Chapter 17: Twin Nekos

"So, you see, we're Nekos," Ash said. He was up real close to my face, along with Ari. It seemed like Ash was trying to charm me somehow. His eyes were dimmed with an adorable half smile playing on his lips. His eye were directed at my lips, while Ari's was intensely looking into my eyes.

I was confused. "What's a Neko?" I had never heard the word before in my life...well then again...I wasn't allowed to know about a lot of things. My parents were very overbearing.

"Wha-?!" everyone said at the same time--except for Jaun--gaping at me.

I shrugged. "I don't know what a Neko is...I barely know what a vampire and werewolf are." I looked to Aiden and Jaun apologetically.

"What world do you come from?!" Ari said, still completely confused.

"Um...Earth? How many worlds are there?" I wondered, realizing that there could farewell be a million worlds that I've never known about.

Ash debated this, counting on his fingers. "Only seven."

My eyes widened. "Really?" I leaned closer to them, intent on hearing more about the different dimensions.

He nodded. "We've visited all of them--except Earth--and they aren't any different than this one. This one just gathers all the magical creatures who want to broaden their horizons...we even have a few humans. Though, they're nowhere near as beautiful as you." He leaned even closer to me, gazing at my lips once again.

I blushed slightly. "Then you obviously haven't seen any real humans."

He shrugged. "What does that matter? You're still the most beautiful one that I've yet to meet." He pinned me against the sofa, getting even closer to me.

Ari came up next to us, getting up real close to me. "Ash is right. You are the most beautiful." He pressed his lips against my bare shoulder, trailing little butterfly kisses up to my neck.

Ash smirked as he noticed me holding back a small moan. He pressed his lips against the other side of my neck, sucking and licking.

I wanted it to stop. I didn't want to get this close to these "Nekos." I mean, I don't even know them! Why aren't the others doing something about it?! Jaun has to feel something!! And Aiden kissed me on the roof! Why isn't he getting mad?!

"ASH! ARI!" The voice penetrated the room as Ash and Ari pulled back with a smirk.

"What? We were just having a little fun." They waved their hands in front of them, chuckling.

I sat there, flushed, as Jaun and Aiden flew forward to pin the twins against the wall. Micah came to me, examining me.

"Are you okay, Allegra?" He hovered above me, as Ash had just done. It was different, though. He didn't lean into me to steal a kiss. He simply caressed my cheeks as a doctor would do, turning my head back and forth to check.

"I'm fine, Micah. They were just...just kissing me..." I beginning to slightly shiver, and it confused me as to why I was. It's not like I haven't been kissed like that. Not by Jaun, obviously. But Masters had tried to take advantage of me plenty of times, and Sage had come just in time to stop it from going too far. Hey, that's what happens when you get drunk.

Micah sighed. "Allegra...you don't understand. They may only be Neko's, but their family comes from a long line of lustful sirens. Just the slightest brush of their lips they can mark you so that you fall in love with them." He sighed again. "And, obviously, they tried."

I looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

He brushed my neck with his thumb, and showed a red gel wiggling. It looked like jello, but it wasn't. "This is the stuff they use to force girls to fall in love with them. They may not mean to, but when it's gel like this they did. If this had gotten into your ear, or sunk into your skin, you would've been head over heels in love with both of them."

I gasped a little, staring at the twins. I couldn't believe it. "But...OW--" I grabbed the back of my neck. It felt like something had bitten me. What the hell?

"Yes!" Ash and Ari said at the same time. "We win the game!"

Micah's eyes were wide, examining the back of my neck. "Dammit!" He yelled, slamming his fist on the sofa.

"What is it?" I asked, touching the bite mark. There were two little holes on the tip of my spine bone.

"The gel sank into your skin...soon you'll be with them." He pushed away from the couch, leaning against the wall, back to me. "I was so close, too...."

I looked back at the twins, waiting for the affects to begin. The only thing that happened was that my heart gave two stuttering beats, and then I felt normal. Well, except for the fact that my anxiety was acting up yet again. "I...I don't feel any different."

Ash and Ari looked at each other, shrugging. "That happens sometimes. It will come though. After maybe a night of sleep. We'll see in the morning."

"No. We won't. The affects won't start if you're dead!" He began to wrap his hands around Ash's neck.

I ran over there to stop him. "Jaun, don't." I grabbed his arm before he could connect with Ash. I stared at his face intently, running my hand down to his wrist. "Please don't."

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "I can't just let them get away with what they did. They need to pay."

