BOUND TO MY MATE

CHAPTER 22

"Power doesn't corrupt people, people corrupt power." William Gaddis

So, here I stand at the edge of a precipice. I'm so dangerously close to falling off that one mere moral push, and I am sure I would fall into an abyss of despair and shame. I never imagined that I could or would betray someone so close to my heart, but here I am, waiting in the same clearing where I first saw Cal hours ago. I spent hours debating whether or not I should fulfill his request, and I concluded that I would adhere to it. The power. His power. It called to me like a moth to a flame, and I would be the most seasoned of liars if I said that it was not what attracted me to him. That made me lie and keep secrets from the one I love.

But, like all liars and deceivers, I tried to rationalize my decision. Going so far as to say, ' I'm not doing anything unsavory. I will meet him and see what he can teach me.' But I knew in my heart that my actions were not so honorable. I wanted him. I craved him in a way that one does dream of a lover. The power was just an opening that pushed my desire further. I struggled with that dilemma the entire walk from my cottage to the clearing, but I still did not turn away. My feet kept moving in that direction, and I could not stop them. As soon as I entered the entrance, he stood in all his beauty. I stopped absentmindedly, looking straight at him, and his eyes met mine, and they reflected what I felt. Lust and desire.

A slow devious smile swept its way across his handsome features while his legs started moving in my direction with an outstretched hand. His whole demeanor screamed dangerously, but I did what any good daredevil would do. I placed my hand on him as he led me to the middle of the clearing, brushing my knuckles softly with his fingers.

"Why are you nervous, Phoebe? I do not wish you any harm." He hummed. His statement did very little to appease my nervousness; it only cemented in my mind that this was wrong. I was wrong.

"I can't help but feel that I am betraying my mate by being out here with you. I know you can feel the pull between us. It's hard to ignore, but I know I must." I wrapped my arms around my chest as if the cold feeling of guilt would diminish with the warmth from my holding myself.

He pulled my arms apart and gripped the top of my shoulders like you would a misbehaving child. "My dear one, you have nothing to feel guilty of or ashamed of. You were mine before he was yours. You may not have known of my existence, but I have known of yours, and fate will always outweigh destiny. It would be in your best interest to forget him and embrace the power I can offer you. What can we create? " He once again outstretched his hand to me, but this time he delivered both hands, ushering me to take hold of them. And damn, that stupid inner voice told me that it was okay to accept his offer. The moment my hands connected to his, this spark traveled upwards toward my arms, making me feel like my veins were made of pure electricity given to me by Zeus himself.

"Do you feel that, Phoebe?" I shook my head fervently, "What you feel is the life force of everything and everyone around us. We are bonded to it no matter how small or insignificant something is. That warmth that you feel that tickles off pressure forming through your body is the very essence of life. Their life. And if we wanted to, we can draw that essence out, creating an energy conduit that can flow into us and sustain us for many years." My mouth opened and closed like a fish sucking in air, "Now, I want you to take a deep breath and focus on the shimmering lights surrounding us." Until this point, I didn't even notice all the luminous lights surrounding me, making different shapes with lines moving from all directions. It almost looked like tiny pieces of dust fastened with light. But what was more unique about this light and dust was that it was all around me and even led to animals in the forest. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that one of the light threads shown to a small rabbit hopping in and out of my peripheral. " I can tell by your expression that you can see and sense the essence of the creatures in the forest. Now focus on that essence and breath it in. I want you to pull on those lights, draw that energy into yourself, and leave nothing left." Without thinking, I did exactly what he said and pulled on that light, that force with my mind. And the feeling was pure ecstasy causing me to tilt my head backward with a wayward smile forming. I could taste the sweet, tantalizing taste of life itself running through my bones. I could feel my body getting energy that I never even knew existed. I brought my head back up and found myself gazing into his eyes, and he looked younger now. It was almost like years had been chipped away from his face. And to my utter astonishment, I glanced down at my hands, and they looked....younger....more vibrant. Not that I was old, but I instantly saw the difference and the feeling of being rejuvenated. The feeling of being untouchable was tangible and fresh in my euphoric mind.