Locke Down

Chapter 23

Laurel's POV

As soon as he leaves the room my body aches for him. Physically aches.

I toss and turn in the bed, unable to get comfortable, and I wonder what's he doing. My body feels extremely warm, almost feverish, and I kick the covers off of me to try to cool down. Thoughts of where Locke could possibly be keeps cycling through my head as if on repeat and noise from downstairs catches my attention.

It sounds as though someone is yelling and Zara immediately perks up at the hint of Locke's voice. I instantly get out of bed to go find him, following the sounds coming from down the hall. Pausing at the end of the staircase, I spot him along with two other figures standing rigid, clearly agitated at one another.

"Locke?" I call out.

He turns around and a growl cuts through the space, catching me off guard. It's then I notice the two others in the room are Kline and Frazier, and while I normally would have been excited at their presence, I'm taken aback by their expressions.

Kline looks like he saw a ghost and Frazier has clearly lost control to his wolf, who seems as though he wants to pounce on me. The desire in his expression has Zara snarling to stay away and I quickly turn around to head back down the hall.

"Get in the truck! Now!" I hear my brother yell right before I turn to run down another corridor.

My body burns now and it feels as though my wolf is at the surface, taking over my normal instincts. I'm not sure where I'm going, or why I am even running, but for once I feel like the prey and Zara wants nothing more than a good chase.

I swiftly move through the large castle, intrigued by the new area I've ended up at.  There's so many rooms I have yet to step foot in and it seems as though it continues on forever. I finally step into one and freeze at the large open floor, decorated with huge stone pillars that are even placed around the edges. The ceiling is painted to look like a night sky full of stars and it almost appears to glow as the sun outside begins to set. The vast space is void of any furniture, but has a marble floor that seems to run on for miles until it stops at a large fireplace at the opposite end. The fireplace is massive, towering well over my head and stacked full of massive logs, ready to burn. I marvel at the room, but the sound of distant footsteps forces me to cut short my admiring.

Darting out the door, I continue to the Far East side of the castle, somewhere I've never been. It wasn't that it was ever forbidden for me to wander to this side, I just never came this way since he's never talked about it nor brought me here. Often I wondered what the rest of the castle contained, but was afraid he'd get angry if I explored too much or ran into something I shouldn't.

Part of me was always scared that he had something hidden that he didn't want me finding out about. Call me stupid, but I would rather not know and be happy than having my entire world come crashing down.

For some reason, though, those thoughts completely vanish as I twist and turn through the halls, my heart rate increasing as my skin continues to burn. Just moments ago I was interested in what lied behind the many doors I've yet to see, but now I could care less. I'm practically running at this point, not exactly sure where I'm going, but Zara seems to know precisely as we catch the scent of morning dew.

I immediately stop, searching for the intoxicating scent that was once here and has somehow vanished. My body is on a mission to find it as I turn and run back to the area I was once at. Not even seconds later, I collide with a body as arms come out to grab me so I don't fall to the floor.

I look up to meet his blazing eyes and I swear I could feel the electricity in the air around us. His grip on me tightens and I don't even think twice as I lean into him and press my lips to his. This kiss is hot and leaves us both panting when we finally break away. My desire to be closer to him is evident as I cling to his body and nuzzle deeper into his chest. It feels as though I've finally found the missing puzzle piece I've been searching for for so long.