The pack doctor, Lesley, had arrived shortly after Zeke left, she was kind and funny and immediately put Merlin at ease. After a thorough physical examination, she had dressed the minor cuts and given her some painkillers before leaving her to get dressed and rest. Finally alone, Merlin fell asleep, the day's events having caught up with her.
Night had fallen by the time Merlin awoke, blinking slowly as she looked around the room, she realized that someone had turned on the lights. She hurriedly sat up in bed, her eyes scanning the room when she spotted Zeke, asleep in a chair in a corner of the room. She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the pillows, feeling safe now that he was here. She watched him sleep for a while before he seemed to sense she was awake and his eyes snapped open, momentarily startling her. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you", she apologized and surprisingly, she found that she actually meant it.
"It's fine, how do you feel?", he asked, a look of genuine concern on his face. She took a deep breath and exhaled before answering, "Ok, I guess......physically anyway". She shook her head, trying to dispel the memories of her ordeal in the forest as a frown appeared on her face. "Hey it's over, you're safe now", Zeke assured her as he moved to sit down beside her on the bed, "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again while you're here, you have my word". She nodded and attempted a smile but it came out more like a grimace and she self-consciously looked down at her hands. Zeke reached his hand out to hers just as the door opened and Sandrine walked in.
"Oh Zeke! I didn't know you were here. I thought Merlin was alone and thought to come check on her", her voice, shattering the moment as Zeke surreptitiously let his hand fall back down in his lap while a faint blush colored Merlin’s cheeks. Oblivious to the atmosphere in the room, Sandrine continued making her way to the bed while holding a tray of food. "I brought you some dinner", she said brightly, setting the tray down on the bedside table. "Thank you, it's very kind of you but please don't trouble yourself on my account", Merlin replied softly. "No trouble, I'm just glad that you're ok", Sandrine replied while smiling, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Sensing Merlin’s discomfort, Zeke intervened before Sandrine could sit down and get comfortable, "Merlin is still quite tired and needs more rest but you can visit her tomorrow ". A look of surprise spread across Sandrine's face as her eyes flickered between the Alpha and the witch before she responded, "Of course, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night". Sandrine nodded at Zeke and quickly left the room.
Alone again, Zeke turned to look at Merlin and found her gazing at him with a strange look in her eyes. "What is it?", he questioned her, wondering if he had upset her somehow in sending Sandrine out of the room. "It's nothing ", she sighed, "I just didn't expect you to be so.......".
"Human?", he finished for her.
"No! That's not what I meant.....I don't know what I meant, I'm just tired and not thinking straight"
"I'm a werewolf, Merlin, but I am also human and what happened to you today shouldn't ever happen to anyone regardless of who or what they are", his voice was firm and he kept his gaze steady on her face to make sure that she understood that he meant it. "Thank you.....for everything.....I truly mean it", her voice shook and tears rolled freely down her face, as all the emotions she had kept inside came pouring out. Zeke reached out and took her in his arms, holding her close against him as she cried.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way but at some point, she had stopped crying and he felt her body relax against him while her breathing had deepened and he realized that she had fallen asleep. Gently cradling her head, he leaned forward and laid her down on the bed before arranging the covers over her. Just as he was pulling back from her, he felt her grab his arm, "Don't leave", she whispered sleepily. He briefly paused, thinking to grab the chair in the corner and move it closer to the bed when she rolled over to the other side of the bed to make space for him to lie down beside her. Again he paused, before he quickly climbed into bed beside her and lay down on his back, one arm behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling and listened to the sound of her breathing.
Merlin dreamed of running naked through the forest while being chased by a wolf that eventually caught up to her and pushed her to the ground as his open jaws drooled saliva onto her face and he viciously tried to stab her between her legs with his enormous erection. She whimpered and tried to push him away as her hands met with a solid, bare chest, the skin warm and smooth beneath her fingers. She felt strong arms wrap around her as the smell of the forest after the rain and fresh pine filled her senses. She recognized his scent and the feel of his body against hers and she relaxed into his embrace without a second thought, her body molded perfectly against his.
It was still dark, the sun's rays just beginning to creep over the horizon when Zeke woke up and gently untangled himself from her and climbed out of bed. Looking down at her asleep with her fiery red hair spread out over the pillow and her full, sensual lips just slightly parted, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. His thoughts drifted back to her lying naked in the forest, tears streaming from her eyes and blood seeping from her lips and he remembered that something inside of him had snapped at seeing her hurt. He had never meant to hurt her but now he wondered if none of it would have happened if he hadn't captured her and brought her here and he resolved to let her go. He could find another way, he had to, she was affecting him in ways that he couldn't understand or control and killing the boy, without knowing or meaning to, was proof of that.
Making up his mind to take her back home later that day, he took one last lingering look at her before dragging his eyes away and heading for the door. But for the second time, just as his hand touched the door knob, he heard her call out to him again, "Zeke?"
