The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  “We can’t wait either,” Markus agreed. Elisa looked at him in shock. We can’t? Since when? She thought frantically. “Now that she is here to stay, she won’t be put in any more dangerous situations, so we’ll focus on a family right away,” he continued.

  “I’m so happy to hear she is done with that awful army,” his Aunt replied. “Such a horrible thing for a girl.” Elisa felt dizzy. It was like she wasn’t standing right there. Slowly her eyes sought Wolf’s. He no longer looked like he was about to laugh. On the contrary, he looked about ready to strangle the old lady.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more, Aunt. Shall we go see Uncle?” His Aunt agreed, and Markus took her arm in hers, telling Elisa he’d meet her at the head table. He didn’t see the fire burning in her eyes. That, or he was just choosing to ignore it.

  A low whistle sounded behind her. She turned to see both boys looking at her wearily. “What?” she snapped.

  “Nothing,” they replied together. Her eyes started to burn.

  “Just ignore him, Elisa,” Wolf said, keeping his voice light. “No one can force you to do anything. You’re a soldier just like the rest of us; he can’t take that away from you.”

  “Plus, I bet you’ll look really good fat,” Moose piped in. He let out a grunt as Wolf’s elbow connected with his gut. The burning got worse. She had to get out of there. Excusing herself, she raced across the polished floors to the opened doors that led out to the gardens. Someone called out to her, but she barely heard them as she raced to her favourite hidden bench in the palace gardens. The night air felt crisp on her face. It wasn’t cold, it was comfortable, and helped cool the heat on her cheeks. By the time she reached her private spot, the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. She collapsed ungracefully onto the stone bench, covering her face with her hands.

  What had she gotten herself into? She had hardly known Markus when she agreed to be his wife. Not once had she stopped to ask him if he wanted children right away, or even how many! He knew how important being in the army was to her, and yet he had no problem taking it away. Had he ever had the intention to let her continue to be the way she was? Or was she just some new pet he could dress up and show off to his court? She let out a frustrated growl. Wolf would never expect me to change, she said inwardly.

  The thought hit her like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Gods, she was right. Wolf would probably be so damn proud of her and her talents. He’d probably want them to be that couple. The one who everyone looked up to because they were both part of the King’s Army, and were two of the best. They were equals in his eyes, even though he pretended otherwise. Equals. Did Markus think of her as his equal? Elisa knew the answer immediately – no, no he didn’t. He probably saw her as just some young girl from the Capital, while he was this older, wiser leader of the south. She was just another pretty face.

  New tears threatened to fall. To Markus she was just some prize, but to Wolf she was a treasure. One that he would keep and take care of. An aching pain started in her chest. She rubbed absently at it while she stared up into the sky. What was wrong with her? She felt horrible, and yet something was happening in the pit of her stomach. It was like part of her wanted to cry, while another part wanted to laugh out loud in delight. Was she going mad? No, she doubted it. She was too young for that sort of thing. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the feelings swirling around inside her. Why was she sad? Well that was easy, because Markus had a life planned out for them that she didn’t want. There was also the fact that he didn’t seem to care that she didn’t want it. He thinks he’ll be making all the decisions for the two of them. That, and she hadn’t really felt a spark between them throughout the whole time they’d been together. While they slept in the same bed, she had no urges to cuddle up to him or ignite any passion.

  Then why did she feel like laughing? It felt like the reason was so obvious, but she was just blinding herself to it. Crap, she thought, wanting to seriously kick herself. She knew exactly what it was. “Fine, I admit it,” she said out loud, to the night sky. “It’s Wolf. There, I’ve said it. Are you happy now?” The sounds of bugs and the distant music from the party were her only reply. “Yes he is the most stubborn, obnoxious, self-centered, egotistical arse I’ve ever met, but it’s him, it always has been. I – ” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I love him. Crap! I love him! And I know he loves me, despite everything we’ve ever said or done to each other.” She was pacing now.

