Broken (The Captive #5.5)(21)

Her mouth parted at his words. In the air, the scent of asters grew stronger with her rising passion as she nodded her agreement. She was lighter than he had expected when he plucked her off of the log and slid her down his body. A smile curved his mouth as he stared up into the dazed black eyes that were locked upon his.

"You don't have to hold me," she whispered. Her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck caused his blood to quicken. Her simple touch aroused him more than any of those half-naked women in the club had.

"Do you really want me to let you go?" His right hand slid up her back to rest against her shoulder blades while he kept his left arm locked around her waist. Right then he felt as if he could hold her forever. What had she done to him? "Because I think you like it."

Uneasiness flickered through her eyes as her brow furrowed. "Atticus… I'm not… I'm really not like the women you know."

"I know that Genny."

"I don't know how to do this. I don't even know what this is."

"Neither do I."

Her hands curled on his shoulders. "I missed you while you were gone," she said so quietly that he barely heard her and with an honesty that he wasn't used to in his world. There had never been a shortage of women in his life but none of them had ever missed him when he was away. Or perhaps they had, but only because they wanted something from him, not because they had simply just missed him.

"I missed you too," he admitted though he'd never admitted such a weakness before.

When he was with her, he felt as if he could do anything in the world. When he was apart from her, he found himself feeling unsettled and more than a little unstable. While she made him feel stronger, he realized she could also become his greatest weakness. He disliked the feeling enough that when he'd been away he'd considered the idea of never seeing her again. Yet upon returning today, he'd been irresistibly drawn here with the hopes of finding her. Maybe it would be best for him to stay away from her but the idea of never seeing her again made his skin crawl and his fangs tingle with the urge to tear into something.

Her head tilted back so that she could look at the sky. "I should go. It's getting late and Camille will be done with the children soon."

"What children?" he inquired.

"She watches the orphaned vampire children in the village during the day."

"I'm sure she'll be fine for a little bit longer."

She shook her head vehemently and pressed her hands against his shoulders. "I really have to go Atticus." He'd just gotten her back into his arms again, he was reluctant to let her go but he couldn't take the distraught look on her face as she glanced anxiously at the sun again. "Please."

He couldn't deny her anything when she said please in that beseeching tone. The water sloshed about his thighs and splashed up against his waist as he carried her from the river and reluctantly set her on the shore. She took a step away from him when he released her and hurried to gather her tunic. The bottom of her white chemise was almost see through from the water but she hastily pulled the tunic over her head and belted it. She glanced at the sky again before scurrying over the log to retrieve the ribbon he had taken out of her hair.

She didn't appear at all ungraceful now as she flitted from one place to another with the ease of a butterfly. Uneasiness filled him as he watched her. "Is there a problem Genny?"

"No, no problem," she muttered as she leapt off the log and retrieved her boots. "I just have to get home to Camille."

He grabbed hold of her arm after she had tugged on her boots and climbed back to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow."

A hopeless expression flickered over her face as her shoulders sagged. "If you are here…"

"I'll be here," he promised.

"You cannot know that, if your father decides that you must go somewhere again then you must go."

He wrapped his hands loosely around her neck and rested his thumbs against the base of her skull. "I will come to tell you I'm leaving if that happens. I will not leave again without letting you know about it first, I promise you that."

Her eyes searched his face before she rose onto her toes and quickly pressed her lips against his. "I will see you tomorrow then," she whispered against his mouth.

She ducked beneath his arms when he went to catch her against him. Casting a playful smile over her shoulder, she gave a brief wave before disappearing with the grace of a deer into the forest. He stared at the leaves that still rustled in the breeze her passing had created but there was no other sign that she had even been there. Turning away, he began to gather his own clothing from the bank of the river. The scent of her lingered upon him, she had only just left and yet he felt lonely without her.





CHAPTER 8


June 29th, 1050

I've been meeting Atticus every day for the past two weeks. I know that nothing can ever come of our relationship, we're from two different worlds, but every time I'm with him I feel more alive than I've ever felt before. This can never end well, but when it does end at least I'll have had the chance to spend this time with him. These days will be fond memories I'll get to relive when I'm older.

If I make it till I'm older.

Felix's moods are swinging faster than a pendulum lately. I think it's because Marie has become absent for longer periods of time recently. Before she would always take us with her when she was ready to move on but I think she may be planning to leave us behind this time. I definitely won't be surprised if she does.