Not in front of the building." Oh shit, why couldn't Victor kiss some other girl? Stupid son of a bitch. "It was just a kiss, right Melody?" Victor said, winking at Hunter's cousin. Melody blushed and nodded. When she looked up at Hunter and got a hard stare back, she immediately looked down. "Victor will follow your rules," Hannah said, nervously. "We're all deeply sorry about his...stupidity." Victor gave her a sharp look. "Okay," Hunter said. "Other than this issue, welcome to your new home. Rent is paid during the first week of the month. I prefer you giving it to me and not in my mailbox." First week of the month, that's in a week! "Yes, we'll have the money by that time," Matt said. Hunter nods. "If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to come directly to me. Well, have a good evening." He and Melody then walked out of the door. "In one week, are you kidding me?" I said. "Don't worry," Matt said. "I've got at least half of the rent. We just need the other half." I sighed and started to think. If we all get accepted to jobs right away, which I highly doubt, we still won't get money by next week to pay rent. I sighed again, "I'll ask my parents to help me out." "Taking one for the team, best friend," Victor pats me on the back before walking to the kitchen to grab food. Matt looks at me with sadness in his eyes. "You didn't have to do that." Sweet Matt, he's always been by my side no matter what happens. "It's fine," I nodded. "I just need a job right away so I don't have to ask." A week later, I got the half and gave it to Matt who made his way to Hunter's room during the evening. I still don't have a job, Victor is "looking", and Matt doesn't want Hannah to work. I lay on my bed, regretting the decision to move out of my parents' place until Matt came into my room with smiles. I laughed. "What put a smile on your face?" "I got you and Victor a job," Matt said as he on the edge of my bed. I sat up, excited. "What, really?! What kind of job is it?" "Well, you don't have the job unless you accept it. I'm only giving you this decision because I've already decided for Victor to be the one working the front desk," he said. "What is it?" I asked again, anxious to know what the job was. Matt sighs. "Okay, I know we just met Hunter. He noticed that I looked troubled when giving him the money. So I explained to him that half of the money was from my job and the other half was from your parents. He seemed like a cool guy, so I told him I was stressed out because you and Victor are trying to find work." I nod for him to continue. "So Hunter offered Victor a job 'cause he believes he's...sociable, so he said he needed someone for the front desk, I automatically told him Vic will do it because his searching is not working out." I laughed. "I think he barely looked at the newspaper." "He doesn't even read. I doubt he knows what the newspaper is." I laughed harder. "Okay, enough about Victor. What about me?" He chuckled. "Actually, his cousin Melody pointed out on the job. Hunter needs an assistant. As Melody said, he needs some organizing in his life." "I don't know anything about assisting, Matt," I said, looking down. "But you know about organizing," he said. "Look at your room." I looked around. My books are organized neatly, my dirty clothes are in the hamper in the closet out of sight, my desk has neatly stacked papers on the side, and not one thing looked out of place. "I guess," I said to Matt. "Great," he said, getting up. "All you need to do is to go to Hunter's place, tell him you accept the job and he'll take it from there." "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," I chanted following Matt out the door. "I have to go and talk to him?" "Talk to who?" Victor walks to us, eating an apple. "Oh, you have a job and you start in two days," Matt said. "Tomorrow you're going to Hunter's place so he could introduce you." "Shitty," Victor said, going to his room. "Yes," Matt turns to look at me. "You have to talk to him, so he knows you're serious about it. Go now." "Where does he live?" I ask nervously as Matt gently pushes me out the door. "The top floor, there's only one door," Matt said when I'm fully outside. "See you later," he closes the door. I sigh in frustration as I walk to the elevator. Once I reach the top floor, no kidding there was only one door. I reach up and knocked twice. It took a while until the door opened, revealing Melody. She smiles at me, "Hi Elizabeth." "Hi," I said, shyly. "Come in. Hunter!" she calls out as I stepped inside. The place was very masculine and modern. White walls with black furniture, the only dash of color is that flowers were placed in vases throughout the place. My guess it was Melody's idea. But no kidding about the organizing; there were papers piled messily on tables. One room, which I think is an office, is totally messy. I'm afraid of the bedroom. Wait, why would I think about the bedroom? Hunter came out just then, instead of dressing in a suit, he was dressed in a tight black t-shirt, jeans and socks. I stared at his broad torso, wondering if I run my hands across his chest, will it be as hard as I think it is. "Elizabeth," his deep voice interrupts my thoughts. "Thanks for coming." I smiled at him. "It's no problem. Matt talked with me and-" "You decided to take the job!" Melody cheers, hugging me. "Oh thank you, thank you, and thank you. I hate looking at papers and I cannot stand to touch them." "Melody," Hunter said. "You're practically killing her." She lets go. "Sorry, I'm just happy." I nod and laughed. "So yeah, I'm taking the offer." Hunter smiles, "Thanks for that, Elizabeth. We'll discuss this in my office." I followed him into the room I was looking at before. It was much worse inside. There were boxes full of papers inside. Hunter sat in his desk after he took a box out of the chair. I'm guessing that's where I'm supposed to sit, so I do. "Sorry about the mess," he said, disappointed. "I bought new drawers," he motioned to the new black drawers. "But I didn't know where to start, plus I don't have time because went I look at my calendar, I have to go somewhere. By the time I get back, I've got notes with me and I put them... somewhere around here." "The only organized thing is your calendar," I smiled. "Don't worry, I can get this cleaned." I looked around and added, "Eventually." He got up and walked around to kneel in front of me. He holds my hand, "Are you sure you want to take this job?" I nod. "I'm already having a hard time finding a job, so I'll jump at this opportunity." He smiles. I'm already melting with him holding my hand and feeling his body heat radiating, not to mention his scent of mahogany teakwood, but he had to smile? "We'll discuss more of this tomorrow morning at eight," he said, taking his hand back and getting up. "I make sure Sundays are relaxed days, but tomorrow we're going to get started." I nod, getting up. "Will do, I'll see you tomorrow Hunter." "Goodnight Elizabeth," he said, walking me out. "I look forward to tomorrow." Out the door, I turned around and smiled at him. "Same here." He leans in, and I hitched in a breath. He kisses me on the cheek. "Sweet dreams," he said before closing the door. That night, I had a dream about Hunter. I was standing in a clearing, surrounded by trees. Hunter stood in front of me. "This is the only way to communicate with you, baby," Hunter's voice has a gentle touch to it. "I don't want you to be afraid of me." I shook my head. "Why would I be afraid of you?" He steps closer, barely five inches away from my face. "I'm dangerous." "How?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He licked his top lip and leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. Hunter then pulled away from me before I even kissed him back. "Someone is waking you up," he said. Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 03 Hey guys! Thanks for viewing the second chapter and I really appreciate the comments. Thanks to my lovely editor, aisielynn, for reviewing this chapter and supporting me whenever I am unsure of something. My next step is making longer chapters! XD Please comment, even if you're telling me that you love or hate it. Happy reading! :) PS: sorry I haven't been around for a while, been busy with school and such :) ***** "Z! Wake up!" Hannah's voice boomed loudly into my ear. I groaned with discomfort, my voice raspy from dryness. "Leave me alone, too tired." "Come on Z, it's six thirty. You need to eat, get ready to make sure to look good for Hunter," she giggles. When I didn't get up, she slapped me in the ass, hard. "You're worse than Matt. He gets up right away unlike you." "Leave her alone," Matt comes into the room. Well, I didn't exactly see him but his voice is loud, so he must be close. "I'll take care of her, go to Victor." "Okay," Hannah said, cheerfully. Matt's hands gently shook my shoulder. "Elizabeth, you have to wake up." I feel my bed sinking on one side as he sat. "Can't I have just five more minutes, Matt?" I whispered. "No, you can't. If you don't get up right now, you'll be late. Being late will most likely take cash out of your paycheck." Why does he have to have a point? "I'm getting up," I said, rolling from my stomach to my back. I was greeted with Matt's face. His face looked calm as he smiles at me. But his dark brown eyes looked tired and sad. Without thinking, I reached up and touched his face, "What's wrong?" For a second there, he was shocked but he pushed that feeling aside and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "Just, uh, another day at work." "But you like your job," I tell him, confused. Back at home, he usually texts me after work saying that he had a great day, if not text, then he calls. "Sometimes, but it has its ups and downs, like money," he said. "Did they lower your salary?" I asked, sitting up. "Because you've been a carpenter, a really good carpenter, ever since we got out of high school. That was three years ago!" "No, they didn't lower my salary," he chuckles. "I meant, is it good enough to provide?" Good enough to provide? I furrowed my eyebrows as I start to think. Matt usually doesn't complain about money. He's glad to receive money. Unless it means one thing... "Are you going to propose to Hannah?" I ask. He looked at me with an expression that I cannot read. He shook his head while standing up, "Come on, breakfast is going to get cold." When he left, I quickly got up and blushed when I remembered that my bra was off. I silently prayed that Matt didn't notice. When I went out of my room- with a bra- I see Hannah and Victor sitting down next to each other. Victor looked like he was about to punch someone, but he always looks like that when he's woken up before eleven. Matt sat the opposite side, looking through his phone to see his agenda for today. When I took the only available seat, which is next to Matt, everyone started to touch their food. "So why do I have to work?" Victor complains as he eats his piece of bacon. Matt didn't look up from his food, "'Cause I don't want you hanging around the condo all day. Who knows what you'll be doing, probably something regretful." That last comment got us to stop eating and look up at Matt. His tone sounded angry but not the type of angry he usually has towards Victor when he does something wrong, but a tone where he actually sounded like he made a threat. "Baby?" Hannah said quietly. "Are you okay?" Matt shrugs, "I'm fine." "Bro," Victor started to say but Matt stood up. "I'm not hungry anymore," Matt said walking to his and Hannah's room. "What the fuck is his problem?" Victor asks us. "Z, did he mention anything to you?" "Just something about money," I said. "But something is bothering him. Hannah, was there something different about him this morning?" "I wasn't with him earlier," she said. When I furrowed my eyebrows, she added quickly, "I went out to...jog." I nodded. "Well, probably by the end of the day he'll be fine." When I finished getting ready, dressed in a pencil skirt and a white blouse, I noticed that Matt left for work without announcing. Arriving at the top floor with Victor, I knocked on the door. Greeting at the door is Hunter himself, dressed in his suit and tie. "Good morning to both of you," Hunter smiles. He faces me, "You look nice, Elizabeth." I blushed, remembering my dream of our brief kiss, "Thanks." When Hunter told us to come in, I noticed that the boxes full of papers were moved to the living area. "I don't really have visitors, so for now, this is where you'll organize papers for me, Elizabeth. While I'm in my office, feel free to ask me anything or to take anything from the kitchen. I own a home, not a hellhole," Hunter tells me. I laughed. "I'll keep that in mind as I sort through your papers." He smiles. "You can take lots of breaks, if you want. When I have a meeting to attend, I expect you to come with me. There'll probably be some things I will miss and I expect you to take notes." "Yes, sir," I said, playfully. After that, Victor and Hunter went downstairs so Vic knows what to do. After a good twenty minutes, Hunter comes back upstairs. "Is there anything you need, Elizabeth?" he asks. I shook my head as I sort through his notes, letters from the government and from the residents, etc. "I'll help myself if you don't mind," I tell him. "Yes. Sure. I'm going to, uh, do some errands. I should be back in an hour or two." I nodded at him, suspiciously. First he was charming, now he's weird. "Great, see you then," he said, turning to go out the door. Once he left, I turn back to the pile of papers. When the door opened well past lunch time, I looked up to see Hunter looking out of place. First, his hair wasn't neat. It looked like someone grabbed his hair and started pulling. Second, his jacket was not buttoned correctly. Last, his zipper was unzipped. "Did you get into a fight, or do you happen to look like that every time you come home?" I asked, sipping my orange juice. Since Hunter didn't come up for lunch and Melody was here, we decided to eat without him. Then she retreated to her room. Hunter looked down to see what he looks like, he blushed. "No, I was with..." When he didn't continue, I shook my head. "I don't need to know, I'm not your mother." He chuckles. When he finally noticed the clean living room, he broke into a grin. "You put the papers away?" I nod. "Come, follow me." When I make my way to his office, I knew he was right behind me. Once in his office, I pulled out the drawers. "I was glad that you bought file dividers because it made it much easier. So everything has a label." He looked into the drawers and the whole time he was smiling. "This is amazing," he said, softly. "Thank you," he closed the drawers and turned around to look at me. "I really mean it, thanks." I shrug. "It's no biggie, I just did what I'm told to do and-" Hunter suddenly pulled my head towards him and started kissing me. Kissing me! After he just had sex with God knows who! I pushed hard at his chest and when I was free, I slapped him on the face. "What the fuck, Hunter?!" "What?" he asked, innocently like he did nothing wrong. "You were with another girl earlier and you can't just come in here and kiss me!" I stood there, shocked. Yeah, he's sexy but no, I am not going to lay my heart on the table just 'cause he's rich and he kissed me. He started laughing. "What's with women and playing hard to get? It's a sign of desperation." I scoffed. "You know what? Thank you for the job but I quit." His face dropped and before he starts to say something, I went out of his office and I grabbed my bag. "Wait, Elizabeth," Hunter steps in front of me, but he didn't dare touch me. I walked around him, heading towards the door. "I could kick you guys out, you know," Hunter calls. I stopped dead in my tracks. Did he just threaten me? I turn to face him, "Go ahead." A week passed and I received no notice from Hunter to move out immediately. The day he threatened me, I immediately told my friends. Matt and Victor seemed to be more understanding than Hannah. Hannah freaked out and decided to take a walk. She didn't come home until late at night. Victor still worked at the front desk and admitted to us that he was scared whenever Hunter would come through the door. When Sunday came, Matt, Victor and I sat in the couch watching TV when Hannah came out of the room wearing a trench coat and black heels. "Hannah, where are you going?" Matt asks. "Oh! I'm going to...the mall," she said. "Since when do you have the money to own a new pair of heels?" Victor points out. "Or an expensive coat?" We all looked at her suspiciously. "My parents send things to me, duh." Hannah smiles. Matt walks up to her and gives her a hug. "Come on," he kisses her on the cheek. "Don't go by yourself. You can take Z with you." "Z hates shopping," Hannah giggles. I