Forever (Book 1) (Editing)

Chapter Seventeen

I was nervous, completely and utterly nervous. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what had possessed me to choose this as the place to take them. I wasn’t even sure they would like it. This place was special for Greg and I. We came here a lot when we needed a break from reality. In a way it was sort of like a magical retreat and we loved it here. If the people of this town were to know about this place or know where it was located then it would never be the same. Over time the serenity of it would be ruined. People would always be here and I really didn’t want that.

When Lady had said she’d never tell a soul I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She’d sounded amazed at just the outside; she had no clue just how special the inside of this place was. My palms were sweating as we slowly made our way down the darkened path into the cave. It was hard to see for the human eye and I could hear Liam’s breath pick up when it became almost impossible for him to see. The shift in the air seemed to indicate that Greg was helping him walk through the darkness.

Lady was walking with my arm still slung around her but wasn’t having much trouble seeing what was in front of her. I could see the slight shine from her eyes as they roamed over every inch of the cave as we walked. She was taking everything in, putting it all away into her memory and seemed to really be enjoying this walk. The average teenage girl would’ve been clinging to me in fear of the darkness and yet if my arm wasn’t around her I could almost sense that she’d be way ahead trying to figure out where it was we were going in her excitement.

Even seeing how much she enjoyed it didn’t reduce my nervousness. I was scared that she wouldn’t like this place even though I had this instinct that she would. I mean Greg and I had fallen completely in love with this place when we’d first found it and we knew if the humans here were to discover it, they too would love this place. I just feared that my mate wouldn’t like it, that upon seeing it she would turn around and leave. That she’d hate this place.

Taking a deep breath I looked away from her as we walked. We were almost there now, just around the corner and we’d be there. I could already see the slight glow coming from the left signalling the doorway with which we’d have to pass through and my heart rate increased slightly.

“How much farther do we have to go?” I heard Lady’s soft voice ask in almost a whisper.

“Please tell me were almost there.” I heard Liam say from behind. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

“It’s just around the next corner.” I answered as my arm tightened slightly on Lady’s shoulders.

I couldn’t believe she’d told me she liked me to, for that matter I couldn’t believe I’d told her how I felt. That pout she’d subjected me to was nearly impossible to resist. When the words had left my mouth, telling her that I’d liked her, I’d been sure she’d become angry and storm away. Instead she’d reciprocated my words. Of course she then took off running before I could even fully comprehend what she’d said and I couldn’t have that.

“So what’s so special about this place that you don’t want anyone to know about it?” I heard Lady ask full of curiosity.

“You’re about to find out.” I said as I steered her around the corner toward the light.

We walked the few feet and slipped through the doorway, my ears not missing the sound of her breath catching at the sight she was greeted with. Even I was struck with a breathless moment at the sight before us. It was far better then I remembered it.  Greg and I hadn’t been here in a while.

The cavern was beautiful and that was putting it mildly. It was no way on the small side, much larger than you would expect from the outside, but the tunnels we’d walked through had the slightest slopes into the earth itself. We were below ground now but neither Lady nor Liam seemed to mind. She slowly slunk out from under my arm walking forward on her own taking in all the details of this place, Liam slowly walked up to stand by her side, his jaw dropped open as his eyes roamed over everything. My smile was huge as the nervousness I’d been feeling fled with the knowledge of just how much they already loved this place.