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

the large figure close by.

faint dusk light gave me a glimpse of his face. He

looking straight at me with purpose and the pain in

took a step back in

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

panicked, raising one hand to tell him to back off. My left. The one for protection.

you doing to me?” I

to one side in

air then get his attention more

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

than ever, I caught

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

attention completely off him, but I turned my focus some. And I got a

I couldn’t stop myself from

I didn’t understand right away what I was smelling, only that it changed

mine, but I know our gaze met. And there was knowledge there. He knew, and now so did I. I had a mate.

valued mates more than anything. Some could go to great lengths to find their mates. That rejections were rarely done.

He said, for 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 changes, and

didn’t understand the stranger was coming closer until I could finally see his face

I could barely move my feet. But he stopped moving. I could see he was worried. His expression was hard to read, it was guarded, but I could also see that he didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want him too either, and it scared

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 sudden, the cloth in my hand felt like it was

tried to give it back to him, but

I let our skin touch, never realizing the lethal potential something so simple

and neither was my mind, and as he grew closer—his heat palpable through my clothes—I could only

thought I had lost my mind, but never so

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 myself at in pure abandon.

had never been one to be so reckless, so impulsive. I knew restraint and control. But not tonight, not anymore. And the enchanting attraction of that kiss only lured me in

out of control, the temptation irresistible.

tried with all my might to focus on it instead. Like someone drowning in rapids, trying to

sword. And next to it was

focused on that knowledge harder.

He was armed and I knew dangerous.

And I was just there kissing

lower my right hand until it lay on his

We needed to gain back control.