In His Eyes Anthology(5)

He kissed her, holding her close. He knew.

Without benefit of special powers, just in the way she made him feel, the way her eyes lit up as she walked toward him down the hall at school, he knew.





The End





Want to know more about Zellie’s powers, why Avery is the boyfriend all the guys want to be, or how Melody and Raleigh met? Check out Glimpse, Glimmer, and Glow, or get all three books bundled together in the Zellie Wells trilogy.





Stacey Wallace Benefiel is the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, the Day of Sacrifice series and The Toilet Business, a collection of essays. Stacey lives in an orange house in Beaverton, OR with her husband and their two children.





For more information about Stacey and her other works, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com





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The following is a deleted chapter from my young adult paranormal romance, BOUND. For those who have read the book, this chapter comes right after Kira is attacked by Bastian. After being rescued by Octavion, she falls asleep in a small lean-to he built in the forest. She wakes a few hours later from a nightmare and Octavion decides that one of his herbal concoctions will help calm her. Unfortunately, things don't quite work out as he'd planned. Enjoy!

FYI – Lydia is Octavion's sister and Kira's best friend. Her kindred spirit, Altaria, inhabits Lydia’s body—Altaria is a fierce Royal and Lydia is a sassy teen, much like Kira. You'll meet them both in this scene. Toran is a white tiger (and by far my favorite character in the book) with magical powers. I wish you could see more of him in this piece.





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First Kiss

by

C.K. Bryant





A cool night breeze whistled through the dark pines, causing a chill to rise up the length of Octavion's spine. He stepped to the neatly stacked woodpile, selected two large logs off the top and placed them into the pit. The warmth wouldn't give Kira much comfort tonight, but then, neither would his embrace. After all, he was what she feared most—he could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch. Even after he'd rescued her from Bastian's attack, he could sense she questioned her safety with him. And she had every right to.

If she knew the truth, that one drop of her blood at just the wrong moment could cause him to give into his heritage and kill her, he was sure she'd want nothing to do with him. And who would blame her? The curse that boiled within him flowed like a raging river with no way to stop it from wiping out everything in its path—even Kira.

His sister, Altaria, crouched near the fire, stirring the herbal tea he'd concocted from ingredients she'd retrieved from the cave. Her long blonde braid came dangerously close to taking a dip in the mixture. She flipped it behind her back and looked up to find her brother's eyes. “Do not be so hard on yourself. You had no idea she would bring you these feelings.”

“Feelings?” It had been so long since he’d allowed himself to feel. “I have no feelings for her,” he lied. It was much easier to deceive Altaria. Her kindred spirit, Lydia, on the other hand, had a way of knowing when he was not being truthful, especially when it came to Kira.

In the past few months, he’d spent more time than he cared to admit watching over Kira, taking in her every move, the way her auburn hair swayed when she walked, the way her sweet voice drifted through the air and found his ears, even at a distance. Her laughter was like a finely tuned instrument that sang to his senses.

Octavion looked over his shoulder at Kira's delicate frame with her knees tucked under her chin, arms wrapped around her shins. Her back pressed against Toran's white fur in an attempt to stay warm. Even from a distance, he could see her shaking, her eyes staring at nothing, hypnotized by her fears. “Altaria, perhaps your kindred spirit would be better suited for this. Kira is closer to Lydia and she may bring her more peace.”

Altaria smiled. “That is not up to me, brother—it is her choosing and at the moment she is angry with you.”

“She needn’t speak to me if she wishes.” Truth be told, he could use her help. He was more accustomed to Lydia and right now he would benefit from the familiarity of her company—especially for Kira. He sat back on his heels, folded his arms, and watched Altaria, who was now in a similar position, watching him.

“I will wait as long as it takes,” he said. “If Lydia is indeed a friend, she would not be able to watch Kira suffer.” It only took a few seconds before Lydia appeared and made her feelings toward her brother quite clear.

“You cheat!” she said as she blew past him.

The events of the past few days flashed in his mind. Lydia’s injury. Kira coming so close to death trying to save her life. The fear that surged through his veins as he raced to save Kira from Bastian's attack.