17. Control (18+)

It was just beginning to drizzle when Becky turned onto her street.

Then, Freen saw the black, weathered Ford parked in the driveway—and heard Becky mutter something unintelligible in a low, harsh voice.

Leaning away from the rain under the shallow front porch, Gemini stood. He wasn't alone this time. There was another boy with him—someone Freen didn't recognize. Gemini's expression flickered between mortification and anger.

Becky's voice was low, furious. "This is crossing the line."

"He came to warn me again? Or maybe this time, it's my mother he wants to see." Freen guessed, more horrified than angry. Becky just nodded, her narrowed eyes locked on Gemini's gaze.

Freen felt relief that her mother wasn't home yet.

"Do you know who the other boy is?"

Becky didn't answer, but Freen could tell she knew him.

"Let me deal with this," Freen suggested. Considering how the confrontation went last time, she thought it might be better. She didn't want to witness another fight between these two. Becky's black glare made her anxious.

To her surprise, Becky agreed. Freen sighed and put her hand on the door handle.

"I'll be back around dusk," Becky said.

"Do you want my truck?" Freen offered, half-wondering how she'd explain its absence to Nun.

Becky rolled her eyes. "I could walk home faster than this truck moves."

"You don't have to leave," Freen added wistfully.

Becky smiled at Freen's glum expression. "Actually, I do. After you get rid of them"—she threw a dark look in their direction—"you still have to prepare Sheriff Chankimha to meet your new girlfriend." Becky grinned widely, showing all her teeth.

Freen groaned. "Thanks a lot."

Becky smirked. "I'll be back soon," she promised. Her eyes flickered back to the porch, and then she leaned in to swiftly kiss Freen on the lips. Freen's heart lurched frantically, and Freen glanced toward the porch. The other boy, whose expression had been unreadable until now, was no longer impassive, his hands clutched tightly at his side.

"Soon," Freen stressed as she opened the door and stepped out into the rain. She could feel Becky's eyes on her back as she half-ran through the light sprinkling toward the porch.

"Hey, Gemini," she greeted them as cheerfully as she could manage. "Mum is gone for the day—I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not long," Gemini said in a subdued tone, his golden eyes piercing.

"What do you want, Gemini?" Freen asked, her gaze flicking between Gemini and the new face.

"Can we come inside?" he asked, his anger completely subdued now. His gaze softened, back to its normal tenderness.

"Who's this?" Freen couldn't help but ask about the stranger who was still glaring at her.

"It's a friend."

Freen frowned, not accepting the answer. "Excuse me, but I'm a teenage girl who's home alone. Letting in two guys I barely know doesn't scream safety."

"So roaming around town with that monster is safe for you?" The stranger spoke for the first time, his voice thick with hatred, just like his glare.

Freen lost the last bit of control she was holding onto. How dare he call her a monster?

"What the hell did you just call her?"

"You heard me." He answered unfazed.

"If I were you, I'd choose my next words very carefully," Freen said through gritted teeth, taking a threatening step forward. She knew she was fragile, but she wouldn't think twice before defending someone she loved, regardless of the consequences. She wasn't a coward.

"You know what she is. It's impossible not to know, and yet you let her be around you," he asked, incredulous.

"Who I surround myself with is none of your concern." She spat, throwing him another glare before looking back at Gemini. "If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, I want you to leave."

Gemini shook his head.

"You remember the story I told you about?"

"Oh, here we go again!" Freen threw her arms in the air, exasperated. "I know what you told me. I also know that Becky is a vampire, and you are a werewolf. Trust me, at first, I thought I was nuts even considering the possibility. Then I saw it with my own eyes. I've accepted it. So if you're here to warn me again to stay away from Becky, save your breath. I'm not going to."

She threw him a challenging look.

"And if you're worried about me running my mouth, don't be. I know if I go around yelling that vampires and werewolves are real, people will think I'm mental." She chuckled before her gaze turned serious again. "I want you to stop. Because next time, I won't be able to stop Becky, and what happens next will not be on me. It will be totally on you."

Gemini sighed deeply.

"Freen, I'm not here to warn you or threaten you. There's something you must know. Something that's been missing in the story I told you. Something really important, not just to me or my kind, but to Becky and hers, too."

He took a deep breath, his eyes showing his earnestness.

"There's a lot that you don't know. There are dangers lurking in the darkness that even Becky won't be able to protect you from."

Freen was confused. What could be more dangerous than a vampire or a werewolf?

"I don't understand."

