The Alphas And Their Human Girl Novel – I See You PROLOGUE 5 years earlier. Lola: 16 years old. The ground was painted red. The blood ran in a stream down the cracks and into the river. Little red clouds formed under the water, and she stared with tear-filled eyes at the bodies from which the blood was escaping. Her hands held the lives she had just taken, and her mind held the sounds of their screams.
Their eyes were still wide open as they stared at their faith, she who had ended them all, she who nobody could escape. With shaky hands, she pulled their bodies to the river and placed them down. The last one was particularly difficult to let go of, her hands refusing to open as she held him under the water. The life had drained from his eyes, his heart had stopped beating, and his body hadn’t moved for minutes. Yet, she couldn’t part from him.
Closing her eyes and filling her lungs with air, her fingers slowly spread. She watched as her father went with the stream. * * * “Lola!” Lola turned her heavy head to look at Melissa, finally seeing another face apart from all those that haunted her in the university hallways. She walked to the dining hall, where all the students had already been seated. The smell of food and judgmental gazes filled the air like they did every day. “Don’t mind them,” Melissa said and scowled at everyone around them who was staring.
“You know I never do,” Lola said and looked down into her pasta. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.” “I’m fine, just a little tired. I haven’t slept well lately,” Lola said. The idea of a full night’s sleep seemed like fiction by now. Those sleepless nights and shadows that lurked in the corners of her home had all become so familiar that she wondered how it would be if it stopped. The feeling of being watched every time she was awake- that particular feeling had gotten stronger over the last few months.
“Here, try these. They help me when I can’t sleep or I’m too stressed out.” Melissa handed a bottle of sleeping pills to Lola. “Thank you.” They sat quietly and ate but out of nowhere, it was like Melissa had a fit and arched her back as she leaned in to whisper. “By the way, did you hear about the new guy?” Lola looked up with a shake of her head. “They won’t say his name but according to the whisper vine- he comes from one of those families that they write about in history books.” “I can only imagine the attack on the poor bastard tomorrow,” Lola grinned as she placed the bottle in her bag and closed it up. * * * After class, Lola headed to the coffee shop as usual.
Melissa had told her more than once that she didn’t need to work so hard—that if she needed money, Melissa would give it to her without hesitation. But Lola didn’t want charity. She knew she had to be able to take care of herself. The bell rang over the door, and three men stepped inside. Everyone turned their heads, the air shifted noticeably and they gawked at the three strangers who causally strode in. In a small town like Wild Cliff, new people stood out like snow in July- especially when they looked like that, rugged and big with a confidence that sat around them like an aura.
“Hi, what can I get you?” she asked and took a shaky breath when she turned to face them. Two of them were dressed in jeans and white button-downs. One of them had a black T-shirt with a gold necklace. The men stared at Lola. Their gazes seemingly scanned her, searching her eyes and looking around the coffee shop for something. “Three black coffees, please.” After Lola finished preparing their order, Melissa asked curiously, “Do you know them?” Lola shook her head to Melissa’s question and continued taking orders and making coffees.
Darkness started to settle over the buildings, and the street lamps turned on when the little remembrance of sunlight disappeared down the horizon. After saying goodbye to Lola, Melissa left. The three men all got up and placed their cups on the counter. The one with the gold ring and dark eyes locked his gaze on hers and kept it there until he was by the door. “Thank you for the coffee,” he said under his breath when the other two had left the café.
They walked out, and Lola stood still staring at the glass door- who were those men? This was a small town, and having three people like that here would surely be talked about tomorrow.Lola locked the doors and went out the back, walking down the alley