Seth froze for a moment, his hands gripping my shorts. “What did you say?”
I screamed and arched my back, the feeling of hot acid flowing through my insides. “I fucking said I know you! I’ve seen you before!” I gritted my teeth so hard now my mouth was hurting.
Seth placed one of his arms underneath me, supporting me as I lowered myself back down. “You’re in shock, Layna. You have no idea what you’re saying.” His words were low and rushed. “I need you to stay still while I get to your wounds.” He pulled his arm out from underneath me and ripped off my shorts, throwing them on top of the tattered shirt. “Fuck.” He shook his head. “I’m surprised you’re even still alive. You’ve lost too much blood. It’s everywhere. And you have a gaping hole from that son of a bitch’s sword in your mid-section.”
“Believe me,” I squeezed my eyes shut, “I can feel it. I think death would be better than this right now.” I tightened the muscles in my arms and balled my hands into fists, fighting the next wave of heat.
Seth’s gaze alternated between my face and the source of all my pain. “Layna, I need you to pick one star in the sky and focus on it. Think about nothing but that star.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I growled the words.
“Concentrate, Layna.” Seth’s blue eyes bore into mine. A shimmer of regret sparkling in his irises. He reached over, picking my blood soaked shirt up off the floor and tore a small square of fabric off before dropping it. Then he leaned over and reached into the sack, withdrawing a bottle of water.
I closed my eyes briefly and took a few labored breaths. Then I gazed up into the sky. There were millions of them. How did he expect me to focus on just one?
Wetness trickled over my skin, and then a large amount of pressure pushed down on my stomach. I didn’t think my pain could get any worse, but it did. And I couldn’t hold back anymore. My body began shaking as tears flowed down my cheeks. I wanted it all to stop, wanted Seth to just put me out of my misery and move on. I cried out, doing everything in my power to not let it turn into a full blown scream.
“I’m so sorry.” The palm of his hand settled on my cheek, sending a warmth flowing through me. His thumb caught my tears, brushing them away from my skin. “I’m almost done sealing the wound. I just need you to stay with me a little longer.”
I lowered my head and gazed into his eyes. A different kind of heat captured me as I looked deeper, taking in every line. The different contrasts. Dark blues. Light blues. Waves of a sparkling blue lake on a sunny day. There was no denying he was the boy from my memory. The warmth flowed through my entirety until there was no more pain, only serenity. Somehow, without him knowing, he had managed to capture me, but that was okay, because I was fully accepting it. I didn’t want him to let me go.
His hand slipped away from my face. “I need to flip you over and see how bad the ravager got you.”
I nodded, unable to speak.
Seth gently slid his hands underneath me and carefully rolled me over. He traced the tips of his fingers down my bare back. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my arms, savoring his touch. His hands forked out and landed on either side of my hips. Things inside me were awakening. Feelings I’d never had before. It was like someone had unleashed a million butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
His fingers continued to slide over my skin, but then he hit spots that caused me to wince. My body tensed up, but I refused to make a sound, afraid it would cause him to pull his hands away.
“The claws went pretty deep, but it shouldn’t take long to heal them.” He circled the wounds with his fingers.
“Okay.” I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what else to say. This was the first time I’d been fully exposed to a man before. Sure, it had to be done in order to save my life. But still. Just the thought of being naked in front of him made me a little insecure.
The warmth invaded my skin again. And all thoughts of being nude in front of this man faded away. It was like I was floating on a cloud. My head and my body were weightless. “Seth,” I whispered.
“Yes.” He sounded calm and focused.
“When we were out in the desert earlier, right before we encountered the men, you said I was more important than I think, and you didn’t end up in the Capitol because they captured you. You came there for me. What did you mean by that?”
“We’ll talk about it later, Layna. You need to relax and let your body rest. You’ve been through a lot today.”
“I am relaxed.”
Seth chuckled. “Sleep, Layna.” He spoke softly.