don't hate shopping...the boys know that. "Then maybe don't go to the mall and we can spend time together," Matt smiles. "You know we haven't had time to ourselves." "No, maybe next time, baby," Hannah smiles. Matt started untying the coat and Hannah tries to pull away but it was too late. The coat opened to reveal black see-through lingerie. I gaped. "Bitch, you better explain," Victor glared. Hannah sighs. "I don't feel the magic anymore, Matt." "So you decided to look for other men while still with me," Matt said, softly. "I didn't want to hurt you," she said. "We just moved in and you work a lot, like you said, we didn't really get time to spend together." "Who is he?" Matt asks, looking into her eyes. "I want to know who's better than me." She shook her head. "It's...Hunter." I gasped. So that's who he spent the day with! Everything happened so fast just then. Instead of Matt losing his temper, it was Victor. "Get out! You fucking bitch!" He went up to her and grabbed her hand and start pulling her to the door. "Victor, please! I don't know where to go!" Hannah pleaded. When Victor ushered her out the door, he said, "Go to your new boyfriend." Then he slammed the door. I looked at Matt, he seems so crushed. The sadness overtook the joy in his eyes, his body slumped. "Matthew," I said. He looked up and gave me a fake smile. "I'm fine." "Bro," Victor said, as he calms down. Matt shook his head. "I'm going to stay in my room, for a while." Then he left the living room. Victor and I stayed in the living room, just in case Matt came out. He didn't come out, not even for a meal. We would knock on the door to tell him to eat; he'd simply say that he wasn't hungry. On that night, I woke up from having a nightmare. The thing was, I don't remember the nightmare, but I knew that I was scared. Getting off the bed, I decided to grab some water but before I went out the door, I heard voices. "You both failed," a man said. He sounded older, like around his late 30's, if not, early 40's. "You're objective was to bring the power out." "It's hard, you know," Matt said, surprising me. "Growing up with her, we can't force it out of her." Her? As in me her? "Plus, it might not even be her," Victor's voice goes into the conversation. "Maybe her mother is wrong." "She may be my ex-wife, but her visions are never wrong, it's Elizabeth," the man said. Shit, it is me. "Sir, we can't just take her away," Matt said. "She doesn't even know she was adopted. Let alone, us introducing you as her father, she'll automatically think that we're crazy." They are all crazy. Matt continued, "The spell you put on her, implanting false memories on her early childhood, is too strong to break." A spell?! What?! Now they are fucking crazy! "I know how to break it," the man- my father- said. "I just need to get in that room." Scraping from a chair being pushed too hard erupted in my ears. "You're not getting near her," Victor sneered. "Victor, don't forget who's your boss," the man barked. "I assigned you and your brother this assignment." Silence accompanied them for a few moments but Victor apologized. "We'll tell her tomorrow," Matt said. "Then you can come and introduce yourself." Before the man got to reply, something funny tickled my nose and I sneezed. In a flash, the door was pushed open gently, and the men looked down at me. I gave a small smile. "Am I sleepwalking?" When they didn't reply, I smiled wider but backed away step by step. "Grab her," the man said. Both of them looked hesitant but before I knew it, Victor flicked his hand and I met darkness. Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 04 Hey guys! Thanks for reading the third chapter and thank you so much for commentimg. FINALLY CHAPTER FOUR HAS ARRIVED XD Thanks to my lovely editor, aisielynn, for reviewing and editing this chapter and for support. Please feel free to comment & check out my social media on my biography to tell me to sit my butt down and write! Happy reading! * I woke up. First thing I see was my bedroom ceiling; what I felt, both of my hands were handcuffed to my bedpost. What I smell, a lavender candle burning. Like that shit is gonna calm me down. "Matt?" I called. Right now, he's the only person I can rely on. The floor creaked and out of the corner of my eyes, I see Matt appear next to my bed. He smiled, "Hey Z, how are you?" I frowned. "I'm handcuffed." He sighs, "I know. I just wanna make sure that you're not gonna run away." Right behind him... Victor and the man appeared. "What's going on?" I start to panic. "Hear us out first," Matt said. He sighs again, "We aren't human. Before you say anything, you have to know that you aren't human either. When you are younger, there was a brutal war between Heaven and Hell. The warriors of Heaven were scared for their families and decided to hide their children. Victor, you and I were the children that were hidden." "Why can't I remember this?" I asked. "Not that I believe you." Of course.. "You're a princess," Victor said. "And we're your guards, also the third royal family." I burst out laughing. I have never seen Victor this serious before. Once, I realized that the three didn't even join the laughter, let alone blink, I stopped. "You guys aren't kidding." Matt shook his head. "The hardest part to tell you is that our boss," he motions to the man in the room. "He is your father." Okay, now Matt is definitely fucking with me. One, he looks young like not even forty. Two, he's a natural blonde and I'm dark-haired. Three, he has blue eyes that went with his slender but muscular face; I have dark brown eyes. Lastly, well, he still looks young. I shook my head, "He cannot be my dad. I'm sorry dude, but look at you, not even a day older than thirty." The man smiled, "My name is Aaron Lightning. But I am your father." "Impossible," I scoffed. "It's okay if you don't want to believe it," Matt said. "What is important is that you don't run and scream our secrets. The war ended long ago but there is still tension now and forever. If anyone found out you're a princess, you can be in real danger." "But what about my memory?" I glared. "We had to hide your memories," Matt said. "For your safety," Victor added. When I didn't reply, Matt continued. "We're leaving this place." I tried sitting up but instantly pulled back onto my bed because of the handcuffs. I grunted in displeasure, "Why?" "That's for another time." "We're leaving, now," Aaron said, sternly. For one second, it was my room in our condo. Now I ended up being handcuffed in a room from a French castle. I blinked, "H-how?" "It's like teleport, princess," Aaron smiles. "You'll learn it one day, for now I just want the Cains to train you." With that, he left the room. Matt started unlocking the handcuffs and I got up, rubbing my wrists. "Training?" I asked. Victor smiles, "We all have powers that are given at birth. I'm a shadow weaver and I rely on strength." "A what?" I asked. Shadow weaver? "A shadow weaver," Victor said, too casually. "I create shadows or I blend with them. It's better for me at night so I don't use up too much of my energy." I looked at Matt, "What's yours?" He looked down at the floor. "Strength runs in the family, but I'm also a mind manipulator. I can change a person's thoughts or I can just see it, both awake and asleep." My eyes grew wide. He looked up and nodded. "I saw your dream, I'm sorry but I had to make him say that someone was waking you up." He frowned. "I couldn't see Hannah's thoughts. Well, I didn't want to. So during the night, I reached to touch Hunter's mind and I found out the truth." I reached up to grab Matt's hand and pulled at it so he could sit on my bed. "Are you okay?" He shrugged and gave me a small smile. "Life goes on. Now you should rest today, tomorrow you'll have the tour of your residence." "As a princess, it is best for you to start remembering everyone's name," Victor said. His eyes then showed a hint of jealousy, "Especially the guys that will court you for your hand." I gasped. "My hand?" "Our culture is a mix of traditional and modern," Matt explains sincerely. "Arranged marriages are traditional. It allows power between families. Which comes with history, we will do that tomorrow too." "I'm gonna get married?!" I shrieked. Matt nodded. "It is best for our race, Z. Marriage combines the powers of both families, the wedded couple is the link, once they have a kid, and the kid is a whole