Chapter 28
When they arrived, everyone was standing around the fire and there seemed to be nothing wrong. Raine met her gaze and there was nothing but a casual smile on it.
“What’s going on?” she asked towards Finnley, who just glanced at Kaden nervously.
“Stay here.” Kaden barked and started towards the road with the rest of the males following.
She glared at the back of his head, some witty comeback at the tip of her tongue but she figured now was not a good time to pick a fight. Instead she walked closer to Raine and looked at her curiously.
“Do you know what is going on?” she asked quietly.
“Not really. Xander came back from scouting and was all bothered. He whispered something to Finnley, who then went after you males.”
She glanced over her shoulder and could see all four men having an intense conversation. Another moment she wished she had fae hearing instead of Valkyrie.
“You think we are being followed?” she whispered.
“Who would follow us?”
“Anyone,” she said plainly and she saw Raine tense.
She was about to say something but heard footsteps approaching behind them. Her eyes caught the males returning to the circle around the fire, Kaden tense.
“So.” Finnley started. “We have a storm rolling in, one that will make it hard to travel so we will be staying here an extra day.”
“Can we stay here without being flooded?” She questioned.
“The ground is sloped towards the road. As long as the wind doesn’t blow hard enough to tear our tents, we should be fine.” Finnley answered and she glanced at Kaden, who was staring angrily into the fire.
“Why are you so upset?” she nudged him on the arm.
“It puts a delay in our timeline.” He grumbled.
“So?”
“I just don’t like it.” he snapped back and she glared at him in response.
“I hate storms.” Raine sighed and she saw Finnley glance toward the maiden with a smile.
“We need to be extra careful, the sound of the storm can mask any danger that might approach.” Kaden barked and everyone looked at him with a tense stare.
“What danger could there be?” Raine asked innocently.
“Bandits, mercenaries, assassins, and Trenchers to start with.” Xander spoke and she darted her eyes to him, still not used to the sound of his voice.
“Oh.” Raine mumbled.
“We will be fine.” Finnley reassured them, though she thought it was more for Raine’s worry than what he really thought.
“Stay close.” Kaden’s voice cut through the tension and she knew he was directing it at her.
“I learned my lesson about running off already, no need to worry,” she mumbled.
“Let’s get everything situated and reinforced, the storm is coming tonight.” Finnley added and the group started to disburse.
She grabbed the horses and brought them under the cover of the alcove, the sky already starting to darken. They had roped off an area between the wagon and the mountain wall for them to stay and hoped they wouldn’t run through it once the storm hit.
They were well trained horses as it was, but anything could spook a horse no matter how desensitized they were.
Zuri was calm as Alyra walked her last into the small pen and set the hobbles she had previously taken off the horse.
By the time everything was either tied down or reinforced, Titus had dinner made by the fire and everyone took a seat on the logs they had brought over.
She didn’t know what he had made the night before, her attitude getting the best of her, but tonight looked like some kind of stew. It was hot and the weather was changing rapidly around her, the cold air making her shiver even by the fire.
No one said a word as they ate, Raine and Finnley snuggled next to each other across from her and she purposely avoided looking at them.
She knew it was jealousy that was pulling at her, the wound Silas left still wide open and she could feel her emotional wall at its breaking point.
When everyone was done, she helped clean up and headed for her tent, her body exhausted for the day. Raine cleared her throat next to her just before was about to duck through the door and gave her a sheepish look.
“Do you mind if I bunk with Finnley tonight?” she whispered shyly.
She tried not to let the annoyance she was feeling show on her face but she wasn’t going to say no, even if she wanted to. She didn’t know who Finnley was bunking with, and at this point she didn’t care.
“Sure,” she whispered back. “Who is taking your place?”
“Kaden.”
“Of course.” she huffed.
Raine smiled and started to walk to the other tent but she reached out to grab her arm.
“Please Raine,” she mumbled, “Be careful with your heart. I don’t want you to go through what I did.”
Raine placed her hand gently on hers and gave her a soft smile. “I will.”
They parted and she ducked into the tent without another glance, a spark of jealousy rolling through her. She wanted to be happy for her friend but she also ached for the pain in her chest to go away.
She changed into her cotton sleep clothes and got under the animal pelt they had brought along for extra warmth. She didn’t use it the night before, but with the storm she figured it was a good idea.
She was almost asleep when she heard someone enter the tent, her eyes squinting open to see Kaden shuffling in.
This shouldn’t feel so awkward, she had been in the same room and even the same bed with him before but for some reason her stomach tightened.
She kept her back to him and tried to concentrate on sleep and not the fact he was undressing two feet from her. She took a quiet deep breath and let it out just before he laid down next to her.
They had their own blankets, but were closer together than they had been in her bed due to the small tent size. She could tell his arm was only a few inches from her back, the heat radiating from his arm and she suddenly found herself wanting comfort.
She fought herself from scooting back into him, her body missing the feeling of someone curled around her and she knew it was only because memories had been stirred up recently.
An entire month had gone by without wanting anyone’s touch, but then Silas reappeared, sending her body into overdrive.
She didn’t want Silas back, but she missed the feeling of comfort he gave her. At this point, it seems she was used to Kaden’s touch enough to not panic and maybe she should take advantage of it even if it didn’t mean anything more than comfort.
