Rheon had already started the car and was waiting outside, leaning against the hood like a model who jumped off the cover of a magazine. I was momentarily stunned by his appearance. Saying that he looked handsome would be an understatement.
It's the first time I've seen him in something other than suits and ties. He ditched the fancy clothing for a pair of black jeans, hiking boots, and a dark brown leather jacket that made his shoulders seem even broader. His hair was gelled up, and he stared at me from behind a pair of dark shades.
When I reached his beloved Nessie, he elegantly opened the door for me before sliding in behind the wheel.
"Mind if we drive with the top down?" He asked casually.
I opened my mouth to reply but ultimately couldn't answer right away. Damn it, I've only been single for an hour and I'm already imagining his hands on me again. A part of me didn't know if I wanted to keep him dressed up like this or dressed down all the way. I'm sure he'd look good both ways.
Blood rose to my cheeks and I turned my head so he couldn't see. At last, I replied, "Uh, no..." I heard him breathe a laugh before driving us out of the driveway.
The adventure started once we left the castle grounds and he drove us down an unfamiliar route.
We passed the dense woodlands and houses along the way until all we could see was the road ahead of us, stretching so far, I couldn't find where it led. It carried us up hills and alongside cliffs overlooking endless miles of lush green grasslands below. Squinting my eyes against the bright horizon, I spotted a few smaller lakes and among the grassy hills, three or four herds of sheep scattered about, looking like tiny flakes of snow from where I was.
The next turn revealed a small range of mountains peeking out from the grass-covered ground. I nearly forgot how to breathe when, out of the blue, the ruins of an ancient castle appeared from behind one of the rock piles. It truly felt as if we've stepped into a medieval fantasy of magic and werewolves, ancient castles where battles were won and lost long ago, where all women were princesses running down ancient corridors in light, flowy dresses.
Were dragons real, I'd be living my biggest fantasy at that moment.
After an hour of driving, we entered the countryside and were currently cruising through an abandoned village. All that was left was an old church made of stone and the ancient cemetery around it. The former village was situated next to a lake and as far as I looked, there was nothing but shores and mountains in sight.
The scenery changed drastically once Rheon took us off-road and parked the car near a woodland.
After opening the door for me, he caught me off guard when he wrapped a scarf around my neck and tied it at the front. "It's cold where we're going."
It took me only a second to recognize his cologne on the scarf before he grasped my hand and led me towards the forest for the rest of the adventure to continue.
The forest descended into a hollow where the trees were growing from either side of the steep, moss-covered walls with nothing but their roots holding them in place. Rheon's fingers linked with mine as he helped me over slippery rocks, keeping me steady on my feet as we trudged across the undergrowth.
He was right, the temperature dropped several degrees the deeper we descended. His scarf proved useful after all.
Along the way, we stumbled upon an old rock formation and either had to go around or over it. I was perfectly happy to go around, but the gleam in Rheon's eyes told me he had different plans.
Turning his back on me and placing his feet apart, he said, "Hop on."
I blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. It's quicker to go over than around."
"You want to piggyback me up that?" I looked from the rocks to him, "No way."
"I won't let you fall," he promised. When he noticed the hesitation on my face, Rheon made me look him dead in the eye, "Do you trust me?"
"You did lie to me about the travel agency," I pointed out bluntly.
"And I'll make it up to you. Just say you trust me."
My common sense told me no, something else told me yes, and my head told me if I fall, I'll fracture my spleen and end up in a wheelchair for eternity. I've watched Game of Thrones, I know what happens when you fall from high places, and I'm not ready to wake up as a cripple who can see freaky flashes of the past.
"If you let me fall..." I threatened.
"Then you may skin any part of me and use it for whatever purposes you see fit." He arched a brow with a daring smile.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine."
With a satisfied grin, he turned around and grabbed the back of my knees when I hopped onto his back. The next thing I knew, Rheon was climbing the rocks with only one hand while the other had a firm grip on my arms around his shoulders. I kept my eyes closed most of the way up although I was aware of how effortlessly he carried me. Werewolf strength, no doubt.
"And we're at the top," his voice vibrated through me. I opened my eyes for a brief second to admire the view from up here when his next words shook me to the core, "And now we're going down."
Without any warning, he leapt into the air.
