Davina the Hybrid

Chapter 2 Becoming closer

After we put the horses away, we went inside the farmhouse to have lunch with Alley, Zack and the twins, we didn't speak a word until we came inside.

The house was filled with the helping hands of our ranch coming in and out to get food. Some heading to either their rooms to eat or the dining area in the back of the house where, we have a shaded shelter with picnic tables for guests to eat and mingle. Some guests went into the huge dining room down the hall. We always sit in the main kitchen and dining area which only has room for a small group to sit and eat. We stay and eat here to make it easier for guests to come see us if they need anything and to report anything we are short of or to report incidents that had happened during work.

We grab our plates and our drinks and sit at the table, this time, Jake sits beside me, and the others sit at their usual places. With Alley and Zack sitting together across the table and the twins sitting across from eachother. Reason the twins sit across from eachother prevents them from fighting, Alley made that rule that they cannot sit together at the table, but now that they are getting older the fighting slowed down. My guess is, they got used to their spots that their mom chose out for them years ago.

"So, how was your morning?" I asked Alley and Zack.

Zack looked at Alley with a smile and nodded for her to go ahead, "Good news, we get to keep the mother and her puppies."

"Aww that's awesome! You two must be happy about that!" I said to Teeny and Donny.

"Yes, we are happy." Donny said.

"We finally get to name them." Teeny yells in excitement clapping her hands.

"Puppies?" Jake asked.

"My twins found a stray dog and it was pregnant with pups and they finally told us about them this morning." Zack explained to Jake, then he looked at the twins, "But now the twins are in charge of training them, feeding them, and making sure they stay out of trouble. I'm sure one or two can learn to help herd cattle? what you think guys?"

"Yeah sure!" Donny nods. "I can teach one of them for now, but I'd need help."

"I can help." Teeny says.

"I can help them too." a farm hand named Emily came in with her empty plate to put in the wash. "I'm about to go out to the pasture to see the cows now if y'all wanna come with me and I can give you a run through about how it'll be done and y'all can do the rest."

"Okay! let's go!" Teeny finishes off her juice quickly and gets up with Donny grabbing his hand, "C'mon!" they leave with Emily and we wave them off.

I take a breath, "Well I've gotta finish with the rest of the horses."

"I'll come with you." Jake says quickly and I nod.

Alley and Zack smile at eachother then look at us, "Okay have fun." Alley beams at me.

I shake my head and head out the door with Jake right behind me, we walk toward the barn side by side. I turn my head to look up at him, "How'd you end up working with me anyway? You never did say?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged, "Usually I'm supposed to work with the heavy machinery and repair fences or do mechanic work, but I did all that when I got here, I'm waiting for parts to arrive in town that I had ordered and since I have nothing else to do then, I figure I see where I can help out for a bit. Seemed like everyone is teamed up with somebody to work with except you. So, here I am." he smiles at me then.

I giggled, "Oh well, thank you for your help. Seems your the only one willing to help me, the others seem scared of me for some reason."

He squinted as he opened the barn door for me, "I don't think it's you- it's just, everything makes more sense now that you talked to me this morning, everyone feels weirded out now and have no idea how to approach you, since that thing that happened last year." he smiled at me when I looked at him frowning, "When I got here, I heard some of the guys talking about it, but I had no idea what they were talking about." he explained.

I turned around then and folded my arms standing straight, looking him in the eye, I said, "Okay, so that's the other reason you wanted to work with me right? To get that information out of me right?"

"Hey whoa." he says putting up his hands in defense. "No that's not why at all."

Still standing there with my arms folded, shoulders tense, "Then, what reason did you have anyway?" and I help up my hand toward him, "Please, don't lie to me." I couldn't believe everyone thought I was so fragile and couldn't cope with having others helping me or let alone talk to me themselves.

He sighed, "Let me explain, I didn't say it right. It's true that I saw you were the only one working alone and I truly want to help you. But, not because of what other people are saying, it's only because I want to get to know you myself despite everyone's perspective of you. I don't care about any of that at all. I just simply want to know you my self, and well" he looked me in the eyes then, he put both his hands on my shoulders, I took a deep breath, shocked at how close he was to me. He continued as he was looking me in the eyes, "I feel drawn to you. I have been trying to avoid it, because I've felt it the moment I came here. Plus I'm stuck in a relationship with someone I don't feel nothing towards, but I have to fix that before I get close to you" he paused taking a deep breath, "So, see? I am not working with you because I want to find out what the fuss is- It's because of my own selfish reasons of wanting to know you. That's it. So, if you don't mind me helping you, can we get to it."