new generation of power that will combine with another family in the future." "There are some couples that are married out of love, but most of them are the lower class," Victor said. "Some of the people used to be the top families." "What's wrong with that?" I looked at both of them. Matt sighed. "Marrying someone out of love isn't bad, but... marrying someone with low power because of love is bad." I glared, "That's bull." "We all feed on power, Z," Victor said, sitting down next to Matt. "Speaking of power, Matt has to get married. Since he is the oldest, our dad is gonna have a fit when he finds out that Matt hasn't found a bride." "How does that work?" I ask. Victor smirked, "He'll meet the potential women, look over their backgrounds and stuff, pick who would he take out on a date, then sooner or later, he'll find the right one." He sighs in pleasure, "Then there's the ceremony." There was a knock on the door. Victor got up and answered it. There stood two guys standing at the doorway. Both were nicely built and have a guarded look on their faces. One of them has short blonde hair, a dark glare towards Victor, an even tan (if that was possible) and a stance that reads that he was in charge. The other has lighter skin, short black hair, as well as dark brown eyes, and somehow mysterious. "Sharp, Ethan," Matt immediately stood. "Cains," the blonde one said with a tone so...empty. "We need one of you to attend the meeting to fill in about your...mission." "I'll go," Matt said. He gave me a warm look, "I'll be back." Then he went out the door and followed the two. "Who was that?" I asked Victor. He sighed and sat back down on the bed. "Those two are your older brothers." I blinked at him. "I have brothers?" "Crazy, right?" Victor chuckled. "They came back here a few years ago to find that their sister was not there with them. Believe me, they're cold at first but later they'll grow on you." "I doubt that," I huffed. "They barely looked at me." "That's because they're afraid to lose their posture as sons of the Lightning family," he smiles. "Gossip is a bitch." Dinner was delivered to my room for both Victor and I. The lady that brought the food told us that the meeting will be a few hours later. Victor and I practically groaned. "How come you don't attend the meetings?" I asked him between bites. He shrugged; sadness present in his eyes. "I don't know." This is the first time Victor actually acted like this and I couldn't help but help him. "Come on Victor, you know," I said. He flashed a smile, a happy smile. But his eyes said something else. "Well, meetings are boring anyway so I won't really pay attention." I opened my mouth to talk to him more about it but the look he gave me said that he didn't want to talk about it; we continued to eat. After what seems like forever, Matt came back to pick Victor up. He told me that I start training tomorrow and it's a lesson that's very special. When they left, I thought I wouldn't sleep right away but once I snuggled under the covers and my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. That morning, Matt and Victor came into my room to wake me up. We ate breakfast; just the three of us and Aaron called us to come over to a room. Sharp and Ethan were there. The room is Aaron's office, with a desk and everything. His walls are practically really tall bookshelves. The office is big enough to hold a party of approximately a hundred people. After looking around the room, I asked, "What spell are we doing? Will this be hard?" Thinking about me failing in front of them? I held back a groan. "Elizabeth," Aaron said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "It'll be fine." Matt stepped forward, "All you need is all your concentration." Sharp scoffed. "Cain, you haven't done this spell." He looked at me. "Little sister, this spell is your guide for a while. It will appear to you and you will feel this comfort." He smiled, "You get to see that person, but for us, it'll be a hooded figure." "All you need is to believe in this spell," Ethan said, quietly. He hands me a clear crystal shard that's attached to a gold chain. I looked at the necklace weirdly because I have no idea why he would give me that. So odd. "It's your family's rock," Victor said. He shrugged, "Well part of it. It's a really big rock." "It's a stone to help you," Matt said. "With your powers." "Eventually you won't need it," Sharp said. "But it's good to keep it with you." Aaron handed me a spellbook that's already been opened to the spell called The Guidance Ghost. "Wait," I said, panicking. "This person could be dead?" The boys looked at each other. "Just say the spell," Victor said. Ethan gives me a small smile and rubs my back, "You'll be fine." I sighed. Great my guidance person could be a dead person. Ugh, this is just awesome! Not. I looked over the words. "Speak it from your heart," Ethan said. "Deep breath," Sharp added. Funny, I thought Matt would teach me. But since he didn't do the spell, I accept my brothers' help. I took a deep breath and recited the words. "I, Elizabeth Lightning, seek spiritual guidance. In the name of the God and Goddess thou shall bring me their knowledge. My soul is bind with theirs. Purity." My family smiles while Matt and Victor nodded. "Beautiful princess," Aaron said. "Like a natural, right boys?" "Yeah," Matt said. "Good job," Ethan and Sharp whispered to me. I looked around to see all five people, plus me, so six people in the room. No one even appeared! Disappointed, "It didn't work." Victor cleared his throat. "You may want to know that the dude is behind you." I furrow my eyebrows. "How do you know it's a guy?" "His outfit is black," Matt said. "Ethan and my guide is a female," Sharp said. "So she was dressed in white." "Hello Bee," a guy's voice appeared behind me. I gulped, scared but I feel like I know him. "Can you hear him?" All of them shook their heads. "It's silence from our point of view," Matt said. "We would only hear you talking to him." "Great," I groaned. "I'll look like an idiot talking to a silent figure." Victor smiles. "Have a nice time with him." Then everyone left the room. "So am I just talking to your back all the time I'm here?" the guy asks. "Not that I mind, I have a great view." I roll my eyes and turned around. Then it's like my heart stopped. I met the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen; not only that, there's that clean chiseled jaw. He also has milky skin. I looked down to see he's wearing dark jeans, a black tight shirt and black boots. Nice body. My goodness! Why he has to be gorgeous?! "That's not how you first saw me before," he said, scratching his spiky black hair. Wait. "I've met you before?" I asked him. "What date is it?" he tilts his head. "One, zero-four, two thousand fifteen," I tell him. He smiles, a small one where only one corner pulls up on his lip. "Soon, we will." "Can I have your name at least?" I ask. He looked at me, silently debating with himself. It had probably been a minute that passed by but it felt like hours. "Quinn," he said. "I look different from before when you'll meet me so I have no idea if you'll recognize me." "How different?" Small smile again. "About three hundred years different." Gross. Hot yet old. "Okay," I nod in understanding even though I have no idea what he means. "How does this shit work?" "I help you, blah blah blah, and I give some advice for your future," he said. I nod again. "Well, I'm hungry." I walked pass him, out the room, to the kitchen. There sits my sandwich. "Simple meal," Quinn sits next to me as I took a bite. "You never change, Bee." I swallowed. "My name is Elizabeth. You can call me Z." He shook his head. "I call you Bee for a reason." "What reason is that?" I asked. He sighs. "Your name, your real name is Elizabeth Beatrice Lightning." "What? Beatrice?" I said. He nods. "I rather call you by the other part of your first name." "Why?" He shrugs. "It's best to ask the old me when I start calling you Bee." "Some guide you are," I muttered and continued eating. Quinn chuckled. "Hey princess," Aaron says as he comes in to get a bottled water. "He annoying you yet?" "Not yet, Aaron," I tell him. "You'll call him dad later," Quinn says. I roll my eyes. "Yeah...right." "What has he told you so far?" Aaron asks. "Is Beatrice part of my name?" I ask him. Aaron smiles and nods. "He sounds like a good guide, who is he?" "Don't tell him," Quinn