Hey everyone! Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! So you guys haven't been telling us your ideas. We need to know what you want. So you have all been so demanding in your reviews so we decided, what the heck, we'll post again. So here is chapter seven. makes introductory trumpet noises. Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Hushabye Mountain

Kalona woke the next morning with a smile on his face. He would see Zoey again today, his Zoey. She had confessed last night that she could love him, and that she would love him but there were problems that she needed to fix within herself before she showed romantic affection. That was good enough for him, for now. He knew that he had to give her time and space to breath. He rose from his bed and went to the window. Unfortunately, it was overcast, and the sky was grey. The sun would not shine this morning.

Kalona quickly dressed himself and then headed to Zoey's room to surprise her. When he got there he knocked on the door: no answer. He tried the door. It was unlocked and so he opened it and she was nowhere to be found. He thought that maybe she had gone down to breakfast and so he headed down to the kitchen. It was mid morning and so many of the boys and girls were in the dining room. He could not find Zoey amongst any of them. Though he did spot Darla.

"Darla." He said breathlessly.

"Kalona, are you all right?" She asked as she set her bowl down on the table and then put her hand on his arm.

"Have you seen Zoey?"

"Yes, Pearl is keeping an eye on her. Though I would be hesitant. She is not herself today. Go talk to Pearl. They're out near the cliff that over looks the beach."

Quickly he thanked Pearl and then hurried out to find Zoey. He came upon Pearl who was watching Zoey from a distance. Zoey sat at the edge of the cliff with her knees hugged tightly to her chest. Even though he could not see her face, he knew that she was paler than normal and sad.

"How is she?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, well I am not sure what it is about would be a better answer. She's very upset about something. I wanted to help but she asked me to let her be for a while."

Pearl looked like a worried mother. Then again, Pearl was a mother and so she must have been looking after Zoey in that manner. He could see the concern in her eyes and could see it in her face. He knew that she had tried to help in any way that she could, but Zoey had requested distance and so Pearl granted her that.

"How long has she been out here?"

"Since sunrise, so a few hours. She hasn't moved from that position since she sat down. Something is truly bothering her. You can try and approach her, but don't take it personally if she tells you to let her be."

Kalona sighed for his good mood was truly gone. Zoey was in pain though and so he took it upon himself to be there for her and to help her work through whatever ailed her.

Slowly he walked towards Zoey. She looked so small and vulnerable due to the way she was crumbled up on the cliff. He was careful when reaching for her: he knew that he had to be.

"Zoey." He murmured as he touched her shoulder ever so lightly.

She whimpered in response. He sat down beside her and mimicked her sitting position. He had to restrain his wings and force them to hang limply behind him. Again he reached for her, but this time he touched her face. She followed his will and their eyes met.

"You've been crying." He murmured as he touched the trails of tears on her cheek.

She nodded in reply. Again the tears began to flow.

He opened his arms to her and crossed his legs to sit Indian style. Surprisingly, she climbed into his lap and looked up at him.

"Tell me what's bothering you." He pleaded as she began to trace patterns on his chest. He had not bothered to put a shirt on today.

"Bad. Dream. Too much time to think." She hiccupped through tears.

"Tell me what happened in your dream, it might help if you don't have to live it alone."

"You know how I said I'd loved four times over and was afraid of the pain of loss?"

He nodded.

"Well." She hiccupped again.

He began to stroke her back in an attempt to calm her sobs.

"I fell in love with Heath, the human, when we were children. He was my first boyfriend. We're imprinted and he's my consort. Then there came Erik, he's a vampyre. He was popular and well I fell for him, too. Then he got jealous and over protective. I eventually outgrew him even though we've been together on and off, but we're done for good now." She took another deep breath.

Kalona pressed a kiss to the top of head. He was happy that she was opening up to him like this. Only, he hated that it caused her this pain.

"Before I talk about the third one. I'll mention Stark, my warrior. We met the night he died. He died in my arms and I kissed him as he faded away. It was an instant connection. Now he's a red vampyre. None of my past four loves compare to you."

She took another deep breath. He could tell that the third boy was the hardest to talk about.

"The third boy, well he was a man. Loren was his name and he was the poet laureate for our school. I was dating Erik at the time and Loren confessed his love for me. We had a secret relationship and I cheated on Erik. One day Erik when through the change. I thought he was dying. When he went to have his ceremony I was so upset that I started crying. Loren came to comfort me and he stole my virginity. Erik walked in on us and he ran out. Loren said he would go talk to Erik. I went to Loren's room and found him and Neferet having sex. He never loved me. He loved Neferet. She used him to get to me. Erik called me a slut and exposed me to all my friends. Loren sensed I was upset, for we had imprinted, and he went to find me. Neferet was angry that Loren cared about me and so she killed him because she didn't want him to love anyone but her."

