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Be A little Nicer Part I

Warning: The follow chapter may be triggering to some. Please read at your own caution.

A few days later

Eva walked hastily through the town square trying her best to make it to work on time. Charles had been in the mood this morning after being out all night. Face deep in her phone, she hadn’t noticed the man right in front of her.

"Umph,” She huffed as she collided with his chest, resulting in all her papers flying everywhere. "I’m really sorry.” She exclaimed apologetically.

“No…not it’s my fault. I should have been watching where YOU were going.” He chuckled making her smile.

Reaching down, he helped her pick up her papers. She could feel his eyes on her, and her cheeks flushed.

"Sorry…I don’t mean to stare; it’s just you look like one of my favorite authors. Eva Wright.” The two stood and Eva extended her hand.

"Eva Wright, a pleasure to meet you.”

His broad friendly smile was infectious, and Eva couldn’t help but notice he was indeed handsome. Rubbing the back of his neck first, he shook her hand.

"I’m so embarrassed to have just admitted that to you. I’m Mark Haddon, it’s really nice to meet you, Eva.” His grip was strong, and he caressed her hand slightly before letting it go. Returning her papers to her, he continued to smile. "Listen, I hope this isn’t too forward, but I was wondering if maybe you would want to get coffee sometime.”

Eva fumbled with the ring on her finger, "I’m actually married.”

His face fell, "Oh, I’m sorry I-”

"Problem here?” Eva didn’t need to see him know who it was. Alaric stood behind her, glaring hard at Mark. Noticing the disheveled papers in her hands, he cut his eyes, "Did you bump into Eva?”

Mark rubbed the back of his neck again, "Accidently. Admittedly, I’m not too upset about it.”

Alaric was the only one out of the three who didn’t find it funny. He took a step forward, and Eva quickly blocked his way. She smiled apologetically at Mark, "It was nice to meet you, I really should be going.”

Mark nodded his head before looking at Alaric, "It was a pleasure meeting you too Eva.” He walked past the two lightly bumping Alaric.

He seethed. "I should smite him.”

Eva chuckled loudly. "Did you just say smite him?” Alaric remained silent and Eva rolled her eyes. Ignoring him the rest of the way to work, she avoided the stare of her publicist as the two walked into her office and shut the door.

Eva pointed her hands at him. "Could you look less like...you? I think Tamera’s eyes almost popped out of her skull.”

Alaric fumbled with the pencils on her desk. "What would you have me look like? I could show my true form, but I doubt that would be pleasurable for either of us.” Eva couldn’t imagine what Alaric really looked like, but if the angry faced human form was the better option, she didn’t want to find out. "Besides,” he said plopping into the chair across from her, "I’ve been told I’m quite handsome.” Eva opened her mouth then closed it deciding it best not to answer.

"What are you doing here? I didn’t write in the book.”

Alaric folded his arms to his chest, "To protect you.” Eva raised her brow.

"By smiting a man who I accidentally bumped into.”

Alaric rolled his eyes. "I don’t like him.”

"You don’t like anyone.”

He arched his brow at her, "Oh, look the human does have a bite.”

Ignoring him for the second time of the day, she flicked on her monitor. Trying to type, she realized Alaric was staring at her lower arm. Her face flushed when she realized he could see the scars. Quickly pulling at her sweater, she covered them.

"He did that?”

She continued to type without looking at him, "Nope, that was all me.”

"Why?” She ignored him once again. “WHY?” He repeated, his anger making her jump.

"Don’t yell at me.”

Alaric ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Standing he walked over to her and leaned down. "Let me heal them at least.”

She shook her head no. She could feel the blowing steam from his nose. Agitated, she stood bumping past him. "I didn’t ask you to protect me, why do you keep pushing this? What’s in it for you?”

Alaric tightened his lips, "I vowed to.”

“Well pick someone else to bestow your vow on! Why does it have to be me?!”

"I already told you why!”

Eva scoffed loudly. Walking over to her bag, she grabbed Something Wicked ripping it open. Alaric watched her in amusement as she tried to write for him to go away.

"WHY THE HELL WON’T THIS WORK?!” She screamed at the blank page that would not absorb her ink.

"You still don’t get it, do you? I DON’T want to be here anymore than you want me to. I DON’T want to have to protect you, any more than you want to be protected.” He walked close to her. Towering her, he watched as her brown eyes widened. "I DON’T want to be betrothed to you any more than you want to be to me, but here we find ourselves. I can’t get rid of you and you can’t get rid of me.” Alaric could smell the rose fragrance of her shampoo. Against his better nature, he reached down and stroked her hair.

She looked down at her shoes, "I should have never cut it.”

