Cecy Robson - Cursed By Destiny

I warmed the lotion in my palms before sliding it along his damaged skin. He tensed beneath my touch until I began my deep massage of his shoulders. Heat spread along my palms in almost visible circles, inciting the bond between us. My hands drifted along his chest until they linked around his neck. I kissed his cheek and waited. He panted softly as if trying to hold back and stay in control, but that’s not what I wanted. My lips continued to sweep across his jawline. When I reached his lips, he pushed my wet hair away from my face and drove his tongue deep into my mouth.

Our passion escalated, urging me to roll on top of him. I cried out when his hard length struck my tender region. Maybe he was damaged, but everything seemed in optimal working condition. My hands found him, playing and exploring until his growls and grunts rang in my ears like a lustful melody. My heart thundered, yearning with the desire to have him inside me. I needed to feel close to him. And he needed me, too.

Aric reached for my breasts. I jerked a little when the sharp edges of his damaged fingers scratched against the tips. His want distracted him, and he failed to notice. But when his hand slipped between my legs, I couldn’t mask the pain from his touch.

He pulled away from me, breathing hard. “I’m sorry,” we both said at once.

He stared at his butchered hands before his frozen expression ran the length of my body. The air left my lungs in a gasp. His caress had marked my skin with scrapes and scratches. Not enough to scar or bleed, but enough to halt our wandering hands and extinguish our fervor.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, with more regret dripping from his voice.

We watched each other for what felt like too long until my need to feel his arms around me shoved the strain of the moment aside. I lowered myself so we lay facing each other, and cuddled against him. He pulled me to him, but still I scented his apprehension and his fear.

He was afraid to hurt me.

We waited in silence, both of us searching for something to say. Yet not even our beasts could give us the knowledge to form the right words. Aric shuddered once before the aroma of his tears pricked at my nose. “Are you sure you want to stay with me?”

I kissed his chin before the start of my own sorrow. “I’ll never leave you. I swear it.”

We both fell asleep. I awoke sometime later from the discomfort of dehydration. Aric draped his arm over his face. I imagined that without the ability to lower his lids it was the only way he could manage to rest. I decided against disturbing him and walked into the main cabin.

Everyone glanced up when they saw me. Their bleak expressions mirrored mine. My maternal instincts made me want to comfort them, but the emptiness in the pit of my stomach surpassed any emotions.

Emme squeezed my hand. “Celia, have something to eat.”

My eyes skimmed along the table filled with chicken, vegetables, and rolls. A wave of acid burned my throat and made me grimace. I cleared my throat to prevent from gagging and placed my hand over my belly. “I’m not hungry. I still feel kind of ill.”

Emme released my hand. “I’m feeling ill, too. I called Dr. Belman and set up appointments for us for tomorrow. I’m worried it’s more than just jet lag.”

Emme was right. God only knew what bizarre infections we could have picked up from all our globe-trotting. Africa alone had a growing list of frightening ailments.

Liam stood, frowning. “Why can’t you just heal yourselves?”

“I can’t cure diseases, Liam. Sometimes if it’s related to a physical injury I can fix it, but that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening.”

Liam placed his hand on Emme’s shoulder. “But you’ll be okay, right?”

Emme slipped her hand over his. “We’ll be fine, Lee.”

I grabbed a water bottle out of the small fridge. I’m not sure why such a simple task made me so emotional, but I started to cry after chugging half the bottle. My sobs made me spit out some of the water. Koda didn’t care. He just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into an embrace. “Stay strong, Celia. He needs you.”

Taran eventually convinced me to eat. I managed to nibble on a few pieces of bread before preparing a tray for Aric. He sat up when I placed the food in front of him. His burned flesh had tightened and shriveled the muscle, making it arduous for him to chew and swallow. I shredded the chicken for him in smaller bites and mashed the potatoes and carrots for him with a fork. “I’d like to take you to a burn center. There’s one in Santa Ana we could go to.”

“ Weres don’t belong in human hospitals, sweetness.” He scanned his injuries. “And there’s no plausible explanation to justify the extent of my scars.”

I returned to mashing the vegetables. “I just want to help you.”

“I know,” he responded quietly.

Aric and I barely spoke the remainder of the eighteen-hour flight. Mostly we just held each other and tried to rest. He’d fidgeted, unable to sleep until I moistened a washcloth and placed it over the hard slit covering his eye.

“Thanks, love,” he murmured beneath the cloth.

Out of habit, I reached to stroke back the bangs he no longer had. I fought back my sorrow. It wasn’t fair. Once upon a time, however brief, we were both safe, we were both whole. Now the scars enveloping his form marred and claimed us both. Happily-ever-afters in the mystical world didn’t come without a hefty price. And yet it was a price I’d willingly pay. I crawled beneath the covers and found my place beside my mate.

Aric nudged me awake sometime much later. “We just landed in Tahoe, sweetness. The Elders are outside waiting for me.”

The realization we would be apart jolted me awake. “Okay . . . but when will we see each other?”

Aric turned from me. “I don’t know.”

My hand covered his. “Aric, we’re going to work through this, okay? You have to believe me.”

He lifted my knuckles and tried to kiss them, but I barely felt the movement of his mouth. “I love you, Celia.”

He said it, and maybe he meant it, but his words sounded more like good-bye. By the time I climbed into Misha’s limo, I was an absolute mess. I wanted to be with Aric. I wanted to care for him. And I wanted him to know I’d never give up on us. Instead I had to watch him leave without me.

Emme tried to console me, but I couldn’t stop crying.

Misha watched me. Initially he held back. Finally, I guess my despair became too much. He slipped onto the long leather seat beside me. “My darling, look at me.” I was so embarrassed by the blubbering spectacle I’d become I couldn’t do as he asked. “Kitten, please look at me.”

He lifted my chin, taking care not hurt me. As soon as I met his soft gray eyes, I lost myself in their tenderness and beauty. A sense of calm surrounded me. My soul took a breath and silenced my tears. Emme’s soft voice echoed from a faraway place. “What are you doing to her, Misha?”

“Just granting her some peace, sweet Emme.”

“Will it be permanent?”

“No. My power is no match for her pain.”

I awoke in Misha’s guesthouse. The first thing I did was check my cell phone for messages. There were none. Aric hadn’t called. I took a moment to calm before I showered and started my day.

I drove to my house in Dollar Point to gather some personal items following my doctor’s appointment. I was about to take a walk along Lake Tahoe to clear my head when someone knocked on my door. Anara waited on my doorstep holding a charm similar to the one I had to pass through the wards. My hackles instinctively rose. How did he have access to my house? “What are you doing here, Anara?”