Featherlight (32 page)

“Well,
son, I’m glad you listened to your instincts. It’ll be better on all of us once
she’s yours, believe me.

He
knew. That knowledge cleared my head faster than any medicine. John had known
all along, but he didn’t tell me. I could have been taken last night if I had
given up, and John had the knowledge to prevent the bond. He had not wanted me
to know so I wouldn’t fight once he decided to chase me.

I
sat up from my prone position, opening my eyes. My muscles screamed at the
harsh movement. I noticed vaguely that I was back in my room at the Tower. The
balcony doors were open, letting a breeze softly flutter the curtains. Boy, I
sure had a rough night. All of those words he had said to me about love
yesterday. How could I trust him? Remembering my drug-assisted admittance on
the terrace burned my cheeks with embarrassment.

"So
everything you said earlier was a lie? You had just wanted to gain my trust,"
I whispered, wanting to back up 24 hours and completely restart.

It
was all politics to him. I was a powerful tool to be used, nothing more. And I
had even agreed to let him take me without a fight because I didn't want to
take the chance of being bonded with anyone else. I was such a fool.

That’s
why he had offered that deal. The pieces clicked into place, and it made me
sick. He had known it was voluntary, which was why he had me agree to let him
chase and take me in exchange for learning how to ‘resist’. Yeah, a lot of good
his ‘resistance’ training did. Otherwise, if he had chased me without my
permission, the bond wouldn’t have happened because I would have kept refusing
to lose.

John
strode quickly over to my bed. He was wearing a white shirt, no shoes, and
jeans, not that I cared. "No. Jacque, listen to me. I didn't know-"

I
interrupted, "The cabin. The jet. You made me think you could take me at
any moment. I was tricked into believing you were a great, kind man. So
different from all the others. You're not, John. You're a pig, just like my
father."

John
winced at the low blow. "Look at me. It's me, the same man you kissed last
night. I would never want to hurt you like that.”

“But
you did, John. I almost was taken last night because you were being selfish!
The rest of my life was this close to ruined because you withheld vital
information!” I had gotten out of bed to stand in front of him, trying to level
the playing field. “You know what?” I shouted, jabbing my finger into his
chest. “I’m leaving. I don’t need you to protect me anymore, because I just
found out that the bond I’ve been hiding from is completely voluntary!”

I
strode over to the open window, not even caring that someone had removed my
gown and I was wearing nothing but a tank top and underwear.

"No,
Jacque. Don't do this. Listen to me!”

I
swung one leg over the ledge and stretched my wings.

“Damn
it, Jacque! You're leaving me no choice."

His
words ignited the final inner spark. "Choice?
Choice
? You left
me
no choice, John. Since I've changed all my choices have been ripped from my
hands by people like you!”

The
last sound I heard was John’s under-the-breath curse. I made the mistake of
glancing back to see his expression. The bastard locked eyes with me and chose
that moment to start a true chase. He was demanding my payment of that stupid
deal, and, as much as I wanted to try to resist, I wasn’t one to break
promises. Besides, I was pretty sure any attempts at resisting John’s true chase
call would be like trying not to breathe. It would work for a little while, but
the end was unavoidable: You always took a breath. I flipped him the bird, just
so he was clear on my feelings for him. My other leg followed the first, and I leapt
from the window.

||||

The
day was stubbornly gorgeous, as if it were mocking my out-of-control life. I
caught a cool updraft and rode it casually, even though my body demanded a
faster pace. Other lullary
were flying about, and some had even started
to notice the pair of white wings that stuck out like a beacon.

I
didn’t have to turn to know that John was behind me. His presence was as
unsubtle as my wings, but I still made a decent attempt to ignore him. He flew
silently by my side, understanding my need to cool down from all the excitement
last night.

Suppressing
the desire to fly away as fast as possible was difficult, but I managed. There
was really no point, because I was ultimately in charge of the bond. Our flight
was beginning to attract attention, and as much as I wanted not to care, I was
tired of being noticed. The forest where I had flown on my first day in Auro
seemed to be a prime location to hide. How appropriate, we could end at the
beginning.

I
banked deeply, effortlessly shooting through the front line of trees. The
increased speed hurled my body into overdrive, and I zipped in and out of the
greenery with ease. It was amazing to finally stop all rational thought and
just
feel
. I slowed when I saw the tree I had climbed so long ago.

