Linnea's POV
"Stay in the boot," Madison said as she opened it, but I didn't move; I just stood there. She is what humans call a demon. That's what she is to me.
How can she ask me to stay in the boot? She knows what happened the last time she forced me to stay there. I didn't recover for days.
I needed serious medical attention before I fully recovered. I became afraid of the dark after that traumatic experience. Even her father took pity on me because of the incident. This happened just two years ago.
After accusing me of stealing her necklace, she didn't let me explain and forced me into her car's boot. I spent two days inside, feeling as helpless as a fish. I struggled and fought for my life. I don't even know how I survived, but I did.
And now she wants me to go back in there? Is she really asking me to do that? She must be joking. I won't stay in the boot, no matter what. I don't care what she does. I refuse to go through what I went through two years ago.
"What are you doing?" She drew closer and asked when I ignored her. Her lovers were waiting in the car for us. But I'm not going with them; it would be better if they left without me. I don't want to go. I'm still in pain. I just want to go home and rest.
"Are you kidding me?" she scoffed, running her fingers through her long dark hair when I remained silent.
"Is there a problem?" Julian poked his head out, probably wondering why we were taking so long.
"No, honey, there's no problem," Madison responded, then turned back to me.
"This is the second time you're disobeying me." She drew closer and pushed my shoulder. "Do you have a death wish? Why do you keep getting on my nerves?" She pushed my shoulder again, but I stayed still and said nothing.
My actions must have really irritated her, because she suddenly grabbed my arm and dug her claws into my flesh, immediately drawing blood. She's not the type to get violent in public; she must be truly pained. But I don't care. I wish she would just disappear.
Yes, I wish her dead. I've wished many horrible things for her, but if wishes were horses, I wouldn't be in this situation.
When she didn't get the reaction she wanted from me, she slowly let go and stepped back. A wicked smile appeared on her lips, and she shook her head.
"Well, I understand you," she said. "If you don't want to come now, you can join us later. You know where the mall is, right?" Her smile widened as she stared at me.
I know she's boiling inside. She's only smiling to cover up how she really feels. "You can do that, right?" She took out her purse, opened it, and pulled out some cash.
"Here," she offered, but I hesitated. "Take it," she shoved it into my palm. "You should take a taxi. We'll be at the mall. Don't be late." She gave me a tight-lipped smile and got into the car.
They drove off a minute later.
**
I did as she asked; I took a taxi and reached the mall, but when I arrived, they had already bought so many items. There were bags everywhere.
"Take the bags to the boot and come back; we're still shopping," she instructed. I did as she said and grabbed some bags, but there were too many left.
I'll come back for them; what I'm holding is already so heavy. I'm not strong enough to carry everything. After deciding, I started to leave with the bags, but one of the triplets stopped me.
Julian.
Without saying anything, he tried to take the bags from me, but I refused. He tried again, and I stepped back.
He didn't stop; he came closer and tried a third time. To avoid him, I took a big step back and missed my footing. Suddenly, I was falling with the bags.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for impact, but before I hit the ground, Julian caught me. Not only that, he also held me by the waist, stopping my fall. Then he quietly helped me to my feet. Once I regained my balance, he let go.
Embarrassed and grateful, I bowed my head and tried to thank him, but the bags were too heavy, and before I knew it, I was falling again. This time I fell forward, crashing into him, my face hitting his chest. I quickly composed myself afterwards. "My apologies," I said instantly.
Why did I slam into him? This is so embarrassing. And the bags I tried to carry are now scattered on the floor. I should have let him help me. I'm such a fool.
I should apologize again."My apologies, Alpha, I didn't mean to..." I began to say, but stopped when I saw him picking up the bags.
Oh, the bags! I squatted to help him. We picked up the bags, leaving just one.
Noticing the last bag, I reached for it, but he reached for it at the same time. Our hands unexpectedly touched, and I felt a massive electric shock, making me flinch back so hard that I landed on the floor.
But falling was the least of my concerns.
The spark I felt with him worried me more.
Why did it happen again? He is an Alpha. Why? Is something wrong with my hands? Maybe. I need to get them checked; maybe the elixir is affecting me.
Yes, it must be the elixir. I was so focused on my hands that I didn't notice he had taken the bags from me.
"I'll take them to the boot," he said, clearing his throat. Without waiting for a response, he left, leaving me with so many questions.
Did he feel what I felt? Is it just me?
And why is he suddenly helping me? What is with this change in attitude? They never noticed me before. I was invisible to them, so what changed? What happened?