"For you to understand, we should start from the beginning. The beginning of everything."

"Why tell me?"

"You'll get the answer if you let me talk. Are you willing to listen?"

She wanted answers, but not without Becky by her side, especially if this affected her too.

"If this affects Becky and the rest of them, isn't it only fair that she's present too?"

"Fine!" He relented. "You can talk to her. If she agrees, we can meet in a neutral ground and talk."

"If I were you, I'd hurry. Because a storm is coming, one that threatens to wipe out every being in its path. It'll be absolute carnage." He warned before leaving.

Freen stood there, utterly confused, as to where all of this was leading her.

********

"Freen, honey, I'm home!" Nun called.

"Hey, Mum." Freen was scrubbing her hands in the sink.

Freen tidied up the house a little as Nun prepared dinner, and soon they were sitting at the table, eating in companionable silence. Nun was enjoying her food, while Freen's thoughts were elsewhere, struggling to figure out how to approach the difficult conversation she had in mind.

"What did you get up to today?" Nun asked, snapping Freen out of her reverie.

"Well, this afternoon I just hung around the house..." She paused, realizing it was mostly the more recent part of the afternoon. "And this morning I was over at the Armstrongs'." Nun lowered her fork slowly, her brows knitting together.

"Dr. Armstrong's place?" she asked, incredulity clear in her voice.

Freen pretended not to notice. "Yeah."

"What were you doing there?" Nun hadn't lifted her fork back up.

"Well, I, uh, sort of have a date with Becky Armstrong tonight, and she wanted to introduce me to her parents..."

It appeared Nun was having an aneurysm.

"Mum, are you all right?"

"You are going out with Becky Armstrong?" Her voice was incredulous. Freen had never heard that tone from her mother before.

"I thought you liked the Armstrongs?"

"She's too old for you."

That was unexpected. What was going on with her mother?

"She's not. She's only a grade above. We even have one class together," Freen replied, though deep down, Nun was more right than she realized.

"Wait..." she paused. "Which one is Becky?"

"Becky is the youngest, the girl with the blonde hair." The beautiful one, the godlike one...

"Oh, well, that's..." Nun seemed to struggle, and Freen realized her mother was trying to make up for the lack of a father figure in the house. "Better, I guess. I'm sure the others are nice and all, but they look too... mature for you. Is she your girlfriend?"

Freen didn't know how to respond.

"Is she?" Nun pressed. Yeah, her mother was definitely overcompensating for the lack of a dad.

"Sort of, I guess."

"You said last night that you weren't interested in anyone in town." She raised an eyebrow as she lifted her fork again, her "dad-performance" seeming to calm.

"Well, Becky doesn't live in town, Mum."

Nun gave her a disparaging look as she chewed.

"And anyway," Freen continued, "it's kind of at an early stage, y'know. Please don't embarrass me with the girlfriend talk, okay?"

"When is she coming over?" The uncharacteristic gruffness was gone from Nun's voice, but concern still lingered.

"She'll be here in a few minutes."

"Where is she taking you?"

Freen groaned loudly. "Mum. We're going to play baseball with her family." Her eyebrows raised, and then she laughed.

"You're playing baseball?"

"Well, I'll probably just watch."

"You must really like this girl," she observed suspiciously. Freen sighed and rolled her eyes.

Freen heard the roar of an engine pull up in front of the house. She jumped up and started cleaning her dishes, her excitement barely contained.

"Leave the dishes, I can do them tonight." The doorbell rang, and Nun moved to answer it. Freen was half a step behind her.

She hadn't realized how hard it was pouring outside. Becky stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a model in an advertisement for raincoats.

"Come on in, Becky."

Freen breathed a sigh of relief when Nun got her name right.

"Thanks, Sheriff Chankimha." Becky responded in a respectful tone, all traces of her British accent gone. The smooth American cadence felt unnervingly fluid in contrast to how she usually spoke around Freen.

"Go ahead and call me Nun. Here, I'll take your jacket."

"Thanks, ma'am."

"Have a seat there, Becky."

Freen grimaced.

Becky sat gracefully in the only chair, forcing Freen to sit next to Nun on the sofa. Freen quickly shot Becky a dirty look, which Becky responded to with a wink behind Nun's back.

"So I hear you're getting my girl to watch baseball." Only in this town would the fact that it was raining buckets have no bearing on playing outdoor sports.

"Yes, ma'am, that's the plan." Becky didn't seem surprised that Freen had told Nun the truth. She might've been listening in.

"Well, more power to you, I guess."

