The Wax Pools

Chapter 7: They are Awakening

I spent two hours today picking out love songs to best represent how the soulmates feel/will feel about Lillian lmao

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He was absolutely right, horseback riding makes you incredibly sore. With every step the horse takes I want to wince. At least the woods are beautiful, I have never actually left the town, so I've never taken the path we're on now. The old dirt road is dappled with sunlight coming through the forest roof above. The sound of birds chirping and wind rustling the leaves which are already starting to turn yellow and orange is music to my ears. I didn't think it would be this intimate either, not knowing how to ride, and being quite a bit shorter than either of my boys I'm stuck sitting in front of Adam, his arms wrapped around me to hold the reigns. I'm painfully aware of every square inch of his chest pressing against my back. 

It's only been a few hours since my change of heart and our subsequent departure, and I'm already sore, I need a break desperately but I don't want to burden them. I squirm a little in the saddle, trying to find a comfier position. 

"Lily" Adam basically growls in my ear, causing me to freeze. 

"sorry" His tone makes me feel like maybe they don't actually want me here, maybe they changed their minds and my presence is just an annoyance. After all, he's hardly said a word to me since we left, we've been riding in silence, comfortable silence but silence nonetheless. 

The sudden hard object pressing into my ass says maybe it's something else. I try to scooch forwards, away from it, unintentionally letting him know I can feel it. 

"Let's stop and rest for a bit" He calls to Bear, pulling the horse into a small clearing by the road. Adam gracefully dismounts, tying the reigns to a tree by a stream. I dismount not so gracefully with some assistance, wincing from the stiffness. Bear ties his horse next to Adam's while Adam rummages in a side bag. 

I wander around the clearing, looking at the wild plants and the small stream. Bear says something to Adam indistinctly that earns him a punch to the arm. That only makes him laugh. Watching them I remember how I hardly know them, regardless of the whole love-at-first-sight-soulmate thing going on. It worries me how much I don't care that I don't know them. But every touch, every look, every sweet word that reaches my ears, feels godly. 

We sit on the soft grass together, sipping cold water they took from the stream. Bear pulls me into his lap and presses a soft kiss to my cheek.

"thank you for changing your mind, I don't know what we would have done without you" I smile and gaze into his loving eyes, I stretch up to peck him on the cheek. 

"I was just so nervous, but waking up alone almost killed me, I knew I couldn't be without you" I whispered, snuggling into his chest. making moves made my heart pound, I love them so much already, but this is my first actual relationship and I am heart-poundingly nervous if that wasn't already clear. I also can't let go of the nagging voice in the back of my mind saying that just because they are your soulmates doesn't mean they can be trusted.

"Alright, love-birds let's go" Adam said, getting up and filling the canteens one last time. 

Bear helped me onto his horse, a little more gracefully this time but I still winced from my newly sore muscles. Bear climbs on behind me.

"Are you sore already? You should have said something, we could have stopped sooner" Bear remarks at my sounds of discomfort.

"It's fine I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am" I rush out.

"Bullshit, you are not a burden, why would you even think that even after I fell to my knees begging for you to come with us?" His tone is huffy, and a little dumbfounded. Shifting the reigns to one hand he pulls me into his chest, this whole scene making me blush furiously.

Bear chats with me as we ride, unlike Adam. 

"Adam has quite the old-fashioned name, is that how most people are named in the city?" Before Bear has a chance to reply I hear Adam let out a loud bark of a laugh from in front of us. Turning in his saddle to face us he called out, 

"If you think my name is-

"ADAM"

"old fashioned y-"

"PLEASE DON'T"

"you should ask him-"

"DUDE PLEASE"

"what his full name is!" I look back at Bear, who was now scowling at Adam, Adam on the other hand looked absolutely ecstatic. The happiest I've ever seen him actually, I don't think I've so much as seen him smile.

"I won't ask if it bothers you so much." I offer a reassuring smile to the upset man. He returns his gaze to me.

"No it's fine, you should know everything about me, it's just," he lets out a long sigh, " it's embarrassing."

We fell into silence for a moment, he watched the trail again and I took in the colours of the forest and the sounds of hoofbeats hitting the dirt.

"Don't laugh but... my actual name is Bartholomew..." More silence. I am holding in a laugh like my life depends on it, because well my love life kinda does. Thank the gods that it's easy to avoid eye contact on horseback. A few deep breaths later I think I'm okay to talk again. 

But I don't get the chance. As I open my mouth to assure him I don't care what his name is, I notice the temperature has dropped, like a lot. The sun is still high in the sky, not a cloud to speak of and though it's early fall, it is starting to feel like the dead of winter, I can see my breath cloud in front of my face. It's not just me, the guys seem to tense, and the horses are starting to slow, their ears twitching at every sound emanating from the trees. 

"what the fuck is going on" my trembling voice is barely audible. 

"nothing good" comes Bear's reply. 

Something is disturbing the woods, a flock of birds takes flight to the left of the trail ahead of us. 

Then it emerges from the trees, and the shock is the only thing stopping me from screaming.