“Seth.”
“Yes.” He shifted his hands away from my hips and traced his fingers along my spine.
“Thank you for keeping your promise.” I let my eyes close as the cloud lifted higher and higher. No more pain, only warmth and comfort. If I wasn’t mistaken, I could have sworn Seth stretched out beside me. But it was probably only my imagination.
Chapter 13
Tall trees and a blue sky towered above me. I blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Turning my head, I found Seth leaning up against the back of a tree trunk, sleeping. My head lay in his lap. I drew in a deep breath and gently lifted myself away from him. Where were we? My eyes drifted down to my nude body. I went completely numb.
Where the hell were my clothes, and why was I naked? I quickly shot to my feet. That’s when I saw the bloody pile of fabric. Everything came back to me at once. I glanced down to my stomach. The hole had been closed, but a purple bruise encircled the healing wound. I traced my finger around the area. Seth.
Shit, Seth! I needed to find something to wear before he woke up. I crept over to the bag, careful not to wake him. Rummaging through it, I discovered a pair of men’s tan shorts, a white shirt, a pair of black shorts, and another tank top, also black. Well, at least if I decided to drain all my blood again the clothes wouldn’t stain. I gathered the clothes, except for the men’s shorts and the white shirt, and walked away from the area.
I made my way through the trees until I reached the lake. The scenery had me in awe. It was amazing. Huge rocks lined the other side of the lake, and water trickled down, creating a magnificent waterfall. On either side of the falls, shrubbery with bright, orange flowers were in bloom. I dropped my clothes on the shore and stepped into the water, anxious to get closer to the magical site. When the water reached my waist, I submerged my body.
I couldn’t believe how much I missed swimming. It was something I didn’t have time to do after being Obligated. I stretched my arms out and moved my legs, letting the light current guide my way as I swam over the shallow lake. My entire body felt like I was floating on the cloud again. I continued over the surface of the water until I came to the waterfall. Standing up, I walked forward, and the water showered over me. I tilted my head back, letting the cool liquid soak my hair. After being in the desert for so long, this was paradise.
The roar of the waterfall swept me away, made everything around me disappear. I closed my eyes as the moisture raced down my face. And I slowly turned around, making sure every part of my body was submerged. I brought my hands up wiping the water from my eyes. Seth sat directly in front of me at the entrance of the cavern behind the falls.
I screamed and attempted to cover my body with my hands. I hadn’t been expecting someone to be watching me.
He smirked at my reaction. “It’s okay. I already saw everything last night.”
Anger boiled up inside of me. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Making sure you weren’t trying to get yourself killed again.”
If I had something to throw and an extra hand, I would have knocked him off the rock he was sitting on. “That’s not funny!”
He stood up, and I noticed he was wearing the tan shorts. The muscles in his midsection tightened, and I had to force myself to look away as warmth made its way into my cheeks. “It wasn’t meant to be a joke.” The expression on his face turned serious. “You were gone, and I came out here to find you
.”
“Well, you found me. Now, you can leave.” I backed further into the waterfall, hoping it would conceal my body. Thoughts from last night began invading my mind. The way he touched me, the weird feelings that awakened inside of me, the same feeling that was happening now. How, sometime during the night he placed my head on his lap. He stayed up all night keeping his shield going, regardless whether or not it was draining his energy. He risked his life to keep me safe. Not once, but multiple times. Why? “Seth.” I peeked my head out of the waterfall, but he was already gone. I quickly turned around and stepped out of the other side. He was a short distance away, walking through the water. “Why did you come to the Capital for me?” I had to know the answer.
Seth turned around. “It’s a long story, Layna.”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s only one question.”
He tightened his lips and his body tensed.
“Why, Seth?” I yelled, my voice more demanding this time. I stood there, the wall of water raining down on me as Seth moved toward me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. Which side of him would I encounter? Would it be the warrior, the man who had sliced a man’s head off with one swipe of a sword, or would it be the softer guy who left me craving more of his touch after he healed me?
