I…I still--"
"Can't believe it?" Rafe shrugged. "I'm guessing a regular person wouldn't have survived. But we're part cat so maybe falls aren't so bad. I think I lost one of my nine lives though." He twisted to look at the stab wound. "Maybe two."
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, and when I did, I knew he was real--the heat of him, the smell of him, the feel of him, the taste of him so incredibly real that it surpassed anything my memory could conjure up. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back, and it was like every other amazing kiss he'd given me, multiplied ten-fold. I kissed him until I couldn't breathe, and then I kissed him a little more, until I had to pull back, gasping.
"I have to die more often," he said. And he grinned, that incredible blaze of a grin that made me kiss him again.
When we finally pulled apart, he brushed his palm over my still-damp cheeks.
"Your parents are okay, Maya," he murmured. "They've just left. The whole town left."
"I know. That's not…" I stepped back, out of his arms, and looked over at the fallen tree. "I came out here and I saw that, and I remembered us…You…"
He looked startled and…something else I couldn't quite put my finger on, but definitely startled, like he hadn't ever thought I'd be crying over him.
"I dreamed you were alive," I said. "You were calling me and you needed help, and I wanted to go but…" I swallowed. "It didn't make sense. I told myself you couldn't be, so I didn't, and I'm sorry if--"
"You wouldn't have found me, Maya. If I called you, it was only in my dreams, when I was out cold. I never expected you to come after me. I should be dead." He tugged me into his arms. "I'm just really, really glad I'm not.
"Can't believe it?" Rafe shrugged. "I'm guessing a regular person wouldn't have survived. But we're part cat so maybe falls aren't so bad. I think I lost one of my nine lives though." He twisted to look at the stab wound. "Maybe two."
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, and when I did, I knew he was real--the heat of him, the smell of him, the feel of him, the taste of him so incredibly real that it surpassed anything my memory could conjure up. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back, and it was like every other amazing kiss he'd given me, multiplied ten-fold. I kissed him until I couldn't breathe, and then I kissed him a little more, until I had to pull back, gasping.
"I have to die more often," he said. And he grinned, that incredible blaze of a grin that made me kiss him again.
When we finally pulled apart, he brushed his palm over my still-damp cheeks.
"Your parents are okay, Maya," he murmured. "They've just left. The whole town left."
"I know. That's not…" I stepped back, out of his arms, and looked over at the fallen tree. "I came out here and I saw that, and I remembered us…You…"
He looked startled and…something else I couldn't quite put my finger on, but definitely startled, like he hadn't ever thought I'd be crying over him.
"I dreamed you were alive," I said. "You were calling me and you needed help, and I wanted to go but…" I swallowed. "It didn't make sense. I told myself you couldn't be, so I didn't, and I'm sorry if--"
"You wouldn't have found me, Maya. If I called you, it was only in my dreams, when I was out cold. I never expected you to come after me. I should be dead." He tugged me into his arms. "I'm just really, really glad I'm not.
( Kelley Armstrong )
[ The Calling ]
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