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Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlie
Hours passed, many uneventful hours. I’d gorged myself on so much food, I felt like I could run for hours. I was antsy for a little action to break the monotony of this research. Levi called me over to study a parchment he’d found to see if I could make out what the tight scrawl said, but I was jittery, fidgeting.
“This is impossible to read.” I squinted at the document, frustration making me impatient. It was so old that Levi was wearing gloves, preventing the oil on his fingers from damaging the document while it was out of its plastic sheath.
“I think this goes with this.” He held up an equally as ancient scroll that showed a figure sitting crossed legged, with hands on the knees.
“Oh, wait, yeah, like chakras.” I didn’t know anything about Buddhism really, but this image was familiar. I’d seen it hanging in the crystal shop near my apartment in Toronto. “Does this say ‘mind’?” I hovered a finger over the parchment with the nearly indecipherable words. “Or ‘mental’?”
Levi leaned closer, his breath warm against the back of my neck as he moved the parchment up to eye level for both of us.
I recognized his attempt at making a move on me. It was almost impossible not to inhale his scent, which was woodsy and did nothing to staunch my need to run, except now my thoughts were all about playing hide and seek with Levi again, this time with a far more friendly ending.
“Mental cohesion?” He was so close that I could sway back ever so slightly and lean into him. I wanted to, too. Fuck, I did. It would be easy to give in to the magnetic pull I seemed to feel when these guys were around. I wanted to be cradled against his body. I wanted to feel his arms close around me. I wanted him to kiss the sensitive skin on the back of my neck.
I shivered.
I was utterly failing at my mission to keep these guys at arms’ length.
Who was I kidding? I thought I’d dreamt these men up, but now that I knew they really existed, was I seriously pushing them away?
I locked my legs, but I didn’t move, daring him to do what he so obviously wanted to do—what I wanted him to do. Wrap his arm around me, pull me into him, hold me.
“I think this might describe the process of linking with another wolf.” He reached his free hand around, shifting slightly so the back of my arm rested against his chest and shoulder.
His body heat enveloped me, wrapping me up just like I wanted his arms to do. I stifled a sigh and knew my face was turning a rosy shade once again.
He traced his finger along a line of text, hovering above the paper, his white cotton glove an extreme contrast to his tanned skin.
“Meditation?” He retraced the line. “Mind cohesion via meditation?”
“So, I’m supposed to meditate in the heat of battle to connect with the pack?” I laughed, but it sounded as forced as it was.
His breath tickled the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. Goosebumps rolled down my arms.
“I know that, with practice, a meditative state can be cued with a word or mental symbol.” I felt Levi shrug, his shoulder rubbing the back of my arm.
I swayed, chasing his touch. My stomach coiled as anticipation fizzed through my body. I caught myself before I fell back into him.
“Let’s try.” He put the parchment down then yanked his gloves off. “Close your eyes. Listen to my voice.”
“Right now?”
I started to twist, to break the spell he was weaving, but he lowered his lips to my ear and whispered, “Johnny’s asleep.”
He stayed where he was, his lips so close to my ear that I leaned into him, practically begging him to say more.
“Deep breath in through your nose,” he started, his voice a low timbre that vibrated along my spine. He pulled back a little and the void made me close my eyes and shudder as I sucked in a breath. “Hold for five.” I felt his chest against my back as he followed his own instructions. “Now let it out through your mouth.” His words weren’t rushed as he let his breath out. They were floating on air, swirling around me. I did as he said, then repeated, following the cadence of his words, the movement of his chest, the wash of warmth that encircled me.
I wanted to lean back. I wanted him to hold me. The urge grew. Let go. Give up.
“Call me in,” his voice was a rumble. “Invite me to join you.”
I don’t know how.I opened my mouth to say as much but he spoke first.
“Don’t overthink, just call to me.” He put his hand on my hip, a light touch to let me know he was here with me. Just that slight touch had me swaying back, questing for his solid body behind me. “Charlie…I’m right here.”
