The Naturals Trilogy

by Madeline Freeman

  Lucas nodded but said nothing.

  Morgan crossed to his door, hazarding one glance back when she slipped into the hallway. Lucas was watching her as she left, his face inscrutable. When she closed the door behind her, she could still Feel his energy fixed on hers.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Morgan rolled over in bed and glanced at her alarm clock. It was nearly one in the morning and she was wide awake. She sighed, silently cursing last night’s excursion to see her mother—and silently cursing her mother for staying away for so long, and Greg for keeping her secret.

  Morgan sat up, jaw clenched. She couldn’t lay here anymore; her blankets felt like a prison. Glancing in the direction of Joss’s bed, she also cursed the cabin for not having enough rooms for her to have her own space. She’d have to go to the living room if she wanted to do anything but lie on her bed in darkness.

  Silently, she crept through the room to the door and let herself out. After gently shutting the door, she tiptoed down the hall, trailing her fingertips over the walls. A few steps before the hallway ended, she Felt another presence ahead. She slowed her pace and peered into the open living room area.

  Silhouetted against the windows overlooking the back deck was a distinctly masculine shape. Morgan paused, unsure whether or not to continue.

  “Took you long enough.”

  The kitchen light flipped on, seemingly of its own accord, and Lucas turned from the windows, smiling at her.

  She eyed him for a moment before continuing into the kitchen. “You were expecting me?”

  To answer, Lucas walked to the kitchen counter and picked up two mugs. “Hot cocoa. Well, warm cocoa.” He gripped the mugs in his hands momentarily before passing one to her. “Hot again.”

  Morgan closed the remaining space between them and accepted the drink from his hand. Taking a sip, she studied him. “What’re you doing out here so late?”

  “Couldn’t sleep. Our little excursion last night threw off my sleep cycle. So I figured I’d do something productive with my time.” He picked a thin cardboard square up off the counter and held it toward her.

  Morgan smiled. “The star chart.”

  “Wanted to get some use out of it. Felt kinda bad for the thing, laying around here since the seventies.” He walked back toward the windows, the light switching itself off as he went.

  Morgan followed. “You don’t know that no one’s used it since then.”

  “Shush. You’re ruining the poetry of the moment.” He opened the door and stepped out on the deck and beckoned for Morgan to stand beside him. When she closed the door behind them, he held the chart up and consulted it before pointing into the sky. “See those three bright stars right there?”

  She looked where Lucas was pointing and smiled. “Oh, yeah, sure.” In the time they’d been at the cabin, Morgan hadn’t spent much time contemplating the night’s sky. But now that she was looking up, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t spent more time doing so. The number of stars visible in just the small swath of sky not obscured by bare tree limbs was mind-boggling.

  Lucas’s arm remained firmly in midair. “The three bright ones there kinda in a line?” His breath rose in front of him in a cloud of vapor.

  Morgan scanned the region until she saw the stars Lucas meant. “Yeah, I see them.”

  “That’s Orion. And the red one just below it to the right? It’s Betelgeuse.”

  “Wow,” Morgan breathed. “It really is red.”

  “It’s a red giant.”

  Sipping her cocoa, Morgan continued to look at the sky. “What’s that, like, cloudy looking thing—?”

  Lucas laughed. “Wow, city girl. It’s the Milky Way. You know, the galaxy we live in?”

  “So… not the candy bar?”

  “No.”

  She continued to study the sky, allowing herself to get lost in it. It was somehow comforting to be reminded that something larger than her, than the Watchers, than the Veneret, than the Prophecy still existed. Lucas didn’t identify any more stars or constellations, and Morgan was glad for it, appreciating that he seemed to sense she needed time with her own thoughts.

  How long they stood like that, Morgan wasn’t sure, but the next thing she was aware of besides the universe was Lucas’s hand on her back. “I’m freezing. We should go in.”

  Morgan nodded and allowed him to steer her into the cabin. When he closed the door behind them, he took her empty mug and went to the kitchen to set it on the counter. Morgan shivered. “Wow, how did I not realize I was this cold?” She rubbed her hands over her upper arms.

