I felt whole again, and I had the feeling that it was the right thing to do and that I was with the man I needed to be with and who knew how to please me.
"I couldn't help but let myself go," he said.
"I really had fun," I replied, snuggling into his sweaty chest.
Eric kissed my forehead and looked at me with the expression he had six years ago as if he had found a jewel, the same look that woke me up at night longing for a moment by his side.
"So, will you give me a chance?" he asked me, calming his breaths.
All I could think about was us and how I felt about him. But doubts were growing in me. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to tell him about Elliot, and while I don't doubt that Eric would be a good father, I'm afraid of what might happen.
"What exactly do you want?" I asked him to give me more time to think about my answer and to know what exactly he wanted with me.
He stroked my cheek and made sure my mind was in the present with him. "I want us to have something formal, but no pressure. I understand that you have your life in the city, and I have mine here, along with my responsibilities as a future pack Alpha. But I know that's not an obstacle, and we'll find a way to make it work for both of us."
I smiled unconsciously at him.
"Then yes, I will give you a chance," I replied with my heartfelt honesty, feeling my pulse racing a mile a second and my head full of fears, and insecurities, picturing fictional worst-case scenarios that only would reinforce my nightmares.
"I promise you won't regret it," he claimed with a smile of victory painted on his face.
I hugged him tightly and squeezed him as I melted into his chest, imagining us on an altar in front of the full moon, saying our vows and receiving the moon's blessing. Even though I left behind my life of shapeshifters and my old pack, I still longed to find in Eric my mate and live out that fantasy I always heard others talk about.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to daydream, listening to Eric's breathing and feeling our heartbeats synchronize in harmony.
Chapter 17 Cathy
My body felt light as a feather. My feet were bare and full of dried mud, and my toes were bruised and cracked with bleeding cracks.
I looked around, feeling my pulse racing.
I was standing in the middle of a thick forest with trees so tall that their canopies completely hid the sky. I could hear the wind whistling as it hit the leaves and cut through the dense forest. I was completely naked, but in spite of that, I did not feel cold or pain in my feet.
How the hell did it get here?
"Eric," I shouted at the top of my lungs, but my voice echoed through the trees.
I felt I was being watched from all directions, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see or hear anything. The more I tried to understand what was going on, nothing fit.
"Is anyone here?" I asked as my voice shook.
"I'm right here. Why can't you see me?" an agonized and raspy voice echoed as if someone was in front of me.
I waved my hand in the air, trying to decipher if it was someone invisible or if I was imagining things.
"Where are you?" I asked, confused.
There was silence, and the wind blew harder, whipping my face.
"Cathy, I've always been here, waiting for you," the voice said more clearly this time. "Cathy!" the voice was similar to mine but rougher, as if it got tired from screaming so much without being heard.
"Cathy, are you okay?" the voice of Eric echoed in my ear like a whisper making my hair stand on end.
Blinking while opening my eyes, I found myself standing in the middle of the forest, looking around bewildered. But my perspective was different, my senses more acute. The hunger and agony present within me made me realize this wasn’t my body, and feeling her fears as well made it clearer. My throat hurt, and the undoubtable taste of blood flooded my mouth, and despite shivering out of fear, I wasn’t able to move as if I was rooted to the ground.
"Help!" I screamed, feeling my throat tearing and the taste of blood intensifying in my mouth. "Please help me." It wasn't me saying the words, but it felt like it. Somehow, I felt connected to this person on a level I couldn't explain. I felt her desperation, her longing to flee, and how those bindings sucked the vitality out of her.
"Cathy, wake up," Eric shouted, and I felt as if I was being forcibly ripped from the body I was inhabiting.