Mouth open eyes gaping at him, I nodded. He let go of me then, he smiled and nodded is head toward the horses as some of them were stomping their feet, "See? They're getting restless now." I cracked a smile.

"Okay, let get to work together with the horses, we have lots to do after their daily exercise." I nodded in agreement with him and walked over to a stall where another beautiful White Thoroughbred was waiting for me to take her out. I pointed to the other stall where at big red Quarter horse with a lightening Strick line going down its face was waiting, "Take Moon with you and take the smaller quarter horse beside her, her name's Sky. It's her fowl from last year, they don't like being separated from eachother."

"Ok." he said and we headed to the same field with the horses and we let them go to graze for awhile.

I sat down in the tall grass then laid down folding my arms under my head, to look up at the clouds passing through. It's so peaceful here, I can't imagine ever being somewhere else. Jake laid down beside me then, and for awhile we just laid there not saying anything. Both enjoying the peace and quiet and the beauty of the sky above us.

"You never told me his name." Jake said suddenly.

I knew right away who he was talking about, "His name was Hardin Clarke." I said.

"So, tell me more about him, what was he like?" he asked.

I smiled thinking about him, I missed him so much but, talking about him, actually made me feel happy for the first time, "He was adventurous, Daring, fearless, intelligent, hard but kind to only those he was close to got to see his softer side. He had a lot of respect from people just by his aura I guess." I shrugged, "There's something about the way he holds himself in that way."

"How did you guys meet?" he asked.

"We met during school, he just moved in and all the girls were crazy over him and they were all over him, the guys too wanted to be like him, he was liked by everyone. Well, except me." I giggled at the memory of his first few weeks at school.

Jake sat up then and looked at me with an eyebrow pulled up, "Wait.. You didn't like him the first time you met?"

I smiled at him, "I thought he was a player and thought he thinks highly of himself, because the girls that threw themselves at him he was nice to them, but didn't acknowledge them much, even the guys that wanted to be his friend, he acted a little stuck up and for some stupid reason, they liked him still. I was annoyed with him, I avoided him in the halls, but one day I had no choice but to talk to him."

Jake was staring at me waiting with his mysterious dark eyes boring into me, I continued, "We were chosen out of a hat the teacher wanted to do a exercise with the students to get them to talk to people they don't normally talk to, we had to literally know personal things about them. The teacher handed us a list of questions to interview the opposite student and then we had to take a picture sitting side by side with that same person and do a pose, we couldn't just sit there and take a basic picture. This was all for Society Class on human Behaviour." I shrugged, "Anyway, he and I were chosen to be partners, we went out to the school yard and sat in the grass across from eachother." I laughed a little being shy of the memory, "I just sat there, not looking at him, praying the class hour will just go by if I don't talk, I sat and played with the grass, until this huge rainfall of grass went over my head, then I looked up and he was sitting there smiling at me after just dropping a ton of grass all over me, I was so mad that whatever grass I had in my hands I threw it at him and we ended up in a grass fight until we laughed. He told me I was one hard egg to crack and he's been trying to get my attention for weeks and now that he had it, he didn't want to let go, he asked me out after that. Our first date happened that night and we became inseparable after that, well except when he went missing."

Jake reached over and brushed tears from my eyes then, leaning over me not saying anything I let him. It felt nice to be looked after by someone else, I missed being touched with such affection. I grabbed his hand then pulled him closer to my face. I leaned up to kiss him and he closed his eyes to kiss me but before I can, I remembered he had a girlfriend, I stopped him by putting a finger to his lips, he opened his eyes, "You have a girlfriend, I'm sorry." I apologized right away as I as the one who grabbed him.

He pulled away then and cleared his throat, "No it's okay, I should apologize, I shouldn't have let that happen."

We sat up then and I noticed that Sky was missing. "Where's sky?" I looked around the field standing up to see better, "I don't see her!"

