["I stood there: waiting, wanting, hoping, feeling. Allowing the sensations of the world to consume me as I stared deeply into the pools of honey that were his eyes. I wanted no more than to dive right in. For him to hold me close and never let go."...
[It made me feel so alive, yet at the same time, I was terrified.]
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~~~
Casey
I stood in the woods, alone with blood dripping down my arm. I didn't feel any pain; if anything, I was floating.
"Casey . . . ." I spun around in search of the voice. I knew who it belonged to, at this point, I had become accustomed to our talks.
"Y-yes?" I couldn't help but stare at the ground beneath me.
His body appeared in front of me. Nothing about him had changed since our last meeting.
"I think you are the most accident-prone alpha our lineage has ever had." Taha Aki gestured to my arm.
I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Sounds about right."
"I see you still haven't talked to Sam yet."
"Was I supposed to? I don't remember you telling me to."
The spirit before me sighed but smiled. "I'm not here to tell you to do anything, only to guide you."
I held back the urge to reply with sarcasm.
"But, I believe you will ease your stress by discussing things with Sam."
I stared down at my bloodied hand before returning my attention to Taha Aki. "I'm sure you're right. Bringing shit up like this is not my forte, I'm sure you know that."
"Just another thing that will change with practice, just ask Embry." He gave me a knowing grin.
"Now, that was a low blow."
His grin widened. "Things will ease with time, Casey. You just have to let them."
"Easier said than done."
"Well, start with one thing at a time. No need to overwhelm yourself."
"Ha! Overwhelm me? My whole life is an overwhelming shitstorm."
The spirit shrugged at me with a smile. "Only if you let it be."
~~~
When I awoke, the room was pitch black, yet I could clearly see the outlines of my friends fast asleep in the chairs around me. It was nice knowing that they stayed with me. It made me even happier when I noticed Jessie was one of them. She was here and here to stay-just how I wanted it to be.
