Nature's Destiny (14 page)
I let the beating warmth of the shower wash away the blood, grime and sweat. It pounded hard against my skin as the pressure flowed through the system. I scrubbed my body raw as the feeling of blood lingered.
Riley had left to go to the hospital and as much as I wanted to follow, he’d sent me back home with persuasive words of hot water and clean clothes. I couldn’t say no to that. I was filthy, even with Riley’s clean top on.
The search for traps had come up empty. It was a relief, but didn’t distract from the fact that we were being targeted for a reason we didn’t know. Riley was furious.
I wrapped the towel around my body and sat on the bed, stunned. What was happening here? Why was it happening? And what the hell could Faye do with her magic fingers and fancy words?
I dressed in a long, thin black jumper and denim shorts. It wasn’t cold, but it was comfortable and I craved for comfort. I brushed out my hair and left it to dry naturally, before heading back downstairs.
I found Roxy in the kitchen making sandwiches. I nodded in appreciation, I was starved after using so much energy.
“Have you seen Faye?” I asked.
When I’d gotten back to the house I hadn’t seen anyone, and I was eager to find out how she was feeling.
“She’s in her room with Lara.”
“Is she alright?”
“Yes, just exhausted. She’s been practicing her healing wards nearly every day, but she’s still only a novice. What doesn’t help is she’s too impatient, always wanting to skip to the bigger spells.”
“She’s new at this?” I asked, shocked. She’d handled herself so professionally calm, that I couldn’t begin to understand how she didn’t freak out from the pressure in the middle of that field.
“She’s only recently discovered her talent,” she began. “She’s been hoping Riley will contact the Ancient Guardians to guide her.” I nodded though I still didn’t know who the Ancient Guardians were.
“Aled and Annabelle have been helping her at the hospital, but their knowledge is limited. They’re solely medical professionals and what Faye can do far exceeds that.”
“How does she do it?”
“Basically, she gathers her energy and channels it through her magic.”
“But where does the magic come from?” I felt like I was being stupid for not knowing.
“It’s inside of us. We all have some amount of magic, it’s how we can change shape. But, Faye and others of our kind have a little extra.”
“Do you know anyone else like Faye?” I asked, curious.
“Not really, not unless you count the Ancient Guardians, but they’re more about the future and what it holds.” That was something at least.
“Why did Riley still insist on Kyle going to the hospital?” I said, remembering how odd it had seemed before.
“Because he still needed blood, and a transfusion was quicker. Faye can heal wounds, but she can’t replace blood, at least not yet. She stopped the bleeding and that’s what counts, it’s much more than what a standard medic can offer.” I agreed, having seen it for myself.
“Of course, with all things magic it comes at a price,” she finished.
I’d known that from the books I’d read as a child. It was a valuable lesson in life that nothing good was ever free.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I finished decorating the cake for you.”
“Oh my goodness, I completely forgot! I left a mess in here, I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be silly. It was only a little bit of cleaning and quite frankly I welcomed the distraction. Besides you were busy saving lives.” She gave me a pointed look.
“Lara told you about that did she?”
“She did. She was concerned and amazed. Luna, those traps were seriously heavy and you opened them. On. Your. Own!”
“I don’t know how,” I confessed. “I just couldn’t hang around waiting for the inevitable.”
She pursed her lips at me as though I was hiding something. I didn’t know what to say, I felt guilty for being strong when I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what she wanted from me.
I was worried about the traps. They weren’t the kind to snatch and grab. They were built to kill, and I was sure Riley was aware of that too. Was it adrenaline that let me pull the teeth apart?
No, we are strong. Do not doubt it. It flows through every inch of us. You can feel it too if you concentrate long enough.
I listened to my wolf, remembering what Riley had told me. It would always sense and realise things before I did. And he was right. I did feel strong, but I’d assumed it was because I was more than a human now. Everything was new, including my body.
I settled on the sofa in the living room after Roxy had shooed me out of the kitchen. She was content with making sandwiches by herself. I turned on the TV, aware that it was the first time I’d been in the room by myself.
I put on the only channel I knew that was capable of distracting me long enough to get some rest - Food Network. It always worked a charm.*
“She was amazing Riley, she pulled it apart like it was a packet of crisps!”
Lara?
I was trying to make sense of what I was hearing, but a darkness clouded my eyes pulling me under. Sleep was beckoning once again, and I drifted off…*
I woke up to the sound of even breathing, it was hypnotic and calming. I turned over seeking the warmth that radiated towards me. I snuggled closer and rested my head on the bare, chiselled chest beside me. I blinked a few times before realising it was Riley.
I was taken aback as confusion ran through my mind. I was laying in my bed, with Riley. How did that happen?
His shirtless body enhanced his strength as his taut muscles rested beneath my arm. I didn’t want to disturb him, he looked extremely peaceful as his worries slipped away while he slept. While he exhaled the stress, he breathed in harmony.
He moved his arm and wrapped it around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I held still for fear of waking him. I wasn’t ready to head back into the real world. I breathed in his scent and let it fill my lungs. I loved the way he smelled, it was addictive to my senses.
