I look up at him. “Really? How?”
He shrugs. “I don’t really know, it’s some old legend. People don’t come here because of it. They say it is a sacred place of the goddess. That she uses the pool. Not really sure why she would. I have never swam here, never had the urge, but I have been drawn here. Then when I would sit on the shore, I would see you and me here together.”
“I still don’t get why you want me. I am not all that great. But I accept what you think. I want to tell you something. Don’t get your hopes up too much because it may not work.”
He lifts his head and looks at me. “What?”
“The reason why your Uncle is coming to visit, it’s for me. He is going to try to make it so that I can speak to the goddess, to sort this whole thing out, without people being hurt.”
His grip on me tightens. “You can’t do that. Do you know why people avoid this spot? It’s said if you see the goddess that she could shoot you dead. It’s considered disrespectful.”
“Darius, there is a trial first. If I am not found worthy then I just won’t be able to do it. It’s worth a shot isn’t it? A way for all of us to be happy when this is done.”
“No, losing you is not worth it. I don’t want you to do it.”
“Why is this any different than you refusing treatments? You were going to die and leave me all because you wanted more time with me. I am not going to die.”
“So they say. There is still a chance that you could die.” His grip on me has gotten tighter. “Baby, please, don’t do this.”
“I won’t, ok.” Not the first time that I have lied to him. I am doing it. This is why I didn’t want to tell him in the first place. I just have to get answers, the only one that can do that is the goddess herself.
“Baby, I want what time I have with you. Don’t try to leave me yet. I need you.” He pulls my body on top of his so that he can reach my lips better. My small frame compared to his feels so dwarfed sitting on his. “You are my love and my mate.” His feather light kisses along my lips and face feel amazing. “I never want to lose you.” I have a feeling he is going to keep going, but he lays back and groans. “Apparently someone is looking for you. Dad just linked me about a witch looking for you.”
“Oh, Ashley, I need to check on her.”
“Now you are hanging out with witches.” He asks but picks me up so that I can get dressed.
“She is mated to a wolf. When I was on the run we became friends. I was helping her with her son. He is half wolf.”
I pull on my pants while we talk. “So, she never used spells on you.”
“No, she is my friend. You want to meet her?” I ask as he hands me my shirt.
“Sure. I want to know everything about you. I want you to sit down and tell me about our time apart too. I missed you so much.” He waits until I am fully dressed before he pulls me into his arms. “I love you Sophia.”
I smiled at him. “In a way, I love you too Darius.” I’m not lying. In a way I have found that I do love him. I care very deeply for him and that has festered into love.
“You just remember that. At least some part of you loves me.”
“I want to thank you for doing the treatments. I know you didn’t want to.”
His body seems to have healed so much since I arrived. “I don’t even know why I didn’t want to do it. Something was just screaming in my head that I can’t do them. That voice has gotten quieter, but it’s not gone.”
“Well, I for one am grateful that you aren’t listening to it.” He captures me with his lips.
When he pulls away from me. “We better go. Your friend is waiting.”
“Plus I need to put in an order for your dinner.” I smirk at him.
“Please no more soup.”
“It’s a surprise.”
“That means more soup.” He groans.
I laugh. “Well, you will just have to wait and see.”
He smiles down at me. “I love your laugh.”
I watch as he shifts back and kneels so that I can mount his back again. The trip back seems to end way too soon. I don’t know what happened at that waterfall, I do know there is a shift. Things are different now. I can’t pinpoint it or explain it. I just know that now I love Darius.