Author's Note:

Welcome to the second part of Addicted: Megan's Story. It is my intention that every one of the nine books in the series features two of the gang. Therefore you will get to know each character intimately. 

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Megan Merrick sat with her crew in Lauren's dusty yet comfy front living room. She just loved everything about the space – from the floral prints of the circa 1990 furniture to the mass produced chunky glass and wood coffee table set. Everything about this room spelled home, and was in complete contrast to the décor of her condo.

Her step-monster lacked any kind of imagination which meant Megan was forced to endure the eye watering bright monochromatic white and chrome furnishings and fixtures that made up the entire design scheme of their large penthouse suite.

Her living quarters were just that 'living quarters', it wasn't a home, to call it a home would be too generous, no her condo was as sterile as an operating room and even less inviting, and Megan hated every second that she had to spend there. So she rarely did.

It wasn't like her step mom was ever home anyway. She spent most of her time either at her exclusive yacht club or shopping. She was seriously a shopaholic. Why not? She had to burn through her Father's money somehow and Prada bags, Jimmy Choo shoes, and clothes designed by Dolce and Gabbana, Armani, Dior, Versace were a great way to do it. Couple that with expensive vacations and plastic surgery retreats and you've got the perfect storm for money management.

When her stepmom and Dad had first got together she had tried to buy Meg's love or at least approval by taking her shopping, but she flatly refused to be used as a human Barbie doll. It wasn't like Megan had to worry about offending her father by not accepting his new bride anyway; she knew why he chose her. He'd married her so that he could have a surrogate mother for his estranged daughter. So he wouldn't have to have anything to do with her. Hell it wasn't like he even lived with them. He spent all of his time in Washington DC.

Her father, a British diplomat and the Welsh Lord of the Sea, had abandoned her both physically and emotionally after her human mother drowned in the accident that had crippled Megan. He blamed her for her death and why not? It had been her fault. If she hadn't stubbornly insisted that at five she was a strong enough swimmer and could make it past the riptide her mother would still be with them and they would still be the close-knit happy family they were before the accident.

Megan didn't know why she was dredging all this up in her head when her and her crew had so many other things to worry about. Perhaps it was her near death experience this afternoon that had brought it to the forefront of her mind, but she needed to seriously knock it the 'f' off.

She sat in the overstuffed chair while Cam lounged on the floor at her feet; her fingers entwined his soft hair. She played with it distractedly as he draped his arms over her knees intimately. She would have shared the seat with him, but he was seriously wound up. He was jumping at every little sound, but who could blame him. They were all shell-shocked over the events of this afternoon.

Everyone sat staring off into space. The room itself seemed shrouded in a thick coat of contemplative silence. The only sound in the too quiet space was the incessant ticking of a clock on the wall, and some distant shuffling noises coming from Lauren's mother's room. Lauren had explained to them all last year that her mother was a shut-in that never left her tiny space. Megan could relate. She didn't have any family either, but she had Cam and his big beautiful family and for that she would be eternally grateful, and here large group of friends. She glanced around the room at her halfblood cronies.

While they all lounged slouched over various objects in the room, she had a moment to marvel at how spectacularly attractive they all were.

On the couch sat Lauren the gorgeous hazel eyed African American fairy with long beautiful hair and dark delicate features, Quinn the six foot well built Native American Skinwalker with the long black hair and killer smile and if you looked up chiseled in the dictionary no doubt you'd find a picture of him, and Zach the blue eyed Halfblood Angel with brown hair, He was a gentle giant who wasn't so gentle if you fucked with Lauren. He seriously had a thing for her. They both did.

On the Love seat sat Olivia the French Canadian Succubus of Greek descent, who had a killer physique, long beautiful dark hair, honey brown eyes and the face of an angel. Bookended on either side of her sat Marley and Ray.

Marley was a tiny, but never fragile, blue haired tattooed, Dhampir, who was seriously married to the punk/goth style she wore. But it didn't come off as tragic, surprisingly, on her it just fit. That was probably due to her exquisite features. Her soft dusty gray eyes, slight nose and round full mouth softened her style dramatically.

Ray was a Dragon shifter and the halfblood son of A Japanese Thunder God. He was tall with broad shoulders and a sculpted physique. He had thick black hair chestnut brown eyes and the kind of features that every girl drools over.

