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“Well, looks like it’s time for us to leave,” Freya says as she slides her arm through mine. “How about we go and sit outside until the men get here?” I nod, wondering when that will be. I know that whatever they went out to do today was dangerous, as Dag told me last night that they would all be out for a while, and his expression was sombre, but when I asked about it, he simply shrugged.
“You’re not going to run again, are you?” Freya asks as we start making our way down a path that leads into the trees.
“No, I’m done with running,” I promise, which has Freya squeezing the arm she is holding slightly.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she replies. “You know, I hear that the Nature Valley Chapter is surrounded by forest.”
“It’s true, and also so beautiful there,” Anastasia replies. “I mean, it’s beautiful here, but the forest surrounding their chapter has got a tranquillity and beauty to it that is hard to forget. I absolutely loved it there.”
“Anastasia went there a while back, as you can tell she loved it.” I look at Anastasia to see her nod.
“Even though I love it here, the guys do get a little wild when they have a party.” She shrugs looking at me “I don’t think you will want to come out of your room when they hold a party, warning you now.”
“Tor can get a little creative, and Anastasia is right, as it can get a little crazy here when they have parties.”
I smile, wondering if it gets any crazier than where I came from. Drugs and alcohol were always a must with the Desperados. There was always someone overdosing or getting killed at one of their parties. Luckily for me, Sean insisted that I don’t go to the parties and restricted our room as he said I was too valuable of a possession to be damaged. Which is why I always found it strange that he was always hurting me.
“Do the members of the other chapters come here often?” After everything that I have heard from everyone, I’m curious to meet the members of the other chapters to see if they are as decent as these people that I have come to meet.
“Sometimes, you will have a brother or two from the Nature Valley attending when they have business in Cape Town, but they keep much to themselves. Mainly it’s the Johannesburg chapter guys that attend, as none of them are mated yet,” Anastasia explains as she takes a seat on a long log that overlooks a glade. “I like coming here, it’s so peaceful,” she whispers as she closes her eyes.
For me, nothing has ever been peaceful. Even though I can shut down my senses, I can never silence them completely. One way or another, I can always hear the distant scratching of an animal looking for food, or the footsteps of the prospect that is watching us from a distance. Most people hear silence. I’m always hearing something even if it’s just someone’s heartbeat.
No matter how much I would have wished otherwise, nothing has been able to silence the sounds. Taking a seat next to Anastasia, I look around. I have never been able to just sit and enjoy my surroundings. Now here I am, sitting with no care in the world. Lifting my hand to my chain, I smile as I think of Dag’s words when he gave me the chain. I know that it is difficult to believe that I have known him for such a short time, and the feelings that I have for that man are all consuming. My mind is overwhelmed with thoughts of the man that has transformed the way I see everything around me.
I stiffen when I realize the difference. Why now? Dropping my hand from my chain, I look around just as my vision sharpens, my hearing intensifies, and my sense of smell hones. I was just thinking about my gift, and everything quietened, but now it has intensified again. What changed? I hear Freya and Anastasia talking, but I ignore them as I look around. What about this place has managed to do what I have never been able to do before?
Lifting my hand to my chain again, I rub the stone, realizing that when I touch it, the stone gives me peace when I’m away from Dag. Maybe I was wrong, maybe it didn’t… wait! It’s the chain that Dag gave me. For the first time in my life, I’m able to completely close down on all my senses. And once again, Dag is the one that brought me something that I have wished for, for so long.
“Esmeralda… Esmeralda!” Letting go of my chain, I look up at Freya’s concerned face. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I whisper, still in disbelief that I can now quiet everything completely if I want to. “Yes, I’m good. I really am.” And for the first time in my life, I really feel like it.
