Since our arrival in my world, Caleb’s temperament had been as erratic as a spinning coin. Every day was a gamble, with equal odds of landing on tails. However, tonight felt different; it was as if Caleb had chosen to bring with him a brand new coin, leaving me uncertain which side represented victory and which spelled defeat.

His 180 in his attitude, did offer a refreshing break from the tiresome cycle of blame we’ve been ping-ponging back and forth at each other. I knew deep down that tomorrow would probably bring dire consequences for our choices tonight, but I decided to enjoy this brief respite from our continuous arguments and simply live as Elizabeth Callier - the girl who found her way home.

Caleb’s eyes locked onto mine as I was lost in my thoughts, not realizing I was staring at him, and now I couldn’t look away. A radiant grin lit up his face as he slightly turned towards me while still leaning seductively on the railing. His features shone as if, through the darkness, a bright sunbeam of magic was banishing the shadow and casting away his usual scowl that he had on his face every time I was within his sight lately.

For once, Caleb’s worries seemed to have receded into the background while his true self surfaced. An infectious energy filled his eyes with undeniable vitality, captivating me and drawing out a smile of my own. We found solace in each other’s company during this brief interlude of genuine connection we had somehow lost in our broken friendship- like a burden being lifted from my chest, I shook my head at our own nonsense.

Both of us recognized that we were treading in dangerous waters, yet the thrilling excitement of the game was simply too powerful for me to resist. Indeed, he was correct, it seemed absurd for us to be out tonight, attempting to blend in, masquerading as ordinary teenagers just hanging out with their friends. Particularly when we had just experienced an interdimensional leap across realms not too long ago. Because the reality of it was if those around us knew the truth of it, they’d shit their britches and we’d probably end up in some government facility being dissected or being used for some biological weapons.

But despite all of the baggage, it felt good to have a moment of honesty between us. It had seemed like an eternity since our smiles were a genuine display of emotion rather than a calculated gestures to please those around us. I decided to embrace this momentary respite, from our arguments and remember how very much I loved him. He truly was the only person I had left in my life that knew the real me. And truthfully, given our situation, what else could we do but try and blend?

Being trapped here as we were, would wallowing in our misery at the farmhouse change anything? I yearned for life and freedom, rather than slowly suffocating to appease him. So I felt justified in my choice to go out tonight and celebrate my birthday. And for the moment, I was happy he was here with me.

Caleb’s gaze swept over me, his smile adopting a mischievous curve as his eyes lingered on my nearly exposed breasts. Warmth flooded my cheeks, no doubt giving them an instant color that he could see even in the dim scintillant of the light poles.

Had I detected a spark of desire in his gaze? This notion sent shivers down my spine, and I felt conflicted. Doubt enveloped me, uncertain whether the craving stemmed from him or myself, and I shook my head to chase the thoughts away. It really didn’t matter if the feeling came from me or him I didn't want to act on them either way. But a wave of self-consciousness overcame me despite my inner dialogue, and I instinctively drew up one leg, hugging it tightly for both comfort and cover.

It had been a few years since Caleb last saw me naked, time had transformed our bodies as much as our minds. We were no longer children just discovering our sexuality during a time I hadn't thought so little of myself. But sitting here exposed, amidst these scantily clothed young women flaunting their impeccable figures in pricey lingerie, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of inadequacy.

Grasping my leg tightly, I placed my chin on my knee and diverted my gaze from his, focusing instead on the river below in an attempt to calm my racing heart. From my periphery, I observed Caleb’s brow arch in bewilderment before leaning over the edge to share my view, likely confused by my sudden shift between engaging in the game and quickly retreating to the proverbial sidelines.

Has desire become a new token of this game? The witty exchanges and stolen kisses had been thrilling, however, doubt now seeped into my thoughts, cautioning me that it was likely our paths were leading toward different very goals. And it appeared as though I had misplaced my rulebook for this intrigue. Did we not learn our lessons from the last time we bled from the wounds we had inflicted on each other?

Unintentionally, he had sown a seed in my mind that I couldn’t shake off. I subtly adjusted my position to get a clearer view of him, hoping he wouldn’t notice. His childlike wonder made me smile, and a wave of nostalgia swept through me, taking me back to that unforgettable summer when our friendship blossomed into becoming lovers when we spent the warm weather months discovering one another.

It felt like turning on a light switch in my heart—an instant reconnection with him, as though the hardships between us had never existed. In my mind’s eye, his aura danced in a kaleidoscope of colors, weaving a beautiful tapestry of orange and yellow hues that enveloped me in its warmth. As I felt it seep into my very being, I couldn’t help but close my eyes, surrendering to the seductive waves of emotion that he was emitting.

