Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 19

Bella's P.O.V.

When the bear comes into the clearing, I seriously believe we are about to be killed. This is not how I imagined I would die. I didn't get to experience college, fall in love, get married or have a family, and I briefly mourn for things that will never be. Then I see Lucien take a step towards the animal, his hands raised over his head to make himself look bigger, and I think, 'I'm about to watch Lucien be killed by a bear!' Does he expect me to dash past him while he fights for his life? There is no way I could do that. My luck is officially depleted, not that there was a deep well of reserves to begin with. When the animal stands on its hind legs, I hear Lucien growl at it, antagonizing it, and I cry, "What are you doing Lucien, are you crazy?" Lucien growls again, this time louder and I watch the bear get ready to charge. Then I nearly jump out of my skin when Lucien emits the most horrific scream I've ever heard, listening as it resonates throughout the forest. What in the Hell was that? The bear seems to have the same question as I do, and it hightails itself back into the woods. Breathing deeply, Lucien turns toward me once the bear is gone, and I start to cry in relief.

His arms come around me again, and I cry into his bare chest, shaking uncontrollably. This is becoming a very comfortable position for me to be in, and I try to delete the image I had forming in my mind of Lucien being viciously dismantled in front of me. He's murmuring soothing words in my ear while gently rubbing circles on my back with his warm hands. When I feel fortified and calm enough, I push away and look into his eyes. "What the Hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!" I admonish him.

He looks at me, a smile starting to form on his lips. "You were worried about me?" he asks quietly.

I punch him lightly in the shoulder. "Of course I was worried you idiot. Facing off with that bear was reckless and stupid. Don't ever do that again!" For some reason, his smile gets wider, and it makes me start to grin. "What are you smiling for?" I ask him, my irritation quickly dissipating, replaced by a longing to connect with him.

He shrugs. "Nobody's ever worried about me before," he admits, reaching to put his arms around me again.

"What?" I ask incredulously, stepping into his embrace while gazing up at his face. "Your parents don't care what happens to you?"

"Not really, no," he says, staring at my lips. I stare back at his mouth, and somewhere in the recesses of my mind I'm reminded that when you have a near death experience, it's human nature to want to connect with somebody to verify you are still alive. That must be why I want him to kiss me so badly. His head starts to dip, slowly and methodically, giving me plenty of opportunity to back away, but I stand my ground and raise on my toes to meet his mouth. His lips are warm like the rest of him, and incredibly soft. I hear him groan as he picks me up, leaving my feet dangling off the ground while he assaults my mouth. His tongue gently licks my lips, asking for entrance, and when I give it I groan against his heated intrusion. He probes every inch of my mouth, his tongue dancing with mine, and when he finally puts me down to stand on my feet, his hands find my face, and he softly kisses my cheeks, my nose, both my eyes and finally my forehead. I look up at him in wonder while desire flows through me. He tucks me into his chest again, one hand behind my head, the other around my waist pulling me into him. He kisses my head and squeezes me, finally letting go and stepping back.

"We should get back to camp," he says quietly. "You look like a slight breeze would knock you off your feet."

At his words I feel an utter and total exhaustion settle over me, and I nod. He holds his hand out to me, and when I take it, he turns and heads back into the woods, following the uneven trail we climbed to get up here.