Page 12 of Restoring the Ngozii

“If you feel that’s necessary, the village would need to be notified so that every family can pack what they can carry as we venture to a new potential home. Living where we do, getting somewhere safe would take time, and I’m not sure we have it. It’s a bit late for that without some form of transport.”

Fuck. I figured that was the case. “And in case of an all out war?”

My jaw clenches as I wait for his response, fearing the absolute worst. “Our hunters are trained well enough with their weapons to hold their own, but the numbers would make a difference. If our women and children cannot get away, they may perish. It wouldn’t be a good outcome, even if we were to win.”

Sighing, my head drops for a moment before I meet his steady gaze. “Then we do what we must. Fortify in what ways we can, prepare to stand our ground or run, not much else we can do until we hear if Kari succeeds or not.”

I turn to walk away, but his hand shoots out and grabs my arm, stopping me. “Lieutenant, I don’t mean to pry, but are you really that worried she won’t succeed? With the Guardians at her back, there’s no reason she shouldn’t, fate is on her side. On yours, too, if I understand correctly.”

I glance at him from the corner of my eye, noting the true concern in his gaze before he drops his hand. My mind whirls for a moment before I turn a fraction more to meet his gaze. “I want to believe she will succeed, who doesn’t, but I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right, that something is missing or some puzzle piece is in the wrong place. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know, but I’d rather be prepared than caught with my pants down.”

Turning on my heel, I swiftly march off to find Willa. If I’m feeling this way and need help, she’s the one who will know what to do. She always reaches the deepest parts of my soul and knows how to soothe me. If what I’m feeling isn’t right, she’ll know how to correct it.

Maybe I am just being a worry wart and feeling out of place for nothing. Negative emotions are harder to shake than positive ones, and this one is lingering and clinging hard.

As I round the corner of the path into the new section of housing for the kids, I find Willa standing in the center of their group talking with them and reassuring them. Some hug her before rushing off to do whatever it is they do, while others still cry and cling for safety. I hang back and let her do what she needs to, making mental notes of anything significant, before she notices me and heads my way.

We stare at each other, her eyes assessing me as I feel her soul probe the bond between us. I can’t help but shiver at the way it feels, as if her hand is caressing my heart and soothing me from the inside out. It makes no sense, but it’s a very intimate and interesting feeling to have someone so deeply connected to you.

“What is it, love? What has you so tense?” Her voice is gentle, low, as her hands slide up my chest and over my shoulders, squeezing at the top to relax me. My shoulders drop a bit at her touch, and she grins in success as I huff, not having realized just how tense I really was.

“Kari is leaving, she sent a message that she was heading to the city for more supplies before portaling. She claims she’ll keep in touch, but I know my captain, she gets involved in a mission and it’s all eyes on the prize. Tunnel vision, that one.” I shake my head with a hint of a smile on my lips. There was a time when I loved that quality about her more than anything, now it’s just infuriating.

“You’re worried that she won’t check in or that she won’t succeed?” Willa’s ever accurate ability to read my thoughts hits my heart like a punch. She’s perfect for me in every way, and it’s as wonderful as it can be frustrating. She knows how to get right to the root of me, no messing around. I like it in the bedroom, but when I want to be angry for stupid reasons, it's irritating how quickly she cuts that down.

“I just have this feeling that something is wrong, that we’re missing something. Not sure what it is, though.” I shake my head and pull her with me as I turn and head towards home so we can sort out a plan moving forward. I won’t risk her life if Kari’s plan of peace fails.

Pulling out the comm as we walk, I check for a response to my message back telling her to stay safe as well, but nothing. I roughly shove the comm back into my pocket. Willa wraps her hands around my arm, caressing my forearm as we walk. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, they’re just busy collecting materials. Hopefully, soon, they’ll be collecting samples and getting all they need to sort this out. Trust them, have faith in them. Just be ready for when they call on you. All will work out.”

She pulls me up the steps and into the house before closing the door behind me. Before I can even sigh and scoff at her fluffy words, she’s shoving me roughly into the door, knocking the wind out of me for a moment. Her lips smash into mine, her leg lifting around my hip as she cups my face, not giving me an opportunity to truly fight back.

Her pace slows to a soothing kiss as her hands slide from my face to my chest, but her leg never lowers, keeping me boxed in against the door. When she pulls back, she keeps our foreheads pressed together for a small moment as she takes a deep breath, her dark hair curtaining us before she pulls back. Her green eyes shine with love as she gazes at me and reaches up to caress my cheek.

“I know that you’re feeling anxious, worried for our people, your best friend, and our home, but the Guardians have made it clear that things will work out with Kari in charge. This is your destiny, and you should trust them, trust yourself, to do the right thing by us all.”

Her fingers rub across the stubble on my jaw, her eyes skimming around my face, taking in everything as she smooths out each and every wrinkle or worry line for me. “How can you be so certain of this, so confident that everything will be peachy keen when this is done? You aren’t even the least bit worried that things will crumble before things work out?”

She gives me a pitying smile as her finger traces my bottom lip. “Oh, baby, because I see what the Guardians see in you both. The courage, the heart, the honesty, loyalty, the strength that you both have to keep going to get things done. I trust you to get things righted, I trust the Guardians’ faith is not misplaced because it never has been before, and if you two use even half the strength of will I know you have, you’ll succeed.”

When her gaze meets mine again, I’m taken aback by the absolute faith and love shining in them just for me. Grabbing her neck, I pull her to me and kiss the hell out of her, wondering how I got so lucky as to find a mate like her. Clinging to her, refusing to let her go, our kiss deepens until she’s panting and growling at my arms caging her in.

With a strength I had no idea she had, she grabs my shirt and rips me off the door, spinning me around as she shoves me into the bedroom and onto the bed. I fall back unceremoniously before she straddles me, devouring my lips before her teeth skim my mark, causing a rush of need to soar through me, making my hips rise up into her.

Reaching between us, she rips open my pants and releases me without even removing our clothes. Before I can ask about it, she’s dropping onto me, crying out in pleasure as I grind my teeth, loving every second of her dominance.

“Damn it, Kitten. Did you not learn your lesson last time about not wearing underwear beneath your dresses?” I growl at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair to bring her to me, but she digs her nails into my chest and fights me, keeping herself upright.

“You’re not in control this time, Captain. Shut up and take it.” She snaps at my wrist, her teeth grazing the skin before I pull back in shock. Using the leverage of her palms on my chest, she fucks me as if her life depends on it, and I’m helpless to fight her when the pleasure takes over.

My hands skim up her legs, caressing her as she moans and pants, taking what she wants from me. My fingers dig into her thighs as my release comes running up to greet me, but she reaches under my shirt, her nails piercing the skin of my chest and hindering my orgasm. I growl out at her as I feel blood drip towards my neck, but it doesn’t stop her rhythm.

“You don’t get to come until I do, Captain, and I’m not even close to done with you.” She bends over, her tongue lapping up my blood and running up my neck as I groan.

“Fuck me, Kitten.”

She buries her face in my neck, her hips bouncing over me as I fight my body for control, her little body squeezing me so tight, I can’t hold on much longer. She must figure this out because she slides a hand up the other side of my neck, only to yank my hair hard enough to hurt as her teeth sink into the other side of my neck.

The hint of pain is pleasurable, but it’s also just a bit too much, enough to stave off my orgasm a bit longer as I struggle to focus. I’ve never seen Willa so ravenous, but I’m honestly liking it, even if it leaves scars.

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