Tempted by love

Preview of Addicted to Love

Sneak Peek into Addicted to Love [Sequel to Tempted by Love]:

Jeremiah crooked a smile. “You honestly don’t know what you mean to him, don’t you”

I rolled my green eyes. I knew what Mason’s feelings for me were. I could feel it.

I looked up to his marching figure, chopping through the thick leaves that barred his path. A smile crept up on my lips. I knew.

“You are his light,” Jeremiah’s voice broke, “The darkness that swells around him is filled with torture, pain and evil, Ari. He never knew what it was to be normal, to laugh contagiously about nothing like you do, to not look over your shoulder, to never raise a fist so you could live another day, to never have blood on your hands. To him, Ari, you are but an angel, so pure and untouched by the darkness and corruption that became his world. I fear that the only thing he will ever want to protect more than mankind is you. He looks at you and he doesn’t see the million stars in the night sky, he sees the moon.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart racing with new founded ecstasy that caught my breath and held me frozen. There was more and Jeremiah wasn’t telling me. Yet, he knew so much from one glance which begged me to question how well the two of them knew each other. 

“Shh,” Jeremiah hushed. “Don’t say anything though. Mason may not appreciate me telling you this and he can be a real moody scrooge at times, if you know what I mean.”

I nodded my head in coinciding agreement to keep this new piece of information to myself. Jeremiah’s words still struck me, a giggle hovering on my lips. I could not quite get over what he had told me. I was still sorting the hay from the needle to make complete sense of it all. Needless to say, I was more in love with Mason, deeper and deeper I was falling not knowing the depths of the endless pit of his love. I wanted it all and couldn’t seem to grab enough. Every turn I faced only showed his boundless limits to me and I melted into it further.

He was still extremely cautious over Jeremiah’s intentions. They were still making slow progress through their relationship and I didn’t want to get in the way of that, so I decided to keep this new found detail, this pure and rapturing part of him to myself. I swatted away the thick green leaf that obstructed my way and stomped over the weeding branches at the bottom of the dirt road. I could see Mason's overpowering form in front of me; his muscles were thick and toned under the black vest he wore.

I admired him from the distance. I had quite the view and took full advantage of it.

I stopped behind him when he suddenly turned around, holding his hand for mine. I took it eagerly, forgetting, for a moment, my muddling thoughts over what Jeremiah revealed and it vanished into my heart and soul. Mason gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. I looked up, into his warm liquid black brown eyes, and my heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. As if hearing the stuttering in my heartbeats, he smiled.

Then a serious look washed over his face as he frowned at Jeremiah trailing behind.            

“Stay close,” he ordered dangerously.

“I am,” I protested, “but, you walking like you trying to catch a train and frankly there are no trains out here.”

He chuckled taunting me with his devilish smile. “No, there are no trains out here. Though, it would be easier to keep an eye on you if there were.”       

Behind us, Jeremiah rolled his eyes making Mason scowl irately. With my hand in Mason's warm and strong one, he pulled me as he swung the machete across to clear the path while we walked ahead. The night was dawning and I could feel the waves of anxiousness flush over Mason. I couldn’t understand why though.

However, when the howls of monkeys and foxes filled the graying sky, I knew. There was a deadly danger that lurked under the blanket of the night sky. A ghostly eerie feeling creeping in like fog as the stars glittered above our heads and the dim glow of topaz eyes watched closely from the thick bushes and branches. We were no longer in the safe comforts of the wood cabin that secured our lives in a wood box protecting us from the hungry animals that loitered around waiting to pounce on us.

Even Jeremiah was sticking close behind Mason, afraid to dissolve in the jungle’s thickness as the night befell. Mason had still not let go of my hand and if anything, his grip was tighter. I had no idea how he could tell which way we were going. He seemed to sense it like a bat without a compass. Soon we stopped in front of a cave.

“Well, it seems like yesterday that we were here,” said Jeremiah in a whisper. He dusted his hands on his knees and hunched down, peering into the cave.          

“You’ve been here before?” I asked curiously.                                     

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “I almost forgot this place was still here.”  

I looked towards Mason who also seemed to recognise the cave spot. “Near-death-experiences,” he answered to my curious gaze, “They make you discover new things whether they be safe or dangerous. Believe it or not.”    

“So this place saved you?” I said filling in the blanks when both the boys didn’t bother to do it.           

 “More than once,” Jeremiah nodded. He lit a match in the entrance lighting up the hallow hole. It wasn’t big nor was it small. It was a simple spacious room like hole that consisted of nothing but dirt and rock. Jeremiah crawled into it. “Well, get comfortable, love. We won’t be going anywhere until the sun comes up. Trust me; you will need to recharge your batteries for another day of torturous walking. Yo, Mason? I’m calling you out on first shift. I need to get some beauty rest and shut eye.”

“Whatever, Princess,” muttered Mason with a scowl of his tongue. He rolled his eyes and ignored Jeremiah.

He got inside, tucking his hands behind his head and crossing his ankles over. His teeth chewed on the matchstick as he spoke to me. Jeremiah laughed as he watched me crawl inside the cave and seat myself with my back against the wall. I folded my knees close to my chest staring out into the jungle. If there was something that both Mason and Jeremiah shared with each other it was their experience with this place. They knew it well, yet still feared it, never over judging their confidence on how to survive in it. I on the other hand was an amateur. I was an amateur to the secrets hidden deep inside the belly of the jungle.

Mason got in from behind me and settled next to me. Jeremiah had already drifted off into sleep not wasting any time. Mason pulled me between his legs and I leaned in against his chest. “You should sleep too.”   

“No, I’ll stay awake with you.”   

Mason chuckled.     

“We’ve been walking for hours and you honestly telling me you’re not tired at all?” he had appointed. I could feel it in my bones and my heavy eyelids threatening to close. But I was stubborn and I wanted to stay away with Mason.       

“You have done the same. Won’t you be tired too? Besides the company will help you to stay awake.”  

“It’s not that," he said quickly, his breathe tickling my skin as he spoke. “You not used to this life the way I am, Ari. I was trained to do this where you lived in some safe apartment, not having to worry if someone is going to attack you in your sleep.”