CHAPTER 10: ZOE

Zoe was stunned speechless my brain still fought temptations, his caress on my check completely weakened my knees buckled and he caught me. Flushed I decided to lean on the table embarrassed and my finger must have brushed the book. The head stormed and vision blurred as I was sucked away from reality, to my mind's eye and all else disappeared.

I was lost. Glancing around the haunted room and what must have been a mirror covered. Steadily I expanded my vision on a cold room, where on the far end by the window a women roared out in anguish holding something in her hand. Her floral white dress and wings? Sitting on her knees her wings covered most of the space, her dark and blond hair braided in a halo. Her effortless beauty cried out and she wanted to help. Silently studying the cold room a date stood out, 4 of July. Feeling nauseous again, the room spinning I released a tiny gasp and she turned our eyes connecting.

"4th of July."

I shot up on a way to comfortable bed, hands still cradling me and the warmth still encompassing me. Searching around semi frenetically for the book my attention fell back on the very handsome man.

"Where is the book, something… Anything?"

He looks like he was taken off guard but he clearly seemed to piece some of the pieces together on his own and I was grateful when he handed me the book. Nothing? Our eyes meeting again I got out of the bed and on his desk lay a too large feather and I gently brushed its edges.

"I saw a woman. I think this belongs to her?"

I held the delicate out to him and he brushed his hair back with his fingers. Taking the tainted innocence our hand connected and I must have released a gasp because the next moment the pieces sort of clicked.

"Was it an arc angel or demon you saw?"

Angels exist? Wait Christian said he is a demon so of course angels should exist. Recollecting my vision, she could have been either. She looked directly at me, there was no way she could have done that unless she's… Ugh I probably should have paid more attention to mom's teachings. Instead I spent my one hour of theory daydreaming about things normal teenagers thought about like prom or having a social life and in her case lack of one.

"Her energy is tainted but very similar to yours. I would say she is an angel or at least not a fallen."

Although I have never seen an angel before, I have seen demons and once a dammed. The dammed where the worst exiled off paradise, neither wanted by hell the one I saw was a priest. Alarak a nut proclaimed he heard the voice of demons that controlled him. He spiked his own hatred of his own homophobic and racist beliefs. He went as far to threaten my mother and me, damming us both to a place worse than hell. The elders thought it best to expose him to the glimpse of paradise, that's when the nut job took the flaming sword to end his very sad existence.

"She's alive?"

He dropped on the bed inspecting the feather, her wing and by the look on his face an answer. Silence was comfortable but his distraction was a sound indication he needed to process this alone. Having me there will have him asking me questions I have no real answers to, besides I do not understand the emotion I feel when I am in close proximity with him but the feeling is overwhelming me.

Slipping out of the room I made my way downstairs by heart begging me to find a way to help him. His protecting me from demons, the return of such kindness should balance the plane field.

.

"Are you done?"

A deep soft voice broke me out of my contemplation and I eventually joined my best friend on the porch steps. We stared at the sun setting, the blues being replaced by the melting ambers patiently waiting for darkness.

"I'm over it, Tye."

A breath of silence before his brown gaze focused on me, his slightly tanned body focused on me.

"You feel the connection."

"Connection?"

The world forgotten I was at last alone with my best friend, talking about everything and nothing at once but instead on the distraction he mentioned reality.

"Between you and the joker, I saw the way you looked at him."

I released a burning sigh and rest my head on his strong shoulder, I honestly did not know. On the one hand the literally just met today and on the other he smells and feels like home.

"We literally just met, but a part of me recognizes him and when we touched he opened up to me. I see him Tye. His just like me his brokenness, his disturbance but there is something else there that makes me want to help him somehow."

Clearly dismayed my admission he still pulled me closer his strong finger brushing my back.

"Let's evaluate this… What about the bond?"

I honesty wanted the bond but part of me feared the finality of it, the commitment is a huge responsibility and they barely knew each other.

"I don't know Tye, I need him. I want him to possess me but I fear I might pull away, this whole thing is a stressful form of marriage. I'm terrified, I don't know if all this is normal."

Grabbing my hand he traced my palm with his finger.

"No, I don't think that's his normal but nothing about what's going on is normal. Wolves we mate with whomever the wolf goddess gift them with and would do anything to provide, protect and love who they claim. Anyone who wishing harm or interest will the met with the other side of the sword, figuratively."

Lost in thought I gently squeezed his hand to draw him out of the sadness. Was it about me or someone his destined for, Hanna?