7 comments/ 6651 views/ 3 favorites The Cheshire By: TheCheshireKitten (Alright. This is my first story. Tell me what you think) Since I can remember, he has always been there. He would stalk me, chase me, hunt me...love me. His name is Luke, and as a child he was my friend. He was my protector and the best friend I ever. The friend who I didn't care whether or not anyone else liked. We did everything together throughout elementary school and as innocent kids we loved each others company and were nearly inseparable. But as I grew older, I noticed the glances other people shot at him. I couldn't understand why. He wasn't ugly, nor was abnormal in ant physical way. In fact, he was quite handsome and still is. There just seemed to be this weird air about him that I never noticed when I was a child and didn't notice until I hit twelve. That was when I stared noticing the weird looks from others and I started to get this weird creepy vibe from Luke. It was then that I stopped being his friend. I had started hanging with a group of girls and when they started talking about how creepy he was, I felt embarrassed that I was friends with him. I remember the evening that I told him I didn't want to be his friend anymore so vividly: "Look, Luke, we can't be friends anymore. You creep me out a bit and I...I just find it awkward to be around you," I had told him in a soft, innocent voice. It wasn't true. I was the most comfortable around him than at any other time in my life. His eyes dropped to the ground, and I saw his jaw clench for a moment. Then he looked back up and his eyes met mine. They were emotionless at first and for some reason I felt my breath catch on a sudden lump in my throat. I bit my limp to keep it from trembling and it was at the moment that I noticed a soft smile come to his lips. It was only for a half a second and it was so slight I almost missed it, but I could see the way his eyes lit up for that quick second. Shame, mixed with anger, flooded me and I burst out crying. "Geez Luke, you're such a freak! I never want to talk to you ever again!" I shouted rather suddenly at him before I ran off because I thought he was mocking me and making fun of me with that smile. I realize now that it was simply because he knew that what I was saying wasn't true. It broke my heart to tell him off the way I did. I cried myself to sleep that night, holding myself as I curled up into a tight ball in my bed. Through middle school and high school I kept my eye on him. He took on a goth look and he seemed to attract some strange kids without meaning to. Meanwhile, I was a cheerleader. I lead a preppy life and was one of the most popular girls in my school. Both of us graduated in the top ten of our class and wound up going to community college together. I don't know if he'd planned it or not, but I thought he was stalking me. I started to feel differently though when I rarely saw him around, and I almost forgot completely about him. I wound up pledging to the top sorority on campus, passing with flying colors, despite the hazing. Especially event one in particular that I thought I would have been kicked out for. They had us stripped to our undies, which made me glad that I'd put on my peach silk panties and bra to reduce embarrassment of ungodly undies like granny panties. Then they blind folded us and bound our hands behind us before covering us in silk sheets. They marched us to somewhere and then the blind folds were removed. They gave us a moment to realize we were on a stage in front of the entire male population of the campus before they ripped away the sheet to reveal our bodies. Though I'm in shape, and in no way ashamed of my body, the moment the sheet was pulled away, my eyes met with Luke's and I suddenly wanted to hide. He was no longer a little goth boy. He was no longer dressed in black and such, but he was what was considered normal by the rest of the school. My body suddenly felt like it was on fire but I was trembling heavily as though I was freezing. Whether I was actually cold, or it was something else, I don't think I even know at the time. His eyes were glued to mine and I couldn't figure out what he was feeling, but I knew how I was feeling as I looked back into his devilishly handsome face. I felt lust, desire, and a terrible ache to be in his arms. My body cried out for him and then there was darkness. When I came to, I was surrounded by the sorority sisters except for one girl named Sara. "What happened?" I grumbled groggily and rubbed my head. "You passed out. Dropped like a sack of potatoes right there on the stage," one of the girls named Texas replied. I sighed and looked at the ceiling. Why had I reacted like that? Life went back to normal, or at least as normal as it could be. I saw Luke occasionally, in a class, around campus, or while eating at the cafeteria. I ignored how my body reacted to him and acted as though he wasn't there. The closest we ever got to each other was in the classroom. He would sit in the back right corner, while I sat in the front left corner of the rows of seats. Part of me expected that he would try to get closer but he never did and I felt strangely disappointed that he didn't. A few months after the incident, I started going out with this guy named Andrew. He wasn't in a fraternity, but he knew everyone on campus, and everyone knew him. He was liked by all the fraternities and sororities and he'd grown a fancy for me. He was pretty cute, but for some strange reason I never found overly attractive and I in no