says. "He would freak." I shook my head. "He says to keep quiet." Aaron nods. "Sorry this is a whole new level of guides. He must be...very careful." "No kidding," Quinn says to Aaron even though he knows Aaron can't hear. "I'm gonna see if the boys are training," Aaron says before he leaves. Quinn smiles. "Now it's time for you to train. I'm gonna make you touch your elemental powers." What? "I'm not ready yet," I tell him. Now Quinn rolls his eyes. "You are. Aaron just misread your readiness. Even your brothers. But trust me your brothers are more powerful than Aaron thinks." He gets up. "Come on, to your room." Okay now I hate my guide. Quinn tells me to touch my inner emotion. He wanted me to move water in the bowl. He tells me to think something that keeps me calm. I thought about being in my room alone, reading a good book with peppermint tea on my nightstand. Before I knew it, the water was out of the bowl, above our heads. Then there was air. He said something about being free and happy. It was a little difficult but I managed to ruffle the curtains in my new room. The last two, Earth and Fire, I failed. No matter what Quinn was saying, nothing sparked or shook. "There's your weakness," Quinn said, sitting down next to me on MY bed. "You don't think strong. It's the same as how I met you." He looked down. "How did we meet?" I asked. "Your dad." "Aaron?" I had to make sure. Quinn nod. "Sooner or later, you will have to accept him." I roll my eyes. "Never. I don't even know him." "Did you try?" Quinn looked at me with a duh expression. "Would you?" I ask, raising my eyebrow. "With my situation." "I would do anything to get to know my father," he said simply. I looked down. "I'm sorry." He shrugged. To change the subject, I asked about him. "What are you like when I meet you?" Quinn gives me a small smile. "I'm different now. But when you meet me, you'll hate me. What I want you to know is that you shouldn't give up on me. Understand?" I nod. Odd, though. Why would I hate him? "Am I scared of you?" He chuckles. "I don't know." "How long are you with me?" I ask. "I'll know when it's the right time. But I'll warn you." Just hearing that gave a weird sensation throughout my body. Ignoring it, "How was Aaron involved with our meeting?" There's something in his eyes when he met mine. Like a twinkle. "If I tell you, you might change the course. So I'm not going to. All I can tell you is this, we can never part." That sounds like...a vow. Not a very good one, but a vow. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on my door. I cleared my throat, "Come in." When the door opened, my two best friends came in. Quinn tensed and got off the bed. "I'll wait outside," Quinn said before leaving. Matt and Vic moved out of his way. "He seems...powerful," Matt said. I giggle. "What are you guys doing here?" "Just to make sure you're okay," Vic shrugged, sitting where Quinn sat. "How's your guide? He bothering you?" "He's quite an angel actually," I tell him. "He taught me some things." "Like what?" Vic smiled. "Your powers?" "Half," my shoulders slump. Matt sat on the other side of me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll take time. Besides checking up on you, we decided-" he looks at Vic. "Well I decided that you should know the classes of our society." I nod. Matt then pulled an old book out of my bookshelf. Well not my bookshelf, but the one that comes with the room...that happens to be mine. Matt pulled it out magically. He only lifted his hand and the book came to him. "Like I said we are the warriors of Heaven and there's two sides, so the other is the warriors of Hell," Matt said, opening the book. The left page was like a new page; my guess is the good side. The right page is black with white ink, the bad side. "So there's the poor class for the bad side," Vic said. "These people suffer from cold, starvation, and they pray to their King aka King of Hell. They will sacrifice anything to make their King powerful." Vic glared at the page. "Then there's the working class. They serve the royal families by being a warrior or the help in the castles. Then the royal families. Royal families have small sections. But we pay attention to the direct line of the King of Hell. The Bloods. Six princes and one princess." "In the human world, they are known as the seven deadly sins," Matt said. "Hunter, our previous landlord was one of them. Pride." I gasped. "What?" "He hid the power well," Vic said, clenching his jaw. "We were the closest ever to our deaths." "Did he know who we were?" I ask, panicking. "Vic and I, he knew," Matt said. "Not you, which is good." I nod. "To continue," Matt changed the subject. "Our side has three classes. Bottom is working class. They have normal jobs and as well as jobs helping the royal families. Then the next class is the royal families. Our family, The Cains, being the third powerful family. The second is your mother's side, The Firespheres." "Will I know her?" I ask. Matt and Vic looked at each other, hesitant. "What?" I ask. "It's best to ask your guide," Vic points at my bedroom door. "He knows the exact details." I wanted to ask more but I passed. "Then number one is your father's side, The Lightning. The battle for being number one is frightening. But your family, your dad's side has been powerful for many centuries." "Yippee for Aaron," I said, lamely. "Who's the top class?" "The Order," Vic said. "They make sure that everyone follows laws and that the royals are trained and prepare for battle if there is one." "Their uniform is their way of hiding," Matt said. "They wear black to hide in the shadows to observe." "At least that's what we're told," Victor said. "No one really sees them, except our fathers." "So they are very secretive," I say. "Aren't we supposed to know them?" "They're a boring subject," Vic said. Matt ignored his comment. "Yes we are. The Order consists three people, well, three men, born on the same day of the same year, three hours apart." "Sounds unreal," I say. And it is. Matt nods. "The three boys are then put in the ancient building in a faraway land. They are trained to be powerful, endure power being thrown at them, to be leaders, to-" Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 04 "Be robots," Victor said. "Shut up," Matt said. He looks at me, "To be our guidance and heal. They do what they do to make sure our system works." "They're old too," Vic said. "Well they're souls are. Like ours. But they're way older." I whip my attention to Vic. "Our souls are old?" He nods. "Our generation, all of us are about a hundred years old." "I shouldn't ask anymore," I shook my head. "I'll get confused. But The Order?" "About five hundred years old, like our great-great grandparents but quite older," Matt said. "But we can stop aging any time we want. It's a simple spell." "Is that why Aaron looks young?" I ask. They nod. "Okay," I nod, believing it. "The Order?" I pressed. "What else you wanna know?" Matt said. "Who are they?" I ask. "Like names." Matt hesitated. "I don't know. But your cousin is one and our cousin is one. The leader...well, I don't know." "Wait!" I said. "How is my cousin part of The Order when he's five hundred years old?" "His soul is," Matt said. He scratched his head, "It's like a reincarnation thing." That made sense now. "So how old are our cousins?" "Since you're twenty-one and we're twenty-two," Matt looked up, calculating in his head. "They're twenty-eight." That young and they run this bitch? That's cool. "Is that all of The Order?" I ask. They sound more interesting. "That's what I know," Matt said. "You can read about them, probably ask your brothers, they're a little older than I am. You can ask your dad and your relatives. Oh, and your guide." Quinn. He's hundreds of years old. He should know more than majority, right? "I'll do that," I said. Matt nods. Then there's a knock on the door. "Enter," Victor said. Then the door opened and in came a guy who looks like Victor and Matt. "Daniel," Matt said. "What are you doing here?" The guy titled his head. "Father and mother told me to fetch you for dinner." Daniel is their...brother? Wow, this is bizarre. "Let's go, Victor," Matt said, getting up. "We'll see you tomorrow, Z." "Not yet," Daniel said. "We are going to look for Asher tomorrow." "Who's Asher?" I ask, looking at them. "Our younger brother," Victor said. "Ms. Lightning, they'll be gone for a