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?

tried to extend my senses further do detect this assailant.

turned and easily saw the large figure close by. Too close. How did it get so close?

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 face. He had a few days old stubble. He was made of

with purpose and the pain in

a step back in alarm

I could hardly see his expression, so I couldn’t guess at his intentions, but

once more and I panicked, raising one hand to

doing to me?”

his head to one side

air then get his attention more focused on me.

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 senses up, but my instincts said nothing. He wrapped the cloth around the pebble, showed it to me and threw it in a slow, wide arc.

ever, I caught it.

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

I didn’t 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 my full attention.

I couldn’t stop myself from inhaling the fragrance,

I was smelling, only that it changed everything.

I got my eyes back on him. I couldn’t see his eyes, like he probably couldn’t see mine, but I know our gaze met. And there was knowledge there. He knew, and now so did I. I had

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

like the world tilts, the axis changes, and now gravity find a new source. Never did those words make any sense as much as now. I thought I understood

I could finally see his face properly.

he was worried. His expression

I had thought for a moment I could have been poisoned or cursed 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

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

realizing the

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

my mind, but never

distantly feel a strength emanating from it, it should have been a warning. Something for me to be wary of. Not something to seek. Not something to embrace. Not someone to throw

and control. But not tonight, not anymore.

We were probably both out of control, the temptation irresistible.

My hand brushed accidentally against something metallic, that took me by surprise, and I tried with all my might to focus on it instead. Like someone drowning in rapids, trying to hold on to the rocks. I needed a rock

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 touch to know either. It

on that knowledge

He was armed and I knew

was just

my right hand until it lay on his

We needed to gain back control.