Nightly Howls
Page 51
“Depends?!”
“As soon as the crown was consumed, the world was flooded with light. In that single moment, every being was called to the place where he or she belonged. For different people, that means different things. Asher wasn’t actually a part of the werewolf society, so he actually moved on to judgement with the rest of the Shifters. In general, the werewolves you know and love still exist but have been scattered, stripped of their powers and given the freedom to find a new purpose for themselves among the humans. Today, you have this freedom as well. You have broken your chains, and now you must choose as the Shifters have chosen.”
I stare at my hands, squeezing them into a fist. So.. I’m never going to see Asher again. That fact saddens me, but I know I can’t feel too depressed because I know he wanted and needed a resolution. He should have the right to his own happiness. “I’m normal now, right?” I hesitatingly ask, trying to get her to keep talking so I can get as many answers as possible.
“For that question to be answered, you must define normal. Ella, I believe that you are special. Extraordinary even, and you have the power even now to change the world. You don’t need supernatural abilities to do so either. So believe in yourself, and gather up the people who care about you the most, because now you belong. Embrace your new destiny, not just for what it will be but for what it is.” She smiles widely, lifting her hands into the sky. “Last of all, I’d like to thank you. And as a little parting gift, head to the south for a little while and you’ll find him. I know you’ll be looking.” Her body starts to rise as well, and I subconsciously reach out only to find that only seconds later she is far beyond my reach. After a single blink it seems like she faded into the clouds, only a particle of mist in the endless, blue sky.
The whispers are gone. I feel slightly lonely, but at the same time liberated by the possibilities that this change offers. There is no one to pave the way for me anymore, and I can go in any direction that I choose. Even if Fate was only a figment of my imagination and I’m actually going insane, I can’t bring myself to care.
Instantly I turn and start running to what I know to be the south. Call it intuition, or for all I know it could just be a silly guess.
But as I run over the peak of the hill and then tumble down the slope, I can make out a figure running my way in the broad clearing. And I would know him from a mile away.
And suddenly, nothing seems to matter anymore. All my questions, doubts, and suspicions instantly disappear as a pure ecstasy consumes my heart. And even if I don’t have powers anymore, my legs still seem to run a mile a minute as I know that he is on the other side waiting for me. This was never goodbye.
And we’re finally here, in a rather large forest, not knowing quite where we are or where we are going, much less where we are even going to start. Yet nothing else has ever felt so right, not in my entire life, with all the shards coming together to form a beautiful picture of a perfect world.
I choose you.
Immediately we reach for each other, searching for the warmth that only the other person provides. “It’s good to see you again,” I say laughingly into his ear, stroking his arm. He doesn’t answer immediately, crushing my body in a tight embrace with his lips dancing down my neck.
He finally lifts his head, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “I don’t really understand anything, but one minute I’m about to get killed by this one lame Shifter and the next I’m sitting in a green field with a strange urge to go north. But the best part is, I don’t even care about how strange this may be because somehow I still have you.”
“I don’t understand much either,” I say softly, “But let’s try to understand together. Here’s what I know so far: We are somewhere on Earth, we are free of the prophecy, and our friends are… alive as well. We only have to find them.”
“Even Asher?” He asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. My breath catches for a moment, and then I try to keep calm as I form an answer. He seems to guess what I'm about to say from my hesitation, and shakes his head slowly.
“Asher… is in heaven, staring at us from above. He’s having the time of his life right now, I just know it.” I smile into the clouds, knowing that this has to be true. Asher is priceless to us, even with the web of lies he spun, and he will be within our hearts forever. Nico looks at me for a minute, and then bows his head, closing his eyes.
“So, where are the others?” Nico asks quietly. He rubs my back in slow, circular motions as we briefly dwell in our remembrance of Asher. We stand there for a few minutes, absorbing the fact that Asher is happy and that he wants us to find our own happiness as well.
“I don’t know. But that is what we need to do first. Let’s find them, and then we can create our new future,” I finally say determinedly, “let’s not lose anyone else.” Both of our expressions brighten, and I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. Our friends could be anywhere, but with our combined, probably obnoxious willpower I know we will reunite with them quickly.
“We will find them,” Nico agrees, “We can’t and won’t lose anyone else.” But then his expression brightens and he smiles devilishly. “But this comes first.”
He tackles me, pushing me to the ground while his arms snake around to protect my back from the impact. I can’t contain an annoying, rather girly yelp as he moves to trap me in the thick grass, his hands on either side of my head and his torso draped over my own.
“I’m so thankful for you that I just want to show a bit of my appreciation,” he says sweetly, “so let me begin with a few bites of my one and only lady.” Leaning down, he captures my bottom lip in his teeth, coaxing my mouth open. I shiver in anticipation as he nibbles at my lip before moving in for a tender kiss.
“Nico, someone will-“
“No one will see us,” he slightly growls, “and if they do, let them watch. I’ve been waiting patiently for you and for this.”
He reaches for my shoulder and his fingers dance around my shirt sleeves as he kisses me again. Overwhelming euphoria mounts as the simple kiss grows in breathless intensity. Gently sliding my neckline to stretch over my shoulder, his hand moves to my collarbone, and then trails down teasingly to my waist.
I helplessly moan in frenzied protest and he stops suddenly, staring at me. “Are you saying you don’t want this?” He asks, the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
“I just…” Having lost the words, I just stare back at him, desire gnawing at my reservations. What was I trying to say? I don’t even remember anymore.
“I’m going to wait until you say it,” Nico shrugs, slowly twisting his body to the side, away from me. At the movement, the sudden loss of warmth jerks me into action and I grab his arm nervously.
“I do…” I manage to choke out, immediately looking to the side so he doesn’t see my embarrassment. As soon as I move my head his hand snakes out to the side of my face, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“What do you want, Ella?” he asks softly, teasingly. His other hand slides up my waist to my shoulders, slyly tugging at the thin fabric. This is just too much. I’ve just about had enough of this.
“Come here,” I mumble, jerking his head downwards in a sudden movement and forcing him to meet my lips. No more games, because this is real. And he knows it too, moving furiously, both of us wishing to stop time as we drown in each other’s passion.
Yet time does pass, the sun falling on our first day of a new life that shines with the brightness of a happy future. And even though this time around we have no assurances or guarantees, it still feels better this way. Because regardless of where we are or what happens to us, we are home and will always belong to each other.
This is only the beginning.
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