The Promise

Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Thank you so much for everyone's comments. I'm grateful that everyone seems to be loving this story. 

Paul had frozen, blue eyes staring off into space through his shock. I nervously bit at my chapped lips, wanting them to say something. No one dared to speak a word. It was like we were all afraid of bursting the bubble all five of us were in, frozen in time while we contemplated our actions of the past few moments.

My heart was racing in my chest. It felt like a hummingbird was trapped beneath my breast, beating against my sternum. Like it was being held captive and furiously flapping to get free. I felt dizzy like I was going to pass out from the situation.

"Aww," Marko was the one to speak first. His voice sounded whiny as he crept closer to me. I could feel those familiar tingles burning a hole in my side at his proximity. "Can't I get a kiss, too?"

"Marko!" I breathed, the hummingbird in my breastbone evaporating into nervous chuckles. Marko pouted his lips in my direction, and my breath caught. I was captivated by Marko's lips pouting for a kiss, which I hadn't noticed when Paul's hand slid to his jawline. Paul's hand trembled at the rush of endorphins rushing through his veins at the feeling. He felt like he had been stung by a dozen wasps where my lips touched.

Marko's antics entertained me, so I didn't see the envious looks on Dwayne's and David's faces. Marko didn't want me to feel guilty or obligated to give kisses to anyone I didn't want to. He knew it stung; hell, he felt the sting in his chest, but none could coerce such an innocent being as their mate.

"Come on, baby," Marko crooned, angling his face down to my height. Even though Marko was the shortest of the group, he still towered over my frame by about five inches. I sighed, cheeks blushing bright red in embarrassment. It took me a second, but I finally catered to his suggestive movements. I pressed a kiss to his soft cheek, lips as fleeting as the brush of a butterfly. "Thank you, mia cara. I feel much better now."

I flushed, the red trailing down my neck. David's keen blue eyes watched as the blood pooled all the way to the neckline of my shirt. He wanted to reach out and trail his tongue to where the red ended, knowing it went further than the collar of the shirt I wore. He smirked, saliva pooling in his mouth as the scent of my blood grew more intense, enveloping them in a cloud of heaven.

"Are you done, princess?" Dwayne's deep voice broke the silence. I was grateful that he spoke, no longer needing to shift from foot to foot, wondering what to do now. I felt awkward, glancing up at the two men through my lashes.

"Yes," I gazed longingly around the shop, only having explored probably a tenth. I knew I would return later to peruse more shelves, hoping to find that diamond in the rough. I reached out to take the books from Dwayne's hold, but he just pulled them out of my reach.

I took a deep breath, knowing it was futile to try to protest. Neither Dwayne nor any of the other boys didn't back down regarding their actions. I just rolled my eyes, handing the Native American man the books I had taken from Paul - the catalyst of the past five minutes. Dwayne accepted the book, setting it on top of the pile. He held the books with one hand, the other pressed to my lower back as we walked towards the counter. The cashier greeted Dwayne with shocking familiarity, but it made sense as he was also an avid reader.

The total for the thirteen books came to a little over five dollars. I reached out with the ten-dollar bill I fished from my back pocket, only to find that Dwayne already had the money in the cashier's hand. I tried to protest and hand him my ten, but David's gloved hands pulled me away.

The three boys dragged me onto the crowded Boardwalk, lights aglow in the night atmosphere. Marko snagged the ten from my hand, tucking it back into my back pocket. His hand lingered longer than absolutely necessary, causing me to whirl around. Marko giggled, jumping backward with both hands held up in mock innocence. I frowned at the curly imp, only for Dwayne to come into sight.

"Thank you," I told the quieter man with a shake. He had the plastic bag looped around his large wrists. "You didn't have to pay for my books."

"I wanted to, Princess," Dwayne smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to my nose. I wrinkled my nose, feeling effervescence in my nasal cavity from his touch. It felt like when you've drank too much soda and the bubbles come up your nose.

"Have you eaten tonight?" David's cool voice whispered near my ear. I shook my head, knowing that I had to keep up appearances. David's lips curled upwards into his signature smug smile as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I let him steer me through the crowd.

It was evident that the guys knew where they were going. Paul and Marko were bouncing behind us, but they usually had a pep in their step. I gazed back at the funloving guys who grinned crazily in my direction once they noticed I was looking at them. I flushed, turning to face forward again. Just in time to see the sign for the diner David wanted to eat at.

I felt the panic bubbling beneath my skin at the thought of entering that diner. If I entered the restaurant, the societal expectation would be to eat something. I couldn't bring myself to eat anything, especially not at a diner. Restaurants loved to cook with fats, oils, and other non-safe foods to make it appetizing.

But I couldn't deny David's invitation. He had asked if I had eaten, and stupidly, I told him I hadn't. If I tried to backtrack now, they would know something was amiss. I internally laughed at myself as if they didn't know when I took off my clothes back at the cave. The four guys had to see that I didn't like to eat.