RTWM: The Girl Honed By Fire And Fear [Book 1]

Chapter 9: Midnight Pledge

She straightened up at that, looking him dead in the eye.

"What do you mean I'm not entirely?" Elevena enunciated purposefully, but didn't make any move to break out of his hold.

"Please, just... hear me out before you make up your mind."

She thought about it, then nodded decisively. His plea made her inclined to listen to the explanation of this very-hard-to-believe claim.

Seth breathed out in relief, and it fanned soothingly over her heated skin.

"Among my people, there is a legend. A handful of gifted humans were blessed with the ability to manipulate the pure forms of the elements, and they would yield to their command." His grip around her tightened protectively. 

"They were hunted by my people for their rarity, and driven to extinction. You're the last one."

Elevena stumbled, trying to wrap her head around this new information. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. In the forest, the plant life had responded to her and the fire wasn't hot. Still, it was a lot to process since those were the only two instances she could recall that had ever happened.

"Wait, so I'm an alien?"

He shook his head patiently, knowing that this was a lot to take in. "No, you are very much human."

She nudged for him to continue, silently processing all he had told her so far.

"The mark on your shoulder indicates who you are most compatible with. Unlike in some of the literature on your planet, it does not decide who you belong with. Our people are taught how to keep it under control from a very young age so it does not catch them by surprise once they run into potential mates."

"That would've been handy to know ahead of time." She grumbled, pouting at the chuckle that escaped him.

Seth cracked an apologetic smile, rubbing her sides comfortingly to make up for it. "The more pain it induces, the more it indicates an ideal match."

"That seems a bit counterproductive." She mused, still upset it caused her pain instead of the opposite. "So, what did Sara mean when she said you'll be bonded to me?"

After he failed to answer her right away, doubt intruded her thoughts, blocking out all rationality.

"Did... Did you not want to be?"

"Again," He pushed her up against the railing firmly, so that she was pinned between his hard body and the unyielding, iron twisted fence, voice lower than she had ever heard it before. "You have no idea what I want."

Elevena winked playfully and he dropped his act, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. She sighed at the contact, but didn't move.

"It is a bit more complex than just that." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "On my planet, when the connection is that strong, it is usually decided that they will be mates. But here, on your planet, I am aware of the lack of loyalty between humans."

She bristled at the implication, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. "Are you saying I won't be loyal to you?"

It was a little hard, since he was so blunt.

He shook his head furiously, diminishing her assumptions. "No, I merely do not want to trap you in an arrangement you had no prior knowledge of. I understand it takes some time for humans to get to know each other."

"You said yourself that I'm not entirely human." She pointed out. "Isn't it different for me?"

"And while that is true, I suppose what I am attempting to say is that I do not wish to force you into anything you are uncomfortable with." He finished, relieved to get it off his chest at the same time his stomach churned in anticipation of her rejection.