while," Daniel said. "I do apologize. But you won't be left unprotected. As you know, you are very valuable to our society." "Who's watching me?" I ask. "There is your family. But I overheard your father talking to The Order. They will send their guards to you," Daniel said. "Thanks," I said. "I hope you all have a good trip." The three of us have never been separated. This sucks. "We love you," Matt said, bending down so he could be leveled with me. "We shouldn't be gone that long," Victor pats my shoulder. I nod. "Love you guys too." I got up and hugged them both. "Come back in one piece or I'll kill you." They laugh and kissed me on the cheek. Then they were gone. Quinn came in with a small smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. "What's wrong?" I ask. "I don't know if it's right to tell you how long they will be gone," Quinn says. My eyes grew wide, "They're not coming back?" "No, they'll be back," Quinn said, quickly. "But they're searching the last of their family and traveling could be quite difficult. It'll take months." "They'll be gone that long?" My heart sank. Quinn nods. "I'm sorry." I shook my head. "It's okay," I said, blinking back the tears but I'm failing. "They need to complete their family. A family I don't know about." "They have twin sisters," Quinn said. "If that helps." I forced a smile. "Can I be alone for a while?" Quinn looked down sadly and nods. He went back out the door. I cried in my pillow and it felt like hours before I fell asleep. My dreams were memories I shared with Matt and Victor. They're like my family except the fact I have a crush on Victor. Matt was there to soothe my scraped knee when I was pushed to the ground while Victor beat the crap out of the boy. Matt taught me how to drive, Victor taught me how to play his video games, Matt was my tutor for English, Victor was my date to dances. They've been there and now they're not here. I woke up when my door opened. I looked to see Sharp and Ethan come in and sit on my bed. "Hey, you okay?" Ethan asks. "We heard." "Heard what?" I sniffed. "That the Cain family left," Sharp said. I nod and sniffed again. "My guide said that they'll be gone for months and not a few days," I said, sitting up. "We know," Ethan said. "How?" Sharp and Ethan looked at each other. "Our guide," they said. "Our guide was the same person," Sharp said. "She gave us permission to tell each other. And we can tell you who she is when your guide is gone." "Okay," I said. "What time is it?" "It's breakfast time," Ethan said. "After we eat, you have to get ready." "For what?" I look at both of them. Sharp smiled. "Living here is not all prison. I should know. All of us will have some bonding time today." "We told your guide," Ethan said. "By the looks of it, we guessed he approved." "He's sleeping on your ledge," Sharp tilted his head. I looked to see Quinn lying down. Awake. "You can go," Quinn said. "You need the bond." I smile and looked at my brothers. "We should eat then." Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 05 Spending the day with my brothers was awesome. I got to know them more. Ethan was taken care of by a very rich family. His father is the mayor and their family needed to set an example by having curfews and not do anything unholy to your body. But with Ethan's sleeve tattoo, he did something unholy alright. He laughed when his fake parents made him wear long sleeves even when the weather was hot. Sharp has been in and out of jail for as long as he knew. His favorite outfit is the orange jumpsuit with his name on it. He's the oldest and he knew when to have fun and when to be serious. He has a tattoo across his chest that says, J'avo. He named his gang that after a video game he played, when he stole the game. And the console. And the TV. "How do you act around Aaron?" I ask them. We were on my bed, lying down. I'm surprised it fits all of us because Ethan and Sharp are muscular. Especially Sharp, I'm scared for him to roll over before I am crushed to death. "We're acquaintances," Ethan said. "He doesn't really share his life so we don't ask." "Yet he didn't ask ours," Sharp said. "We bond over how well we progress in training." "What are your powers anyway?" I ask, looking at them. "I talk to animals and I can control them," Ethan shared. "I bond with sharks more though. It's because I'm stronger on the water element." "So we share the same power?" I ask. When they nod, I had to ask, "Then what's special about me?" "You're the only girl who can do all four," Sharp said. "No girl in our family had more than one." Okay, note to self: ask Quinn about this. "How about your power, Sharp? Besides elements." "Storms," he said. "I love the lightning." "That's why it is best not to get him angry," Ethan said in a mocking tone, but his eyes show no humor. "I miss my family," I said, glumly. My brothers gave this odd look at each other. "What?" I ask. "We simply don't," Ethan said. "We felt different with our acting families." "It's no different here," I said. "We have Aaron. No mother." "One day we'll all give Aaron a chance," he said. "Now Sharp and I should leave. You need to be with your guide." They get off the bed and opened the door. Quinn came in and sat next to my hip. "We love you," Sharp said with a smile. "Goodnight sis." Then they went out and closed the door. I sat up. "They love me already?" Quinn chuckled. "What do you expect? Them to not like you? You're funny. Don't you love them back?" I shrug. "They're fun to be around. I don't want them hurt. I like them happy." "Then you love them." I smile. "Then I love them." Quinn got up and held out his hand. "As a guide, I'm here to make sure you're comfortable with your family. Now come." I grabbed his hand and I soon followed him out the door. "Where are we going?" "To your father's room," Quinn looked at me. "Why?" I made an attempt to stop walking but my legs kept moving. How is that possible? Quinn sighed. "Later, you will need to help him. Soon he will have to make a decision for you." "What decision?" "It doesn't matter. Only that yes would benefit you and your family. A no would make things worse." I shook my head. "You're not making sense." He scoffed. "Things will make sense once I leave." We stopped at a black double door. "You need to go in there and create conversation," Quinn lets go and opens the door. Then he pushes me in and closes the door. Asshole. "Elizabeth," I hear Aaron say behind me. I slowly turn around to see Aaron on the bed with silk pajamas, reading glasses and a book. "Hi Aaron," I said. Aaron gives me a closed smile. He put his book and glasses on the nightstand. His room is what a person would describe old, dark and royal. Dark wood furniture and red, dark red fabric. "What can I do for you?" I hesitate. "Um...I'm here to...make conversation." He pats to the space next to him. I slowly walk over and sit. Making sure we don't touch. "And what conversation do you want to start with?" he ask. I don't even know. I wasn't prepared for this. "What age are you stuck with?" I ask. Well I blurted. "Thirty-two," he answered. "But I've been this age since you were born." "So you're actually fifty-one?" I clarified. He nods, smiling. "Where's my...mom?" I ask. His smile faded. "I assume she's with her mother, father, brothers and sisters." "Does she know we're here?" He nods. "Very well." "Both of you aren't married?" Aaron shook his head. "Back then, we didn't understand our family rivalry. So young, we decided to have fun, lots of sex. Once we found out she was pregnant, we told our family. They were furious." He sighs. "For centuries our families have been fighting for the number one spot. Where the position is much closer to The Order." "So it's all about power?" I ask. "Your mother's side craves for being better. When Sharp came, they found out that you guys have remarkable power. Her parents forced her to love me, at least pretend to. But I didn't, I'm sorry. When I didn't propose to her, as the mother she had you guys under her care." "Did she make the decision to put us away?" I ask, swallowing. He nods. "For the first year I thought she didn't want me to see you guys. But then I found the truth. I was so mad. I've spent my time to find you guys. I could've just kept doing my duty as the head of the family but I needed to find you guys." "Then you just kept track?" I ask. He nods. "I wasn't fit to be a father. I'm still not. But I'm