He walked from the line of trees as if the
world belonged to him. Each step he had taken had reminded Ivy of a predator;
stealth and dominance. This was her mate, a man who had shown her nothing but
love and patience. Nyx had also opened up a whole world to her where he’d
taught her passion as well. Ivy could feel his hands on every inch of her body.
The slow caress of his knuckles against her cheek, his fingers kneading her
breasts and tweaking her nipples, and what his hands done even lower made her
close her eyes and lick her lips. Nyx was insatiable when it came to love
making but Ivy couldn’t just roll over with her paws…er legs in the air, now
could she? As he approached she slowly got up from where she’d been sitting and
began to take off through the tall grasses in the clearing that was their
favorite spot.
Nyx smiled wickedly as he saw his
mate running across the field. He’d been cooped up all day at the garage and
hadn’t had much time to spend with his beautiful girl which suddenly he came to
a halt-she was carrying his young and running across the field. Immediately he
shifted and took off after his careless mate who was already laughing at him in
his mind. He playfully howled after her and she kicked it into high gear as she
sped across the field sending dandelion fluff and white and yellow butterflies
into the air in her wake.
Ivy continued to run until she came
to where a stream from the falls had formed a lake. Without even a thought she
glanced back at the large black wolf trailing on her heels with the clear blue
eyes that seemed to glow even in shade of the trees before launching herself
into the air shifting before she hit the ice cool water. Nyx shifted before
diving into the water after Ivy.
Ivy broke the surface of the water
and looked around while treading water. Nyx was no where to be seen. She could
have sworn that he was right behind her. God the water was cold. Then just as
she started to swim towards the shore to look for him, she felt a hand clamp
her ankle. She turned and there he with jet black hair slicked back, smoldering
eyes framed by thick dark lashes, and the lips she’d kissed a hundred times and
more.
Nyx spit a stream of water as he
pulled her by her ankle towards him. Even though the water was cold since
spring had just started, he couldn’t deny there was a pat of him that hadn’t
lost all feeling in the frigid water. He pulled her close and smiled as she
wrapped her arms around his neck. Nyx loved the feel of her body against his,
even more so now that she was carrying their babe.
“Ivy, my love, I think you have a
penchant for trouble.” He mused as he nuzzled the side of her neck which made
her giggle.
“Yes I do. I’ve decided I like
being naughty rather than nice after all. Besides, its spring Nyx and even your
sister Khloe said that exercise is a good thing.”
Ivy shrieked as she felt him pinch
her bottom for that last remark so she in turn nipped him on his chin. They
began to frolic like two water sprites as they swam and swirled around each
other. Ivy tried to dunk Nyx but he was too quick in the water and when they
couldn’t take the chill of it any longer, they made their way to the grassy
bank only to spend the next few hours with more carnal activities.
The sky had finally gone from shades
of gold and pinks to dark blue with stars dotting its canvas. The two of them
lay beside each other watching the few clouds go by. Nyx had only left her
briefly to retrieve a stash of clothing nearby. He looked over at her as she
looked up and placed a hand on the slight bulge under the sweat shirt.
“Ivy? Baby, are you okay?” he asked
suddenly concerned.
Ivy closed her eyes tight to try
and keep the tears back. She tried to roll over so he wouldn’t see but he
wrapped his arms around her and it was that moment that Ivy knew she couldn’t
keep up her charade any longer. The tears wouldn’t stay back any longer.
It broke his heart to see tears but
when she began to speak he couldn’t help the overwhelming need to hunt up that
bastard and kill him all over again. It all made sense the more she talked, all
those times when she’d seemed so distant and far way in her thoughts. How many
times had he thought she wasn’t happy? Countless. How many times had he blamed
himself for putting so much on her when in many ways they were still getting to
know one another? Countless. Ivy mourned the child she lost and feared for the
one she carried. Nyx held her; he held her until her tears were spent.
There was a stillness; only the
sounds of the night with the wind blowing through the trees and tall grass. He
struggled with what he was going to say to her.
“Ivy, you still believe that the
loss of your son was your fault, but it wasn’t. You have got to see that baby,
that it wasn’t your fault.” He said softly as he looked into those sad eyes.
Ivy couldn’t say anything. It hurt
too much to go back to that but that baby had meant the world to her. She had
felt that baby move within her body and then all those weeks and months to have
it all taken from her tore her apart. Nyx stood up dragging her with him. He
turned her so that her back was facing him. He kept his arms around her.
“Ivy, listen to the night. The wind
as it blows through the tall grass and trees, the insects that buzz and chirp,
the low hoot of the great gray owl that takes its flight, the mouse that
scurries to get to its home, and even the small fish who are trying to out jump
the older and much bigger ones. This is life Ivy-all around you is life. There are
seasons for everything and your season to be a mother has only just begun. Your
son, our son, is all around us in everything bright, beautiful, and alive. See
that, and accept that the child that was lost to you is found all around you
and in here,” he kissed her hand before placing it over her heart, “Our baby
doesn’t replace the son that was lost, but a hope for a new beginning Ivy, not
one cursed as you think.”
Ivy couldn’t help the torrent of
tears that started once again. She knew everything he was saying was true. Nyx
and the child she was carrying was love she deserved to have and letting go
didn’t mean she was forgetting. Her son, her little Damien who would have been
named after a famed priest she’d read about that sacrificed his life to save a
leaper colony. Funny, she’d always viewed living in the Shepherd’s Flock as a
leaper colony seeing as everyone was sick and the only way out was death. She
hadn’t been able to see him and Lorna had taken care of all the arrangements.
Damien had been buried with a simple stone with his name and date of birth at a
beautiful cemetery over five hundred miles away so that no one would ever
discover him or her. All that was in the past now, Nyx and this baby was her
future.
Nyx didn’t need to hear her
thoughts. He knew the internal struggle she was going through. The wind picked
up and he kissed her cheek and stepped away from her and began to call out into
the night.
“Little one; Damien, my son that I
never got to know I want to tell you that I love your mother. I love her more
than even the sun loves the sky. I promise you that all your brothers and
sisters will love her and we will never let a day pass that you are forgotten
little one.” And with that he wiped a tear from his face before turning towards
his mate.
Nyx held out his hand and Ivy took
it. He looked at her and gently urged her to call to her son on the wind. At
first she was apprehensive about doing as he had done but it warmed her heart
that he claimed Damien when no other would have. She took a moment to grieve
the life her son would have had with her and Nyx. Nyx would have loved him and
taught him so many things. Damien would have grown up happy and would have
never known an unkind word or an angry touch. Then she opened her eyes and
spoke the words from her heart.
“Damien, my sweet boy, I’m so sorry
that I couldn’t protect you better. I’m sorry you never got to live life.” She
had to struggle to choke down the grief that had lumped itself in her throat.
Nyx gave her hand a squeeze and she got through it. Her voice trembled but she
got the words out, “I love you. I never stopped loving you my son. I wanted you
more than anything! You can be at peace my little snuggle bunny. You will never
be far from my heart or thoughts.”
Nyx tucked her into his side and
wrapped his arms around her as the wind blew over them and then suddenly went
still. Ivy looked up at Nyx and pulled his face down to hers, “I love you Nyx
Wahpeton.” And then she smiled as he kissed her.
Spring was definitely in the air
and with it would come rebirth, renewal, and love.
Read
Nyx and Ivy’s story in Cursed Awakening but if you leave a comment you could be
the lucky winner of your own copy of Cursed Awakening by Nikki Noffsinger,
published author through XoXo Publishing. You MUST leave your email address to be eligible for the Grand Prize, and Nikki's personal prize. Thank you.
