Julia and Alex ran through the woods hand in hand. Her legs burned and her skirt weighed her down. It caught on some brambles and snagged, causing her to trip and fall. Alex reached out, grabbing Julia around the waist with his arm and stood her back up.

She pouted as she looked down. "Damn it; my poor dress is completely trashed." He let her go and they set to work trying to free the skirt from the thorny bushes. In the end they had to tear it free. "The skirt is slowing us down; just help me unfasten it," Julia said in frustration.

Alex looked up at her for a second then stood up and unfastened the buttons at the back allowing her to step out of it. Her hand shot to her waist and untied the bustle pad letting it drop to the ground. The long silk under skirt was also in tatters below her knees. Reaching down she tore off the bottom half just above her knees. "There, that's much better. Now I can actually walk."

Alex hooked his hand in hers. "We should get going, I don't know if anyone is following us and I want to make it back to Havenswood before the sun comes up."

She was tired and her feet were killing her and Julia knew she wasn't going to be able to keep this pace up. She pulled on his hand trying to stop him from walking. "Alex, can we just take a little break? We've been running for ages, my whole body is killing me and I'm still trying to process everything. I just don't get why Mormo did all of that; it doesn't make any sense."

He looked at her and sighed then pulled her to a grassy spot and sat down. Julia went to sit next to him but he pulled her onto his lap. "The ground is damp and cold, it's better if you sit on my lap." he laced his fingers in Julia's hand and gave it a squeeze. "There is a lot going on that I can't really explain right now. But Mormo is not a good guy and whatever his reasons are for what he did; you can bet it has something to do with Thorsen."

Julia looked down at their hands; normally she would've ripped her hand away. But after their moment on the dance floor; the wall inside of her had crumbled away. A part of her had opened up to the fact that, she felt more for him than she had been willing to let herself feel before. Stop fighting it, a voice coiled around her heart and called out, I won't let you run away any longer.

A force over her took control, turning Julia around in his lap. She faced Alex and looked into his eyes. They seemed to yearn for her, calling out to her, pulling at her heart. She shook her head trying to clear it. "I just don't get what he wants with me. It's not like I'm some powerful witch like my mom. I virtually have no magic in me."

Alex stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb causing her to blush. "I know there's a lot going on and I'm sorry but I can't give you an explanation right now. I wish I could give you more than that, but right now I just need for you to trust me. Can you do that?"

His touch sent a warm glow though her. She looked down at her hands as the voice snaked through her head, you know you can trust him. You've known it from the start. Let go and stop fighting it.

Her heart was pounding in her chest with a mixture of anxiety and desire. She swallowed past the last of her hesitation and looked up into his eyes. "From the first moment I met you, you've been rescuing me. It's strange but I feel this deep connection to you. Stronger than anyone else and somehow I just know you would never hurt me."

The look in his eyes told her he wanted more, that they both wanted more. But she still didn't trust her instincts when it came to him. He had played the Jekyll and Hyde card on her one too many times. She never knew where she stood with him and getting angry at him and allowing him to run was her coping mechanism.

Stop! Don't do it, the voice pleaded with her. "Look I know you don't really like me; and having to constantly watch out for me must be a pain and I'm sorry about that."

Julia knew she was losing against the pull she felt toward him. And knew if she actually gave her heart to him there would be no turning back for her. She didn't want to but she had to give him one last chance to escape, because she couldn't run away.

"I know you must find it tediously boring having to live in such a small town as Havenswood," pain ripped through her heart as she said it. She looked away as the voice in her head cried out, Please stop! Don't say another word. "But I'm crazy strong and I do have Ren who is always looking out for me."

He pulled her face back to his and searched her eyes. Tears lapped at her eyes and her voice was shaking she continued, "Believe or not, the town council is made up of some very powerful people. So you guys can go back to your regular lives when we get back. I promise I won't ̶"

Alex cut her off with a passionate kiss. His soft tender lips on hers were heavenly and she melted into him. Her whole world seemed to come into focus while she was wrapped in his arms. The pull toward him was magnetic and primal. She felt herself getting lost and found in his fervent kisses all at once. It was a heady mix that she wanted to last until the end of time.

In between kisses he said, "You're right, you are a pain," kiss. "But I wouldn't change that," kiss. "And if you think I'm going anywhere," kiss. "You are mistaken," kiss. Pulling back, he cupped her face in his hands. "It's been so long since I felt this way about anyone. Despite my best efforts not to feel anything for you, I can't stop myself. I'm sick of burying these feelings I have for you. So I'm not going to anymore."

Julia smiled at him and leaned into kiss him. "I like you too, Alex."

Their kissing was fervid and their bodies entwined. It was becoming harder to tell where one ended and the other began as they tangled themselves together.

Alex's cell phone rang cutting through the silence of the forest. Alex ignored it, his hands inched further up Julia's silk skirt. She was consumed by his lips and ardent embrace that she barely heard the cell phone. It rang and rang going to voice mail two times. The third time Alex broke away leaving them both out of breath, staring into the other's eyes and Julia feeling lost from the lack of his contact.

He reached into his jacket pocket and yanked out the offending cell phone without taking his eyes off Julia. "This had better be important," he snapped down the phone. Then he listened to the other person. "I have no idea where we are. We ran into the woods and have been running toward Havenswood." He paused listened once again. "I thought it would be best to go into the woods as deep as possible to avoid anyone following us." He listened again and said, "Okay, we'll start heading back toward the road and tell the elf to hurry up."

Then hung up, looking at Julia he ran his hand through the back of her hair and kissed her again. "The others managed to make it out of there and are driving down Applegate road looking for us. The elf has gotten out and is now tracking us and he should find us soon enough."

