On the other hand, I could tell when he was close. It was supposed to make me feel worried or sad, but it only brought me happiness. I wanted to be with him.
Right now I know he is close, less than thirty minutes away if I set a good pace.
I don’t care if it is artificial or not. He makes me happy. And I want to be happy.
It is as easy as deciding to be happy. I want to be happy, so I go find my mate.
Sneaking up on Williem is so easy. I creep up to him, and before he can detect that I am close I can almost reach out to touch him. I can’t help but feel amazed.
This is Williem, impossible to be fooled or sneaked up on, and yet I was doing just that.
A fallen branch under my foot gives me away, and Williem’s head snaps to peer straight at me.
“Hi Liem.” I say with my usual inflection as I try to hide how ecstatic I am feeling.
I don’t waste time, I rush into his arms, flinging mine around him. I press my lips to his, melding them with his and completely enjoying the taste of him after so long without him.
Williem obviously misses me just as much because his lips capture mine in a fierce kiss, robbing me of air.
“I thought it was impossible to get the drop on you.” I tease, expecting him to laugh but instead he just tenses up again, like he did right before he saw me.
“Missed you.” I say again, and this time I definitely expect some sort of reaction from him but all I get is more silence, as he keeps on staring behind me. A growl, pitched so low to almost be inaudible escapes his lips.
I am frozen for a second. Is this where he rejects me instead? I wonder, but I notice his eyes aren’t set on me, instead they are still peering over my shoulder.
I turn around and now I can see what has grabbed his attention.
Like a dam has burst, information I had almost forgotten, hidden in some far corner of my brain, now comes flooding to the forefront.
The original rogues. This must be them!
They are bigger than any rogues I had ever encountered, and despite the fact that there are only three of them, I can’t help the sinking feeling in my gut telling me that running away would probably be the wisest course of action.
I turn again to look at Williem. Backing down seems to be the last thing on his mind. His claws and canines are bared.
This is a fight I wish we could avoid, but one that will definitely happen.
I move to stand beside Williem. If this was how we went out, then I would not have it any other way.
“I love you. Just want to say this now. Regardless if we survive this or not. And trust me, these assholes aren’t the reasons I’m saying it either.” I confess.
“I love you too Lina. And I hope that hasn’t been in doubt.” He tells me, with the fiercest of looks painted on his face.
I doubted it. Especially with what I had heard, but right here and now, I decide to believe him. I believed that he did and has always loved me.
“I do. I will never doubt it again.”
He nods one last time, as finally the rogues now surround us, with a couple of smaller sized ones now filling up their ranks.
“I’ve linked in all the Sentinels. We just have to stay alive until they get here.” He tells me.
Staying alive? That shouldn’t be too hard. I boast in the recesses of my mind, knowing it would be much harder in reality. But I don’t care.
I didn’t come all this way to lose him again!
Chapter 14
Williem