CHAPTER 2 OF BOOK 2

I've always known how Haley was. I mean, we grew up together! I know how she can't help but twirl a pencil if she's holding one in her right hand, I know how she can't whisper out-loud to save her life. I even know the process of her emotions as she gets more and more tired-cranky, wild, hyper, cranky again, then she's out like a light.

I also know that she's the clumsiest person I've ever met in my entire life.

Haley went down first, somehow managing to catch her own foot and literally fall face-first into the snow. A split second later, a person behind her tripped over Haley's arm, the person behind them falling as well until they went down like a child's dominos. Soon enough everyone had been swallowed up by the snow one way or another, either by getting their foot snagged or by getting pulled down by another trying desperately not to fall. All except for Tiberius, who seemed to not notice the squealing pile of canines beside him-only me.

The twenty feet between us closed as we both kept our eyes locked and our bodies climbed towards eachother like magnets. An indescribable feeling of fire and electricity raked down my body in waves to my fingertips, every hair on my body standing on end with excitement.

"Do you feel it too?" he asked me in a whisper, the steam pouring out of his mouth and nose. I nodded my head, unable to speak. "It happens when 2 mates have been away for too long. Your body has been drained, and no matter how much you sleep you can never get that energy back. Until now," he ended as he wrapped his right arm around my waist, the other resting against my cheek.

I don't know why, but suddenly it hit me: how much I missed him, how much I needed him, in my life. This position, with me cocooned in his grip, clicked together two missing links in my brain-he was my soulmate, he would die for me, and I belonged to him. Not in the rough way where I had to do anything he wanted, no, but in the way where we deserved eachother. It opened my eyes to the big picture, to the deeper meaning.

Without hesitation, I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled our bodies together, his neck coming down and my body being lifted up with his help.

And our lips met in the middle.

Imagine two stars, not the meteorite-gray rock-kind, but two balls of stored energy and light joining together into one. Imagine the blaze, the heat, coming off, and finally the light that would make you squint and look away even though you want to keep watching just to see what would happen next.

That's what our kiss was like.

All of those weeks, all of those insecurities, were gone and replaced with love as our lips moved in harmony. It was eventually broken by an impatient cough, and Tiberius smiled as we rested our foreheads together.

'I missed you, Ellie,' he midndlinked me. Nodding, I tilted my head up and pecked his nose. 'I missed you too, Ti.' A few seconds passed with us just engrossed with eachother.

"Um, HELLOO?" a voice cut-in. "Can I have this dance or what?"

Smiling, I let go of Tiberius and turned to face Haley with her hand on her hip and tapping her foot in the flattened snow, a slightly irritated look on her face. I matched it with a bored one and stood there silently for a second, then snapping the moment by launching myself at her body with a huge grin.

"HALEYY!" I screamed gleefully while she stumbled back, laughing. Kissing my hair, cheeks, nose and forehead, she hugged me so hard I had trouble breathing. Around us I could hear the rest of the group that came out with us laughing and asking for hugs too. Finally wiggling out of her grip, we all came into a group hug when something tapped my shoulder excitedly. Turning around and looking up, I was met with the bright face of Kara leaning down from her father's shoulders.

"Kara!" I beamed and held up my arms as she leaned off of his shoulders. Wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my upper body, she held on with surprising strength.

"Oooh I missed you, Luna Ellie! Now you're back and you won't ever leave again! I just knew we'd get you back!"

I smiled at her innocence and optimism.

"She never once stopped talking about you," her father laughed.

Hugging her tighter, I suggested to Tiberius and Haley, who were behind me the whole time, we go back inside. Agreeing, someone grabbed my bag and Tiberius held my left hand while my right was around Kara on my right hip comfortably. Haley never let go of my elbow and the happy chatter never stopped as we hopped back up to the house with the sun starting to set behind us, the red, purple, and pink hues lighting up the sky like a bloodied rose.