Page 16 of Whispers of the Water

“Well, that comes with time. You’ll learn and experience those things one day.”

“Oh yeah?” I leaned in close, our lips mere inches apart. I glanced down at his mouth before meeting his now lust-filled eyes. “Are you going to be the one to teach me?”

He swallowed hard as the air between us became charged with desire. I’d only closed the gap between us and said that to tease him, but now that I was leaned in, our bodies close enough for his warmth to caress me, my mind clouded with want. Memories of his spellbinding kiss, the feel of his hands on my bare skin, the weight of him on top of me, elicited a sharp inhale. Need throbbed low in my core, and my fingers itched to reach for him.

“Rune,” I whispered, my voice coming out on a strangled breath.

He tilted his head just enough for our lips to graze. It was a whisper of a kiss, a touch so light, I could’ve mistaken it for my imagination if not for the jolt of electricity it shot down my spine. As soon as the brush of his lips came, though, it was over, and he was pulling away.

Rune got to his feet, and he shot me a devious grin. “Don’t tempt me. I don’t have enough self-control to say no to you again.”

I followed him, closing in until our bodies were almost pressed flush against each other. “What if I want to tempt you? What if I don’t want you to have self-control?” His eyes burned into mine as I finished, “What if I want you to teach me?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but the door to my room flung open. Newt and Greshim burst into the room, talking away about the different movies they carried. Heat climbed up my cheeks, and I quickly stepped away from Rune as the twins looked up at us.

“Big brother!” Greshim squealed, grabbing at Rune. “We didn’t know you were in here, too.”

“Ardley came and told us to join you for m-m-movies. We came to see what m-m-movie Bria wanted to watch,” Newt explained, holding a stack of DVDs out to me.

Rune sighed and knelt down to look his brothers in the eye. “Guys. You can’t barge into other people’s rooms without knocking or asking permission. Bria could’ve been changing into her jammies.”

Hearing Mr. Big-Bad-Alpha-Rune say the word “jammies” had a laugh bubbling up inside me, but I quickly pushed it back down.

“Oops,” Greshim said, his face growing bright pink. He ducked his head in apology. “Sorry, Bria.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Newt mimicked, frowning in a way that pierced my heart.

Rune nodded at the door. “Why don’t you two try that again?”

The twins quickly turned on their heels and ran back out the door. As soon as it swung shut, two soft knocks came from the other side. I grinned at Rune as he stood up and nodded at me.

“Come in,” I laughed.

The boys didn’t hesitate to race back in.

Rune patted their heads. “Much better. Do that from now on, okay?”

After minutes of the twins showing me all the movie options, we finally decided on Jurassic Park. Rune wrangled the boys and took them next door so that I could change, telling me to take my time. It had been a long day, so I opted for a quick shower, too.

I stepped into the tiled, steam-filled room, and as soon as the first drops of water hit my skin, the tension in my shoulders seeped away. In its place was a calm caress, a quiet lullaby, a soothing promise. The water seemed to tell me that it was there for me should I need it. All I had to do was call out.

Rinsing away the stress of the day, I smiled at the memory of Rune scolding his brothers and then praising them when they corrected themselves. It made me wonder what he’d be like as a dad. He’d no doubt dote on his children, spoil them silly, and discipline them to be good people. Though children weren’t something he had any interest in having, so the idea was a far-fetched one. Unless Myra got what she wanted, and he ended up with a fierce Fox Fae, not someone like me.

Water Fae and his sworn enemy. I was the very target he and his kind had been searching in vain for to annihilate.

The truth I was keeping from him sat heavy on my chest. I wanted to be honest at some point, but I was terrified of his reaction. He’d rejected me as a human. What would he say if he knew I was Water Fae, the thing he hated most in this world? The thing that stole his father from him.

He’d not only reject me.

He’d loathe me.

I shook the negative thought from my head since that was a worry outside of this week and turned off the shower before I accidentally made the bathroom into an indoor pool. God knew I’d had enough slip-ups with water today. It was while I got changed and wrapped my damp hair in a towel that I finally called Dallas.

“Gummy worm?” she shrieked as soon as she answered the phone.

Shaking my head, I groaned, “No. Not Gummy Worm.”

“Well, I just wanted to be sure.”

---