Page 15 of Demon Rejected

He laughed, loud and warm, the kind of laughter that real amusement brings to the surface. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I slept with someone who could tell me."

Matt stood up and turned off the light. The cabin was dipped into the warm glow of the fire.

As I lay in bed, I snuggled into the covers. Then, everything started to make sense in a twisted way. I always felt like I didn’t belong, my fears, anger, and dreams of fire. I never remembered that I used matches on any of the places I burned, but I remembered Sparky doing what I wanted to do.

Matt had a warmth about him that I could feel radiating. Shifter Nation, the organization, the church, wolves, and the full moon floated through my mind aimlessly.

My eyes closed and I drifted away. I had the weirdest dream about running fast. I sat on Matt’s back, holding on to him as he covered a significant distance rapidly. Then I joined him, shifting into a golden wolf, a wolf that was smaller than him but could keep up without breaking a sweat. As we ran, we jumped between cliffs. I had this feeling of being entirely free.

I woke up, and the night was still mistress of the sky. I sat up in bed and looked toward Matt, who slept on the floor. The blanket covering him was pushed aside. That man was so drop dead gorgeous. His face looked calm and serene, and he had the most perfect abs that created that V. I never saw a young guy my age who looked like that. The hair on the chest was inviting me to touch, but I couldn’t. It would not be right. Feeling restless, I needed to stretch a bit. My mind finally calmed down, but now my body was aching for activity.

I shimmied to the other side of the bed and stepped onto the carpet. The cabin was simple. Everything was made of wood and covered in old blankets and rugs, but it had an incredible warmth.

Worried that I could wake Matt, I didn’t take a jacket and just walked outside. The half-moon greeted me. I should have found out what date it was. I was curious if I missed my birthday or not. The air was cool and smelled like forest and fresh-cut grass. A small bench made of a split log invited me to sit and lean against the cabin wall. Sounds reached me from the forest. An owl, crickets, a small coyote was crying out for his pack, birds that I could not name shrieked and announced their presence. This was the most beautiful night I ever experienced. The moon made me feel as if I was a part of the darkness itself.

“Hey, are you planning another escape?" Matt’s voice sounded sleepy. He wore just his sweatpants and was barefoot.

“No, warden. I’m just enjoying the night. It’s the first time that I spent the night in the forest. It’s so beautiful."

I’m not sure if it was a snort-laugh or a giggle that escaped his lips.

“Did you just giggle?"

“No, how about we try something. May I?" Matt gestured towards the bench that I was sitting on.

“Sure." A small smile touched my face. He smelled warm, like sleep and freshly washed linen. He sat next to me and became very aware of the heat radiating from his muscular body.

“Tell me about the fires. If you can."

I closed my eyes. “I think they start when I sleep. At least they feel like dreams to me. In my dreams, Sparky comes. She’s a wolf made of flames with red eyes. She is my protector. She burns everything down that I fear."

“Can you summon her?"

I bit my lip. “I don’t think I can. The last time she came to me in my dream because I was so afraid. Not for me, I was scared because that dirt bag of foster dad was touching the little girls. I tried to attract his attention so that he would let them alone, but he didn’t. That night my friend Cara took the girls away, his wife was at work, and he was drunk. Before you ask, yes, I wanted him dead, and I was happy he died. If you believe that I am a monster and don’t want to have me here, I understand that, too."

Matt did something that surprised me. He put his arm around me and pressed me hard against him. Tears escaped my eyes. I didn’t want to feel weak, I hated to appear weak, but I just bared my soul in front of a stranger.

“I don’t think that you’re a monster, Little Flame. I think you found yourself cornered. Wolf’s attack when they feel cornered. I knew about it from your files."

I sniffed and whipped my eyes in my sleeve. “Don’t look. I’m an ugly crier."

“It’s all good, Little Flame. You must allow yourself to feel before you can be strong. And you are strong. You survived all alone and lived. You are a fighter."

I sniffed again and he released me from his embrace.

“Are you okay on your own for a bit? I think I’ll go for a morning run. The car keys are in the drawer of the kitchen cupboard on the left if you want to run away."

“No, I’ll stay here a while longer and then go back to bed."

I watched Mountain Man shift, leaving his sweatpants behind. The large grey wolf crashed through the forest, through the bushes and twigs, and disappeared in a few minutes.

I closed my eyes and tried to find Sparky. Was she still with me?

* * *

Matt

I could barely sleep. My body was tense like a coiled spring with her next to me. It was madness. My wolf kept calling mate, mate, mate and howling inside my mind. Only my discipline and the years of training stopped me from climbing up in bed next to her and pushing her down into the pillows. I bit the inside of my cheeks until my mouth was flooded with blood and the pain helped me focus.