Jake pointed to the side of the forest, "Maybe she went in there somewhere."

I nodded, "okay well, maybe she's not too far, I'll go look for her and you watch these horses."

I started to walk and he grabbed my wrist before I can run, I looked at him, "What?" I asked.

"I'll go look, you stay." he says.

I shook my head, "No I'll look, I've done this before, and I know these woods better than you do, you'll get lost."

He sighed then defeated, "Okay, just be safe and quick."

"I will, if I can't find her, we'll take these horses back and get help." I say as he lets go of my hand nodding in agreement.

I raced to the forest and go in deep to where I can no longer see Jake and the other horses all the while I was yelling out for sky. I kept walking looking around but couldn't see her anywhere. She's gotta be here somewhere. I heard a voice from behind me, "Davina." I turned around to look but I didn't see anyone, it was a soft whisper but I heard it. Or did I? I got the chills then, as if someone was watching me. I walked a little faster then, yelling for Sky some more. Then I heard a low grow in front of me. I stopped, frozen in my spot. Eyes wide with fear I went lower and backed away slowly as I see a huge grizzly bear in front of me just 5 feet away. Thankfully, the bear hadn't noticed me but was growing at something else that was maybe 20 feet away from it. It was Sky!! I held my mouth to hold back the scream that was trying to force its way out of my mouth. The Horse was being hunted by this huge bear, I gotta help her somehow but before I can think of something, the bear started sniffing the air. I held my breath, then suddenly the bear looked my way and I screamed my loudest scream. I noticed I scared Sky and she ran away. But the bear just growled at me then standing up on his two feet, I backed up fast and tripped over a fallen tree and hit my head on another tree, I grabbed my head closing my eyes.

Head pounding from the impact of the tree I heard ringing in my ears, I was breathing heavy now, and I knew I was going to black out, but before I did that, I see the bear running over to me at full speed mouth gaping open ready to bite my head off. Then, a body goes slamming into the bear making the bear roll away from me. I couldn't believe it, it was a man with short Bronze hair. My vision blurred and I think the bear ran away or maybe he killed it somehow, I can't really see what's happening. Then strong arms were around me lifting me from the ground, a soft familiar voice whispering in my ear saying, "It's okay baby, your going to be okay, I've got you, I've always got you." and then I was out cold...

(Unknown: His point of view)

They're back again at the same spot. Her favourite spot she liked to lay or read a book to enjoy the outdoors while the horses had their fun, but this time she's not alone like she usually is... I've been watching her for a long while now. I know her routine.

I watched as they laid there to talk.. A low growl escapes me as I notice him moving closer to her, I hated that. I wish it were me to be where he is now.

I shake my head and walk a little ways away thinking, I do not like seeing this, I hate this so much but, how can I go back? I can't, not without being sure I won't ever hurt anyone, especially her. I shake my head again, I can't just keep watching. What for?

Then, I heard running feet, I turned to look and I saw her running in my direction. Panicking I duck under a brush near by, making no sound at all. I watched as she searched for her horse yelling every now and then.

I watched her beautiful figure walking ahead of me, I followed her carefully without making a sound, and hid behind trees if she turned around. Her back long Hair blowing in the wind pushing her scent towards me in a wave. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, ah "Davina." I whispered and hid the moment she turned her head in my direction. Had she heard me? I hadn't meant to say it out loud.

She turned back around and I watched her intently. Oh how I wish I can just go up to her and talk to her. I know I can't.

I smelt it before she got closer, Davina! Stop! I wanted to yell but knew I couldn't. There in front of her was a grizzly. She finally saw it I hesitated when it moved toward the horse. Thank goodness it didn't spot her yet, okay Davina, just back away slowly. But it was too late, the bear got up on its hind legs and sniffed the air and then, faced towards Davina. Even though I can only see Davina's back, I can tell she was frightened. Then, I saw her panicking walking backwards a little too face and I saw her trip, she hit her head against a tree. She backed up some more and I saw her body shaking with fear as she closed her eyes. The Bear began to attack, she screamed.

