1978

~Tove

Someone is shaking my shoulder, jolting me awake.

"What's going on?" I ask into the air, rubbing my eyes warily.

A figure is crouched beside the bed, which is actually just a mattress on the floor that has been pushed into the corner of the room.

"Hey, it's just me," I hear Keo soothe, feeling me tense up.

Once the fogginess has faded from my vision, I realise it really is my mate. He left early today and I wasn't expecting him back tonight.

"Something wrong?" My voice sounds rough and croaky.

His hands glide into both of mine, prompting me up into standing position. "No. Come with me."

The wood floor groans uneasily under our feet as I follow him to the other side of the small space where a single light illuminates the kitchen and now, my mate.

He's shirtless, like he has been here for a while, contemplating whether to wake me.

"It's late," I murmur. My voice is almost lost under the sound of a hideous wind that tugs at the structure of the house, at the rain that batters down on the tin roof.

"I'm hungry. I wondered if you were too." he lets go of my hand as he shifts around the kitchen, searching for something.

I frown, watching him wander around the space while I slide into a chair tucked under the bench. His strong shoulders are tense, a sort of franticness about him that is worrying me.

"A little. I was sleeping," I tell him.

He doesn't look up, pulling out a large pot from in the depths of one of the cupboards. "You skipped dinner. I was worried."

"Oh...I'm just missing home. Thought I would sleep it off," I breathe.

How he knows I slept without eating is beyond me, although it's not surprising. He has a strange sense about everything going on with me, it seems.

"I'm sorry I keep leaving. It's unintentional, but we have a good lead on Vail's killer," he explains, struggling to get the large pot under the tap in the sink.

I watch on curiously, wondering what this strange ritual is. I've never seen this kind of behaviour from him.

"You're here now."

"It's storming badly tonight...I was thinking of making soup," he explains, laughing breathily, although it's tense sounding.

I look to the window, at the rain that lashes against it. It reminds me of the night I first met Keo...

He is as much of an enigma now as he was then.

"Making it or summoning it?"

"Making it. Believe it or not I can cook." He sets the pot down on the stovetop, fiddling around with the gas.

I blink. Here is one of the most powerful people in this realm, standing shirtless in this old shack in a half abandoned Territory, cooking soup.

"You want to cook?" I question, looking for more clarification on why he is suddenly acting so strangely.

"For you, yes. It distracts me," he murmurs. He waves his hand and an assortment of vegetables, spices and herbs appear on the counter in front of him.

"From?"

He glances toward the window, shuddering before turning his attention back to peeling a carrot.

"Oh...the storm?" I realise.

"I've never really liked them. I usually transport myself around them, but I don't want to shift you around so much," he explains softly.

"What's not to like?" I love storms. I find them calming, and when there is thunder like tonight, they are even a little thrilling.

He just shrugs. "Bad memories, I suppose."

I think back to the night we met, and the horrible storm that occured. They are rare in Territory One, and yet that particular storm didn't let up for days. Still, Keo sort after me, knowing how important this mission is.

"Alright, I'll sit here and watch you cook then," I decide, smiling warmly.

Whatever those bad memories are, I'm not going to make him tell me them tonight. Not when he seems concerned enough about keeping his mind off them.

So, I sit quietly and watch him chop vegetables adeptly, tossing them into the pot of water. He takes his time, periodically tasting it, adding whatever spices and herbs he deems appropriate as he goes.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he eventually asks.

"I'm thinking that you're doing something nice for me, and I appreciate it," I tell him honestly. "Who knew the big, scary Keo could be so doting?"

He laughs under his breath. "There's a lot I want to do for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"I want to try to be good. I'm splitting my focus in order to give this mate bond thing a real chance."

He swallows, glancing at me quickly before looking away. I smother my smile with my hand. He underestimates his emotional capabilities. I think if he truly tried, he could be an amazing mate.

Minus everything else going on in his life...

"What are you so scared of?"

He exhales slowly. "I've never had anything constant in my life. The thought of a mate just never crossed my mind."

"Maybe you didn't let it."

"Now I'm..." He sets his knife down, bowing his head.

"What?"

When he looks at me, I can't tell if it's pain in his eyes or terror. Whatever it is, it's a wave of emotions that has my heartbeat stuttering.

"I'm scared of losing you," he whispers.

"I'm not going anywhere," I assure him quickly. I want to get off this seat and go embrace him, but giving him space to work through his emotions seems better right now.

He shakes his head. "I worry that Relm will hurt you in order to preserve his cause. Although he can be fair and reasonable, he will do anything for his objective, which is protecting the realms."

