Word count: 1816

~Aven

Looking out the window, I admire the lush forest, trees and undergrowth growing wonderfully.

Despite how cold it is, I like it here. I'm not sure if I'm confident enough to wander outside, it's awfully peaceful, and knowing Stace and I are the only souls around here for possibly miles is strangely invigorating.

"How long are we staying here for?" I ask, turning back around to Stace. He's anxious, deep in thought as he considers the reality of my mother having returned from wherever she was hiding.

"Not long. I wouldn't consider exploring, there isn't much out there you want to see," Stace warns, making me shiver.

"Who rules here?"

"I don't know. I only come here when I'm desperate, and I've never been disturbed," he tells me. I wonder how many places he has that he can flee to on a whim. I envy his ability to transport from one place to the other, and I know I'm going to take advantage of that in the future. And now I'm more curious than ever to know the political system of this Territory.

"We need to come up with a plan. We can't just sit around here forever and wait for time to pass," I say, turning back around.

Stace looks grim. It would be easy to stay in a place like this and pretend like we don't have return and deal with all our issues, but I know there is no escaping this.

"Of course not," he murmurs, moving the stand by the fire, warming himself as it continue to rain heavily outside. "Your mother is powerful. We can't go in there and not expect something bad to happen. We need to be careful."

"I need my powers to be in check," I sigh, looking down at my hands, as if I can see my power hidden underneath.

If I were able to have full control of my powers, I wouldn't have to fear my mother. I wouldn't have to fear anyone.

"Try the fireplace." Stace motions to the blazing fire, flames licking tauntingly upward.

On instinct, I step away, unnerved. The thought of having to tap into that part of myself is terrifying. Last time, I nearly caught myself on fire, and before that, I caught other people on fire. And now, the last thing I want is to catch this beautiful cabin on fire, or either Stace or I. If that happens, how will I be able to ever use my powers again?

"I shouldn't...Not when I'm feeling horrible like this." My emotions are all over the place, thanks to my mother.

Stace motions for me to come stand next to him. "That's exactly when you should practice. Learn how to control those feelings."

Warily, I stride forward, the warmth of the fire enveloping me as I let Stace take my hands. The moment our skin touches, a sense of calm comes over me. He grounds me, centring my mind on what is in front of me, instead of everything going on outside of this cabin.

I'm going to do this.

Letting go of Stace, I step back, resting my palm out. We both stare at it, as if fire may explode from it. Both time's I've used my powers, they have seem to come out of nowhere, controlled by nothing. And now, I'm willing that power to come from myself, isolated only to my hand, hoping it will show itself in whatever form it can.

At first, nothing happens. I'm just staring at my palm like a fool.

Closing my eyes, I let Stace's nearby presence consume me, willing away any thoughts of my mother, of my father. And sure enough, my hand starts to warm.

My eyes fly open, to see my veins have turned black, my skin starting to glow with the softest golden hue. In panic, I close my fist, looking up at Stace with widened eyes."

"That's good," he prompts.

My fingers unfurl again, and I stare down at my palm. My veins darker and my palms glows with no issue the second time. The heat stays at one level, and yet I can feel myself feeding more power into it.

No flames appear from my hand, although for the first time ever, I feel as though I'm beginning to sense control within myself.

"It's no flames, but I managed to keep it to one place," I murmur, shaking my head until all the heat from it dissipates.

Stace smiles. "It's just the beginning, but this is hope."

Relief floods through me, overwhelming. It might not be much, but this is the first time I've come away from summoning my powers without being left in crippling fear afterward. For once, I don't feel completely hopeless, and most of it is because of Stace, because of the grounding energy that he provides me by just being in my presence.

I'm not sure what overcomes me, but I step forward, grabbing the sides of Stace's as I kiss him.

He freezes, not moving that first, until he comes to realise what's happening, and starts kissing me back.

The kiss doesn't last long, but it's intense. He nearly knocks me back, tugging me against him as the kiss deepens. It's just us, in that moment, the feeling of him pressed against me, of his lips moving against mine while he holds me tightly.