Nun laughed, and Becky joined in.

"Okay." Freen stood up, her cheeks flaming. "Enough humor at my expense. Let's go." She walked back to the hall and pulled on her jacket. They followed.

"Not too late, Freen."

"Don't worry, Nun, I'll have her home early," Becky promised.

"You take care of my girl, all right?"

Freen groaned, but they ignored her.

"She'll be safe with me, I promise, ma'am."

********

Eventually, they reached the end of the road; the trees formed green walls on three sides of the Jeep. The rain was now a mere drizzle, slowing with every second, and the sky brightened through the clouds.

"What did Gemini want?" Becky asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't want to talk about it now. I just want to enjoy tonight with you and your family." Freen sighed, still shaken by the earlier encounter.

Becky didn't press further. "We can talk once we get back home," Freen suggested.

Becky nodded.

"We have to go on foot from here."

"You know what? I'll just wait here—I'm not sure I could take the embarrassment of you carrying me," Freen pouted.

"What happened to all your courage? You were extraordinary this morning," Becky teased, finding a little too much joy in Freen's embarrassment.

In a blur, Becky moved around to Freen's side of the car, unbuckling her seatbelt. "You go on ahead."

Freen protested.

"Hmm..." Becky mused as she finished. "It seems I'm going to have to tamper with your mind."

Before Freen could react, Becky pulled her from the Jeep, setting her feet on the ground.

"Tamper with my mind?" Freen asked nervously.

"Something like that." Becky's gaze was intense, her humor still twinkling in her eyes. She placed her hands on the Jeep on either side of Freen's head, leaning in close, trapping her against the door. Freen couldn't move.

"Now," Becky breathed, her scent overwhelming Freen's senses. "What exactly are you worrying about?"

"Well, um, hitting a tree—" Freen floundered. "—and dying... and, uh, something else?"

Becky fought back a smile. She leaned in and gently pressed her cool lips to the hollow of Freen's throat.

"Are you still worried now?" she murmured against Freen's skin.

"Yes." Freen struggled to focus. "About hitting trees and death." Becky's nose traced a line up Freen's throat to her chin, her cool breath sending shivers down Freen's spine.

"And now?" Becky's lips whispered against Freen's jaw.

"Trees," Freen gasped. Becky lifted her face to kiss Freen's eyelids.

"Freen, you don't really think I would hit a tree, do you?"

"No, but I might," Freen mumbled, lacking confidence in her voice. Becky sensed her victory.

She kissed slowly down Freen's cheek, stopping just at the corner of her mouth.

"Do you really think I'd let you hit a tree?" Her lips barely brushed against Freen's.

"No," Freen breathed.

"You see," Becky said, her lips ghosting against Freen's. "There's nothing to be afraid of, is there?"

"No," Freen sighed, giving in.

Becky took Freen's face in her hands almost roughly and kissed her deeply, her lips unyielding against Freen's.

Freen tried to deepen the kiss, but then sighed as Becky staggered slightly, her breath still lingering against Freen's lips.

"Freen," she gasped, "You'll be the death of me, I swear you will."

"You're indestructible," Freen breathed, pulling her back into the kiss, reigniting the heat. It was rough and passionate, not at all soft.

"I might have believed that before I met you. Now, let's get out of here before I do something really stupid." A soft growl emanated from Becky's throat as she pulled away.

Freen huffed, "I'm not afraid of you."

Becky stared at her incredulously, hands resting gently on Freen's shoulders. "I infuriate myself," she said softly. "It feels impossible to stop myself. I know I won't hurt you, but that doesn't mean I don't still have that... thirst. That... instinct to sink my teeth into you. It makes me hate myself. I should be stronger, I should just be able to—" Freen placed her hand over Becky's lips.

"Don't."

Becky took Freen's hand, gently moving it away and holding it to her face.

"I love you," Becky said, her voice soft and vulnerable.

It was the first time Becky had ever said it, and though Becky might not realize it, Freen certainly did.

Becky brushed her lips against Freen's in a tender kiss.

She held perfectly still this time, trying to make it easier for Becky before she eventually sighed against her. "Will you let me touch you?" The question took them both by surprise.

The way Freen looked at her with so much trust and eagerness made it impossible for Becky to deny. Yet a rational part of her brain reminded her of the consequences.

But all rational thoughts went out the window when she felt both of Freen's hands on her hips trailing up and down. She shut her eyes tightly, inhaling deeply before nodding. That's all it took for Freen's hands to reach for Becky's belt buckle.