John
landed by my side, his dark wings shuffling with tension. It was as difficult
for him to keep from chasing as it was to keep myself from running. I
understood that he was trying to give me space, but he shouldn’t have triggered
the it in the first place.

"It
won't work, John,” I said, exasperated, not sure whether I was talking about us
or this chase. “You should have told me that day, so long ago.”

I
gazed up at the tree, remembering my terror.

“I
didn’t know then, Jacque,” his voice was calm, and it made me angry.

 “You
made a mistake. You will never take me, John. You or any other man on this damn
planet, for that matter."

Several
birds leaped into the sky with startled cries at my words. Why didn’t he
understand? Even as I spoke, I knew that my words weren't true. My admittance
that love didn't enter your life suddenly was coming back to haunt me. Love
doesn't vanish instantly. It stays hidden and protected in your body, waiting
to be brought back into the light. What would happen if he caught me right now?
Would I be able to resist him?

Tears
of frustration fell down my cheeks.

"Jacque,
will you listen to me?" He still spoke so calmly.

I
had no choice but to nod. What else could I do? I was trapped here with a man
my body loved and my mind hated.

"I
suspected that an involuntary bond wouldn't work. We had assumed all true chases
ended with bonds because none had ever ended any other way. I just recently
became aware of the possibility that a woman could control whether or not she
bonded."

"When?”
I whispered.

"You
were at Omar's. I had left for a few days to prepare the cabin, remember my
absence?"

I
nodded again.

"When
I was in one of the small communities the leader's mate wished to speak with
me. She told about a time, many years ago, when her grandmother had been chased
by a lullary man. She had heard of some of the terrible deeds he had committed,
but she was not quick enough to beat him in a true chase.”

He
stepped closer, just enough to keep us from touching. “She refused to lose.
After several minutes, it was like the bond had dissipated. Many years later,
she met her mate and fell in love.”

He
shifted a fraction, letting our arms touch. "Situations like that one
rarely happen because the majority of us are not inherently evil. Women do not
have to worry about searching for the right man because we are all right for
them here, more or less."

He
looked down at me sighed, his breath ruffling my hair gently. "After she
told me, I didn't want to chance it... Even though I didn't entirely think her
theory was true."

John
took one of my hands in his. "Jacque, I still would have cared for you the
same. I won't tell you that I wouldn't have chased you sooner if I hadn't
suspected, but I will say that my feelings would have stayed the same."

I
stubbornly refused to look at him. The chase still hummed in my veins, and the
bond wrapped around us, impatiently waiting for a verdict.

I
finally looked up at him and he said, "Jacqueline, I'm laying my heart out
for you. Out of all the women in existence, you are the only one that I want. I
apologize for not informing you sooner. I was selfish, and that selfishness
jeopardized your future.”

His
apology was accepted by my head nod.

Relief
entered his eyes. “Stop the suspense. Say something. Anything. Say that you
love me or hate me. Say that you never want to see me again. Say that you can’t
live without me. Say
something.
Anything but this silence.”

After
much debating, I finally made a decision. My wants and desires were not nearly
as important as I’d like them to be. If being with John gave me more power,
then I could make a greater change. He was handsome and kind, and I trusted him.
All along, this was never about me. Like John, I had been selfish, but now I
finally saw the bigger picture. Looking at him, I knew he would be easy to
love. I could have my cake and eat it too.

“I
can live without you, John. I just don't want to,” I leaned up to kiss him, and
he met me halfway. My heart grew until it nearly burst into a thousand pieces. I
would be safe with him. His pulse thumped strongly in rhythm with mine, and I
knew that everything would be okay.

I
looked into John’s eyes and saw patience and love, but what did I know? Any
emotion could have been hidden behind those depths. Life was about taking
chances and making mistakes.

After
several moments, I smiled. "Are you proposing?"

"Lullary
men don't ask: They tell. But I suppose I could make an exception." His
eyes flashed teasingly before he dropped down on one knee. "Jacqueline Winters,
last remaining folium, Earthborn, will you do me the upmost honor of marrying
me?"

"How
could I say no?"

John
beamed at me, pulling me closer. I laughed and finally let down my guard. The
bond twisted around us, weaving and braiding our essences together. Our lips
met and I felt happiness, true happiness, for the first time in many years.