28: An unexpected guest

*Knock*. *Knock*. *Knock*.
I grumbled at the sound of the knocking at my door. It was, by far, too early for Sebastian to expect me to be up, and yet here he was.
"Go away!" I yelled out, covering the top of my head with a soft cushion.
"Go away? Is that how you greet your best friend?" And it was then that my eyelids opened up and I rushed towards the door at the sound of the familiar voice. As soon as I opened the door, I could feel the wetness of my hot tears against my cheek as I stared at the young woman in front of me.
"Alice!" I uttered out in disbelief. A wide smile made its way onto her face and her green eyes brightened beneath the strands of red hair hanging in her face. I hesitated a moment before reaching for her and wrapping my arms around her in a tight, warm embrace. She froze for a moment, not used to being the first one to receive physical contact between the two of us, but eventually relaxed and began wrapping her arms around me as well.
"I missed you!" I then gripped at her shoulders and pulled away from her to look her in the eyes as mine widened and I felt the questions rush through my mind. "My father? How's he doing? Why are you here? How did you get here and where-"
"So the rumours are true. Shy Phoenix has grown." She uttered with a smile.
I scoffed and replied with a, "Well I didn't really have a choice now, did I?"
And suddenly her face fell into a look of sadness, an immediate indication that she knew exactly what was going on here in the wonderful world of vampires.
"I-I'm sorry about..."
"It's alright. Now, would you please tell me what the hell you're doing here?" As I said this, I lead her into my room which she ogled at in deep wonder. She continued her deep ogling until I sat her on the bed, folded my arms and cleared my throat.
"Right," she began, "well we were invited to come along. You need someone to have your back in these 'Games' and who better than your best friend."
Immediately the word "we" caught my attention and so I asked, dying of curiosity, "Who is 'we'?"
Her face suddenly paled and she began to fumble with the hem of her skirt nervously. "Oh, did I say we, I meant me. I'm the only one who's come to see you. I mean who else would come along?"
But I was not convinced, not in the slightest. "Come on Alice. You're terrible at hiding things from me."
"B-But that hot vampire guy said I couldn't tell you. He's pretty terrifying and strict."
A terrifying, strict vampire? There was only one man I knew who could fit that particular description.
"Sebastian?"
Immediately her face brightened, and she began nodding in agreement. Thus, began her half-an-hour description on Sebastian's physique, and while she droned on about his shoulders and chest, I began to wonder why exactly he felt the need to bring Alice here... and this surprise guest I was dying to hear about. I was almost completely swallowed up by my thoughts when I suddenly heard Alice say something bold enough to pull me back to reality.
"...do you think he's single?"
"S-single" I almost chocked the word out. Alice nodded in response and then pulled her knees towards her chest as she moved further into the bed.
"Yeah, I mean he does look a year or so older-"
"-A couple of hundred years." I corrected.
She shrugged and said, "Same thing when you're a vampire right? He's just so..."
"He's single but unapproachable, infuriating, an awful listener, has a stick so far up his ass that it's choking him, oh, and did I mention he's infuriating? So don't get your hopes up Alice." I said this not because I was jealous but because I was being honest. Sebastian was the most confusing, the most frightening, the most infuriating vampire I had ever met, and that was saying something seeing as I knew most of the stuck up nobles already. I was never sure how he felt or what he was thinking. Not only that, but aside from when he was with me, he never seemed to be the ‘friendliest’ person in the world. In fact, I was sure he invented the words 'strict' and 'formal'.
Alice, however read deeper into my words than I would have liked her to, and I soon found myself staring into two green orbs of deep contemplation.
"What?" I uttered, moving away from her.
"You like him, don't you?" She replied with a classic smug look written all over her face. Immediately I began fidgeting with my fingers and looking away from her, afraid that my face would give away my feelings.
"I do not like him."
She waited a moment before placing a hand on my shoulder and turning me toward her, forcing me to look into her eyes. "Come on Phoenix, don't lie to me."
I sighed and shrugged her hand off before uttering, "It's complicated."
Alice laughed and then mumbled under her breath, "Well it's about to get more than just complicated." Immediately when it left her mouth, she placed her hand on her lips and her eyes widened. Clearly, she was no good at keeping my surprise guest a surprise.
"It seems I'm not the only one here not good at lying. Now, who is-"
But before I could even finish my sentence, I caught this sudden shiver up and down my spine and goosebumps began to form on my warm skin. In fact, my entire body was on fire, almost at the same temperature it used to be when I was on vampire suppressants. And then all of a sudden, this deep, strong scent on musk and familiar cologne invaded my nose, making my mouth water and my heart rage beneath my chest.
"It can't be..." I uttered out, now rushing my way off of the bed.
"What can't be? Where are you going? Sebastian said that you're not allowed outside during the night-"
"I don't give a fuck." I yelled behind me, already a few steps ahead of Alice who struggled to catch up to me.
"And that was the sound of old Phoenix dying. You really shouldn't be out! I'm going to get into trouble with Sebastian."
But I ignored her and carried on chasing the scent until it became so strong, I could barely contain myself. It was the strangest feeling, as though my vampire side and my werewolf side had merged into one desire-hungry beast. I'd felt the urge so many times before when I was with all three Liam, Xavier and Sebastian, but it had never been this intense.
"Phoenix, slow down!" Alice called out after me in one last attempt to save herself from the so called 'trouble' she'd be in for my being out at such a late hour.
Her attempt was in vain and soon I found myself passing the dining room and the kitchen. It was only when I caught sight of Sebastian in the front hall that I slowed down and crept quietly towards one of the stone pillars. I peeked from the side of the pillar, making sure not to draw too much attention to myself. This tactic was, however, short-lived when I caught sight of a familiar head of very dark blonde hair and a glimmering set of deep, sapphire blue eyes. Immediately I moved away from my hiding spot and began racing towards the two men in front of me, still chasing that irresistible scent and that excited feeling.
Once I was close enough for them to hear me approaching, they both turned towards me and suddenly I was frozen in place. Surprisingly though, it was not Sebastian's cold and infuriated gaze that froze me. Instead, it was a pair of soft, dark blue eyes which took my appearance in slowly and carefully.
"Demetri."
----
Demetri is back and things are about to get even more complicated!
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!

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