A Blood-Like Rain

— Kaden —

I took a careful step in her direction.

She didn’t try to stop me this time.

I took another step, then another.

I could see she was hesitant, so I walked cautiously, but I kept walking.

I think she only processed my proximity when I got within arm’s length. She put a foot back, I stopped. She extended her arms to give me back my bandana. I took it and in the process my skin touched hers.

It was like a lightning bolt of shivers. I didn’t take my hand away. I wasn’t sure I could. I heard her breath caught in her throat, her body sway lightly towards mine. I took one step closer. One long step that got our bodies nearly touching. My hand was still on hers, the bandana forgotten and lying on the grass now.

The moon was rising, it was a bright night tonight, but not bright enough to see within that hood. It was just shadows.

I wanted to ask her a million questions. Her name, to see her face, where did she live? But all those questions crumbled in my mind. It was like trying to hold water in your hands, constantly slipping away. I should use restrains but my body didn’t want to listen to me. I lowered my head barely catching myself in time, barely holding back. But in respond she bent hers back, and it was all the invitation I need.

I lowered my head further and pressed my lips on hers.

I’ve kissed a woman before, I’ve done plenty of things with a woman before, but it felt like, all these years, I had no idea what kissing could really be. There was, at this very moment, and entire universe opening before me.

The only way for me to release my hold on her hand was to wrap my arms around her waist.

She mewled and it was the sweetest little sound I’ve ever heard. I pressed her harder against me and her arms went up over my body to give her fingers access to my hair. Her grip was strong but not painful and she tugged at me to deepen the kiss. Which I willingly obliged.

We were taking short breaths in between caresses. Our lips never truly apart. Our breath intermingling. Our heartbeats deafening.

The intensity was such that it took me a little while to realize something was wrong.

— Elaeya —

My heart was becoming painful, my feet faltered. I was starting to think I was about to be sick. I opened my sense to decipher what was happening to me. That’s when a sound got me out of my head and back into reality.

Steps.

Someone was coming. Someone close.

And suddenly my malaise took a whole new dimension. Was someone doing this to me? Was someone hurting me? Attacking me?

my senses further

the large figure close by. Too close. How did it get so close?

shoulders. I would say more than a foot taller than me. He had dark clothes, dark hair. The faint dusk light gave me a glimpse of his

with purpose and the pain in my

took a step back in alarm and he stopped.

guess at his intentions, but I feared the worst.

I panicked, raising one hand to

are you doing to me?” I dared ask.

his head to one

I saw him sniff slowly the air then get his

a piece of black cloth out and went down to grab a small rock. I didn’t understand this gesture. I focused my eyes on him, opening my

than ever, I caught it.

energies stirring when he did this. I didn’t sense negative energy from the

dare take my attention completely off him, but I turned my focus some. And I got a smell. A new smell. It wasn’t strong olfactory speaking, but it grabbed

couldn’t stop myself from

away what I was smelling, only that it

probably couldn’t see mine, but I know our gaze met. And there was knowledge there. He knew,

very few tales of mates, and most not good ones. My father said a little to me, when my mother wasn’t around, that most wolves valued mates more than anything. Some could go to great lengths to find their mates. That rejections were rarely done. That it had an impact on someone’s life that had very little equals in

him, the only pull as strong had been to hold me for the first time after I was born. That it’s like the world tilts, the axis

the stranger was coming closer until I could finally see his face properly. His eyes were

to bolt but I could barely move my feet. But he stopped moving. I could see he was worried. His expression

when I first laid eyes on him. Now I understood he was himself a poison far deadlier than anything I could have ingested. All of a sudden, the cloth in my hand felt like it was burning.

I tried to give it back to him, but it got

I was neglectful. I let our skin touch, never realizing the lethal potential something

body was not my own anymore, and neither was my mind, and as he grew closer—his heat palpable through my clothes—I could only

I had lost my mind, but never so much

strong man, one to be careful around. I could distantly feel a strength emanating from it, it should have been a warning. Something for me

be so reckless, so impulsive. I knew restraint and control. But

We were probably both out of control, the temptation

someone drowning in rapids, trying to hold on to the rocks. I needed a rock for my mind. Something to keep my head out

thing was a hilt. I didn’t need to see it to know it was that of a sword. And next to it was another weapon, I didn’t need to

that knowledge

He was armed and I knew

just there

right hand until it lay on his heart.

needed to gain back