within my chest.
I erase the Zara in his arms as I walk over to him slowly. I can’t speak for the lump in my throat, trying my hardest to keep the tears from falling and stand tall and alone telling myself ‘You can do this’ over and over in my head.
“Is that really you Beautiful?” He asks with a sorrowful note, as if he knows that I am real, and not just a dream.
“Yeah,” I tell him in a whisper with a nod of my head.
“You’re a dream walker?”
Again, I just nod. I can’t, I won’t, let anything take away the strength I have tried so hard to keep within me.
“Zara I ...”
“No, it’s ok Sallack, I forgive you, I promise I do. It was just hard to see that.” I say pointing to the bed where he lay with me in his arms just moments ago.
“Why, I don’t deserve your forgiveness?” He asks in disbelief.
“Come to me Sallack.” I ask him gently as my shaky legs won’t budge.
He walks the few steps to me, with an intense look in his eyes. Releasing the tears he wa s trying so hard to fight off. Stepping forward I wipe under his eyes with my thumbs and kiss his cheek.
“We weren’t meant to be Sallack, I know that now, but I will never look at you with anything but love. I owe a lot to you. I should hate you but I don’t, I can’t. I want us to be friends Sallack?”
“Oh beautiful, how could I have hurt something so pure. Are you an Angel Zara?” He asks me in a serious tone.
I smile up at him as I wrap my arms around him, and look him straight in the eye.
“No Sallack I’m not an Angel. Will you give me something?” I ask holding him tightly.
“Anything Beautiful,” He tells me gently.
“I want one last kiss?” I ask, it is all I have wanted from the moment I knew we were not meant to be, I need to feel him one last time.
Not missing a beat, his lips take mine gently as a feeling of bliss and love tingles through my body. He holds me tightly in his strong arms as I melt into him. The kiss is not what I imagined though; it feels wrong in away, which it is, as he is not my chosen. Nevertheless, I had to feel his lips on mine one last time, as I never got to say goodbye to our love, nor did he and we both needed this closure.
I pull away from him slowly and look up at him.
“A kiss of Goodbye?” He asks me already knowing the answer.
“Yeah,” I tell him with a sigh.
“I am sorry...”
“The others are waiting, will you come with me?” I ask needing to change the subject; I have cried over Sallack so much that if I let the tears fall again, it will take away the strength I have so desperately held onto.
“When you tell me where you really are, and why?”
“Don’t push it Alpha.” I tease.
“God you’re stubborn.”
“Yep. We need to pick up Dallah and Julian on the way, take my hands.”
“Short version!” He tells me with an eye roll, as he folds his arms.
Therefore, I give him the short version, jus t as I have all the Brothers’.
We walk into Julian’s dream, where he sits holding Dallah on his bed. I hug him while he thanks me for bringing Dallah to him, not without giving me a telling off for leaving with Richard that night. The four of us hold hands; well Sallack and Julian are a little reluctant to, which I roll my eyes at.
The Brothers’ circle us as they greet Dallah with tight hugs and kisses to the forehead. I notice Ruk looking a little on edge, so I go to stand next to him as he places his arm over my shoulder and kisses the side of my head, making my heart flutter. Good god he is perfection.
Dallah tells the Brothers’ of her arranged bonding to Richard, that I’m guessing she’s already spoke to Julian about in private, as his head is downcast staring into the sand growling to himself. She tells them that she is working on a way out of the bonding, but she needs time, which angers them further. We have grown to be a family, a very
Karin Tabke
Alexa Wilder
Celeste Anwar
Madeleine Gagnon
Dani Atkins
Chuck Stepanek
Carmen Green
Beth Moran
Isabel Ashdown
James Luceno