It was as if he were painting a masterpiece with his very essence, a work of art that was so beautiful that it could move even the most stone of hearts. If only words could be colors and capture the essence of his aura, someone would have written a sonnet that would have brought tears to the world.

He was undeniably having an incredible time. I discreetly concealed the grin that blossomed across my face, not wanting to distract him from his pleasures. If he discovered I was experiencing his emotions from my side of the railing, the scowl would no doubt return and the bickering would ensue.

Illuminated by the soft glow of both artificial light and moonlight, he was breathtakingly beautiful. His shirtless figure and bare feet, accompanied by the dark blue gym shorts that hung low on his hips, showcased his perfectly sculpted abdomen, enhancing his irresistible sex appeal. With each leap and the resounding cheers of the crowd, Caleb surveyed his surroundings as if it were the first jump of the night, celebrating with everyone as if he had been to a million parties in the past.

Observing his exhilaration from within, through my empathetic nature, was truly incredible. It was wrong of me to have secretly ensnared him in this manner, but I rationalized my actions by convincing myself that he had frequently taken advantage of my talents as of late, manipulating my emotions to try and steer me in his desired direction. So we were undoubtedly both culpable, exploiting each other’s feelings without any real remorse.

And though he spent a considerable amount of time with me on this side of The Veil when we were young, his only real exposure to such experiences came through the small screen of my iPad, as we watched shows on my mother’s Netflix or Hulu accounts. But now he was getting to witness it all firsthand in such vibrant details—it was a whole new novel experience for him, and it filled me with joy as I saw him completely absorbed in the moment.

His fun did cast a shadow over my own mood as I tried to come to terms with my own selfishness. While this was also my first time attending a party like this at The Bridge, I had at least an understanding of its significance in the typical spectrum of an ordinary adolescent life as a human. And I hated when my adult upbringing stepped in the way of me just wanting to be a kid, I felt deflated.

It hadn’t all been bad in Ella, Caleb, and our close-knit circle of friends had shared countless fun-filled moments similar to this, in a medieval century sort of way. And for an instant, I wondered if I asked him if he would finally admit that he understood why I didn’t want to return to Ella. But I held back my question, unwilling to risk shattering the delicate truce we had reached for the night.

I finally relaxed, my gaze following his well-defined physique like he had done to me earlier. I contemplated the dark symbols that littered his limbs and stretched across his back, chest, and neck. They enhanced his striking good looks, in my eyes, and have always fascinated me in a strange morbid sort of way.

We have known each other for so long that I can remember a time when his skin was nearly unmarked, bearing only a handful of symbols etched on his legs the first time we met. These mystical tattoos of dark spells had become both captivating and haunting to me now that they were nearly complete. Being the only person here to know their sole purpose was to kill him if he ever defied his father made it rather difficult to hear everyone comment on how beautiful they were.

Caleb sadly played the part well, thanking each one of them who mentioned how kick-ass his body art was.

I will save him, I promised myself. He will make it home in time to make it to Trials and appease his father, ultimately earning a high-ranking position in the Nistra army, as well as a beautiful wife to start a family with no doubt, and life would be as it should be for the second son of the king.

“You’re up, bro,” Tommy Hackings said as he walked by, patting Caleb’s back encouragingly. Caleb had already made two jumps and looked even more irresistible, with water still glistening on his bare skin.

Tommy’s words elicited a grin from Caleb, and he nodded in acknowledgment. As he turned to face me, pushing himself up into a standing position, there was an undeniable glint in his eyes. My heart sped up when he flashed a flirtatious eyebrow at me and teasingly bit his lower lip as he walked toward me, he remembered how much I liked when he did that I could tell.

I foolishly wondered if he was simply leaving the area. And I was about to ask him where he was going until he halted suddenly and turned toward me, effortlessly lifting me from the rail and drawing me into his embrace.

In one fluid motion, he spun me around until we were face-to-face, my thighs grasped firmly in his hands as he wrapped them around his waist. With our faces just inches apart, I found myself unable to utter any objection as he assertively guided my body according to his will. To prevent tumbling onto the pavement, my arms reflexively wrapped around his neck for support, while his hands transitioned from my thighs to support my weight with a daring grip on my backside.

