Can't Ever

Chapter 14: Up in the Air

Chapter 14: Up in the Air

Nicholas

I could hear Cal moving around downstairs and could feel the sunrise starting to warm my bare chest as it entered my window. I laid there; I wasn’t ready to get up just yet but I was already running late. If I didn’t get up and take Bry and Samantha to school, I’d find my truck gone until Bry brought it back. Sighing, I sat up and tried to rub the lack of true rest from my face. I had slept for over ten hours but I didn’t feel like I had even taken a nap.

I wasn’t sure to classify what I had experienced last night as a dream or a nightmare at first. I had been running; I wasn’t sure whether it was towards something or from something. I was my black bear and the land was unfamiliar, the scents were strange and new. I had no idea how long I had been running but I came to an abrupt stop when a large lion appeared in front of me.

As I stood in front of the lion panting I was aware of the extra weight I seemed to be carrying. The lion came closer and with every step I felt the power radiating from him. There are very few that I would submit to but when he got to me I was on my belly and showing my neck as an act of submission. He lowered his head to my back and I cringed. I thought he was going to bite me to ensure I knew he was in charge but all I felt was the weight being lifted from my back. I opened my eyes having not realized I had closed them and looked at the lion to see a small kitten held by its scruff. Seeing the kitten ignited feelings of possession and protection and yet the lion’s holding of the kitten didn’t upset me; it didn’t even unsettle me.

I was still lying on the ground panting in exhaustion as the lion sat down next to me, placing the kitten in between the two of us. When I caught my breath the lion stood nudging my side until I stood also. He took the kitten by the scuff once again and began a steady run continuing in the direction I had originally been running. I wasn’t sure how long we ran but we stopped at a large house.

I took a deep breath as I followed the lion at a walk. I was quickly overwhelmed by the scent I could only describe as mate. The lion set the kitten down on the porch and then shifted. The lion shifter was a tall, built blonde man. He bent down and gathered the kitten into his arms and opened the front door.

“You did better this time Nic, only having to stop once and that was with Chai on your back,” he complimented. He made it sound like a great compliment but all I could think about was that apparently I couldn’t keep up with him on a run. He had made his way into the house while I was digesting his compliment. I shifted and entered the house. The smell of mate was so thick I couldn’t make out the lion’s scent at all. It would be my luck though that as I made my way further into the house, determined to find my mate, that I woke up.

Replaying the dream in my head, I guess it wasn’t a nightmare at all just a confusing dream. There were so many things I didn’t understand. Who was the lion? Who was the kitten? Was Chai the kitten’s name? Who was my mate? Did I share my mate with the lion? Why was I running? I just didn’t understand.

I was snapped from my thoughts as the bathroom door clicked close and the water started. It was either Bry or Samantha getting ready for school. I shrugged my way into my cloths and made my way down to the kitchen. Maybe I would ask Cal about the dream or maybe I would just forget it ever happened. I mean it maybe about my future or my future could still be up in the air.

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Samantha

I woke up with a jolt. I was breathing heavily and was actually glad I had no recollection of what my sleeping hours consisted of. The sweat that drenched the bed was testament to the nightmares that had gripped me throughout the night. My breathing slowed and my heartbeat steadied. I collected my toiletry items and went to the bathroom.

I started the shower and stepped in before the water got warm. The cold water slicked down my body. The tension slowly fell from my body and by the time I was clean, I was also calm. I got out of the shower and dried off just to realize that I did not bring clothes to change into. I clutched my towel to me and hesitantly opened the bathroom door praying I did not run into any of the boys. I went to make the run to my room and ran straight into Bryan. I squeaked and tried to steady myself without loosening my death grip that I had on my towel.

“Are you-” Bryan was not even able to finish his question before I was past him and behind the locked door of my room. I took a deep breath before dressing as quickly as possible. Taking a moment to collect myself, I became overwhelmed with the need to call Alvin. I needed the comfort and familiarity of Alvin. I dug my cell phone out of nightstand and speed dialed #1.

“Samantha?” Alvin’s monotone and quiet voice answered after only one ring.

“Alvin, I have missed you” I whispered into the phone.

“Are you okay?” he did not acknowledge my statement of emotion.

“I am doing fine. The Simons seem to be good people” I answered truthfully. While I was still unsure and weary of Nicholas, the Simons seemed to be just as I said good people.

“Your mother has told people you are at an all-girls finishing school in Europe. Your father has hired a private investigator to find you. The Montgomery’s have been told that you will return at the end of the school year the perfect wife for their son. I think you should prepare yourself. They will find you eventually and when they do they will bring you home” Alvin related the happening back home as if he was telling me it was going to rain. I heart began beating fast as soon as he mentioned my parents. The fact that even Alvin thought they would find me had me in a near panic attack.

“You really think they will find me?” my words sounded breathy as if I was using all my air just to get those words out.

“I do. Eventually they will find you. The fact that they do not want it to get out that you ran away buys us some time but not enough for you to turn eighteen. We are going to have to come up with plan for when they find you” as he continued to speak I tried to listen to the lack of tone in his voice in order to calm down but for the first time it did not work.

“I cannot marry him, Alvin. I just cannot do that. I do not want to be miserable for the rest of my life” My words were frantic and that was exactly how I felt at that moment.

“I will call James and we will see what we can come up with. I want to be thinking too. You have always been a great strategist. This is when you really need to use that skill” Alvin’s words were a compliment and coming from the man that has known me my whole life it must be the truth.

“I will see what I can come up with and you see what you come up with and then we can talk about it later” I reasoned. I was calmer and my heartbeat was normal. I always felt better when I knew there was a plan in place; even if the plan was to come up with a plan.

“I will call you after I talk to James” Alvin stated before he hung up the phone. We never really said goodbyes, I guess it was one of those things that neither of us were good at and therefore avoided. I set my cell phone back into the nightstand and made my way from my room to the kitchen to start a new day. I was not going to wory about my parents finding me and making me marry the Montgomery boy because the future is always up in the air.

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New chapter is up. YAY.

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