Instead of speaking Lilly decided to stretch placing her legs across Brayden’s lap. She was sure to remove her shoes before doing so and then said, “Since you were such a dick this morning why don’t you make it up by giving me a foot massage.”
“Lilliana!” Claire said out of total shock from Lilly’s language.
“Claire, until I know what’s going on I would prefer you not use the name my parents gave me. I don’t really like that name please call me Lilly.” Lilly said with a small smile before she felt Brayden actually start rubbing her feet, she looked over to him before she half smiled.
“You told me to.” Brayden said with a small shrug before adding only for her. ‘You really think I’m going to turn down touching you after what you just put me through?’
‘You deserved it!’ Lilly said trying to fight back a moan from the pleasure she was receiving from a simple foot rub.
“Claire.” James said from the driver’s seat, to which Claire only hummed. “You said they lost their memory.”
“Yes?” Claire said only to have Brayden pause rubbing Lilly’s feet and look up.
“How much of their memory?” James asked looking back in the mirror to lock eyes with Brayden then Lilly before returning to the road.
Claire then exhaled deeply before finally admitting, “Almost all of it.”
‘What the hell?’ Lilly asked Brayden to which he continued rubbing her feet while watching her face.
‘I don’t know, let’s just let them talk. We can figure it out later.’ Brayden said before looking back up to see his dad watching him in the mirror, this caused Brayden to smile an innocent smile. ‘I think my dad knows what you did.’
‘Good.’ Lilly said before slowly moving her foot not currently held by Brayden’s hands toward his center before she continued. ‘Then it won’t be so awkward for you to explain why you’re so hard when you get out of the car.’
‘I’m not…’ Before Brayden could finish his sentence Lilly put her heel right on Brayden’s sensitive spot causing him to groan again. Then Lilly couldn’t help but smirk as she slowly began spinning her foot around Brayden’s lap until she felt his pants begin to tighten under her foot.
‘Not what?’ Lilly asked tilting her head watching his reaction before stopping and looking out the window behind them.
‘I want to say I hate you.’ Brayden said taking Lilly’s once free foot into his hands before he began kneading it and then smirked. ‘I guess this is just what you have to look forward to when we get wherever we’re going.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Lilly said scrunching her eyebrows together in total confusion.
‘Oh you’ll see.’ Brayden said before pausing to look Lilly in the eyes then continued. ‘Put it this way, it won’t be your feet my fingers will be kneading.’
Lilly felt her face blush before she was pulling her feet away from Brayden’s lap and she was punching his arm before turning back to face the window. Ignoring everything being said in the car and watching the window outside was extremely relaxing, more than she expected it to be, she felt herself drifting to sleep.
'Hey Lil' Brayden used their newfound link to talk to her instead of speaking out loud. The last he did this caused a lot of unwanted, or well unexpected feelings between the two. She didn't respond and just shifted as if letting him know he was being ignored.
Brayden laughed then placed her favorite blanket on her saying. 'I was going to ask if you're cold but you're shivering so here. Go to sleep I'll wake you if anything exciting happens. I know my Lil loves the gossip.' She couldn't help but laugh as she felt the seat move from his obvious dance as he said gossip. 'Really though take a nap. I got you.'
Hearing the familiar words she knew everything would be fine and she couldn't help but respond. 'Always!'
Then Lilly felt a weird pull, or weird pinch in her mind causing her to feel uncomfortable and tried blinking it away. Lilly turned to see him holding his necklace in hand watching out the window. She hated when he went into super protective mode as if she couldn't protect herself. He acted like he was some warrior or protector and she was some fragile figure. Lilly had whooped his ass more times than he could count or wanted to admit. This always made her furious and would normally end in them wrestling until someone tapped out or Claire got involved with her wooden spoon. But then again right now she didn't care she was too tired. Lilly placed her head on her arm against the window and went to sleep.
Brayden snuck a peek into Lilly's mind, to see if she was awake causing her to stir slightly. Thankfully just last week he had been reading about mind links. Brayden knew if one person were sleeping the other could see their dreams. If Lilly were asleep he would be able to finally get some answers. Who Claire is as if she's not Lilly's mother? If James really was his father and who exactly this Ivan guy was. Seeing Lilly's dream was now causing him to regret it, the second he saw the sun shining he remembered how she had said her description earlier was a dream. He watched as things became clear and in the field stood two children playing in the tall grass. Sighing thankful that she wasn’t having a heated dream so it was easier for him to withdraw from her dream.
"So..." He watched Claire as he spoke. The car was spacious enough to put her in a bucket seat facing him and Lilly. Thankfully she had been too busy watching Ivan sitting in front of her as if they were lost in their own little world. He could only imagine how awkward that conversation could be explaining his shifting in his seat and Lilly’s face blushing while he smirked. That was obviously what his father had been looking at him in the mirror with a knowing look for. Hey they’re teenagers that just found out they’re soulmates, he can’t really expect much different. The memory of what Lilly had said was in a dream was making him again feel uncomfortably hot in the small car. Too many people were in the small space and it was hard for him to continue hiding how he was feeling with the thought of her smooth voice detailing their movements. If she’s dreaming stuff like that what else is going on in that pretty little head? Brayden needed a distraction from his thoughts and he needed one fast.
"So?" Claire returned the stare with equal questioning.
"I have a few questions." Brayden paused trying to decide where to begin.
