Page 29 of Whispers of Fire

And there, in the distance, I see him—a man on a motorcycle, a dark knight standing in the obscurity.

Him.

“Vox! Vox, I’m here, please, help me!” I try to shout but no sounds come out of me. In the distance, I hear the sound of laughter—a cruel, mocking sound that sends a chill down my spine.

“He can’t save you, little lamb, you’re mine.” His high-pitched laughter makes my body shiver with fear.

No, please, god, no!

And then, with a sudden jolt, I find myself back in my bed, trembling and disoriented, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close.

Vox?

"Rose, it's okay, Angel. You're safe now, I’ve got you," he whispers, his breath warm against my ear.

A nightmare, it was just a nightmare.

I’m out of breath, my nightdress sticking to my back as if I had just run a marathon.

“Breathe,” he says, humming in my ear. I locked my eyes with him, confusion and relief written on my face. He’s sitting next to me, on my bed.

“Don’t ask,” he says with his deep warm voice, like he doesn’t want me to know how he got there, or how he even knew I needed him.

It should worry me, but it doesn’t. I’m glad he’s here, no matter how he got there.

I suddenly notice that his hands are still holding me, and I don’t hate it. It’s actually quite the opposite. I know it’s wrong and my future husband… the Shepherd, should be the only one to touch my body but at this moment I don’t care about those rules.

All I want is to be safe in his arms.

He starts to remove his hands reluctantly, but I gently grab one of his forearms, trying to tell him to keep them on me. Hesitation crosses his gaze and I see how much he doesn’t want to push me further than I can take it, which makes my chest swell ever more.

But something even more surprising shines in the depths of his eyes.

Fear.

I don’t understand why, but I want to erase it from his breathtaking blue eyes and make it all better.

Keeping his forearm in my hand, I pull it toward my shoulder in a silent request.

“Is this okay?” he says in a worried tone. I make a small nod, my breathing getting back to normal as each second passes in his presence.

“Do you want me to hold you, Angel?” he asks, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability.

Such a strong man, and yet, he’s showing me more respect than any person I’ve ever met.

I nod again, wordlessly pleading for him to stay by my side a little while longer. With a soft exhale, he pulls me towards him and wraps his arms around me, keeping me close to his chest. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the new familiar scent of leather and musk.

With one arm he circles my back in a protective embrace while his other hand strokes my hair.

This is the most intimate moment of my life and I’m living it with him.

Not someone from my community, not my, ugh, fiancé, but him.

Inhaling his manly scent, goosebumps appear all over my skin and a warm sensation churns in my belly.

I just want this moment to last forever.

As Vox's lips brush against my forehead, a shiver runs down my spine, sending a rush of tingling warmth through my veins.

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