Chapter 16 Willow #2
“Well, we can’t keep abandoning perfectly accommodating caves,” Bo says as he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. “It’s too dangerous to camp in the woods. We still have four days until the end of the hunt.”
Ronan steps into the grass and stares down as if waiting for it to attack him.
He moves to the wall and runs his hand through the moss before picking off a small piece and examining it carefully.
Finally, he lets out a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right.
Besides it growing rapidly, nothing else seems off about it. ”
“Could this be something to do with your charm?” I ask. They all turn to me. “Isn’t this exactly what you are looking for?” I gesture at the newly grown grass. “Something to spread life on your island where it has died?”
Ronan frowns as he slowly looks around the cave and contemplates what I’ve said.
“She’s right,” Hawk finally speaks. “Whatever is causing this must be what we’re searching for.”
The fact that men have actually listened to what I’ve said, and not dismissed my idea because I’m a woman, alights something inside me that I’ve never felt before. I feel heard. Worthy. As if my opinion actually matters.
“What could it be, though?” Bo asks from where he holds me against his front. “We’ve seen it in every cave so far.”
Ronan glances at the firepit, then moves over and squats down to assess it. “Maybe the burning of the logs somehow triggered the magic?” he suggests. “We used the same kind each time.”
“Well, let’s light another fire with it and see what happens,” Bo suggests, and both Ronan and Hawk nod.
“Good,” Bo says. “Why don’t we get that started and eat some leftover meat for breakfast, then we can check out that hot spring?”
“After we eat, we should give Willow another swimming lesson,” Hawk interjects. “Then the hot spring.”
“Is that okay with you?” Bo asks, looking down at me.
I nod, surprised to be asked for my input and appreciating the gesture. Hawk and Ronan get the fire going as Bo seats me in his own lap and feeds me.
“You need to eat too,” I tell him when he places piece after piece in my mouth without taking any for himself.
“Once you’re full,” he tells me. But I don’t think that’s fair, so I take a piece from his hand and hold it up to his lips.
He raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Open up,” I tell him. He does as I ask, and I pop the chunk of meat inside. I smile when he closes his mouth and chews. He offers me another piece, and I let him feed me before giving him another.
When I give him his third piece, he leans forward and wraps his mouth around my fingers. His tongue swirls around my fingertips and makes me inhale sharply. Desire coils tightly low in my core, surprising me. I had no idea that I could feel aroused from such an action.
He sucks my fingers as he pulls his mouth free, a look of satisfaction covering his face.
“We should get some food for later,” Ronan says, pulling me from my trance. “Bo, if you want to take care of Willow’s swimming lesson, Hawk and I will hunt and stand guard.”
I knew they’d have to move their traps aside so they could get back in, so leaving the cave is now a two-man job, one man standing guard to let the other back in.
By the time Bo and I are both full, the other two have already changed and left. Bo tells me to get changed as he’s already in his leafy loincloth, then he waits for me by the pool.
I still feel rather exposed in my leaf bikini, but each time I wear it, I get a little more comfortable.
He reaches for me as I approach him and guides me to sit on the edge of a large rock, like Hawk did. He steps over the rocks and lowers himself into the water. “What did Hawk teach you yesterday?”
“He showed me how to move my legs and arms. He held me around the waist as I tried to stay afloat.”
“Okay.” He nods as he reaches for me under the arms, and I lean into his embrace, my hands finding his shoulders for support as he lowers me into the cool water with him. I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist.
“Let’s just take a minute to enjoy the water,” he says as his arms move around my back. I hug his neck as my body adjusts to the temperature. I don’t know why being so close to them makes me feel so content, and I’m just relaxed enough to ask.
“Why does this feel so good?” I ask, feeling a little nervous once the words leave my lips.
“The water?” he asks.
“No, being close to you. When I’m not touching any of you, it’s like…”
“Something is missing,” he finishes for me.
“Yeah. What is that?” I ask, even though I think I know the answer.
“That’s the mate bond. It drives us to be together. It should calm a little once we’ve fully bonded.”
“Fully bonded?” I ask, not having heard them mention anything about that before. “What does that mean?”
“The bond fully snaps into place when we have sex.”
“Oh,” I say as my body starts to feel warm.
“There’s no pressure to do that before you’re ready. And you should know, once the bond is in place, you won’t be able to leave us.”
