“Yeah. I remember. It felt like a trance or something.”
“That’s kind of what it is. Once that happens, the bond is there and can’t be broken. I knew when that happened, you were mine, and I wasn’t going to let anyone else have you. That’s only half the reason I kissed you in front of everyone in the lobby that day. The other half was that I felt a deep pain just thinking I was leaving you behind, even for a few hours, and I had a horrible urge to get a last fix.
“After the first day I saw you, I told my parents what happened, and they panicked because you’re human. That’s why they didn’t want me around you. It’s a taboo in my world to be with someone outside our own species. There’s a punishment otherwise.” He didn’t say anything farther.
“What’s the punishment?” I asked with a sigh. Might as well know everything.
“Death,” he sighed now too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to get you wrapped up into my world if you didn’t have to be, but it’s too late now,” he sounds guilty.
“Hey, I have a choice here too…” I paused and reached my free hand up to his face and made him look me in the eyes, so he would take me seriously. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He smiled and said, “I’m glad.”
To get off the depressing stuff, I asked, “So what other things can you do?”
He laughed carefree now. “Well, I have a great sense of smell, I can run super-fast, I’m really strong, if you ever need a car jack let me know.” He laughed again. “And let’s see… I can turn invisible while in wolf form.” He grinned at me.
My eyes widened in shock, “What!? You can turn invisible, no way! I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true. Remember you asked me how I knew your mom had a gun?”
I nodded in total disbelief.
“Well, when I ran out of your room, I stopped on the balcony and waited. I had to move so your dad wouldn’t touch me, but other than that, I was there until you opened the doors again.” He grinned his new sexy smile. I think he figured it out that I’d melt anytime he smiled that way.
I looked at him in a bit of shock, not saying a word.
He started laughing. “Ha, ha, ha I’m kidding!” He laughed again. “Had you going, didn’t I?”
I slapped his shoulder playfully. “That’s just wrong!”
His playful mood lessened. “Yeah, it’s really wrong when I snuck in your room while you were… were scared of… me.” His voice became pained.
Immediately my heart filled with pain. “Zach, I’m so sorry. I really am. You have no idea how horrible I felt after you left that day. I became so depressed I didn’t want to eat anymore. I’m sor-”
“Hey, it’s not your fault. I was being stupid. I shouldn’t have acted like that in the first place, but I didn’t want those Arachne to attack you, so I was warning them to keep away.”
My eyes widened in fear. “How long had they been around my house?” I asked horrified.
“Not long. They were new to the area and liked your… scent.” He looked at me and must have noticed my disgusted face, “Sorry.”
“Please stop right there, I don’t even want to know.”
“Fine with me. I didn’t even want to go there, but I figured you would drag it out of me again.” Ugh, he and his new found sexy smile.
“The sad thing is you’re probably right.” I smiled again looking into his eyes. “And thanks. Wish I would have known. I could have saved us both a lot of pain.”
“Yes, yes I could have.”
I sighed. “Um… did I hear you right?” I asked getting off of the subject of who’s to blame. I know I’m the one to blame, not him, but I don’t feel like arguing.
“What?”
“You snuck into my room? When?” I asked casually.
“While I wasn’t around. Well, I was around, you just didn’t know it. I would go into your room once in a while, telling you that I love you and kissed you on the cheek.” He acts like he’s in trouble.
“So, you never… um… snuck in while I was… showering and all?” I felt really stupid asking that question, but I have to know.
“Ha, ha, ha. Nope, never have, but tempted many times.” Sexy, seductive smile alert.
I slapped his arm playfully.
“Wow, I didn’t realize the mosquitoes were out this time of year.” He grinned looking down at me.
“Oh, ha, ha.” I grinned back.
This is one of the many reasons I love Zach so much. He can go from a serious conversation to a playful one. I never realized how much love one heart could hold. It felt about to burst.
