Jagati's POV
It'd been a few weeks since "the boys" had been packaged off home and to celebrate the fact that they truly weren't coming back, Declan had allowed Joshua and I out for a visit to the local park. We were under supervision, of course...
'Josh, honey, mind your hold on those monkey bars: I wouldn't want you to fall.'
He huffed, 'Yes, mother!'
I sighed, defeated, and decided to shut my mouth and let him take care of himself; he's been doing that for years now anyway.
'Declan…' I turned to face my previous "master"; his eyes were following josh's movements, the corners of his mouth pursed. 'How can you just sit there and say nothing?'
'I remember what I was like at that age so very, very long ago. My parents just let us be and that was how my friends and I loved it. We could go as far from the house as we could run, as long as we were back again for supper or mother wouldn't be happy.'
Gesturing at josh, I continued my anguished rant, 'but look at him, he's so thin and fragile! Look how far those bars are from that ground and it's covered in rocks too! I don't understand how you can care so little about his safety. I really thin-'
Snapping to his feet in one lightning stroke, Declan's body was rigid and the mood in the air grew sour.
'The boy is my concern, not yours, Jagati. I care for him, in my own way, and it's not your place to question that: you're not even my true pet anymore. Now that the Chandika ordeal is over I'm banned from your blood and your body because I care how you feel towards me.'
He turned and his shocking blue eyes beseeched me.
'I need you Jagati. I admit that I was rash and kidnapped you without mind for your own wants and needs but you've grown on me. You're something special, Jagati.'
'Why should I even take that at face value? You've done nothing to convince me that I should trust you.'
'You've not given me a chance! From the moment I kidnapped you, even when I was nice you ignored it in favour of ranting about my misdemeanours.'
'But those misdemeanours are so huge!'
'Nonsense.'
'What!'
'In my day women were kidnapped all the time: it was the way a man swept a woman off of her feet and persuaded her that he loved her.'
'That's a stupid way of showing emotion: it sounds more cruel than kind to me.'
'Maybe…but am I not kind now Jagati? You're free to go and leave me whenever you wish. Why are you still here?'
I crossed my arms in mock protest.
'Now you're trying to get rid of me!'
'You know that's not true.'
I looked deep into the recesses of his big, blue orbs and found I couldn't look away. Those eyes were not screaming deceit to the world at all. I could detect traces of sincerity and honesty in the depths of that electric blue. I found myself at a loss of how to answer his question.
'I-I…'
'Yes?' he smiled as encouragement.
'I suppose I stayed for josh.'
Almost immediately I lowered my head: the look of loss and pain in Declan's eyes was too fresh and raw for me to freely endure.
'I'm sorry,' I mumbled, a whisper on the wind.
'That's okay…' his voice had turned distant and there was a definite rasp to it, 'I can't force you to love me.'
I gasped.
'Love? You never mentioned any feelings that strong!'
'I didn't want to…pressure you.'
I bit my lip as he turned his back to me: I thought I'd heard a snuffle coming from his direction. Standing, I quickstepped the last pace to his body and wrapped my arms around him from behind.
'Declan…'
'What?' His voice was cold, the rasp stronger than before.
'I want to give us a try.'
'You can't be serious! Y-you didn't want anything to do with me before I said I love you and I will not force you into yet another thing that you don't wish for. I'm not your master anymore Jagati…I'm just Declan.'
My hands dropped down to my sides, limp and floppy. My mind was racing through memories of Declan's kiss, his love, and his bite. I was remembering how, at the time, I'd almost fallen for him when we fell into bed together. I'd thought I was foolish then…but now?
Stepping around his back in quick strides, I pushed myself up close to Declan before he could move away and with hasty hands I pulled his head down to meet mine in a tender kiss.
I could feel his soft lips under mine, frozen in shock. Seconds past and then his arms thawed and tugged my waist closer to his own body. Then, his mouth moved under mine. Tingles swept my body, and my legs gave out under the stress. He poured his soul into me in that kiss and not once did he ask for entrance to my mouth. I found it was me that wanted, no, needed more from the kiss and it was I that opened my mouth enough to slide my tongue against lips, asking for admittance.
He gave it.
Suddenly, in a whirlwind of feeling, tongue lapping and twisting against tongue in a dance of a million words, I realised that the quick tryst under the covers was far more than I had at first imagined. Declan, literally, set me on fire. We were perfect together, I just hadn't known it.
Hearing a hacking cough, I reluctantly parted from Declan and leaned against him, collecting my thoughts a moment so that I could tell whatever scoundrel had interrupted just what an insensitive and selfish person they were.
Looking up, I had to choke back the perfect words of slander: there was standing a bemused Josh, his round expressive eyes upturned to mine, shining with interest.
'I didn't know you actually liked him,' he beamed. 'You should be my real mummy!' He rushed forward, almost upending me by squeezing the life out of my legs.
Declan saved me from a fall, an arm circling my waist. He didn't remove it once I was out of danger. I took that to be a good sign.
'I…uh…it may be a little early yet for those thoughts Josh,' I said as I ruffled up his hair.
'Oh, that's okay! You're still my mummy in my mind!' he squealed cutely.
What could I say?
'Thanks…that reminds me though: Declan,' tilting my head up to search his face, I continued, 'can I contact my family…just to let them know I'm okay?'
He smiled, wide and with feeling. It was like a dam breaking after many years of trapping the water behind it.
'I'm surprised you haven't already,' he chuckled.
THE END!
Peace! ;D Lol.
Holly