I pull back so I can look at his face, frowning in confusion. “What does that mean?”
His eyes flick between mine as his mouth presses into a thin line, like he doesn’t want to answer.
Thankfully, I don’t have to prod him, and he finally speaks.
“I know you want to find your sister, and that might entail going back to your world. But if we have cemented the bond between us, it will cause us all pain to be so far apart.”
“Y-you’re saying it’s either you or my sister?” I ask as a pang of unease grows in my chest. Hawk had told me they’d come with me if I chose to go back, but maybe Bo feels differently.
“No.” He shakes his head. “I’m saying that if you decide to go back to your world, if that’s even possible, that the three of us will be coming with you.”
Relief fills me, knowing he feels the same way as Hawk. I’m still not sure I fully understand what this bond between us is, but I also don’t think I can give it up. “You’d leave everything to come to my world?” I ask to make certain.
A smile pulls at his lips. “Not everything.” His hand comes up to cup my face as he whispers, “We’d still have the most important thing in the world to us.” His face inches closer to mine, his eyes dipping to my lips as he adds, “You.”
Then he presses his lips to mine. My entire body jolts as desire shoots through me. The hair on his beard tickles my face, and he’s only hesitant for a few seconds before his lips start to move. I slide a hand up the back of his neck, holding him to me as he does the same to me.
Knowing this is his first kiss makes me even more eager to touch him. I tentatively press my tongue to his lips, and he opens for me. We tangle in an uncoordinated effort, but soon we find a rhythm that sets me ablaze.
Remembering that he needs to learn what I like and vice versa, I don’t hold back the small moans and whimpers that escape me from his touch.
His large hand squeezes my bare ass cheek, making me gasp as I press myself tighter against him.
I feel him smile before he sucks my lower lip into his mouth, eliciting a groan from me.
With one last soft kiss, he rests his forehead against mine, a contented smile on his lips. “You feel so perfect in my arms,” he whispers. A look of worry flashes across his face so fast, I almost miss it.
“What is it?” I ask, lifting my hand to touch his beard, finally feeling bold enough to explore his face.
“I really hope you choose us.” I freeze, my eyes lifting to meet his as he tries to smile, but it comes out strained.
I lick my lips as I consider my words carefully.
Not wanting to give false hope, but also not wanting to crush his jovial spirit.
But the fact that they’re letting me make the choice and not claiming me without my permission tells me everything I need to know about their character, and how different they are from the men I grew up with.
“You’ll let me choose?” I finally ask, and he nods.
“You are not our prisoner, Willow. I hope you realize that?” I nod. Nothing about my time with them has made me feel that way. If anything, I feel more free than I ever have before.
“But what about your home?” I ask, knowing they still need to fulfill their prophecy and save their island.
“You are more important. So if you don’t want… us, we will help you find your way back to your sister.” Hawk said as much yesterday, but hearing it again is extremely reassuring.
“But if you do choose us,” he continues before I can respond. “Then we can figure out the next steps together. Izzy, Redmere, whatever lies ahead, we’ll do it together.”
My heart feels like it lurches toward him, as if it’s ready to leap out of my chest and give itself to Bo right at this very moment. Is this what love feels like? Sacrificing something you hold dear, just so the person you care for can be happy?
Before I can give him any sort of response, he kisses me again. It’s quick, but even so, when he pulls back, I find my heart hammering in my chest.
“How about we take care of that swimming lesson now?”
We spend the next thirty or forty minutes in the pool as he tries to teach me to swim. He does it differently than Hawk, and I find that if I take into account the things they both taught me, I’m able to tread water for a few seconds on my own.
Bo stops the lesson when I start to tire, and lifts me out like I don’t weigh anything at all. As I’m changing back into my daytime dress, the other two return with their latest meal. They set it aside to cook later, and I decide to lie down for a little nap since the swimming tired me out.
I lie on my side and jerk in surprise when a hand touches my waist. Lifting my head, I see Hawk moving in behind me.
“I thought I’d join you for a nap, if you don’t mind?
” he asks, already pressing his large body around mine.
I nod and he moves his arm under my head, allowing me to use it as a pillow as his other arm curls around my waist, holding me tight against him.
A sigh escapes my lips as a feeling of contentment washes over me. Even though he’s dressed in his leathers and I in my dress, it’s still pleasing to feel him wrapped around me, and that’s enough to lull me into a restful sleep.