Kalona had not expected so much to happen to such a wonderful woman. This was just her love life and not even her problems as a high priestess.

"I never truly had time to deal with getting over it. I got thrown into one thing after another. My love life only became more complicated. I finally shut the door on Erik and then Heath and Stark became hopelessly devoted to me. Last night I had a nightmare about Loren's death. I saw Neferet killing him and as he died he yelled at me saying 'Zoey, this is all your fault! If it weren't for you I'd be alive! You're such a whore! You're a slut! You're a seductress! You mess everything up! You're not worth anything! You'll never be anything but trouble and pain!' His eyes were so angry and then he was silenced by death. The world went black and I was left in a room with Neferet. She began to laugh at me and said wicked things. 'He was right Zoey. You are worthless. You'll never be anything but trouble. Everything is your fault.'"

Zoey sobbed a bit more and then wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. She was so vulnerable and so easily damaged. Kalona wanted to make everything better for her. He just didn't know how.

"I never had anytime to recover and so the emotions just kept piling on. I woke up from my nightmare and I couldn't go back to sleep. I had too much time to think and so the pain took over my body. I wanted to come outside to get fresh air. I wanted the sunshine to make me smile, but the sunshine never came. Until I came here I had forgotten how good sunshine felt. I love the sunshine, Kalona, and thank you for giving that to me. After we parted ways last night I thought about what I said to you. I realized that my biggest fear was of the same thing that happened with Loren happening with you and me. I'm afraid that you're just some part of her plan, and even if you're not, she'll find some way to rip my heart out again. I couldn't continue to live if I let myself love you, only to have you ripped from my being. I need you Kalona. I want to stay with you. Please tell me that she won't take you away from me."

His heart ached at her words. He held her closer to him and began to pepper her face with kisses but avoided her lips. If they were to kiss he wanted their first kiss not to be out of sadness and desperation.

"All those nasty things that they said in your dream are not true. You are a wonderful person, Zoey. Any man that wins your affection is a lucky bastard. You are a precious gift and I consider myself lucky to be holding you in my arms at this very moment. The past cannot be changed and you have suffered much hardship for such a young girl. You are strong and I adore you for that. I won't let her take me from you. This is not part of her plan. No one can break us apart but ourselves. I'll look after you, Zoey. I see you. If we fall in love I will love you, Zoey. A-ya is your soul but she is not you. I will love you if you choose me to love. We will be together forever if you choose me. I will not leave you until you send me away."

Her tears stopped falling and her hiccups ceased.

"Thank you, Kalona." She whispered and then yawned.

"Are you tired, Love?" He asked as he cradled her to his chest and then stood up.

She nodded and then nuzzled his chest.

"Then I will sing you to sleep and take you back to your warm bed."

He began to sing to her as he walked towards Pearl who walked with them inside. He sang the only lullaby that he could remember and that was the one that Pearl had told him she used to sing to Andrew when he was a young babe. Sometimes Kalona would have the worst nightmares, and even though Kalona took care of her, she took care of him as well. Sometimes she would sing him to sleep as a mother would to a young child. And so he sang to Zoey the lullaby to send her into a gentle dreamland.

"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain

Softly blows o'er lullaby bay.

It fills the sails of boats that are waiting-

Waiting to sail your worries away.

It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain

And your boat waits down by the key.

The winds of night so softly are sighing-

Soon they will fly your troubles to sea.

So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain.

Wave good-bye to cares of the day.

And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain

Sail far away from lullaby bay."

During his lullaby Zoey's eyes began to close and when the song ended Zoey was asleep.

He placed her in her bed and tucked her in. Tenderly he placed a kiss upon her forehead. Pearl returned to the room with the music box that Kalona had asked her to fetch from his room. He placed it beside her bed on the table and opened it so that the lullaby could play for her while she slept.

"Sweet dreams, my love. You might not understand it yet, but I love you." Kalona whispered as he kissed her head once more. A gentle smile draped across Zoey's face in her sleep. She was dreaming of him. She was dreaming of loving him for an eternity.

"Love Kalona." Zoey murmured in her sleep.

He had no idea that Zoey talked in her sleep. Nor had he expected her to say that she loved him. He couldn't wait until she said it when she was awake.

Pearl put her hand on his arm and gave it a slight tug.

"Let's let her sleep." She murmured.

Reluctantly, Kalona let Pearl lead him out of the room and into the hallway. He shut the door behind him and then let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on, Kalona. You need to eat. You'll get a headache if you don't and you know how bad your headaches get." Pearl coaxed as she led him down to the kitchen.

"You're such a mother." Kalona teased.

"Thank you." Pearl giggled.

Pearl made sure that Kalona did eat. Now all they had to do was wait for Zoey to wake.