the Blind Bond

Chapter 12

AMELIA

I was in my dream again, but this time it was not the place I knew. The pine trees around me were so tall that it seemed like their tips were touching the sky. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of nature. A brawling river, chirping crickets, singing birds and the rustling of leaves were enchanting. I took a deep breath to the maximum capacity of my lungs and slowly opened my eyes. This forest was magical.

“You showed me the places which you value the most, so I assumed it was time for me to take you to my favorite spot.” Nero licked my palm and I ran my fingers through his soft silver fur. A pair of sky-blue eyes were looking at me with tenderness and pure love.

“It’s beautiful.” I sighed in astonishment, unable to produce more words. I appreciated he was sharing his special place with me. He asked me to follow him and we walked quietly enjoying the presence of untouched nature. We were so deep in the forest and I bet I was the very first human being there.

Soon we arrived at a small spring with the clearest water I’ve ever seen. He jumped into an azure pond and splashed water on me. I screamed and laughed at the same time because the water was extremely cold. I sat on the leafy ground and watched him.

“I used to work in a gallery.” I started talking all of a sudden.

“I got into an internship program during my university studies and afterwards the gallery Director offered me a position of Art Consultant. I organized events and took care of developing customer relationships and discovering talented artists. My field of expertise was photography, but I admired the work of sculptors. I even created some wooden sculptures on my own. It was my hobby.

I met this gorgeous painter at one of the artists' events. We started to date from day one and I fell in love with him. It was my 24th birthday and he organized a surprise party for me in a very fancy restaurant. Just a small gathering of family and closest friends. I had a feeling he wanted to propose to me that day.

One of my client’s meetings got prolonged and I knew I wouldn’t manage to arrive to the party on time. So, I called my mom to pick me up. She was heading there either way. We always had a lovely relationship. My mom was like a friend to me and I could share all my secrets, successes or concerns with her. We were driving in her car and I was just telling her how I found a ring inside of Dominic’s blazer a week before. I remember the last words she said back then. She said she was very proud of me and would always support my decisions. And that I should just follow my heart. I squeezed her hand in excitement and she looked at me with pure love.

That was when it happened. The car skidded on the slippery road and we hit the opposite car. Our car started to spin and mom stepped on the brakes out of reflex. That made the whole situation even worse and we slipped across the whole street and hit the glass shopfront. The front windshield broke into hundreds of tiny pieces and it flew into my shocked and wide-open eyes. I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital. Dominic was there to inform me that my mom had died. The glass shards cut her throat and she bled out almost immediately. Doctors told me that my eyes were severely damaged and my sight couldn't ever be restored.

I fell into depression and spent most of my days crying. Dominic left me after a couple of months, as I became baggage holding him back. I was apathetic and didn’t care. I guess the love I felt for him once just vanished. I tried to accept my situation and learn how to live with it. I hired a teacher for braille reading. There was a social worker assigned to me who helped me with overall orientation and how to use a white cane.

The gallery director called me to negotiate the terms of my contract termination. Considering my condition, he couldn’t employ me as an Art Consultant anymore. I was devasted. In just a few months, I lost everything and I felt empty. I decided to burn all the bridges and leave Toronto. My braille teacher told me about this little town in the mountains of Yukon where he used to hike as a young pal. He searched for apartments available for long-term rental and helped me with all the paperwork.

The first month in Yukon was horrible. I felt so lonely and unwanted. I cried every day and had suicidal thoughts as well. I had a huge emotional breakdown in the middle of the street because I couldn’t find the way back to the apartment. Luckily, a very warmhearted lady saved me and invited me to her cozy café. She has this amazing daughter who is close to my age and we’ve become friends. The daughter works as a vet and got me a guide dog. Can you believe that? The quality of my life has improved incomparable since I’ve had my fluffy Daria. I still get lonely, though. Like I’m missing something in my life and it’s not just the ability to see.”

I told him my story while drawing circles with a thin wooden stick. He was sitting next to me and patiently listening to the confession of my broken soul. Tears were forming in my eyes and a soft whine escaped my lips. He snuggled closer and I looked at his loving eyes. And then something indescribable and unreal happened.

He was no longer a wolf. Somehow, he transformed into the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He had light brown hair which was still slightly wet from all the swimming in the pond. A chiseled jawline with just a few days old stubble and perfectly shaped lips were seducing me and I forgot to breathe. This man had Nero’s blue-sky eyes which were looking at me without blinking.

I felt his big palm on my face and a thumb that was gently wiping my tears away. I felt like in trance. He was not saying anything and we just stayed like that for a while. Time had stopped and I felt a strong urge to touch him. I placed my hand on his muscular chest and it was that particular moment when I realized that he was completely naked.

His chest vibrated under my touch and I could swear to hear a low growl. He moved the palm from my cheek and ran his fingers through my hair, caressing the back of my neck. A shiver ran down my spine, my head moved back slightly and I moaned out of pleasure. It felt good. He leaned closer to me, brushing his tasty-looking lips against mine. I parted my lips for him and he kissed me so delicately that my heart skipped a beat. I put my arms around him and deepened the kiss, crashing inside of his mouth with my tongue. I pressed myself to his chest as tightly as I could and he grabbed me by my waist with his free hand. This was the most sensual kiss I’ve ever experienced and it made me super hot. I was a panting mess, moaning into our kiss, feeling how my panties got wet. I was suddenly on his lap and felt his hard erection. I digged my nails into his back and he groaned at that.

We broke our hot kiss, panting and trying to catch the lungful of air.

“Oh my God...” He was so sexy and my mind was so hazy that I didn’t recognize my own whispering voice. He leaned closer for another kiss and when our lips touched again, I woke up.