"It's still early, go back to sleep", he answered without turning around.
"I'll do it, I'll help you"
He froze, his whole body going numb as he turned back to the bed, his mouth open to say something when he noticed that she had fallen asleep again and probably wouldn't hear him.
As they walked together through the endless fog that seemed, to Merlin, to be alive with movement and the soft sounds of whispering and sighs, Merlin gradually began to feel at ease and she relaxed in the other woman’s company. Their arms were still firmly linked together and the weight of the singer’s arm through her own was comforting and reassuring and allowed Merlin to feel lightness that she hadn’t felt for quite some time. She could no longer hear the voices of the Ancestors, the sound having faded away as they walked further into the dense and roiling fog. Although she had no idea where they were going she didn’t feel either tense or apprehensive but rather she enjoyed the feeling of being free from the responsibilities that had just been thrust upon her.“You are as enchanting as any Cottard witch but perhaps more so…….we have waited a long time for you Merlin Cottard”, the older woman spoke, finally breaking the companionable silence.“What is your name?” Merlin responded.“I
Merlin and Zeke made their way through the cemetery with the moon hanging high in the sky, its pale light reflected off the stark white and grey of the tombstones while casting shadows under the overhanging branches of the trees. A slight breeze stirred and soughed softly through the trees, the sound almost like a breathless sigh that seemed to follow them as they weaved amongst the graves, making their way towards the tomb from their previous visit.The tomb loomed high above them, its white marble walls starkly visible in the darkened cemetery as the stone gargoyles peered down menacingly at them from the gabled roof. The temperature seemed to drop as they entered the tomb and Merlin shivered, glancing around at the smooth walls as Zeke moved assuredly ahead of her, his heightened senses enabling him to easily see in the semi-darkness inside the tomb. The walls gradually gave way to the ante chamber from earlier which was once again lit with burning torches that filled the chamber w
When Merlin eventually came to she found Zeke asleep beside her and faint moonlight spilling in through the open windows. Night had fallen while she had been passed out and she shuddered remembering what had occurred in the garden earlier that day. The images and voices from her head continued to swirl and dance filling her with dreaded anticipation for what was to come. Quietly getting out of bed so as not to wake him, she made her way to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower before returning to the bedroom.She was dressed and sitting at her dresser brushing her long, red hair when she saw in the mirror Zeke stirring and slowly open his eyes. He blinked and looked around before catching sight of her as a slow grin spread across his face. She knew that look and what it meant but right now she needed him to focus on something else but as he lifted the covers to reveal his throbbing desire for her, she couldn’t help but falter in her resolve.“Come back to bed babe”, his voice was w
When Merlin woke up the next morning she found the bed empty, Zeke had already gone downstairs to his office. She lay in bed and stretched lazily, snuggling back down under the covers as a faint memory began to stir in the back of her mind. The smell of cigarette smoke seemed to hang around her like an invisible fog and the acrid stench of stale beer and spilt alcohol reminiscent of a smoky backroom bar. Her eyes closed and her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to focus on the mental image buried somewhere in her subconscious. A strange feeling of disquiet crept stealthily into her heart and she struggled to find the haunting memory that seemed to float just out of her reach.Minutes passed but still nothing and she groaned loudly and throwing back the covers, climbed out of the warm, soft bed and padded barefoot across the floor to the bathroom. Once inside she stripped off her clothes and stood under the shower, allowing the hot water to cascade over her in the hope that
It was late by the time they got to the mansion and everyone was already asleep. Most of the lights inside had been turned off, leaving the mansion cloaked in shadow. They entered through the front door and quietly made their way upstairs to the third floor. After a quick shower together, they were soon in bed, both of them falling into a deep sleep. As the night wore on, giving way to the early hours of the morning, Merlin began to dream. ******************************She found herself back in the bar that they had visited earlier that night but this time it was empty except for the singer from the jazz band. Instead of the crimson sheath that she had been wearing, she was dressed in a sequined, black dress and feathered boa, reminiscent of the 1920s. Sitting alone at a table, smoking through a slender cigarette holder while humming to herself, she watched Merlin through the cigarette smoke with lazy interest. Merlin walked cautiously toward her, as she scanned the rest of bar, c
Merlin was quiet as she thought about this, Zeke’s question had caught her off guard but it was hardly surprising. Although she was a directly descended from Angeline, there was something that disturbed her about the woman but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Aunt May had been adamant that she trust no one and Merlin took her advice seriously. But the question still remained, unanswered though it was. "What are you thinking?", Zeke’s voice broke through her thoughts. "I can't trust her.....I just don't know why", Merlin sighed and shook her head. "Trust your instincts, they've never been wrong"Merlin glanced at him and smiled, he was the only constant in her life right now and he could always make her feel better even in the worst situations. "I feel like there's something I'm missing, like a connection that I can't see and if I could only find it I'll have all the answers even without the grimoire""It'll come to you Merlin. Don't force it, you just need to relax and let