way wanted to see him naked. I often used the excuse that I wasn't ready when the topic of sex came up. I was ready, just not for him; however I did find him to be very sweet and I quite enjoyed his company, until I found out he was close friends with Luke. I discovered this at one of the parties he threw. I was chugging a cup of beer, sitting on Andrew's lap, with guys chanting, "Chug, chug, chug," all around me. I took the whole thing and amidst the cheers when I had finished, my eyes landed on Luke. I felt frozen in time until Andrew suddenly pulled me back against his chest and kissed me deep and long. I suddenly felt disgusted and sick and I elbowed Andrew in the ribs. He grunted and pulled away. "What the hell cubby?" he asked. I'm not quite sure how I earned that nickname, but he loved to call me that, and soon others picked it up. "Sorry,"I mumbled. Then I leaned into him."What is he doing here?"I asked him as I nodded towards Luke. "Hmm? Oh. You know him?"he asked me. I hesitated and shook my head no. I felt a little bad about lying but something in me didn't want to own up to the horrible way I'd treated Luke. Much to my dismay, he waved to Luke to come over and he did. He looked directly at me and raised an eyebrow before he looked at Andrew. "What's going on Drew, how's the party?"he asked. His voice was deep and luxurious. I hadn't heard him speak since we were kids and I nearly melted at the sound of it. "It's great Lu. I want you to meet some one though,"he stated and he nudged for me to get up. Reluctantly I did so, my eyes glued to the ground and my cheeks a deep red color."This is Alice, my cubby. Alice, this is Luke. We met at one of the Greek functions,"I looked up as he said that. "Oh. Are you in a frat?" I asked innocently. Luke narrowed his eyes at me before shaking his head. "No, but I'm surprised you asked. I should think you'd know all the frat brothers,"he replied in and almost nasty tone and with that it was over. I tried to forget to awkward encounter by drowning it in alcohol. Later, Andrew took my drunken self to his room and left me there in the dark, fighting to get my shirt off so I could get comfy for bed. I was losing the battle. Some one entered the room and I assumed that it was Andrew coming back and so I continued my struggle. Two warm hands settled my writhing body and then helped the shirt up over my head. The brightness from when the door had opened and then shut left me blind and no matter how hard I searched, I could not make heads or tails of his face. I accepted his helping hands to get me out of my skirt and heels. For some reason I kept getting this feeling that it wasn't Andrew, but I didn't feel threatened or scared, just tired, and then cold as well. "Thank you Drew,"I mumbled and I felt two warm, strong arms pull me close and wrap around me. I moaned softly at the feeling and happily whispered, "Andrew," I was pressed against the warm body for almost a minute before I was swept off my feet, cradled in those strong arms, and carried over to the bed. He laid me down and I was so close to sleep that I hardly cared that the guy had climbed over top of me and had carefully laid his body over mine, being careful not to crush me. I simply moaned and snuggled into him. I felt sleep tugging at my last conscious thoughts and I looked one last time at the man above me. I thought I was dreaming when I saw Luke's handsome face gazing down at me and I closed my eyes, Luke's name slipping past my lips. The last thing I remember was feeling the man above me shudder and then I was out. When I woke, Andrew was on the complete other side of the bed and he had all the covers. It was one of the two things I hated about him. That and PDA. He loved it. I groaned at my hangover and looked at the time on the night stand but the view was obstructed by a mug with a note in front of it. I sat up and quickly grabbed the note. Something fell to the floor as I did but I read the note first. Elegant handwriting was on the page: Alice, I'm sorry about last night. What I said was cruel. When I came to apologize you looked liked you were going to strangle yourself with your shirt. I tried my best to control myself, but I just had to hold you. Please accept my gift and my apology. You don't have to where it, but I want you to have it. Your Freak I blushed at the last few memories of the night. So it hadn't been Andrew and it had in fact been Luke. I glanced at the ground and picked up a locket, attached to a simple ribbon of a material that felt softer than the finest silks. I hum of pleasure slid through me as I stroked the material and I considered it a moment. Glancing toward Andrew I bit my lip. It was simple in shape, only a round locket, and on the front was a crest of some sort, engraved into the silver. I couldn't make it out completely because it seemed a bit worn and old. I shrugged. If anything, I could just tell Andrew it was a family heirloom. As I slipped the latch into place I smiled when I found it fit like a choker; however when I noticed something at the window the smile disappeared, but whatever had been there disappeared before I could get a good look at it. I simply shrugged and got dressed before heading back to the sorority house. The Cheshire Ch. 02 (thank you for your comments, criticism, and support. Here is some more for you. I looked it over more carefully and worked harder on detail and trying to get it to flow a bit more) Twelve baby girls born on the same night. All of them look similar. Only one of them is