Claire had to hold back a smile, the kid was too mature for his age. When he acted all macho like this she couldn't help but laugh at his innocence. Shaking her head and holding up her hand as if to silence him she just began speaking casually before he was able to start. "As always my dear you have all the questions. But as always I can only answer a few as I do not know all. However, your father and my mate Ivan may have answers I do not." Claire's smile beamed speaking of Ivan and then she blushed and smacked Ivan's arm.Well, that was kind of easy, some answers down. Brayden thought of where to go from here. Obviously, Claire was not Lilly's mother maybe start there? He looked over to Lilly as she stirred in the seat shifting so her head was now on the back of the seat. She slowly started to fall until he finally grabbed her and placed her across the seat with her head in his lap. This reminded him of her attempt to torture him earlier causing the blood to quickly flow back down t
The sleep filling in Lilly’s eyes finally subsided along with the panic from the abrupt awakening and she nodded her head. Lilly looked around seeing they were at a beautiful cabin by a lake deep inside a heavily wooded forest. Her eyes widened as she realized they were alone and Brayden was still holding her wrists. A weird feeling filled her stomach as warm sensations pulsed from where Brayden was touching her. He followed her gaze to his hands and then quickly released her mumbling an apology. As much as he wanted to touch her they needed to talk, and he doubted she expected to wake to them being alone. With the sudden release of her wrists Lilly’s stomach returned to normal but her skin suddenly felt like it had been touched with ice for too long. Brayden outstretched his hand to her while saying, "Come on let's go check this place out. My dad said it's heavily protected so you're good to actually practice your magic or freak out and not worry about attracting attention." He adde
Lilly looked up to see him staring at her almost with a look of adoration and her face flushed with panic so she quickly asked. "Okay, so what about Claire and my mom?""Right! So Claire is mated or married to Ivan. Ivan is apparently some big shot warrior who is cousins with my dad, and adopted siblings with my mom? So technically not related to you at all. In all reality, Claire is actually only 7 years older than us. Explains why she looks so young for being your mother! Do you remember from before my parents dropped me off with you and Claire?"Lilly chose not to speak and just shook her head signaling for Brayden to continue. "Well you actually lived with Claire and your mom until there was an... um... 'accident'. We were only 5 at the time or well that time around, so telling you that Claire was really your mom you didn't question it. But I remembered having a different mom than you so Claire said we were cousins." Brayden paused looking to Lilly to make sure she was following b
Withdrawing from the link knowing Brayden had made it to Ivan and James Lilly decided to let herself enjoy the warm bath Brayden had started for her. Sinking in she felt everybody tense then relax from the heat assaulting her every muscle. Going through the plan in her head she realized they would have to pull Frank. Years ago she lightly mentioned needing someone at the in-between to keep tabs on Esteban. Little did she know Frank had volunteered and left before she was able to delegate anyone for the decision. Without making it a known decision many had come to believe Frank was a traitor, in order to prevent his cover from being blown she didn’t say a single word. However, she knew the pain he was put through because of the few times they had run into each other over the years. For every time he had let them go Esteban taught Frank a lesson. It pained her to know he was suffering so much just to keep her safe, and when she tried running away to live a normal life. Before long the t
Red.Just the color red, deep blood red burning hot. Lilly's sight was like someone covered her eyes with a red piece of paper. A chill ran down Lilly's spine as she felt her body move of its own accord. Moving up from the bench by the lake and pulling her forward. Her legs moved to bring her closer to where she imagined the lake would be. Mates? What are they, werewolves in some messed-up fairytale? War since 1917? They're in the twenty-first century! This is a dream she's still asleep in her room asleep with that loveable loser on the floor.Wait.... loveable? Is Brayden loveable in a way other than platonic love? Lilly felt her legs falter and a smoke-like hew grow in her vision as she inches closer to the water's edge. Her mind itched like someone was tickling it, but how could some reach her brain? The beautiful s
Brayden made his way down the hall to where he remembered his parent's room had been. The door flung open and a dark chocolate skin toned woman smiled with absolute joy flowing out of her. Brayden gazed at the small fragile woman before meeting her caramel eyes. He saw the brown ring slowly turn around her caramel circles before tears filled her eyes. "Hi, mom." That was all Brayden could say before he was pulled into the room. "Sit sit. Have you eaten? James... your father... sorry it's just been too long. I know how you've been but please tell me you know I can't truly see everything. Where did Lilliana go, weren't you too just out by the lake? Don't tell me Miriam took her away! You two have just as much processing as we mothers have a want for catching up." Brayden just waited for her to take a breath before he answered.
‘Where are you?’ The words rang in Lilly's mind as she stood staring at the man who had helped create her. Also remembered he was the one who had almost made her lose her life, more than once. The man laying on life support before her was no more than a sperm donor in her eyes. He was never there when she needed him and everytime she needed him the most, he tried to kill her and everyone close to her. Nia... the pain-filled her from the core almost as if the incident had just happened. Why did that memory have to take this long to come back, when everything else came rushing back at the lake. ‘Lil... Lilly! Lilliana, I need you to tell me where you are. Now!’ Brayden was panicking which he had every right to. If he isn't close enough when things go wrong ev
"Shit!" Miriam fell to the ground in pain, before basically yelling. "You said a little pain. This is not a little pain!" "Well, would you have come if I said it would be bad?" Brayden watched as Miriam curled herself in a ball from the pain. His eyes drifted to Lilly standing by the window looking outside at the falling snow. He made his way over wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her into his embrace before whispering. "I told you not to let go." "I know, but I had to see what day it is." Lilly gently replied continuing to watch the snow casually fall with no other care in the world. "Okay, where are we?" Miriam had gained her strength back and was walking toward the window. "When" Lilly and Brayden mumble