CHAPTER 34

Carter Avery and I sit in a room getting our tattoo’s, marking us as official members of The Warriors. Finally, we can tell the others that we had joined The Warriors. I hate keeping it from Emmy, especially since she was at a breaking point. Ever since her real dad showed up, she snapped and hadn't seemed to come back to herself yet.

After fighting the Enchantress, Emmy has been so far away from the rest of us.

I remember the day I agreed to come with Emmy to help her fight to save the magic world. I didn’t know I’d also be helping save my own world and race. Ivy is waiting for me along with Malcolm, who was the current leader of the Warriors. My choice to help Emmy had also meant I was to be recruited by the Warriors.

The Warriors work with The Reapers to keep order in the world. They are the council's right hand men and women enforcing the laws and stopping evil, but this time the evil threat was too big, and they had to pull a team together of humans, witches, and warlocks of the strongest family blood lines to fight the evil that threatens to end both worlds.

I know my Uncle Darren is proud of me. I’m glad to be bonding with him. I feel like I know him better and understand him better now. It’s nice to have a family member who supports me. I never realized how much I was like my uncle. Maybe that's why my dad was so hard on me, he didn’t want me to be like my uncle. Everyone in our family thinks he’s crazy. Little do they know he is much more than the black sheep of the family. They have no idea how amazing he really is.

My thoughts come back to the present. I have wanted to tell Emmy, but I couldn’t until I had the mark, which I now have. Avery seems just as relieved as I am that we could finally tell the others the secret we had been holding on to. Our right upper arms are marked with a sword with wings on its sides, the mark of the Warriors.

“I’m so happy we can tell the others tonight when we get back at dinner,” I declare as I feel the needle pierce my skin.

Ivy told the others she was taking us to a special place to train for the day. She was taking us to New York City to The Warriors headquarters, so we could get our marks, or tattoos depending how you looked at it. My uncle knew the truth. He’s been very involved since the beginning. He would be here, but he had to stay and train the others.

“Me too. I hate keeping things from Bexton.”

“I know what you mean. I hate keeping this from Emmy. I feel like I’m no better than everyone else who has lied and kept secrets from her.”

“That’s not true and you know it, Carter. They had a choice, you didn’t.”

“Doesn’t make it any better, nor does it make me feel less of an asshole. Come on, you haven’t noticed the difference in Emmy since Travis showed up?”

“I don’t think anyone can miss the fact that Emmy snapped. We all know how distant she’s been. It’s not just to you either, she’s so far away from all of us. Something snapped in her that day. Maybe she has had her world shattered too many times. I don’t know, but I hope she can figure out how to come back to us. Her and I were becoming close.”

“I know.” It’s all I could say.

I know Avery was right. Emmy had snapped. Emmy was broken, and I didn’t know how to help her which frustrates me the most. I hate not knowing how to help her with what she is going through. It doesn’t seem fair that one person can have so much happen to them. We all know that she is most likely going to have to kill her mom to kill The Enchantress. Things are just twisted and so messed up. I hate that I had to keep something from her. I see how all the other secrets destroyed her. I can only hope she wouldn’t be too pissed at me for not telling her right away.

After our tattoos, we head back to the manor with Ivy. We have everyone gather in the healing wing where Emmy is since she is weak from the poison that had almost killed her. Ivy makes the announcement for us and everyone is happy. I look over at Emmy and I can’t read her expression. After everyone congratulates us, they leave, and I spend time with Emmy. I sit by her bed and took her hand.

“Emmy, I hope you’re not too mad at me. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.” I kissed her hand.

“Let me see it. I want to see the mark.” I lift my shirt sleeve so she could see it. “Does it hurt?”

“A little, it’s more sore than anything else.”

Emmy puts her hand on my tattoo, and I feel a warmth spread across my arm. Emmy removes her hand, and my tattoo is completely healed. I don’t feel sore, or irritated skin from where the needles had made the permanent mark. Emmy smiles at me.

“See it pays to have your girlfriend be a witch.”

I smile back at her. “Yes, it does. I take it you’re not mad at me.”

“No. I already knew. My mom told me in my dream when I first got poisoned. At first, I was upset, but I got over it. Just don’t keep anything else from me.”

“I won’t. I swear. I hated keeping it from you. It was killing me.”

“I know.” Emmy locks the door with a wave of her hand. “Now we can have some alone time. I’ve missed you, Carter. I’ve missed your kisses and the way it feels when we make love.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’ve been resting for almost a week. Besides, I have enough strength to be with you. It’s all I’ve been wanting for weeks, hell since we got here. I feel alive when you touch me. I feel like everything is right in the world when you kiss me. I forget about all the bullshit and drama. I love when it’s just you and I that exist.”