He took the last few steps until he was in front of the waterfall, a small gap remaining between us.
My body trembled, not from fear but from the energy vibrating around us. I lifted my face and looked into the swirling abyss of blue. “Why?”
He swallowed hard and his lips parted, but no words came out.
“Dammit, Seth!” I took a step forward, placing my palms on his chest. “Just tell me!”
His arms came up, and he gripped my wrists. “Because I couldn’t stay away from you.”
I didn’t know how to respond. I shook my head in disbelief and attempted to take a step back, but he wouldn’t let me. The force pulling me toward him frightened me. I didn’t know anything about these kind of emotions. I wanted to run away from him, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t because he had me restrained, it was because something inside of me awakened any time he touched me. And I didn’t know why.
“Even now, as I stand in front of you, it’s hard for me to restrain myself. You have no idea what I have continued to endure day after day and night after night. You said last night you knew me. That you saw me when we were children. We weren’t supposed to see each other that day. It was forbidden. But fate had brought us together, giving us a small taste of what it would feel like to be close to one another, and in turn, what we are, and the future of this sector, had left us worlds apart. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to find you.”
“I didn’t know you until you showed up in the oasis that night. Maybe, I didn’t have a memory, it could have been a dream. It didn’t really happen.” I fought hard to deny the way the memory had left me feeling, the way I felt when he was around me, when he touched me. It was crazy to believe two people were destined to be together, and there was a certain period in time they had to meet. Not before and not after.
Seth released me and took a step back. “Fuck, Layna! They lifted those memories from you but left mine!” He turned around and rubbed the palms of his hands over his face. “They made you forget so we wouldn’t cross paths until it was time.”
“That’s not my fault!” I shouted back at him.
“No, it’s not.” He turned around, his shoulders dropping in defeat. “I may have made a mistake.”
Everything barreled into me at once. Pain, loss, regret, hate. It weighed heavily on me, causing my legs to become weak. They weren’t his emotions. They were mine. But I didn’t know why I was feeling them. And what was this force drawing us together? Why couldn’t I fight it? Even after Amun took him away, I had to see him in the Cell, even though I knew how dangerous it was for me if I’d been caught.
“Get dressed, Layna. I’ll take you where you need to go.” Seth began to walk away, and that’s when I felt it. The warmth spreading through me, overriding all of the other emotions. My heart stumbled and tears formed in the corners of my eyes. The further he went, the cooler I became. It felt as if he were taking another piece of me with him.
“Seth, don’t leave me,” I pleaded as the waterfall continued to rain down on me. I couldn’t let him walk away from me. Not only did I need answers, but for some reason, I needed him.
He slowly turned, a deep sadness replaced the anger from only moments ago. The spark was no longer shimmering in the depths of his eyes. It had faded out.
I took a step forward, my bottom lip quivering and my body craving the warmth of his touch. “Please, Seth,” I reached out to him as he had to me so long ago, “don’t leave me again.” The tears rolled down my face. I was only a heartbeat away from falling to my knees. “I don’t care if we aren’t supposed to be together yet. Fuck destiny and fuck the universe. I want you.”
Chapter 14
Within seconds, Seth’s arms were around me, one hand at the small of my back and the other entangled in my wet hair. My bare breasts pushed up against his damp chest, causing my nipples to harden. The heat had returned, but this time it was a roaring flame centered in between my legs. I lifted my face, searching for his eyes, and his lips crashed into mine. Our mouths parted, and he kissed me wildly, passionately, like both our lives depended on this one kiss. Our tongues danced naturally, as if this was something I had done a million times even though I had never had this sort of contact with anyone before. We tasted each other with urgency, the energy around us becoming more and more unstable. He tightened his grip on me, and I dug my nails into his back, wanting to somehow bring him even closer though there was no distance left between us. He became a growing need, a yearning, I could no longer resist.