Xander the resident Halfblood Slavic demigod was hold up on the only other chair in the room with his on again off again self involved blonde bombshell girlfriend, Kelly. Kelly was a halfblood Norse demigod. Seeing them together was like looking into the sun. It was like two Hollywood A-listers had taken up residence in Lauren's living room. Kelly had the look of a Scandanavian goddess, bleach blonde hair, fair skin, eyes the light blue of an arctic iceberg, and a tall slender statuesque body that most girls would kill for. She had to be six feet tall if she was an inch.

Xan was blonde too, but it was more a dirty surfer blonde color. That color couldn't be purchased in a bottle or inherited it could only be acquired by spending all your free time in the sun. His complexion had the darker hues of a sun worshipper and his eye were the piercing blue of a midsummer sky. He had the highest cheek bones of all of them and a wide generous mouth. The kind that promises that if you kissed him you'd never want to stop.

On Kelly's lap sat Donnie an Italian Halfblood Cat Sith, in his Russian Blue cat form. Ever since he came over to Lauren's the first time and declared he couldn't keep his form because there were too many mice he'd never been in human form again here. It made Megan wonder if that was the only reason. He seemed to spend a great deal of time cozying up to Kelly when he was here. Right now she was using Xan's biker jacket buckle to tease Donnie-cat playfully.

When Donnie is in human form he has the carefully sculpted features of a roman god. High arched brows, piercing chocolate brown eyes, an angular jaw, a sharp Grecian nose, and carefully manicured hair. He has a cultured European style of dress too. He's a big fan of the button up shirt and blazer look, as an ex-catholic private school boy, but it doesn't come off as dorky on him. Instead it is alluring and intriguing.

Brenna the Inuit shaman sat across from them on a kitchen chair, the one Connor had dragged in for her. The Gean Cannah now sat close to hand but not too close. Which was weird he was usually holding up a wall somewhere in her general vicinity. Megan guessed he probably was tired from the task of trying not to touch anyone during their escape from the magic wing. These two made a very striking couple, and if only that could be, but alas the poor guy will never be able to love anyone without cursing them to his power.

Connor has a tall lean body with broad shoulders and lean hips. He has the kind of wavy light brown-auburn curls that other guys try to emulate but can never quite pull off. He also has the softest facial features of the guys -- looking almost effeminate. Of all of them he looks the most Fae -- with his upturn almond shaped green eyes -- the color of moss, his high cheekbones and slight mouth and his angular nose he'd be a catch for anyone. He'd give Orlando Bloom a run for his money.

In fact she'd never admit this to Cam, but she had had a huge crush on him their whole first year. What wasn't there to like about Connor Anwell back then? He was gorgeous, funny and out-going. He could have whispered the leaves from the trees as her dad used to say. She didn't know what that meant, but it was probably a fae thing. He'd changed so much since his enlightenment though. Now you'd be hard pressed to get two words out of him. And instead of his old gregarious self he was now sullen and removed.

Who could blame him for falling for Brenna though, her features were wildly exotic. From her long dark brown hair, dark black eyes, and a bow shaped beautiful mouth, her dark smoky lashes. She couldn't believe that Brenna thought herself big. She wasn't; she was voluptuous with big beautiful breasts and wide generous hips. Megan seriously envied her shape. She'd give anything not to be the tall angular girl with too small breasts and no hips, but she had to remind herself that -- just like Brenna -- she was probably judging herself too harshly.

Travis and Kyle took up residence on the floor and for once they weren't munching incessantly on junk food which said a lot more about everyone's state of mind than the quiet in the room. There couldn't be too more dynamically opposite individuals, looks-wise that is, but that didn't stop them from being more like brothers than any brothers she had ever met.

Kyle, a Halfblood Norse demigod, was as light skinned and lean as Travis an African American halfblood mountain troll was dark skinned and wide. Kyle's hair was bleach blonde like Kelly's and his eyes were the lightest shade of blue with an eye catching dark circle of blue around the outer edge of the iris. It was the kind of color contact lens companies try to pull off but are never quite able to do. Trav's are the darkest of brown, Kyle's face is all long and lean features, while Trav's are broad and pronounced. Kyle has a gymnast's build whereas Trav has a thick muscled form of a body builder.