heir to the throne of Imperium. Each child, eleven having been willingly sacrificed by their mothers to join the twelfth, was given to a male shape-shifting guardian, some one who could be part of it's surrounding without it knowing that it was sent to Earth for a greater purpose than to just live. Each guardian took their child to different parts of the world to raise their child. Each child would grow up to have long, raven black hair and dark blue eyes with fair white skin. None of the guardians knew who the true heir was and each guardian would have to send their child through a certain set of tests to find out who was the true heir in time to bring her back and re-awaken Imperium. It's a tradition that started with the first queen who had twins. She wasn't sure which one should rule so she sent both away to Earth and when she died Imperium fell into a frozen state of slumber until one day, the child who should rightfully rule Imperium would return and reawaken the kingdom. At least it makes life interesting. When I arrived on Earth the first thing I did was I found a family and I left the child I'd been given on their doorstep in a basket. If there was one thing that was certain, it was that I was not the fatherly type. Guardian, yes. Protective, yes. Father, NO! Instead, I watched over her, Alice, as the family had named her, in my guardian form, a cat. When she was old enough to go to preschool, I became a classmate. It was much to my pleasure that she took to me right away and occasionally I enjoyed childhood as I "grew up" with her. I made sure to keep with the stages, and it made it so much easier that she clung to me like glue. Soon I realized that my protectiveness was giving off an aura that was causing others to think I was strange. I didn't mind so much though because she didn't seem to notice it, or care about it, until middle school that is. She was starting to come into her beauty at this point and was starting to hang out with other people. People who didn't like me. With their influence she was convinced that I was suddenly weird and I can't help but admit that I was slightly hurt that day she finally told me that she didn't want to be friends with me. "Look, Luke, we can't be friends anymore. You creep me out a bit and I...I just find it awkward to be around you," she told me. I looked at the ground and clenched my jaw to fight the strange emotions that were biting at me. I was her guardian, not her friend, so this should not have hurt. In fact, I should have been relieved because in a way it made my job a bit easier. Still, when I looked back at her I had steeled my own face to keep the emotions from showing. They had no place in this relationship. Once again I was surprised by my minds reaction to the catch in her breath and the glisten of threatening tears. It gave me slight satisfaction to realize she hadn't really meant what she said. She felt bad about doing this and she would never forget this day. Though I hadn't meant for the satisfaction to be seen, she saw it and it upset her. After yelling, "Geez Luke, you're such a freak! I never want to talk to you ever again!" at me she took off. I stayed in school, even though I could have just as easily have just stalked her as a cat. I figured it would seem strange if I suddenly disappeared just because she no longer wanted to be my friend. I noted what outcasts wore and picked up what was called a "goth" appearance. However, it still attracted others and they hung around me, even though I rarely ever spoke to them. Though I could have easily been the number one student in grades, I kept it to top ten so as not to draw too much attention and I followed Alice into college, and I kept my eye on her. With the size of the campus and the way classes were scheduled, it was much easier than it was in high school, and it was easier to hide as an animal even though I still kept up human appearances every now and then. I found it quite entertaining that she had decided to pledge for the top sorority and I decided to show up to all of their functions whether I was invited or not, just to see these strange Earthly rituals. At one of the functions I met a sophomore named Andrew. He seemed to be well liked around campus and everyone seemed to know him. For some strange reason, he found me to be a formidable ally and he liked to call me his friend. He drug me along to some sorority function they called hazing one night, though I didn't realize it was for the sorority Alice was pledging to until later. "It's time to find me a fresh girlfriend," he told me jokingly. I played along and watched as the pledges were marched onto the stage, but my eyes locked on to one in particular with long, raven black hair. I felt a little nervous, but figured there was a small chance that it was Alice. When the blind folds were removed my stomach somersaulted and I felt sick. My charge was on the stage. How could this have happened? How could I have let it happen? When the sheets were removed, I sucked in a deep breath and my heart started thundering in my chest. My eyes were glued to her and I watched the flush come to her pale cheeks. I watched her body start to tremble, and I saw something in her eyes that I never expected to see. There was lust, and desire. I felt my body harden in response and I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat as I felt as though I was in a desert without a single drop of water and she was the only one who could supply it. Reality hit me though as I watched her collapse on