Page 82 of His to Hunt

Taryn

After several days of basking in the romantic, tender side of my mate, I wake up to an unusual feeling. One I haven’t felt before.

It’s almost like déjà vu mixed with the realization you forgot something incredibly important. I’m not sure what it could be. Maybe I’ve slept too much or taken too many baths. I stare at the ceiling for a few minutes, hoping the sensation will pass, but it doesn’t.

I consider waking Victor, but he’s snoring peacefully, so I pry myself out of his enormous arms. As I get out of bed, I feel a strange pull. It’s not like the pull I felt toward Victor, but it’s almost as intense. Except instead of pulling me to him, it’s pulling toward the dresser.

“What in the world?” I mutter, walking closer.

It doesn’t take long for me to realize it’s the book. There’s nothing else in the dresser that would compel me to start opening drawers. I lean down and open the one I put the book in, and jump back, my hand flying to my mouth.

The book looks different now. It’s glowing with a golden light similar to the one in my eyes during the frenzy. I’m a little concerned, but Victor told me about the rituals. He told me I’d be able to read the book, once my druid sight improves. I haven’t noticed any real changes, but something has definitely changed now.

I pick up the book and carry it to the living room, sitting down on the couch. The cover doesn’t look like it belongs on the book anymore. As I flip through it, the ciphers have all changed, even the ones we previously deciphered. Now, every page says the same thing, and I can read every word.

“Remove the veil. Remove the seal,” I mutter, finding the same thing on every single page, even scrawled in the margins. “Okay, but how?”

I’m not sure if I should be messing around with the book unless Victor is with me. I don’t want to accidentally cast a spell or bring some hidden danger to Covington. Victor would protect me, but I don’t want to put him in that position again, nor do I want to endanger anyone else.

Despite the pull I feel toward the book, I put it down on the table and return to the bedroom. I have a mate now. Someone I trust to help me with things like this. If I have to do the rituals to reincarnate Mother Nature, I’ll definitely do whatever is necessary. I just don’t have to do it alone. Not anymore.

“Hey, Victor,” I whisper gently, nudging him. “I’m sorry to wake you up, but I need you.”

Victor’s eyes fly open and he sits up immediately. “Are you OK? What do you need, Taryn?”

“Well, that woke you up in a hurry,” I say, a faint smile teasing the edge of my lips.

“Is there a problem?” he asks.

“There might be,” I admit, looking down. “I woke up feeling strange, like the book was calling out for me or something. It’s glowing and the text is different. I can read it now.”

“Fuck,” he groans. “Where is the book?”

“In the living room,” I reply. “I didn’t want to mess with it too much without you.”

“Good choice,” he yawns. “Give me a few minutes to shower and wake up. Then we’ll see what’s going on with the book.”

“Okay.” I kiss his cheek before moving away from him.

We haven’t been intimate since the frenzy and the desire is starting to return. Things got rather rough during the frenzy, but I’m craving that roughness again. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he claims me again. It might have even happened today, if I didn’t wake up with this weird feeling.

I’m in the living room when Victor finishes with his shower. He’s wearing a bathrobe and his hair is still wet. Somehow, he looks sexier than ever now that he’s rested and fresh out of the shower. Something is definitely stirring inside me, and it isn’t just because of the book.

“I thought you said it was glowing,” Victor grunts. “Looks exactly the same to me?”

“It does?” I ask, looking at the book that is clearly glowing. “What about the cipher? Does it look the same?”

Victor sits down beside me, looks at the cover, then flips through it. “Yeah, nothing has changed. If you’re seeing something different, it must be your druid sight.”

“The book is glowing and the same thing is written on every page, even in places there was no writing before,” I say. “Remove the veil. Remove the seal.”

“Huh,” Victor grunts, leaning back. “It doesn’t say how?”

“Nope, that’s all it says.” I move the book to my lap and flip through it again to be sure. “Yep, same thing on every page, even the spell… or curse or ritual… whatever it was that brought you to Covington is gone.”

“Then I guess you have to figure out that part before you can do any of the rituals,” Victor sighs. “I knew things would start happening eventually, but I was hoping for more time to just recover from the frenzy and enjoy being with you.”

“Me too,” I admit. “But once we do all these rituals, that should be the end of it, right? Ishtar will be reborn. Mother Fate will have Mother Nature’s help and things will be balanced again?”