Surrendering to Destiny (Allison Franklin) novel Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

“Catherine, come back to me,” the agonized voice in her head pleaded. Catherine was in a deep sleep. Her mind was active while her body felt like lead. She tried to move but her limbs wouldn’t budge. “I’m so sorry.”he voice echoed around her head. “I’ll never hurt you again, just open your eyes for me, Baby,” it cooed against her ear. voice grew softer as continued to speak, “Don’t leave me. I just got you. Wake up, Baby, wake up.”

Catherine opened her eyes against a tremendous force. She blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Her limbs still felt heavy, as if she’d been sleeping in the same position for too long. She finally got hold of her muscles and stretched. Mid afternoon light streamed through the window in Graham’s guest bedroom. She sat up on her elbows and trie to remember the last thing that happened. She put a hand to her

head and gasped as the memories came flooding back.

She ripped the blanket away from her body and gazed down at the sight that was her thigh. The wound was still healing. The edges of the bite mark were still red and sensitive to the touch but that wasn’t why tears were streaming down her face. The old mark, the one put there against her will was completely gone. What lay there now was more rough, larger, even a bit savage, but it belonged to her mate, not a monster. There was no bruising, it didn’t even hurt. She gripped her heart as she felt a swell of emotions. Everything seemed to be… more.

the

She could smell everything. In fact, she figured if she closed her eyes, she could create an exact layout of her surroundings by just scent. With her eyes open though, she could make out every minute detail of the room down to the smallest petals on the bouquet sitting on windowsill across the room. She even felt stronger and glanced down at her arms expecting to see a new growth of muscle. More than anything though, she felt lighter.

Catherine

Swung her legs over the bed and padded out to the hallway. She listened intently and heard Graham’s voice coming from down the hall. She noticed a door opened near the end that she hadn’t noticed until now. She took a few steps closer and saw a pair of stairs leading to a

room on the second level. She heard the soft timber of her mate’s voice again.

“Just keep your head down and let me know when you get there,” Graham said. There was a pause. “Remember, you’re not there on vacation. Get me the information I need and come home.” Another pause. “Well I suppose you’ll have to be persuasive then.”

Catherine realized he must be working and could tell the call would last a while. Not wanting to interrupt him, she decided to take a shower. The hot water felt good against her sore muscles. Again she couldn’t help but notice how the hot water felt more heavenly against her bare skin than usual. She moaned as she put her head under the shower head and let water glide down her hair. Her heightened senses picked up on the sweet scent of cloves. She quickly rinsed the soap from her face and peaked her head out of the shower door. On the counter there was now a silk robe, an even fluffier towel than the one she’d picked out, a hair brush and a toothbrush. She smiled to herself and hurried through the

rest of her shower.

Once she felt she’d gotten all the tangles from her wet hair, she set out to find Graham again. She walked barefoot down the hall toward the open door. She listened for a moment at the bottom but couldn’t make anything out.

“Come on up, Catherine,” Graham called softly from the top of the stairs.

Catherine took a deep breath and climbed the narrow stairway. The room was small. It had probably once been attic space but Graham had

turned it into an office. There was the same selection of wood flooring up here with stone on the walls and the back, facing the woods,

featured floor to ceiling windows. Catherine turned to face Graham who sa behind his desk with his hands folded together in his lap. He

studied her carefully, taking in her wet hair and how the robe fit her curves. His expression was guarded, uncertain.

“How are you feeling?” he asked carefully,

Catherine shrugged. “Different but…” She smiled. “Better.”

He nodded once, “Good.” He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, “Come sit with me so we can talk,”

Catherine nodded and walked around the side of the desk. His brow drew own as she got closer. She automatically straddled his lap and sat down facing him. His hands stayed awkwardly out to the side and his expression had turned to something resembling pure bafflement. She

rested her hands on his shoulders.

“Oh my Goddess.” Her cheeks flamed. “You meant, in the other chair.”

He swallowed. “I did.”

“I can’t believe I would be such an…”

When Catherine tried to stand, his hands suddenly latched on to her wais and held her down. “No, stay,” he commanded. Catherine nodded, pleased with herself. “Catherine, look, we need to talk about what happend.”

“How long was I out?” she asked, tentatively.

anything about it. Not until you’re ready. I just have two questions and 1ill drop the subject.”

Catherine’s hand stilled in his hair. “Yes?”

He pulled back and took her hands. He skimmed his lips over the back of ne before his dark brown eyes latched on to hers. “The man who

gave you that mark, he did so without your consent… he did other things without your consent?”

Catherine heard the unspoken question there. She pushed back the suffor ting memory and blinked away the tears. No, she was not going to let

him ruin another moment of her life. “Yes, everything he did was without n consent.”

Graham looked away toward the floor to ceiling windows. His jaw ticked and his eyes flashed black. She felt all of his muscles pressed against

her body flex and shiver with the urge to shift. Catherine placed her hands on his chest and focused her soothing energy into them. A moment

later he closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Slowly the muscles relaxed, but not all the way.

“I want a name.”

Catherine gulped. She’d been expecting this. She couldn’t though. Saying is name would bring it all back. It would all crash down around her.

The betrayal, the fear, the hopelessness, the pain. She shook her head and cursed to herself as tears fell down her cheeks.

Graham heaved a sigh and pulled her into his chest. He rubbed a hand down her back and whispered sweet nothings. After the tears had

stopped, she felt his mouth against her ear. “You don’t have to tell me now, today, tomorrow… but someday you will tell me. The day after he will be dead.”