  Lucas turned to her and held his arms out wide. “Bring it in.”

  There was no hesitation in her step as Morgan navigated herself into Lucas’s arms, resting her head against his chest. She’d never fully appreciated how much taller than she he was. His clothes were as cold as she was, so, for a moment, their closeness didn’t make a dent in her shivering. Lucas began rubbing his hands vigorously against her back, as much to warm her as to get feeling back into his extremities, Morgan was sure. As she thawed, she allowed herself to relax more fully into Lucas’s body. Though she wasn’t accustomed to being this close to him, their embrace didn’t feel awkward or unnatural. Since Christmas, their friendship had deepened in a way she didn’t fully appreciate until now. He knew all the secrets about her mother, he assisted her in her first steps toward redefining herself. Though she never had the kind of mind-connecting experience with Lucas as she had with Corbin, she thought perhaps Lucas understood her better than Corbin ever had.

  By the time she felt thoroughly warmed, the motion of Lucas’s hands on her back had slowed to a languorous pace. Morgan couldn’t convince herself the sensation wasn’t pleasant. A contented sigh escaped her lips.

  Still encircling Morgan with his arms, Lucas looked down at her and smiled.

  She glanced up and raised an eyebrow at him. She attempted to Feel what he was feeling, but he was too good at blocking himself off. “Why are you smiling?”

  His gaze feathered over her face, a brief internal struggle playing itself out in his eyes. “You remember that night at the Daily Grind? The first time you read me?” he asked, his voice soft.

  Morgan nodded. She remembered the night well. She had attempted to do a psychic reading for Lucas, back before he knew about his own powers, and they shared energy for the first time. Afterward, when Morgan was able to Move a glass, she panicked. Lucas calmed her down. She’d felt so powerful that night. Both of them had. “I remember. Why?”

  Lucas looked into her eyes. “I didn’t understand what was happening that night, but I was so happy.”

  She smiled. “It was a good night. You were having so much fun.” She laughed. “Remember how you kept making people compliment your fedora?”

  He laughed, too, but sobered quickly. “That wasn’t the only reason that night was so amazing. Part of it…” He paused, and Morgan could tell he was weighing his next words carefully. “Not part of it—most of the reason that night was great was… you. I felt so connected to you. The abilities were just kinda… icing, you know?”

  Morgan studied his face, wishing he were easier to read. She was sure that if she pushed hard enough, she could break through the barrier he kept in place, but something told her she shouldn’t. This was something she needed to hear aloud.

  Lucas seemed to sense what Morgan was thinking. He opened his mouth but closed it again, averting his eyes.

  She watched him, waiting for him to continue. Her stomach felt hollow, but not unpleasantly so, and there was a vague fuzziness encroaching on the edges of her brain. One side of her mind pressed her to step out of their embrace, take a seat on the couch, allow her head to clear, but the other side needed to remain in the moment, to see it to its conclusion. “You made it this far,” she said quietly. “Don’t hesitate now.”

  Slowly, Lucas drew his gaze back to hers. “Morgan…” His hands twitched slightly at the small of her back. “I wanted to kiss you that night.
I’ve wanted to kiss you… so many times.”

  Morgan felt her pulse quicken, not sure how to react. Whatever she’d been expecting him to say, it hadn’t been that. Or had it? She peered into his clear, light blue eyes, feeling a tightening in her stomach at the longing she found there.

  “So… kiss me.” The words escaped her mouth of their own volition. But when they did, something within her felt a profound relief.

  He smiled—a full, broad smile that lit up his eyes—and cupped one side of her face with his hand. “I hoped you’d say that.”

  Morgan was not prepared for what happened when Lucas brought his lips to hers. The kiss itself was warm and soft, but urgent. As they kissed, Morgan Felt the wall Lucas was so good at keeping up crumble. She Felt his energy, his pure light. The joy. And she knew she was the source of his joy—the feeling of her in his arms, the feeling of her lips against his. And Morgan knew he Felt her joy too. Suddenly, she realized part of her had wanted this to happen—had longed for it—for a very long time. Now, in the moment, the event itself was almost too sweet, too perfect to bear.

