Chapter 2
A Debt to Be Repaid
Noely woke with a start the next morning, her mind immediately trying to remember what had happened. Usually when she woke, there was a sense of urgency and a need to start reviewing the events leading up to where she was. Life had been rough, and the young woman had had to be very alert since her guardian’s disappearance. Sleeping comfortably wasn’t something she had done since that morning when she found the note on the table, and it had been even longer since she had felt at peace. Now she found that she was having trouble thinking through a haze of muddled ideas and images. Giving her head a little shake, Noely tried to figure out where she was and what had happened.
The first thing she noticed was that she had slept in the cave. Furrowing her brow, she tried to remember what would have led to her staying in the cave, something that usually indicated danger at the palace. The second thing that caught her attention was the gorgeous man standing near the cave entrance. He had a finger to his lips. Suddenly alert and her thoughts a little clearer, Noely nodded her head, although she wanted to tell him that he needed to lie down. Looking at him reminded her of everything that had happened, and she knew there was no way the shifter should be up and moving after the injuries he had sustained. Still, there was nothing she could do to stop him if he was planning on leaving. She watched as his attention went back to the entrance of the cave. Then, to her astonishment, the man slipped out, his movement never betraying just how serious his wounds had been the day before. Her hand went to her mouth, and the young woman bit her lip as she wondered what would happen to him.
For a few seconds, Noely looked at the entrance and thought about going after him. He certainly seemed focused on something. Then again, she had done most of the talking yesterday. Perhaps he had to be somewhere. Despite his promise of repaying her, Noely knew that there was a good chance she would never see the beautiful shifter again. Staring at the door, the young woman couldn’t help but feel that the peaceful sleep he had given her was more than enough of a payback for what she had done. It had been so long since she had felt so comfortable and calm. Hoping that he would be back quickly (or at all), Noely watched the cave entrance and thought about her life.
Now that she was fully awake, Noely felt much better than she had in years. Events and images were clearer than they had been and she could even see a few solutions to the problems of a couple of the other kitchen staff. With a slight laugh at how easy things seemed now, the young woman decided that she needed to get back to the palace before too much time passed. There was no way to tell how long the shifter had been gone, but she felt it was too long for someone who intended to return. Figuring that he had just wanted to leave in silence, Noely stood up to prepare for her return to the city.
She knew it would be difficult to explain how she had managed through the night outside, but she also knew that there were a couple of plausible scenarios that would satisfy the people who would question her whereabouts. It was not unheard of for people to go into the woods and come back just fine, just there were high enough odds that people seldom thought it was worth the risk. She headed to a small stream flowing through the back part of the cave to wash up. Remembering that she had tended to the shifter’s wounds, Noely realized that she should have cleaned herself up last night, and there was some horror at the idea of what she must look like after the events of the previous evening. That was quickly followed by thoughts that were surprised that she would care how she looked. Noely normally did not think twice about how she appeared to others, not since her guardian had left.
Slightly confused by her own thoughts, Noely removed her clothing and began to wash herself. There was a sound at the mouth of the cave, and she immediately stood up, looking for a way to arm herself.
“I-I’m so sorry,” an elegant yet slightly embarrassed voice caught her completely off guard, so that Noely went from trying to find a way to defend herself to trying to hide her body. Crouching down, she picked up her clothing and tried to cover her nakedness as she realized that the shifter had not left for good.
“It’s alright, but please don’t look at me.” Noely tried to slip back into her clothing while keeping herself covered.
“Take your time. I will wait outside.” His voice barely betrayed the fact that the shifter was still a bit upset by what he had seen.
“No. It’s not a good idea for you to be moving about in your condition.” The young woman finished shimmying into the underclothing and turned to try to talk to the stranger. Her eyes searched the cave but she did not see him anywhere. Without thinking, she quickly moved to the cave entrance to see if she could find the shifter. He was sitting not too far away looking out over a small lake, his face a faint shade of pink.
Walking over to him, Noely tried to keep her voice level because her heart was still beating faster than usual after he had seen her naked. Though she hadn’t seen his face, the alarm in the shifter’s voice had been enough to let her know that he had seen enough of her. And if his tone hadn’t conveyed that idea, his face which was still blushing told her that he had seen enough to be embarrassed. Something told her that embarrassment was not an emotion that this man was accustomed to feeling. She herself could feel her cheeks turning red and knew that the simple act of talking was going to be difficult if she let her mind continue to think about the incident. Trying to set her own thoughts at ease, Noely sought to keep her feelings in check. “You really should not be out here, you know. No matter what kind of shifter you are, no one heals that fast. I was just, um…” The subject she had been trying to avoid came up much faster than she had expected as she tried to get the man to go back inside. He turned to look at her as she stammered through her attempt to get him to go back in the cave. For a moment, his face flushed again, but the corners of his mouth tugged up as his eyes looked away. Then the startling blue eyes turned to her again, and his expression indicated that he had reached a conclusion.
As she tried to get the words out while understanding what the look on the shifter’s face meant, Noely found she could not speak as his hypnotizing eyes bore into hers. The only hint that he also remembered what had happened was the tinge of pink on his cheeks. “I dare say that you have little chance of meeting any kind of shifter like me. Our healing rate is impossible once we get the blood flow under control.” He stood up. “I have taken up enough of your time and concern. I am still indebted to you, so it is now my turn to take care of you.” He was still looking at her as he spoke, a slight smile on his face. “And judging by your behavior, I believe I know the best way to fulfill that debt.”