"I want to make up for last night," Freen whispered against Becky's throat.

"Make-up for what?" Becky asked, eyebrows knit together in a mix of worry and confusion.

Freen smile and kiss her lips softly once again, "I mean... Return the favor."

"That's really not necessary," Becky insists, the faint tinge of pink in her cheeks getting brighter.

"I know, but I want to make you feel good," Freen persisted, her grip on Becky's belt tightened, "that is- if you want me to."

"May I?"

"You may," Becky says in an even tone.

The leather belt was harder than she expected to get off so Freen got on her knees for a better angle. She looked back up at Becky, who was watching her as she slowly unbuttoned her jeans, giving her time to react to every movement. She slid it down.

Freen never imagined herself being on her knees in front of Becky, face to her centre, only separated by millimetres of fabric, Freen's heart was doing summersaults through her chest.

She looked up at Becky for assurance. Becky watched her with an eagle eye but didn't offer guidance. Freen reached up to touch her, trailing her hand through the fabric and giving a tentative stroke, making Becky's breath hitch like music to her ears.

Ever so slowly, Freen pulled what remaining fabric was there, exposing Becky to the cool air.

She hooks Becky's right leg over her shoulder and lowers herself until her mouth is a breath away from Becky's centre. She blows air onto Becky's now exposed clit.

"No teasing." Becky growls.

"If you say so" Freen says coyly with a wink.

Freen dives in face first. Licking up her slit, moaning against her at the taste. Becky's back arches immediately and a groan of pleasure escapes her. "Fucking hell," Becky moaned.

Freen's tongue draws a slow circle around her clit, enjoying every shutter and gasp that leaves Becky.

Freen smirks against Becky as she takes her clit between her lips, sucking gently. Becky's thighs begin to shake at that. Freen's free hand traces from its spot on her hip, down the curve of her ass, to her inner thigh. Slowly she draws small circles over Becky's entrance with her pointer finger.

Becky gasps at the feeling of Freen's finger against her.

"Freen!!" she moans louder and grinds herself into Freen's face.

Freen wastes no time and plunges a single finger into Becky while continuing to lightly suck on her clit. Becky moans and squirms and bucks her hips into Freen further. Freen can feel her walls clench down on her finger.

Freen adds a second finger and switches from sucking to licking quick, tight circles on Becky's clit. Her finger thrusting deep and curling to find Becky's sweet spot. When she feels thighs squeeze on either side of her head, she knows she found it.

"Oh my god, Freen ..." she cuts herself off with a low throaty groan.

Freen only speeds up, thrusting and flicking as fast as she can.

Her thighs clamped tighter around Freen and her hips jerking to meet Freen's movement.

She screams and her hands fly into Freen hair, "Freen- fuck stop!"

Freen pulled her head back immediately, a little out of breath, "Shit- are you ok?"

"I was getting close," Becky says.

"Close to cumming or biting my head off?" Freen question.

"Both," Becky groaned, slumping against the Jeep and sliding down onto the grass. "Bloodlust and carnal lust seem to follow the same neurological pathways."

"I'm sorry," Freen whispered, unsure how to ease the tension between them.

"You don't need to apologize." Becky sighed, looking up at her. "I should be the one apologizing. I was scared. What if I lose control? What if I hurt you, in the middle of it all? If I squeeze a little too tight or grab you a little too hard—"

"I knew what I was signing up for, and I don't care if we don't have sex," Freen interrupted softly, her voice steady despite the rush of emotions inside her. She paused, searching for the right words. "I just... I feel like I'm holding you back. How can you be fully happy with someone you're afraid of hurting every time we touch?"

Becky's eyes softened. "Because you make me happy. And I'm willing to work on myself, to be with you, Freen. We'll get there eventually." She sat up straight, her voice calm but sincere. "I can't promise our relationship will ever be 'normal,' but I promise I'll try my best to give you everything you deserve. I want to be with you, for as long as you'll have me."

Freen's heart skipped, her emotions swirling as she processed Becky's words. "I want to be with you too," she said quietly, her gaze meeting Becky's. "But I'm fragile... I'm mortal. How can you love someone like that, someone so... imperfect?"

Becky gently took Freen's hand, her touch warm and reassuring. "I wouldn't want you any other way," she said softly, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips. "You're perfect to me, exactly as you are."

Freen smiled back, her pulse steadying. With their hands intertwined, a soft sense of peace settled between them. "We should get going. The storm's rolling in," Becky said, glancing at the sky.

__________________________________________

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