Seventh Mark (Part 1 +2) (31 page)

With a sexy,
throaty laugh, he said, “I’d be honored if you would wear my
Siorghra. I love you. I would do anything for you – fight for you,
follow you, travel across this world for you, do anything you ask.
I’d die for you. This is my love, eternally.” He looped the clasp
together and a resounding click echoed in my ears. I loved the
sound.

“You have my
heart forever.” I shifted so I could put my hands on his face to
bring it towards me.

We kissed
gently, and I could feel him holding back, afraid he might hurt me.
I pushed my lips harder against his and pressed against him. He
made me feel safe.

He lifted his
lips away from mine as he looked into my eyes. I could see his were
a darker shade of blue, and I was sure mine were full of desire as
well. His lips came crashing down on mine and both of us felt each
other's desire.

The cuts on my
lip broke open and I could taste blood in my mouth. Michael jumped
off me onto his back. I gingerly rolled over to my side and pressed
my wrist to my lip to stop the bleeding.”

He gave a small
smile and brushed a stray hair from my forehead. “I’m sorry. Are
you okay? I didn’t realize the effect of putting my Siorghra around
your neck would have on me.”

I leaned up on
one elbow and smiled. “I’m fine. You know something really cool?
It’s like I can feel the change, too.” I didn’t feel alone. I felt
connected. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

We grinned,
staring at each other like a couple of school kids.

A thought
crossed my mind. “How did you know where to find me when Damon took
me?”

Michael sat up
and leaned against the frame of the futon. He lifted me so my head
could rest against his lap.

“I wasn’t sure
where you were, but I knew you were alive. I’m not sure how I knew,
I just did. As the Coven meeting finished, Grace messaged me that
you hadn’t returned from grocery shopping. Caleb, Seth, and I left
immediately. I couldn’t get back here fast enough.

“We searched
the grocery stores, your old house, out by the school, out by where
the bonfire night had been this summer. Nothing gave us your scent.
The falling snow slowed us, making it harder to catch it and I
started to grow desperate. We searched all night.” He paused, as if
to collect his thoughts. “I thought Damon had taken you to get to
me. It never really occurred to Seth, Caleb, or I that he might
actually want you and our deaths might just be a bonus. It all
makes more sense now.”

“How’d you know
where to look?” I played with the pendant around my neck, loving
the feeling of the loop running along the chain.

"Sarah located
the GPS tracking on the Jeep and figured a way into the car
dealership’s computer. We found the Jeep towards the early morning,
and I found my
Siorghra
under the seat.”

I nodded. After
seeing the connection between Seth and Tatiana, I’d hoped he’d had
some inner connection to the pendant.

“Seth went into
the cabin and I raced into the forest. Caleb followed me and we
both found the empty cabin. I followed the trail of blood that led
around the lake. I knew it was yours, I could smell the black
liquorice scent. Caleb took off in another direction. I came to the
spot where you must have stopped for a moment. One of those
mongrels was tearing some of your clothes. It was a trap. The pack
had hid and used the one Grollic to pretend it was mauling you.”
Michael shuddered and lightly made trails with his fingers on my
back. When he stopped, a finger rested on the birthmark he hadn’t
seen.

I moved
slightly, nervous he might know about the mark and wanted me to
tell him about it. I planned to, just not until I figured
everything out.

The mark seemed
to hold something which could tear us apart. I wasn’t ready for
that. We’d only just found each other. I touched his arm and his
fingers began tracing light circles absently on my shoulder. “What
happened next?” I asked.

“I
over-reacted, and I never do that.” He shook his head. “Enraged I
attacked and, stupid me, was instantly surrounded by the pack.
Caleb took off after the Alpha. The rest you pretty much know as it
was a few moments later that I saw you come back from the lake. You
looked so fragile and scared. However, that changed when you
started hollering at the Grollics. You were pretty pissed off.”

I smiled,
remembering my anger and how stupid a mistake it could have turned
out to have been. I thought about the journal. When I studied it
again, I’d see it in a whole new light. “Do you think more Grollics
are going to come after me?”

Michael ran his
fingers along the side of my ribcage, staying quiet for a long
time. “Eventually I think they will. We don’t know how many of them
know about you or if they know you are able to command them. I
think, to them, you are bigger than our war.”

Thanks goodness
we were laying close together. I needed his warmth because the
words he spoke made my blood run cold and my birthmark began to
burn with a sharp pain I’d never felt before.

NOTE TO
SELF

Remember to
keep writing in this notebook, Rouge. You bought this silly,
expensive leather notebook to keep track of your thoughts for your
trip this summer. You also promised yourself that you were going to
write down anything you learned from the Grollic book. So, this is
your journal and, one day, you are going to want to sit down and
read this book to remember all the emotions and things you learned
on this journey.

I sat tapping
the pen against the desk while I tried to think of what else to
write on the first page.

Rouge, you
love Michael with every part of your being. This is something
bigger than just you here. It is in the blood which runs through
you. Don’t ever forget that or lose sight of it – no matter what
happens in the future. Always remember - you need him forever.

I thought about
the mark on my back and leaned forward, forcing the image out of my
mind.

One other
important thing – A GROLLIC IS THE ENEMY (…I think)