I rushed over, ran full speed into the bear, slamming into it as hard as I could. I sent it flying and rolling away from me, then it got up surprised it was hit. I growled at it, ready for it to pounce at me, it did and I grabbed a huge stick and hit it over the head with so much force you can hear the stick crack echoing through the forest, sounding like a thunder clap. It dazed and stumbled on its feet shaking it's humungous head and with that, it turned and ran away.

I went quickly to Davina, I checked her head first to see the wound. She had a round lump forming in the back of her head with a small cut that I knew would heal normally but she still needed to see a doctor for a possible concussion. I picked her up immediately and began to run the direction she came walking in from, all the while saying, "It's okay baby, your going to be okay, I've got you, I've always got you." she went limp in my arms as I neared the clearing, I knew I couldn't be seen, so I laid her down gently. I can hear the other guy yelling for her near by and knew he was getting close to her, I can't let him see me. I gently kissed her lips and moved her hair out of her face my hand lingering on her cheek for a moment. I ran as fast as I can from the scene and watched as he picked her up and took her away.

(Davina's point of view)

I finally woke up in my room, the first thing I can think of, was that a dream? Then I remembered the bear. I sat straight up which I shouldn't have because I had a headache. I grabbed my head and closed my eyes and moaned.

"Here, drink this." Jake's voice immediately helped me relaxed.

I opened my eyes and grabbed the glass of water he was handing to me and drank. "What happened?" I asked him.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." he said.

"Why am I not in the hospital?" I asked thinking I may have more wounds from the bear. I looked down at myself and realized, besides the headache I was okay. Frowning, "Wait, I'm okay."

Jake grabbed my hand, "Look, Ambulance came and looked you over, you don't have a concussion, your fine, you just need a days rest, you had a small cut and bump on the head that's all, they said you mostly fainted out of fear, not because of the wound on your head. I have no idea what happened to you out there but I was so relieved when I found you at the edge of the woods. Which makes no sense, I heard you scream from much further in, then I saw Sky running like as if something was chasing her, and when I didn't see you, I knew something was wrong. So, I'm asking you again, what happened out there?" he asked me holding my hand with worry all over his face.

"I was looking for Sky, when I finally saw her but I heard a growl and I had no idea I was 5 feet away from the bear, his back was turned from me. Then I guess he caught my scent, I tried to run but I fell-" I stopped to think about the guy I saw slamming into the huge bear with inhuman force and speed. I gulped. I can't tell anyone this, because they'll think something is wrong with my mind. It's crazy, grown men don't just show up and attack a fully grown grizzly by themselves. Then, again, Jake wants nothing but honesty.. What if I can't fully give him that. Looking at him now as I am thinking, I can see that I can trust him. I swallowed looking him in the eyes, "You'll think I'm crazy." I looked away then.

He grabbed my hand then and kissed it and held it to his cheek, which took my breath away. I looked at him and I can feel my face going red and he gave me a soft sweet smile, "Nothing you say to me is going to sound crazy." he reassures me.

I took a deep breath, "I saw a man attacking the bear, tackling it to the ground, and before I fainted, he chased it away and picked me up and I guess wherever he carried me to, that's where you found me next." I stared at him, thinking he was going to laugh at me, but instead he was frowning, in deep thought.

"Did you see what he looked like?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No, I only saw that he had Bronze colored hair." I left out the part where he was calling me "Baby". I shook my head again, "My vision was blurry, I couldn't see his face, even when he picked me up, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I'm sorry." I wiped a tear from my face as the whole scene of what happened finally sinking in on me. I almost died...

"No don't apologize," He came sat beside me in bed and wiped my tears. He put his arm around me and held me close to him. I grabbed on to him and just cried.

I'm not sure how long I cried, but during that time he was whispering sweet words and holding me close and brushing his hand through my tangled hair. At one point I heard the door open and close slowly again. Must be Zack or Ally checking in and not wanting to disturb. I held him, until I stopped crying. He felt so good being this close for me to hold, I loved every moment of it. He gave me a sip of water when I calmed down enough.

I stayed close to him, breathing him in, he smelled like vanilla cookies and coffee, if that makes sense. He smelled so good, I pushed back from him because I began to get a little too excited down between my legs. Feeling my face get red, I quickly grabbed some more water to drink.