While we talked and laughed, I never realized how far into the woods we were. Of course, everything looks the same, well except the giant wall of dirt and roots in front of us. It’s really high, and when I look up, I almost got dizzy. It looks to be about a sixty feet high. There are roots and trees hanging out of the side of the giant dirt wall.
Zach stopped and looked at me. “Ready to climb?” He asked calm and relaxed.
“Climb?” I choked. I’m terrified of heights and I’ve never climbed a wall. “I don’t think can do this,” I said staring at Zach with fear all over my face.
“It will be fine, almost easy,” he smiled. “I’ll show you how.”
“Easy for who? Certainly not me!” I squeaked.
“Oh, you will be fine. Put your hands here and your feet here.” He pointed to the spots on the wall. I reluctantly did as he said.
Encounter
Please don’t fall, please don’t fall, please don’t fall, I repeated over and over in my head. I don’t know how far off the ground I am, but it doesn’t matter. Looking up, I know I will be way up there, eventually. That is if I don’t fall to my death in the meantime. Climbing is ridiculously hard for me as my legs are burning flamethrowers, and my arms are starting to go numb. I don’t have the strength to do this. Zach keeps telling me I’m doing great and recommends places to put my hands and feet. He’s right next to me, maybe a foot away from my side, climbing like a monkey. He makes it look way too easy.
I took a good grip on a root right above me and then did the stupidest thing possible… I looked down. I’m about twenty feet up, but it looks like hundreds. My breathing is becoming rapid, and I seriously want to panic. I hate heights, and even being this high, terrifies me. Sure, I love being out on my balcony at home, but at least my feet are on the floor, and there are rails to keep me from falling off.
“Lexi, don’t look down. Look at me,” Zach said in a stern voice, commanding my attention. “Lexi!” He said again when I didn’t listen.
I glared at him, with parallelizing fear written all over my face. I can’t move. I’m too scared.
“Lexi it’s okay. Here…” He came as close to me as possible, touching my side. “Move your hand to the other side of my head, and your foot to the other side of my legs.”
“What are you talking about?” I said with sheer fear in my shaking voice.
He sighed. “I’m going to carry you up.”
“Zach n-”
“Lexi, there is no point in arguing. I’ll win anyway and you know it.”
Uh, now I regret saying he’s sexy when he smiles like that.
I did as he said, just very slowly, and reluctantly. I have my arms around his neck trying not to choke him to death and being unsuccessful at it. My legs held a death grip around his waist as he swiftly climbed the wall with no problem at all. When we’re about six feet from the top, he stood on a long root that jets out of the dirt wall like a shelf. He stood for a moment before he bent his knees slightly. I don’t know what he’s doing until we’re airborne. I stifled a scream thinking we’re falling to our deaths. Zach jumped from the root and landed perfectly on top of the steep wall. He took a few paces away from the edge, and I somehow found the strength to let go of him, quickly getting on my hands and knees kissing the ground.
Zach made a small coughing sound covering a laugh. “Really don’t like heights, huh?”
I got off the ground after catching my breath and stood next to Zach holding his hand.
“Well, at least there’s an easier way to get down,” He smirked.
“What!?” I said shocked. “If it doesn’t involve climbing I’m gonna have to smack you!”
He smirked again. “No climbing involved, I swear.” His face and his voice suddenly became serious. “Lexi, I brought you up here to show you something. I want you to know you are safe. I won’t ever let anything happen to you…” He paused looking into my eyes with deep intensity. “Do you trust me?”
Abruptly, I became extremely stressed, but I nodded, not wanting to speak, afraid my voice will crack.
Zach, seeing my utter discomfort pulled me into a hug, wrapping his strong arms around me. He placed his lips close to my ears and whispered, “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.” He leaned back and smiled half-heartedly, then leaned in a kissed me gently on the lips. “I promise,” he said softly then looked straight ahead toward the trees.
