The Drifter (Sanguine Hearts Book 2)

6 Eternity?

As they walked Grayson kept his mind locked tight, but Ariel didn’t bother with trying to block him. Her mind was a swirling mess of questions and concerns. He heard them all. The quick pace of her chaotic mind quickly became overwhelming and confusing. He couldn’t navigate the maze of her mind while he was fighting to protect them both. She felt his walls, she didn’t try to breach them. Grayson turned to her. “Ari, please. I will answer your questions, as many as I can. Please, Love. Slow your thoughts down.”

“I’m sorry, Love.” She closed the door to her mind but kept their connection open. Grayson didn’t let go of her hand. When they reached the break room, he closed the door behind them, walked over to the small couch, and looked up at Ariel expectantly. Using the name that he had given her, he quietly requested that she join him there. He had so much to share with her. He offered her his hands. She held his eyes and took them as she sat opposite him on the small couch.

“I’m sorry I got angry.”

“I’ve never seen you angry. Did you know him?”

“I used to.”

“And Michael?”

“Him too.” His head dropped. He looked at their joined hands. “He was once a great friend.” He couldn’t keep the pain out of his voice. It was a physical impossibility where the loss of that friendship was concerned. He could block anyone out, hide his every thought and emotion from anyone, anyone but her. He could not hide from Ariel, not even if he tried. None could break his mental walls, but if she tried he didn’t doubt that she could. When he shut her out of his thoughts, he knew she could get in if she wanted. Thankfully she never tried.

Grayson wasn’t an emotional being, not typically but there were a few things that caused great emotion to stir in him. Ariel was one. He had a great love and a lot of respect for her, the other was Michael. Neither was a weakness that he knew of. He would do anything for either, fight to the death to protect them if needed. Michael did not need to know, so he didn’t. Grayson would die to save her. Because he held them both in high regard, he respected their right to make their own choices and choose whatever path their choices might lead them down. Michael made his choice. He looked at Ari and hoped, he honestly hoped that he would always be her choice. He didn’t have to let his emotions leave him for her to feel them, especially if they were as physically connected as they were at that moment. Pain filled his heart and threatened to escape his eyes. Ariel let go of his hands and pulled him into a hug. She was always hugging him and pulling him close. She had no idea how tempting she was to him, but all of that was the furthest from his mind and beyond his needs. Darius and Austin both saw to his physical need to replenish the energy he spent protecting everyone from his anger. Energy freely given was the most filling energy of all. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the warmth of her. He felt her energy flow to him and gave of himself to her. It was not why he wanted to be alone with her. They didn’t need to be alone to exchange their energies, but on that large of a scale, it helped. They were both completely vulnerable in that state. “Please. I need to share something with you.” He whispered gently against her ear.

“Okay.” She whispered against his throat. It sent shivers down his spine. Grayson opened his heart and his mind to her as she crawled into his arms, and nuzzled her nose against his throat. Their energies were moving freely between them. He gave her one of his most precious and personal memories. She fully expected him to just push the memory to her. She was completely surprised when he started talking too.

“The moon was full the night I first met Michael. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were both traveling the Mediterranean Sea. The view was beautiful.” She could see the cliffs on either side of the ship, taste the salt in the air, and feel the mist upon her skin. She could see and feel everything he had experienced. “I kept mostly to myself which, even then, I was fond of doing. I was standing on the deck watching the moonlight reflect off the dark water as the ship effortlessly sliced through it. I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. In fact, I don’t believe I was thinking of anything at all when I felt a warm presence at my shoulder. I just stood staring out at the water, hoping whoever it was would just leave me alone. After an eternity of waiting, I turned to make my desires known. No words came to my mouth when I first laid my eyes upon him. No man in all the world could rival the sheer elegance and beauty that is Michael Clarke.” The image of Michael standing there watching the moonlight and the water in his fine 17th-century costume, looking like royalty, played in her mind. The moonlight shone in his long blond hair, reflected off his pale skin, and gave him the rarest silver sapphire eyes. “I got lost in his smiling eyes. Somehow, I knew, standing there with him by my side, that nothing in my life would ever be the same. I didn’t have a friend in the world, not a real one. Not until the moment I met Michael. The connection was immediate and intense.” Love as honest and pure as freshly fallen snow washed over her and surrounded her senses. It was just like she was there looking at Michael, filled with the scent of him mixed with the salt of the air. He was a kindred spirit. She felt safe and secure, relaxed and calm and relieved. Relieved to not have to walk her path alone any longer, that finally there would be somebody to spend eternity talking to. Those feelings washed over her in an instant and the enormity of eternity hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mind was reeling. Grayson pulled her back to him. “Suddenly the thought of life through the ages didn’t seem like such an enormous task. I thought I had someone to share my nights with. Someone to stand beside me and gaze at the moon and wonder. I thought I found that in the friendship, and kinship I felt. At that time, Michael was my greatest love. I didn’t know that he would become my greatest heartache.” He shifted her in his arms and allowed her to pull away.

She looked at him with shock and worry in her emerald eyes. ‘Eternity?’ He didn’t answer.