“Trent said that’s what he thinks. From what I know of ascension, I think he is right. He said we needed to hurry and get back to Ravendene because if I were to ascend anywhere else, itwould be like a beacon to the other territory leader if I ascended on their soil.” Her eyebrows stitched together as she thought about it. Trent was right about that. We could sense her power was strong when she came to Ravendene. We knew she was powerful. So much so that I assumed that she had already ascended all this time. I never would have thought that the power I sensed from her was only at its most base level.
“I assume Trent is right if you think it has been growing.”
“Does that mean if I ascend on Ravendene soil, Cano will know where to find us?” She asks with her eyes fluttering closed. She’s been in and out of sleep since we reached the manor, and I sense that she is drifting off again.
A smile creeps across my face at her. No, it wouldn’t be a beacon to Cano. Cano was never the true leader of Ravendene, and now is as good a time as any to divulge to my beautiful mate what her future could come to if she chooses to live a life with me. I brush my fingers along the side of her face. “Sleep, mate,” I whisper as I watch her sink into the mattress.
Chapter twenty-one
Raelle smiles sheepishly atme, pulling the blanket to her full lips, and I track the movement with my eyes. “Good morning,” My voice is raspy; sleep still thick in my throat, “Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Thank you for staying with me.” She says, bringing the blanket up a small amount higher, covering her mouth entirely. I can see the trepidation in her eyes. I smile softly at her.
We spent hours talking after she woke in the middle of the night. I ended up lying next to her in bed as we talked, and I guess eventually, we had both fallen asleep. I also slept soundly. No dreams or nightmares plagued me with her at my side. I woke up before her this morning. She was curled into me, her face resting onmy chest, and our legs were twined together, but I slowly retracted and just lay watching her sleep from a respectful distance. I didn’t want her to feel as though I was rushing her or assuming anything.
She took everything I told her about Cano not being a true leader of Ravendene and how that title belonged to me and my bloodline better than expected. She even seemed to understand and think deeply about what that may eventually mean for her, being that she is my mate. We spoke about our families, all except my parents, which I’m sure she noticed but did not question. She told me all about hers and the questions she had about their deaths. I was not ready to dive into the cause of my parent’s deaths. One day, I will tell her. One day, I will allow myself to open that box I’ve compartmentalized and deal with the consequences. Today is not that day.
I move to sit up, but to my surprise, Raelle whips her hand out and presses it to the side of my stomach, just at the top of my hip. “Wait… I have a question.” She whispers. I lay back where I was and rolled to my side to face her. We are eye to eye, much like we were last night before falling asleep. However, I do note her lingering hand that has moved up to rest on my chest.
“I—I’m not sure how to ask this…” she trails off, a flush rising to the exposed skin of her cheeks. I don’t say anything; just wait for her to get the courage to ask whatever it is she wants to ask. “Did we… ever have a relationship? Trent told me that I was with Cano. I think that’s what has me so confused about the bond marks.”
My mind immediately goes to the night that I left Ravendene. The kiss we shared and the heat of the unspoken goodbye I was giving her because it felt like it would be the last time I would see her. I had an overwhelming sense that I would not be okaywith that. Now that makes sense. I'm sure it was the bond that brought those feelings to rise. Then, the night that my sister was taken flashes into my thoughts. The spark I had felt at her touch—I had thought she felt it too, in the hallway before dinner. Her sass in her way of talking to me, her dancing on me, and our teasing each other before Trent interrupted and Mel’s scream. The scream I have heard every night since in my nightmares. “We didn’t have a relationship, but we have some history in a sense,” I tell her with a wistful grin.
The flush deepens in her cheeks. “Can you tell me? Did we have that kind of history?”
A rogue laugh escapes me, and I clear my throat. “We didn’t have sex, if that’s what you’re asking, Raelle.” I smile at her. Her cheeks were now the color of a pomegranate. “We have shared two kisses. I would say they were unforgettable, but I see that it was one-sided.” I let out a nervous laugh, but what I’ve said is the truth.
“Oh.” She whispers, her brows stitching together. The sadness in her voice cuts me to the bone.
“Raelle—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have joked about that. You losing your memories. That was insensitive of me. I just—I’m trying. I haven’t been a good man in quite a long time. Let me start over. About us?'' A moment passes, and her face visibly relaxes, but she still worries, biting her bottom lip before she nods. I continue only after I see her take a deep breath and release it.