I sighed. "Jaun...it's not like that was new to me..." I knew this was going to piss him off. So much so that he'd go to Earth and want to beat the shit out of Masters. He won't go now that Ash and Ari just pulled that, so Masters is safe, and so is Ash.

He looked at me full on, confused. "What do you mean? I never..."

I looked down. "No...it wasn't you."

His eyes widened with realization. "Masters." He released his hold on Ash, grabbing me by my shoulders. "When did he do it?! When? Was it during you and me...? God, why didn't you tell me? Dammit, Allegra! When did it happen?"

I sighed. "Jaun. Calm down. Yes...it was during us. The nights after we'd get into a fight and I'd get wasted. Don't worry, he didn't get any further than kissing my neck. Sage would stop him."

He groaned. "How come you didn't tell me? I should've known that, being your boyfriend and all. I mean, why tell me now that we're not together?"

I stared at him. "Jaun...if I'd told you while we were on Earth you'd kill him--"

"Damn right I would!" he interrupted.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. And I wasn't planning on ever telling you. But since you won't leave me now...I know you won't kill him."

He sighed. "I hate how you know me so well, yet we aren't together."

I shrugged. "Whose fault is that?"

He glared at Ash, turning back toward him. "You're right. I can't do anything about Masters, though. But Ash...Ash I can kill!" He lunged for him again, showing me his fangs for the first time.

I gasped and jumped in front of Ash, stopping him. "Jaun, don't!" I yelped.

He stopped just short of sinking his fangs into my neck, his arms on either side of my head. Ash was on the ground behind me, his hands on my hips.

Everyone was silent for awhile, gaping at Jaun and I.

Finally, Jaun spoke, his head still positioned down. "Why...why do you protect him? Is it because you're in love with him?"

I shook my head. "Jaun...I'd protect anyone who you wanted to kill."

"Why, though?" His head snapped up to stare at me, begging for the truth. "Is it because you hate me?"

I shook my head again. "Of course not, Jaun. I just can't see you like that. I can't see you kill someone." He looked away, and was going to say something, but I wasn't done. "I'd never forgive you if you ever killed someone."

He gulped, looked at me with sad eyes, and then disappeared.

"Wha-What just happened?" I asked, confused on why he left.

"It's because you said you'd never forgive him. And, seeing as it is still a full moon, he won't be able to control himself around Ash and Ari. I have to admit, I want to kill them after that." Aiden said, prying himself away from Ari.

I smiled. "I'm glad you're not." Aiden...he was just so sweet. How is it that he's the sweetest, yet he's the one who kissed me before the others? Besides Jaun obviously.

Aiden smiled once more, before frowning and turning away from me.

"Aiden? Are you okay?" I asked, attempting to step closer to him, but he stopped me.

"Don't come any closer, Allegra. Okay? It's just going to make things more complicated."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, wishing that I could hug him. It wasn't easy watching someone so adorably sweet, sad.

Ash stood up, pulling me closer to him as Ari came over on my left, grabbing my hand and kissing it. "You see, Allegra. They're all mad that we got you and they didn't. We won the game." Ash chuckled, "I wonder what Dante's going to do."

That statement confused me, but I shook it off. "You guys keep saying you won the game...but I don't feel any differently. I feel like me."

Ari came closer, nibbling on my ear. "It won't last long. Tomorrow, when you wake up, you'll feel two distinct heart beats and then you'll be captured."

That confused me even more. "Is it like my heart skips a beat?"

Ari nodded, moving to the nook in my neck. "That'd be it."

"Well, then obviously it didn't work on me because I felt those two beats already and I'm still me."

Aiden whipped around to stare at me, while Micah zipped back to face me as well. "What?!" Everyone said, again, at the same time.

I nodded. "I don't have any special feelings for you guys. I mean, I just met you."

They exchanged glances. "But...just now! With Jaun--"

I shrugged. "I've known Jaun for awhile now...I don't want to see him kill anyone." I pulled away from the twins, and stared at the four of them as if they'd lost it. "I don't really understand this world...but I'm going to bed. That crying earlier has got me beat." Slowly, I walked to my room.

Once in my room, I collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted. So much has happened...and so fast! I was attacked, I had a fight with Jaun, I had a special moment with every single guy in this house, and Jaun tried to kill someone right in front of me. I really need someone normal in this house to keep me sane.

Right before passing out, I felt my heart beat slam once against my chest, which was weird. My anxiety wasn't all that bad to where it felt like that...and am I even breathing? Huh. Oh well...I'll just...fall asleep....