Fifty-Four

Life had an interesting way to unfold itself. I stirred in bed, fluttering my eyes open and waking up to a deliciously sore body from last night’s activities. I was tender in places I didn’t imagine I would, reminding me of how wild I drove my bear, and a grin made its way to my lips.
My body missed the heat of his skin closer to mine, so I figured he was already up, doing God knows what around the house. I rolled to his side, bringing his pillow to a hug and sinking my face into it, inhaling the aroma of his new cologne lingering around. Woody with spicy notes, so alluring and comforting, it reminded me of these forests. Maybe the reason he liked it so much. It reminded him of home.
Still holding the pillow to me, I got up and looked through the window. The whiteness lost itself on the horizon. The blizzard had quieted down, and the only thing coming from the celestial blue sky were a few flakes here and there. We were stuck here for a few days, and with that in mind, I put the pillow back on the bed and went to the bathroom to start my morning routine.
I had a few things in mind. First, convincing him to let me find those bastards. Second, I could use these confining days to get to know him better. On all levels, might I say, since I had caught up with so many memories from the past, I didn’t know where to start. Third, get him acquainted with the world around him. Well, it didn’t need to be in this order. It was a lazy day, and I already had an idea of what to do. It would be fun to see his reaction.
Back in the room, the dragons carved on the bedpost caught my eyes. I walked to them, touching the cold wood. They seemed to come alive under my palm. It was the first time I paid close attention to them. Dad had made this bed for me, and since the first day I slept in it, I felt peace and my nightmares subsided a little. Somehow, they protected me. Protected the both of us.
A loud noise and a flood of profanities took me out of my daydreaming. Grabbing my silken robe from behind the bedroom door, I rushed towards the sound, stopping by the door and leaning to the frame with arms crossed, observing him. He didn’t even notice me there, busing himself in the kitchen, cussing on everything in his path.
He wore the new dark gray sweatpants we got in our brief trip for clothes, and nothing else. Something pissed him off, and waves of his distress flowed in the room. How did I tap into them? No clue. I didn’t want to think about it at the moment. The only interesting thing now was him half-naked in my kitchen, trying to murder my appliances.
“You know, these pants give me some naughty ideas, Grizzly.” He stilled and turned to me. His eyes darkened to shades of coal at the sight of me as I walked to him. He laced my waist, bringing me to him and brushed his lips on mine in a soft caress, before capturing them in a hot, mind-numbing kiss, melting my insides and making my body spring into life again. I raked my fingers through his hair, feeling the soft strands between them and resting my head on the crook of his neck. “What are you doing that have you so worked up, love?”
“I wanted to surprise you with some breakfast, but all these gadgets beat me down!” He sounded annoyed and defeated.
“I appreciate your efforts, but it’s more rewarding when we cook with someone.” I winked and pulled him towards the counter. “Just pay attention to me and in no time, you’ll master everything.” Putting the coffee on, I turned to him. “How about toast and eggs?”
“Sounds good, I’ll be happy with whatever you like, dragă.” I didn’t like the frustrated tone in his voice. It bothered me beyond reason.
“It reminds me of when I was a kid. Dad likes to cook and when I came along we cooked together. It was a great way to divert my mind from my horrors, and I enjoyed it every single time.” I pecked his lips, and I slapped that gorgeous tushy he had. I just couldn’t help myself. That did the trick, erasing that somber look from his face.
“Liz…” It was a low warning growl that made my insides all warm.
“There’s a bag of bread in the pantry.” I pointed to him with a sheepish smile while I got some eggs in the fridge. “See the silver box beside the coffee machine? It’s the toaster, put the slices in it and push the lever down, that’s all.”
“That’s all?” he asked, suspicious.
“Yes, you’ll see.” I got busy making scrambled eggs while he worked on the toasts, and since I started with the coffee, he paid attention to everything down to the smallest of details. The funny look on his face when the bread jumped out from the toaster was priceless. I had to hold myself not to laugh, because he looked just like the cats from those funny videos. “Such an outdated man!” I sighed, all dreamy to him, and he just gave me the look, putting the slices on a plate and taking to the table.
“It’s amazing how things changed this time around. It never happened before, at least not this fast!” He was truly amazed, and we haven’t even started yet.
The aromas of food and coffee filled the kitchen, transforming the place into a warm and cozy atmosphere. My stomach rumbled in ecstasy, and hunger wasn’t the right word I looked for. Starving would have a better fit to it.
“Don’t you need more blood?” I asked once we started eating.
“No, I’m good. I think I got a little greedy with those bastards back in your house,” he said, smirking at me. We ate in comfortable silence. I dug in like a starved while he played with his food, nibbling here and there.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m just not that hungry.” He had a worried face, like something was bothering him. “Dragă, how did you do that, how did you electrocute them?” Now we got somewhere. I looked at him, deciding what to do or say, but by the hard features on his face, I decided on the truth, even though I didn’t know what it was.
“I don’t know how to explain. Rage overshadowed my mind, and the idea came to me when I saw the static waves flowing around my hands. Then it happened. Why?”
“I’m worried about you. I don’t want you hurt, Liz.” He stressed the last sentence as I found the path to his mind, mimicking the way dad found his way to me. If I could get into dad’s head I could also get into Vlad’s.
‘It won’t happen, Grizzly!’
It popped into his mind. His eyes darkened, fixed on mine with a million questions floating in them.
“How did you do that?”
“I have no clue. We were here getting hot and heavy and out of the blue dad was in my head, chastising me and telling me off. He needed to talk to you in private, and later when he got worried about your distress giving our location to enemies. Then, I went outside, looking for you. Care to explain?” Flashes of golden flickered in the back of those forest greens. “Vlad, your left eye is twitching, and you got silent. You’re about to put me in that freaking limbo again!” I glared at him.
“Liz?” His face softened for a few seconds, and hope filled his eyes. He stared at me, but shook his head as he said, “Right now, we are discussing your gifts.” He cut me off, and I gave him the evil eye out of contempt. “I need to understand why your talent is growing.”
“These past few days, I have given a lot of thoughts about it, and the only conclusion I’ve got, but I’m uncertain, maybe…”
“For the love of God, woman! Say it at once!” It was cute to see his exasperation. He looked dashing when angry, filling my mind with lewd thoughts. I should do it more often. “Don’t you dare!”
“Oh! You heard my thoughts, didn’t you?” I grinned with mischief. Things got weirder by the second. “Everything started after Jack fried me like a chicken in that cabin. It seems the electrical charges jolted my powers to life.” Silence fell upon us, his gaze fixed on mine.
“Do you think it is possible?” There was a hint of doubt in his voice.
“I don’t know, maybe, and I also can feel waves of emotions around me, but there’s something odd, and I must figure out what it is.”
“And what is that?” He furrowed his brows, lips in a strain line. I smirked at him. “Liz…” I loved the low, menacing rumble of his voice when he growled at me.
“Well, let me tell you something about relationships, my gorgeous man. Trust is a two-way road. If you want my cooperation, I want that trust back, so how about you fill me up on your enemies?”