Fae War Ch. 05

She went to the bedroom and lay across the bed, flicking off her shoes and pulling a pillow down into her arms to hug. This had all been too much for her to take in, and she found herself shaking, then crying. She buried her face in the pillow to keep Luka from hearing her break down.

Exhaustion won out over sadness and self-pity, and she fell asleep, but it was a restless sleep. She awakened to the sound of wood being chopped, and wanted to sleep more, but the irregular thwack of the ax kept her awake.

She was just getting up to go to the bathroom when Luka let out a howl of pain. She ran to the front door, but not seeing him, she followed the sound of curses to the side of the cabin.

Blood was pouring from Luka's shin faster than the curses were from his mouth, but only just barely. Erin ran to him, practically flipping him onto his back in her rush to get his leg above the level of his heart. She peeled off her sweatshirt, tying it around the gash, applying pressure as she held it high in the air. She didn't even notice the cold on her mostly exposed upper body.

"Use your magic," Luka gasped.

Without thought, Erin poured her will into Luka's leg, demanding it to stop bleeding. She felt a warmth in her hands, and as the power built, she saw the wound in her mind's eye. She mentally knit the edges of the sliced flesh together.

Luka had stopped cursing, and when Erin opened her eyes to look at him, he was smiling at her and breathtakingly gorgeous.

"You did it," he congratulated, pointing to his leg which she was still holding above his head. She felt that familiar warmth and hum under her hands as she swept her eyes up his muscular thigh to the calf she held bound.

She tentatively lifted her hand from his leg, pulling the sweatshirt back to reveal an angry red welt surrounded by blood. She pulled back the pant leg and wiped off the accumulated blood to assure herself there was no open wound. She looked back at Luka, eyes questioning.

"You really did it, Erin," he laughed, "It just took the right motivation."

She looked at his leg again, then lowered it to the ground and stepped away from it like it might strike her. Then she looked into Luka's shining eyes.

"Did you do that on purpose?" she asked, horrified.

"I...I was going to tell you how I was bracing my leg on the stump to pull the ax out of a piece of wood, and it slipped and slammed into my leg, but since you mention it, yeah, I did it on purpose because I thought healing might be your strong suite." He continued to grin at her as his eyes scanned her body. She glanced down, remembering she was standing there in her bra. At least it was one of her better ones.

She wadded up the sweatshirt and threw it in his face, stamping back to the porch. He jumped up, calling to her to wait. When she reached the porch, she turned on him, fury on her face.

"I can't believe you did something that asinine! What if I couldn't heal it, what if you hit bone! You are the biggest jerk I've ever met, and I've met a lot of jerks!"

"Hey, that's not fair! I knew what I was doing, and I was doing it for you! How is that being a jerk?"

Rather than answer, she turned on her heal and stomped into the cabin, slamming the door behind her. Luka followed, slamming the door open before coming through it and straight for Erin. Grabbing her arm, he swung her around so they stood chest to chest. His eyes swirled dark gray, like tornado clouds. Erin felt her nipples straining against her bra as they brushed his chest.

"Why are you angry at me? I suffered the pain to help you! You should be thanking me, kissing and hugging me for the sacrifice I was willing to make for you!"

"Is that what you expected? You thought I'd be so grateful for your stupidity that I'd throw myself at you? You really are dim! That was an idiotic stunt!"

He stood over her, staring into her eyes with an intensity that started to scare her a little, but she was so angry she was already shaking, so her fear was disguised. She wouldn't let herself be the one to break eye-contact, so she narrowed her eyes and stared back.

Without warning, the heat in his eyes changed and his mouthed dropped to cover hers. Erin was so surprised she gasped, and his tongue slid into her mouth, caressing her tongue. She reacted instantly, answering his tongue's question.

He pressed her back until she came up against the wall. His hands wrapped around her, one tangling in her hair as the other dropped to her ass, pressing her into the proof of his arousal.

Something dropped into place in her mind and she pushed against his firm chest. He didn't move, but the action seemed to force its way into his mind enough that he pulled back to look into her face.

Fury met his heated gaze, and just as quickly he dropped his arms and his gaze. He stepped back and turned away, heading to the refrigerator where he stared unseeingly into its interior.

Erin dropped onto the couch and rested her head back. She didn't know what to do. Having encouraged the kiss made her just as guilty here as he was. Maybe if she pretended it hadn't happened, so would he.

Without her sweatshirt and with her anger abating, she was getting cold. She lifted her hand and the afghan draped over the chair flew into her fist.

"You're a quick study, I'll say that much," Luka commented from the kitchen, leaning against the counter and sipping a coke.

"Shut up! I don't want to talk to you right now."

