Ella’s POV
“Here.” Kevin said, steering us towards the right. “We go through here.”
I nodded, walking after him like the others. We were about to get through the second to the last river and afterwards would be almost home. I couldn’t wait to get this behind me.
My heart started pounding as usual, scared of how the wolves of the blood moon pack were going to treat me when they hadn’t exactly been nice to me. My emotions were conflicted and I was worried.
Part of me was delighted as always that I was going home and going to see where I had grown up while another part of me was scared it was going to feel nothing like home to me. The blue river pack felt more like home to me. That reminded me of why I had been going home in the first place. I needed to know if my father was really from the blue river pack. I still had those questions to solve and I wasn’t going to leave without getting them so yes, I was going home.
I had gotten kidnapped because I was on my way home to solve the puzzle. Giving up now wasn’t a choice I could afford to make. That would mean that I was kidnapped for nothing and had suffered in vain. No, I couldn’t let that happen. That was going to make me angry if I didn’t find the answers to my questions.
That would make us angry if we didn’t find the answers that made us get maltreated.
I smiled as Lucy yelled in my head.
I didn’t jump this time when I felt a hand slip into mine. It was as familiar and comforting as my own skin and not a second skin.
Kevin.
He was the light shining whenever my path was dark and I knew he was going to say the same about me.
“You seem troubled.” He whispered.
I knew he wasn’t trying to do that to not make the others hear because they could but was trying to make me feel like we were in our own world as best as he could.
My eyes got a bit blurry as tears filled them and I realized that I really loved him.
His expression suddenly changed and he looked both surprised and confused. “What is with the sudden change of emotions? I could sense that you were troubled earlier and now you are happy.”
“I love you.” I breathed out.
He blinked, taken aback by my words.
“I love you, Kevin.” I repeated for emphasis and for my sake, not because I thought he didn’t hear me the first time earlier.
I knew the others heard me and was grateful that they pretended not to and didn’t make any snide remarks this time. I didn’t want anything to ruin this moment I had with Kevin. It hadn’t been easy getting time alone to spend with him.
He finally got over his shock. “I love you more, Ella.”
I didn’t doubt that. I nodded and smiled at him. I might have loved him more when we were growing up but he certainly had beaten me and loved me more than I did.
“What happened to you though?” He asked, not willing to let go. “I could sense that you were troubled. It seemed like you were having a conversation with Lucy as well because I felt Eric stir within me. Then, you suddenly changed and were happy. What were you thinking of?”
I sighed. I should have known that he wouldn’t give up or be bought with my sudden admission of love to forget about his concerns for me.
As I peered into his eyes, I saw the love he had for me shining through his eyes, his excitement at getting closer to home and his joy of being here with me and didn’t think I could ruin that with my words. I didn’t have the nerve to tell him that I wasn’t as eager to go home as he was. I couldn’t tell him that, not at the moment.
I shook my head, smiling to make my words believable. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me.”
He looked doubtful and I wanted to laugh at the expression on his face. Why was he acting as if I was fond of lying to him every time?
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I nodded, moving closer to him and stared into his eyes.
I would have kissed him-I wanted to-but I didn’t want to push it. The men who were busy acting like they couldn’t see us were certainly going to react. I could see the naughty smirk on Andre’s face and knew he was ready to throw a jibe at us.
Kevin stared at me for what felt like an eternity and finally nodded. “Okay, if you insist.” He smiled at me.
I heaved a sigh of relief and smiled back at him. “I insist.”
“Let’s go home then. I’m sure breathing in the air of the place where the moon goddess is would make you feel better.”
I doubted that but I nodded all the same and followed him, the two of us crossing the river hand in hand.
We had crossed the river and we had only one more to cross and then we were home. There was an open wide field with grasses by the left side that we had to walk through before we got to the last river and by my estimation, that shouldn’t take us anymore than two hours to walk through.
If we did that and then crossed the river, we should be home by nightfall. I couldn’t believe that we were almost at the end of the journey and my heart couldn’t stop racing like mad.
I turned to smile at Kevin as we walked through the field. “We are almost home.” I breathed, wonder evident in my voice.
“Not so fast, wolfie.” A voice hissed from the shadows.
We all stilled and looked around, searching for where the voice had come from but most importantly, who it belonged to.