Flawed

CH. 19

The cracking of my bones finally subsided, and when I could think straight I realized I was at the shores edge, two legs instead of four.

"Our rider?" I asked.

Silence surrounded me, great. I guess I will just have to wait until next time.

Shit, I really needed to get back to the room, even if Laura was scared of me. I started my trek back to the main campus, marveling at how even in the dark everything seemed unnaturally alive. The moon was a bit too bright, crickets chirping a little too loudly. The forest seemed restless, the fog had settled just below the tops of the trees, creating an unnatural looking barrier between the ground and the sky. I choked on the humidity, sweat pooling around the base of my neck as I made my way back. It took me a second to realize what I was feeling, and then I understood. Unease. Nature usually had a calming feeling, but not this time. I picked up my pace and continued at a slow jog. The fog seemed to warp into shadows, making it impossible to see more than 5 feet in front of me. I stopped for a second to catch my breath. In that moment, I felt what I thought to be an arm slither its way across my midsection, upon further inspection it was an arm of rotting and decayed flesh, I could even see the flesh melting off where maggots had begun to feast. I screamed, and took off in a full sprint. I tripped and stumbled, and cut myself on the low hanging trees, until finally I made my way to the end of the forests line. Without hesitation I barreled through the tree line, and into the safety of the main campus. I wasn't aware that I was still screaming however, until I ran into someone.

"Jesus, are you okay?"

It took me second, but I realized I was staring into the eyes of Sebastian. "I uh, just got turned around."

"You aren't supposed to go into the forest after midnight."

Red eyes stared back at me. I'd only ever caught flickers before, but this was mesmerizing, I'd never seen anything like it. All thoughts of what had scared me in the forest was gone. I was suddenly very aware at how close we had found ourselves again. It was almost as if he had the same realization, he dropped his hands from my arms and took a step back.

"What are you doing out here then?" I asked, still unable to look away from his eyes

"I'm not sure, I was sleeping and then I felt this sudden urge to be outside. It's all rather confusing." He ran his hands through his hair, and before I could stop myself I stepped into him. I caught his hand within mine, and reveled in how soft his hair was, before I could stop myself, I pulled myself closer and leaned in to smell him.

He smelled like the sky before it storms, soft, and clean. Hints of mint and fresh cut crash ensnared my senses. He smelled like heaven, he smelled like home.

"What are you doing Charlee?" His voice was clipped, but he wasn't pulling away from me.

I took that as a sign and I pressed my body into his fully, with my free hand I pulled his head down to meet mine. At first the kiss was slow, each of us getting a taste of each other, exploring. I felt the heat start from my toes and go all the way up to my midsection. Without thinking I wrapped my legs around him, and in doing so I deepened the kiss. Sebastian groaned, with my legs wrapped around his waist he backed me up into a tree, the way he tasted was driving me insane, I wanted more of him. I wanted all of him. I tugged his shirt over his head. Holy shit, he was perfect. His abs were clearly a gift from a god.

"Are you sure?" he whispered as he sank to his knees and took me down with him, the grass felt cool against my hot skin, my breaths still ragged and uneven. I've never been surer of anything in my life, so I kissed him again. He slid my tank top off over my head, just leaving me in my swim suit top, which still smelled like salt from the ocean. He peppered little kisses across my collar bone, and then the crook of my neck. Pausing only slightly to run his figures over my mark, the second he touched my mark, my body began to overheat, I looked down and saw that my entire body was radiating blue sparks, not just my hands. Before I could get a grasp on what was happening my body was too hot, much too hot. Pain radiated through me, I couldn't breathe. I vaguely registered Sebastian yelling at me, or him pulling me into his arms and running into the building, my thoughts were disoriented, I couldn't focus, the only thing I could focus on was how hot I was, and my mark, it felt like someone had branded me over and over again. The only thing I could clearly make out was Helens voice when she whispered

Mate