Authors: Sarah Brocious
She began to raise her knee up over his hip. His hand was there faster than she could blink preventing her movement. She gave a startled laugh.
"You're not leaving this room unattended, Aelan," he said firmly. There was gravel to his voice and she knew she had affected him. “Stop trying to seduce your way out.”
“But I was…”
“Raina…I’m not kidding. As much as I love what you are attempting here…I’m rather insulted you think I would give in so easily because of my weakness for you! It’s not working…well, not like you think it should. Instead of letting you go wandering about, you are making me want to take you in the other room and finish what you are starting. Now keep your hands to yourself and be a good little girl!” There was frustration in his voice, and not all from anger. He was a man after all, with his arms around the woman he loved, and that said woman touching him in ways he had daydreamed of.
Raina sighed. Why did he have to sound so beautiful when he chastised her? She wanted to be angry so she squared her shoulders and cleared her throat. "I am not a child!"
Nolan removed her hand from beneath his shirt and kissed her fingers but he did not respond.
"I'm not!"
A moan at the end of the bed caught her attention.
"Raina, you are worse than a child! You are a mortal in a house full of immortals," the green eyed one growled from his position. "Why do you want to go traipsing about?"
She swallowed hard? "I don't want to say."
These words got Nolan's attention. His eyes open slightly and there was disbelief there. "You don't want to say?"
Raina had to remind herself to breathe. He was gorgeous all sleepy and frowny in the morning. She swallowed hard. “I have my reasons.”
The silvers darkened to a deep grey.
“Nolan, please, don’t look at me like that. I’m…I’m uncertain of my reasons for wanting to…except, I know I…I have to go do something on my own!” She bit her lip against the quick blink of disbelief in his eyes. It wounded him that she wouldn’t tell him her plans. She hated being any source of pain to Nolan!
"Just last evening you were fearful of even leaving my side. So why the change of heart?" His Silvers studied her face intently.
She bit her lip and shrugged.
"Aelan?"
She lowered her eyes. "I had a dream last night. I'm not afraid anymore. And I thought maybe I could talk to David?"
Hurt flashed through Nolan's face. "You want to talk to him now?"
"Nolan," her voice was pleading.
"No, tell me," he demanded. "Why do you suddenly want to talk to him?" There was a coolness in the timber of his voice.
Raina didn’t care for it. And suddenly his hold on her was stiff, and not inviting. She had wounded him. “It’s not what you think,” she whispered.
“Tell me what I’m thinking,” he growled.
Turk sat up suddenly, noting the change in Nolan. He whined.
Raina ignored the anger in his words. "I have questions I need answered. You have to understand that yesterday was a shock to me. I needed to think things over and now I know what I want. I feel… different this morning."
Nolan tilted her face so that he could look in her eyes. "Have you changed your mind? Are you wanting to give him a second chance?" He tried to put steel into his voice but she could hear the fear.
She drew in a breath. "Change my mind about what?"
Nolan just stared at her.
"About you?" She asked with disbelief.
Nolan shrugged.
Raina reached a hand to Nolan’s beautiful face, and brushed her fingers against his cheek. Her finger tips trembled when they touched his lips. “I have no more feelings for David, Nolan.” She worked against his strong hold and brushed her lips to his.
The binding arms around her gentled, and he lifted her higher against his chest to deepen the kiss. He sighed, and breaking the kiss, set his forehead against hers.
“Jealous much?” she teased softly.
He chuckled.
"Silly boy," she whispered. She lifted her hand so that her fingers could brush gently through his hair and when she had reached the back of his neck she pulled him down for another tender kiss. "I’d be a crazy to give you up."
He sighed a sigh of relief.
Thanatos groaned. “Saps!”
Raina laughed and nudged him with her foot.
“What do you hope to find out?” Nolan asked, tugging a curl that teased her cheek.
"There are things that I want to know about that whole time. I want to know what he was thinking through his transition and why he changed his mind. I have no desire to return to what I had with David. That part is long gone. I thought maybe I could talk to him and convince them to drop all of this. I saw him soften last night!”
“That’s called jealousy,” Nolan growled.
Raina shook her head.
“He was one step away from getting the measuring tape out,” Thanatos agreed. “It was not conscience that had him reacting that way Raina! He saw what he had given up!” The green eyed devil sat up and shook his head at her.
Raina sighed, and sat up too. “Maybe a little, but I knew David before all of this, and I know he has to have some compassion left!”
“He wants you, beautiful.”
Raina laughed. “Me? No, he wants the immortal life he’s chosen. I’m just hoping I can appeal to him…”
“You appeal to him all right,” Thanatos barked.
Nolan sat up against the headboard, and tugged Raina back to him. He smiled when she willingly snuggled in. “Explain what you mean, Aelan.”
She looked at him thankfully. “I’m sure this whole thing with Richard just escalated, and looking up to him as he does, David went along with it. I know in my heart he doesn’t want to hurt anyone! He could still have his whole immortal life ahead of him and free of Richard…if he would just allow Richard to be tried rightly."
"What kind of gibberish is this?" Thanatos bit out. "Just go back to sleep Raina. There's no way we're going allow you to be alone with him."
Raina shook her head. "I fear Richard not David. In the same way that I feared Elenora and not you, Thanatos. There is a big difference!"
Thanatos was silenced. When she put it that way it's sort of did make sense.
"You trust me, Nolan," she whispered peering up at him again. "And I trust Maxim he can come with me. Believe me, I want you there to but I feel like David would be all pressured or even a little jealous."
Nolan squeezed her gently. He set a kiss against her forehead. "All right my love, I will help to make it happen."
Raina smiled.