Cocking her head to the side, Noely tried to figure out what he could mean. This was the point where she usually insisted that there be no repayment, but the way the man moved was hypnotic and calming, making her forget her usual habit. She watched as the stranger moved closer to her and took her hand. Noely lifted a shoulder, her cheeks now feeling absolutely feverish. Unlike last night, it was clear the shifter was in no danger from his wounds. Based on the way he was moving, there was a very good chance that he was completely healed, as he had suggested. He watched her reaction, his eyes blinking as if he were observing a new species. Carefully, he stretched out his other hand and pulled her toward him. In that same movement, he stepped toward her. Noely’s mind was racing as she tried to comprehend what was going on. His eyes shone like two blue stars as he continued to observe her from up close. Her heart was racing and she could feel the color creeping down her neck.
Without a word, the shifter wrapped an arm around her waist and she could feel the coolness of the man as his body made full contact with hers. Her body began to react on its own, though Noely’s mind was now beginning to panic. She watched as his face came closer. Swallowing hard, she tried to understand the words that he said in his melodic voice.
“Close your eyes.”
Noely tried to protest, but found that she could not disobey the sweet voice as it sounded around her and reverberated in the body now pressed against her. Her mind was trying to register the fear more than the longing that was keeping her from reacting as she had always said she would when faced with such a situation. Then again, the shifter was nothing like the men she encountered every day either. Where most of the men had been rough in their action and coarse in their words, the shifter was remarkably gentle in his touch and tone. Closing her eyes, Noely found that her body registered the world around her much more. She could feel the muscles of the man under his clothing, the way his heart beat steadily, even the air as he breathed so close to her. A cool hand went around her neck and gave a light pull as her head was moved forward. The sudden feel of his lips on hers caused the young woman to gasp for a brief moment, but soon she found herself kissing the man back. His hand on her waist gripped her clothing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her body into his. Beginning to lose herself in the sensations, Noely moved one of her feet against the man’s calves, and he responded by wrapping a hand around her thigh. Again, the young woman gasped, but this time she pulled back as she realized what she was doing. The shifter immediately let her go and took a step back, his eyes still taking in her actions, but he said nothing as she also took a step away from him.
“I’m so sorry,” Noely was talking before she had time to think about what to say. “I didn’t mean to make you think, I mean that was very nice, but I-”
A finger against her lips stopped the young woman from continuing. “There is no reason for you to apologize. It would have been a fitting repayment, but it is clear you are not ready for anything like that yet. At least not mentally. I must apologize, I just thought, given-” His eyes flicked down at her body for a moment, causing her to flush pink again. Whatever he was going to say, the shifter stopped, then said, “I shall find another way to repay you since that method does not please you.”
With difficulty, Noely was able to avoid thinking about exactly what he meant because she knew that to think about it would cause her to lose her ability to speak. Shutting down her thought process, the young woman worked to get the conversation back onto a subject where she knew she could continue talking more naturally. “There is no need to pay me back. You were in need-”
Again the finger went to her lips, and the man’s head shook as he looked at her. This time, Noely was very much aware of the feel of the man’s skin against her, and her eyes closed involuntarily.
A delightful laugh forced her eyes open, and for the first time since she had met the man, there was an honest smile on his face. It was almost unfathomable how handsome the shifter was, particularly from so close. From this distance, Noely found that she could not force a conversation. It was all she could do to keep from stepping back toward him and continuing where they had left off. It was almost terrifying how difficult it was to control herself as she looked at him.
The smile widened. “Of course you would say that there is no need to pay you back. It is the people who actually believe that repayment is not necessary that are in the greatest need. You simply spend too much time helping others to realize how great your own need is.” His hand moved along her face and pushed her hair back behind her ear. A part of the young woman noticed the gesture and a hint of recollection pushed to get through all of the other thoughts fighting for her attention. Instinctively, her hand went up to his and held it as he had done the day before. For a moment they looked at each other.
The smile suddenly disappeared and the shifter took several steps away from her. His eyes remained on hers as Noely could not help but bite her lip in disappointment. Mentally she tried to remind herself that distance was a good thing. The problem was that her body was not the only part of her to disagree with the reminder.
A faint smile reappeared on the shifter’s face as the young woman struggled to hide her disappointment. “It would appear that your love for your guardian has shifted. Now you just need time. However, I fear that we may not meet again, so I will have to find another way to return your generosity and kindness. One that you can accept without guilt or shame.” There was a sad look to his eyes at the last sentence, but the shifter did not linger. “I must go. Unless you can name something that you would like to see done in return for your help, I will find a way to repay you that will be acceptable.”
Noely opened her mouth to say that she did not need repayment for anything, but she stopped before saying anything. Her brow furrowed as an idea formed. “Before I ask for anything, can you tell me a bit about yourself?” The shifter raised an eyebrow at the request. She gave him a small grin. “If I know more about you, I will be able to make a proper request. I’m not asking you to tell me much.”
The man’s eyes observed her, waiting for her to continue to chatter as she had done. However, when it became clear that she was waiting for his response, the shifter asked, “What kind of information do you need?”
“How about your name? And a bit about what you consider to be your strengths? The kinds of things you would be willing to do. Oh,” she frowned for a second, “and why you left the cave this morning.”
Another smile graced the man’s face as he looked at her. “I will oblige in a few moments. First I think it best that you finish what you started as your current state appears to be a bit distracting even to me.” His eyes flicked down again for a second to indicate what he meant.
Noely gave him a puzzled look and then followed his eyes. It was then that she remembered she still was not fully dressed.
She began blushing furiously as she tried to cover herself, knowing that the white cotton did not do much to cover her body. “I’m so sorry!” With that she turned and ran back into the cave.