Ryan and CJ sat next to one another on the floor opposite Kyle and Travis. Ryan is an Arabic Halfblood Jinn, with awesome powers and killer good looks, but he's incredibly shy and wouldn't know what to say to a girl if she threw herself at him. He has closely cropped black hair which just accentuates his exotic features. He has a wide angled nose and dark thick brows, a deep cleft chin and the most unique color eyes she'd ever seen. They're a rich amber color. He too had the kind of lips a woman would want to explore and the kind of eyes a girl could get lost in.

And CJ the Hispanic Halfblood hottie was a mystery, no one knew who his father was, but that didn't stop him from speculating wildly at every turn. He has dark black eyes and hair and lots of it. The sexiest come hither eyes and confident smile accompanied by a killer set of dimples. He sports tattoos all over his arms in full sleeves. And he has the girls lining up to be the next on his list. Everything about him promises passion like you've never felt.

The only other guy not in attendance was Ollie a halfblood succubus and Olivia's other persona. To say he is sexy would be a raging understatement. He is sex personified. Deep hypnotic black eyes, dark black thick hair you just want to run your hands through and the kind of lips that would make any woman weep. His body looks like it has been honed from stone rather than flesh and when he moves it is like a dark sexy predator has suddenly entered the room and you want nothing more than to be the one on the menu.

Megan marveled that even though she's in a committed relationship, even she is powerless to his charms. If he crooked his finger at her she would be hard pressed to say no. Megan looked down then to the man she was lucky enough to call her own.

Her big beautiful Halfblood Selkie.

He is the most striking of them all. She loved absolutely everything about him. From his silky short brown hair, to his big gorgeous seal grey eyes, to his too perfect nose, and those talented upturned lips that made it look like he is always smiling. He is well over six feet tall and built halfway between a quarter back and an Olympic swimmer with the broadest shoulders of all the guys. He has the dark rugged good looks of someone who had spent their entire childhood outdoors and is no stranger to the sand and the surf. Everything about him screams the sea. And sometimes she just wants to get lost in him. He fits her like a glove -- one that she wants to slip into over and over again. But the all-time best thing about him is: he is hers just as much as she is his.

Zach broke her from her reverie when he sat forward and steepled his fingers together looking thoughtful. He took a long shuddering breath before speaking and looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulder. It would seem that Zach and Cam were cut from the same cloth. They both thought that the ultimate responsibility was there's alone to bear, but she was trying to teach Cam that they could shoulder their burdens together.

"Guys," he began," I think we're going to have to start packing again."

"Ya'll are crazy if you think I'm going to bring a weapon into the school." Kelly sputtered.

"Kelly hear him out before you start going off half cocked." Xander said in exasperation.

"No way! I'm risking my powers for these dweebs Xander Baby." She huffed, "take me home."

Xan cocked his eyebrow looking taken aback." Sorry hon," he emphasized the endearment as if to remind her he hated when she used them, "but if you want to leave, be my guest; I'm staying."

She fairly leapt out of his lap and flounced off toward the front door and bit out through clenched teeth," Fine I will then." Before she went to swing open the door.

Megan noted with an inaudible chuckle she'd forgotten to put Donnie-cat down and he dangled on her arm like a purse looking like he didn't know what to do.

Zach ever the peacemaker called out in the nick of time, "Wait!"

"Kelly you know you're our best fighter." Megan saw everyone's eyebrows raise over that statement and so did Zach, but he continued anyway, "We need you in one piece. If we're attacked again and the berserkers get in, we'll need to be able to defend ourselves. I just don't want to see anything happen to any of my friends."

Kelly seemed to soften at being referred to as a friend, so Zach carried on, "If you're concerned about getting caught. I can understand that, but I'm sure Brenna, Lauren, and Cam can work on a few more protection charms and amulets so that they'll escape detection."

Zach looked at each of them in turn before looking back at Kelly.

Kelly's angry stance relaxed as she turned to the three of them and demanded, "Make sure that it works. I'm not going down for something as stupid as carrying my throwing knives on school property.

When she saw Cam and the other two nods in agreement she became pissed. Megan was getting riled by her bitchy arrogant attitude. Never one to back down from a fight, she bit out"

"Oi . . . You there . . . Who do you think you are anyway? We are all in this together. Zach suggested we carry our weapons for our own safety." Meg stood up to her full height which was nearly as tall as the self righteous blonde and growled," If you ever talk to one of us like that again. I'll rap this crutch upside your empty little head." Meg lifted up her crutch to demonstrate.

Cam stood up to try and pull her back, but she jerked her arm out of his hold angrily.