He grunted and headed back outside. Erin went back to the bedroom and continued into the bathroom where she decided a hot bath was just what she needed. She started the water running while she got a few things from her bag. Unfortunately, she had packed for three nights at the beach, and now she was going to spend an undisclosed amount of time in the foothills of the Smokies. Her clothing was not going to work well. Feeling defiant, she went to the chest of drawers and started rooting through it. In the third drawer she found some sweatshirts and pulled out a soft gray one. She headed back into the bathroom and stripped, slipping into the warm water.

The water had cooled and she had added more hot twice, and still she didn't want to get out. She had tried masturbating, but it didn't calm her or satisfy the need she felt deep in her gut.

At some point, Luka knocked at the door softly, but she ignored him.

She was just adding hot water again when the door opened and Luka walked straight in.

"What the hell? Get out!" she yelled, grabbing the shower curtain and pulling it across the tub, then realized it was clear, and not of much value.

Not looking at her, Luka headed to the toilet and started to unzip his fly. "This is the only bathroom, and you've been in here for over an hour. I tried knocking, but you ignored me. I need the toilet. You can watch or you can turn your head, I don't really care."

Erin turned her face, blushing and covering her breasts with one arm. When he finished, he washed his hands and left without ever looking at her or speaking another word. As he shut the door, she spat out, "You could have just gone outside."

The door started to open again, but then it closed and she heard him walk away.

Her bath didn't seem relaxing anymore, so pulling the plug, she stood and reached for the towel. She dressed and went out to the main room.

Determined not to speak to Luka until he apologized, she went to the fridge and got a coke. She took it back to the bedroom where she sat on the bed and fumed. After a while, she realized this was going to get boring fast. She didn't have her computer, or any books, and the cabin didn't seem to offer any entertainment either.

Finishing the coke, she headed back to the main room and tossed the can in a recycling bin and made for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Luka asked irritably.

"Outside," Erin answered flatly, never slowing or looking his way.

"Don't leave the porch," Luka ordered.

She didn't even grunt an acknowledgement, opening, then closing the door behind her. As she got to the top of the steps, she really wanted to spite him and just keep walking, but having been shot at twice and nearly captured in the gas station, she realized how stupid that would be, instead sitting on the porch swing. Bringing her legs up, she hugged them to her and began wishing again that she could go back to her real life, the life she would never experience again.

She started thinking of more questions for Luka, but was still determined not to speak to him until he apologized. Damn him for being so strong, so gorgeous, and so ever present now. Her senses filled with him whenever he was near. And damn him for being right about her magic, and pulling such a stupid stunt! She rocked and felt sorry for herself for an interminable while.

Her eyes were closed when the front door opened. She heard him walk over and felt him looking at her. She ignored him and kept her eyes closed, swinging gently.

"That's my favorite sweatshirt," he said flatly.

Still not opening her eyes she started to peel it off.

His hand on hers stopped her. "No. It looks better on you. Keep it."

She put her hands back in her lap and continued to ignore him.

"Dammit, Erin. I needed you to find your magic. It worked. Can't you let it go?" he dropped onto the swing beside her, rocking it wildly and making her eyes fly open as she put her arms out for balance.

Glaring at him, she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them again.

"Fine," he said, sounding anything but fine, "I'm sorry I hurt myself to get you to use magic."

She continued to glare at him.

"What? I apologized!"

"And the bathroom?" she asked menacingly.

He laughed, "I'm not apologizing for that. There's only one bathroom, and you were monopolizing it. Fair's fair. And I didn't even look," he grinned, "much."

Eyes murderous, she slapped at him, but he was expecting it and caught her arm. Drawing her close to his face, his eyes, usual light, appeared deep moss green, he said in a low, husky voice, "And I liked it. I liked kissing you too. You need to be careful, living in such close quarters. I might take your behavior the wrong way."

With his face just inches away, her heart beat hard and fast, her belly clenched, her face flushed. Her anger turned to something else, and she suddenly wanted his lips to touch hers. She found herself leaning into him, brushing her lips against his. He didn't move. She flicked her tongue out to run along his lower lip.

With a groan he moved to pull her toward him while crushing her lips beneath his. His hands went around her, under the sweatshirt, and felt burning hot against her flesh.

The kiss went on for a long moment, deepening before she let a moan escape her throat. Suddenly he released her and stood up.

"I'm going to make some lunch. Are you coming in to eat, or will you be staying out here to pout some more?"

Erin didn't trust her voice not to squeak, so she just nodded and stood. Wondering what had just happened, she followed him inside. Walking behind him, she was struck again by how built he was. He was brave, and protective, and, though she hated to admit it, apparently willing to do whatever it took to help her succeed. He sounded interested, but he also walked away from her far too easily. He had also told her that in his world, she only had one option for a mate, the one chosen for her when she was a small child. He was a study in contradiction.