Chapter Fifteen

The sound of his door closing brought her out of deep thought. Lucca opened her door and stretched out his hand to help her out the car. She gave him a smile and walked with him to the diner. She wasn’t ready to talk yet. His last revelation was rolling around in her brain. It didn’t fit. Of all the things she expected him to say that hadn’t been one.

He should have bowed to her greatness, been bowled over by her logic. There was no way with death's icy cold fingers reaching for one of them that he should have still felt the desire to become one with her. Who was right and who was wrong? Could they both be right? What worried her more, was that there might be a small part of her, that was growing larger that felt the same way he felt.

Was it better to have loved and lost than to never love at all? She didn’t know, but it looked like she might have to make a decision soon.

“Menace.” His voice pulled her out of her thoughts to focus on the waitress who was ready to take her order.

“I’d like French toast, sausage and a glass of orange juice.”

“Would you like anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The waitress gave her a smile before walking away.

“I thought I was going to have to insist you eat.”

She thought the same, but he was changing her slowly. It wasn’t a change she wanted to fight. He was good for her if only she admitted it.

“I figured I better eat in case I have a mate out there.”

“Smart thinking.”

She basked in the warmth of the smile he was throwing her way. “How do The Created mate?”

“They bite.”

“Oh, your teeth aren’t sharp, so I guess it’s not so bad.”

He opened his mouth, and his fangs descended. He closed his mouth, and they hung over his lower lip.

“I could be wrong. In fact, that looks very painful.”

He retracted them smiling at her. “It’s not as bad as you think, or so I’ve heard. No one seems to remember pain only pleasure.”

“I have to tell you I don’t think I like biting. So, you bite your mate, and everything is fine, and you skip off to the Smurf music and find some romantic mushroom house in the woods to live for the rest of your days?”

“Mushroom house? Smurf music?”

“Come on, I’ve been frozen forever, and I know about the Smurfs. Little blue people who are so much fun. Ring any bells?”

He looked at her with a dazed expression on his face.

“You need help. I’m going to prescribe a daily dose of cartoons and a Disney movie twice a month.”

“That sounds painful.”

She tilted her head back and laughed. The smile in his eyes when she looked at him was worth it.

“You’ll survive.”

“We’ll survive.” He reached over and took her hand.

That’s when she made the decision. It slipped into her heart; she was going to do whatever it took to make sure she lived. No more bowing down to the thought that death was her only choice. She was going to live for herself, and after that, she was going to live for Lucca. Why? Because she wanted his laughter in her life. The thought of missing a day of his swirling blue eyes made her sad. She wanted him, both the good and the bad and wasn’t above fighting for what she wanted.

“Here’s your food.” The waitress slid her plate in front of her and Lucca’s two plates in front of him before leaving.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was hungry.”

She shook her head and grabbed the syrup. Her teeth bit her bottom lip as she cut a piece of her French toast. She placed it in her mouth and began to chew.

“It doesn’t taste too bad.”

“The more you eat, the more you’ll appreciate the taste of food. You’ll also learn what you like and don’t like.”

She nodded reaching for her orange juice. “I’ve never been much of an eater.”

“I’m not trying to change you, Tempest. I just want you to take care of yourself.”

“I know.” She ate until she had enough before she pushed her plate away.

“I’m full.” She looked up her eyes were defiant hiding the sadness.

“I’m still hungry; we make the best couple.” He took her plate and finished her meal before calling the waitress for the check.

He paid the check, and they were standing in the parking lot, but she was looking over to a small area of trees.

“I want to show you something special. Will come with me?”

He placed his hand in hers. “Lead the way.”

They walked until they reached the trees, they kept walking until no one could see them from the road.

“What music do you have on your phone?”

He opened it up for her and showed her the music app. She searched the music until she found a song that she thought would work.

“Dance with me, Lucca.” She dropped into a curtsy that went so far down that Ms. Manners would be jealous.

He placed a hand behind his back and executed a bow that had her smiling at how precise it was. She started the music. He took her hand moving her around the ground in a waltz. The wind blew around them in a frenzy before it lifted them from the Earth. Her eyes blazed with joy as they danced through the air.

The music changed, and they moved apart. The beat was faster, and he led her in a modern dance making her laugh as she gasped for breath as they danced to a song that was too fast.

