The Predator's Loop

Chapter 16: I'll be good to myself

Adhira:

Stars were splattered across the sky like diamonds embedded into a vast canvas. The darkness seemed to emphasize the light from the stars. It's like during the darkest times, we burn our brightest and hardest to survive. Even if there's every reason for us to give up, we're still hanging on. The pain of loss in my chest can probably never die down. I'm just going to learn how to live with it. Learning isn't easy. It is rather messy.

The silent atmosphere and the breeze calmed me down considerably. She took me near a rock that drops into the valley down below. I squinted to see a bird's eye view... of the tower that I died on every day.

"Did you always watch me from up here?" I asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

She sat down and pulled me between her legs securely. We just remained for a few minutes and I went on to talk to her, "What you did in the morning with me... was it just to mark your scent on me or possibly draw your territory?"

"There was no underlying purpose for it. Did anybody say something to you, Adhira?" she asked.

"No," I replied. I just didn't want to throw Xeno under the bus.

"If somebody's messing with your mind, you better tell me about it because I will find out. It won't turn out very pleasant for them," she warned.

I gulped and shook my head worrying about Xeno's fate. I wanted to ask questions abrasively without worrying about the consequences but there's this underlying fear that just won't go away. So, I just sat still and just tried to rigidly enjoy her company.

"You're nervous and you're thinking. What's running in your stubborn little head, Adhira?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied as I chewed my lip.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," she spoke and placed her lips against the side of my neck.

I tried to pull away from her advances and she allowed me to. I looked back at her and snapped, "It's nothing. When I say it's nothing. It's just nothing!"

She observed me carefully. My breathing got heavier as I argued, "I want you to leave me alone or just don't talk to me for a while."

She shook her head in confusion, "You seem angry but I see fear in your eyes. If you don't tell me what's going on with you, I wouldn't know how to help you."

She stroked my bandaged cheek, leaned in, and gently asked me, "If you feel afraid that I might hurt you, I promise I would never do that. I know that I broke the promise once and you're scared because of it. How do I fix this?"

"You should allow me to touch people that I talk to," I whispered.

She glared, "Am I not enough for you to touch? To have someone else mix up your scent will drive me wild. This is how shifters work sweetheart."

She lifted me and flipped me around to sit me down on her lap facing her. She pulled me close and tucked some strands of hair behind my ear. My face flushed with warmth at her glowing eyes. Her hands ran down my back making me arch my back instinctively.

"Nyx, stop doing that," I complained.

Her fingers slipped into my hair and gripped my scalp gently. She brushed her lips against my jaw, "Stop doing what?"

I tried to pull away and she immediately let go of my hair as if she recognized the shift in my emotions. She sighed, "You can do whatever you wish to do. But nobody will be touching you. That's final."

I sighed, "whatever."

.

.

The next day, I woke up wrapped in Nyx's arms. She didn't leave for her morning run. It felt warm and she's got a unique scent that made me rather fuzzy on the insides.