trying." I nod. "What is my role for this family?" "You wanna know your actual duties other than studying and training?" he ask, eyebrow raised. I nod. "It's fun," I said, sarcastically. "But I need more." "Well you and your brothers need to build a team. We're not in war but just in case. You need to lead them. You're also part of The Order's workers. You help suggest decisions to make our society better. Usually you go to them but for now you tell me." "Decisions for just the society?" I clarify. He nods. "Also for the family. You make sure we don't show weakness." I nod. "Every family for themselves?" He shrugs. "Kind of. It's like a sports team. You work together yet you make yourself better. Got it, princess?" "Yes dad." Damn, it came automatically. He smiled. "Well you should get sleep. Busy day for you and your brothers." "Night," I said, not saying dad. It would be too awkward. "Goodnight Elizabeth." For the next few weeks, it was non-stop training and studying. Half of the time it would be with Quinn. The other half is with my family. Aaron makes sure that our powers maintain at a level where we don't abuse it. Sharp has a hard time with that; he would go over the limit. Ethan would stay within the limit. For me, I'm below limit. I still can't do well on Earth and Fire. There would be a small shake or a spark but nothing more than that. My family has been very patient; Quinn on the other hand is getting frustrated. For the hundredth time, he yelled at me in my room. "You have to try harder, Bee!" Quinn said. "You're running out of time!" I grunted. "If you would stop yelling at me, then I would've done what you asked!" "Even if I do not yell, it still won't go through your stupid head!" "You're the one that's stupid, asshole!" "Don't you dare call me that!" I growled. "Well, fuck you! I'm leaving!" I head towards the door. He calls after me, "Do not walk away, we aren't finish!" "Well finish it yourself!" I said back to him as I walk out my bedroom door. "Is everything all right, Miss Lightning?" Connor asks. Connor is one of the two guards that were assigned to protect me. The other guard is Marco. I sighed. "I'm fine. I just need to take a walk." They both nod and followed closely behind me. Not only did I have guards. My whole family gets a set of two. I always laugh when Sharp escapes his guard just to have alone time. When the guards came for the first time, they gave each of us a note. The letter said: To Elizabeth: Please accept the protection we provided for your whole family. Until we meet, The Order When I studied more about The Order, it had all the things Matt said about them. Also that if a family member is part of The Order, it doesn't affect their family's ranking. The book provided pictures of past members of The Order. It was old and not very clear on the faces. But apparently, when starting a new life, they would have the same face. So I would look like my great-grandma. When I turned the corner I saw my brothers putting their ears against Aaron's office door. Their guards are at the side, looking like security. "What are you guys doing?" I asked. "Sshh," they both said, not taking their ears off the door. I whispered, "What are you guys doing?" "The Order is inside," Ethan whispered. "No announcement whatsoever." "So it must be serious," I whispered. "Everything about The Order is serious," Sharp whispered. "But come out of the blue? My guess is that we're fucked up." I shook my head, smiling, "Guess we are." They chuckled for a moment but it ended when Ethan said, "Did they stop talking?" "Shit," Sharp whispered, backing away. "Quick to the couch!" Once we sat our asses down, the door of the office opened. Out came Aaron looking surprised, "Kids." "Hi dad," we said casually. Behind Aaron are three black hooded figures. All three of them are in black wool capes completed with hoods. The middle guy has a big red jewel that keeps the cape closed. The other two have bright blue. At least we know who's the boss. Aaron recovered the shock of us being downstairs (because we're supposed to be upstairs training and studying) and went to introduce us. "Mr. Cain, these are my children, Sharp, Ethan and Elizabeth." One of the blue jewel guys stepped out of their triangle and held his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet the three of you," Mr. Cain says. I remembered he's a few years older than me. But I feel like I'm meeting an old man. "This is your cousin," Aaron gestures to the other blue jeweled guy. He came up to us and squeezed our shoulders saying, "So glad to meet you." After he was done, Aaron introduced us to the last one of the three. "This is Mr. Carson." Mr. Carson just nodded. Wow, ain't that a bitch. "Shouldn't you three be studying?" Aaron said. Sharp shrugged, "I ran out of energy. I went over my limit." Again. "My sharks need to eat," Ethan said. He has a tank of nurse sharks. "I had a fight with my guide," I tell him. "So that's what the yelling was about," my cousin said in an amused tone. "I feel sorry for your guide." I shrug. "He'll live." "Kids," dad said. "The Order decided to stay a bit. To, uh...keep watch." That doesn't sound good. "Elizabeth," Dad said. "Show them their rooms." Damn, all the guests rooms are near my bedroom. I smile, "Yes Dad." When I start to lead the way, I looked behind me to see that they're on my heels. Creepy. Two of my guards are behind them. More creepy. When we turned to the hallway, I see Quinn right outside my door. "Shit," I hear him mutter. "Looks like your guide has been waiting for you," Mr. Carson said. I knew it was him because he has the sense of authority. It also sounds oddly familiar. "They can't hear me," Quinn says. "But give me—Mister Carson the guest room next to you." Weird. I nod and did what Quinn said. I showed my cousin and Cain the rooms across the hall. "Mr. Carson," I said, walking to the door next to my room. "This is your room." Opening the door, he steps inside. Looking around, at least I think he is, he said, "Nice room." He then held out his hand, "Thank you." His hand wasn't bare. It's a black leather glove I shook. "If you need anything, Mr.Carson," I said. "Please feel free to knock at my door." He lets go. "You're too kind," he said, his tone sounded like he didn't want me to be kind. I nod and went next door to my bedroom where Quinn was waiting for me. "They came early," Quinn shook his head. "That's impossible." Anger out of the way, I asked, "What do you mean?" He closed his eyes. "Now, I see why they came early." "What?" I asked, impatiently. "We- they are gonna evaluate on you and your brothers," Quinn said. "I'm supposed to be gone before they came." "So you're leaving?" I didn't want him to... He looked at me and gave me a smile. "We're not saying goodbye forever. Plus, you're a strong girl and I know you can show them that you're capable of doing anything." I slowly start to tear. Even though we fight almost every day, I will miss his company. Quinn walks over to me and put his finger under my chin. "Remember what I told you," he said, making me look up at him. "Never give up on me once you see me." I nod. He leans down and gives me a soft kiss. That soft kiss seems to wake up my whole body. When he pulled away, not too much, I opened my eyes to see he started to fade. He winks and gives me a small smile. "I love you." Then, he's gone. Wait, he loves me? I wipe the tears off my face, but it keeps on streaming down. Does this mean that I love him too? All I knew was that I need Quinn in my life. Now. It has been a silent week. The Order didn't come out of their rooms. The wall between Mr. Carson and I has been silent. One day, my brothers and I were called up to Aaron's office. When we walked in, The Order was there. "What's going on?" Sharp asked. "Looks like we are going to evaluate you," Mr. Cain said. Sharp tightened his jaw. "Individually," our cousin said. Shit. Damn. Fuck. I am not prepared. "Elizabeth," Mr. Carson said. "Please follow me." Man, I got probably the toughest critic ever! I followed Mr. Carson to the garden. The garden is beautiful with many irises and other flowers. The hedges would either be straight or elegantly odd. We stopped in front of a big fountain. If it weren't for my nervousness and awkwardness, I would think of this as a date. "Sit," Mr. Carson said as he sat down, careful not to fall into the fountain. But this isn't a date. It's a lesson. I sat