fourteen
It was nine o'clock before a knock sounded on Jessie's door. Norah had dried her curls and put on a fresh pair of sweats and t-shirt. She hadn’t packed anything nicer for her escape to Jessie's house. Her friend stood up from the couch and wiped her hands on her pants as if she were the nervous one.
"I'll get it. You sit there for a second. Try to keep it together." Jessie cocked an eyebrow before moving toward the door. When she opened it, Norah peeked around her friend’s shoulders and saw a disheveled Lukyan standing at the door followed closely by his cousin, Alek. Lukyan looked as though he had spent too many times running his hands through his hair, and his jaw had not been shaved for days. He must have been as exhausted as she felt. Her heart ached from the agony she must have caused him.
"Is Norah here? Her mother said—" he sniffed the air before looking around Jessie to see his mate. The look he sent her from across the room was pure tenderness and longing. Norah’s belly did a little flop and her wolf whined.
"I've been searching everywhere for you. I went to your mother's this morning." Norah licked her lips and stood up from the couch
"I know. My mom just called and let me know that you were on your way. Lukyan I—" Lukyan held up his hand to stop her words.
"Before you say anything, will you come outside with me? I'd like a bit of—" he looked around the room from Jessie to his cousin Alek, "—privacy. Just the two of us. Norah nodded her head and walked past her friend Jessie, who gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Take it easy on him, Norah. He looks like he's born the worst of this." Jessie, usually cocky and unabashed gave Lukyan kind look. He really did look like he had been through the hardest part of all of this. Her friend turned to Alek and stuck out her hand for a shake. "And you are?" Alek, as usual, gave a flirtatious grin to the pretty redhead.
"I'm Alek, Lukyan's cousin, and possibly your new best friend." He winked at her, causing Jessie to let out a snort.
"I doubt you will be my new best friend, but come in and I'll fix you a drink, anyway. It looks like we might need to give these two some time alone." She held her finger to her chin and tilted her head to the side looking him over. "You look so incredibly familiar to me. Like someone I once met." She shook her head as if releasing the memory and turned her back, leading him into the kitchen for a drink.
Lukyan took Norah by the hand and let her out the door toward the elevators. "There's a little park around the corner. I thought we might go there for a quick chat." He gave her a pleading look as if he were fearful that she would say no. She clasped his hand tighter and pulled him a bit closer to her body.
"Yes. I believe we need to talk."
Lukyan pulled Norah to a secluded area of the park and helped her sit on a bench. It was midsummer so, despite the late hour, there was still a bit of light in the sky. He turned and looked into her big blue eyes. "Norah, I have to tell you—"
She put a finger to his lips. "Before you say anything, Lukyan, I have to tell you that I'm sorry. I should have never left you. I've been miserable without you, and it's only been two days. I can't imagine what I was thinking when I thought I could leave you for a longer time. I don't think I could do it; I don't think my wolf would let me do it."
He grabbed both of her hands and pulled them to his lips, kissing them both fervently before pulling her closer into his lap. "This is all a huge mistake. I think—" he gave her a quizzical glance. "I think you compelled me. I am not able to sayI love—" he grabbed his throat. She put her hand over his, which was still clutching at his throat.
"I compelled you? How is that possible? Why would I compel you to tell me, or rather not tell me, that you love me? That doesn't make any sense." Norah was in disbelief. How could this have happened? Had she really spent the last five months with a man who loved her? Had she really spent so many hours in doubt when they should have been filled with joy?
Regaining his composure he looked at her again. "I have thought it over one-hundred times in my mind. It was the day after our mating, at the dinner. I asked you to—”
“You asked me to renew our mating ceremony.” Norah remembered the anger she had felt in that moment of doubt.
He swallowed, careful of his word. "You told me not to saythat, and I haven't been able to. I wanted to. I feel it. I just can'tsayit." Lukyan looked ashamed, and Norah's heart broke for him. Did he think this made him less of the man because she was able to compel him? Was he upset because the Goddess had given her such a miraculous gift? She had been thinking about it since that day with Cate. Perhaps the Queen was right. The Goddess had probably given her an exceptional gift for the sole reason of keeping Cate safe. Lukyan couldn't help it if Norah's gift was so powerful. Tears welled in her eyes with sympathy for him and frustration with herself. If she had only been smarter, allowed herself to see what was before her eyes, she would've never doubted him.
"Lukyan, look at me." He raised his face to hers once again, shame still pooling in the depths of his green eyes. Norah swallowed. She hated to compel him further, but he needed to be released from whatever she had done to him five months ago.
"You want to forget anything I've ever compelled you to do or think. You want to tell me what's in your heart. Please."
A wave of relief washed over Lukyan's face. He pulled her close and kissed her gently. "Goddess above, Norah, I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful for you. I am so sorry that you have gone all these months thinking that I don't love you when I so desperately do. I have loved you since the minute you walked in the door of that bar. I have wanted nothing more than to spend every second of my life with you since that moment. I asked the Goddess for you every day, and finally, she gave you to me. You are more than I could have ever hoped for, more than I could have ever dreamed. You are my mate. You make me whole.” His words overwhelmed her. Norah clung to him like a vine on a fence.
He kissed her again, holding his lips close to hers. “Where I see facts, you see feelings. Where I see patterns, you see people. We are opposite in all the ways that matter most, and yet, you matched me perfectly. You never make me feel awkward, or uncomfortable, or shy. You are the first person, truly in my entire life, I am one-hundred percent comfortable with. I love you. I will always love you. Please forgive me."
“No, you should forgive me,” Norah gasped between fervent kisses. “I didn’t trust you, didn’t trust what I felt all this time, what you tried so hard to prove to me. I compelled you against your will—”
He silenced her with another kiss. “You didn’t know. How could you know? Your gift is so incredible. I cannot believe the power that the Goddess has bestowed on you. I am so proud of you and of the gift you were given. I’ve thought about all the possible reasons why you were granted this power, listed every single one, and I finally concluded you are Cate’s protector, or at least one of them. The Goddess trustedyouto protect the Queen, Norah. And that means she trustedmeto protect you. You are my everything.”
How, during this conversation, Norah had managed to twine herself around Lukyan, she didn’t know. But she held on to him tighter. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, her legs draped across his hips. They kissed as if it was their first time.
"I want you, Lukyan, now." Without hesitation, Lukyan picked her up so that she had to clasp her legs around his waist. He carried her with measured steps into the shallow forest on the edge of the park.
"Here?" Norah squealed. Her wolf sat down and thumped her tail. Apparently, her inner beast was very happy to be manhandled in a public forest.
"I can't wait any longer. It’s been two days. I need to be inside you now.” Norah loved Lukyan’s aggressive side. She grabbed at his blond waves and bit him gently on the neck.
“I can’t wait any longer, either.” He grunted and pushed further into the thicket.
