Howler's Night by RS Black

Author:RS Black [Black, RS]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: RS Black Publishing
Published: 2015-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Pandora

I was sitting between the branches of a massive redwood tree staring out at the forest floor below me, trying desperately to forget the words I’d read.

He’d never said whether the angel, or demon, or whatever the hell that thing had been, had cursed me to love him.

Was it possible that none of what I felt for him was real? That once again I was being influenced by the will of another? I jumped to my feet and paced back and forth on the branch, running my fingers through my hair.

“And what does it matter if you are?” I growled. “I can’t change these feelings, can’t undo them. Do I want to?” I twirled around. “Yes!”

Because without will, all of it was a lie. Everything I felt, everything he’d done for me. Did it matter now? Was it real? Was any of this real?

Was my life still not my own?

And as if the weather sensed my mood, the gray clouds opened up, and I was covered in rain. I buried my face in the trunk of the tree, lost and terrified, scared to return back to that trailer, and damning Asher to Hell because I wanted to. Everyone wanted a piece of me, and I was so tired of giving it to them.

I didn’t want Luc.

I didn’t want Grace.

And I didn’t want Asher.

But I shook as my mind screamed it for the lie it was; I did want him. Desperately. The memory came to me of the time I’d first seen him at my ride: the immediate shock, the immediate sense that I’d needed him, wanted him. The feeling so intense, so demanding, one I’d never known before, and yet I hadn’t questioned it either. Because it’d felt so real.

The way I’d protected him, shielded him from Luc’s scrutiny, from Grace’s mechanizations. I’d put my safety on the line time and time again because of my overwhelming need for him.

And for what?

For something that wasn’t even real. I closed my eyes, and a dry sob tore from my throat. This betrayal was so much worse than Grace’s, than even being stolen and broken by the Triad, because my hope, my faith, anything good in me, hinged on my surety of Ash. That in all the world, I’d found one truth and I’d clung to it for all I’d been worth, so desperate for that truth.

“So you’ve been cursed to love another. My, my, that’s a fate worse than death.” A smooth, deep drawl had me whirling around, dropping into an immediate crouch, and hissing.

“Oh, sorry.” Death held up his hands. “Demons hate to be surprised.” He winked and then glanced up, frowning as if glaring at the rain.

Immediately it stopped. I didn’t want to attribute it to him, but yeah...

“Why are you here?” I shoved a lock of my wet hair behind my ear.

Licking his front teeth, he ran his palm over a section of the tree branch until curls of steam rose from it. Then, nodding, he took a seat.

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