Page 36 of The Discovered
He held me tighter, and when he kissed the top of my head I stilled, my stomach doing flip-flops.
“I know. I want to make this time count while we can, screw all the rest,” he said, and I could tell he was convincing himself more than me. “Even when our path verges into the storm, I need you to know I’ll still be there. I will always be on your side.”
Before I could respond, a bird flew into a glass panel with a thump, startling me. I watched as it fell, still alive but injured. I pushed up from the ground, slipping from Daelon’s grasp.
He peered up at me in confusion. When I darted toward the side door, he sprang to his feet and followed. “Where are we going?”
I ignored him as I walked outside. I headed around the side of the house, my attire not suitable for the biting wind. I wore a black wrap skirt with the red turtleneck to conceal my bruises. There was no doubt that Daelon would chastise me about my lack of clothing.
As if on cue, he admonished, “You are not wearing enough clothes.”
I waved away his attempt to give me his jacket, but his glare held a certain finality as he wrapped me in the warm fleece. The air smelled crisp, and snowflakes floated down to melt on my cheeks and accessorize my hair.
I scanned the ground until I spotted the stunned bird, which was bright blue, small, and limping. I knelt, ignoring the bite of the snow on my bare legs. I conjured up a soothing, non-threatening energy so as not to frighten him away, reaching out slowly to scoop him into my palms. He climbed into my grasp willingly, staring up at me with his tiny black eyes.
“Hello there,” I murmured, and for the first time since my mothers were alive, I used my powers to heal. Their voices echoed from the time I saved a lamb, telling me that one day I would be able to use my powers fully and unrestrained. That day was today.
I concentrated on the frequency of healing, invoking the power of a mother tending to a sick child, Daelon making gross herb smoothies, and any person who had ever mended another to health. This energy was pure and unencumbered by selfishness or greed, and it seemed to flow through nature like water in a stream. Healing was built into the fiber of every living thing’s DNA.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daelon drop down to my level, watching me with his fingers steepled at his lips.
It was growing easier and easier to tap into these natural currents without having to completely submerge myself into my metaphoric ocean. I couldn’t deny that Daelon had been crucial in helping me to control and focus all of this power.It was also more effortless out here in the open, where the wind whispered its secrets and the elements had free reign. I gazed at the little blue bird, questioning wordlessly if he was ready to return home. In response he flew from my palms, chirping as he fluttered away.
“You find new ways to surprise me every day,” Daelon said softly. He helped me up from the ground, frowning at my knees, reddened by the snow. “I—I haven’t been around anyone with so much heart in a very, very long time.”
“Then maybe you need new friends,” I said. I remembered how he said he’d been taken in by the wrong crowd after he became an orphan. Were they the past he was so worried about telling me?
“I couldn’t agree more,” he muttered.
I crossed my arms for more warmth. “Let me guess, off limits?”
“Yes.” He stepped closer to me. “Let’s go inside. You’re shivering.”
The air shifted suddenly as I hesitated, ignoring his direction and watching as his features quickly turned stern in response. I smiled.
“So dominant,” I whispered.
He blinked at me, breaking into a sly grin. “Yes. I think we’ve established that.”
He grabbed my chin and kissed me hard, his other arm snaking around me and creeping down the small of my back. I was breathless by the time he pulled away, having completely forgotten about the cold. He clasped his hand in mine and led me inside and upstairs before pushing me up against a wall and kissing me again.
“No more stopping ourselves, right?” he asked, his lips at my ear.
“Correct.”
And those words carried everything else away, leaving nothing butus. Here. Now.
He kissed me again, this time lifting my legs up to wrap around his torso. I held onto his neck as he carried me into his room, which was simple yet lavish like the rest of the house. The walls were a dark wooden paneling, and black and white abstract paintings hung above the black headboard. He dropped me onto the plush, gray comforter and stood in front of me, his eyes dark and… possessive.
Just like my dream.
“Take off your sweater,” he commanded.
And for the first time since I’d been here,I really, really liked him telling me what to do. I yearned for it, even. It was seductive, but also safe and secure, like he had all the answers, and all I had to do was listen.
I took off my sweater and dropped it on the floor, revealing my lacy black bra. Daelon stood in front of me, still fully clothed in his dark tee and jeans. He leaned closer and stroked my cheek, then studied my body as if inspecting a painting at an art gallery.
He guided my head to the side with his hand at my chin, letting out a small sigh.