When I finally pull away, Stace's eyes are wild. "Woah...What was that for?"

"There is only one certain thing I have in this world. And it's you," I breathe, still holding onto him.

His expression softens. "You've all I've ever wanted."

As I lean into kiss him again, a crack of thunder sounds aggressively through the forest, right near our cabin. Both of us flinch away, a heavier bout of rain coming down mercilessly. Wrong gust of wind rattles the cabin, one of the far windows flying open, thankfully not smashing as it lands against the wall.

Stace hurries over to close it, while I retreat to the fire, adding another log.

"If it's okay, I'll go have a bath. I'm freezing," I shudder, even though I'm not sure there is one in this small cabin.

Stace motions to a door on the fire right. "Of course."

The bath is impressively large, taking a moment to fill. Once it's high enough, steaming temptingly, I undress before sinking into the warm water. Immediately relaxation overcomes me, as I rest my head back, letting my eyes close.

But the moment my vision is consumed in darkness, thoughts of my mother, of her eyes before Stace took me away, haunt me.

I want to meet her. I want to speak to her, and ask her why she did everything that she did. Maybe then I will hate her, because right now, I'm numb and confused.

Suddenly, I sit forward, water sloshing around me as I hug my knees.

"Stace?" I call out anxiously, deciding I can't stand sitting here alone like this, my thoughts straying to dark places that I can't escape.

Stace is knocking on the door in an instance, not opening it until I summon him. Even when it does swing open, Stace waits patiently outside, not looking in. He knows exactly what I look like, he's taken me to bed before, and yet he knows not to push me. I trust him though, and I'm not afraid of him being in here, especially when my thoughts are as dark as they are now.

"Everything okay?" he asks softly.

"My thoughts are scaring me. Can you sit with me," I call out.

I can sense his hesitation, until he finally emerges into the bathroom, expression soft as he comes to sit next to me. Reaching out a hand, I grasp his hand, my mind immediately clearing. There is no doubting he is mate, considering the way he makes me feel. I've never experienced this kind of happiness with anyone else, and I just wish I never ran from this feeling for so long.

"What are your thoughts?" He asks gently, as I rest my head back. He runs his fingers over my bare arm, pleasurable chills following the movements.

"I miss my mother. My real mother. And Lei," I murmur.

Leaving them has been far harder than I could have imagined. Each day my heart hurts some more, knowing I've essentially abandoned the people I care about most. They should both be here, while I've come to know my mate. They should get to know him as I have, so we can all be in each other's lives from now on.

But instead I'm here, trying to determine what my birth mother's intentions are, and whether she wants to kill me and my mate.

"Would you like to go back and see them?" Stace asks, the sides of his mouth twitching up, already sensing my positive reaction.

I sit up, trying not to let my excitement overwhelm me. "That can happen?"

"Once we figure out what to do with your mother, of course," he smiles.

I know he doesn't mean I can return and live my life as I did. Even once our threats are gone, I'm going to have to stay here, in this Realm, where Stace is my mate, and I have a part in ruling over an entire Territory. But even the thought of seeing them again, as fleeting as it may be, will be enough for me.

Settling back into the bath, I think about what must be accomplished before I can see my family. "What am I going to say to her?"

"After everything she has done to hurt people, I would say she doesn't have much to tell you of value," Stace admits. It's written all over his face how sad he is for me. "But I respect your decision to want to meet her."

"I appreciate you, Stace," I tell him honestly. "For staying by me."

He smiles gently, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. His ability to make me feel like everything is okay, even when the world is practically falling apart is incredible.

"Do you want to join me?" I ask.

He pauses, before getting to his feet. I watch, fascinated, as he strips off all his clothing, revealing his beautiful body and stunning tattoo's. He's so remarkable, and I'm constantly reminded of that every time I look at him.

He sits opposite from me, the water rising up his chest. For a long time, we just sit silently, looking at each other.

"I would destroy the world to keep you safe," he murmurs.

My head dips back, a small smile playing at my lips, because I believe him.

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If you guys want to read more of KISSING DANGER you can find it 10 chapters ahead on Radish (:

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~Midika 💜🐼