Within moments, we were both teetering on the edge of the drop-off. I instinctively tightened my legs around him, determined not to be flung over the side so he could laugh at me later. I began to voice my protest when I felt his chest vibrate with a silent chuckle; his gleeful expression dissuaded me from voicing any further complaints. There was no escaping his plan—like it or not, I would be plunging into the abyss and getting wet no matter what I had to say.

A brief but tender kiss grazed my cheek amidst my surge of adrenaline as I clung to him tightly, trying to brace myself for the inevitable descent. I thought I heard Dana’s declaration of envy, “Lucky Birthday Bitch,” echoed up from below, but the thunderous pounding of my heartbeat drowned it out, so I couldn’t be so sure. With a final shared glance of exhilaration, Caleb propelled us both over the edge.

As we plunged into the water, hitting the riverbed under our weight, the impact vibrated throughout my entire body, but Caleb’s strong legs took the brunt of the impact, which probably didn’t hurt him in the least. The icy, cold water stung my skin as if we had fallen through a sheet of ice at the height of winter. I found myself shivering despite having only been in the water for a fraction of a second.

Under the frigid water, he finally released his grip on me, and I pushed my feet into the soft sand and desperately kicked with all my might to reach the surface. Caleb was well aware that I wasn’t a very strong swimmer, so he stayed close on our ascent to the surface; it was the least he could do. He emerged in front of me, causing water to splash up into my mouth and forcing me to kick harder so I didn’t go under the mini tidal wave he caused. The subtle current at our landing spot made it strenuous for me to keep my head above water, so I took a few strokes toward the shore before pushing against the current to get out of the way so the next jumper could go.

“Asshole,” I panted, turning and taking a feeble swat at him when I felt him following me. He caught my hand before it could make contact, and he pulled it above my head before erupting into laughter as he let me go. I took another dunk under the water and back up again, spitting water out of my mouth.

“You know, just because I took off my clothes didn’t mean I wanted to get wet,” I grumbled. Mustering my strength, I pushed myself to pass him and headed upstream away from the crowds of people huddled around the barrels of fire on the shoreline. I wanted to make sure my boobs were not falling out of my ill-fitted top before I emerged on shore. I didn’t want to give the townies more fuel for future gossip. My night’s escapades with Dana would no doubt be all over town come sunrise.

“What? I thought you were looking for an adventure,” Caleb teased before playfully splashing water at me as he passed by with ease. Caleb was rarely a showoff, but tonight he seemed to be trying on all sorts of new hats and rolled over, demonstrating his perfect backstroke. He’d always loved to swim no doubt, had he grown up here in my world, he would have been a star member of the high school swim team.

I chased after him, but my arms and legs were no match for his, and I fell behind, winded after taking several gulps of water and having a brief coughing fit. I had to doggy paddle just to keep my head above the water line and not lose any ground to the current.

I stumbled upon Dana and Kevin on a small sandbar of sorts along the way, grateful for footing to rest my aching arms and legs. I tip-toed across the bottom and almost knocked them over. They blended so well into the darkness that I probably would have passed them by undetected had Dana not giggled at my failures at swimming. Embarrassed that I had interrupted them I quickly stepped off the sandbar and floated for a moment, trying to cool my face. “Hey Dana, thanks for taking me out tonight, but I’m gonna head home,”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“Don’t go,” Dana said half-heartedly. I could tell they were still fully engaged despite my interruption. Dana’s breaths were short and ragged, and I knew that rhythm of breath without having to ask them what they were up to.

“I have to, Mr. Patterson is coming by with some more paperwork for the house and my trust fund early in the morning.” I lied, but I was desperate to leave the awkward moment that didn’t seem to bother either one of them. My friend really didn’t have any modesty at all.

“K, love ya,” Dana replied before she returned her attention back to Kevin, who had been giving her tender kisses along her neck throughout our brief conversation. And by the look on her face, much more was going on under the dark cover of the waters with his fingers.

“I’ll get my stuff from you sometime later this week,” I said, pushing off the sandbar and not waiting for her to reply. I wasn’t chained to having a cell phone anyhow like everyone else seemed to be. I didn’t have any family or friends to call or text, so I used it mostly as a portable computer.

I was going to hate to ask him, but at this point, I wanted to go home, and I didn’t want to wait around for Dana. So it looked like Caleb was going to be our Uber. With no phone and no clothes, it wasn’t like we could call a cab. Hopefully, I don’t puke up my evening spirits, but that might be sufficient payback for the ice bath he just gave me.

“Caleb, what the hell?” I scolded as I caught my footing on the shore of the sandy riverbed where he was waiting for me, still floating on his back in the shallow waters. My arms and legs ached with the exertion of paddling upstream against the current. I took a few solid steps, shivering in the waist-high water.

