It feels like a huge weight has lifted off my shoulders. If Cedric hadn't taken me to the stone shop, I never would've found the black carmine. What are the odds of that? What's even better is that I can feel the stone working its magic, like an invisible shield surrounds me. If I concentrate on it, I can see it. It's like a mist of sorts, swirling around me. I showed the stone to Cedric and told him it's something I've always wanted. When the time is right, I'll let him know the truth, but not tonight. Everything is going so well.
We end up eating dinner at the Snake River Grill. My barbecue chicken pizza was amazing, and I ate the entire thing. Hence, the reason why I suggested we take a long walk through the town square. It's even more beautiful at night with all the Christmas lights twinkling everywhere. Cedric told me stories about him and Ryker growing up and how Seraphina was like a mother to them both. I stayed away from the topics of his parents. The pain of their loss went deep with him. I never knew my mother, but I feel close to her having her journals. It's like she's right here with me. He doesn't have anything like that.
"Think you can drink some hot chocolate after all that pizza?" Cedric teases.
I smack his arm, loving how playful he can be. "Hey, you ate your whole pizza too. I don't want to hear it."
He chuckles. "I only did it to keep up with you."
I'm proud of myself for eating the entire pizza. The look on the waiter's face every time he came to refill our drinks was priceless. "What can I say? I love to eat," I tease back.
Cedric peers down at me and smiles. "It's sexy."
Not only does the heat rise to my cheeks, but I feel it in other parts of my body as well. Damn the bond. It's going to have me going crazy before the night's up. No wonder mates can't stay away from each other. It's almost an addicting feeling.
Clearing my throat, I look toward the café where two ladies are out front, handing out the hot chocolate. "Didn't you say something about hot chocolate?" I ask, nodding toward the line of people waiting for their chocolatey drinks.
Cedric smirks, no doubt sensing what he's doing to me. "That I did. Lead the way."
We stand in line, and we both get large cups of hot chocolate with mounds of whipped cream on top. I take a sip of mine and moan; it's heaven. Cedric laughs under his breath and watches me. "This isn't the first time you've had hot chocolate, is it?"
I shake my head. "I used to make my own. The Sierra pack kept me under lock and key most of the time, but I never went without. They gave me anything I wanted."
Cedric's gaze darkens. "Except freedom."
"Exactly," I murmur.
We walk a little more through the town square until we finish our hot chocolate. I can sense the turmoil inside of Cedric, like a battle he's torn between. Sometimes I wish I could hear his thoughts, but then we'd have to share blood to get to that point. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. My body is, but I don't know if my heart is, however. There's still the threat of Dorian, but I'm hoping the black carmine will keep him from finding me. If it does, then I don't have to run away to the Land of the Fae. I can stay with my family and friends. The only problem now is deciding what I'm willing to sacrifice. If I mate with Cedric, I could lose my magic, but we'll both suffer if I don't mate with him. It's a gamble, and I really wish I had the answers. No full-blooded shifter has ever been mated to a half-shifter, half-fae mixed breed. No one knows what's going to happen to us.
Cedric pulls out his phone and looks at the time. "It's getting late. I should probably get you home." We walk slowly back to his truck, and he reaches down to hold my hand. His skin is warm, and I love the current that flows through his body to mine. "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asks as he glances down at me, grinning mischievously, "other than beating the shit out of Sebastian and Micah when you train with them in the morning."
Tilting my head back, I laugh. "Yeah, that'll be fun." Even though they are fifty times stronger than me physically. "Afterwards," I continue, "I have nothing planned. I just have a couple more drawings to finish for my dad's client, but we don't meet with him for another few days." We stop at his truck, and he opens the passenger's side door for me. "Why do you ask?" I add.
Cedric waits for me to hop inside, so I let his hand go, and he moves closer. I love how he smells, and I breathe him in, wishing I was still touching him. "You can say no if you want, but I was wondering if you'd like to come to work with me? I know you like to hike, and this way, we can be together."
I don't have to think twice. "I'd love to. You can show me what all you do for work."
The smile that lights up his face, warms my heart. "All right, I'll pick you up in the morning after your training." He shuts my door and goes around the front of the truck to his side. I wish the ride back to my cabin was longer, but it only takes us a few minutes. Amelie and Faith's cars are in the driveway when we pull up, and I can see them inside at the kitchen table, playing cards. I get out of the truck, and Cedric walks with me to the front porch.