I broke away from his kiss. “Seth, I want you.” His eyes were two glowing orbs of lust, wild, animalistic. Ready to devour his prey.
“Are you sure?” he growled, his hardness pressing against my pelvis.
My head spun in circles, and instead of answering him, I dropped my hands to the waistline of his tan shorts, fingers desperate to rid myself of any barriers which stood in our way. I’d only managed to unbutton them before his hands slid down my back and around the curve of my ass. He cupped my bottom in the palm of his hands and hoisted me up, and I had no choice but to wrap my legs around his hips to keep from falling. His teeth grazed the skin on my neck, his hand cupping my breast, as he carried me through the waterfall. Even the shower of water couldn’t break his hold on me. Seth knelt down, placing me on the solid slab of rock at the entrance of the cavern.
“Tell me what you want, Layna.” He leaned down and kissed the inside of my thigh, his eyes peering up at me through his dark lashes, waiting my confirmation.
“You, Seth,” I moaned, placing my hands on either side of his face and pulling him closer to me. “I need all of you.”
He let my hands guide him until he was hovering over me, the moisture from his hair dripping down on my face. He leaned in, kissing me on the tip of my nose. Then he slid his tongue over my cheek and sucked the lobe of my ear. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.” His voice was husky and rough, his warm breath creating a madness inside which screamed to be released. “To touch you. To kiss you.” His hand swept down my skin, leaving a trail of tingles over my breast and below my naval until he discovered the warmth awaiting him between my legs. I arched my back, nearly coming off the stone entrance, but his weight held me down. He drew in a deep breath and parted my thighs, leaving me open to his sensual touch. “You’re so wet,” he mumbled into my skin, his finger slowly entering me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my hips squirming as he worked his finger in a way I never thought anyone could. Soft moans escaped my trembling lips, and he silenced them with another kiss, deeper, harder this time. The way his tongue moved through my mouth, lustful, erotic, tasting every inch of my being, sent my body into spasms. My legs shook as his finger went de
eper, faster, until I thought I’d lose everything. All control. All my being. Absolutely every fucking thing.
He pulled his finger away from me, and I wanted to scream and beg and shout for him to slide it back in. I opened my eyes, meeting his animalistic gaze again, his breathing heavy and heated. “Not yet, Layna,” he managed to say between gasps. “I want all of you.”
Before I could respond, his mouth slid down my body, licking and sucking every part of me. Every part of me that made me moan louder. Every part of me that made my body shake more vigorously. Every part of me that caused my mind to lose absolute control.
When I thought I couldn’t take anymore, his tongue slipped into my wetness. I arched my back as he went deeper, his tongue twisting around in my walls, lapping up every puddle of wetness I’d spilled. He kissed and licked, nibbled and sucked, as he held my shaking legs tightly in his arms, refusing to let me wiggle away from him. I needed more of him. All of him. My hips began to work with his tongue, pushing down as he thrust inside of me. He squeezed my breasts as I groaned his name, his thumbs and index fingers pinching my nipples.
I sat up and weaved my fingers through his dark hair, unable to take any more of his teasing. More. There had to be more. “Seth…I need you,” I exhaled, balling my hands into fists in his hair as another round of wetness flowed through me.
He lapped it up and placed a soft kiss on my core before working his mouth back up my body, stopping briefly to feast on my nipples again. When he reached me, his eyes were conflicted. The passion was still there, flickering through his irises more than before, but there was also a hint of something else. “If you want me to stop, just say the word,” he whispered in a shaky voice.
“Take me, Seth,” I panted, the fire in between my legs consuming me.
He leaned back, letting his shorts fall from his hips, his eyes never leaving mine, as his erection greeted me. Through the heat, I became nervous and terrified, but he came back to me, settling himself between my thighs. He placed his hands on either side of my head, his blue eyes now soft and warm. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12) Page 6