Chapter 75
Chapter 75
It was impossible. But I had been so sure that it was him. His body had been thinner, his hair longer and his clothes had been hanging off him, but it had been him. I was certain of it. Xavier looked at me warily before glancing at the trees. He was gone. My voice was faint. “Xavier, it was my father, I’m sure it was” I insisted, feeling slightly hysterical.
Was my father following us? Did he intend to hurt us? I could feel myself beginning to panic as I looked at my mate
My father was still alive. A rogue, he must have adapted to the surroundings and been hunting down his food. But Xavier peered at me as though I was insane and slowly shook his head. You’ve had a big shock and you’re tired,” he said quietly. “Regan you’re not thinking clearly.”
My shoulders slumped. “You don’t believe me I said slightly angrily
I wasn’t making his up, I had truly seen him, Unless he was a ghost? But ghosts didn’t exist, did they?
“I think you believe you saw him,” he said kindly and with some besitation, “but you imagined it. There’s nobody there Regan. No scent, no sign of anyone. We need to get moving” he added with a sigh, and I scowled, glancing at the trees and rationalizing that maybe he was right, and I had imagined it in my distress. After all the likelihood of my father surviving as a rogue was almost nil. I began to follow blindly behind Xavier, keeping my head bowed low, lost in my thoughts. Xavier was right, my father had to be dead by now. Hardly anybody was able to survive as a rogue once they were banished. I was seeing things that weren’t there.
I glanced at the sky, shocked to discover that it was in fact, beginning to darken as Xavier had predicted. Amazing.
“How did you know?” I asked in disbelief.
The sky had been so clear before, with no signs of any storm or rain approaching. Xavier shrugged. “I could just tell he said dismissively, as though it was no big deal.
Such skills would be highly useful when-one was on their own, marvelled, imaging the benefits of it.
He peered closely at something and then moved aside some foliage, glancing at me triumphantly. “A cave” he exclaimed delightedly. “This will be perfect shelter from the rain.”
I looked at him uncertainly “What if there’s a wild animal in there?” I asked, biting the inside of my lip.
He laughed. “I’ll check it out first.”
He dropped our bags and walked inside as I bit my lower lip, fretting for his safety, my body tense, poised to shift or run at the merest hint there was something dangerous inside the cave. To my surprise, Xavier came sauntering back out, looking relaxed. “Nothing there, see I told you” he said with a smug expression, bending down and grabbing the bags. “We’re fine.”
1 exhaled in relief and walked in behind him. The cave was big enough that we didn’t need to duck our heads in order to avoid the ceiling and cozy enough to fit us both with extra room to spare. Xavier put the bags down on the ground and turned to me. “We’ll wait out the rain here and then continue on
“Good idea,” I said sitting down and wrapping my arms around myself. “It’s beginning to get cold” I shivered, wondering if it would be wiser to shift into my wolf form in order to warm myself
The wind was picking up. The tree’s branches were beginning to violently sway. The rain was coming, quickly and with a vengeance, Xavier continued to look unfazed, sitting beside me and pulling me into him, his arm over my shoulder, attempting to warm me. “You’re freezing” he murmured “I can’t risk making a fire though,” he said in frustration “for it will likely lure more rogues if there are any about,”
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He looked at me closely. “Take your clothes off
What now? Was he kidding? At a time like this? I couldn’t believe where his mind was going. My mouth dropped open as I began to protest. “Xavier now is not the time..” not to mention Xander wasn’t here and it felt like a betrayal without him. What on earth was Xavier thinking to suggest such a thing? I stared at him indignantly.
Xavier laughed. “Not that,” he said, causing me to let out the breath I had been holding. “It’s easier to warm you up with body heat. I’ll take mine off as well” he said, getting to his feet and beginning to strip off his clothes, throwing them carelessly to the side.
My mouth went dry. My mate had no idea what effect he was having on me. Even with the danger we had just encountered. one look at his bare chest and sick pack and I was drooling. I forced myself to look away, sheepishly getting to my feet and beginning to slowly peel off my clothes, placing them tidily on the floor beside me. Soon, I stood there naked and I looked over to see that Xavier’s eyes had darkened, so black they were like obsidians. I felt my breath hitch.
For a moment we silently regarded each other. Xander let out a strangled sound. “You have no idea how badly I want you right now” he commented, “but I won’t, not without Xander. God’s you’re beautiful though,” he said thickly, before lying down and motiqning for me to do the same.
I hesitantly lay down beside him and he rolled to his side, putting his arm over me. I rolled over and wriggled backward. Xavier let out a groan. He pulled me hard against him. I heard raindrops beginning to fall. The sound was oddly soothing. Soon, I felt the warmth coming from Xavier’s body, heating me all over.
“So, toasty” I muttered, as he held me tight.
I felt as though I could have stayed like that forever. The rain picked up, causing me to shiver. We would have been in of trouble if we had been caught in that I was grateful for Xavier’s foresight. If he hadn’t found us shelter…I grimaced picturing it.
“At least the rain will scare off the wild animals,” Xavier said, echoing the thoughts running through my mind “and any rogues out there will be doing the same as us and finding shelter
“But it’s also costing us time” I protested.
Not
“Not if we sleep and then pick up time.” he told me, kissing me on the forehead “Sleep” he urged “get some rest. We’ll pick up the pace once the rain has stopped.”
I reluctantly closed my eyes. I had thought that sleep would allude me, but between the warmth and comfort of Xavier’s body, it came quickly. I slept, feeling him close, my dreams filled with images of my father, my body jolting up as a nightmare caused me to wake up, a small cry piercing the silence of the cave and causing Xavier to sit up instantly.
We heard footsteps. Before we could get to our feet, a robed figure entered the cave. For a moment we could not see their face, as it was covered by the hood of their robe. They kept theinhead bowed down low. Xavier pushed me behind him in an effort to protect me. “What is it you want?” he asked with a low growl “if it’s merely shelter that you seek then by all means we are happy to shelter you but if you are here for anything else, I warn you that you will come off the worst for it.”
The figure slowly pulled back its hood. For a moment all Xavier and I could do was stare in shock. Her long pale white hair cascaded down her back, a moon crescent shimmered on her forehead and her light blue eyes gazed at us with interest. Xavier was the first to gain his composure, quickly dipping his head in respect. I hastily followed suit.
“Forgive our rudeness,” he said as the woman continued to stand there. “We did not realize..” he trailed off.
Neither of us could have dreamed somebody this important would ever speak to us, let alone be in our presence.
“Don’t mention it. The woman’s voice was musical, like the sound of tinkling bells. “I had a vision that you needed me and so I came
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A vision! A descendent of the moon goddess and a healer? What were the odds? We had been going to find the witches and yet, something far more powerful and pure had come searching for us. The woman looked slightly amused as she raked her gaze over us and
raised a brow. “I am happy to answer your questions but perhaps she paused, her lips quirking up “you might wish to put some clothes on first?”