Free Web NovelChapter 46: The Promise
DARLINGTON
The fountain whispered behind us. Flowers floated and moonlight turned everything silver and soft.
We had finished our love making session. For some reason, we refused to go into physical sex because we felt it wasn’t the time.
Samantha sat between us. Her body was relaxed now. She was not tense like before. Not shaking. Just... peaceful. Her head rested against my chest. Her eyes were half-closed and her lips were still swollen from our kisses.
Finnian was at her feet.
He had pulled off her shoes. Her bare toes curled against the cold stone. He held one foot in his hands, his thumbs pressing gently into her arch.
"Your feet are beautiful," he said. His voice was soft. Almost reverent. "Like the rest of you."
She let out a small laugh. "My feet?"
"Every part of you. Even the parts you do not think about."
She wiggled her toes. He kissed each one. One by one. "You are strange," she said.
"I know."
She shivered. "My feet are cold."
Finnian spread his wings. The silver feathers wrapped around her legs, covering her feet, her ankles, her calves. Warmth seeped through the fabric of her dress.
"Better?" he asked.
Inside my head, my wolf was pacing.
"She is ours," he said. "Why do we have to share?"
"Nothing."
"Protect her."
"I will."
"Keep her safe."
"I am trying."
"Try harder."
I did not answer, I just held her.
My hands moved along her shoulders and she leaned into my touch like a cat leaning into sunlight.
"I will protect you," I confessed and kissed her temple.
"I will keep you safe," I cooed and kissed her cheek.
"I will never let anyone hurt you," I moaned and kissed the corner of her mouth. freewebnovёl.ƈom
She turned her head. Her lips found mine. We kissed briefly, then she pulled back.
"Your brothers," she said. "What about them?"
I glanced at Finnian. He was still at her feet, his silver wings wrapped around her legs, his eyes fixed on her face.
"They are idiots," I said.
Finnian’s head snapped up. His silver eyes flashed.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me."
Finnian started to rise, his wings unfolded. His hands left her feet.
I held up my hand. "Chill, man. I am not finished."
He stopped. But he did not sit back down.
I looked at Samantha, her eyes were wide. Watching and waiting.
"They are idiots," I repeated. "But they are my idiots. And they love you too."
Finnian’s expression softened and he sat back down. His wings wrapped around her legs again.
Samantha looked between us. "And the tormenting? You promised tormenting."
"We will tease you. We will chase you. We will drive you crazy." I paused. "But we will never hurt you."
"Never?" she asked.
"Never."
"Not even a little?"
Finnian answered. "Not even a little. The torment is... play. Games. Things that make you blush and squirm." He kissed her ankle. "Not things that make you bleed."
She was quiet for a moment. "And the curse? What if the curse makes you hurt me?"
My chest tightened.
"The curse is... complicated," I said. "It lives inside us. In our blood. In our wings. Sometimes it takes over. Sometimes we cannot control it."
She paled. "So you could hurt me. Even if you do not want to."
I took her face in my hands. I made her look at me.
"If the curse ever makes me hurt you," I said, "I will lock myself away. I will chain myself in the dungeon. I will not come near you until the danger has passed."
"That is not—"
"It is the only way. I would rather die than be the reason you bleed."
Finnian nodded. "Same."
She looked at both of us. Her eyes searched our faces.
"You are serious," she said.
"We are always serious about you."
She let out a slow breath. Then she nodded.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay. I believe you."
Finnian gently pinched her waist, making her help in pain.
"That is for running," he said.
She swatted his hand away. "I said I believed you!"
"That does not mean you are not still in trouble."
I pinched her other side and she squirmed.
"Hey!"
"That is for hiding in the flowers. You scared us."
"I wanted to escape."
"We noticed."
Finnian pinched her again, making her grab his hands.
"Stop!"
"Make us."
She tried to push us away. But there were two of us. And she was trapped between us. Her laughter filled the clearing, making my chest ache.
"Mercy!" she gasped. "Mercy!"
"Never," Finnian said.
I pulled her closer, making her collapse against my chest, breathless, smiling. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright.
"Better?" I asked.
She nodded.
"You are ours, Samantha."
"And we are yours."
I kissed the corner of her mouth.
She turned her head and caught my lips with hers and kissed me deeply. "Yours," she whispered.
"Ours," he corrected.
"Ours," she agreed.
For a moment, everything was peaceful when I heard them.
Footsteps, armor and voices. The guards were coming.
They were coming this way.
I sighed. "We have to go."
Samantha sat up. Her eyes were confused. "What?"
"Guards are patrolling the maze. They will find us soon."
Finnian unfolded his wings, the night air rushed in, making Samantha shiver.
"You have to return to your room."
Samantha looked scared. "Will the guards find us here? If they do. Will they do anything to us? Why are you acting scared. Are they not your father’s guards?"
"You don’t understand," Finnian replied.
Samantha was perplexed. "What don’t I understand? Can you explain for me?" She asked with a shaky voice.
"They cannot see us like this," I replied. "This is our little secret. If they do, they’d tell the whole world. They’d tell the council of elders and they’d boot my father out for hiding monsters in his pack."
"What?" Samantha. "If the elders find out you have wings and you’re hybrids, they won’t protect you?"
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want it reveal much.
"Hey!! Whose there?" A guard asked yelling. My heart beat. He was coming close to us.