  What was she going to do? How was she supposed to get out of her engagement with Markus now? Oh, and Wolf, she thought with a loud groan. He would never let her live this down. She’d have to go crawling back to him after pushing him away again and again. He was going to gloat like there was no tomorrow. Did she care? Not really, she decided. Not if it meant he’d have her, and they could finally be together.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly behind her, making Elisa whirl around, cheeks burning. Markus stood in the path, watching her wearily. “M-Markus,” she gasped.

  He smiled, and she noticed it was much sadder than normal. “Sorry to – interrupt,” he replied. “I happened to see you leave, so I followed to make sure everything was alright.” How much had he heard? She wondered, twisting her hands together frantically. “I heard enough,” he replied. Had she said that out loud? “I can read it on your face,” he answered again, as if he had some magical power. With a heavy sigh, he walked towards her and sat down on the bench. Looking up at her, he patted the spot beside him. She sat, looking down at her twisted fingers.

  “Do you hate me now?” she asked, bracing herself for his anger. Instead he answered in a tired sounding voice.

  “Of course I don’t hate you, Elisa. I guess I knew this might happen, if I’m being honest. The truth is, I need a wife that will lead my court, and our court here is nothing like the Capital. They don’t revere your skills like your people do. Here, they would have only looked to you to see what kind of gowns you were wearing, and how you styled your hair. I’m afraid things are just too different in Nysa for you.”

  That was definitely the truth, she thought, cringing at the picture he painted. Would she have honestly been so – useless? “I’m so sorry,” she said to him.

  “Don’t apologize,” he said, taking one of her hands gently into his. “I could always see what was between you and Wolf. I guess I just convinced myself I could replace it. I know now I can’t. Perhaps we rushed into this.” He seemed to lose himself in a thought. They sat there in an awkward silence for a moment, before he abruptly stood, dropping her hand back onto her lap. “I understand the choice you’ve made, and care enough about you to let you walk away from us,” he said, crouching down in front of her. “I hope this is the right decision for you. I know men like Wolf. They only care about themselves, and as hard as it is for me to see you willingly give your heart to him, I feel like maybe it’s what you need to do.”

  Elisa sat in shock. This was not what she had expected him to say. “I don’t understand what you mean,” she replied, her voice gruff.

  Markus sighed, looking down as he reached for one of her hands again. She felt mildly uncomfortable. “I’m just warning you. Be careful. Guys like Wolf always want what they can’t have. When they finally get them, well…I just don’t want anything to hurt you. I’ll always be here for you if you need me.” She wanted to protest instantly and defend Wolf. He wasn’t anything like Markus was implying, but before she could speak he stood up again. “Well, I had better go back before they notice I’m gone. Don’t worry about announcing anything. I’ll make sure everyone knows our arrangement is called off.”

  “Thank you,” she said, quietly. Could she feel any worse? She wondered how he could be so calm about all this.

  Elisa turned to look at him as he reached the small path. “You better get back too if you want to inform the man you love that you do, in fact, love him,” he said, over his shoulder. Then he was gone, and she was left staring at the ground, frozen to her spot.
Goose bumps rose on her arms, and she suddenly felt incredibly scared. She had to tell Wolf she loved him. Could she do it? The memory of Moose talking about leaving the party to find women was what made her stand up quickly. Yes, she could definitely do it, and she would, before he did anything stupid. Marching back through the gardens with purpose, Elisa straightened her back and drew up as much courage as possible. This was not going to be easy for her. The last time she had went to him he had turned her away. She just hoped this time would be different.

  * * *

  Wolf stood with Aiden and Moose, the three of them watching as Logan clumsily tried to dance with Lily. All three cringed at the same time.

  “Did he just step on her toes again?” Moose asked, his voice pained from watching the two.

  “Yup,” Aiden replied, shaking his head.

  “That girl is going to be toeless by the end of this, I hope you know that,” Moose added.

  “Ah, she’ll be fine,” Aiden replied.

