Shifters

Chapter 38

What was that? Damian thought. He was tired, but it was barely 8. Way too early to sleep. Yet, she said goodnight and disappeared, preoccupied. He wondered what she thought about. Was she worried about her parents? Raul?

His thoughts darkened suddenly.

What if she was thinking about Cody?

The thought of that blonde haired pretty boy, being in her mind, angered him. The guy was a coward, he had abandoned Kayla in her time of need, he left her to die! How could he hold her heart, still, after such a heinous crime against her and the pack?

He shook the thought out of his head. No. She may be stubborn, but she wasn't stupid, she wouldn't think of him the same.

His chest ached as he looked toward the loft. She was up there, in his old shirt, laying down in that bed, alone. She had looked so beautiful. Her amber eyes like two pairs of sunsets, staring back at him, drawing him.

When did this happen? When did she get so irresistible?

It took every ounce to hold back from kissing her while they stared at each other at the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to lean in, to have her soft hair in his hand while he touched her lips with his, and tasted a kiss. A great kiss.

And when she was only wearing the blanket. Oh, God.

His heart had raced, his hands sweat. Her legs were so long, strong, and perfect. He had pictured them wrapped around him, clinging to him, even pulling his waist further into hers. The way her hair fell over her shoulders, partially covering the black mark of her royalty, was a mess he wanted to look at forever. He knew she was gripping the blanket, clawing and tearing it even, for a moment he wanted it off. But the uncertainty in her gaze took his animalistic urges away. So he'd given her privacy as soon as he could, and when she emerged in those clothes he picked out, she looked even more radiant than before.

The point at which he protected her for the sake of his pack, and when he did it because he couldn't stand the thought of her being injured eluded him. The lines were blurred, he hated her, then he tolerated her... Then... Things changed. But when? How!?

Damian laid back, aching terribly. His chest felt tight. He closed his eyes, and willed it away. It didn't work. He needed something to focus on. Individual details of the cabin started to pop at him, forcing themselves into his conscience. The lonely, abandoned spirit, that echoed of the good times it once gave his family, now reduced to dust and grime and rodent feces. The cracked walls had been violated by the forest creatures, the furniture rotted, everything disintegrated, slowly and painfully, waiting, loyally, for the family that once stayed here every other weekend. If anything needed love, it was this cabin who needed it most.

He listened up to the loft, Kayla shifted in the sheets a bit, and then was still. The walls crawled with life. Through the torn drapes he could see the forest, dark and shadowed now. A place where scary tales were set, curses were carried, and murders were committed in the dark, according to movies and books. Damian was not afraid of the forest though, especially at night. He was creature straight out of those legends, so he felt more at home than ever.

The night owl hooted from the starry sky. Kayla hadn't moved for a couple hours now, he wondered if she was asleep, and he wished he could hold her. He grabbed a dusty pillow and dug his claws into the fabric. Fate could be so cruel. He had been engaged to Kayla at a terrible time when he was ignorant, and now that he knew he could live with her, love her even, their engagement could never be. As soon as they got home, the packs would separate, he would have to find Kevin, his brother, and kill him. Then watch over the pack while his father joins the other alphas to change Bermuda's entrance.