Caleb flipped over and circled me, causing me to stop. His hand reached out and encircled his fingers with mine pulling me back a few steps before he stood up, and he twirled me around in the water to face back out so I could see the bridge off in the distance.

As he pulled me close, he fell back into the water pushing us off the shore and the sandy bottom vanished beneath my feet once more, leaving only his touch to keep me afloat. I was going to let his hand go and get out of the water but the cold river was actually warmer than the night air that had hit my bare skin like a thousand little knives at my last attempt to get out.

And I sensed that he had something on his mind—a desire to talk. He guided me to him and wrapped my legs around his waist, keeping me submerged to my shoulders my body no longer shaking to generate my own heat. Although his chilled skin didn’t provide much comfort, it was a relief not to have to tread water. But to ensure my safety, I secured my arms around his neck, locking my finger in a tight grip to serve as a warning to him that for any attempt at dunking me, he would be coming with me.

The sensation of our skin touching felt familiar and comforting. Before our relationship became complicated, we were always physically connected to each other, often sharing casual kisses, spending sleepy afternoons in each other’s arms, and lots of innocent yet intimate moments under the starry sky after we would sneak out of the house when everyone else was asleep. But that was how things were in our circle of friends; we enjoyed the only freedom we were allowed when we could, and it was mostly in exploring each other. It did cause some problems over the years with jealousy within our group or when outside girls showed interest in our boys but it was rare that they strayed from our coven friendships for long and always returned to us.

Caleb and Lyra had been best friends since they were really little. Lyra and her father, Galvin, had found Caleb beaten near death when he was five years old. They took him back to their village and saved his life. He had become an unofficial member of The Woods visiting as often as he could, spending most of his summers with them. This is why when Caleb found me wedged between the rocks alone on this side of The Veil he brought me to Galvin and Jemma. They took me in and gave me a home and a new family of sorts.

They were naturally trusting people and felt their children should explore young life unfiltered before adult life and duty got in the way. So it was often the more, the merrier attitude when it came to living arrangements in the village. One more mouth-to-feed rarely changed the dynamics within any given household. They all had large families with lots of children and grandchildren, it was their way of life and how their people had survived all these centuries being bound to their land.

We floated for a while, content in each other’s arms, without the need for words. The current bounced us gently back downstream and allowed us to observe the activities around us once again. I found solace in the peacefulness of the moment, floating under the bridge to the other side for a back view of the evening celebration.

Caleb gently brushed a wet strand of hair away from my cheek, tucking it behind my ear, breaking my inner thoughts and bringing my attention back to him.

Now that we were closer to the activities, the glow from the street lamps pooled on the reflective waters, making his face visible to my human eyes. I saw the deep lines of thought etched on his forehead, and I braced myself for the rehash of some part of our night’s festivities that he was going to scold me like I was a small child for. A part of me wanted to let him go, swim to shore, and spare myself the lecture. But I was enjoying the tender moment we were sharing and hoped I was just misreading the moment. My empathy wasn’t always right, much like a computer—it was often user error and my lack of training to use it properly. I stayed because I was craving the comfort of his embrace. I missed the safety of his touch. And after all, we had already said so many hurtful things to each other in the past few weeks that nothing he could say now could make things any worse.

“I understand now, Elizabeth. I see why you’ve yearned for home all these years. This place is truly incredible,” Caleb remarked, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a genuine smile. “The freedom to live your life as you wish, to make choices that you would never be able to make back in Ella. Here, there’s no need to hide, there are no wars, and most importantly, no monsters.”

I found myself at a loss for words. It was all the validation I had been seeking, yet it broke my heart to hear him say it. He willingly lumped himself into the mess I was trying to flee from. I have never viewed him as a monster, nor could I harbor the same level of animosity towards most of the inhabitants of Ella. There was just as much goodness and kindness in Ella as there was evil and injustice in my own world. And if I were to admit he was part of the darkness of that world, then I too would have to admit I was part of the dark and not so much of the light, and that was a truth I wasn’t quite prepared to face just yet.

I disentangled my legs from his waist, sinking back down into the riverbed and submerging my head momentarily before propelling myself away, desperate for some distance between us. The familiar ‘but’ played on his lips. There was always a ‘but’ I refused to entertain it. I didn’t want to hear any excuses or justifications from him as to why I was always wrong.

