All Chapters of She Runs with Wolves: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

 There was a sudden flare of energy in my chest, as though the candle’s flame had been struck deep inside my ribcage. Rosie’s eyes were shining through the fog, her bare toes wiggling in the wet grass. Then her eyes closed, though they kept moving behind her lids, flickering back and forth. Her lips were moving, too, too quickly for me to read, and no sound was coming out.  The candle burned higher and brighter, and a pleasant white light filled my vision. There was a probing at my chest, directed to my heart, and I let it in with open arms. I felt as though my ribs were opening up, stretching wide, though it did not hurt. It was calming, a similar lulling sense to stepping into a steaming bathtub. This was peaceful, restful, and no darkness could reach us, not here. I’d always wondered what a mind meld would feel like as a child, back when I’d watched reruns of Star Trek with my

“You’re here,” I breathed, silhouetted by the warm light of my bedroom behind me. I suddenly felt exposed, my hair up and off my neck, my bare legs pasty white in the damp, grey daylight. “I’m here,” he murmured, taking a shaky step forwards. He was soaked, and the ground was wet, but I didn’t care as I leaped towards him, my tiny body crumpling against his, large and warm and safe. There was a beat of silence, of nothing but raw joy, rising in each of us at the sight of the other. Then my brain caught up with my heart, and I stumbled backwards, my eyes wide and glistening with fear. “You can’t be here,” I whispered, raising my eyebrows to drive my point home. “I can,” he said, pressing a finger to his lips. His other hand dug in the pocket of his coat, and he held up a small bag, no bigger than the size of his palm. Then he shru

“W-what?” I stammered, my breath hitching in my throat.  “Well,” he muttered, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor, “it would make sense, wouldn’t it? I mean – I always assumed you couldn’t age, but I wasn’t sure, not with everything else I’ve learnt about vampires since meeting you. But then you confirmed it for me, and, well – you’re going to live forever, never aging, never changing. And I’ll get old, and I’ll – I’ll die.” He swallowed, finally daring to meet my eyes. “Yeah, Skye,” I said, speaking slowly, watching him intently for even the slightest movement, the slightest hesitation or frown, “but that was never an option. This – I wouldn’t want this for you.” “But you said yourself that you don’t hurt anyone. And you’re strong, and you don’t feel the co

“So,” Rowan said, sitting back on her heels, crouched in front of our little circle on the porch, “the book says that marks, or signs, like the one we’ve been seeing are Marks of the Underworld. Sort of like a supernatural clue for anyone smart – or lucky – enough to recognise it.” “But demons have to be summoned, don’t they?” I asked, frowning down at the book. It was splayed out in the middle of us, the pages held down with two large, unpolished crystals that Grandma Rosie had donated to the cause. “Surely whoever had summoned it would clean up after themselves?” “It could have been summoned a very long time ago,” Kathrena said, clucking her tongue against her teeth. “After the demon has done its duty, as such, it’s free to stay on this plane of existence and do whatever it wants. Which usually entails mindless violence and other horrific acts.&

“Although rare,” I read aloud, “mate bonds between Vampyres and Werewolves do exist. These two species are believed to be polar opposites in every way, and, often, such bonds are either left undiscovered, or are terminated upon the realisation that they exist between two souls.”Skye squeezed my hand. “I’m glad that we found each other, El.”I smiled. “Me, too.” The heat of his skin against mine sent a shockwave through me, and I struggled to return my focus to the book.“However,” I continued, “for those that are brave enough to see past their preconceived notions of the other species, mate bonds between Vampyres and Werewolves are the source of immense power. Rather than soulmates, this pairing is often likened to twin flames: two souls lighting up the dark together. Two wholes, rather than two halves, combined as one in order to displace the darkness.”“I wonder what that means,” Kathrena said. “I’ve read it before – the book talks about human and vampire bonds too, which is why I d