Page 95 of Sinful Mates

Claire seems to think I need to find my grounding place, but I know I won’t find it here. I feel more grounded with them, calm. Here I feel nothing but loneliness.

Gazing out at the mountains, I watch them slowly disappear under the clouds. A storm has been brewing all day. I can feel its vibrations and know it’s going to be a bad one. Caroline and Claire seem to think it’s because I’m feeling my inner power. I’m not so sure, not sure what to believe anymore.

All I know is I need them, like I need oxygen to breathe. Without them, my life is hollow. I feel like I’m slowly losing myself, constantly consumed by the chatter in my mind. Getting up from my position, I stroll down the stairs to find Caroline and Claire. The cottage is more like a log home or a giant cubby house; I head down the creaky wooden stairs that spiral to the floor below, with an enormous fireplace sitting in the center of the house, going through both floors. This place has its own aura, own life about it with its branches snaking in creating the roof protecting us from the elements outside these walls.

Standing on the slate floor, I feel the vibration through it as thunder crackles outside. The wind picks up and howls loudly. I walk to the front door and peer out. Caroline and Claire are running around trying to secure everything. Claire throws nets over her garden beds, while Caroline moves all the outside furniture. Stepping outside, the wind blows my hair wildly as it picks up in intensity, nearly knocking me off my feet. Caroline, hearing my gasp as I breathe in the frosty air, looks in my direction.

“Imogen, get inside, you shouldn’t be out in this,” she yells. But by the time her voice carries over the wind, it sounds more like a soft murmur. Claire staggers over to me, grabbing my arm, pulling me inside and shutting the door.

“I’ll make some tea,” she says, trying to distract me from the storm raging and building up outside.

“Will this place hold when it hits?” I ask.

Claire glances around nervously. “It should do. I will reinforce the place by bending the trees into a canopy” she says.

“Would be handy if my element was wind,” she mutters to herself. I can tell it worries her. There have been plenty of storms while we’ve been here, but nothing has felt like the one building up outside.

I learned that Claire is an Earth witch like my mother. By the grimoires, I’m certain my grandfather’s element was fire. Mine is yet to be seen. There are only five elements. Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Spirit. Though Spirit is rare, it has control over all four elements. Claire and I have been working on trying to crack my talisman. But she seems to think only strong emotion or a vehement reaction from me will break its bindings. Being here, I feel nothing but hollow and she seems to think that is why I can’t break it.

I tug at the bracelet as it itches my wrist, my hands and feet have become so swollen and my blood pressure so high that everything is swollen and itchy. I make my way over to the table and sit. My back aches from the extra weight. I’ve been lucky enough not to get stretch marks, not that it will matter once the baby tears itself from me. I often wonder how bad it will hurt.

Claire thinks the baby is a girl, but I have this feeling it’s a boy. In my dreams I see a little boy with the most beautiful green eyes, yet Tobias’s dark hair and rosy cheeks. I have been finding one thing strange; we know this baby is a were-baby, but I have actually been craving blood, and not just human blood, any blood. I haven’t had the guts to tell Caroline, not wanting her to worry. But I even crave her blood, which I find weird. Vampires crave human and Lycan blood, not their own species. I don’t know what to think of it. So, I try to ignore it as best I can, plus the whole thought of drinking blood grosses me out.

Caroline comes in just as Claire finishes making the tea. She sets a cup down in front of me. I can smell the lavender in it and my mouth waters. I never thought lavender was edible, but Claire seems to put it in everything. Caroline watches me sip my tea, a strange look on her face before grabbing her cup. She sighs after she takes a sip.

“How are you feeling today?” she asks.

“The same as always,” I murmur.

“It will be over soon,” she says but adds nothing else. Like my death is an unwelcome topic. I go to ask her a question when a pained expression takes over her face. The cup she is holding, drops from her hands, shattering. Her eyes glaze over. I watch as she grips the table, the broken glass cutting into her hands. Caroline tries to ride out the sudden pain. I stand, alarmed, moving away from her, as her eyes regain focus turning a crimson shade, her fangs protruding making her features look malevolent.

The pain seems to leave her, but her breathing remains ragged. Claire is watching her worriedly.

“I know,” she says to Caroline, touching her shoulder. Caroline looks to me in panic, before pain has her clawing at her back as she screams in agony. Her voice distorts as she tries to talk through her pain.

“I have to go. I can’t let him bear it,” she screams. Claire is frantically racing around the kitchen while I stand paralyzed in fear.

“Bear what, Caroline?” I stutter. Her eyes flick to my face, her teeth bared as an animalist glint flits across her features. Claire is busy making something before walking over, a green concoction in a cup in her hand.

“Drink this, it will help.” Caroline clutches the cup, her hands trembling as she tries to hold it to her lips, gulping down the liquid fast. It works instantly. I can tell she is in pain, yet it somehow becomes bearable for her.

“I need to go. Claire, you need to watch over her,” she gasps out.

“What’s going on?” I ask in panic.

“They’re torturing him. Something has gone wrong. I can feel my partner being tortured. Josiah, I need to get to him. I’m sorry, Imogen, I must go.” She trying to stand on shaky legs. I have no idea how she thinks she can run to him in this state, but I can tell she is determined to try. She walks over to the sink and I nearly throw up as I watch her grab a knife and run it across her wrist, letting the blood run into a cup.

My mouth instantly waters at the smell of it. I swallow loudly, my mouth filled with my saliva.

“It will congeal but you’re going to have to force it down, Imogen. They will kill me if you die,” she says before turning toward Claire.

“Make sure she takes it as soon as she is in pain.” Claire nods before giving Caroline a hug.

Caroline walks on wobbly legs as pain hits her again. She wraps her arms around me before rubbing my swollen belly.

“Take care of yourself, I will be back as soon as I can.” She runs out the door. I can hear the wind howling and screaming. The storm will hit soon. I just hope Caroline clears the mountains and doesn’t get stuck outside in it.

“Maybe you should go lay down, Imogen. I’ll call out when dinner is done.”