“What the hell?” Thanatos rose to his feet. “They have probably heard this whole conversation anyway. What’s the point of even letting her out of this room?”
“It’s early yet,” Nolan answered. “I doubt any of them are awake. They were up long after Raina fell asleep. Besides, can you hear any of them right now?”
Thanatos paused for a moment, and shook his head. “Except for tree trunk arms out there. I hope you are right about trusting him!”
“Maxim? Can you come in?” Raina called, and the door opened slowly.
Maxim dipped his head as he entered. He indeed was an intimidating sight. But his dark eyes were gentle. “Yes, miss?” His voice, though octaves lower than even Nolan’s, was also gentle.
“Will you help me? Us?”
Maxim smiled. “I certainly will.”
Thanatos measured him with his eyes, and threw his hands up. “I have no say then?”
Raina frowned at him. “What are
your
plans then?”
He shrugged and moved to the window, throwing open the drapes. “What are your plans?”
She scrambled over Nolan and out of bed. He had to help her balance and gave her a playful pat on the backside, as he got up too.
Maxim stood with his arms crossed, looking at her intently.
“Let me clean up, and I will be back out. It won’t take long.”
Maxim nodded and moved to stand outside the door again.
“Plans Raina?” Thanatos growled, peering out the window.
“I plan on taking a quick shower, changing my clothes, and brushing my teeth. Beyond that, I am playing it by ear.” She sighed when Thanatos back stiffened. She moved to him, touched his arm, and waited for him to acknowledge her.
“I hate this plan.”
She smiled. “Can you dampen the protector in yourself just this once? Trust me please, Thanatos!”
He grimaced, and then wrapped her in a tight hug. “I trust you, beautiful.” He set a kiss on top of her head. “I will try to stay calm, but I cannot put down the protector. It’s who I am.”
She nodded. “I understand.” She peeked up at him. “I love you, my friend.”
His smile was almost sad. He brushed her off by ruffling her hair, and pushing her toward Nolan.
Nolan caught her and gave her a squeeze also. “We will not be on top of you two, but we will be close. It’s that or no deal on this. Do you understand? If there is any indication that you are in danger, I will pull you out of this. I will not chance you being hurt!”
She nodded. “I want you close,” she admitted. “I’m nervous for sure, but I have to do this!” She lifted on her toes and gave him a quick kiss, and then went for clean clothes and a quick shower.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standing outside of David’s room, Raina took in a deep breath. She looked up at Maxim. The sheer size of him should have filled her with courage, but now standing here, she found it hard to proceed. She needed Nolan’s hand in hers…or Thanatos green eyes encouraging. She closed her eyes now and took in a breath. She needed to do this…she could do this!
She lifted a hand and knocked. She drew in a startled breath when it almost immediately opened…as if he had been waiting for her.
“Raina.”
She blinked and fought against the feelings that familiar smile provoked. “Hello David.” She swallowed and gave him a shrug. “Could we talk?” The words came out strained.
He nodded. “Sure come on in.” He moved aside as if to usher her into his room, but Raina shook her head. “Not here. The sunroom?”
The warm smile spread on his face and it crinkled the edges of his too blue eyes. Eyes that were glacial yesterday and sunny today. “The alligators,” he chuckled softly. “Of course.”
Raina found herself blushing. She was pleased that he remembered, and a warm feeling of nostalgia ran through her. “It’s farther from the bedrooms too…more privacy.”
“Okay, just give me a moment.” He cast a weary glance at Maxim, and closed his door…appearing moments later fully dressed.
They moved wordlessly down the hall and toward the stair, Maxim close behind.
Raina smiled, seeing Nolan at the bottom of the stair. He would allow their chat, but he wanted to make David aware that he was aware.
They passed him without a glance, but Raina felt his eyes on her. It warmed her through. She liked the feeling, but shook it off to concentrate on the task at hand.
They walked through the doors of the sun room, and Maxim closed them behind him, exchanging a look with the silver eyed immortal outside of them.
Raina forgot her worries for a moment when she spotted her favorite animals. She rushed to the window, all smiles. “Aren’t they magnificent?” They were resting comfortably on the heated rocks. Joseph kept them comfortable, even in the winter.
David chuckled. “If you say so. They are something all right.”
She gave him a look over her shoulder. “You never have understood.”
He smiled and moved toward her. “I just chalked it up to Raina being Raina. You always have your reasons…and when you loved something you really truly loved it.”
She bit her lip. “I really truly loved you,” she whispered.
His face fell, and he lowered himself to a chair. He stared down at his hands. “I know you did.”
She turned her face from him, and looked out again, but not quite seeing anything now. “Losing you wrecked me, David. My life quite literally fell apart. And now to know…it was intentional…it hurts.”
“It wasn’t intentional…hurting you. I never meant for you to even find out at all!”
“Do you know what it could have meant to me to know you were still alive? To have you come back to me at that time? You are the one that chose not to come back!”
David ran a hand through his blonde hair. “I can’t describe the change I felt after Raina…I felt strong and free.”
“Free of me?”
He lifted his face and met accuse in her stare.
“Yes…free of my mundane life. Tired of struggling to climb the ladder! Tired of trying to be this man you needed! Do you not understand what it’s like to live up to the expectations of someone who worships you? Sweet Raina with her beliefs, her conscience, her goodness? The feelings I had after the change had nothing to do with goodness. I didn’t want to be the hero…I wanted to be the bad boy for once. That life couldn’t include you.”
Raina felt shock at the words. She had to admit they hurt too. She shook her head. “There is still goodness in you, David. You may have been overwhelmed with the urge to go wild…but I knew you. People rarely fool me, and I would not have given into a life with someone with so much evil in them.”