"If I'm that much of a risk, maybe I deserve to be cut down by him," I exclaim lightly.

I don't really mean it, but Keo does not share my mirth. His gaze hardens, his fist clenching around the handle of the knife.

"Don't say that. He will not hurt you."

Fear and surprise flare up within me, but I quickly shun it down.

"I'm scared of losing you too. Not physically, but emotionally," I admit.

"I'm committed to this bond," He abandons his assortment of cut vegetables, facing me. "I'm committed to you."

I want to believe him. Every fibre in my body does, and yet the rational part yells from deep within, begging me to remember who he really is and what he is capable of.

As much as I would like it to be the case, I can never just have casual fun with him. He's my mate, and the moment I get too close, he can hurt me. Badly.

"Maybe. I have doubts though."

He picks up another knife, much smaller, and approaches the other side of the bench. My eyes widen, flinching back as he grabs my hand.

For a brief moment I'm convinced he is going to plunge that knife into my chest and be done with me, but instead, he lightly pricks my finger with the sharp tip of the knife.

I gasp, trying to tug my hand away to nurse the small hurt, but he pulls on my wrist, laying my palm flat against his bare chest.

"You are an Angel-blood. This is Angel-blood. I swore to hate your kind for all eternity, to watch you all burn. Now, I want to worship the ground you walk on, and I will burn down this world to be with you," he breathes.

I stare at the blood that is now smeared across his chest. He didn't prick me very much, but I can see the red of my blood, showing that I am a true Territory One member, and an Angel-blood, unlike him.

"Keo..." I don't have any words to say right now.

"I mean it. Once I make up my mind, it's hard to change it," he tells me.

I almost laugh. That's very true.

Rearing up, I hold the back of his neck and pull his head down to kiss me. His arms immediately wrap around me, drawing me so close I can feel every inch of my body pressed against mine. A perfect fit.

The rain pounding against the weak roof seems so far away. All I can comprehend is the burning of my skin, the feeling of excitement churning in my stomach.

Keo's mouth seems to draw all the breath out of me, and combined with his hands smoothing down the curves of my body, I feel faint in the best way possible.

The moment his lips touch my neck, my head falls back, my entire body shifting until I bump against the edge of the counter. Keo gives me no room to move, biting and kissing at my skin.

A horrible hissing sound fills the room, although Keo is unbothered, lazily drawing his lips down from my neck to my chest and even lower.

"Your soup...it's bubbling over," I note, seeing the white foaming spilling over the rim of the pot and into the flames below.

Keo reluctantly pulls himself off me, drawing in a breath.

"Well, soup was probably an ambitious idea. How about I just summon something in?" He offers, waving his hand. The flame extinguishes and the water creeps slowly back downward in the pot.

"Good idea," I laugh breathily, sweeping my hands through my hair, feeling my sweaty scalp.

A part of me wants to skip back over to Keo to beg him to take me to the horrible, stingy mattress...that dark, dangerous desire is still alive within me.

"My mother used to make soup like this on stormy nights. It comforted me as a child," he admits, removing the pot from the stove.

Any desire to drag him to bed immediately vanishes with the mention of his childhood, with the sadness that passes over his face.

"That's a special memory."

"What's a special memory for you?"

I don't have to think about it.

"My father and I used to go on these long walks together over wild terrain. I got this scar from tripping over the entrance to an animal's burrow and falling into a tree. A stick sliced it right open."

Standing, I lift my shirt a little, showing him the long scar under my lowest ribs.

A frown draws between his brows and he looks away, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

"Something wrong?"

"This feeling...I can't handle it," he growls. He's now facing completely away from me.

"What feeling?" I ask warily.

"This need for you. It's suffocating."

"Need?" I know what he is referring to, but I want to hear him say it.

When he turns around, there's a storm in his eyes that rivals the one raging outside. Except this one is burning hot, fuelled by desire.

"I want to fuck you so bad, and not gently either," he says flatly.

My mouth falls open a little. "Oh."

"Sorry," he mutters, grimacing. "It's been haunting me recently, but I don't want to rush you."

"I know. I appreciate that," I say quickly. Maybe it's the emotions he's expressed to me tonight or maybe it's all the progress we have made, but I don't want to ruin it by jumping into bed with him the moment things are good.

"When you want me, you come to me, alright?" He's completely serious about it.

I grin. "Oh I will."

He waves his hand and two bowls of steaming hot soup appear in the counter before me.

"Come, time to eat," he encourages.

💙••💙

~Midika 💜🐼