by Celeste Raye
Freya hadn't been seen leaving, but she was still worried about somebody finding her. As much as she loved her family and her father, she also felt like she was trapped there.
“Don't you want to go back and get a few things?”
Freya shook her head and said that she didn't. “I just want to get out of here. If we don't, then we're going to be caught, and I will never see you again.”
The very idea of it made Nik frown.
“Well, we can't let that happen. We’ve got a hell of a trip ahead of us.”
Freya couldn’t believe what she was doing. She had done some rebellious things in the past, but this was going above and beyond. This was not going to be something that was going to be easily forgiven. Freya knew that she was crossing a line, and still she crossed it. The sad part was that she didn't even look back when she did it.
Freya assumed the position and got on Nik’s back. It was strange how familiar being with him felt. It felt like she was supposed to be on him. She could fly herself, but she didn't mention it, and he didn't either. To her, there was no other way to travel.
She laid her head down on the metallic blue scales and wrapped her arms around his neck as much as she possibly could. He flew in a way that made it easy for her to hang on. He didn't go too fast, and he didn't move her around too much. She felt safe, even though she was half a mile high in the air. She trusted him; a rarity for her.
Before she knew it, Nik was touching down. He let her stretch a bit and get off of him before he turned back to the man she’d come to be very attracted to. Nik was tired, she could see it in his eyes, but he smiled at her in the sweetest way.
“The town isn’t far from here. About a mile through the woods. We can get a hotel for the night. I don’t want to fly all night, do you?”
She wasn’t tired, but a lot of changes were happening all at once. Her head was spinning from it, and she needed some time to think. It was starting to sink in, what she was doing, where she was, and who she was with. Freya was breaking a lot of rules.
“Yes, I think we need to slow down.”
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“You know that I am. This is just a lot to take. Let’s get to a hotel, get a room, a shower, and I’m sure that we will be able to think straight then. I bet you’re tired. You’ve been going for hours.”
“Trust me, Freya, when the time comes, I will have all the energy that I need.”
She rolled her eyes and took the hand that he offered. He always had something to say, and it gave her a chill.
“That wasn’t what I was talking about, Nik, and you know it.”
Nik didn’t answer, and Freya played out the scenarios as they made their way to the town. She wasn’t sure where they were, and it didn’t matter. Freya hadn’t changed her mind about him or how complicated it was, but she was worried about the consequences. Before, she had been going off of emotions, but now, she was starting to see it for what it was. It was a slap in the face to her family, and they were not going to take it well.
“You’re worried about your family?”
“Aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “Not particularly. I am the Alpha; they can stand against me if they want to, though it won’t do them any good.”
He seemed so sure, and Freya knew that it was because they were in very different positions. She was going to be punished whenever she went back home, and there was no one around to punish him.
She knew that she should figure something out, but there was nothing that came to mind. The situation wasn’t just complicated. It was impossible.
“What are you so worried about?”
“You know my family. And you know my brother.”
“And you worry about them coming after you?”
There was no question about it. She knew that they would come for her, and Freya didn't want to think about what would happen when they did. She knew that Nik wasn't going to stand down, and that was a problem. That meant that they were going to fight, and while Freya may be confused, she knew that she didn't want anything to happen to Nik. She was less worried about her brother.
“Yes, I do. I worry about what's going to happen when they do come. Because I promise you, they will. Not for me, but for themselves, you know.”
Nik nodded his head in understanding. He knew his family was much like hers, and he could imagine what he would do in the same situation. It would be a matter of honor at some point.
They were at the outskirts of the town, and he asked her if she was sure about it.
“Sure, about what?”
“About this. About being with me. I can take you home before anybody figures out that you're gone if you want. I don't want to put any more on you.”
“If I didn't want to leave with you, Nik, then I wouldn't have. I am attracted to you, and I feel this draw that I don't understand, but it doesn't mean that I’m without free will. There is really no other place that I would rather be than right here with you. I am just worried about what's going to happen. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to do it.”
That made Nik laugh and she grinned back at him. “You really are a spit-fire, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been called worse.”
Chapter Eleven
The heavens were shining down on him. That was the only answer that he had for the fact that he was able to find a hotel with a room left. It was sheer luck, and though he saw a bit of nerves out of Freya, Nik knew that it was because it would be hard to deny the attraction. They both felt it, and it wasn’t very hard to think about where it was going to go from there. There was only one ending that made sense.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to sleep on the floor? You are looking nervous, Freya. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to do.”
Freya gave him a look that told him that he was being dramatic, but he didn’t know what else to say.
