Jesse was clearly losing his mind knowing his mate was nearby. He was twitchy, eyes darting around every corner hoping he would see them. It was our second day on the compound and I had started to practically itch with my desire to run away back north.
Val had actually managed not to try and approach me yet. Part of me was relieved and grateful to the Moon Goddess for this small mercy. Everest was inconsolably upset. Apparently, Rashir had not attempted to contact her at all since we came here either. I rolled over, restless in the hotel bed unable to slip into sleep.
Lance was snoring on the other bed adjacent to mine in the room. Finally, I couldn't stand to fake my sleep anymore and I walked out of the hotel bedroom to get some air.
"Liana?"
Jesse looked like shit.
His eyes were dark and his hair was tousled. I met his desperate eyes and exhaled, nodding my head at him.
"I need to go find them. I swear it was the scent- I just know it is."
His blue eyes were impossibly pleading and I ran a hand through my long hair, debating it thoroughly. One on hand, to deny him this would only make him go do it by himself. On the other hand, I wasn't sure how I felt about leaving Lance in the room by himself, even knowing nobody here would dare harm him.
"Jesse-"
He stared at me, eyes wide and silent in the dark. Some small part of my mind also acknowledged that I was being selfish. I always figured if Jesse found his mate, he would leave, and I would be left to care for the whole pack by myself.
I brushed off my selfish thoughts and forced a small smile. The tiredness in my voice was so evident I could feel it.
"What's one more awful adventure into Sleeping Hollow?"
His eyes lit up and he pulled me into an awkward side hug. I patted his back, equally stiff before we turned to walk out of the inn and towards the gravel path leading to the hollow.
Truly, I still had nightmares about these woods but the idea of the woods actually frightened me less than the idea of being approached by Val in my sleep deprived state. I knew somehow that all these years later I had become weak to any thought of her. I dreamt of her almost every night and when I didn't I couldn't sleep.
With so many years passing my anger had dulled into a desire. I ached to feel her touch and smell her hair. Since my leaving I couldn't bear to touch anyone else.
My terror as soon as our feet crunched over the first branches inside of Sleeping Hollow finally shook all thought of her from my mind. The woods felt infected somehow. As though even the air inside of them was corrupt. For a brief moment, I held my nose.
"This is so fucking stupid. You know that, right?"
Jesse answered quickly in a hoarse and genuine tone, no hint of humor to be found. We pushed deeper into the woods and I allowed myself to start breathing again.
"I know, Liana."
I swallowed thickly as the hairs on my arms and neck started to rise. The woods were alive. Too alive. Like they watched our movements and sought to prey upon us. I shivered.
"They said the other witch was moving north."
I raised a brow in the darkness, moving fast to keep within a foot of him at all times. My combat experience had increased since our last time here but I still wasn't overly confident in my ability to fight whatever cursed thing woods like these had to offer.
"Your mate couldn't possibly be a witch, right? I mean, most witches are human."
I didn't have to look at him to tell he was frowning as we pushed deeper. The woods breathed in around us, welcoming us like cheese for an unsuspecting mouse. I focused all my energy on understanding what he was saying, trying harder by the minute to remain unspooked.
"It's unlikely, I know. I just have a feeling. A feeling like they're nearby and that witch was with them- and maybe it sounds crazy but how else is it possible that after twelve years of searching I didn't find a single trace of them?"
I furrowed my brows. It was almost unheard of for a fated mate to be human. There were instances where it happened, sure, but very very few.
"What if they are a witch?"
Jesse's broad shoulders were tense. He was striding with complete determination and seemingly no awareness of the sound he generated. In my fear, it was hard to tell how long we had been hiking through the woods.
I whispered, voice trembling.
"Do you feel like we're being watched?"
Jesse turned back to scan my face and bit the inside of his cheek. He breathed out slowly and collected himself.
"We should be quieter."
I nodded in agreement and we both lightened our footsteps. The new focus of moving quickly and quietly took away most of my attention.
Until a low, almost undetectable whispering started to slip down around us from the trees. Horrified, my body froze and I locked my eyes on Jesse's equally still body in front of me.
My lip trembled. I hesitated, scared to move a single inch. The whispers were mocking and in a language I didn't understand. Finally, Jesse breathed out a single word in his stillness.
"Mate."