Chapter 17: Chapter 17

ANNA

I take in a deep breath, feeling those familiar hands on me.

He closes the distance between us.

“Don’t run from me,” he whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

I let out a breath and turn around to face him. There is water running down his face, over his body. His hair is wet and he is shirtless.

~Shit, I should have never turned around. He looks hot as hell.~

I gulp as our eyes meet. He has an amused smile on his face.

I keep his gaze, not backing down, ignoring the fact that he is shirtless and his hands are on me. We are inches apart.

“You won the bet, so talk to me,” I challenge him, smiling sweetly.

He smirks at me in return.

“I’ll take that kiss first.”

I narrow my eyes at him, shaking my head gently, and move in close. Our noses are touching, our eyes drowning in each other.

~If I kiss him, I’m gonna lose control.~

My heart is pounding. My lips need his like I need oxygen to survive.

He makes the move, and our lips lock.

Never in my life have I experienced a kiss like this. Every part of my body is tingling. It feels like the world stops spinning and it is just us and this heartwarming, soul-smashing, passionate kiss.

I wish it would never end. I want more—no, I ~need~ more of him.

He pulls away, breathless.

I lick my lips, slowly opening my eyes.

He presses his forehead against mine.

“Holy shit, Anna,” is all he manages to say, in a whisper.

“I know. I felt it too.”

He stares into my eyes for what feels like hours. We just stand there, breathing in each other’s scent, wordless, lost in the moment.

“I need to go. This…can never happen again.”

I pull out of his grip and sprint to the packhouse.

~Shit, that was a bad idea. I need to keep my distance from him or I’m gonna get sucked in.~

I make it to my room, shut the door, and crawl onto my bed, kicking off my shoes. I drift off.

***

“Anna!”

I jolt awake. Amethyst is standing over me.

“We need to go. Come, we are leaving today.”

~Ugh. How I wish this place had coffee.~

I get to my feet and pull on my shoes, running my fingers through my hair. I pat the mattress.

~I’m so sad to leave. Wish I could bring you with me, my sweet bed.~

I look up at Amethyst, who is shaking her head at me.

“So where are we going now?”

She opens the door and gestures for me to go first.

“We are going to the fae kingdom now. Hopefully, they will be just as kind as the werewolves have been and give us shelter.”

We head downstairs where Collen, Roland, and Lev are waiting.

“What are they doing here?” I ask in a whisper.

“Roland and Lev insisted on coming with us, and Collen is just here to see us off.”

Amethyst thanks Collen for his generosity and takes a backpack with provisions he packed for us.

I place a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. I had a nice stay.”

He smiles and pulls me in for a hug. “Take care, Anna.” He hands me a backpack as well, and we head out.

As we start our journey again, Roland leads the way with Lev behind him. Amethyst and I follow slowly.

I watch Roland’s back as we go. He keeps his eyes in front of him, not even once looking back at me.

~I wonder if he’s mad? Maybe last night’s kiss was a mistake.~

We walk for hours, with only a brief stop for lunch.

By late afternoon, I’m exhausted and trying to distract myself by taking in deep breaths and focusing on my surroundings. We are walking uphill, and it’s burning my energy much faster than usual.

I feel my legs wobbling as I try to push forward.

“Hey, guys! I’m only human, remember!” I shout as I trip and fall to the ground.

Amethyst helps me up. “Are you okay?” She looks me over, checking for bruises.

“I’ll be fine. Do you think we can stop for a while? I need a break.”

Amethyst glances at Lev, who is waiting for us; Roland just keeps on walking. Lev shakes his head and takes my bag.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

Amethyst and I slowly start to move again. Every muscle in my body is aching.

We finally reach the top of the hill.

“We will set up camp here,” Roland announces. He drops his bag and storms off into the woods.

“What’s up with him?” I ask as I fall gratefully to the ground.

Amethyst shrugs her shoulders, pulls out some food from her bag, and hands me a piece of bread.

“He needs to blow off some steam,” Lev answers as he starts to build a small fire.

“How far is the fae kingdom?” I ask, hoping we are close.

Lev looks up and smiles at me.

“About three to four days walk from here.”

I flop down on my back, looking up at the darkening sky.

“Ugh. Think I’ll go back to the wolves and take my chances there.”

Amethyst and Lev start laughing at me.

Soon, Roland returns, holding a couple of rabbits in his hands. He passes them to Lev.

“I’ll take first watch,” he says in his demanding voice.

~I think he needs to head back into the woods. Clearly, he didn’t blow off enough steam.~

Lev, unbothered, starts to skin the rabbits.

Roland climbs high up in a tree and starts scouting the area.

~He must be a monkey as well.~

The rest of us enjoy our dinner and the heat of the fire. After we eat, Amethyst pulls up her bag and places it under her head. Lev copies her.

I curl my body up into a ball, staring into the fire, wondering about my life in New York. I can’t wait to see my friends again.

Amethyst and Lev are soon snoring like pigs. I grin at my new friends and look up at the tree where Roland is sitting. Standing up, dusting off the dirt, I make my way over to him.

“Hey, monkey man.”

