He fumed silently as he watched Caiphus and his entourage leave his place and he had the idea to strike him to the ground with lightning but talked himself out of it. At least his father was off his back for a while now. His father's mandatory check ups were getting to his nerves but not for long now, they should wait for the day he shows up unanounced to their compound.
He felt a smile creep up to his face at the thought and remembered he had company. He walked to the two females and stood before them, his height towering over them.
"Were you hurt?" he directed his gaze to Hannah
"I am okay" she seemed to be holding back but he already had an idea of the kind of questions she would like to ask.
"Let's get you inside, I'll take Kayla"
The mood had turned somewhat sombre in an instant that Hannah found it hard to adapt. Maybe they shouldn't have taken the stranger's help . . . maybe none of this would've befell him had they been far away from here.
She followed him meekly to the dimly lit room where Kayla remained sleeping while the adults stepped out to talk out of her hearing range.
"We've caused you enough trouble, Salem. Maybe it's best we go forst thing at sunrise tomorrow" she lowered her head to hide the tears clinging to her lashes.
She didn't make a habit of putting her pain and insecurities on display for all to see but it seemed even she had a limit to how much she could bottle up.
"You will do no such thing Hannah"
Out of all the things he had imagined coming out of her mouth, this one never crossed his mind. Why would she want to venture into the unknown without protection or a contingency plan to say the least. He grumbled loudly.
Females!
"What would you have us do? It seems that badluck follows our trail. We didn't mean to cause you trouble but-"
Words failed her as tears came unbidden, in a rush to get it over and done with. She turned around, facing away from him. Why did she have to break down infront of this mean pack of gigantic meat. He was probably going to taunt her with it for days but still, her tears refused to cease.
"If only I could cry like you little damsel"
He came behind her, hugging her from behind, soothing her back with the number of pats she received on her back. It seemed even he was full of sirprises, the one surprised the most being Salem himself. It seemed that in as much as he was getting under her skin, she was also surreptitiously doing the same. Whether or not it was a conscious decision, he couldn't tell but he knew it was a calculated one for him.
She sobbed in silence, still hiding her face from his eyes while welcoming his much needed comfort. Maybe he wasn't as cold as he projected himself to onlookers, maybe beneath the layers of cockiness and mock laid a vulnerable male who needed taking care of and a home full of love and tolerance . . . dare she say acceptance?
"I feel like we've been nothing but a burden to you really. I know you can be a pain in the neck but your hospitality seemed genuine. I fear we have overstayed our welcome" she tried to make him understand the necessity of their departure.
"Do not try to make me understand why you want to leave me Hannah"
Whatever his reason for alternating from calling her by her given name and then little damsel or female, she couldn't tell but she was sure he always called her by her name to make her register the gravity of the situation at hand so what was the meaning of his words?
"I thought it's what you wanted. I've noticed you like spending time with Kayla and vise versa but it's not sufficient compensation for making you risk your life for us"
Why was he making this difficult for her? Did he not care about his life?
He released a frustrated sigh and tightened his grip around her upper limbs making her mutter a silent yelp.
"I don't want you to go, is that simple enough for you Hannah?"
She was rendered speechless.
What was she supposed to say to that? She raised his head to sneak a glance at his face and met his brooding eyes that held hers captive. Her heart hitched at the close proximity.
What is it about her?
She averted her gaze and cast her head low again, only to look at his sculptured fingernails. They had veins like a carpenter's hands . . . strong and extremely masculine. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply,the tears finally listening to her.
What is it about him?
He tossed her to the side, threw her to the horizon but still called her back to him. How was she supposed to keep up with that.
She felt his chin nudging softly at the top of her head while his nose inhaled the scent of her hair. That seemed so wrong to her, she knew it was wrong. They were not fated to be together . . . mama had told her she would know from first glance if a male was her fated half so why did this feel so right?
She knew this was the part where she had to wiggle out of his embrace but still her feet remained rooted in the spot. Her heartbeat started beating wildly like she had been running for hours on end. Her mind screamed at her but she was numb to do anything.
'Get the hell out of there you idiot'
She knew she had to. Just a step and shewould be free but that felt pain stakingly wrong and just far from her.
He has been nice and accomodatimg towards them so . . .
'Is that all there is to it'
She wanted to scream at her subconscious for pushing her in that direction.
Where was her mama when she needed her the most? She had never said anything about physical desire for any male before meeting your fated half so what was this?
" . . . cold little female"
'Huh?' was she lost in her own world again again?
"You are getting cold"
He stated again, rubbing his humongous palms on her arms.
'Oh'
She was getting cold, courtesy of the lake that blew cold air in their direction.
"I will go and take my bathe in the lake and then come back with something to eat. Please start the fire in the meantime"
"I also need to take a bathe" she blurted out without thinking and realised just a second later the implication of her words " uhm . . . but you can go first, ofcourse. I uhm . . . I will bathe after you" she busied herself with nothing in particular but she didn't miss the amused grin floating lovingly in his face.
Gawd no!
Could she have made such a mistake at a worser time?
She palmed her face in time to hide the creeping blush turning her cheeks to a dark shade of pink.