I looked in the same direction noticing we’re standing in a small open area, surrounded by dense trees and thick bushes. I noticed the dense brush is forming a semi-enclosed circle around us keeping the cliff to our back with essentially no way down, except to jump... I quickly thought about how we’re getting down and suddenly feel sick at the thought.
I feel trapped up here, and Zach has me on edge from his comments. The way his body stiffened at my side, caused me to have the urge to hug onto him and run. Something doesn’t feel right up here. I can’t explain it, or maybe I’m psyching myself out because of the way Zach’s acting.
Without warning, I realize I’m in danger. There is a low menacing growl very close by. I can’t see anything, but I can hear branches of trees snapping, and the crisp leaves crunching under something’s feet. It sounds huge… Even the ground is vibrating with each step.
The growling became louder, and louder until it’s a full out roar. I recognize the roar from some of the shows I watch on Animal Planet, but it can’t be… not here!
It emerged from the thick brush and stood before Zach and me fifteen feet away. It’s a mammoth Grizzly Bear, but it’s no ordinary Grizzly, this thing is twice the size of a normal one. Its head comes even with mine, and that’s on all fours.
I can literally feel my heart stop before taking off on a marathon sprint. It’s beating so rapidly, I think I might pass out.
“Zach…” I forced myself not to scream. “we need to go… now!” I whispered as calmly, and as quietly as possible, I don’t want the bear any more upset than it already is.
Zach shook his head no.
I want to scream at him! Does he want us to die!? I’m not ready to die, I just started my life. I can feel tears streaming down my face, and Zach wiped them away gently with his thumb.
“It’ll be okay, I promised Lexi. Remember?” He said calmly with a small reassuring smile.
The bear let out a growl so menacing, and angry that I can feel it go through my body, sending shivers up my spine. I want to run, to get away, but there’s nothing I can do with a sheer drop off behind me. There is no way out…
I started to back up, trying to pull Zach with me, but my feet quickly found the edge of the cliff. Zach pulled on my hand to keep me from falling and drew me into an embrace. I crushed my face into his chest, letting my tears soak his shirt. If death is coming, I don’t want to see it.
The low growling immediately stopped, and then I heard something else. It’s coming from above, and it too sounds enormous. I don’t want to look and see something else that is gonna want to kill us… or me that is. I can hear the flapping of huge wings descending from above, coming in for a landing. Maybe it’s a vulture, here to pick our bones when we’re dead.
“Lexi, I promised you it would be okay, and it is,” Zach whispered in my ear and then kissed me on the forehead.
I looked up at him, and he motioned his head to the side, urging me to look at the last place I want to… toward the bear, and whatever else is with it.
I moved my head slightly to look at the bear, which is now sitting in a relaxed state. Its eyes seem friendlier than before, but that’s not what caught my attention. It’s the massive bird perched on the bear’s shoulders with its massive body, dark brown feathers, and its head, pure white. I simply can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s an eagle, but this eagle, like the bear, is not normal in size. I would have to say it’s a good three times bigger. Both the bear and the eagle stared directly at me, paying no attention to Zach.
I don’t know what to think. First, I thought I had gone crazy, and then I thought New York had some toxic spill they never told anyone about, but then the last thought came to mind… and I’m relieved I thought of it.
I quickly wiped the tears from my face and let out a sigh of relief. I now understand why Zach brought me here.
Remembering back to what Zach told me this morning…
Well, the Eagle is a leader. And there was one for a bear; A Bear is protective and nurturing.
I understand completely now. I let go of Zach’s body, but kept a hold of his hand as I took a step forward.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ryans,” I greeted Zach’s parents. I’m glad I kept the shaking out of my voice.
The eagle looks as if it’s laughing because its body shook, and amusement shinned in its eyes. The bear remained relaxed but seems to be frowning a bit.
Zach took a step forward and now stood at my side; our hands remained intertwined with one another as Zach spoke.