The next song was slow. He took her into his arms holding her tight as they danced above the tree tops. They had their own spotlight on them as he lost his heart to the small female in his arms.

The time for believing he didn’t need anyone was over. He needed her as much as he needed his family around him, and she was right if something happened to her; he would be broken. It didn’t matter; he wouldn’t bury his head in the sand to avoid getting hurt. Instead, he would draw her closer because life without ever knowing her wasn’t a life worth living.

He drew closer licking at the seam of her mouth until she opened, her sigh of need was cut off when he kissed her. She placed her arms around his neck kissing him. Her tongue dueled with his as her body heated up. Slowly they descended until their feet were back on the Earth.

“I keep kissing you like that, and we were both going to crash.”

“No worries now I can do this.” He picked her up and placed her against a tree kissing her again.

She fell into his kiss wrapping her legs around him.

“Lucca?”

He looked up, and she saw it, the desperation, the uncertainty.

“Let’s find someplace to spend the night.” He nodded and let her down, together they walked back to the SUV hand in hand.

She placed her hand on his thigh as he pulled out the parking lot.

“Lucca?”

“It’s all up to you Tempest. I want to claim you to proclaim to the world that you’re mine, and I’m yours but only if you agree. Only if you want me too.”

“I want you. It’s crazy I should stand strong, but I want to be yours for as long as I have. Maybe it will be forever maybe it won’t, but whatever time we have I want it to be you and me against the world.”

“Then that’s what it will be.”

“Lucca!” She screamed when she saw the black fog ahead obliterating everything but a sliver of light, not allowing them to see anything.

“I see it.” He threw the vehicle into reverse, racing backward when the fog appeared behind him. He slammed on the brakes bringing the car to a screeching halt.

Laughter howled through the darkness.

“We’re going off-road hold on tight.” He did the tightest turn she had ever seen speeding off the road and through the darkness.

“We’re going to make it. There’s no way I would find you after all this time to lose you.” She kept talking believing everything would be okay even as the car began to slow down. “Lucca, Lucca?”

Her hand went over to touch his thigh. She felt nothing until the SUV stopped with the help of a tree. She flipped the light on in the car. He was gone. How could he be gone?

His door was swinging open. Someone snatched him out of the SUV right under her nose. How could this happen? She slumped in her seat.

“Opposition only comes after you’ve made the decision to do the right thing. There’s no reason to show up before then.”

“Where are you?” She took off the seatbelt and began to search.

“I’m in here not out there.”

She brought her hand up to her head. That’s where the voice was.

“What do I do?”

“I can’t tell you what to do. What do you want to do?”

“I want to find Lucca.”

You won’t find him sitting there.

Well hell, the voice was right. She opened the door thankful that she was only a little shaken up. She grabbed the cooler with her shakes in them and her purse and slammed the door behind her.

“Crazy voice inside my head are you still there?”

Of course, he was gone. She was going into danger even the voice didn’t want to make this journey. The voice laughed making her feel a little better. It might not be talking to her, but at least it hadn’t left her alone.

She was going to have to see a counselor. Things like this didn’t happen to other people. No, it was just her. She was her own special snowflake. She smiled and walked through the darkness. I’m coming for you Lucca if I only I knew where you were.

When this is over, you’re going to have to find a way to talk to me in my head, so we can always communicate. The fog surrounding her began to fade away.

“You’re not in Kansas anymore.” If only she had Toto with her.

In front of her was a castle if a castle could be extremely small. It may be little, but the creaky stairs went down to reveal an open rusty door that gave the impression of space. Goose bumps took over her arms as she placed her foot on the first step.

“You can do this Tempest; you're not scared.” She comforted herself with the sound of her voice as she went down the steps doing her best to keep from falling.

She stopped at the bottom of the steps looking through the open door. Lucca’s phone was in her back pocket, she pulled it out and turned on the flashlight. The light was enough to lighten three or four steps ahead of her. She would take whatever she could get.

Deep breath, one, two, three, her feet started to move as she went into the darkness.

“Lucca?” She whispered his name not wanting to bring attention to herself.

The slithering on the floor in front of her stopped her cold. Snakes. A quick prayer rolled off her lips; she hated snakes. They started moving around her feet like they could feel her fear. She ran blindly to get away.

She used her light to see that the cells were lined on every side of her, but they were empty. If he wasn’t in one of the cells where could he be?

She ran into a door, and the acid in her stomach burned her.