the stage, and I was glad that we were close to the stage. I reacted quickly, shoving through the crowd, and leaping on to the stage. I scooped her body into my arms, surprised to find that her soft body seemed to be burning up as opposed to cold which would have explained her shivering. I was lead back to the sorority house and lead to a room by one of the head sisters. All the while, I was far too conscious of how nicely Alice's slim for fit into my arms, how soft and warm her skin was, and how beautifully she'd grown up. The sorority sister thanked me for my help and watched me with admiring eyes as I carried Alice to the bed. I took no shame in flexing a bit as I placed her down carefully. "So are you the boyfriend?"she asked me. She was sending me small signals with her body. Whether they were purposeful or not, it was working on me and I caught on to her sly little game. Looking her over carefully, sure she didn't hold the beauty that Alice did, but then again her and Alice were from completely different worlds. Beauty was different on Earth. It was faker. Still...she was attractive in her own ways. "No, I...I'm just a romantic, hoping to be some one's hero," I replied with a smile. She bought it and was fidgeting all night, attempting to make idle conversation while we waited for others to come and look after Alice. I felt bad about picking up a girl while Alice lay unconscious on the bed, but I couldn't help it. Despite what I thought of Alice, I was her guardian end of story. In the meantime though, I've still got needs. Needs that haven't been satisfied in years. Once others came, Sara, the sorority girl, and I disappeared to her room and I fucked her for hours. The memory of Alice only in her underwear, and her warm body cradled in my arms, keeping me hard until I was exhausted, and Sara even more so. None-the-less, she was extremely satisfied, and I was at least content and able to finally think of Alice again in a simply platonic way. I was happy enough like this for quite sometime and kept my distance from Alice. I even told Andrew to ask her out on a date. I thought that if he were dating her, it would make it easier for me not think of her in disgraceful ways. After a year I found out it wasn't. I was originally annoyed with how happy Andrew was with her, though I hid it well. Then he started complaining that she wasn't putting out. God I wanted to hit that boy so hard. I often had to resist the urge to tell him to break up with her so he could go get his dick wet, but at least I knew he wasn't pressuring or forcing her into it and I knew she was safe with him. I didn't realize the full extent of my jealousy until I saw them at a party that Andrew was throwing at his house after finals. She was on his lap, chugging god knows what. I stiffened when she saw me, leaning against a wall not too far away, watching this. I got so mad when he pulled her into a deep kiss that I had to look away. The only reason I looked back was because Andrew called me over. I made nice, asking how things were going. I supposed I couldn't be too mad that she acted as though she didn't know me, after all, I had done the same not too long ago. To say I was a little bitter when she asked if I was in a frat is a bit of an understatement. Me? In a fraternity? Yeah right. But I suppose calling her a hoar ,even indirectly by insinuating that she should know all the frat boys because she slept with them, was a little over board. Especially when I know for a fact that it's not true. I felt doubly bad when I watched her drinking herself into a drunken bliss later on. I watched in silence when Andrew put her in his room and a few minutes after Andrew left her, I walked in, planning on apologizing to her, only to find her lost inside her own shirt. With a sigh I ventured over smoothed the shirt down, glad to feel her relax. I was about to apologize when I noticed that she didn't seem to recognize me. With a quick glance around the room, I assumed it was too dark for her to be able to see very well. As she swayed drunkenly, I sighed. Even if I did apologize, she would not remember it in the morning. So instead, I helped her get her shirt off and then helped her out of her skirt and those blasted heels she took pleasure in strutting around in. I was unprepared for the repercussions of this though. As looked over her body, just as beautiful as I remembered it, it roused the hardness that I thought I'd satisfied the night she'd fainted. "Thank you Drew," her voice was husky from the alcohol and the need sleep. My jaw clenched in jealously and I wanted nothing more than to tell her that it wasn't Drew. Instead, I pulled her against my body and wrapped my arms around her. I just had to hold her, to feel her body against mine, so warm and soft, and she smelled amazingly like spring flowers, despite the alcohol. When she whispered Andrew's name again, I fought the urge to correct her, and instead picked her up and laid her down in the bed. She looked so tempting that I could stop myself from crawling on top of her and resting lightly atop her, wanting to feel her slim form beneath me. It was almost too much for me to bare when she snuggled against me and let out a gentle moan, but what nearly broke me was when she whispered, more like moaned my name before she fell asleep. I shudder ran through my stiff body and it took everything in me to get myself away from her. I had to get out of there before Andrew got back, or I did something stupid. So I bolted and found some drunken girl down