Adamant Spirits

Swept Away-5

Xavier’s lips tipped up as he searched my face. “Okay. So don’t.”

“I’m not perfect.” A more chilling truth solidified like ice. “I … I’m not happy.”

Xavier paused. “No one can bear up under that kind of pressure, Titania. You can’t live your life for anyone but yourself. You are the only you on the planet. The only person who knows you, the real you is you. You are responsible for owning who you are and showing that person to the world, as truthfully and as genuinely as you can. Don’t cheat the world by hiding yourself away.” I snorted, but he continued. “Furthermore, no one is perfect.”

I glanced up, feeling a flush in my chest as I met his bright green eyes. I bit my lip. “You are.”

His smile cracked through the mud that had collected on his cheeks, confirming what I already knew. Somehow, Xavier had made a full 180 in my mind. I grinned at the memory of his horrific apple eating. One of my bracers shuddered and slipped, shifting us backwards. His limp left arm was pulled, and he hissed out a breath through his clenched teeth. A burning rush heaved from my chest and blistered out through my fingers as I shoved the metal deeper and more securely. I was not about to let Xavier die. There was no way that I would let this river take him.

Xavier took a rallying breath and pulled me tighter to his chest as he stood back further into the wall. “I’m not even close to perfect. But that isn’t the right measure either. You are more than acceptable and should be accepted just as you are. Imperfect humanity included.” He coughed to the side and smiled, the crinkles appearing beside his eyes. “So, when we make it out of here—”

“But how will they find u—"

He put a sopping finger on my lips with a wink. “When we make it out of here. When they find us … What are you going to do about it? Who is Titania Thracus really? What makes you vibrantly, vigorously happy?”

The water roared beside us. The silt shifted precariously beneath our feet. A boulder crashed into my wire barrier, weakening it to near breaking. But my eyes were locked on his. The world was cast in dull shades of gray compared to the brilliant emerald green in his eyes.

Our shivers worsened.

Our time was coming.

But despite all of that, perhaps even enhanced by all of that, a slow smile spread across my lips as I pulled closer to him. “Your cooking made me happy. Our conversations made me happy. Somehow even camping made me happy. I think that’s because of you. You make me happy.” I rose on my toes. “And this would make me happy too.”

Xavier met me halfway. Our lips were a little pale and blue, but the fire of the kiss ignited parts of my soul I had buried. Desires I had denied myself rushed back up, freed from the weight of expectation and the fear of disappointment. We shivered together, bound up in the heat of the moment, pressing together for more. I begged the Source for more time. More of this. More of him. His lips were sweet. And through our touch, I felt a small surge of his joy too. Though I had no Qalb of my own, I allowed every miniscule emotion of pleasure and hope and happiness to overcome all the others.

Just then, something rough and slack smacked into my face.

“Hey Team! Did you miss me?” The whining voice of Callum stripped through the roar of the flood and the thrumming of my heart. The rush of relief was buoyant. He called out, “Want a lift?”

Tim stood beside him, holding a rope and signaling someone we couldn’t see farther up the mountain. I grinned wildly at Xavier before grabbing the rope and wrapping it under our arms. With his arm destroyed from grabbing the roots, Xavier talked me through the knot. Then they wrenched us upward. We tried to walk, but mostly were dragged out of the water by the loud, squealing wench.

Still chest to chest, Xavier leaned down to my ear. His breath tickled against my neck. “You make me happy too. When we survive this, I’d like to try that again.” He pulled back with a wink, brushing crusted dirt off my cheek, sending a thrill through my core, “Plus or minus the mud. Your choice.”

I just nodded, my chest brimming with heat.

We crested the edge of the hill and collapsed on the ground. Tim’s brows lowered at the wrapped piping I had forgotten to remove, but he and Callum wrenched it off, and wrapped us in blankets. Tim went to report our rescue to headquarters while we stumbled to the car.

“Nice work on the owl, Winters. That’s how I knew where to stop,” Callum said as he made a sling for Xavier’s arm.

I glanced up at the extremely grumpy looking owl in the tree we had huddled behind. “For someone who claims to only speak fish…”

“We got lucky.” Xavier squeezed my hand. I couldn’t help but agree.

I was the lucky one.

Meeting Xavier Winters had been the single most catastrophic event in the carefully executed plans of my life. But every moment with him made me feel like I was coming to life. Like a flower turning to the sun, I was drawn to him. Fed by his presence. Bolstered by his very being. I had been molded by my family, shaped into something that met their approval; Xavier saw the real me and wanted more.

As we were wrapped in blankets and driven to the local ranger station, I leaned back into his good arm, and drank in his solid comfort. The reality of having no set plan for my future was undeniably terrifying. But I had previously been given a road map full of plans and was left feeling empty inside and almost dead in the river.

And yet, as I sensed the solid beat of Xavier’s heart against my back, ‘almost dead’ felt very much alive. As I pressed into his inner flame, I felt my own soul catch and burn. Sparked by something exciting, something hopeful, and something … real.

His breath warmed against my neck, pricking a shiver down my spine, warming my core. I was sure he could hear the beating from inside my chest.

My new plan? To live mind, body, soul and heart. To live life as fully me.

And right now, this “me” wanted to be with him.

Night Capers

Heat Level: ☕︎☕︎ Anna Carven

Anna Carven is a daydreamer who lives with her grumpy Overlord and Little Storm in a castle in the jungle.

She enjoys growing edible things, neglecting the laundry, and lazy drives to the beach on Saturday mornings with her family.

She has a penchant for big bad alpha heroes who reserve their secret soft gooey center only for their fated mates and treasured little ones.

“Night Capers” is a "slice of life" snippet story featuring a couple of characters from her Dark Planet Warriors series that is not included in any of the existing books.

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