Caught You

I watched Erik ascend the grand staircase and hurried up after him. I had just rounded a corner when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.

“Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear.

His familiar scent of smoke and cologne hit me harder than I’d thought it would, and tears gathered in my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his chest.

“Are you really here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from breaking. Some of my dreams had felt so real lately that I needed confirmation.

“Yes, Bella, I’m really here,” he replied calmly, stroking my hair. “Why are you crying?”

I shook my head against his T-shirt, now stained by my tears. I knew my voice wouldn’t carry if I spoke, if I told him how much I’d missed him and how relieved I felt to see him again.

So instead, I just hugged him harder. He respected my silence and held me while I cried.

When my eyes had dried and my breathing had calmed, he said, “I didn’t just drop by for a visit, I’ve come to get you.”

I looked up at him, surprised. “I can’t leave, I’ll only make things worse for myself,” I confessed. My voice was hoarse from crying.

He stroked my cheek down to my chin and held my gaze. I suddenly heard footsteps further down the corridor and twitched in panic, looking over my shoulder.

When I turned to look at Erik again, he smiled mischievously. “Not if I abduct you.”

I barely had time to register what he’d said before he grabbed my hand and we changed location. I looked around, confused.

“What have you done?” I whispered in shock.

We were in his apartment. He was once again engulfed by the magical energy that usually flowed around him.

“We didn’t have time to linger. It was just a matter of time before they’d come looking for you,” Erik said.

I felt anger and frustration surface within me. “Erik, they’ll hunt you!” I shouted at him, desperately wanting him to understand what he’d done.

“Then they’ll quickly find out that I’m not an easy target to hunt,” he replied, still calm.

“But I don’t want them thinking you’re vicious, like your brother,” I argued, feeling tears rise in my eyes again.

I barely registered the sudden shift in his eyes. “Bella, please calm down. I didn’t get you just because I missed you,” he said more mildly, holding on to my hand. “Will you listen to what I have to say?”

“But I don’t want them hunting you too,” I murmured quietly, looking into his eyes.

He gently caught a tear rolling down my cheek with his knuckles. “I want my brother dead as much as they do, and I’ll prove it to them. Hopefully, you have nothing to worry about when it’s all over,” he said, finally with a serious tone.

I didn’t answer him right away. I just looked at him.

He looked as calm as ever, although there was something sad about his eyes, like he might be suppressing pain. “How?” I finally asked.

“I know where Marcus will be at the solstice, and like I said, we share a common goal. I want him dead too,” Erik said coldly.

I’d never seen him with such a dark expression before. For the first time ever, I truly felt that Erik could be a very dangerous man. But it didn’t stop me from asking, “Then why haven’t you killed him yourself?”

“As I’ve mentioned before, I can’t. We are bound by blood. If I kill him, I’ll die too,” he explained, still looking deeply into my eyes.

“There was a time when I didn’t care, and tried to kill him anyway, but Damion stopped me and convinced me not to waste my own life—to find another way.”

I stared at him in shock. How could you hate your family so much you’d be willing to die yourself?

Or was it the death of the innocents who got used for his sacrificial rites? I suddenly felt very sad for him.

“You have that little faith in us?” I asked softly and placed my hand against his cheek.

He put his own hand over mine and gently kissed my palm before he looked into my eyes again. “I have faith in you, Bella. That’s why I came to get you,” he said with a sad smile.

“I fear your faith might be misplaced. My superiors think I’m being naive, trusting you,” I said regretfully and leaned back against his chest.

“It doesn’t matter what they think. The only thing that matters is that we put a stop to Marcus, and you will help them do that,” Erik said, embracing me.

“Besides, they don’t all think that. It was your friend, Ellie, who came to find me and told me where to find you. I refrained from using magic for several days to be able to come and get you,” he explained.

“She did? Why?” I asked, surprised by her involvement, and looked up at him.

She was, after all, the one who’d told Louisa all about Erik. He nodded.