Emmy kisses me.

I can't deny that I feel the same way. I’ve been keeping my distance because I didn’t like keeping something from her, but now that it was out in the open, I crave her just as much as she craves me. I feel bad because I know she needs rest, but I couldn’t help that I want her.

Our kisses are desperate. My hands explore her body as her hands push my shirt above my head. It falls to the floor and Emmy’s hands are on my chest, smoothing over my skin. Her touch sends electric shocks through my body. Damn I have missed her. Before I know it, we both have shed our clothes. I’m on top of Emmy and she is holding on to me like I was her lifeline. I want her and need her.

Emmy is moaning my name as my fingers rub her clit. I can't stop kissing her. I’m hungry for her as she is hungry for me. We need each other. I promise her I will make it all go away and make her forget about all the bullshit that is plaguing her life.

Emmy begs for me to be inner her, I oblige. I enter her warm folds, and push through so I’m all the way inside. She moans from pleasure. Damn she is tight, and I couldn't help but to move at a fast pace because she feels so freaking good.

“Damn I’ve missed making love to you,” I whisper in her ear.

“I’ve missed your touch. Oh, Carter, I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

I really did love her. I don't care that we were young, I know I would spend the rest of my life with Emmy. I know in my heart and soul that she is my soulmate and that nothing will ever take me from her. I would die before I let someone rip us apart.

My thrusts are faster and erratic, but damn did it feel good. Emmy is moaning my name as we both find our release together and as we come down from the high of making love. I roll off her and pull her into my arms, so her head is resting on my chest. Our breathing is heavy, but it slowly goes back to normal.

“Are you okay?” I ask afraid I might have pushed her too hard

“I’m great. That’s exactly what I needed. I needed you, Carter. I think I will always need you.”

I smile and kiss her forehead. “I feel the same way Emmy. We will get through this.”

“I know. I just need your help with some of this.”

“I’ll help you, my love. You are strong, Emmy. You can get through this. You have me, the team, your family and your dad. Your dad seems like a good guy. Even if he wasn’t always there for you, he is now. He knows how you're feeling about your dark magic. Let him help you. I know it’s hard for you to trust people, but I think you need to let us help you. No more trying to do things on your own. You don’t have to do any of this by yourself.”

“I know. I’m glad you are here with me.”

“Me too and I’m not going anywhere.”

We lay there tangled in each other’s arms for a while, and then we get dressed and head down to the dining hall for dinner. It will be the first time since Emmy got poisoned that she will be eating with us. Everyone is happy to see her out of bed and moving around. I don’t think she would be going back to training just yet, but at least she is out and about.

I thought we might have lost her, but I know she is coming back. After we made love, I feel like the old Emmy is coming back. She doesn’t seem so distant during dinner. She is back to joking with us and talking like nothing ever happened.

Maybe she just needed to feel loved or maybe she needed me to make love to her. I can’t deny that I feel a hell of a lot better either. Funny how I call it making love and not sex anymore. Before Emmy it was sex, and now it’s making love. I’m just happy that she is smiling again.

After dinner, I head out for a ride with Bex and Ryan on our bikes. We all enjoy taking rides when we have a chance. I feel free on my bike, the wind in my face and my thoughts could be left behind me like the road that I leave in dust. The three of us have gotten close, and we get along well. I still miss my other friends like Evan. After all we had been best friends since we were kids, but he would never understand the new life I’m living.

Thinking about this new life still sometimes feels like a dream. My girlfriend, who is my soulmate, is a witch and we were fighting to save both our worlds from a great evil. My life suddenly looks like it belonged in the pages of a story book and not in the real world. My real life is a secret to most people in my life. Right now, my parents and my other friends think Emmy and I are traveling the states, when we are training to fight evil. I never thought my life would take this turn, but then again, I always felt like I was meant to do more than what my parents had planned for me. I guess my Uncle Darren was right after all.

My uncle has been great at helping me adjust to my new life. I now know how he feels. He’s had to keep his life a secret for so long. I’m glad he’s here to help me. We are getting close and I’m enjoying feeling like I have a father figure that I can look up to. My dad and I never understood each other which always put strain on our relationship but now I know it’s because I’m meant for something more, something my dad would never understand.

The guys and I return home to find the girls waiting for us. I’m happy to see Emmy is out and about. I hate the thought that I almost lost her, but she is a fighter, she always has been even if she doesn’t always see it.