"Better now?" he asked me, still with his arm around my back slowly rubbing my back gently.

I nodded, "Yeah way better now, thank you. So, who was that who came in and saw us?"

He Smirked at me then, "It was Ally, she's been dying to see you. I told her I wouldn't leave your side until you woke up, even if I had to sleep here."

I looked down and fiddled with my fingers. This thing with Jake, is getting dangerous, we barely know eachother and this is the longest time we've hung out in one day. We're becoming closer. I don't know what it is, but there's a connection I can't describe. I want to be by him all the time now after today. But theirs this nagging feeling in the back of my mind constantly reminding me that maybe I can't let this happen. Also, my mind keeps going back to the man in the woods who rescued me from a grizzly bear. Like, who is he? Why was he here? How long was he watching me for? Is he lost? Does he live near here? Or is he something else entirely? So many unanswered questions about this mysterious hero of mine that I have and want answered. As to when, I have no idea. Then there's Jake whose So real in so many ways. His only flaw to me is that he still has his girlfriend and I'm not even sure, if he even has any feelings for her. How can someone have someone that long without feeling anything at all. Maybe it's as he said, just feeling of friendship and companionship from eachother.

What would Jake want from me anyway? I am a broken girl who lost her one true love and is a virgin for crying out loud, whose only job is to maintain the horses daily and make sure they keep fit. Then again here I am sitting beside a man who just poured his heart out to me and I'm letting him hold me still and I'm also feeling again.

Can I really fall in love again? Was Hardin really my true love? Or was it just what people call a normal first love, first heartbreak thing? Maybe Jake's suppose to be my true love. Maybe he's the one I'm suppose to spend the rest of my life with.

I looked at him, his beautiful dark eyes staring back at me with some of his muffled dark hair falling over his left eye made him look even sexier. I smiled at him, "Really thank you for everything. I want to be honest with you about something."

He smiles at me, "Go ahead."

"I feel myself becoming closer to you the more time I spend with you. And I don't even mind, what scares me is, I feel like I don't want to be apart from you." I blushed and looked away quickly embarrassed that I just said that out loud. I wasn't planning on telling him that just yet! Oh god, I'm an i***t.

He grabbed my chin and faced me to him smiling, "I don't want to leave your side either, would it be okay if I stay the night?"

I shrugged, "You mean in here? with me?"

He nodded, "Were adults aren't we? yeah in here but maybe we can get a Cott or something that I can sleep on?"

I smiled, "Sure, Can you call my sister in now? I want to talk to her for a bit."

"Sure." he nodded, and kissed my forehead, got up and left

My sister came running in beaming at me, "You guys move fast! Zack is non stop talking about you too, he's happy about it, I wouldn't be surprised if he started sleeping over."

I choked on my water, eyes wide, "That's actually what I was going to talk to you about."

My sister squeals clapping her hands, "Yes!" she shouts.

I raise my finger to my lips frowning at her, "Sshh, he will hear you. You don't even know what I'm about to ask."

Ally just smiles at me, "Yes, I don't mind if he stays the night, your way old enough to make up your own mind you know. Plus you own this house too you know." she puts her hands on her hips, "You don't need permission from me young lady." she teases.

I sighed, "Yeah I know. It's just, do you think this is too fast? I mean, I just met him a few days ago."

"That was four days ago now and no it's not too fast. Not when it feels right. If you feel pressured about it, don't do it. Whatever decision you make, I'll 100 percent support you no matter what. If you think it's too fast because of You know who.. I think it's not. I knew him as much as you do and I know he'd want you to be happy, besides his happiness was always your happiness. It's not wrong to fall in love again and there's no such thing as falling in love too fast or too slow," she shrugged, "You just do." She hugged me and told me goodnight.

A moment later Jake came in and sat beside me, "Everything alright?"

"Surprisingly, yeah, we'll have supper first then we can still have our bon fire outside if that's okay with you." I asked him.

"Sure but you still gotta rest. How bout you show me where we'll have it and I'll take care of the rest?" he asked.

I smiled and grabbed his hand, "Okay, let's go."

Again, that feeling crept up to me, the feeling of my mind wondering back to that man in the woods. Who is he? I kept wondering, and the way he called me "baby" had my mind completely jumbled.