  The kiss lasted a long time, and when they separated, they both gasped for breath a few times. Morgan took a few shaky steps over to the couch, and Lucas, keeping hold of her hand, followed.

  “Are you okay?” Lucas asked once they were seated.

  She looked down at their entwined fingers and answered the only way she could. “I’m not sure.” Looking back up at Lucas, she smiled. “This is just—”

  “You don’t have to explain.” He squeezed her fingers. “I just want to make sure you’re ready. That you’re sure.”

  That you’re sure. The words echoed in Morgan’s mind. Something about the way he said them was bigger than just the repercussions of a kiss. But she knew the answer. “I am. I’m sure.” To prove it, Morgan kissed him again.

  Lucas broke the kiss and stroked her cheek with the fingertips of his free hand. “Good. Because it’s been a special kind of hell watching the girl you’re supposed to—” He stopped, shaking his head.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Lucas, what?”

  He didn’t speak for a moment, keeping his eyes averted. Not willing to accept his silence, Morgan pushed forward into his mind gently, a promise that if he wouldn’t answer in the conventional way, she could still find out what she wanted to know.

  Lucas sighed, looking at her. “You know how my abilities have been kinda crazy since we’ve been here?”

  Morgan nodded, not sure what this had to do with anything.

  “Well, I’ve had some… visions. Like Knower visions. And I talked with Greg about them and he thought I should maybe keep them to myself even though—even though they concerned you.”

  “Okay…?”

  “Well, you and me.” He smiled, a bit sheepishly. “Greg thought telling you back when I had them would just… complicate things. And he was right, but it killed me keeping it to myself.”

  She waited for him to continue, a kind of anxious anticipation bubbling in her stomach. “Lucas, what were your visions about?”

  He looked down at their interlaced fingers and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Corbin was never gonna be in your future—not, like, romantically or whatever. When it comes to the long run, it was always you and me, Morgan.” A muscle in his jaw twitched and he closed his eyes momentarily. Opening them, he smiled. “Always,” he repeated, his voice firm, if somewhat strained.

  Morgan shook her head slightly, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “You… saw this?” She lifted their joined hand a few inches. “In a vision?”

  “Yeah. When I told Greg, he wasn’t surprised. He didn’t say anything, but I got the sense there’s a little more to the Prophecy than they told us. About… about after. I didn’t mean to, but… but I kinda Saw something in his head, and… as part of your destiny, you take on some kind of leadership position—what kind, exactly, I don’t know. But… but you aren’t alone. You and I are… well…”

  Morgan examined his face carefully, gauging his words. “We’re what? Lucas?” In response, he averted his eyes nervously. She pushed forward with her abilities and received a distinct impression that made her mouth drop. She stared at him, incredulous, struck speechless for a few moments as her mind attempted to process the information. “You and I… You mean like… Lucas and Morgan Kenrick?”

  “Or you could keep your last name,” he said quickly. “I’d be cool with that, you know. Morgan Kenrick’s kind of a mouthful.”

  Though his tone was light, Morgan felt her mind reeling. “Lucas…” She attempted to form into words what was spinning through her mind, but her brain seemed too overloaded to create intelligent speech.

  “Look—I don’t Know a hundred percent. The future isn’t exactly written in stone. But with the vision I had…”

  His words cut through the fog in her mind and a feeling of irritation swept through her. “And, what? You weren’t gonna tell me this? You thought it’d be okay to keep something this big from me? It’s my life too, Lucas. It’s not okay that you kept this from me.” She pulled her hand away from his.

  He sighed, a frustrated sound. “Morgan, what was I supposed to do? This was months ago, when we first got here. Was I supposed to go wake you up—in Corbin’s bed half the time, by the way—and say—what? Tell Corbin to unhand my woman or something?” He closed his eyes. “Greg was right. I shouldn’t’ve told you at all.”