We stop at the door and face each other, the desire to be closer stronger than ever. Cedric puts his hands in his pockets and stares down at me, his eyes searching mine. "I'll be close if you need me tonight."
I look out at the woods and then back to him, hating the idea of him being out there all night. When you're a protector, I know it's what you do, but I don't like it. Micah is always around for Faith, but he lives so close he can be here at the drop of a hat if something were to happen. Cedric's house is a little further away.
With a heavy sigh, I shake my head. "Cedric, I don't feel right with you staying out here all night. It's not fair to you."
His lips pull up in a wolfy grin. "I'm a wolf, Laila. Being outside doesn't bother me."
"Yeah, well, it bothers me. I hated the thought of my dad being out here, and I don't like it with you. Why don't you just stay here and sleep on the couch? It'll make me feel better, at least."
Cedric looks away. "I can't do that."
"Yes, you can," Faith yells from inside. "You and I both know you want to." Cedric jerks his attention to Faith, who is now at the window, batting her eyelashes innocently. Faith gives him a smug grin and nods at me. It takes all I have to hide my smile.
"Laila can make you stay with that magic of hers. I'm surprised she hasn't used it on you yet."
Cedric lifts his brows at me and crosses his arms over his chest, almost as if he's daring me. "Seriously? I'd like to see you try," he replies, grinning slyly.
Looking over at Faith, her mouth drops. "Oh my God, I can't believe you just said that." She meets my gaze and winks. "What are you thinking, Laila? Maybe a little snow action?"
Now it's my turn to grin wickedly. I focus back on Cedric, who stands his ground on my front porch. "If you want to run, that's fine with me," I say, goading him. "I can catch you."
Cedric snorts. "I don't run away from anything."
Lifting my hands, I summon the earth's magic all around me. "Just figured I'd give you time to get away." In a quick gust of wind, the snow circulates all around Cedric. It looks like a tornado.
Cedric doesn't even have time to move before the snow starts to build up on his body and freeze. "What … the … hell," he shouts, trying to move. The lower half of his body is frozen, and the ice is quickly moving up to his chest. Faith opens the front door, clearly astonished by the look on her face. She hurries out onto the front porch, followed by Amelie. Now, the ice is all the way up to Cedric's neck.
Amelie covers her mouth with her hand. "Wow."
Once the ice goes up Cedric's neck, I stand back and smile. "Go ahead. Try to break free."
The muscles in his jaw clench, and he grunts a few times, clearly trying to get loose and failing. The ice will hold firm for as long as I will it to. Cedric looks down at me and huffs. "Damn, woman. You got me. It looks like I'm staying."
Amelie moves over to me, her voice just a whisper in my ear. "Don't let him fool you. We all know he wanted to stay." Even I could sense the desire in him when I asked him to. Who am I kidding? I feel the same way.
Faith and Amelie snicker and walk back inside together while I keep Cedric frozen. I walk up to him, curious as to why he refused to stay. "Why did you say no?" I ask in all seriousness.
Cedric looks down at me and sighs. "Because I'm trying to respect you, Laila. I don't know how the bond affects you with you only being half shifter, but to me, it's stronger than anything I've ever felt. The need to touch you is almost unbearable. It's taken every ounce of control I have not to kiss you tonight. The more I'm around you, the harder it is to keep my hands to myself. Why do you think I kept them in my pockets when I wasn't holding your hand?"
With a snap of my fingers, the ice breaks apart and turns back into the snow. It swirls around Cedric and then whooshes back to the ground in front of the house. He watches it all in utter fascination. It feels good showing him what I can do.
Closing the distance between us, I take his hands in mine. His eyes flash with need, and he looks away. "The bond is strong with me too, Cedric. It's not one-sided."
He breathes a sigh of relief and follows me inside the house. I can hear the words thank God mumbled under his breath. I'm so close to telling him the truth, but I can't bring myself to do it. I don't think there will ever be a right time to say to him that another man wants me, that he wants to take me away to the Land of the Fae, which is in another realm, and also, that a dark fae by the name of Dorian is searching for people like me to start a fae war. Cedric is a wolf, and there's only one way a shifter knows how to deal with things like that, especially when it has to do with their mate. Bloodshed. I've seen too much of it, and I'm not ready to see any more.