He looks down, keeping a straight face.

“Can you please come down here? I’m not a good climber.”

He jumps out of the tree and lands on his feet right in front of me.

~“Shit!”~ I shout, and clasp my mouth close as I feel my heart skip a beat.

“What the hell, Roland! Are you trying to kill me?” I smack him on his arms as I try to catch my breath.

He grins at me and pulls me to his chest.

“So you do care.” He places a soft kiss on my head.

I push out of his embrace. “Don’t you dare try to charm me or sex at me with those eyes of yours,” I say, pouting.

He starts to laugh.

“You still owe me a story.” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Okay, flower. I wouldn’t dare charm you”—he gives me a devilish grin and takes a step toward me—“but I can’t promise about the sexing thing.”

I swallow hard and push him on his chest. He takes a step back.

“Story, monkey man.” I grin at him and sit down on the ground, resting my head against the tree. He just chuckles at me and slides down next to me.

“Okay, the story then. Long ago, there lived a beautiful princess—”

“Roland. The real story, about you,” I cut him off and chuckle at his attempt to move the conversation elsewhere.

“What makes you think I have a story?”

“Because every time I ask about you, they give me a vague answer.” I look at him expectantly.

“So you have been asking about me?” He smirks.

I shake my head at this arrogant man next to me.

“Okay, flower, I’ll tell you the story, but I have to warn you it is a bit far-fetched and boring.

“Long ago, before the king oversaw all, there was a war. Lots of lives were lost: hundreds lost friends, family, and even their mates.

“The war went on for years until the Moon Goddess got angry and cursed the land. The ogres couldn’t mate, the wolves had no fated mate, the fae had no magic—every race lost something they hold dear.

“It drove them crazy. Everyone pleaded with the Moon Goddess to show mercy.

“Finally, after years of prayers, she gave in. She told every people to send their strongest warriors on a quest. The one who killed the dragon and brought her his heart would be the ruler of all.

“A Lycan—there were only a few left by then—killed the dragon, gave the heart to the Moon Goddess, and became the king as she had promised.

“But she wasn’t done with him yet. She told him that to break the curse, he had to mate with a Fallen.”

“Everyone thought that was impossible, because the Fallen had all died or fled when the war broke out.

“The king went to the Elders in the mountains for counsel, and they told him there was indeed one Fallen left, so he went on a long journey to find her.

“He succeeded in winning her as his mate, and that is how I came to be. I’m half Fallen and half Lycan.

“I never met my mother. They told me she died giving birth to me. My father never really had time for me. I think I reminded him too much of his fated mate, who he lost before he even marked her.

“I was raised by a warlock. He taught me everything I know. I know the Moon Goddess has some sort of plan for me. I don’t know what yet, but she didn’t let my father mate a Fallen for no reason.”

Roland falls silent and sits there, staring into the night sky as if an answer will come from the stars.

“Wow. That is…quite a story.” I’m in shock.

~I mean, a Lycan? I assume that’s what werewolves call themselves. And what the hell is this “Fallen” thing?~

I can see he is done for the night. The story is hard for him to tell and more questions will only make him angry.

“Yeah, it’s really fucked up if you ask me,” he says at last, running a hand through his hair.

I know there is more to this story. I narrow my eyes at him, tilting my head, scanning him. He looks tense, his jaw clenched, and there is a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“Thank you for the story, Roland.” I smile at him sweetly.

He looks at me and a faint smile spreads across his face. We sit there together, not speaking, looking up at the stars.

At some point, I doze off into a peaceful sleep.

***

“Anna. Wake up, flower,” I hear Roland’s sweet voice say.

I slowly open my eyes only to look into the most gorgeous ice-blue eyes I have ever seen. Roland has that sweet smile on his face. I’m lying on his lap. He gently strokes the hair out of my face.

“Morning,” I say, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. I stretch out, arching my back, wincing at my aching muscles.

~That was nice, but damn I miss that bed.~

He watches me intently, and I hear a soft growl escape his lips. I frown at him. He clears his throat, stands up, and holds out his hand to help me to my feet.

Amethyst and Lev are already busy packing up.

“We need to hit the road before that storm hits. Hopefully, we can take shelter in one of the caves,” Lev says, pointing to a huge, dark storm cloud heading our way. I can feel a chill in the air.

Amethyst looks worried. Lev grabs all the backpacks and heads down the far side of the hill. Roland and I follow, with Amethyst behind me.

The wind is already picking up as we reach the bottom of the slope.

“We won’t be able to stay out here much longer. We need to find shelter,” Roland says, Lev nods, tosses the bags to Roland, and speeds off to scout. The rest of us keep on walking.

Amethyst is deep in thought, not saying one word the whole way down.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, seeing her worried face.

“Yes, I’m fine, I just don’t like storms, that’s all,” she says.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

She smiles gratefully.

An enormous brown wolf appears abruptly in front of me. I freeze in my tracks and stare at it with wide eyes.

~Shit! I’m about to be dog food.~

But instead of attacking me, the wolf starts to play, jumping in circles, waving his tail.

Roland starts to laugh. “Okay, Zalton, that’s enough. We need to find shelter, remember?”

