"Who is Paul?" With my question hanging in the air they left, and by them I meant Rafael's lifemate also, a beautiful woman with wild hair and gorgeous eyes. She did look nice, but in spite everything else I liked Ginny more. I shook my head, not really wanting to find out who Paul was, and by the sounds of it, he was indeed human just like Ginny.
The strange thing was that I thought that Rafael lived in Brazil, not in this godforsaken place, but knowing Rafael, even in Brazil his house would be somewhere no human could reach. I sighed and no matter that I was just coming from a mineral pool, I went into the bathroom and took a long shower. The moment I stepped out of it, I felt it. I ran toward the closest window, trying to open it, but I couldn't. Then I tried with the front door, but it was like glued, it was impossible. I called for an element, all of them or just one, I didn't care, I wanted out, but none of them responded, they couldn't reach me, and it hurt, even though I knew that there was a storm outside just because they couldn't reach me. I wanted to scream, to tear and claw …
Despite the fact that I was used to sleep most of the day, and spend more time with my sister, despite the fact that I was dead on my feet, I intentionally woke up around four o'clock in the afternoon, wanting to enjoy the sun only home could provide, and take a long ride on one of the horses was the next thing on the schedule.
Brushing my still damp hair from the shower, and going down the stairs, my mind lingered on the unknown woman that was in the house. I had to admit that the girl had balls to speak to Zacarias like that, and piss him off without knowing that she was his lifemate. In all the years I've known Zacarias, even if they were a few, not once I've seen him like that, so angry and strangely – possessive. I caught sight of the girl in question in the living room.
She was sitting on top of the table, in a meditating position, her hands on her knees, her posture calm. Selene opened her eyes and green fire blazed at me. Storms were swirling in those green irises, and despite her calm posture those eyes spoke volumes. She looked like a caged animal, wild and untamed, locked in a cell. Small shudders took over her body now and then, just as the room seemed to breathe with power, her power. I swallowed hard, she really looked dangerous, like she was ready to jump everyone , and kill and tear her way out. As I got closer I could see where she had clawed at her own hands, and the marks of nails scratching flesh were deep, and blood still dripped from some of them.
"Jesus, are you okay?" I saw her grunting her teeth and very much glaring at me, yes she was definitely not okay. I took the medical kid from the kitchen and dragged a chair. I sat in front of her, as I gently took her hand in mine and cleaned the wounds, not even bothering to count them, not sure if I was able to count them, at all. She let her head fall back as the biting sting was indeed helping, but the tremors were taking over her body, one more violent then the next. "What's happening? Tell me."
"That idiot put safeguards on the place, strong and powerful, one that have locked my every way out, and they were enough to stop the elements from reaching me, which is painful enough without the fact that I am really claustrophobic. Even in the prison there was an open window and it was enough, but now I don't even thing I can breathe. "She whispered, and I saw claw marks even on her neck. I sat on top of the table, behind her back, and cleaned them as well. I could see her hair moving out of my way on its own accord, as it was really alive.
I tried hard not to pay attention at the window, and the storm that was going out there, but I couldn't help but worry about the horses, strangely I couldn't hear a sound from them, as if they weren't protesting. There was a loud crack mixed with some other noise and I saw a tree in the yard break in two and collapse.
"Zacarias did this?" I asked and she nodded, her teeth grunted, her muscles tensed. "With such a storm going he would probably raise early." She nodded and took a deep breath, then another, but it was like she couldn't get enough.
"I can't breathe." She whispered, still trying. There was no obvious reason that she couldn't breathe, but if she was really as claustrophobic as she said, she was probably in panic.
"Elements, think that they are all around you, they are in the air you breathe. Just think of something positive, okay."While she tried that, I untied her corset the removed in from her body, giving her freedom. She was left in a bra, but there wasn't option such as being shy, plus she didn't seem that type of girl. "Will pure water help you, like a shower or a bath?" She shrugged. "Well, we are about to try." I helped her on her feet, and after letting the water run down her body, as cold as it could be, her body seemed to relax, just a fragment, but it was there.
Unfortunately I was in the shower with her, still wearing my clothes, mind me, and my teeth were chattering from the cold. I couldn't stop asking myself why would Zacarias do such thing if he knew what it would do to her, there was no way he couldn't feel her distress, right? The door to the bathroom opened and we both jumped.
"Is she okay? Nicolas is awake, and is asking what the hell is happening?"
"That's Paul." I said to Selene, " I don't care how Nicolas do it, but I want him to wake up Zacarias and force him to come in the house and fix his own mess, or I promise to kick him in the balls and make sure that he will have to children!" I yelled and Paul, and through him, at Nicolas.
"Gin, since when do you speak like that, is that really you?" Paul teased "The little girl bared her teeth, were his exact words before he cut the connection. " He explained and grinned. I rolled my eyes. Suddenly her whole body tensed and her head snapped up.
"He is fucking awake, in the name of God, I pray that a tree hits him, then a lightning strucks him, and the earth swallows him." I fought not to laugh when I heard the first lightning hit the ground and tear the sky. Zacarias was in a deep shit, that girl was really mad at him. She stood up, and walked out of the bathroom, her hair swirling and curling in anger. Even I felt the moment Zacarias removed the safeguards and I ran fast enough to see Selene running out of the door and collapsing on the ground, with her hands buried in the soil.
I felt the moment he loomed over me, tall and strong, and strangely I noticed that the beat of his heart, matched not only mine, but the strong even rhythm of the earth. I felt the way it welcomed him, the way it beckoned and whispered to him, because the sun hasn't fallen over the horizon yet, the earth wanted to protect her children.