"Understood!" Meg ground out as she narrowed her eyes at her menacingly.

The air in the room became electric. All eyes were on them and bouncing back and forth like a tennis match, but Meg wasn't backing down.

"And the next time you call anyone of us dweebs you can just keep on walking."

Kelly had the good sense to look remorseful.

She blew everyone away with her quick apology though, "Alright, alright I'm sorry okay." All of a sudden it was like the air suddenly went out of the room and everyone relaxed.

Megan took her seat her heart still racing. She took a few deep breaths to try and ratchet down her rage and when Zach spoke again she thought she might have it back under control.

Xander you've got the meeting with Delphi during lunch tomorrow, right? Is there anyone else who'd like to go?" Zach asked.

Most of them chorused," I can't," but Megan and Zach."

"I'd like to go. I don't have a problem with technology at least not yet, and I think it will go a lot smoother if I go as a buffer." Megan interjected. "No offence Xan but sometimes your fame can be a little distracting." She explained.

Xan laughed "None taken."

"Okay it's settled then," Zach announced, "the three of us will meet up near the computer labs during lunch break."

"Lauren and Brenna can you start looking for solutions to hiding our weapons from the teachers and Tuma," Zach asked?

They both nodded in agreement.

"That settles it then."

Everyone chuckled when even before he got the last words out Kyle jumped in and said:

"Who's up for pizza, I'm starving!"

Trav piped in, "I know a great pie joint three streets over. I feel like stretching my legs, anyone else?"

She really hadn't felt like socializing, but the alternative was to go home to an empty penthouse. So she'd joined everyone. In the end she was glad she did. After they'd eaten, she'd driven Cam home and headed home herself.

She was exhausted; her spine ached from a long day of standing and sitting and frankly the tension caused by the panic she had felt earlier hadn't helped either. Chronic pain was an ever constant companion for here, and tonight it was ten times worse. The only time she ever got relief was when she was in the salt water pool at the school. She had to admit that sometimes she wished she never had to get out.

Meg said hello to the door man who greeted her as usual, road the elevator to the top floor, and let herself into her dark condo. She had to wonder if her stepmom was even on the continent. She switched on a lamp near the door and it threw a soft golden glow over the stark furniture.

There was a note for her on the island that outlined the kitchen she took a seat on the chrome bar stool noting how cold and uncomfortable it was after sitting in the comfy chair at Lauren's.

The note read:

Miss,

I've placed your meal in the fridge.

Chef

Megan had to laugh when she thought even the staff were cold. She might have been able to warm up to someone, but her step-monster was so demanding she couldn't hold on to anybody for more than a few months.

She would have liked to have an Alfred like Bruce Wayne or even just to be able to get to know the staff better but her step lunatic insisted that none of them call her by her first name.

If fact one of her favorite saying is "familiarity breeds contempt."

Meg would agree; she knew her stepmom really well and she thought she was totally contemptible.

With a sigh Meg shut the lamp light off and maneuvered around the ill placed furniture with the expertise of years of practice. The woman moved furniture at will with no care for Meg's mobility issues. She had to slide a chair out of her way just to get by and of course the maid would have it in the exact same spot the next morning. Meg had given up on trying to reason with her years ago.

With a sigh she lumbered to bed each swing of her crutch an agonizing reminder of her disability. Her back was aflame and every move sent a jolt of sheer agony drown her spine to her hips and legs. She'd need to soak in a hot bath with a little Epson salt and take a back and muscle relaxant or there would be no way she would sleep tonight.

If only she could get over her fear of the Sea sometimes she thought that was the only solution to the pain. But just the mention of it could send her into a full blown panic attack. Even now her heart was racing at the thought.

As she slipped into the hot tub she felt sorry for Cam; he thought he could fix her, but he had no idea how truly broken she was. She hid her scars well from the world.

When she got into her king size bed she maneuvered her body pillow into the only position she could sleep in and lay there for a long time staring into space. Sleep wouldn't come. Too many thoughts raced through her head. The only time she fell asleep right away and stayed asleep was when she slept in Cam's arm. She was haunted by the ghosts of her past in her dreams and Cam was the only one that kept them at bay. But finally she fell into a fitful sleep and dreamed once again that in the water she was the monster that lurked. 

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter -- What do you think the council is hiding in the school? 

What do you think they'll have to do to keep their weapons from magical detection?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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