“I am not worried about you pushing yourself on me. I am sure that if we did anything, I would certainly want it.”
If: he didn’t like that word. He was rather sure of what was to come, and he wanted her to feel the same way about it.
“Then what are you worried about?”
“I am worried about wanting it. I know that it would make things even harder.”
“It sounds like you think this is only temporary.”
“What else could it be?”
Nik did not have answers, but he knew that whatever was going on between the two of them was not going to be temporary. That was the last thing that he wanted. Ever since he had met Freya, he hadn’t been able to get her off of his mind. There had to be a reason for that.
“I think we both know that this is more than just temporary. There is a reason that we feel this way towards each other. Don't you want to find out why?”
“And let me guess: you think that the hotel room is the perfect place to start?”
He tried not to look over at the bed because that is immediately where his brain went. It was all his mind could handle at the moment, and she was staring at him with this silly grin on her face. Nik was afraid that she could read his mind too. Then she would know how much she meant to him, and he was afraid of that even more. The power that she had was too much for anyone to have.
“I am not saying that, Freya. I am saying that it will give us a good amount of time together. Then maybe we can figure out what this is between us.”
“I also want to figure out what is between our families.”
“Why does it matter?” Nik didn’t want her thinking along those lines. She was supposed to be contemplating the very thing that he was.
“It just does. I want to know why they are trying to control my life. There has to be a good reason.”
Nik did not agree. Sometimes, people held onto grudges pointlessly.
“I want to believe that you are right, but I'm not sure.”
She sighed at his answer, but Nik did not have a better one for her. He
tried to pretend like he was confident about the situation he was in. He wasn’t confident about anything beyond the fact that he needed her in his life.
The sleeping arrangements were hard on both of them. Freya didn't seem to have much problem going to sleep, but she tossed and turned most of the night. Nik was holding her in the beginning, and she had snuggled right against his chest. It had felt good for a while, but soon it was more torture than anything else. Nik could not find sleep, no matter how hard he tried.
About the third time she awoke, Freya was laying across his chest. He had taken off his shirt a while back because he was hot from her movement and now it was even worse with her arms pressed against his chest and her breath tickling the little hairs that ran across it.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I am just having some crazy dreams. They're just so vivid. I wonder if it's because you're here.”
“What are you dreaming about?”
Freya couldn't answer, and instead, her face turned red; he could see the difference in the light from the window.
“I am not going to tell you, but I have a pretty good idea that you already know.”
“I have a good idea, but I am always down for details.”
She pushed back against his chest and slapped him playfully, telling him that he was horrible. It was hard to believe what she was saying because she had a smile on her face.”
“Is it that bad?”
“No, but I have never laid with a guy like this. This is a little strange, and it seems like every time I am around you; I have the craziest dreams.”
“And you are sure that you don't want to share them with me?”
She shook her head so quickly that he had to laugh. There was obviously something on her mind. He wanted to know what it was, but Nik was patient. He had already decided that he was going to have to be with her.
“No, I think I'll keep it to myself.
Nik wanted to say more, and he wanted to hold her back to him, but he was still hesitant. For one reason or another, he wanted to make sure that she had no reason to turn around and go back home. They were halfway back to his place and there, he knew he would have more time and be a little more at ease. However, another thought popped in his head. Maybe he should give her a little incentive to leave with.
When she said something about taking a shower, his attention was at full tilt and he asked her if she needs any help.
“I think I can manage a shower by myself.”
“Oh, I know that you can manage, but I desperately want to help you.”
He saw her shake her head, and that was all the satisfaction that he needed. It was absolutely the answer that he needed as well. She could deny it all she wanted, but Freya wanted something more just as badly as he did.
“I don't think that it would be a good idea.”
He could see the lust in her eyes. It was impossible not to see it and to feel that need that was exuding out of her.
“If you won't let me join you in the shower, then maybe I could get you ready for it?”
“And what does that mean?”
Nik moved fast to cover her body, and he was pressing his lips against hers before she could say anything one way or another. Nik had tried talking to her, but it wasn’t enough. He was going to have to show her what he was suggesting and then she wouldn’t be able to say no. That was the plan, anyway.
When he moved down to her neck and then down her stomach, there was no more protesting. She asked once what he was doing, but Freya wasn’t looking for an answer. Her hips rose to meet Nik’s mouth, and there was no question what he was doing there.
Freya whimpered as Nik played with her body. She said his name softly into the air around them, and it was one of the biggest turn-ons that Nik had experienced in a while. The fact that he could do no more bothered him.
