Page 58 of Awakened Light

The two of us passed over trees and fields below, and when I looked out at the horizon, I could see the beautiful ocean glistening in the falling sun. I wished the zipline would go on for miles so I could continue taking in the beautiful scenery... and the beautiful woman flying beside me. But it came to an end, and we slowed down as they caught us and pulled us to the platform. Catrain waited to get unhooked, then launched herself into my arms.

“It was incredible! And so beautiful! Did you see the ocean? It was right over there!”

Her excitement invigorated me even more as she bounced in my arms.

“Can we do it again?”

“There are seven more lines to go. Just wait until we hit the half-mile long one.”

Her excited squeals made me laugh harder, and before I knew it, she dragged me across the sky bridge to the next line.

The cold, fierce warrior I’d met on the beach was nowhere to be seen as we continued zipping side by side. Instead, the woman flying across the sky with me radiated joy from every inch of her. Her laugh. Her smile. The way her eyes lit up when they took in the incredible scenery below us... and when they’d lock with mine.

Magic.

And not the kind that let her hold fire in her hands, knock a vampire on his ass with sparks, or glow blue when I’d bring her body to heights she’d never known.

This was the kind of magic that existed between two people in love.

Deep, undeniable, unbreakable love.

And for the first time in my life, it had happened to me.

We landed on the last platform and waited while they unhooked us from the line. Catrain still vibrated with excitement and energy and wanted to go again, but the sun would set soon, and the tours would close for the evening.

“You can always come back,” Ori said as we descended the steps with him.

The moment the words came out of his mouth, the happiness that hadn’t left her face since we started this tour dissipated. Sadness replaced the joy in her eyes, and she dropped her gaze to the ground.

“You know what, Ori,” I said as I stopped at the base of the stairs and glanced off to the highest mountain top in the distance. “Why don’t you go back without us. We’ll walk.”

“Walk?” He shook his head. “It’s a long walk and can be dangerous. It’s safest if you just ride back with me.”

I stared deep into his eyes and spoke slowly. “Drive back by yourself. We had a wonderful time, and our driver came and picked us up. You don’t need to worry about us.”

Ori nodded slowly and climbed onto the ATV and drove away.

“What did you just do?” Catrain asked as she watched him go.

“I used my influence to send him away. There’s something I want to do. But you gotta trust me again.”

“Again?” She arched a brow.

“Yep. You ready?”

With a soft laugh, she shrugged. “I’m all yours.”

All yours. Just thinking she was mine made my heart feel like it soared on its very own never-ending zipline, but then remembering she belonged to another felt like it’d fallen off the line and plummeted into the rocks below.

Trying to force the thought of her in the arms of another man from my mind, I pulled her up against me. “Don’t be scared. You may get dizzy when I’m done, but you’ll feel better in a few moments.”

“What are we—”

I didn’t let her finish. I took off at vamp speed, holding her in my arms. The trees and fields flew by in an instant until I skidded to a stop at the top of the tallest mountain. Catrain wobbled in my arms, but I held her close while I waited for her to catch her bearings.

“Whoa,” she breathed as her teetering stopped.

“Fun, huh?”