The Wild in the Earth Child

Chapter Fourteen

Drake

I sat at my desk drumming my fingers against it. I fucked it up.

I let jealousy sneak up on me and slammed shut any door that might have been starting to open for us tonight.

I could feel that she felt it, too. That pull towards each other. But as soon as we started talking about her family... I knew it would mean she'd have to contact Garrett. It was inevitable. He wasn't going to bring her family from hiding until he spoke to her.

But my mind kept going back to the picture she had drawn of him. So vastly different from the way she had perceived and portrayed me. It was clear that she cared for him. And it made my stomach clench to think about it.

The thought of her hearing his voice and probably receiving comfort from it. From him. It was unbearable. She was mine. I wanted to be her only source of comfort or happiness.

Maybe it was smart of her to demand contact with her family. Otherwise I might have actually been tempted to keep her here to myself.

I'm possessive already by nature. But with her, it's worse.

And the thought of any other man in her thoughts, especially Garrett, made me want to fucking kill something.

But me acting like an ass isn't going to help. If anything it'll just push her closer to him.

It's just one conversation. And then he'll be out of her life forever. I just need to keep my cool so I don't drive her away.

I sat there and thought about her laying in my bed. Probably sore and confused. Scared even. I don't think I'd ever felt empathy before. But I think I was feeling it now.

I should be in that bed with her. Not pouting in my office. But by now she was probably sound asleep and I didn't want to disturb her. I'm sure she didn't want me sleeping next to her anyways.

Although, for a moment there it seemed she had. Like she hadn't wanted me to go. But like a stubborn dumbass, I left anyways.

Oh well. Too late now. Dwelling on it won't change a damn thing.

I picked up the reports sitting in front of me and started thumbing through them. I'd get a few hours of work caught up on and I'd go see her when the sun was up.

Aiyana

The claws were reaching for my throat, those green eyes coming for me.

I sat up with a scream and felt something tightening on my shoulders. I opened my eyes to see those green eyes from my dreams still staring right back at me. I let out another scream as I tried to rip myself from his grasp.

"Aiyana!" He roared, jolting me into ceasing my fight to free myself from my nightmare. I looked at him and realized I wasn't dreaming anymore. He was here. Staring at me.

Gone were his razor claws and dripping fangs. Those once menacing green eyes just stared at me now with confusion. And worry.

"Drake." I said breathlessly. I saw something flicker across his face when I said his name, but in an instant it was gone and he dropped his hands from my shoulders. He moved to sit next to me on the bed.

I felt a nervousness at his closeness and it wasn't really helping me calm down at all.

His eyes lowered from my face to my hands and he stared at them for a moment before finally moving his large hand to cover one of mine.

Suddenly my racing heart stopped. And heat moved from my hand through my entire body. I let out a small gasp. Finally he looked back up at me and I couldn't define what I saw there in his face. He was a hard man to read.