  “How much has he had to drink?” Wolf asked, watching as his best friend stumble, yet again. He was also knocking into other dancers, who didn’t look too pleased. They’d have to leave sooner than he planned, Wolf realized. This crowd was way too rich for Logan’s antics.

  “Too much, I’d say,” his brother answered. “Time to go?”

  “Probably.” Wolf let his eyes glance over to the garden doors again, for about the millionth time since Elisa had left. Where was she? He knew she had been upset, but hadn’t wanted to follow to make sure she was okay. He’d only end up making her more angry, because she hated looking weak in front of him. Or any of them, he corrected. Plus, he had seen Markus leave not long after, and didn’t want to interrupt whatever the two of them were doing. He hoped they were fighting, but the possibility of something else made him feel sick. “We should definitely leave,” he decided, suddenly feeling a desperate urge to get completely and utterly drunk.

  “I’ll go save Lily,” Aiden said, moving towards the dancers.

  “Are you going to stay here?” Moose asked.

  “Yeah, most likely.” Aiden answered, walking over to them as they stopped to listen to whatever he was saying. Then the three came back, and Logan was literally bouncing with energy.

  “We’re leaving?” he asked, excitedly.

  “Yes, but only if you calm down,” Wolf answered, trying to keep himself from laughing. It was rare that he was the responsible one when the two of them went out, but right now he didn’t seem to have it in him to feel as happy as Logan did. “I don’t want to get into any fights tonight.”

  Logan suddenly stopped bouncing from one foot to the other. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asked, completely serious.

  “Wolf!” Elisa’s voice called out from across the room. They all turned to see her marching towards them, her face determined.

  “What’d you do?” Logan whispered.

  “Uh, I have no idea,” he replied, honestly.

  “Looks like we’re getting a fight anyway,” Moose added, rubbing his hands together happily. Elisa reached them, stopping with her hands fisted on her hips. What was wrong with her? Wolf admired the spark in her eyes that was always there when she was worked up about something.

  “What’s up?” Wolf asked, keeping his tone casual. Sometimes he just wanted to swoop this girl up and kiss her until she all but melted in his arms. Especially when she was this rigid.

  “I need to talk to you. Outside. Alone,” she responded, pointing towards the garden doors. He met Aiden’s eye with a clear question, to which his friend simply shrugged. With a defeated sigh, he followed her outside. When she didn’t stop right away, he continued to follow her in silence until they were alone on a path somewhat deep within the maze-like garden, which Wolf had still yet to figure out. What was going on? Why was she bringing him out here? He thought back to their interaction with Markus, but he couldn’t recall doing anything particularly bad. Mind you, he thought truthfully, he rarely found anything wrong with what he did.

  She finally stopped, so suddenly he almost walked right into her. She turned to face him, and he took a quick step back. Looking around, like the answer was hidden somewhere for him to spot, he looked back at her in confusion. “Did you kill someone or something, because I don’t really feel like burying anything right now?” he joked.

  Elisa rolled her eyes. “No, I didn’t kill anyone, what a ridiculous thing to ask,” she replied, and that’s when he noticed it for the first time. She was nervous! Incredibly nervous, to the point where she could barely meet his eyes. Her anger was just her way of dealing with whatever it was she was worried about. He tried to gentle his tone, feeling bad for making fun of her.

  “Alright, what’s going on then?”

  “I uh – needed to talk to you about something,” she replied, playing with the skirts of her dress.

  “Am I supposed to guess what that is, or are you just going to tell me?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of him. He was almost starting to enjoy her obvious discomfort.

  “Just give me a minute! I need to think.” She started to pace, murmuring under her breath.

  “Gods Elisa, just tell me! Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad,” he urged.

  “Maybe I’ll just show you,” she said, softly, like she was speaking to herself.