The weather started to change outside, rain now pouring onto the mountain and she could hear small waterfalls coming from the edge of the alcove.
Maybe the sounds of nature would help ease her mind, another deep breath filling her lungs before she burrowed into her blankets more, praying for sleep.
Thunder cracked in the air and she shot upright off the ground, her back soaked with typical nightmare sweat and her chest heaving.
The sound reminded her of Mavros’s dungeon, the crashing of whips and the storm the day of the battle.
Kaden sat up next to her, fully aware of her distress.
“It’s ok,” he whispered, another crack rumbling around them.
It was completely black around her, the moon hidden behind the storm clouds and the fire had long died out.
She held her palm out towards him, summoning a small mount of flame to light up the space between them. She was thankful for the darkness hiding her face, her eyes going straight to his shirtless body next to her and she felt her face get hot.
She had never seen him shirtless the entire time she knew him, and now that she had, it was going to be hard to forget.
Every shadow lined his muscular physique, abs very apparent and toned, his arms lean with smooth muscles. She had thought Silas was in shape, but Kaden was on a whole other level.
He had one knee bent under the blanket, his arm resting on it and body turned towards her. The light between them was barely enough to see the expression on each other’s faces but she knew he was watching her.
She flinched slightly as he lifted his hand, again asking for approval, and pushed some of her sweat soaked hair from her face after she nodded to him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered with a shaky voice.
“Don’t be,” he said softly.
Another rumble hit the mountain and she jumped, her trauma getting the best of her tonight. She looked down at her shaking hand holding her flame, it flickering slightly and she knew she was going to lose it soon.
“What do you need, Alyra?” his gentle voice sounded again and she looked to see his eyes glowing in the darkness.
It was like looking at a predatory animal, but there was nothing dangerous about them. It was intriguing, and for some reason she found herself comforted just by looking at them.
A tear fell down her cheek and she leaned into his hand as he offered it again, his thumb brushing the tear from her face. Her flame dissolved suddenly, every fiber of her wanting to shatter just from his touch.
“To stop feeling so weak.” she whimpered. “And to not feel so broken.”
She didn’t hesitate when he gently pulled on her cheek, another silent offer of body contact and leaned down as he started to pull her to him. His hands gently placed her down next to him and she welcomed the warmth of his bare skin as she rested her head on his chest.
A wave of calm washed over her, as if someone was blanketing her with an unseen magic but she knew that wasn’t the case. Her body was just responding to his touch and the comfort he was now giving her.
“You’re not broken, you’re just in pain,” he whispered, his arms cradling around her.
“I don’t want to feel this anymore,” she said softly. “I was an idiot for trusting him, you even said as much.”
“I didn’t want to be right.”
They laid in silence for a while, her body melting into him as if this was a normal thing between them. Her mind wouldn’t quiet, even with listening to his steady heartbeat. Any time the thunder sounded, she could feel herself jump.
“My father killed my mother.” His voice was quiet and she jerked in surprise.
He had never told her anything about his past, she didn’t even know where he was from and his confession shocked her.
“I never really knew my father, my mother kept me from him in fear I would turn out just as terrible as he was. My mother was kind, gentle, and even helped raise some of the kids that lived near us.”
His heart started to beat a little faster in his chest under her ear but she didn’t dare move or say anything in fear he would stop talking.
“I was already fighting in the war when he found her and I couldn’t get to her before he slaughtered her in our village town square. I traveled three days straight to get home, but by then someone had to bury her before she rotted away.”
Finally, she decided to move her hand onto his chest and an odd sensation ran through her fingers.
“Someone I trusted in that village told my father where she was, someone I had thought I loved.” The pain in his voice made her throat go dry.
“Was it a female?” she whispered hesitantly.
“Yes.”
“Did you plan to spend the rest of your life with her?”
“At the time, I thought she was the one. She made me feel happy and was the most beautiful female I had ever met.” His hand moved on top of hers, and she froze in surprise. “I have since been made aware I was drastically incorrect.”
She didn’t know how to react to his words, the fact they had never been this open with each other left her puzzled. She didn’t hate it, but it was still odd for her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Do you know why she did it?”
“I assume Mavros promised her something I couldn't give her, but I never asked. I didn’t want to know.” She could feel the heaviness in his voice, that betrayal still lingering inside him.
“What happened to the female?”
“I wanted to kill her,” he muttered. “But at the time I still loved her so I told her to run and someday I might kill her for it.”
“So now she is living her life having to look over her shoulder in case you decide to make good on your word? You think you ever will?”
He shifted carefully next to her, turning more towards her and rested his head on top of hers.
“I think there are more important things than to dwell on the past. The pain never goes away and you just have to learn to live with it, all of it.” He emphasized the last few words and she knew exactly what he meant.
Never would she have thought they would be this close, both in proximity and emotionally.
She tried not to think about what it might have all meant, or why she was having butterflies in her stomach again. He was just making sure she was safe, it was his job and nothing more.
Thunder rolled again and she pressed herself into his side more, the only anxiety she was feeling was from the weather. His touch, it wasn’t scary to her or triggering, but comforting. It even felt more comforting than when she was with Silas but she didn’t know how that could be.
He responded by rolling towards her more, his arms locking around her and pulled her close to his chest. Her head rested against his collar bone, a hint of lilac filling her nose and before she knew it, sleep had taken her.