at the party. I found a room and I used her until I couldn't even think anymore, let alone think about Alice. I woke at dawn to a strange presence in the room and I got up quickly, still naked, to see one of the other guardians. He looked at the girl, a blond, passed out sloppily on the bed, naked as well and he sighed. "You'll never change will you, Cheshire?" he asked me, calling me by my guardian name. (Though she might not remember it, Alice had named me Luke.) I shot him a glare. "Like you have room to talk, Pace. You were worse than I was before you found Clarice," I snapped. He put up his hands in apology. In his right hand though, pinched between his thumb and index finger, was the collar. Well, that's what it's called anyway. It looks more like a choker than a collar, but it's formally called the royal collar because it is the necklace that is passed on through the generations of queens. This was the first step to finding the true queen, and it was finally my turn. Stepping forward I held out my hand and he dropped it in my palm. "My charge wouldn't even touch it," Pace admitted with a sigh and then he left. I wondered idly why it had taken so long to get to me but I simply shrugged it off and got to work making sure Alice would get it. I wrote her a note apologizing for my rude behavior and my lewd behavior, and I made her tea. After sneaking into the room, I placed all three objects on the night stand beside Alice and left the room as quietly as possible. I went outside and turned into a my guardian form, an orange cat. I climbed into a tree by the window I waited until she woke. Then I watched as she read the note and then surveyed the collar. Her reaction to the fabric of the collar, an enchanted fabric from Imperium meant to feel soft to only certain people, excited me in more than one way. I watched as she put it on before I leaped out of the tree and so as not to be spotted. One done, six more to go. The Cheshire Ch. 03 (I worked harder on proofreading and detail. Sorry for the long wait, I fell out for a bit, but here's the next chapter. Criticism is always welcome, I hope you enjoy) It didn't take Alice more than an hour or so, even in her hung over state, to figure out that it was Lucas that had given her the choker. Her Freak. It seemed to have become an inside joke for him. She thought about this over and over during the next couple days. Despite what she'd said to him, and how they'd ended, he still liked her. He still wanted to be around her. He wanted to be hers, and deep down there was something telling her that she wanted to be his. Thinking about it made her cheeks flush and made her want to see him, and be around him. This, however, was the exact reason why, when Andrew set up a group date night, she protested Luke coming along. She pulled up every excuse she could think of, but Andrew was unmovable and he ignored her pleas. "Why don't you want him to come," Andrew asked, frustrated. "It's nothing against him honey, it's just that we already make such a large group. If things get too rowdy, we'll get kicked out of the restaurant," she argued weakly. "Look, it's extremely convenient for him to come. He's single, and Tanya just broke up with that jerk Mark. They'd be great together. Not to mention he's one of my best friends and I want you to like him too," he stated and gently tickled her side. She squeaked and jumped away from him. If only he knew what was going on in her head. Liking him wasn't a problem, that was for sure. In fact it bothered her that not only coming was he coming, but he was going to be with some other girl. Not just any girl at that, Tanya. She was gorgeous, with long legs, a curvy body, blonde hair, and a beautiful smile and to top off the package, she was smart too. Alice sighed and nodded. "Fine."she muttered and she finished getting ready. The plan was a dinner, a movie, and then bowling. It was a large group. Four couples, totaling eight people, and at dinner, despite their attempts at being mannerly, they still turned out to be a bit of a loud group at dinner. Only two people in the group barely talked. Alice, was simply inattentive to anything being said around her, and was often glancing down towards Luke, who, in fact, was the other person who was keeping his peace. From time to time she felt herself staring at him too long as she wondered what he was thinking about, though Luke was positive it was something no one at this table could ever guess. He was thinking of Imperium. He longed for his home. Of course, Alice managed to linger in his thoughts, and he occasionally looked towards her. He couldn't help but be excited. If she was the future queen, he would be her adviser. That's how the system had worked in the past at least, or so he thought so. He glanced down towards her and caught her eyes. A smile slipped over his lips as she quickly looked away and pretended to be engrossed in the conversations going on around her. He took a moment to admire her. What a queen she would make too. She had soft, kind features which made her very approachable. Her black hair framed her pale face in a stunning contrast that screamed, classic beauty. She wasn't 'too' anything. She was perfect, and he was almost certain that she was going to be the one to take them all home again. "Don't you think so, Luke?" The question, thrown out there by the only other single person in the group, caught him off guard and he had looked at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, what was the question," he asked