  “Show me? Show me what? You did kill someone, didn’t you?” He opened his mouth to continue, but instantly snapped it shut. The look she gave him was nothing he expected. Heat burned in her eyes, dominating whatever insecurities and nerves she had been feeling, and seared right through him. His mouth suddenly felt dry. “W-what’s going on?” he asked, his voice suddenly hoarse. Keep it together man! He scolded himself.

  Elisa walked towards him, until she was right in front of him and he had to bend his neck just to look at her. She looked up at him, biting nervously on her lips. His eyes were stuck on those lips, remembering what they had felt like when he had kissed them only a day ago. That moment had played over in his head so many times since, it was a wonder he could even function properly. Elisa slowly draped her arms over his shoulders, one hand playing with his hair. He closed his eyes at the feeling of her slim fingers running through the strands.

  “Elisa, what are you doing?”

  “Showing you,” she replied, quietly. Before he even opened his eyes, he felt her stretch up, and then her lips touched his in a soft brush. It was a whisper of a kiss. Then again they were there, gliding over his mouth, teasing him with their warmth, before removing them again.

  “Stop,” he said, hating himself for saying that word. She did, but stayed with her body pressed against his. “Why are you doing this, Elisa? Tell me, because if I kiss you again, I might not be able to walk away. It’s a fair warning.”

  She smiled broadly at him. A smile that was so true, and so full of love that it made him want to squeeze her tightly in his arms, and never let her go. Instead, he forced himself to keep his hands by his thighs, warding off the temptation.

  “I don’t want you to walk away this time,” she replied, as one of her hands cupped his cheek. Every instinct in his body told him to lean into her touch, but again he forced himself to remain motionless.

  “Explain yourself,” he ordered. It was taking every ounce of energy not to attack her right then. The heat of her body so close to his was making it harder to think properly, and she looked so damn beautiful it almost hurt him to look at her.

  “I’ve broken off my engagement with Markus,” she answered. “He heard me saying some things, and we both decided it was best.”

  “What things?”

  She opened her mouth then closed it again. “What things, Elisa?” he pressed.

  “He uh, he heard me talking to myself out loud, and I might have been saying how much I love you…” she answered, the last words coming out in a rush. She was biting her lip now, looking up at him nervously. Did she just say? Wolf felt like everything around him slowed down. He was holding his breath, as if he cou
ld freeze everything that was happening in that moment.

  “Say it again,” he whispered, too afraid to move.

  Elisa rolled her eyes, and huffed. “Wolf, don’t start rubbing it in, because I’m not –”

  “Just,” he interrupted her, “say it again.” He had to hear it, had to make sure she actually said what he thought she did. He closed his eyes, waiting. He heard her sigh, before she spoke again.

  “I love you.” He let out his breath in one big whoosh. A slow smile spread across his face, until he was grinning like a fool. Opening his eyes, he looked down at the girl he had been waiting his whole life for, and suddenly felt complete. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against him. She gasped, but he didn’t let her get any further before covering her mouth with his. She tensed for a second before melting into him, just like he had always dreamed of her doing. With another sigh, her mouth opened and he took advantage by slipping his tongue to meet hers. She clung to him like he was the most important person in the world. It made him feel like he could do anything at that moment. He was invincible.

  She pulled back, her breathing coming out in quick gasps. “Don’t you have something to say in return?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. Her lips were already swollen, tempting him with their fullness.

  “As if you don’t already know I’m in love with you too,” he teased, playing distractedly with her hair.

  “I still want to hear you say it,” she replied, her tone firm. He wanted to laugh, loving that they were still arguing, even as they were professing their love for each other. Would life ever be dull with her?

  “Fine,” he said, with false exasperation that had her smiling reluctantly. He took a step forward, as she took a step back. “I.” Step. “Love.” Step. “You.” Step. “With.” Step. “All.” Step. “My.” Step. “Heart.” Her back hit the large hedge that ran around the outside of the garden. She didn’t seem to mind the bush up against her bare skin. He moved even closer, pinning her with his hips. “And I’m never going to let you go,” he finished, bringing his face close to hers. “Happy now?”