Julia's heart plummeted, she knew this simple dream they had just shared was soon coming to an end. She wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "Véronique and you are going out and Damien wants to go out with me," her voice was sullen. "This is going to cause such a mess. Not to mention the whole forbidden relationship thing. Maybe we should just go back to the way things were and act like this never happened."

He pulled her away from him so that she was looking at him. "Do you really want to do that?"

Julia bit her lip to stop her heart from feeling like it was going to tear in two, and stem the tears that threatened to well up. "No of course I don't want that but ̶"

He cut her off once again, his lips on hers. He ran his tongue along her lips seeking access inside her mouth. She gladly opened her mouth letting their tongues dance together.

When he pulled he said, "Good. 'Cause I wasn't going to let that happen even if you said you did. Julia, I'm not going anywhere and I'm certainly not going to let you go." He sighed. "Look Véronique and I are not and have never been in a relationship; even though she wants it. And I know how Damien feels about you, because he has already told me, but none of that matter."

Alex stroked her face with the back of his hand and kissed her once more. "As for forbidden relationships," he chuckled, "well we have more to fear from your mother's wrath then the senate or the Guard. Mixed species relationships with dark fae are not illegal just frowned upon. If the senate find out they would put us on a register and have the Guard watch us. On the other hand when your mother finds out about us she's going to flip. It might be best all around if we keep things quiet for a little bit. Just until everything cools down and we both have time to explain things to everyone."

Julia gave Alex a chaste kiss. "Yeah, I think that would be for the best. Especially keeping my mom in the dark 'cause for whatever reason she really hates you." She got up and extended her hand for Alex to take it and pulled him up. "We should start walking. Ren is very fast in the woods and he'll to catch up to us soon."

They walked for a ways before Ren hopped down from one of the tall redwoods in front of them. He looked into Julia's eyes, a huge frown formed on his lips and was about to say something when Alex cleared his throat.

Both Julia and Ren looked at him as he looked directly at Ren shook his head and said, "What took you so long, elf?"

Julia looked between the two boys something was going on between them but she didn't have a clue what it was.

Before she could say anything Ren said, "Come on you two, the road is not far. If we hurry we may even make it back before anyone notices that we've gone." He started walking and looked over his shoulder his mood turning on a dime as he grinned at them. "You two missed all the fun and games tonight. Everyone is dying to tell you two about it."

Ren stopped walking just before they reached the edge of the woods. "Hold up a minute you two; I just need to grab something. Wait here, it won't take long," he said and darted off.

Julia turned toward Alex lacing her fingers in his. "I wonder what that was about."

Alex gazed down at her, put his hand under her chin and tilted it up toward him. "I have no idea what goes on in that crazy pixie's head. And I don't want to know. I am however grateful for the privacy." Then he bent down and kissed her on the lips.

She was greedy and reached up and deepened their kiss allowing his tongue to access into her mouth, entwining hers in his. Warmth overflowed in her as she kissed him, filling her veins and pooling in her heart, collecting until it felt like she was going to come apart at the seams.

The same voice which only moments before had been telling her to embrace her feelings for Alex started laughing. The spiteful voice filled her head blocked everything else out, "He doesn't love you. He could never love you because you are only a shadow." Julia's whole body went rigid and a sick feeling swept through her.

Alex pulled away, "What's wrong, Julia?"concern and tension laced his voice.

She choked back the feelings of nausea and immense sadness that were rising up from the pit of her stomach and depths of her soul; ready to consume her. She managed to rasp out in a sand papery voice. "It's nothing, I'm okay."

Before Alex had time to press her further Ren turned up. He took one look at Julia and rushed over to her. "Jules, what's wrong?"

She unlaced her fingers from Alex, reached out her hand and rested it on Ren's shoulder. "I don't know, maybe whatever Mormo gave me hasn't fully worn off. I'm just tired I guess."

The laughing inside her head got louder and more venomous. "Stupid girl. You are not me, you will never be me. Shadow! Shadow! Shadow!" The words faded away as pain ripped through her head like a white hot poker. Julia collapsed to her knees, clutching her head.

Alex reached out to catch her, but Ren already had his arm around her waist and hoisted her up again. He gave Alex a look telling him to back off. "Jules, I want you to drink this, it will help."

He raised his free hand up; it was full of different berries and a few green leaves. Julia raised her eyebrows in surprise, but her head was pounding. So she didn't argue and opened her mouth. Ren crushed everything together in his strong hand, pulverising it and let the liquid drip into her mouth.

The effects were almost instantaneous after she swallowed the intensely bitter liquid. Everything went fuzzy and she felt as if she was submerged under water. The air around her felt thick and heavy, Ren and Alex seemed far away.

Julia's speech was slurred and she had trouble forming words. "Waz wong wit ouu. Sop moovn awond soooo muc." She giggled because everything had an echo. Then reached out a hand to touch Alex, but only grabbed at thin air. "Purrr-ity ow com ouu alwaz ook soo exy."

Their voices merged into one as Alex and Ren talked.

Alex looked at Ren, "what did you give her?" he said sharply.

"Don't give me that look. I had to do something. We couldn't exactly have her jump in the car with her eyes like that." He pointed to Julia whose head was tilted back against Ren's shoulder. Her eyes were groggy and she was giggling like drunk.

"So you decided drugging her would be better."

Ren shrugged as he picked her up in his arms. "It seemed like the best option. I couldn't really say: Here, Jules wear my sunglasses, because it's so bright at three in the morning."

Alex gave him another disapproving look, "fine let's just go," and then waited for Ren to lead the way.

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