Even when he stopped and she was begging him for more, Nik refused. He’d told himself that he was only going to go so far, but that had been a lie. He wanted to go further still, but something told him to wait. He didn’t want her to submit when she was in heat. He wanted her to submit fully, and that was very unlike him. Nik was in uncharted territory, and he didn’t like it. He was far more uncomfortable than he had been in a very long time. What he wanted and what he could have were not meshing well together.
Nik found himself listening to her shower, wondering what she was doing in there but trying hard not to worry about it too much. He could see her body nude even though he had not seen enough of it. The rest of it, his mind was making up.
When she came back to bed, she smelled of something sweet, and that just drove him even more insane. No matter how badly he wanted to make sure that he was doing right by her and taking his time, there was another part of him that was bothered by all of it. It went against his nature, and when she slid in next to him, snuggling up against him, Nik felt like he was going to explode. He should be inside of her.
“Thank you, Nik. That felt good.”
“No need to thank me.”
He ignored the questioning look that she gave him. He didn’t want to talk about it, and though he was happy that she was satisfied, Nik hadn’t needed her to tell him that. He had known, very clearly. It was pretty hard to deny it.
She didn’t seem to notice anything and fell asleep quickly, to his chagrin. Nik was rock hard and had no way of releasing it. He watched her sleep for a time, falling deeper for the enemy, the taste of her still in his mouth. He refused to drink anything just so that he could let it linger on his lips a little while longer.
Chapter Twelve
The next day, Freya and Nik had breakfast and then started on the last leg of their journey. She was worried about what was going to happen when they got there and how it was all supposed to work out, but there was a spring in her step. She knew that it was because of Nik. He had done something to her, and it was hard for her to ponder anything else.
When they finally got to their destination, her body was screaming for more attention, and she immediately kissed him when he turned back into a man. He had to slow her down, asking her what was going on.
“I just wanted a kiss, that’s all.”
“Liar.”
She tried to look innocent and shocked by his words, but she was neither.
“That may be, but I think I will be able to hold myself together now. I just needed a little juice.
He kissed her again. “I don’t think I’ve had enough yet.”
The kiss deepened, and she had to push him away or they very well could have been on the ground before she knew it. Things moved fast with Nik, and she wasn’t able to move at the same speed that he was. She needed some time.
“You’re going to have to make do for now. I just wanted a kiss. That’s all for now.”
He perked up with the last admission, but she didn’t want to give him hope. She wanted him to see that she was willing, just not ready quite yet.
“That sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get inside, and we can see how the place looks. I haven’t been here in a while.”
Freya didn’t care what it looked like inside. All she was worried about was the fact that they were together and she had actually left. The house that he referred to was ancient and huge. It was more like a castle, nestled onto the side of a cliff and surrounded on the other sides by forest. It was quite a set-up, and when they walked around to the cliff side, and saw the water below, she smiled back at him.
“I don’t think I could have imagined another place that I’d want to be in right now. You’re the one that I want to share this with.”
She pulled him to her and made him put his arm around her. She felt safe there, and at the moment, that was one of the best feelings that she could imagine. Freya didn’t understand what was going on with them, but she was all in, whatever it was. Especially if it included some more pleasure like he’d given her earlier.
They settled into a sort of routine during the next couple of days. They went to the marke
ts and shopped, cooked together, planted flowers. It was a time that Freya would always remember as one of the happiest times of her life. It was simple, and even though something was simmering just underneath the surface, they still hadn’t gone all the way in the bedroom.
They had played a bit, but she was still holding off, sure that something bad was just around the corner. Maybe if she held off her desires, it wouldn’t catch up to them. It was innocent, what they were doing.
It was becoming impossible to stay innocent, though. Every day they found out more that they shared together, and every night, Nik held her in his arms. It was perfect and magical, but there was still something holding them back.
Freya was outside, and she was checking out the woods surrounding the back of the house. She liked it back there, and she liked even more the feel of his arms going around her waist and pulling her up against his hard chest.
“Good morning. I must've woken up because the bed was cold. What are you doing out here?”
“I don't know. I was sleeping pretty well and was in the middle of a dream, and then I was just pulled awake. I don't know why, but all of my attention was pulled to the woods. I figured there's a reason for it.”
Nik had looked relaxed when he first came out, a smile on his face. That was the way that Freya was used to seeing him, but then something changed. He shushed her, and she could tell that he was trying to listen to something. It was then that she heard it as well. The twigs snapping outside, not too far from the back door.
He moved back inside and started rearranging things. The speed at which he was moving surprised Freya, and she wanted to know what was going on. Finally, he just looked over at her and told her that they had company.
“Company? What do you mean company?”
“I mean that somebody is here for you.”
