Chosen One (Forever Evermore #6)(54)
Elder Merrick’s wolf growled quietly, the sound reverberating against the back of my head, but he didn’t contradict the One’s words, so I prayed they were the truth.
“And now?” King Collins asked. “What is she feeling now?”
One quiet word from King Zeller. “Despair.”
Yes, all I felt was despair of the unknown. The man I hated with a vengeance, the one who seemed to complete me and somehow…held me captive…behind me. And the man before me I was somehow bound to, who irritated me at times with his stubbornness, but did seem to be a caring individual…was going to hold a piece of me…all from my reckless choices in life.
“I’m sorry, kitten.” I felt the gentlest of kisses land on the corner of my mouth, soft rolls of hair tickling my cheeks. Elder Merrick freezing completely under me, his muscles so tight they started to tremble, his grip on my forehead unbreakable. The hair brushed, moving slowly, another soft kiss on the other edge of my lips, and then he whispered, “It was always meant to be, so please don’t blame me.” He lips hovered over mine, their heat penetrating. “King Collins, I will ask your permission once.”
In the still of the room, King Collins asked, “And if I say no?”
Simple words, no fanfare, his warm breath brushing over my mouth, not moving from whatever he was preparing to do. “I will do what needs to be done to save her.”
My mind churned, in despair and confusion as I felt one man’s breathing begin to accelerate over my lips, while another man’s heart skyrocket, beating frantically against the back of my head, time ticking incrementally slower than all three actions, my mind, the breaths, and the heart.
Elder Jacobs slowly prompted in the quiet, “King Collins…”
A loud shaky inhale from my King. “Caro, I’m making the hard choice for you.” A pause. “Do it. Save her.”
Wait, my mind screamed, just as the One’s lips landed on mine gently. Reverently. The softest caress of his plump lips against my unmoving mouth, before his thumb pressed my chin down, and I heard him inhale before his hair stroked over my face and his opened mouth captured mine, his heated breath rushing through my mouth, the tingle of the stars, but potent, so much stronger than my own as my chest lifted, my lungs filling with his given air and power, even as he laid a hand over my Core, tingling and magical, zapping my flesh in a warm caress before his power plunged deep within me, a straight shot at my Core, a magical feeling of rightness. Then, he pulled, his magic grabbing hold of mine in an iron fist, and started a slow pull toward his own. Mine bowed, a low groan flying into his mouth over mine just as my power touched his, injecting, weaving instantly, and I heard him whisper in my mind, my very being, “Awaken, the Chosen.”
My eyes shot wide open to a blue ceiling with painted whimsical clouds, and I knew instantly I was in King Collins’s office as my mind tumbled in a blurred double vision, also seeing my face from a downwards view. My chest heaved, and I shoved at Leric, pushing him away, no longer at any way just the One to me, feeling a damn tether connected to him, feeling…him. “Jesus Christ!”
He sat back instantly, actually falling back, blinking just as hard at me as I scrambled up…Elder Merrick’s body…gripping his neck tightly with one arm, curled up on him as my heart rate shot off like a damn cannon, rubbing my eyes repeatedly, “Christ, I’m going to puke!”
Leric was rubbing his eyes, shaking his head hard, then more rubbing. “I can’t say that was what I always thought I’d hear the first time my Chosen and I connected, but,” more rubbing, “fuck, I can’t say I disagree with you, either.”
King Collins grabbed my face, bending over the back of the couch, staring down into my frightened gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“Jesus,” Leric barked, waving a hand drunkenly in my peripheral from the ground, “Not so damn close, man. Move back.”
My eyes damn near crossed and I swallowed the bile down hard as I saw not only King Collins face, but me at a distance on top of Elder Merrick, my Kings hands gripping my face. “Leric!” My voice was shrill and frantic. “Turn this off!” Okay, maybe I was yelling. A little.
Instantly, part of the double vision went away, blankness, as I stared up at King Collins, and I sighed a bit in relief, until Leric barked, “Caro! Close your eyes!”
I did instantly, realizing he was probably still seeing what I did, even with his eyes shut. My chest heaved repeatedly as beautiful nothing surrounded me…except for a damn emotion I could feel starting to radiate down through the tether, and I waggled my finger in Leric’s general direction, shouting, “Keep that to yourself, buddy.”
His quiet chuckle sounded behind the blankness. “You can feel that, can you?”
“Just stop it.” My chest heaved…and I shuddered the barest bit, since he didn’t stop. “That is not funny.”
“You know I find you attractive.” More chuckling. “This shouldn’t be a surprise.”
I jerked my face from King Collins’s hands. “Somebody tell me how to stop this shit!”
King Collins cleared his throat. “What exactly is it you’re…er…experiencing?”
Instant from Leric. “Double vision. I can see what she sees, and it appears, vice versa.”
I talked over him. “Emotions. I can feel his emotions.” Shuddering again, I snapped my fingers in his direction. “Goddammit, stop that!”