down and started blabbing. "Mr. Carson, I am really new at this. I can't touch full potential on the other half of my powers. My guide said that I'm not yet strong enough. Also he said not to admit my weakness but I'm just scared." I breathe. When I tried looking at Mr. Carson, I didn't see a face, just the shadow of his hood. "Your guide is very smart about not admitting your weakness," Mr. Carson said. He didn't sound mad, yet he didn't sound caring. "Do not speak of this to anyone. I forbid you to tell anyone your weakness." I gulped and nod. Something about this tells me that I should obey before there are consequences. "We aren't reviewing your powers yet," Mr. Carson said. "I am very aware your difficulty on conjuring Earth and Fire. You're still weak." "Then what are we doing, Mr. Carson?" I asked, quietly, feelings a little hurt. Well, it hurts a lot. "What is your full name?" he asks. I was taken aback but I answered, "Elizabeth Beatrice Lightning." "You forgot your mother's last name." I sighed. "Elizabeth Beatrice Firesphere Lightning." "How old are you?" "Twenty-one." "No." "What then?" I asked. "A hundred something?" He chuckled. "Not even close." "Then what?" I scoffed. "You're almost as old as me." I shook my head. "My friends said our generation is at least one hundred years old." "Who are they?" "Matt and Victor Cain." He nods. "Now I see. Well, let's carry on. Do you know that your family is in danger of losing their title?" "What?!" I stood up. "No, no that can't be." "Your cousins have much more greater experience and they up their ranks with the spouses they are married to now," he said. "But we can buy time right?" I said, pacing. "I just need to conjure Earth-" "Elizabeth-" "Then there's Fire," I continued, ignoring him. "Shouldn't take that long-" "Elizabeth-" "I mean, it didn't take that long to conjure water and air-" "Elizabeth, stop pacing!" Mr. Carson's voice changed. When I turned to look at him, I was gonna walk back to sit but I couldn't move! "Listen to me, Elizabeth. There's no changing on what lies ahead for your family," Mr. Carson said. "You can continue training, however, it might not change." "So there's no point in training?" He grunted. "That's not what I said. We all need everyone to train unless consequences will be taken." "Why can't I move?!" I tried to take a step but a force just tells me not to. "I apologize," Mr.Carson raised his hand. Something released its hold on me, I feel free again. "What power is that?" I ask him. I feel like he's glaring at me but I can't see because of the hood. "It's none of your concern," he said, bitterly. "But what do I do?" I ask. He laughed. "You? Nothing. It's up for your father to decide your family's next move." I sighed and sat down. I was silent for a while and Mr. Carson just stayed by my side. A few minutes later, he spoke. "Penny for your thoughts?" I shook my head. "I wish my guide was here." "People come and go, Elizabeth." I closed my eyes. "He told me he loved me." "Hmm... it could be a very close friend or your husband." "My-my husband?" "Yes he could be. He seems very...powerful. Is he good or bad?" I shrug. "Well, marrying a man with high powers will bring your family up." Mr.Carson said. "Not that I'm forcing you. It's a suggestion." I laughed. "Wow that's funny." "I'm here to help, you know. I like working with your father more than your mother." "I don't like marriages like that," I huffed. "You must be saving it for your guide," Mr. Carson said. "Well, it's your decision." For the past few days, it was non-stop training and trying to have Quinn back here. But as expected, no results... at all. I got stronger in Water and Air but no changes on Fire or Earth. One day my cousin visited me in my room. "Hey...cousin," I said, sitting down in my room. He laughed, "Call me by my name, Sebastian." Then he took off his hood. I gaped. I had never seen anyone that's so...light. He's very pale against his uniform. Not the kind of pale where he is dying. His skin is so porcelain. His hair is so blonde it could look white in different lighting. The only color I see from him is his eyes, which are brown, and his pinkish lips. I blinked, "Are you even allowed to do that?" He smiled. "Yeah, we're family." "Well, our family is in danger," I sighed. "And I'm trying really hard." "Yeah I can tell," his eyes show amusement. "Carson is complaining about the noise you are making." Whoops. "Is there a way you can talk to each other without letting other people know?" I ask. He nods and something in his eyes changed. It looked determined and his eyes started to glow a bright silver, "Nemo autem audire nos. Puritatem." Something in the air changed. Instead of the feeling like someone will come in anytime, it feels like I'm in a pocket. "Are we good?" I ask, double checking. He nods. I started explaining everything. I told him that my guide said I need to take control in order to get the last two elements. But I don't even know what or how to control my life. I thought I have everything planned out but surprises attacked me. I also explained that I really want to help the family out, to be able to do something. Sharp and Ethan are already getting started on finding people who can be trained in a team. Dad is making decisions and I'm just there, doing nothing but studying and training. Then I stopped talking. Sebastian leaned forward a little bit and he looks around, like someone would be listening. When a few moments passed by, he spoke, "Let's go to Carson's room." He got up and motions me to follow him. Man, I Feel Like a Woman Ch. 05 Outside Mr. Carson's room, Sebastian warns me. "You'll be the first person outside of The Order to actually see him. He always keeps his hood up." He touched the doorknob. "Don't make him mad." Then he opens the door. When we walked in, I couldn't help but look around. It looks exactly the same but the feeling of the room seems uplifting, very powerful but also, lonely. The most shocking thing of this room was the person behind the desk. Mr. Carson looked up and he is Quinn. I mean, it's Quinn. The same guy who appeared out of nowhere when I said the guidance spell. The same Quinn that I saw everyday before he left. The same person who told me that they love me moments before he disappeared. I couldn't help but to smile. He looks the same; the unbelievably good looking chiseled jaw, his black hair neatly styled up, the healthy pink lips shining against the sun. The only thing that's different about him is his blue eyes. The future Quinn's eyes showed happiness. The Quinn now, his eyes were cold and empty. There's also a scar. It starts at the left side of his forehead through the left eye and it stops at his cheekbone. It's red and raised, like it's new. "Quinn," I said, I couldn't help it. Both guys looked at me. "How do you know my name?" Quinn asked, glaring. "That's sacred." "You're my guide," I said. "The guy that was here before." Quinn shook his head. "It's true," I pleaded. "Okay," he said, his tone saying he does not want to discuss any further. "What brilliant idea did you guys find to help your family?" He ignored looking at me and focused his attention on Sebastian. "A marriage proposal," Sebastian said, awkwardly. Quinn's eyes perked up a bit and he smiled a little. The smile where only one corner of his lips lifted. "Which Lightning is getting married?" he asked. "Her," my cousin points at me. Wait...we didn't discuss a plan. Yet, I didn't make a sound. Quinn thought long and hard. It felt like hours before he said, "Proceed." "Elizabeth would have to get married to a stronger person," Sebastian said. Quinn nodded. "Who might that be?" Sebastian smiled. It's a smile I do not like because something is up. "Well, the guy would be someone who the Lightning's trust and that her dad can be close to." "Which is?" Quinn raised his eyebrow. Before Sebastian replied, I had to think about this. There were three people I kept in mind. One, Victor. My long time crush who is close to Aaron since he is Victor's boss, but my brothers do not like, but will tolerate him. Two, Matt. He is going to be married first and he's looking for a bride. Why not me since I am his best friend and our families have been friends for a long time? Third- "Someone named Quinn Salvatore Carson," Sebastian interrupted my thoughts. I looked at Quinn in shock. Quinn was taken aback. He blinked and sounded too surprised, "Me?!