Tanya. He was appreciative for Andrew's thoughtfulness, but from what he gathered from Tanya, she was sweet and fragile and just out of a relationship. All Luke had to offer was a quick and easy lay. He wasn't about to hurt or insult the poor child with such a reality. "I asked you if you thought the food here was good. They must have done something right cause you certainly wolfed it down," she teased. He smiled. "Yes the food was delicious," he responded, kicking himself for not being a better date, despite not being interested in furthering their relationship. Alice was getting more a more nervous as she watched Luke and Tanya talking. He was smiling, and she was smiling. They were getting on too well. She sighed and tried her best to keep her attention towards her boyfriend, trying to remind herself that she indeed had a boyfriend and shouldn't be worried about another guy. During the movie, Alice didn't have time to worry about Lucas and Tanya. As usual, she had to dodge Andrews attempts at making-out. She nearly got up and moved at one point if it weren't for the public embarrassment it would cause both of them. After the movie was over though, he managed to pull her aside without arising suspicion from the rest of the group, giving fake smiles and even a suggestive wink. "God, Alice, what is with you?"he snapped, irritated that he wasn't getting his way. Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh grow up Drew. You're upset because I wouldn't make out with you in the theater?"she crossed her arms and watched him warily. "Yes...No...Sorta. You just...It's they way you go about it. You act like I'm a pig for wanting to do it."he replied, suddenly defensive like a wounded animal. She hated when he did this. She found it disgusting for a grown man to whine like a child. "Yeah, for wanting to do it in a movie theater, or just in public in general. I have no problem with little things here and there. An innocent kiss, holding hands, a brief hug. I have no problem with those, but making out, acting like horned up teenagers...it's just not me Drew."she explained and it drug a sigh from him. "I know. Your right."he muttered. It was the same reply that was given at the end of every fight, and she hated it. She didn't care about being right, she just wanted him to understand, which he didn't. However, she let it end there. There was no use in trying to drag it out. She was almost positive that he would never understand and she was getting that guilty feeling that she was going to have to end things soon if he didn't. She glanced around and noticed Luke watching them and she blushed deeply. She thought he'd already gone back to his car to head to the bowling alley what was he doing watching them like it was any of his business. She sent a glare his way before hugging Drew. She wasn't sure the purpose of the display but she wanted it to seem like everything was OK. "Come on. Let's catch up with the others before they get there and start bowling without us," she stated. As she glanced towards where she'd seen Luke, he was gone. She frowned slightly and started to head towards Drew's car. The car ride was completely silent. Alice's thoughts were burning her up. She kept wondering why she was even with Drew as she went over and over all the reasons that they shouldn't be together. Suddenly she felt trapped. She wanted out. She needed out. When they arrived she was so grateful to get out of car and breath the fresh air but it only helped to slightly alleviate the sudden claustrophobic panic. She knew this was more than a physical space thing. Throughout the rest of the night she was distracted, thinking of the best way to break up with Andrew. She had completely forgotten about her distress about Luke and Tanya. Of course Andrew wasn't picking up on any of her negative feelings towards him. Luke, however, shuddered from the sudden negative vibes that rolled off of her. She was extremely upset and it worried him. He tried his best to to be attentive to Tanya, but it was really hard when something was obviously wrong with his charge. It was killing him wondering what Andrew could have said to her to upset her so much. "She's really pretty." He heard Tanya's soft, almost sad voice say. He frowned and looked at her. She gave him a knowing smile. "Were you two together once?" "No, not really. When we were real young we were best friends, but she rejected me at one point. I don't blame her. We were a little too close and she needed her space," he admitted. Tanya nodded. "She's a lucky girl," Tanya stated and she kissed Luke on the cheek. He watched her as she got up and walked up to the lane to take her turn. "I certainly hope so, for both our sake," he muttered to himself. After bowling, everyone said their good nights. Luke apologized to Tanya that he hadn't been a better date. "You deserve a much better man than me," he stated, trying to make her feel better about the night. She smiled and kissed him on the lips this time. It was a soft, lingering kiss and he let his hand rest on her shoulders for a moment before the kiss ended. "Yes. Yes I do," she responded and winked at him before getting in her car and leaving. He chuckled and looked up to see Alice watching him. He hesitated a moment before letting a smirk appear on his face as he waved good night to her. Then he got in his car and started it. He didn't leave just yet though. He'd wait and follow them back just to make sure she got home safe. Alice felt herself burning when she saw them kiss. Then his