Everything Anew

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Lila

To say Amarok was intimidating would be an understatement.

She was as tall as Nathan, and the fur that trimmed around her face- along with the layers of pelt over her body- made her twice as broad.  She loomed over us, but along with her intimidation she was beautiful and almost mythic. Something about her made me want to bow my head with respect, her stories were told within the wrinkles of her face and the scars that lay alongside them.

We were sitting by a fire on the outskirts of the Shadow packs territory line. Amarok wouldn't step any closer, saying the land was cursed considering all the havoc that had been stirred up recently, and I couldn't blame her.

The December air was cold enough to sting, so I kept my hands close to the fire and warmed them while Nathan sat beside me. Across from us sat the woman who held our answers.

"Now, tell me why you have brought us here." Amarok inquired.

Thankfully, Nathan spoke first. "I was hoping you could help with something that we've been...experiencing." He fumbled with the last of the sentence, as if unsure how to word it. "We noticed it only a week or two ago, when Lila was comfortable enough to physically touch me."

It must have been a bad time to stop explaining himself, because Amarok's eyebrows rose. "And why exactly do I have to know this?"

I scrambled to pick up the pieces. "A simple touch actually. I was too afraid for a while, but when Nathan's emotions are piqued and I touch his skin, it soothes him almost instantly." I watched as Amarok's eyes moved to our hands curiously while I continued. "It works both ways. The simplest touch is enough to settle us."

"Interesting." Amarok breathed, her brow furrowed. "And what happens if you keep the contact going for a long period of time?" she asked.

Again, I was thankful when Nathan spoke. "We haven't for more than a few seconds."

A hum slipped past Amarok's thin lips, and she watched us with interest. "Then, let's see what happens when we try."

My chest fluttered at the idea. I turned my head to look at Nathan, but noticed his focus was still on Amarok. She made her way over, standing behind us as to not block the warmth of the fire. "Face one another."

I turned on the fallen log that I was sitting on, watching Nathan do the same. In the firelight, his grey eyes looked like the moon set aflame, I had to remind myself to breath while looking into them.

"Hands out."

I put mine between us, palm skyward, and watched as Nathan's fell over mine. I swear I heard Amarok tell us to keep a hold of one another, but it was muffled when I focused on the touch between us. As usual it was a warm, comforting feeling, similar to a heated weighted blanket enveloping you on a cold winter night. I wanted to lean into the touch and close my eyes, to cherish it for as long as I could.

It was then I realized my eyes were closed, and I forced myself to open them only to see Nathan looking back at me. I could feel his heartbeat in the palm of his hand, the warmth radiating out towards me. His gaze flickered to my lips and I caught the emotion he was feeling for a split second. Desire.

I almost pulled away, but Amarok's hand squeezed both of ours together to prevent them from pulling apart. The moment she made contact with Nathan's skin, she jerked away. "By the moonlight." She gasped.

Nathan was the first to break the contact, his breathing a little faster but otherwise, he seemed unfazed. I on the other hand felt flushed, my heart beating loudly in my chest while my head felt light.