Seduced by Innocencey(23)

My heart lightened at her words. "Great. I'll call you tomorrow to set it up. Do you want me to walk you to your house?"

I didn't want her walking in the woods this late, and her property looked big.

"No, I'm fine. I know this place by heart. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She took her purse, shoes and dress and stepped out of the car. I got out and walked over to her. "Goodnight, Rose."

I kissed her gently on her forehead. I wanted more, but didn't want to scare her off again.

"Goodnight, Derek."





ELEVEN





A Soul of Lead





ROSE





I have a soul of lead

So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.

— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet





Dear Diary,



Our dearest friends in life often arrive in our darkest moments, and where once we were alone, then we are two.



Ocean had found me through tragedy, when my dark gift first burned through me and into another.

When once again tragedy struck, another soul friendship had been born.



Sandy had been the first pup born in a new litter that promised to be the cream of the crop. Mother anticipated a high selling price for them.



But there were complications, and as the Universe gives life, so too does it take life.



Sandy's brother got stuck in the birth canal, forcing a C-Section. Her brother died, and ultimately, so did her mother. The last pup, another girl, hung on to life for a few more hours, but couldn't land entirely on this plane.



When she died, Sandy was left alone. No litter mates, no mother from which to nurse, and so tiny we worried she wouldn't make it either.



I spent a week feeding her by hand every two hours, keeping her warm, giving her love and care. When she pulled through, Mother said she had chosen me to be her human and allowed me to keep her.



We've been inseparable ever since. Sandy knows my moods and knows my fears. She may not speak or communicate as a human, but we share a language of the heart that transcends words.



When Mother wanted to breed her, I worried over her for months, sick with anxiety when she finally went into labor. Would fate steal her from me, as it had stolen away her mother?



Would her babies survive the birth?



With only one minor scare, pups and mom came out healthy and happy, and Sandy proved to be the best kind of mother, nursing her babies and loving them.



She grieved when Mother took the pups to the kennel to begin showing them to perspective buyers. We both missed the pitter-patter of their little feet as they played in our small cottage, but I took her to visit, and she settled into the knowledge that they were healthy and thriving.



Watching her give birth, seeing her care for her babies, I felt an old longing stir in me. I could have been a good mother, I think. I would have loved my babies and given them everything they needed to thrive in a world so often uncertain. I would have taught them the skills they needed to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of life without losing themselves in the noise.



But I'd never have the chance.



My dark gift would always keep me locked in the silence of my own solitude.



I WANTED MORE than just a chaste kiss on the forehead, but so much had happened that night, and I needed time to sort it all out in my mind. I probably shouldn't have agreed to a second date, not after what I'd almost done, but the thought of never seeing him again broke my heart.

He'd saved me, even if he didn't know the truth of what he'd saved me from. He'd been there in a way no one else ever had, and he'd even stitched up my arm. I'd have a nasty scar, but I'd live.

His sister had made me feel like part of their family. She didn't judge or ask questions I couldn't answer. I wanted to be a part of their lives, but I felt selfish for wanting something that could hurt others.

Derek didn't start his car and drive away until I reached the front door of my cottage, and I smiled despite everything. He'd watched to make sure I got home safely. That knowledge filled me with a glow I didn't know how to define, but I loved the feeling.

Sandy greeted me at the door, and I pet her head. "Ocean, you awake?"

Clad in an almost see-through nighty, she walked from her bedroom and raised her eyebrow at my new outfit. "You changed clothes. Those aren't even your clothes. Oh my God, did you two have sex?"

I'd intended to keep my cool and tell her everything in a calm, mature way.

No such luck.

Through sobs and tears as she held my hand on our couch, I confessed every glorious and horrible detail about my very first date.

She didn't interrupt or ask any questions until I'd finished.

"Wow, that's a lot of intense shit in one date. But you did agree to go out with him again?"

"Yes. But I shouldn't have, right? Not after I almost killed him."

She handed me a tissue to wipe my face with. "First, clean yourself up, you look like a raccoon. Second, you didn't almost kill him. You're not even giving yourself a chance to learn to control what you can do. Who has always been the one to say that you couldn't ever be with anyone, that your powers couldn't be controlled?"