  Guilt flashed through Morgan and she regretted snapping at him. He was right, of course. The past few months couldn’t have been easy on him. She took in a breath and rolled her shoulders, allowing the tension that had gathered there to drain away. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t know. Just… sometimes I feel like my life’s already been decided for me.”

  “Hey, you and me both.” He tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear, running his finger lightly over the sensitive skin as he did so. “But this is something that I’m actually happy about. I’m sorry if you’re not.”

  She looked at him, surprised to find pain in his light blue eyes. The last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings. “It’s not that. It’s just…” She laughed. “When I’d do fortunes at school, you wanna know the number one question I’d get asked? People wanted to know who they were gonna marry. No lie. And I always thought it was such a crazy question. I never wanted to know that. I figured it was too dangerous a thing to know. And now…” She ran both hands through his thick, messy black hair, resting them at the nape of his neck. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  He nodded. “You’re telling me.”

  She took advantage of their proximity to one another and allowed herself to study Lucas’s face in a way she’d never done before—in a way that would have been more than impolite to do before now. She noticed a faint scar that ran parallel to his lower lip and a cerulean ribbon that wound its way through the pale blue of his irises. A heavy feeling sank low in her stomach and her pulse swished loudly in her ears. In a way, she felt ridiculous sitting this close to him, holding him in such an intimate way—after all, this was Lucas, her friend. But in another second, the peculiarity ebbed and their new reality made sense—seemed obvious, even. The feelings swirling within her blossomed before tonight, before Lucas told her about his visions. She smiled, realizing this moment hadn’t come to pass because of Lucas’s dreams; instead, Lucas had his Knower dreams because this moment would come to pass.

  She traced her fingers down his shoulders and arm until they found his hands. “So… what happens now?”

  He shrugged, a look of relief spreading over his face. “I dunno. I don’t, like, have a ring for you or anything.”

  She laughed. “Good. I can only imagine what you could find here to make one out of.”

  “You never know. I could’ve requisitioned something.” He leaned in to kiss her again. As their lips met, Morgan pushed everything from her mind and allowed herself to get lost in the sensation. Her fingers found their way back to the nape of his
neck and she wove her fingers through his hair. When his hands found the small of her back, she was struck by how right everything was. Something within her seemed to correct itself and, suddenly, she felt complete.

  Later, Lucas walked Morgan to her bedroom door, pausing to embrace her before heading back down the hall to his own door. When Morgan slipped into her bed, she smiled contentedly until she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  By the time Morgan woke the next morning, Joss was already out of the room. When she made her way to the common area, it was already buzzing with the cabin’s denizens. She walked into the kitchen and managed to work her way around Joss and Wen to grab a bowl of cereal before heading to the table. Lia, Corbin, and Ellie were seated on the side that overlooked the deck, and Kellen was seated at the head of the table. Morgan rolled her eyes at his presumptuousness and took a seat beside Lucas.

  In so many ways, things were exactly the same as they had been before. But as Morgan sat down, her heartbeat quickened. She ignored the sensation and applied herself to her cereal. Lucas, as usual, pushed a mug in front of her.

  It was like any other day.

  They hadn’t discussed it, still Morgan knew Lucas was on the same page as to the state of their burgeoning relationship. Though it wasn’t as if things between her and Corbin had ended just yesterday, the event was still fresh. Coupled with their close living quarters, it was for the best that she and Lucas not flaunt their togetherness.

  Besides, if Lucas’s vision was to be believed, there would be plenty of time for them to be together openly.

  Joss sat beside Morgan and began prattling about a dream she had that night. Morgan listened politely but allowed her attention to wane when the people in Joss’s dream began turning into parsnips. As she ate her cereal, she listened to the chatter around the table.

  Joss paused in her retelling to sip her beverage. She made a face. “Ack! Stupid instant coffee.” She didn’t entirely hide an accusing glance at Wen.