In Her Heat - Ainsley's Story

In Her Heat - Chapter Thirty-Four

“It’s beautiful.” The words came out a bit choked as my eyes welled up with tears. My mother looked perfectly peaceful, her eyes closed, a tiny smile flitting around her lips as my father looked upon her, complete adoration reflected in his expression.

I made a promise to myself in that moment: no matter what, I would come back for this painting. All hell could rain down but I would come back for this painting. It was all I had of my parents.

I walked to Connie’s side. “I can’t stay long. I’m leaving tonight and I don't know what’s going to happen to me or when I’m coming back. I just couldn't leave without seeing you and telling you goodbye.”

Connie set down her paintbrush and looked at me with an expression of complete understanding. She stood and wrapped me in a hug, her vanilla scent hanging over me in a fog. This is what I’d missed my entire life. Someone to understand me, hold on, let me know I wasn’t alone and that I was loved. My aunt had never given me that.

“We will meet again, Ainsley.” Her hand cupped my cheek as she smiled reassuringly.

When we stepped away, I felt a sense of completion. Now I was ready to go.

I was just out the door when Connie called my name. I poked my head back inside. “Yes?”

Connie’s figure appeared in her art room doorway. “I’ll save you that painting.”

I grinned at her. “Thanks.”

When I got back to my own shared cabin, my friends were outside, waiting for me.

“Sorry,” I said, mostly to Damon. “I couldn’t leave without telling her goodbye.”

“I know, but you guys need to get going. Kat and Declan will be going with you and Cade, for safety purposes.”

Cade opened the back door for me. “Kat called shotgun,” he told me with a mischievous smile.

“Damn,” I said, smiling back at my mate. His eyes locked with my own and deeper than that, with my soul.

Declan slid into the car on the other side of me and slung an arm across my shoulders, pulling me towards him.

“We,” he started.  “are going to have the best time back here.”

I smacked a wet kiss on his cheek, laughing when Cade growled from the driver’s seat. Seeing Kat’s frown, however, made me pull away. The woman could easily kill me, I reminded myself. By why would she, when it comes to Declan? I suspected Kat had feelings for Declan she wasn’t admitting. No matters though, I would just have to get her to confess it. A little booze, maybe...

I smiled to myself at thought as we set off into the dark and ultimately, the upcoming storm.

***

It was a very long flight to the airport and an even longer flight to the island where the Council was located. By the time we arrived, I felt as though we’d journeyed to the center of the earth, rather than a small island outside of Greece.

The weather was warm and breezy and I felt like all my troubles had eased away, carted off on the tropical winds.

“Damon said that someone was to meet us here to take us to our safe house.” Cade told us. We stood just outside the airport. “But he didn’t know who.”

“So how do we know we’ve got the right guy?” Kat asked. She had a great point. Seeing as my life was in danger, I sure would have liked to know I wasn’t leaving with a deranged killer.

“There’s a code sentence” said Cade. I couldn't help but laugh.

“Code sentence? What was this, some spy movie?”