Betrothed

Chapter 28: In Unity

Willow

I heard voices talking but they were whispering. "She has been out cold for a while. Should we wake her?" Brayden asked Ash.

I must have still been in the same position I was in before I fell asleep. Ash's firm chest beneath my cheek, my hand lying flat on his chest could feel his chest rising and falling.

"I should probably get up and stretch. She does need her sleep though she has not had much sleep for a good while. Do you think you can carry her a good distance? We can go to a nearby cottage in the Wayland pack and crash there until morning. I do not know if more Optimus members knew about this attack on Willow, but we should move before we find out. Before it gets dark." Arashnic exclaimed to Brayden.

I felt hands beneath me and was taken into a warm firm chest. Brayden's scent overwhelmed my senses, and I couldn't help but snuggle into his warmth in his arms.

"She is an angel, always has been and always will be. I knew she was my mate since we were children. My father is always playing games on me saying that you never know crap, but I knew," Brayden responded.

"I completely understand, and I appreciate you telling me that. I know this is hard, but we will figure it out," Arashnic expressed to Brayden. I heard movement assuming it was Arashnic getting to his feet. "I am sorry about what I said earlier. I should have just kept my mouth shut and let Willow explain."

Brayden shifted as he walked. "I am sorry for punching you earlier. She told me the gist of what she understands about this whole situation." I felt their eyes on me like hot saucers but the feeling it left was yearning for them both instead of burning like I felt after meeting Ash. "We should get going, we are too exposed out here."

Arashnic responded to Brayden and then I was carried in Brayden's arms for what felt like miles until he stopped.

"In here." Brayden started walking again and I heard wood creaking as we entered the cottage. "It's not big but we can all settle in here for the night. There is a living area and a bedroom with a kitchenette in the corner of the living area."

Brayden shifted and then I felt his warm body slowly departing from mine. I was being laid down on the bed in the bedroom. I felt covers enclosing me in the sheets of the bed itself. The comforting cushion and soft bedding made me dissolve into deep sleep faster than I thought possible.

Sunlight was peeking through the room and was too much for my closed eyelids to handle, making me toss and turn in the bed. Had that been a dream, or did it really happen? I have not slept that well in a while. My mates were awfully quiet in the other room. Too quiet. Uncertainty crept over me, and I sat up in bed quickly.

"Brayden! Ash!" I said loudly, concerned that they were gone. I slowly started to get out of bed still hearing nothing. What to expect in this instance was unimaginable as it was new territory for us all. I walked out of the bedroom and into the living area the stove furnace was in the corner of the room. A small table in the other corner of the room and finally a couch lined the other wall with an end table on the one side of it. There was a blanket over something moving on the couch. I slowly peeled the blanket back to reveal a sleeping Brayden. He was out stone cold.

There was no way he heard me walking or even when I called for him. Where had Ash gone though? I walked slowly past sleeping Brayden and out of the cottage. Letting the door close softly behind me I glanced around to find us surrounded by trees. I walked around the cottage looking for clues to figure out where Arashnic might have gone.

I see absolutely nothing around the outside walls of the cottage. I kept looking around and noticed a trail of his scent of sage and cedarwood. I locked onto the scent but right as I was going to start following it the door of the cottage swung wide open with Brayden storming out looking quickly around the outside of the cabin. I knew he was looking for me because when he locked eyes with me, he let out a deep breath like he had been holding his breath in for a long time.