Page 54 of Brody
“How is this possible?”I murmured, curiosity eclipsing caution as I moved forward for a better view.
Brody’s hand shot out, fingers closing around my wrist.The contact sent a shock wave of heat up my arm, the mate bond flaring to life between us with such intensity I nearly gasped aloud.
“Careful,” he said, his voice rougher than before, pupils dilating as he, too, felt the surge between us.“Only the Bane pack and those we vouch for can cross safely.”
I watched as the air shimmered slightly, occasional flickers of rainbow light becoming visible as the sunlight hit the barrier at just the right angle.
“So how do I get through?”I asked, acutely aware of his fingers still around my wrist, his thumb unconsciously stroking my skin.
“You’ll need to hold on to me,” he explained.“The boundary recognizes me as Bane pack.As long as we maintain contact, you’ll pass through safely.”
He slid his fingers from my wrist to intertwine with mine, palm against palm, the increased contact making my breath catch.
“You’ll feel strange sensations when we cross,” he warned.“Just hold on to me and keep moving forward.”
I nodded, both dreading and craving the continued contact.“Let’s do it.”
As we stepped forward together, the rainbow shimmer enveloped us.The barrier felt like walking through warm water that somehow didn’t wet our skin.Colors exploded around us, vivid purples and blues that shouldn’t exist in nature.
“Don’t let go,” Brody murmured, his grip tightening.
The world tilted strangely, my inner ear protesting that up was now sideways.But most overwhelming was the way the barrier affected our connection.I could feel Brody’s heartbeat as clearly as my own, his breathing synchronizing with mine.For a breathtaking moment, I sensed his emotions, his determination, his protectiveness, and underneath it all, a yearning so profound it made my chest ache.
My cheetah stirred within me, suddenly vocal and demanding.We need to seal the mate bond by claiming him.Give him the mating bite, and just like he promised, he will claim us in return with his bite.
The primal urgency of the thought startled me, sending heat cascading through my body.The image of sinking my teeth into the junction of his neck and shoulder while his own teeth marked me in return was so vivid I could almost taste his skin.
As we emerged on the other side, the sensation gradually faded but didn’t disappear entirely.Some new awareness of him remained, humming quietly between us even as our hands reluctantly separated.
“That was…” I started, struggling to find words that wouldn’t reveal too much.
“Intense,” he finished, his eyes never leaving mine.“The boundary sometimes… enhances what’s already there.”
The boundary hadn’t created anything; it had simply stripped away our ability to deny it.
I cleared my throat.“Fascinating reaction.”And I wondered what caused it.“Anyway… we should keep moving,” I said finally, trying to ignore my cheetah’s continued insistence about mating bites and claiming.“Daylight won’t last forever.”
“You’re right,” he agreed.
As we continued along the path, I noticed the forest had indeed changed.Flowers that shouldn’t exist in this climate bloomed in vibrant bursts of color.The very air seemed to shimmer with subtle magic.And everywhere, a blue-tinted moss grew thicker, pulsing with gentle luminescence.
But most distracting was the new awareness of Brody that persisted even without physical contact and my cheetah’s relentless whispers about completing what we’d started years ago with a claiming bite that would seal our bond forever.
The path grew steeper, narrowing until it became little more than a ledge hugging the mountainside.Far below, a river cut through the valley, its waters the same luminescent blue as the moss that guided our way.
“That’s the lifeblood of the Ridge,” Brody explained, noting my interest.“The river that feeds the hot springs, which in turn feeds the COL.Most residents have no idea it exists.It’s hidden by the same Fae magic that conceals the true nature of this place.”
I paused to catch my breath, using the moment to admire the impossible vista before us.From this height, I could see how the forest spread outward from the river like arteries from the heart, patterns too perfect to be random chance.
“It’s like the entire Ridge is one massive organism,” I said, the realization striking me with such force I spoke the thought aloud.
Brody turned back, that same surprised warmth in his eyes.His gaze drifted to my lips for a heartbeat before returning to my eyes, and the naked hunger I glimpsed there made my breath catch.“Boris Bane believed the same thing—that the Ridge was alive, conscious in ways we’re only beginning to understand.That’s why the Bane family has guarded it so jealously since purchasing it from the Fae.”
Something shifted between us in that moment, a recognition, perhaps, that despite everything that had happened, despite years of separation and hurt, we shared a fundamental understanding of this place that transcended our complicated history.
As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest floor, Brody led us off the main path and down a barely visible trail that wound between trees.Their trunks were massive, larger than any I’d seen outside of redwood forests, with bark that shimmered slightly in the fading light.
“This is where we’ll spend the night,” Brody said, his voice dropping to that low register that sent shivers racing down my spine.He stopped in a small clearing where the fading sunlight dappled the ground.“One of the Fae cabins I mentioned is nearby.”
