Locke Down

Chapter 17

Laurel's POV

Fire. Everything was on fire.

The way his hands sends sparks up and down my skin has my mind in a complete fog.

"You're so beautiful." He whispers in my ear, causing me to blush.

It's not like I haven't been told that before, but coming from him it feels so much more different. It feels real.

His lips trail kisses down my neck as his hand reaches towards the edge of my shirt. My heart rate picks up as his fingers gaze the skin of my stomach and I try, unsuccessfully, to bite back a moan as his mouth reaches the sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder.

I can feel him tense up with anticipation and he lets out a groan of his own as I feel down his chest towards the towel wrapped around him. He stops his assault on my skin to look up at me and my eyes flutter closed as he leans in for another kiss.

"What was that?" My eyes fly open as I catch a shadow moving from one side of the room to the other.

His grip tightens on me protectively as he glances around the room confused, but on guard.

"What it is?" He gazes at me and we both sit silently, listening for signs of movement.

"Come."

I hear a whisper through the room and my head snaps to Locke.

"What? Did you see something else?" He asks, pushing up from the bed.

"You didn't hear that?!"

I catch more movement and turn to see a small shadow moving slowly towards us from the window. The dark blue orb hovers almost 6 feet off the ground and within it I begin to make out the same swirl shape symbol I had seen earlier as it draws closer.

"Locke." I clutch onto him terrified.

"What is it? You have to talk to me baby, tell me what you see." He says as looks in the direction I'm facing.

Is he really not seeing this?

The whispers start again but this time I can't make out what they're saying. It begins to speak in a foreign language as it moves closer and I scramble to get off the bed.

Collapsing into a heap on the floor, I turn just in time to see the shadow pass Locke by and head towards me. The urge to shift is overwhelming as I shuffle back and Locke jumps up.

"Laurel!" He rushes over to me but my focus is on the orb closing in.

The whispers become louder, filling my head and causing me to cover my ears. I try my best to block out the noise, but it feels as though it's coming from all directions.

My wolf begins to go crazy inside, desperate to be let out as if she's being called upon. I can feel the danger building internally as the whispers become chants, demanding me to release her, but it no longer feels like I have Zara anymore. The animal within becomes wild and untamed, and I'm afraid of what might happen if I allow myself to give in and shift.

"Please make it stop." I cry out before I take off running.

Where? I'm not sure, but I have to get out of here. I have to get away from the voices.

The pull I previously experienced begins to let up the further I run and I soon find myself outside, surrounded by nothing but large stone walls that are open up top to the stars. I feel as though I've walked into a maze as I look around and I suddenly don't remember how I've gotten here. Spinning around slowly, I notice words written in a different tongue are deeply engraved into the polished block, covering every inch of space.