“When we met, I felt a hum deep in my chest, and I fought hard to ignore it. I didn’t treat anyone well, and you were no exception. I couldn’t let you be an exception for many reasons. Some you know of, and some you will come to learn when the time is right.” Her lips part as if she is going to say something, but I continue, needingto get this out. “Every day, I either fought to avoid you or fought to treat you the same as I did everyone else… The day that my sister was abducted, before she was taken, I had slipped. The charade I always played fell away for a moment, and we—well, we didn’t do anything then, but we were just Dax and Raelle. The boundaries I think we both had in place fell away.” I smile at the memory, and her eyes drop to my mouth. I bring my hand up and wrap it around hers at my chest.
“There was some dancing and close whispers…flirting, I guess.” I say the last part with a rueful smile on my face. “Then the night fell into chaos, and well, things changed some.” Both of our eyebrows stitched together in frustration. Maybe for different reasons or the same; I’m not sure. “The day I decided to leave Ravendene, I came to the library for a drink and a moment alone to gather my thoughts after meeting with Cano. I was planning to leave that night. You were there, but I didn’t know at first. You had been trying so hard to convince Cano to let a search party out to look for Ella, too. I think now I know that it was the bond that was guiding me then, but we shared a kiss in the library. Trent walked in just after, and you hurried away.”
“One kiss?” is all she asks.
“Two, I followed you out of the library and insisted on walking you home. There was a sort of energy buzzing around us that pushed me to make sure I knew you were safe. To make sure to say goodbye. I needed more of you, leaving without telling you, my brother, or Kait what my plans were. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” My voice shrinks to a whisper. “I wish you could remember, Raelle.” My voice is barely audible in the last sentence.
“I wish I could too.” She whispers back. “But Dax?” I take in the heat of her emerald eyes. “I won’t forget again.” She says as she leans in, and her lips take mine.
It’s unexpected and completely welcomed. I feel the energy all over again surrounding us. Her scent envelops me in vanilla and warm spice. I bring the hand I was using to prop my head up to the side of her face, cupping it at her jaw. Slowly, the kiss deepens as my pulse quickens to a gallop in my chest. I take my other arm, wrapping it around her waist. I pull her flush to me. The kiss is slow and full of longing at first, but it grows into a fierce need as we both devour each other.
I force myself to slow, and as I pull back, there is a zapping sensation on my lips as we finally break away. Our gazes lock, and we don’t say anything for a few moments as I idly trace small circles on her lower back. I never want to leave this moment, but we have so much ahead of us, and I know we’ve put it off long enough.
“Never again, love,” I tell her before laying a slow kiss on her lips once more. I brush my thumb along her rosy cheek as she dips her chin, curling into me. “Never again,” I whisper into the top of her head. It’s a promise that has many meanings, but one I will never break.
Chapter twenty-two
I wake up topain coursing through my body in pulsing waves. I can feel the thick drip of blood rolling from the wound in my hairline. The air in the dark space we are being kept in is heavy. That, along with the swelling along my ribs, is making breathing difficult. I cough, and the taste of metal coats my tongue. The action causes a moan of pain to leave me unabated. If they have beaten me this thoroughly, they likely don’t need to keep me alive for long. Lifting my head takes effort, but I manage to look around the dark room—cave? That can’t be right. Last, I remember we were at the cabinoutpost.
“Trent?” A small voice whispers. “Are you awake?” A sob breaks through the thick air.
“Melani?” I whisper back. She cries quietly from a distance, too emotional to respond right away. I finally see her as my eyes adjust. She is chained to the cave wall as I am, by her ankle, only able to move a few feet in any direction. “It’s okay, Ella. We’re going to get out of here… I—I’m going to get you out of here. Do you hear me?” I promise her.
“Trent, you don’t understand what Cano has done! What he plans to do. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to Dax and go to bed that night. I’m s-so s-sorry.” She stammers, wiping her face of the steady stream of tears. “They brought Kait in last night too. She was awake, but they only left her here for a few hours. Some men returned before either of you woke. They took her again.” She sobs.
There is a heavy groaning sound, like stone-on-stone, coming from farther away. Mel turns toward it with wide eyes and backs toward the cave wall in fear. I look in the direction of the sound. Waiting. Then I see a figure appear in an archway of the cave, and I narrow my eyes at the bastard standing in front of us. The arrogance in his stance as he looks at us is disgusting. I don’t say anything; only stare at him with a promise of vengeance in my eyes.