"I actually quite enjoy the way it frames your face." Eva looked up at him, and for the first time since they met, she’d managed to make him feel uncomfortable. "You’re a peculiarly frustrating Little Human,” he said huffing.

"Just imagine me as a wife, I’d probably get on your last nerves.”

He tilted his head as if in thought before backing away. "I’ll be back,” he said over his shoulder before vanishing into thin air.


"Alaric how nice of you to barge into my office yet again,” Raien said sarcastically.

"I need you to get my father to give me a new assignment. I can’t complete this one. She’s too damn difficult. She won’t let me kill that disaster of a husband, won’t let me heal her wounds. She wouldn’t even let me punch the asshole that bumped into her!”

Raien stood from his desk and shook his head, "So, because she won’t allow you to act like a barbarian, you can’t protect her?”

Alaric sighed in frustration, "How the hell am I supposed to protect Eva if she won’t let me kill the people that hurt her? Can’t I just kill him anyway?!”

Raien raised his brow. Crossing his arms, he looked at him curiously, "So, she’s Eva now?”

In Alaric’s frustration, he hadn’t noticed that he’d called her by her name in front of Raien. Waving him off he turned and put his hands on his hips his irritation growing at the sound of Raien chucking.

"No, you can’t unless she writes it in the book Alaric. She hardly has control over the story that unfolds anyway, but this… this must be her own choice. You know that." He sat on the edge of the chair in his office. "Alaric, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps what Eva needs right now are other forms of protection? That maybe the last thing she wants is another brute in her life.”

Alaric thoughts traveled to the night he’d strangled her and how easily she’d given up. It was a memory he’d locked as far back as he could. He didn’t like the way seeing her like that at his hands made him feel.

"You going at her with such aggression is the last way you’re going to get her to trust you.” Raien placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know you listen to no one, but may I offer you some advice?”

Alaric grumbled, "Fine.”

"Protect her dreams, her hopes, the things she loves. Protect the things that have been stolen from her so that for once she feels they’re safe to enjoy again. Maybe instead of trying to force your type of protection on her, you just allow her to show you what she needs.”

Alaric turned to face him scowling. "As if she would tell me any of that shit.”

"She would if you actually tried listening for once. Be nice to her.”

"I don’t do nice.”

"Well how about decent? Would it kill you to be decent?”

Alaric didn’t want to be decent. Being decent would mean getting to know the little human, and he wasn’t sure how he would feel about what he found. Still, he did want his wings back and she was the reason his life had been spared. If listening to her meant getting one step closer, then he would have to somehow manage it.

"I’ll try but no promises.” He said finally.

Raien patted him on the shoulder. “Good start. Your father is going to be pleased.”

Alaric rolled his eyes, "Yeah well tell him don’t get used to it.”


Charles shoved his phone in Eva’s face. "Where the hell is the money?”

She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and she braced herself for the type of night it would be. "You have to refresh the screen.”

He glared at her before pushing buttons on his phone. Smiling into the phone, he looked at her, "Why so much money this pay?”

"I-I got an advancement for my new book.”

He raised his brow, “What’s the book about?”

Thinking on her feet, she quickly responded, "It’s a horror, no romance or erotica.”

He nodded his head, "Make sure I approve it before it is done.” Grabbing his coat, he threw it over his arm, "I’ll be back in a few hours.”

"Charles, I-I was wondering if I could have a bit of money to buy groceries and toiletries…we’re a little low.”

His body stiffened, "What the fuck happened to the money I gave you three weeks ago for that stuff?”

"I-I filled the house, but I wanted to get some things to make sure I keep everything stocked that way you never run out of stuff you need.” She knew if she framed it that way, it would satisfy him.

Nodding he mumbled under his breath, "I’ll go to the ATM.”

She didn’t want to ask, but she pushed herself to anyway, "I was also wondering if maybe I could have a little money to maybe get my hair cut again and my nails done-”

He turned and glared at her, "What the fuck did you just ask me?”

Eva pulled her legs to her chest, "It’s just that I have an interview to get a few of my books in the stores overseas and I-”

"You think you’re better than me?” She didn’t respond. "HMM?!” His voice raised an octave causing her to jump.

"No of course not.”

Charles fumed, "Bragging about some books overseas. If I sat on my ass and wrote dumbass stories all day, I could have books overseas too.” Storming towards her, he pushed the side of her head. "You should have never cut this shit anyway, you look like a damn man.” Eva grimaced and Charles laughed harshly before his face became serious again. "Tell me Eva, who’s going to be in this meeting that you need to spend my hard-earned money to look nice for?” He leaned in towards her causing her to retch back. "Who is he hmm? Who's the man who has my slut of a wife in such a frenzy that she would ask her hardworking husband to get her all fancy for?”

Eva closed her eyes and braced herself, "There’s nobody-”

She never got to finish her statement.

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