Connection Through Blindness

Chapter 24

   Under the huge oak trees, I caressed the Rose I had saw when I first came here. Its petals were a deep red that glowled and brightened the dark forest.

As I ran my finger over the stem I felt a small pain and lifted the pricked finger before my face. I watched as my blood welled up at the tip before I started sucking on it. It took that second to heal. Without looking up I said, "It's funny how more than a million rabid vampires and werewolves couldn't make me shed any blood, yet a sweet little Rose can."

A smile touched my lips, gently touching the petals. It was an odd thing for him to do when he sat next to me. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and looked ahead when he caught me staring. Against my will I blushed.

"Those that are corrupted by evil cannot touch the light, but the Rose, for example, is pure, and things that are pure can," he said suddenly.

I stayed quiet, twirling a leaf in my fingers while he turned to me. Gulping before turning to him, I say, "You've lived in a dark world. A world that didn't give you a chance to be good."

I waited patiently because I knew how difficult it is for him to open up. He looks down at the flower and did something he usually wouldn't have done by reaching out and touching the petals.

"The world changed for me when I found out I had a mate out there in the world," he started to say, "but I didn't bother finding you."

"Why?" I had to ask, chewing on my lip, feeling the wind run softly over my skin.

"A mate would only complicate things." I purse my lips and nod, feeling hurt for some reason, but then he said, "When Ellie entered my territory, I knew my mate was here. I found it weird that I felt such a strong connection to her, then I realized it wasn't Ellie I had a connection with, but the hybrids living inside her. The reason why I kept your mother as my prisoner was to protect her, which would then protect my mate. Ellie never knew it, but I stayed close to her, watching as my mate grew inside her."

Standing up, I face him. "Why would you bother saving me if you don't even want me?" I demanded.

He stands up as well and steps into my personal space. "I've been waiting for you for more than a thousand years," he said quietly, touching my cheek softly.

"Then why treat me cold? Why say that fate made a mistake intertwining us?" I asked just as softly, blinking my eyes slowly.

"I had to in order for you to reach your true power so I would be able to take physical form," he replied. "For the second question, I was just so angry at you because you were going to allow that rabid to touch you."

His touch became so light it made me shiver.

"I tried to make you hate me," he said.

I step closer and ask, "Why would you try to make me hate you?"

"I wanted to protect you."

"I can protect myself," I replied with a nod of my head.

"I know you can protect yourself," he assured. "But I was trying to protect you from me. I was and am evil. I didn't want to taint your innocence."

Slowly reaching up, I barely brush the tips of my fingers along his face, the strong cheekbones, the strong jaw, and stopped myself from running them over his full lips.

"You're not evil. You just made some bad choices, but who doesn't? Everyone makes bad and horrible decisions. The thing that counts, though, is that if that person learns from them, and I believe you could learn from them."

He shakes his head. "What makes you think that?"

I smile, gently grabbing his hand, and said what came from the heart. "I've believed in you from the very beginning. I heard the stories, but stories are stories because people like to be overdramatic about the actual facts. So I decided to believe what I knew."