To prevent myself from being pulled under by the current, I hopped on my tiptoes, taking cautious steps while searching for firmer ground. I had every intention of making my way to the shore and finding my way back to Dana’s car to wait for her, deciding now that I would not ask Caleb to get us back to the farmhouse when he grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry,” Caleb whispered, intertwining his fingers with mine. Apologies were a rarity for Caleb. He always believed he had valid reasons for his actions and choices. Yet tonight, he seemed to be full of surprises.

His arms encircled my waist, lifting me towards him and holding me tightly. The atmosphere shifted, and even though my chest was covered, my nipples tingled against his bare chest. I had to halt my desire to trace my hands along his muscles and feel their beauty under my fingertips. Was this seductive feeling emanating from him or me? My desire for him was suddenly so overwhelming that my breath was short and ragged like I had just run a mile.

He was nearly a man now and I a woman, and it felt very different since the last time we shared such close intimacies. It was a muddled mixture of new and old emotions, and I was not sure why or where they were coming from.

The twelve-year-old version of myself was a giddy mess; the one who had initially fallen in love with him so long ago and still resided within me. At times, I struggled to remind her of the pain he had caused us. It didn’t matter as she has remained infatuated with him even now after all these years. Her innocent voice would gently remind me that we were both young and stupid then, and he hadn’t intended to hurt us, or so she believed. Oh, to be that young and naive again would simplify a moment like this or even another shot of whiskey.

At fifteen, I should have possessed the maturity to comprehend the complexities of our relationship. If I were old enough to engage in a sexual relationship with him, then I should have been old enough to recognize the potential complications it could bring to our lives.

I should have never confessed my love to him. It was that very declaration that drove him away, causing him to abandon the village for over a year, ultimately shattering what we had as well as complicating my relationship with my Host sister and friends.

This time I was not a silly girl in love. I was a young woman, fully aware of the consequences that awaited me if I chose to venture down that desolate path with him again solely for sexual gratification. Fool me once shame on him, fool me twice shame on me as the old saying goes. I had learned my lesson many moons ago, and I knew that if I fell into it tonight it would only lead to heartbreak once again.

Yet, no matter how painful the ending had been, a girl never forgets her first love. And Caleb would always hold a piece of my heart, even though I had tried to take it back over the years by distancing myself from him, I was only to be met with his selfishness and him drawing me back in.

I pushed against his chest, yearning for some breathing space, but he refused to grant me that freedom, only holding me tighter. When I relaxed in his arms his hand left my waist and delicately caressed my cheek, his fingers tracing a path behind my ear, sending shivers down my neck. He leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. These kisses were different from the ones we shared earlier. Those had been a charade, meant to fool my friends into believing we were engaged. But these sweet kisses now were genuine, meant solely for me.

A mixture of fear and excitement surged through me, causing my heart to race and my breath to quicken. In a moment of panic, I pulled away, unsure if I truly wanted to embark on this dusty, cobweb-filled road. The sober version of myself would have vehemently refused without a second thought. The baggage of our past affair, which I had carefully locked away in the depths of my heart, somehow managed to resurface. I knew that come morning, I would have to tuck them back into the shadows, along with all the new regrets that I had accumulated tonight. Could I survive another round with the love of my life? Was Caleb toying with my heartstrings, using my affection for him as a means to manipulate me into giving him what he desired?

Probably.

It was all a tired cliche, so overused in every film and every young adult novel sitting on the shelves in every bookstore and library in my world. The handsome, brooding monster and his human counterpart, stumble through their journey trying to find their happily ever after. The chances of us making it as a couple were nonexistent from the start. I knew this, having been an avid reader for most of my life yet I still left that door open, time and time again.

The reality of those stories was that even the monster suffered heartache, and I was more than likely one of those monsters too. Could I be selfish enough to grasp onto a fleeting moment of happiness, even if I knew it would ultimately shatter me once again? And when it tore me apart, could I find a way to be grateful for whatever solace it brought me tonight? I wasn’t certain if I could emerge unscathed on the other side of this, so I frantically scanned the darkness for any possible escape to save myself. Not because I feared him, but because I feared my own desperate longing for him.

The fire barrels appeared minuscule, and the distant shouts of the jumpers offered no distraction. We had drifted downstream and were now completely alone. He drew my attention back to him by leaning in, this time more slowly, granting me a moment of eye contact before gently kissing my bottom lip with both of his pulling it into the warmth of his mouth. It sent a wave of bliss from my lips all the way down to my toes. “What are you doing, Caleb?” I gasped, my breath heavy with uncertainty about his true intentions.

