Forsaken (Book #1)

Fortunately, sparring only lasted an hour. I was improving slowly – very slowly – but I was able to hold my own against Grayson. Of course, I suspected that he was going easy on me. Things remained a little awkward between us after Liyana had interrupted our moment. Sullenly I ate the soup that was laid out in front of me. Grayson had ceased interacting with me after my talk with Liyana.

That was something that bothered me immensely. The door to the quaint little restaurant opened and Elysia came walking in with Anais trailing behind her. In her hands Elysia was holding several stacks of books. She stopped by us and dropped the books onto the table.

“What are these?” I asked, grateful that there would a reprieve from the silence that surrounded Grayson and I.

“Books.” Anais said in a snotty tone like it should be obvious.

Elysia sighed. “She knows that Anais, be nice. Well one of them is about the history of New Haven, something that the book Grayson has doesn’t elaborate much on and another one of the books is a history of Demons.”

“So it mentions Darya then.” I said.

Elysia nodded. “It does.” She looked at Grayson, “You should take her home Grayson. The summoning for Darya will be in New York and she’s been gone for about a day or two.”

Grayson nodded, scooting out of the booth and rising to his feet. He dropped some money onto the table before walking out of the building. After a beat I was following him after grabbing the books that Elysia had laid on the table. I followed Grayson to a car sitting near a wrought-iron gate. The car was already running and Grayson was sitting in the driver’s seat, tapping his hands on the steering wheel.

I felt nervous as I climbed into the passenger seat. I laid the books on the floor beside my feet and glanced at Grayson. He didn’t acknowledge me as he put the car into drive and we headed out of the city. Trees, rolling hills, and in the distance mountains rolled past us as Grayson accelerated through the winding roads.

“We need to talk.” I blurted out.

“About?” He asked his voice strained.

“You know what.” I snapped, “The almost kiss. Ring a bell?”

“It can’t happen again. It shouldn’t have even almost happened.” Grayson muttered.

“Really so you didn’t want to kiss me?” I asked a little stung by his words.

“I did.” Grayson muttered his cheeks turning a little red. “But I am your protector Calla, it can’t happen again. Besides, don’t you have feelings for Lucian?”

“No!” I almost shouted, wrapping my arms around my middle. Grayson looked at me sharply. “I don’t have feelings for Lucian. I can’t have feelings for Lucian.” I whispered. In a louder voice I continued, “He tortured me. It’s pretty hard to have feelings for someone who tortures you.”

Grayson shook his head. “It doesn’t change anything Calla. I am still your protector.”

“Grayson,” I pushed on, “I’m not going to beg you to kiss me. But there wouldn’t have been an almost kiss if you didn’t have feelings for me or weren’t attracted to me.”

Abruptly the car slammed to a screeching halt and I flew forward. The seatbelt caught me and I slammed back against the seat staring at Grayson in shock.

What the heck?

“I am attracted to you,” Grayson said his voice husky, “but nothing else is going to come of it. I am your protector. That is all.”

I should have given it up. I was practically begging him to do something and further a relationship with me. That was something that I had never imagined myself doing but I couldn’t deny that I had feelings for Grayson. What was so wrong with seeing where it could go?

Plus, he wouldn’t always be my protector. And I told him that, but he still wouldn’t budge. I huffed, and before we started moving again I had unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed Grayson by the front of his shirt pulling him towards me.

The kiss was hesitant, just a shy brushing of his lips against mine. He was frozen in shock for a few moments. Then when I pulled back he snapped out of his shock grabbing me and pulling me towards him, his lips pressing more firmly to mine. This was my first kiss and I couldn’t have imagined it with anyone else, except for mainly Lucian.

But he had tortured me. I was going to let go of my silly little attraction to Lucian and embrace what I had with Grayson instead. If we even had anything. I threaded my fingers through Grayson’s dark hair, pressing myself as close to him as I possibly could. Grayson let out a quiet growl, deepening the kiss.

Slowly the intensity of the kiss died down. I pulled away staring at Grayson with hooded eyes as I tried to come to terms with what had just happened between the two of us. I didn’t get much chance to dwell on it before Grayson was pulling me back towards him, pressing his lips to mine once more.

The kiss unlike our first one was slow and lingering. We were both trying to savor the moment, and it was a moment that I didn’t want to end. A car driving by us honking it’s horn caused us to break apart and I clambered back into my seat my cheeks burning.

“So,” I breathed tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“So.” Grayson echoed. He tapped the steering wheel, and shifted the car into drive. “That shouldn’t have happened, Calla.”

“Maybe not, but you weren’t exactly protesting.” I conceded. “So, what now?”

“We pretend like it never happened.”

He didn’t say anything more after that. I wanted to argue with him – God did I want to argue with him – but I didn’t. Shyly I looked away from him, touching a finger to my lips. Grayson and I had kissed. It had been my first kiss and it had been amazing.

But it never would happen again. Not if Grayson had any say in the matter. Still it had happened and maybe someday something more would be able to happen between Grayson and I. If only he would just let go of his sense of honor.

* * * * *

The drive back to my house was filled with silence. I wanted to talk with Grayson but things were once again awkward between us because we had actually kissed. The silence was not unwelcome however. It gave me a chance to reflect on what had happened. Grayson pulled into the driveway and I stepped out of the car, bidding him adieu.

I had thought that what I had faced with Lucian had been torture, but I was not prepared for the wrath that faced me when I entered the house. Parker – my adoptive dad – had arrived home yesterday, and I wasn’t home yesterday or the day before. Parker and Andrea had been fighting nonstop about London and then later about me going missing.

So when I came into the house they turned on me, berating me for not telling anyone where I was going and for causing them to be worried sick. I took their anger with a ducked head, contrite. But it wasn’t like I really had a choice. I had been kidnapped by Demons.

Still, they didn’t know that. I mustered up enough courage to apologize but they didn’t accept it. They just sent me into my room. I headed up the steps, sighing as I heard them beginning to argue.

I slunk into my room, closing the door quietly behind me, kicking off my shoes and flopping onto the bed. Exhaustion had seeped into my body the second that I got home, and I wanted to do nothing more than sleep. Slowly my eyes closed and I felt myself beginning to drift off. That was until I heard something tapping on the window.

I sat up, my mind a little hazy as I fought off the urge to ignore it and just go back to sleep. My heart beat faster in my chest and my eyes went wide with fear as I saw who was sitting outside of the window.

Lucian.