I give him a confused look.

Amethyst answers my unspoken question. “It’s Lev. Zalton is his wolf’s name.”

“Zalton, take Anna, to the cave you found. We’ll meet you there,” Roland continues.

The huge wolf crouches down in front of me, cocks his head, and looks at me expectantly.

“You want me to get on your back? Are you kidding?”

Roland snickers. “Come now, flower. He wouldn’t dare to bite you.” He holds out his hand to me. Without any hesitation, I take it, and he helps me onto Zalton’s back.

“Hold on tight,” he says, and flashes me a gorgeous smile.

Zalton stands up—he feels even taller than he looks—and takes off. We race through the woods.

~This is better than riding a horse!~

I can’t help but smile. He is so fast it feels like we are flying.

“Woohoo!” I shout and start to laugh. Zalton glances back at me and lets out a howl.

~Okay, I’ll admit it’s pretty darn fun, riding a wolf.~

We reach a dark cave. Zalton sniffs the air, then crouches down for me to get off. I slide down, landing on my butt. He shakes his head at me and races to the woods.

I stand up and am dusting off the dirt when Lev comes walking out of the woods. He smiles brightly at me and I can’t help but smile back at him.

“That was awesome!” I say, and give him a huge hug. “It must be amazing being able to run like that!”

He chuckled and nods. “It is pretty awesome.”

He walks into the cave and starts to build a small fire for us. I plant myself next to him on the dry dirt floor.

“So when will the others get here?”

“Soon, I hope. Roland needs to use some of Amethyst’s power to teleport them as far as here, and she needs the practice.” He throws more sticks on the fire and sits down again.

“Roland can teleport?” I tilt my head to the side, trying to imagine it.

“Yes, he can—he’s a skilled warlock—but only short distances. Teleporting takes a lot of energy, so he only uses it in life-and-death situations.”

It is getting freezing cold as the storm comes closer, and I’m shivering despite the fire.

“May I?” Lev gestures as an offer to wrap his arms around me. I narrow my eyes at him and cautiously nod. He pulls me to his side and gathers me up in his warmth.

“Are you always this hot?” I ask through chattering teeth.

He starts to laugh at my choice of words.

I ignore him and nuzzle into his chest. “You are a great friend and my new snuggle buddy.”

He shakes his head. “Nope. Friend, yes, but your snuggle buddy? Roland will have my head.”

I can’t hold back my laughter as I snuggle closer.

“Are you afraid of him?”

“Nope, not afraid. Just loyal.”

Roland and Amethyst come walking in. Seeing Lev and me together, Roland growls.

Lev shifts away from me, taking his warmth with him. I arch my eyebrows at him, but he just smirks.

Amethyst plants herself next to me. She looks exhausted. Roland throws the bags on the ground, looking frustrated, and walks out of the cave.

I frown at Amethyst.

“What happened?”

She looks at me and lets out a sigh.

“I tried to boost Roland’s teleporting ability to get us here faster, but I couldn’t do it. My power is too weak.”

~That explains why he is so frustrated~.

Squeezing Amethyst’s shoulder reassuringly, I stand up and stroll out of the cave. Roland is just outside, mumbling under his breath in Russian.

“Hey.” I walk over to him. I’m already cold again, and I start to rub my arms.

He looks at me with a blank expression on his face.

“Maybe next time.” I smile at him, placing my freezing hand on his arm.

~He is so warm.~

“Can you please warm me up before I die of hypothermia?” I step in close to him, my whole body shaking.

He pulls me into his embrace and within seconds my whole body heats up. I nuzzle into his chest, with his arms wrapped around me.

“Roland?” I look up at him, and his gaze falls on mine.

“That kiss? We never talked about it.”

A frown forms on his forehead.

“What about it?”

I look away from his gaze.

~I won’t be able to lie to him if I look him in the eyes.~

“It can’t happen again.”

I feel him take in a deep breath, then release it slowly.

“Let’s go in.” He pulls away from me and walks to the cave, I stand there in the cold, staring at him as he walks away.

I follow him inside, slowly. Lev is cooking food, Amethyst is passed out on the floor, and Roland is standing at the back of the cave, staring into the fire.

I place my head on Lev’s shoulder.

“Breakfast?” he asks, and gives me a piece of meat.

“Thanks.”

He hands Roland a piece and grabs one for himself.

“I’ll go keep watch,” he says, getting up, and leaves to stand guard just outside. The storm has arrived. It is pouring rain and the wind is howling.

I look up at Roland from my seat by the fire. His gaze falls on mine. There is no emotion in his eyes. I can’t move my gaze away from him; it’s like a magnet pulling me in.

I rise to my feet and walk over to him as he pushes off the wall, dropping his hands to his sides.

I’m right in front of him with my heart on my sleeve. I know my eyes are betraying me.

~I care about this man.~

From the first day we met, he has been much more than just a friend.

He gently grips my arms. The tingling sensation hits my core, and I inhale deeply.

~I need this man more than I need anything else.~

He pulls me to his chest. “~Ty mne tozhe nuzhen~,” he murmurs, and rests his head on mine.