AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ve done this before?” he asks, and I can’t tell if he’s interested in the concept or concerned that I have such an invasive gift.
“A few times,” I answer vaguely, only now aware that I’ve looked at each of the guys’ souls for various reasons over the past several months except for Kaleb. “I’ll only do it with your permission.”
His gaze drops to our joined hands, and in a sad whisper, he asks, “What if you don’t like what you see?”
“I will,” I answer firmly, giving into full leech mode and wrapping the rest of myself around his arm. “I already have a sense of you. That’s something I just passively do. Now, the real question is, can you handle what I see?”
He’s quiet for a couple seconds, clearly weighing the pros and cons of having such information—information he has to take on faith, because I’m the only one who can see it. Finally, he releases a deep breath and says, “What do you need me to do?”
“Just stand there,” I reply, placing my free hand against his chest, enjoying the steady thump of his heartbeat underneath my fingers. Technically, I don’t need to touch him at all to see, but I’ll take any chance I can get to be close to him.
Closing my eyes, I let my magic wash through me and use my mind’s eye to see into the core of Kaleb’s being. He is everything I suspected and more. The depths of his passion is like a rolling sea crashing violently against stone walls that dare to try to contain it. I gasp in the wonder of it and revel in the beauty of finally experiencing all that he buries deep inside. The kindness, the consideration, and the gentleness that he lets bleed through the cracks are there, softly lapping at the shore on the other side, but it’s the sea I want to dive into. I want to swim within its waves until I’m pulled under. He is blinding light and ravaging storms, and I long to tear down his walls so I may bask in it always.
Kaleb calls my name, the sound distant under the constant roar of his spirit.
“You are magnificent,” I murmur, tears dripping down my cheeks. I’m overwhelmed and heartbroken that he hides all of this behind pleasant smiles that don’t reach his eyes.
He gathers me into his arms, holding me tightly, and murmurs soothing sounds into my hair. The gentle caretaker. His entire life, he’s sectioned himself off into pieces, doling out only the parts people care to see, and I can’t let him do it to me. Not anymore.
Blinking the tears from my eyes, I reach up with both hands to cup his face. Words jumble on my tongue as I try to explain what I’ve seen. How do I encapsulate all that he is? All the parts of him that he denies himself?
At a loss, I reach for a truth that resounds deep in my bones. “I love you. Every part of you. The parts you share. The parts you fear. All of it. Be who you need to be to survive, to feel safe, but know that I’ve seen it all, and I’m not afraid.”
“I am,” he admits, having a hard time meeting my gaze. “Not everything I am, everything I feel, fits the mold that people expect of me. There’s an ugliness that only hurts people if I let it out.” He gathers his courage and looks into my eyes. “That’s why I can’t just say yes. If I can get that part of me under control, then maybe I—”
“Kaleb, there’s a vicious side to all of us,” I interrupt, running my thumbs along the smooth lines of his cheekbones. “Yours is particularly biting because you’re observant, but it’s the way you lock yourself away that makes it so explosive. No matter how hard you fight it, the sea always wins against stone.”
He frowns, processing my metaphor for his powerful emotions. With fear evident in his voice, he asks, “Did you see it? The… vicious side of me?”
“Viciousness isn’t the core of who you are,” I answer, dropping my hands so I can wrap them around his waist. Stealing every precious moment of his touch, I snuggle into his embrace. “You are a force of nature that, once released, could rattle the stars.” A smile skirts across my lips. “And so am I.”
Chapter 5
Connor
Extracting Callie from the passenger side of my Chevy Tahoe, I hoist her up into my arms and carry her bridal style toward a small trail that leads deeper into the woods. The waning sun paints the tips of the evergreens with fiery oranges, while the trail is left in deep purple shadows. Because I’m a shifter, I’m able to see the familiar path clearly, but I still choose my steps carefully, used to taking this way on four legs instead of two.
She wraps her arms around my neck, leans her head against my shoulder, and sighs. “I can’t believe you blindfolded me. We’re celebrating your birthday. Why am I the one getting the surprise?”
“Because it’s what I want,” I answer simply.
The truth is this trail is very close to where Callie killed the previous alpha. That night, I was trying to take her to this very spot, hoping the forest would soothe her the same way it soothes me. Obviously, we never got that far, and I don’t want to ruin what is essentially our first date with memories of a man better left dead and forgotten.
When we reach our destination, I scan the area, trying to decide where best to see the clearing in its entirety. Sprouts of wild grass and flowers carpet the area, filling the air with the sweetness of new life. A trickling ravine cuts through one side, feeding a pond deep enough to swim in before twisting its way farther into the woods. Smooth rocks large enough to lounge on surround the pond, and long stalks of greenery grow in the rich earth. I found this place after my first beating, when I tried to run away to find my mother, and it’s been my safe haven ever since. Some of it is natural formation, and some of it I cultivated through the years, but it has always been mine alone. I’ve never shared it with another living soul, until now.
Callie’s fine brows furrow, and the corners of her full lips pull down in the corners. “You’re nervous. What’s wrong?”
“This place is special,” I murmur while reluctantly setting her down onto her feet. Bracing her so she doesn’t fall over, I spin her so her back is against my front, and she’s facing the ravine. “You can take the blindfold off.”
Instead, she takes my hands from her shoulders and leads them down her sides before sliding them under her sweater to rest on her stomach. All thoughts drain out of my head as I’m distracted by the feeling of her soft skin under my fingertips. Heat thrums through my veins, and my desire for her is instant and potent.
“Feel better?” she asks, feminine amusement lacing her husky voice.
A distracted hum vibrates from my throat, something between a question and affirmation, while my fingers spread wide to cover more surface space. My thumbs lightly brush over her ribs, and she shivers in response.
Focused on the feel of my mate in my hands, I almost miss her taking off the blindfold, coming back to my senses only when she gasps in delight. “It’s beautiful!” She tips her head back, a radiant smile taking over her features. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
The “this” she’s referencing is a picnic in the meadow a few feet from the ravine. A large, thick, checkered blanket is spread out with a basket overflowing with food and supplies sitting on one corner. When the women in the pack found out I was planning a special night for my mate, they were overly helpful in the preparation. In another corner are tightly rolled blankets in case it gets too cold and a bouquet of wildflowers tied together with twine. In the center is an older lantern that takes a match to light. At the time, I thought it safer than candles, but now, I worry that it looks more practical than romantic.
