AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But instead of listening to me, or even explaining things to me, they’d insisted I was stuck here. It was annoying, but I was working on my plan. Then I went and used some weird power that’s got me really freaked out, and suddenly they’re ready to kick me to the curb?
Nice, real nice.
Onyx sits across from me on a pallet of blankets near the small fire in their cave. He’s quite good-looking except for the scowl he’s wearing when he looks up at me. I get the feeling--those scowls say a lot--that he doesn’t like me. I don’t know much sign language, just enough to ask a couple questions, but I move closer to him and touch his shoulder.
When he looks at me, I sit for a second, dumb-founded because he’s beautiful. Blonde and built for battle. His hair is gathered on top of his head in a ponytail. And he’s bare-chested, so there are acres and acres of muscle and skin in my eyeline.
“Are they your brothers?” I mouth the words as I sign them because I’m not sure if I’m signing the right words.
He doesn’t answer, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s a rude asshat or if I’m mangled the question so badly he has no idea what I’m trying to ask.
I drop the ASL and use generic signals that make sense in my head. “Is this where you live?” I point to our cave then air-draw a house.
He shoots me another glare then winces. The cut on his shoulder is seeping blood down his left arm and he pulls it around to look. The laceration is deep but something inside me is drawn closer. Like the moment I first saw the light in the forest. Somehow, I can feel power vibrating inside me. It’s like an angry bee, buzzing to be released, but I don’t know why or what it’ll do if it gets out.
I sit beside him and like my hands have a mind of their own, they glow and he pulls away, flinches, shakes his head. This is different than the glow when I…killed those disgusting creatures in the woods with Dusk. Still powerful, but soothing. There’s no part of me that thinks the power will hurt anyone, but I honestly don’t know what it’ll do.
I slide my thumb against my fingertips. The light doesn’t even flicker. And then I have a strange sense that makes a shiver roll through my body. I’ve never seen a light fae’s hands glow, but I have spoken to fae with the ability to heal. It’s a rare gift, but when they described how it worked, they described it like this. Like a power in their hands. Like a buzzing through their body. Just not with the weird glow.
All fae want to try to utilize the rarest of our kind’s gifts, but those that have it, simply have it. They can use it, even from a young age. Still, there were times through the years where I concentrated and willed myself to be able to do something special. I wanted so badly to besomeonespecial.
I never was.
But right now…right now I have the strangest feeling that I can heal him, if I just try.
Instead of reaching to touch him right away, I continue trying to touch the light until a loud breath whistles out of his nose followed by a huff like I’m annoying him. It’s enough to snap me out of my amusement with my glowing hands.
“Hold still.” Either he understands or my touch repulses him enough the he holds still in the hopes I’ll think he died and leave him alone. But as I lay my palm on the wound, the power flows between us, more from me to him, and his head tilts to the side, exposing a long length of neck I have the sudden and powerful urge to taste, especially when my gaze runs along the scar on his beautiful neck. The need arises inside of me, and then I’m imagining more. More than just touching him.
I jerk away because no way should I be thinking about licking the guy who is clearly repulsed by me. It just shows that I’m even more screwed up than I thought.
But I am.
Thinking about it.
Still.
And my mouth waters. I let my tongue slide along my lower lip and his eyes follow the trail. And just when I think he’s going to get up and walk away from me because I’m too close and making too much out of all this, he lifts a hand and brushes the back of his finger along a trail from my jaw to my chin then lets his fingertip tease the skin just below my lip.
The touch might not glow like my hands, but his touch is electric and it tingles through me all the way to my toes. “Wow.”
He smiles, or as close to it as he probably ever gets, and I swallow hard. When I said he was beautiful, I lied. He’s whatever is better than beautiful. His dark eyes smolder with what I hope is desire because that’s what’s purring through me.
And it’s as scary as being stuck here with these guys. I don’t know everything. I don’t really know anything, if I’m honest, but I can’t stay here. I can’t be attracted to a guy who thinks he’s “claimed” me as his mate.What the fuck does that even mean?
Honestly. There are three of them and theyallclaimed me. Truth be told, it’s flattering, especially since these guys are built like gods and look like GQ models. And the thought of three of them claiming me, wanting me, is hot. For a second, my mind spins with fantasies--erotic and blissful--and I lose the reasons I want to leave. But just for a second.
Then, I remember Rayne. My mate. He’d walked onto campus with all the strength and power of a royal fae. Every woman had wanted him. Every guy wanted to be part of his crew. But when he’d spotted me, he had eyes only for me. The connection between us was like nothing I’d ever felt in my life. It was a calling. A deep need to be with each other or cease to exist.
My gaze moves to the Blood Stone necklace that’s been around my neck every day since he gave it to me. It’s dark red, a deep scarlet color like nothing else on earth, save maybe blood itself. And the colors swirl together in a mesmerizing way.
It’s priceless. Quite literally. If someone tried to sell it, they’d be offered any number under the sun and have to take the highest offer, even knowing it was worth more. The stones are rare, and only found around Rayne’s lands. And he’d given this to me.
Because we were always going to be together. We were mates. For life.
Tears sting my eyes. These men claim I’m their mate. I feel a connection to them, but not the same way I did with Rayne. With him, there was no question. With these men, all I have are questions, and one of them seems to be whether they plan to get rid of me or not.
Now, I really want to go home.
