~Vaela
Consciousness, for once, greets me sweetly.
Blinking blearily, I look up into large brown eyes staring down at me. "Eyla..."
"Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry." She rests her hand against her chest, like she had been literally sitting over me monitoring my every breath, which I wouldn't put past her.
I sit up, letting her adjust my pillows behind me. "Where's Hale?"
~Vaela"Do you have to leave?"Clinging to Eyla, I rest my head against her shoulder. After a few days, Eyla and Will have to return home for their own commitments, and although they can come back soon, I'm devastated.Alone again with Hale? The thought haunted me all last night, leaving me restless and without much sleep.Eyla pats the side of my head. "Trust me, I don't want to.""Neither."
~VaelaI run, terrified.I'm being chased, shadows nipping at my heels, licking up my legs as I flee. My shoulder smashes against doorframes, my entire body knocked about as I search around for an escape. I'm going to be caught, and gutted, and my last breath will be made in this dark, inescapable cave.As I wade through the darkness, I can't restrain my harsh breathing, desperately trying to find an exit.All of a sudden, two arms appear from the shadows, hands grasping both of my shoulders, stopping me in my tracks.
~VaelaAdria’s aged hands are searing hot as they clasp either side of my face.My gaze focuses on her one milky eye, before my vision goes cloudy, and I'm staring into an ivory mist. I jolt back, but her sharp fingernails dig into my skin, holding me in place."Calm girl. Accept the process." Her raspy voice sounds distant, puncturing the void I have been plunged into. Anxiety swells in my chest, my throat tightening, but I still, splaying my sweaty hands out over my thighs."I see a lot of uncertainty in your future." Her faint voice drifts throu
~Vaela"Ugh, I bet he fucks so good."My head snaps to my friend next to me, who sits back against the headboard, admiring Hale through a gap in the door. He is merely minding his own business in the other room, flicking through a book mindlessly, Eyla’s observation having come out of nowhere.I tap her arm with the back of my hand. "Eyla!""What? I'm just speaking my mind." She rubs her arm, her suggestive smile lingering.Now that the brutal,
~Vaela I’ve forgotten what freedom feels like. Now that I’m amidst it, I’m sitting like a fool, staring into a swarm of people. Some dance, others just drink and mingle. Not long ago I would be immersed in the throngs, but now, I watch on warily, painfully aware of my own mortality. Nudging Eyla, I point to a particularly adequate looking man. “I like the look of him.” Truthfully, I’m suddenly hyper aware of how mundane normal Immortals look. Seeing Hale everyday has poisoned my sense of normality, and now I’m concerned I’m going to struggl
~VaelaMy fork drags noisily across my plate as I push my dinner around mindlessly.Hale hasn’t so much as glanced up. He’s impossible to irritate.Finally he sighs, resting back in his seat, meeting my gaze. "You going around and touching strangers isn't going to work anymore."We’ve only stewed on last nights failure for a few hours, and it seems both of us are defeated. In hindsight, the chances of me finding my mate in a sketchy bar was slim."Why not?" I mutter drily."The chance of you finding your mate like that is near impossible. It's too dangerous," he decides. My stomach twists. He's confirmed all the doubts that plagued my mind all day today.I tap my fork against my lower lip. "So then what?""So, we wait. If you're meant to run into them, you will." Hale's gaze is sharp, monitoring me.Wilting into my seat, I discard of the utensil onto the table, defeated. Hale is the only person I can feasibly run into here, so I'm out of luck."Can't do that like this." I motion aroun
~VaelaHale’s bedroom door being slightly ajar is enough of an invitation for me to enter, seeking the Immortal out.He rests against his wooden headboard, flicking through a book.He doesn’t even glance up. "For someone who is so concerned about seeing me naked again, you have a proclivity for walking rather confidently into my private space.""You should have told me Larsen was coming,” I snap.Exhaling softly, he closes his book, dragging his attention to me. There is something painfully intimate about standing in his room. The large bed swallows have the space, making it impossible to be aware of anything else."How could I, when even I didn't know?" He kicks his legs out so he's sitting on the edge of the bed, resting the book on his bedside table.I fold my arms over my chest, fingers drumming against my ribs. "Who is he?""A Noble, from a far away land. I wouldn't worry yourself, he will not be here for very long," Hale muses dismissively. My eyes narrow."Can he kill me?" I as
~VaelaGroaning, I let my book topple to my lap, unbothered by the loss of my page placement."This book is going to make me fall asleep."Hale seems reluctant to drag his attention from his own book. It’s a ritual, to sit with two chairs pulled up to the fire, indulging in quiet reading time together. We can read anywhere, and yet we have established silent agreement to be in each other’s company for it.I watch Hale’s eyes scan the cover of the book as I pick it up again. "You haven't gotten to the good part, that's why.""Is that right?” My eyes narrow.Suddenly, my pages flutter wildly, until they still. Hale lowers his hand, magic ceasing. I note his smirk, as my attention drags down to the page he has intentionally guided me to.A gasp get's caught in my throat as I skim over the writing.His hands drag up my thighs, fingers winding through the lace band of my panties, drawing them down my legs, revealing my-I look back up at Hale, whose smile suggests he's amused, although hi