“Mom, dad, this is Lexi. Lexi these are my parents. Mom’s the bear and dads the eagle.” I can tell Zach is grinning from ear to ear, without even needing to look at him, I can hear it in his voice. “I told you she would figure it out and not freak out,” Zach said sarcastically. I assumed he looked at his mom, the bear, when he said it because she rolled her eyes in annoyance.
The eagle hopped down onto the ground, coming closer to me. I’m shocked when he bowed his head, closing his eyes as he stretched out one of his massive wings. I feel like he’s greeting me. He looked back at the bear, his wife, and jerked his head toward me. The bear got up and walked up to the eagle, stopping by his side. The bear bowed her head but didn’t shut her eyes. I can tell Zach’s mom isn’t too enthusiastic like his dad about me. I tried to smile at her, but I think it made it worse because she shook her head.
The eagle looked at his wife, and suddenly she looks amused. That’s when they both started arching their backs like they’re stretching. I know immediately what they’re doing. I’ve only seen it once, but it’s something I can never forget. They’re changing to their human forms.
The light started to shine, like with Zach this morning, but when his parents shifted it became so bright, I’m forced to look away. It felt like I was staring straight into the sun without sunglasses. When I looked back a second later, the light is gone. In the place of the bear stands a beautiful woman looking disappointed, and in the place of the eagle is a good-looking man. They both look to be in their early thirties with tanned skin tones, but the man’s is a few shades lighter than his wife and son. The man stands about a foot taller than me and has what looks to be a military haircut in the color of sandy brown. His eyes are dark like Zach’s, except he has a gold rim around his pupil. How strange… The woman is shorter than her husband by about six inches with short golden-brown hair that hangs in waves just past her ears. Then looking to her eyes…
She watched me closely as the realization hit me. She’s the woman from the hospital! My mouth gaped open, and she smiled, winking at me.
Before I can say anything, the man is the first to greet me with his deep baritone voice. “Welcome Lexi, it is nice to finally meet you. We have heard quite a bit about you,” he smiled warmly, reaching h
is hand out to me. I reached out and shook his warm hand, which a moment ago, was a wing of an elegant eagle.
I blushed. “It’s nice to meet you as well,” I smiled back shyly.
“I too must say welcome. You’re a very impressive girl.” The woman smiled warmly.
“Thank you.” I smiled back kindly.
“Told you-” Zach started to say.
“Yes, yes, we know, told you so. Are you happy now?” His mom cut him off.
“Yes, I am,” Zach practically glowed.
Zach’s father shook his head. He must have seen my confusion about the situation. “My wife bet against Zach that you would scream once you saw her.” He paused to laugh. “But, Zach said you wouldn’t, and it seems he was right.” He grinned widely at his wife.
She sighed. “Alright, alright. Enough about that thank you very much.”
“Yeah, mom tried growling to get herself to win the bet.” Zach laughed.
“Yes, I did.” She said unashamed looking at Zach. She turned to me. “You are stronger than you look young one. I must say, I underestimated you.” She looked me up and down. “I was hoping to chase you away from my only child. You see, I can be a little over-bearing about him.” She smiled and this time, she didn’t have to put any effort into it.
Zach and his dad laughed, and I let out a small laugh myself. It seems she’s starting to warm up to me, and I’m glad. I thought my mom was protective, but she had nothing on Zach’s bear of a mother. I smiled to myself.
“Okay, you two can stop laughing now. I would like to formally introduce myself.” She waited until they fell quiet before she continued. “You may call me Garcia.”
“And you may call me Thatch,” Zach’s dad said.
“It’s nice to meet you Thatch, and you again Garcia.”
“Again?” Zach and Thatch said together confused.
Garcia waved her hand dismissing them. “Another time,” she said. She moved on ignoring their protests. “It’s nice that he’s found you. I thought he would like Rashel, but… he has eyes for you.” Garcia smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
Sapphyre: Burden to Bare (The Sapphyre Saga Book 1) Page 20