I closed my eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. I bathed in the feeling of his body close to mine, and hugged him tightly. I never wanted to let him go, it was a feeling I could easily get used to.*
The feeling of Riley playing with my hair stirred me from my sleep. Dreaming had been my favourite time of the day, but waking with Riley beside me far exceeded my dreams. Finally, reality was better.
My wolf was calm as harmonious waves travelled through our connection. Sleeping with Riley had obviously soothed her.
Don’t kid yourself, it soothed you too.
I smiled to myself, my wolf was a sassy female. He kissed my forehead, and the sensations that passed down my body echoed my feelings about him. He had such a boyish charm that it reminded me he was only twenty-six. With the amount of responsibilities he had it was easy to mistake him for an older man.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Mmhmm,” I mumbled. “Though I don’t remember coming to bed.” I smirked and raised one eyebrow.
“You’d crashed on the sofa when I walked in, and I’d assumed you’d be comfier in here,” he shrugged as he answered.
“And where’s the part where you joined me?”
“I can leave if you want?” He attempted to move, pulling the covers aside.
“No!” I shouted as I held on to him. “I was only messing. Please stay,” I asked.
He settled back down and pulled me closer. I loved the feeling of his arm around me.
“I haven’t slept that well in a long time,” he said, as his thoughts turned pensive. The lines across his forehead creased as his eyes became more distant towards his musings.
“It seems sleeping with you agrees with me, Luna.”
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending more nights sleeping with Riley. The thought excited me, though I knew I was getting ahead of myself.
“I’m glad I was able to help. You can sleep with me as often as you’d like, you’re not so bad to cuddle.” I winked at him before I lost my nerve.
“Oh, really?” He looked mischievous.
With a wicked grin he leaned over and tickled my body, and I screamed out in response. Riley was torturing me with his evil plan.
He straddled my hips to stop me from moving, and it wasn’t fair. I fought him off as much as I could, but between his constant tickling and my need to wriggle I wasn’t getting very far. He was loving every minute, if the size of his grin was anything to go by.
It was time to play dirty, and Riley definitely deserved it. Fire shouldn’t be fought with fire, but in Riley’s case, he definitely needed a taste of his own medicine.
I skimmed my hands across his abdomen and tickled my way up his body. Result! He
was
ticklish!
I’d gained the upper hand as I’d distracted him long enough to forget what he was doing. I pushed him off of my hips and rolled him over, and straddled
him
. He desperately tried to grab at my hands, but I was determined to beat him at his own game.
I was having a lot of fun laughing at Riley, and in one lightning-fast move he grabbed my arms and pulled me down. He crushed his lips against mine and I quickly responded as the reason for laughing faded away. The mood in the room shifted as desire swept through my body.
I matched his pace, tongue against tongue. The sweet taste of him filling my senses as he moved his hand through my hair to cradle the back of my head. His other hand grazed along my arse, and pulled me closer to him. He pressed his body against mine and I felt the full force of his arousal. Passion flared through my veins, and I couldn’t contain myself.
I deepened the kiss, biting his lip in the process. He responded with a carnal growl and pinned me to the bed. I was at his mercy and it felt good. I wrapped my legs around his waist, bringing him closer.
My skin grew sensitive to his touch and wetness gathered between my legs. I ached to be touched by him. I’d
never
felt like that before.
“Luna, we have to stop.” It was hard to believe him when he continued to kiss me.
“Why?” I was having a really good time, and now he wanted to stop?
“I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”
I felt like ice had been thrown over my body. My desire had faded like a switch had been turned off. I definitely wasn’t turned
on
anymore.
“Wait, that didn’t sound how it was meant to. What I mean Luna, is that I’m so turned on by you, I’m struggling to not rip the clothes off your back. I want to devour you, but I don’t want to hurt you, and right now I’m afraid I will. You have no idea how much I want you, I can barely keep my hands off you. Even earlier, I struggled to see you half naked around everyone else. It damn near killed me.”
I sat in shock at Riley’s admission. “Riley, you make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I can’t explain it, it’s like you’ve lit a fire inside me.”
“You are incredibly beautiful, Luna,” he said, swiping the hair out of my face.
He rested his palm against my cheek, which caused my skin to tremble. Riley thought I was beautiful?
Why wouldn’t he? He is the one for us.
Don’t get ahead of yourself wolf.
Stop selling yourself short then.
I sighed inwardly, the conversation was over before Riley could notice, but my wolf was as aware as before. The tingling that persisted in the back of my mind was a tell-tale sign of its own.
“I don’t want to rush you into anything. I want you to trust me, and I’m going to do this the right way. Will you go out on a date with me?” he asked.
“Yes!” I replied happily. He hugged me tight, and kissed the top of my head. I felt sated, and incredibly excited. Riley had feelings for me too, and enough to ask me on a date.
“Thank you for walking into my life when you did.”
His words melted my heart as I thought about how grateful I was for meeting him. He’d given me a whole new life.
“No Riley, thank
you
.”