The boy I had been infatuated with at 12, and would forever be in love at the age of 15, was not the man who held me tonight. Too much had transpired between us since our summer romance and too much intentional hurt over the past three years.

How despicable would it be for him to have orchestrated all of this as a means of revenge? The thought crept into my mind as I searched for an explanation behind his sudden change of heart. “I’m sorry about Demetrius,” I blurted out, hoping it would at least halt this game he was playing with my heart if revenge was his true intention.

His grip loosened, and his hands slipped away from our tight embrace. I inhaled deeply, realizing that I had been holding my breath until he released me. I gracefully slid off his waist and stood on my tiptoes on the riverbed, feeling the grains between my toes trying to ground myself to the mother for strength.

His look suggested I had slapped him across the face and my heart ached for the pain I had caused him. But sleeping with Demetrius was something I refused to be ashamed of even if I was sorry it had hurt him. I took his silence as a response and turned to get out of the water once again.

He hesitated for a moment before following me. I fully intended to make it back to Dana’s car and get dressed now that I could stand fully on my two feet. I felt the mother beneath my feet filling my core with the energy of water and earth giving me the strength for the steps that I needed to take. And despite the cold air, I was looking forward to being done with this charade.

As I reached the shore, a mixture of conflicting emotions overwhelmed me and I felt my eyes fill with regrets. I had anticipated that distancing myself from him would bring me relief, but instead, it intensified my longing to return to him.

A shiver ran down my spine when I felt his hand on my shoulder, reminding me that our connection was destined to be the most destructive element in my life. He turned me towards him, his hand delicately skimming my body as it made its way down to rest at my waist. Despite knowing I should stop him, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse him.

Bending to my height, he leaned his forehead against mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck drawing him to me as I intertwined my fingers, feeling his wet hair tickle the valleys in between. He closed his eyes as if lost in thought before he finally spoke his voice just above a whisper as if confessing his sins to the Gods themselves, “If I could, I would spend the rest of my life here with you. If I were a real man, I would have never hurt you the way that I did in the first place. And you would have never known my brother’s touch. If I wasn’t a monster, I would not be here with you like this right now knowing it was going to end, exactly the same way as it did no matter how I feel about–”

I pressed my lips against his mouth swallowing his words, my hunger for him all but consuming me. I came up for a breath only because I wanted him to be able to catch up to where my desire was because my forwardness had taken him by surprise. I wanted him to be fully sure that this was what he wanted from me.

He pushed his nose against mine in a playful gesture trying to coax me to return his mouth, his eyes open and fixed on mine, and bit at my lip softly. A few tender kisses, from his familiar lips, and I couldn’t resist climbing back into his embrace with a firer need to feel his skin flush to mine. He accepted my body to his like a puzzle piece finding its perfect mate.

Our lips, so familiar yet transformed, no longer held the innocence of our youth. They now possessed a hunger and desire that woke up every inch of my skin desperate for his touch. I pulled away, dizzy and overwhelmed, but he refused to let me retreat for long, stealing my lips in with an intensity that left me breathless. Lust, love, whatever you wanted to call this had me clawing at him to close even the smallest distance between us, from the tender kisses of our past to the fiery passion of our present, the moment he parted my lips and his tongue brushed against mine, it erased all traces of our hurtful history.

Instantly, my body warmed, dispelling the chill that had lingered throughout the night. Caleb’s body heat matched mine, a skill his breed possessed to camouflage their intentions. At that moment, I realized I was his prey and I was so willing to let him devour me.

His mouth worked fervently against mine, driven by a hunger that forgave any transgressions or potential regrets we might have later. I could feel his heartbeat, racing in sync with mine, as his hands pressed me closer, caressing my bottom. I tightened my grip around him, yearning to feel his hardness against me.

I left his mouth for a moment, his fragrance intoxicating me. God, how I missed the salty earth taste of his skin in my mouth as I danced my tongue across his neck up to the soft of his ear. I loved the smell of the wind and wildflowers in my nose as I buried my face in his hair and inhaled.

I felt his manhood flex against my thin barrier of clothing. A small groan of pleasure escaped from his lips as he pulled my mouth back to his. I pressed myself against him and a burst of pleasure pulsated from my sex and washed out into my body in warm waves of lust, I pulled his hair to momentarily break our kiss, his eyes half closed looking lost without my tongue dancing with his.

“Home,” I exhaled, my voice filled with longing. His chest rumbled with a growl, a primal response to my demand.

“Now,” I demanded.

He obeyed.