Chapter 2

Deak looked out into the night from the window of the hotel they were staying at. It had been a long drive. His wolf was getting anxious and needed a run. The surroundings of the small town were unfamiliar to him, and he was hesitant to shift somewhere he didn’t feel safe. He looked over at Vita, who was unpacking her bag for the night, and smiled. Vita had been a big help to him during the drive; whenever his wolf got anxious, she calmed him down. But there was a conflict to it as well. The bracelet would burn him when he felt the touch of his mate, but he would endure any pain to keep her close to him. His heart swelled as he continued to watch her. “You know, sometimes you are creepy when you stare at me like that. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were sizing me up to be your next meal,” Vita confided as she walked into the bathroom to drop off her makeup bag and toiletries. When she returned to the room, Deak was no longer standing next to the window. “So, what if I am?” Deak said to her as he leaned against the wall next to the bathroom. Vita jumped but then turned to Deak and smiled. “I would then tell you to be careful. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” Vita started to walk backward as Deak got off the wall and walked at the same pace. His eyes were sparkling with heat and excitement at the game that she was playing. Vita watched Deak with steady eyes, waiting for him to make his move. Deak lashed out and tried to grab Vita, but she was able to block it and grabbed for his wrist instead, wrapping her fingers tightly to hold him. Deak winced at the touch but didn’t let it show. He smirked at Vita as he pulled her toward him, spinning her in front of him so his arm was wrapped around her. “You’ve got skills,” he told her. Vita dropped to the floor, wiggling out from Deak’s hold, and released his wrist as she got away. “You don’t know everything about me,” she challenged. Deak’s eyes glistened with excitement. He leaped after her, maneuvering around until he had her pinned to the bed. Their breathing had become labored as they lay there looking at each other. “I look forward to learning everything I can about you,” he said softly. He leaned in and captured Vita’s lips with his own. The fight in Vita left her. Giving into her desires, she returned the kiss with just as much need and want. Deak started to nip and kiss down Vita’s neck until he found the bend between her neck and shoulder. He briefly licked and sucked on the spot before he had to stop and refrain from going further. “We should stop,” Deak told Vita as he pulled away and released her hands. Vita felt a pang in her heart at the rejection, but she knew he was right, and they needed to stop. They couldn’t let their hormones get the best of them. They needed to take their time if they wanted to make the relationship permanent. There was still a lot they didn’t know about each other. Vita sensed the bracelet was starting to burn Deak, but he refused to admit it. She needed to find a way to break the curse without being rejected. This time it wasn’t as simple as not having the correct name or being young and giving into the seduction of power and strength the bracelet offers. Deak was older and familiar with pain. She believed he and his wolf could handle it without being tempted by the darkness. Vita was putting a lot of hope and faith that their answers lay within the city limits of Silver City. There was a knock on the door after Deak had rolled away. Vita jumped up to answer the door. “Hey, we are about to go downstairs and check out their restaurants here if you’d like to come?” Zachary asked when Vita opened the door. “Yeah, that sounds great. We’re just going to freshen up and meet you down there.” “Alright, we’ll meet you down there in 30 minutes?” Zachary suggested. “Sounds good. See you down there.” Vita said and closed the door. She walked over to Deak, buried her head into his chest, and sighed. Deak smirked as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Vita pulled her head back and looked up at Deak. “We’ll get through this. You know that, right?” Vita asked him. Deak nodded, but his face gave no emotion to how he truly felt. There was an eternal battle inside him that he and his wolf were trying to lock away, as it had been for so long when he had his magic. Without his magic to secure himself, he worried he would lose the best part of himself to the darkness and hurt the girl he loved. Deak placed both hands on the sides of Vita’s face and bent down to stare intently into her eyes. “You know I care about you more than anything,” he confessed to her. Vita nodded. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I would never forgive myself if I were the cause of you being hurt,” Deak confided. Vita grabbed Deak by the back of his neck and pulled her toward her so their foreheads touched. “You won’t hurt me; I know you won’t.” She pulled back, kissed his forehead, and looked him in the eye. As she stared into his eyes, Vita could see the pain and struggle he was going through. More than anything, Vita wished she knew how to help Deak but didn’t. Vita felt useless but wasn’t giving up, not on him. After everything he did to search and rescue her from the coven, she wouldn’t allow her insecurities to get the best of her. They were going to find a way to get through this. They both deserved to have a happy ending, and Vita was beginning to want her happy ending to be with Deak. “Come on, enough of this foolish talk. We need to get ready and head downstairs, to join the others,” Vita informed him. A devilish grin formed on Deak’s face as he suggested, “How about a shower together so we don’t waste time?” Vita laughed as she pushed her hands against his chest to move away from him. “Nice try; that is not happening anytime soon,” Vita declared before she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Deak chuckled as he walked over to the bathroom door. “You think a little lock could keep me from getting to you?” Vita’s heart raced as she heard the challenge in Deak’s voice. She knew the lock was pointless; if he wanted to get into that room, he could, without any problem. “Deak, please, stop playing with my emotions and get ready. I don’t want to be late,” Vita pleaded. Deak smirked as he walked away from the door and did what his mate had asked.