Watchful Eyes

After getting my parents settled and speaking with Fern and Hunter, I finally make my way to my room. The sun had long gone down but when I open the door, I find Thane standing under the glass windchime that I made a while back.

The small, soft glow from the lamp catches the glass pieces and shoots it all over the room in small miniature rainbows. He doesn't turn from the windchime as he says "It's beautiful." I feel a small smile stretch across my face as I walk into the room and close the door behind me.

"I'm sorry it took so long," I say walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. He slips his hands over my arms and stops on my hands as he says "It's fine. I can hear everything in this house anyway."

He pulls my arms away and slowly spins around before pulling me back to him. He reaches up and softly tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear as he says "I'm glad you've found them. Never apologize for being with them."

I look up into his dark blue eyes and smile as I say "They're your family now too." He pauses for a moment before giving me a small smile and pulling me against his chest. I listen to his heartbeat as I think about that smile.

That smile was for me...

He doesn't believe me when I say that they're his family now as well. Thinking back to his father though... maybe his reaction is normal. Coming from that... it would be hard to just accept that and maybe he doesn't even know how.

I listen to his slow but strong heartbeat as I slide my hands up his back and hold him close. His deep voice rumbles in his chest as he asks "Who knows you can heal?" I pause for a minute before slowly leaning back to look at him.

His eyes give nothing away as I say "Your father and his men, you, my brother, and... Kalen." Thane's eyes narrow a bit as he says "Kalen? You're on a first name basis with that freak?" I blink in surprise before feeling my lip tilting in a smirk.

A devious smile crawls across my face as I lean further back and ask "Is someone getting jealous?" His eyes grow darker as a dark smile of his own appears. He backs me into the bed and follows me down when I fall back.

I slightly chuckle as he leans in and softly says "Hearing any other man's name on those lips of yours does indeed make me a bit... jealous." My smirk turns into a full-blown smile as I lean back on the bed.

I keep my eyes locked on his as he slowly crawls over me. He lowers himself and closes his eyes as he brushes his nose over my stomach. He inhales as he slowly moves up. My breathing deepens as his hands brush over my thighs and up to my hips.

His thumbs slip under the ends of my shirt but when his thumbs brush against my bare skin, my heart skips a beat. A low rumble can be heard coming from him, almost like a purr but the sound awakens something in me.

My hands reach up to his shirt, sliding under it as he slowly makes his way up. Suddenly, I wish I could make our clothes disappear altogether. When he reaches my chest, I feel as if my heart is trying to beat out of it.

Like it was reaching out and trying to touch his. His large hands snake up to my bare sides, nearly taking my breath away. He softly and slowly drags his nose up to my chin. Barely touching as he slowly glides down my jaw.

My chest rises and falls with my effort to breathe but it was becoming harder and harder with his touch. When that same low rumble hits me, I nearly lose my mind. I try to turn and kiss him but he pulls away.

We lock eyes as a moment of silence passes between us. His dark eyes take in my entire face as he says "I want you. All of you." I stare at him in silence before slowly lifting my hand up to his face and saying "You've had me, all of me, for a very long time now. It can't be anyone else. Only you."

He slowly turns and places a kiss on the palm of my hand before saying "I'm not going to pretend to be a good guy. I know you deserve someone better than me but I'm selfish. I want to be the only one in your eyes... the only one in your heart."

I silently watch him before saying "I'm selfish too." I reach out and bring his hand to my heart as I say "You're the one that keeps this beating. You're the only reason I'm still here. I love you." His dark eyes widen a fraction as silence falls between the two of us again.

Suddenly, Thane jerks back and sits on the edge of the bed as my brother opens the door and says "Valerie! We've got a problem!!" I lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as I try to convince myself not to kill my brother.

He steps into the room and eyes Thane before turning back to me and asking "What the hell is your problem?" I slowly sit up and glare at him as I say "You. You are my problem." He scoffs at me and says "Let's not do this right now. It looks like we may have been followed."

I quickly stand up as I ask "How?" Valen rubs the back of his neck as he says "A few scouts say they saw the others following our tracks." I grit my teeth and look down as I try to think of something. If only we had some rain or something...

That's right.... rain!