nonchalant wave as if it hadn't happened, or worse, like it was no big deal. She got into Drew's car and the silence was suffocating on the way back home, once again causing her to forget about Lucas and Tanya. When Drew stopped outside of the house that she shared with five other girls, he shut the car off and started to get out. "Drew wait," she called softly and watched him settle and look at her. "We need to talk." He frowned and watched her carefully. "I can't do this anymore," she started. "Do what," he asked defensively. "Us," she admitted solemnly. "We keep fighting and getting nowhere, and the fights are always about the same thing, over and over again. I just can't do it anymore. I feel suffocated and I just need out." She looked at him, some tears brimming in her eyes. He watched her with a concerned look on his face. "Um...Baby, you're tired. Why don't you get some rest, and...we'll talk about this tomorrow," he told her as he reached out to stroke her arm. She flinched away from him and shook her head, suddenly furious with him for not taking her seriously. "No, I'm done. I've been thinking about it, and I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry. It's over, we're over," she stated firmly, trying to make him take her seriously. "Can't we talk about this Ali? I mean, this is so sudden, I don't even know where this is coming from," he pleaded. "If you didn't see this coming then no, we can't talk about this. I just can't take this anymore," she replied and she got out of the car. Andrew got out quickly after her and rounded the car before she'd even closed the door behind her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her before she could react. She felt disgusted by the desperate act, but she waited til he pulled away, not really reciprocating. The pain in his eyes was pitiful. "I'm sorry Andrew," she apologized. When he finally let go of her, she quickly retreated inside and locked the door to keep him from coming after her. She leaned against the door and listened as he got into his car. It was a few more moment before his engine finally revved up again and he drove off, tires squealing. She hoped he wouldn't go do something stupid. After a moment her mind traveled to Lucas. She grabbed her purse and left, heading for where Lucas lived. Luke pulled up to his apartment building and spotted some one sitting outside it. Probably one of his alcoholic neighbors, having locked themselves out again. As he got out of his car the person stood up and he could make out the distinctive shape of a woman and curiosity gripped him. None of the women in his building looked like that. He walked up to the building and was greeted by Tanya. He cocked his head slightly and gave her a confused look. "I know, we decided you're not interested in me, but I've heard things about you and after being with Mark, it makes the rumors all that more intriguing. I'm not asking for love or a relationship, I just..."she paused and a blush filled her cheeks. "I've heard you really know you're way around a woman's body and I could really use a bit of that tonight," she finished. He looked her over, she was very attractive and more than once during the night he had contemplated running his hands over her body. He nodded. "Alright. As long as you can do no strings attached, I don't see why we can't have some fun." He gently grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close and kissed her deeply. He felt her sigh softly as she practically melted into him. He carefully ended the kiss and nodded towards the door. "Let's take this upstairs shall we?" he offered and he unlocked the door. He didn't notice Alice watching from across the street as he pulled Tanya into the building and up the stairs to his apartment. She couldn't believe it. Sure, she'd seen them kiss outside the bowling alley, but she'd been so distracted that she'd passed it off as nothing. She hadn't thought that they'd actually hit it off that well. She shook her head and walked back home. Meanwhile, Lucas had Tanya pinned against the door just inside his apartment. He pushed her skirt easily off her hips and he rubbed her through her damp panties and their tongues tangled with each other. His other hand was up her shirt dancing across the smooth skin of her stomach. Her hands were roaming his strong chest, admiring his build. He broke their kiss so that he could pull off both of their shirts. Before he could get back to the kissing he had to take a moment to take in her body. She really was quite beautiful with soft pale skin and a slim, model like figure. As he started to kiss her again, his hands slid down her sides and hooked on her panties. He played with the elastic as he began to kiss her neck and as he moved down her body, kissing and licking, he pulled her panties down slowly. He paused to take some time at his breasts, licking and sucking until she squealed in pleasure. Then he continued down, and she stepped out of the underwear before he attacked her heat. Her head leaned back as his tongue circled her clit and he pressed two fingers into her wet pussy. She gasped and had to lean against the door for support as she could feel her body tensing already. His fingers hit a spot and she trembled in pleasure. He growled in satisfaction and attacked the spot again as he continued to lick her clit. She let out a cry as her orgasm struck her hard and she gasped for air. He stood and dropped his pants and his briefs. He was hard and ready for the warm wet pleasure. He grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up, putting her thighs on his hips, pressing her against the door with his body and used one hand to cup her ass and support her while the other guided himself to her hot, waiting sex. She trembled as he ran it along her slit, wetting the tip and pulling a groan from himself. He rubbed his cock against her clit, rewarding him with a desperate cry from her. Then he positioned himself at her entrance and shoved into her in one hard thrust. She was so wet that his entrance was easy and he was seated very quickly to the hilt, deep inside her. She let out a cry of pain and pleasure as she squirmed on top of him, her walls rippling around him, forcing grunts and groans from him as he braced himself and held her firmly on his cock, forcing her to accept his whole length and girth. After giving her a moment to adjust he started to thrust slowly, pushing her hard against the door with each thrust. She gasped and grabbed onto him, trying to anchor herself as he started to thrust faster, filling her completely. He paused in their rutting only long enough to get them to his bed. Then he continued thrusting into her. She writhed beneath him as he hit her g-spot, assaulting it over and over again until she was no more than a puddle of screaming jelly beneath him, trembling in pleasure as wave after wave hit her. Alice sighed as she walked home. For a moment she felt mad at Lucas, but it slowly passed as she remembered that she had no real claim over him and he could do as he pleased. She didn't need some one else to make her happy anyway. She considered this a moment. It was something that desperate and lonely girls said to themselves to make them feel better. She continued to think on it when she realized that she really didn't need anyone. Without Andrew, she felt free and with Lucas officially taken, she wasn't able to rush into anything on the rebound. The suffocation that she'd felt early lifted suddenly and she smiled to herself. Alice suddenly felt empowered by her realization. She truly didn't need some one else to make her happy. Not Drew, and not Luke. She was very content as she was and she could lead her life as she saw fit, not by some on else's standards. She walked into her house and knew that she needed to do something. She wanted climb a mountain, go kayaking, or jump out of a plane. She felt like a whole new person, refreshed and ready for something new. She wanted to rule a country. Alice hesitated at this thought. Where had that come from? Was that truly her own? A country? What made her fit to rule a country, or anything for that matter? She shrugged and slipped her fingers through her hair. Why not? What didn't make her fit to rule? These questions made her smile, as she got ready for bed. In the morning, she would cook for her housemates and then she would convince Jayden to do something with her, something crazy and fun. Jayden was good for those kinds of things. She was the outdoorsy type and knew all the best places to go. After an hour and a half, and six orgasms, Tanya passed out from exhaustion and pleasure. Though not completely sated, he liked his girls' conscious so Luke rolled off of her. He was still quite pleased, mostly with himself. He always felt triumphant in his prowess and the fact that such rumors were secretly making their way around the female realm made his ego soar. It was enough to allow him stretch out with a glorious grin on his face as though he had met his own climax. A soft cough broke his thoughts and he looked at his still sleeping partner before glancing around. He frowned as he spotted a mouse of a man in the far corner of his bedroom. He wasn't enjoying the pattern that seemed to be forming here. The man eyed Tanya, and Luke sighed again as he got up and pulled on a pair of sweats on before leading his guest out of the room, closing the door behind him. "You don't seem pleased to see me Cheshire," he quipped as he turned to look at him. Luke smirked. "It's not that I'm not pleased to see Steppe, the situation seems to be becoming a habit, that's all. How have you been?" he asked as he motioned for Steppe to sit. Steppe shook his head and watched as Luke sat down. "I was great. Got through three tests before she failed," he hesitated a moment and glanced towards Luke's bedroom. "Is that her," he asked timidly. This made Luke laugh. "No, not quite. Tanya's just a...friend," he responded. Steppe nodded lightly and Luke's eyes followed Steppe's hand as it moved to his pocket. It retrieved a small silver object and he handed it to Luke. He took it and looked it over, shifting in unease. Steppe let off a light chuckle. "Yeah. My Trina barely squeaked by this one. Best of luck Cheshire, for all our sakes," he stated and patted him on the back before disappearing. The object was a tiny silver trinket of a box. With humans they were usually said to hold wishes or prayers or something, but in Imperium they were enchanted and used to hold evil souls captive. This one in particular was quite famous, for it held the soul of the sister who'd lost in the race to become queen. She'd been enraged and swore to haunt her sister and any future queen for all time. He sighed and tried to decide how to gift it to Alice. He placed it on the island counter in his small kitchen before heading back to his room. He glanced in and saw that Tanya was still sound asleep and hadn't moved from her former position. He considered his options a moment before lying down on his couch and drifting off for a few hours.