I screamed at the top of my lungs and clung to him for dear life. The only thought that ran through my head was 'we are going to die'. And I never got to tell my mom I love her one last time...
Just as that terrifying realization hit me, my entire figure jolted as Rheon's feet hit the ground, pressing my upper body flush against his back. His grip on my legs eased and before I knew it, he lowered me to the forest floor.
My knees buckled and he caught me just before I fell. "You alright?"
"I think my organs got rearranged..."
He breathed a laugh and reached out to take my hand again. "We're almost there. It's right around the next boulder."
We ducked underneath a canopy of shrubs and ferns when I realized I could hear the rippling of water coming from the end. Rheon stole a glance at me over his shoulder and winked. When he moved aside and parted the shrubbery, my jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
I was met by the view of what could only be the gathering place for fairies and mystical forest creatures. We were standing on the shore of a creek with water so clear, it mirrored the trees and boulders through which it lazily coursed. Crimson-shaded pebbles adorned the bottom of the stream and if I looked closely, I could spot tiny fish darting about.
"I used to come here every day once," Rheon said as his gaze travelled across the water, "It was the only place where I could truly think."
"About the curse?" His head jerked towards me, and I wondered if I spoke too soon. "I heard you and your father talking last night. He mentioned you don't have much time left."
He uttered a heavy breath and started down the shore of the creek. At first, I thought it was a sensitive subject he wished to avoid. He sauntered towards a fallen tree and leaned against the trunk, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and studying the twigs and rocks under his boots.
At last, he said, "It's true, I'm cursed."
I joined him at the trunk and made myself comfortable on one of the lower branches, patiently waiting for him to elaborate.
"Ten years ago, I met someone. Her name was Lucine and back then, I thought she was the most beautiful woman to walk the earth. We had a connection unlike anything I ever experienced." He scoffed, "I was almost certain she was my mate...until I found out she had me under a spell. When I confronted her with the truth and told her I never wanted to see her again, she cursed me."
"Are you dying?" My voice dropped to a whisper as I played with the ends of his scarf.
"If only she was that merciful," he huffed and kicked at the ground, "No, she only deprived me of my sense of smell. For a werewolf, that's almost worse than death. Of all our senses, we rely on smell the most; it's how we detect danger. It's also how we find our mates."
"You can't smell anything at all?"
He shook his head.
I was flabbergasted. "Wow, I can't imagine how that must feel." Imagine a world where you couldn't smell coffee or freshly fallen rain or grandma's beef stew. "Why did Lucine do it? Is she like you, a werewolf?"
"She's half-werewolf, half-witch. And I have no idea why she wanted us to be mates so badly, but I do know one thing," he said gravely, "If the curse isn't broken before my time runs out, I will forever be bound to her, mate or not."
A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of him with that...witch. It wasn't any different than me marrying Matt, minus the curse obviously. Come to think of it, spending forever with Matt while I knew it was not what I wanted, was a curse all on its own.
"Nope, not gonna happen," I decided and jumped to my feet, "If I can break it off with Matt then you can break this curse. What did Lucine say, is there some kind of ritual to undo the spell? A chant? True love's kiss?"
"Sadly, there's only one way to break the curse and it isn't either of those," he stated but managed a witty smirk, "Although I'm not opposed to the true love's kiss idea."
I rolled my eyes and gave him a light shove. "Seriously, now, how do you break it?"
He stared at me for a moment or two before saying, "I have to find my mate..."
"Check." I gestured down at myself.
"...and I have to mark her."
"Then do it." His eyes widened at my boldness. "If that's how you break the curse, then what are you waiting for?"
The look of surprise on his face didn't last. A frown tugged at his lips as he fixed his gaze on the creek. "It's not that simple. You must want it."
"I want it if that means I get to help you."
"No, I mean, you must want it intimately."
My heart missed a beat. "Oh."
"A week is too short to win your heart," he continued gravely, "So I won't force you into anything." I froze when he suddenly came to stand before me, grasping both my hands in his. Rheon looked me dead in the eyes as he said, "No matter what happens, we'll always be mates. I'll always know how you feel and what you think, and as long as you're happy, I couldn't care less what becomes of me. You might not understand it yet, but you're all I care about. And that's all that matters."