Even if the earth gave me her comfort and hers eternal stillness the moment I raised and faced him, saw those 'honorable' eyes, his possessive gaze, something in me clicked. Peacefulness didn't exist, right now I wanted to rip his head off and drive in on a stake. I was sure that he had no idea what he had done, so mercifully I send him my every emotion, the terrible emptiness, the caged and locked feeling, every last bit of it flew down the mental path to him to feel, along with the memory. I heard his sharp intake of breathe before he reached to examine my hand. I pulled my hand away, snapping my head up, my anger flaring to life, shooting daggers him.
"Go inside, the sun hasn't fallen yet." I muttered and just walked past him. He grabbed my forearm, stopping me dead on my tracks. I hissed at him, and strangely I slapped him. It was such a girlish thing to do, but it was a powerful humiliating tool against him. Stick it, ha! "Don't you ever learn? I do not like to be touched!" I yelled, snapping my arm out of his grip and walking past him. I broke into a run a few feet away from him, just as I called for the wind, just as the element swirled under my fingers, and I didn't stop my call, my inviting whispers until I was welcomed, until I became the air itself and human thought disappeared, there was only the feeling of freedom and open sky.
"Can she really do that? Did she just become the wind?" Asked Paul looked at the direction the girl has disappeared. There was silence before Ginny stormed at Zacarias' direction just before hell broke out.
"Who the hell do you think you are, you just went to sleep without carrying, locking her in the house and not even bothering to think of how it might affect her! Did you see her hands? Her neck? She scratched herself, drawing blood. And what you saw wasn't just the half of it, the shower healed most of them, they were more than I could count. Has it been so long, in a name of god, don't you even remember how a human being should be treated. Are you so close to turning that you can't see what have you done. Do you even care for her at all, or is it all for your own salvation. Learn from your brother's mistakes, forcing your lifemate into anything never works out well. Do you even think you can tame her, she is more than just a force of nature, she is the nature herself, the elements are what keep her alive and with your stupid safeguards you cut her way to reach them, not to mention that she is claustrophobic. I think that if she had a choice between being safe behind such safeguards as yours and facing a vampire, she would chose the vampire, just in case you think that the fact that she was safe justifies the means!"
Rafael had almost no idea what has happened, but he heard every word Ginny said and it was enough to fill him in. Colby was right next to him, and at that moment, with Ginny yelling at someone twice her size, she reminded him of his lifemate.
For a few seconds Zacarias blinked thunderstruck at Ginny's outburst, before he took his expression in control and just walked inside the house. Nothing made any sense, and god help him, he never indented on causing his lifemate such distress. Was he so close to turning that he could see what he was doing, were they both right?
Her mind had been closed to him for most of the night already, until he actually felt her in the yard. He stood up and walked toward her in the human way. She was on the ground, her legs crossed in meditating position. The gods were against him, he couldn't stop himself from admiring the way the moon showed the line of her bare back, or just as her position gave him a small sight of the valley between her ass cheeks. He swallowed hard; the need to put his claim was almost unbearable.
He leaned on a tree behind her, just as she shifted to lay her back on the soil and gaze at the sky. He swore under his breath as he noticed the Goosebumps on her skin. But he wasn't sure that she wanted to be taken cared of by him of all people.
"You should get inside, it's cold out here." His voice startled me so much that I jumped, my heart slamming in my chest, beat after beat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." His voice was soft, apologetic even. I shook my head, an answer to him and my thoughts.
"I'm perfect." I said, but in fact I was close to freezing to death. I felt fabric touch my skin, before the blanket wrapped around me out of nowhere. Well, if you thought about it, taking it was better than agreeing with him and getting inside. I relaxed wishing that I could lose myself in those stars. I curled on a ball, closing my eyes, wanting to get lost in a world where there were no lifemates, or annoying Carpathians thinking they owned the world. I felt him lift me, his strong arms wrapping around me protectively.
"No, put me down, I'm not going back inside, I'm perfectly fine out here! Zacarias, don't, oh god please don't make me go there." I screamed in panic, I had no intention of seeing the inside of four walls ever again. I think it was the please that made him stop, that made him rethink. I felt humiliated to have to say please to someone, but I was so tired, exhausted too much to even struggle. He went to the nearest tree and sat on the ground with me in his lap. It felt silly to be like that, when I thought about it I wasn't that exhausted, I wasn't a child. But he was so warm, I could feel him even through the blanket, and unconsciously I snuggled closer, resting my head on his shoulder.
"If I wasn't so tired, I would be throwing a fit right now, I hope you know that." I whispered and his chuckle was enough to irritate me and I tried to raise my hand and really hit him. He caught my wrist and carefully inspected the scratches, as I never tried anything. I huffed and tried to snatch my hand, but there was no out of his grip. He wasn't hurting me but I had to fight not to panic. I tried desperately and he just looked at me in the eyes. His fingers let me go gently, but his voice was calculating. I bit my lip, but still I relaxed the moment I felt no treat. I stared into nowhere, my gaze playing over the horizon.
"I meant no harm." He said gently and his voice seemed to whisper over my skin in a gentle caress.
"I know, I just had a bad day." I muttered, feeling, yet again, silly. My body didn't care about emotions and my eyelids threatened to close permanently sooner rather than later. "Promise me that if I fall asleep, you won't get me inside."
"There is an hour before dawn, and you are out in the open here. It's dangerous. "
"I'm not seeing the inside of this house ever again."
"What if I take you in the hot springs?" He offered.
"Only if the safeguards allow me to get out when I please. " Were my final words before sleep took over me.