14. Skyler
Fourteen
Skyler
T he jingling ringtone nearly causes me to fall backwards in my chair. Whiskey sloshes from the bottle and onto my chest as I jerk awake. Shirtless, asleep on the porch, whiskey in hand. With a newfound gratefulness for the trees surrounding my house, I pull my phone out of my pocket.
Amethyst.
Am I dreaming? Seeing her name on my phone has me leaping out of the chair with enough force that it falls onto its side. Quickly sliding my finger across the screen, I answer, “Amethyst? Are you alright?” My desperation bleeds through and I can’t find it in me to care.
“Oh, thank the Creators. Skyler, I’m so sorry to bother you, but…” Her voice wavers, holding a hint of doubt. “Well, my car broke down on the way home. I have no one else to call.”
“I’m on my way, Sunlight. Where are you?
” I ask for her location while throwing my shirt on.
Not wasting the time to clasp all of the buttons.
I’m grabbing my keys off the hook as her response comes, “Just as you turn onto Highway 18. As soon as I came off the turn, it started knocking and smoking.”
Damn, she’s on the complete opposite side of town. I could make it much faster if I shifted and carried her on my back. I fear it’s too soon for that, though. “Alright, I’m on my way, give me about a half hour. I live right on the lake.”
As soon as the engine roars to life, I throw rocks, peeling out of my driveway. Hopefully none of those damage August’s precious new car. Fuck, hopefully she doesn’t follow me.
Realizing Amethyst never answered me, I glance down at my phone. The call was dropped. Shit. Keeping my left hand on the wheel, I use the right to call her back. It goes straight to voicemail.
Fuck. Why does a bad situation always have to get worse.
Of course, to make matters worse still, there just has to be someone in front of me on the road at one in the fucking morning who isn’t even driving the speed limit. Growling out a string of curses, I desperately watch the lines on the road, waiting for one to become dotted.
Finally, I’m able to pass. Flying around them, I decide to give Sage a heads up. It wouldn’t hurt to let her know I’m driving through town like a maniac. She picks up after the first ring, her voice husky. “This better be good, Ashford.”
A beat of silence passes between us, and a higher pitched voice whispers something to Sage between gasping breaths. Goddess only knows what type of kinky shit is happening on the other end of this phone call.
Huffing out a laugh, I jest, “Sorry, make sure to cut this part out of your sex tape.” With a more serious tone adding, “Just letting you know that Amethyst’s car broke down, and I may or may not be speeding through town to help her.”
Finally, Sage’s voice filters through the car speakers. “Who the hell is Amethyst? Oh, your mate!” My eyes flare, “How do you —”
Sage huffs, “Please, spare me. It’s painfully obvious. Not to mention the fact that you didn’t let me talk telepathically earlier. Weird for you to hide the bond, but not my business either.”
Is it obvious? Then why hasn’t Amethyst acknowledged it? I should’ve known Sage would catch on when I cut her off in the mind link, but I didn’t want to confuse Amethyst. A feminine laugh that definitely doesn’t belong to Sage carries through the phone.
“Anyway, Sky, at this moment I don’t give a flying fuck how fast you’re driving as long as you don’t hit anyone. I can’t come to any calls right now, I’m busy. I’ll tell the ones on duty to ignore you. Okay, love you, use protection... or don’t. Bye!”
The phone beeps to signal that Sage has ended the call.
The familiar lights of the Burrow’s sign come into view.
Thank the Goddess. That means I should only be around five minutes out.
With Sage off the phone, the silence bears down on me.
I left the house in such a rush that I never even put on music.
No time for that now. All I care about is making it to Amethyst. Relaxing slightly as I turn onto Highway 18, I start scanning the surroundings for her Jeep. In no time at all the red of her taillights reflects in the beams of my headlights.
Throwing it in park, I jump out without bothering to kill the engine. Breathing a sigh of relief as the familiar vanilla and honey scent envelops me, I step toward her driver’s seat. But out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of her in the trunk.
In two steps I’m peering into the rear glass of her Jeep. My Sunlight is in there, but she’s shrouded in the darkness of her mind. She’s wrapped in a blanket from the waist down. Curled in on herself, her hands fisting her hair, face buried between her arms.
One might think she was just trying to stay warm. But I could see the harsh intakes of breath, the gentle rocking back and forth of her shoulders. I could see her fear, and I was here to cast it back to hell.
Gently rapping my knuckles on the glass, I call out her name. She doesn’t respond. Becoming increasingly more desperate, I call out louder, knock with more fervor. I try the latch; locked. My wolf fights to the surface. I allow it to push through just enough to help me open this fucking door.
With a snarl, I pull on the latch with enough force that the trunk pops open. Seeing Amethyst and hearing her soft cries cracks my heart. My wolf whimpers. I waste no more time. I climb in and pull her flush against my chest. I cradle her in my arms, gently swaying us.
The bond flares to life; fire licking through my veins. Melting into Amethyst, the side of me that’s just a man delights at the touch of the woman he’s falling for. My wolf cries out, desperate to protect her. To solidify the bond.
Both halves weep alongside her, praying to any deity that might listen to take her pain away. There’s no price I wouldn’t pay to take on this burden for her. To carry the weight of this pain for her.
Amethyst buries her face deeper into my chest. Reaching around my neck with both hands, she fists my shirt in her hands. In this moment, entwined in her arms, we are just two souls drawn together. Not a boss and employee, not wolves. Just two people that have fallen into the well of fate.
Tears dampen my chest, and a different fire ignites inside me.
Rage.
I can’t stand seeing her like this. I would gladly burn anything and everything to the ground that caused her pain. I think back to our earlier conversation. How she opened up to me about the vampire nearly killing her.
An entire country separates me from the bastard who harmed her, but not even a galaxy would be enough.
Regardless of whether Amethyst claims me or not, I am hers.
She is mine to protect; to avenge. There’s no turning back for me.
I am hers, and I will claim justice for the innocence that was stolen from her.
In the meantime, I can start with reassuring her that I am here now. Forever. That she is safe.
Running a thumb across her cheek to brush her tears away, I gently pull her face upwards. She looks at me through hooded eyes full of fear, pain, and... longing? A warm feeling of certainty trickles up my left arm, settling in my chest.
I don’t know the reason behind Amethyst’s lack of acknowledgement to our bond. But seeing the look in her eyes, I know it ignites her as well. Desire burns in us both.