“She’ll meet us at Nord Manor in a couple of days. You can ask her yourself then.”

“We’re going to see Damion and Aurora? I thought they weren’t allowed to help us with this?” I asked, confused.

“They are now. Turns out that Marcus crossed a line trying to impress him,” Erik chuckled darkly.

I hugged him harder. “I really missed you, you know, but I don’t feel like myself. I feel broken. I don’t know if I can be what you need me to be,” I confessed, trembling.

I felt weak admitting it, and I feared his reply.

“Don’t ever feel like you’re not enough, Love,” he said, grabbing my trembling hand and guiding me to his dark blue couch stuffed with pillows, where he urged me to take a seat.

The tear on my dress caught my gaze, and I brushed its edges with my free hand.

“Once broken, it’ll never be what it was,” I whispered, feeling tears gather in my eyes again.

Erik caught my hand and placed it back on my lap. Then he brushed the edges of the tear himself.

“Mend,” he whispered, and I watched the threads weave themselves back together, the fabric becoming whole again.

“There isn’t much that a little magic can’t fix, but I hope you’ll let me help with what it can’t,” he said, tucking a loose curl behind my ear.

There was so much warmth and faith in his eyes. I knew I wasn’t alone.

For the first time in weeks, I felt hopeful again. I smiled at him out of relief before I placed my hand on his waist and reached up to kiss him.

I felt my hair fall down over my shoulders, and as his hand entangled in it, I parted my lips to welcome his familiar taste of smoke. I slid my hand down and untucked his shirt so I could feel his skin.

I needed more.

I pulled away from the kiss and leaned in against his ear.

“Will you get this fucking dress off me?” I murmured seductively.

I wanted it off—it felt like shackles tethering me to others’ hopes and expectations.

He chuckled in my ear while his hand slid down my back, then to my side, and pulled the zipper down. I shuddered as he slid the dress down my shoulders.

I rose to my feet slowly, letting the fabric slip down my body and gather at my feet. Erik got up too, sliding his hand up my thigh, over my hip, and finally letting it rest on my lower back.

“It was a beautiful dress, but white doesn’t suit you. You’re not a sacrifice, Bella. You are a hunter,” he said softly in my ear.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that, feeling much lighter.

“How do you know?” I asked against his neck, shivering from the cold.

“You did a damn good job catching me,” he said. I felt him smirk against my cheek before he kissed me again.

I instantly got to work on his bowtie and pulled it off. He looked very handsome in the suit, but I wanted it off and started to unbutton his shirt.

I needed to feel him—I needed him to help me feel real.

He helped me slide the shirt over his shoulders and let it fall to the floor, joining the dress. I got the cue and clung to him when he lifted me.

I shuddered, satisfied to feel his warm skin against mine, and let him carry me to his bedroom.

“Ignite,” he whispered as he sat me down on the bed.

I welcomed the surge of his energy and watched the candles light themselves while he took his pants off.

I felt right again, when we let our bodies intertwine. His kisses broke me open, while every stroke of his hands on my skin felt like it was healing me.

I cried out from pleasure when I finally felt him inside me again. His caresses had turned less gentle—he knew my needs had shifted, and he delivered.

I felt blissful in the aftermath, lying on his chest while he lazily traced my spine with his fingertips.

Marcus didn’t matter, the umbra didn’t matter, while I lay in his arms.

“I could probably hold you for days, but we should get going soon. It’s morning,” Erik mumbled, breaking the comfortable silence.

“I didn’t realize we were in a hurry,” I yawned. I wanted to sleep.

“We’re not, but Damion expected me to bring you straight to Nord Manor yesterday.” Erik yawned too.

“He’s probably annoyed at me now,” he chuckled.

“Can we just sleep first? I’m very tired,” I admitted and closed my eyes again.

“Sure, we’re late anyway,” he said and kissed my forehead.

That was all I needed to hear to let the comfort of the dark consume me and lull me to sleep.