AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nope,” I sighed, stepping back as he frowned. “I need to talk to Zeke.”
“Right now?” Liam asked, reappearing shirtless and rubbing his dripping hair with a towel, soft pants hanging low on his hips in a way that was so tempting that I almost gave in.
Almost.
“Yep, right now,” I snapped, my anger winning out as I span away and headed back down the porch stairs, feeling the guys’ eyes on me as I marched through the rain towards the treeline, being careful not to slip on the already sodden grass.
I was glad that neither of them followed me because this was a fight that needed to happen, and I was sick of waiting for the idiot to give in and speak to me. I knew he blamed himself for what had happened, and that the grief he was carrying was just feeding the guilt, but I loved him and he needed to see that and let me back in.
Zeke would talk to me, even if I had to pin him down and make him, because I wasn’t prepared to just let him go. Even if that meant kicking his ass until he admitted I was right.
Chapter Fifteen
Cordelia
Thesteadybeatofthe rain against my skin eased as I stepped under the cover of the trees, the dark forest swallowing me as the storm ahead vented its rage at the world.
Pushing my drenched hair back from my face, I lifted a hand and threw a soft orb of power into the air above me, giving me enough light that I could move through the undergrowth safely without draining my magic too quickly. A shiver worked through me as I crouched low and pressed a hand to the ground, my clothes sticking to my body like a second skin as I began to search for Zeke. There was no way I could find him without tracking him magically, especially with him in wolf form, and it wasn’t like we had a mate bond that could guide me. All I could hope was that he hadn’t strayed too far.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I pushed my power through the earth, searching for signs of life until I sensed a large form about a half mile away that had to be Zeke. I cursed silently at how far he had already run before realising that he had now slowed, possibly stopped altogether, and broke the link to head in his direction.
My light stayed with me as I picked my way through the undergrowth, the path here non existent but the trees spaced apart enough that I didn’t need to struggle. Heavy drops of rain fell through the canopy above, only adding to my already bedraggled state when they caught me, but the anger and emotion swirling in my chest pushed me on even as thunder rolled close by.
As I neared the area where I had sensed him, I bent low to check for life signs again, sending up a silent thank you to the gods when I confirmed that he hadn’t yet moved on. Knowing it wouldn’t be long until he heard my approach, I wrapped a blanket of air around myself, muffling my footsteps and my scent. I wasn’t an idiot; I knew that sneaking up on a wolf in the forest was dangerous, but I also knew that he would run before I even got close if he sensed me coming.
The rain poured over my shield in a sheet as I stepped out from under the cover of trees a few minutes later, squinting up at the large rock formation that was tall enough to almost match the treetops. The thing almost looked man-made, like an ancient stone monument that reminded me of the portal archways and the older structures in the castle grounds. I couldn’t make out any runes or markings in the low light though, and I put the comparison out of my mind as I searched around for any sign of my prey.
Sighing, I gave in, my fraying temper winning as I dropped my shields and let the rain hit my skin again.
“Zeke!” I shouted above the storm, knowing he was close enough to hear me.
Movement caught my eye above me, and I raised a surprised brow as a dark wolf muzzle appeared from a hidden ledge, more than ten feet from the ground. I took a second to appreciate the strength it must have required for him to leap up there before placing my hands on my hips and scowling at him through wet lashes.
“Are you just going to stand there and watch me get wet?” I called, inwardly grimacing at the way that sounded.
He chuffed an unimpressed sound before coiling back to spring, leaping elegantly down in front of me before shifting back into his human form.
“What the hell are you doing out here?!” he snapped, running a hand through his soaked hair, the muscles in his tattooed arm flexing. “There’s a storm.”
I rolled my eyes, hard. “Really? You don’t say.”
His eyes narrowed. “You need to get home before it gets worse.”
“And what exactly were you planning to do? Stay under a rock for the night?” I huffed. “Why can’t you be at home too?”
He shook his head at me, starting to turn away before I darted forwards and grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Don’t you dare run away,” I hissed, letting him see the hurt in my eyes as my light hovered overhead despite the driving rain.
He dropped his gaze but didn’t pull away. “I can’t do this, Cordelia.”
His use of my formal name felt like a punch in the gut and anger flooded through me again as I shoved back from him and raised my chin defiantly.
“So you’re just going to ignore me? Don’t you understand how much that hurts?”
He looked at me then, regret clear in his face before shaking his head again. “I’m sorry, baby girl, its just better this way.”
Something in me snapped as he turned and walked away, power rising into my hands without conscious thought.
