Free ReEmergent -Guardians of Vesturon [4] by A.M. Hargrove

that.”
    “ Look Xarrid, just be patient. I think you’ll win her back. There’s something lurking in her mind where you’re concerned. I just know the memories are in there somewhere.” She squeezed his arm and then led him to the den where Saylan was sitting.
    He stood looking at her for a few seconds before he said anything. No matter how long it would take, he knew he would love her with everything he had. She was so beautiful as she sat there, with the sun streaming in the window behind her, its rays forming a halo around her.
    “ Saylan.” He called to her softly. “May I call you Saylan now?”
    She turned to face him and smiled. While it was not her smile of days gone by, it was a smile nonetheless, and it warmed his heart to see it.
    “ Yes, you may and I’ve decided I prefer it over Number Five. I’m glad you came.”
    “ Are you?”
    Her brow furrowed as she asked, “Well yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
    That stumped him. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve wanted to be with you so much that I...well, never mind. So, what did you want to see me about?”
    “ There are so many things I feel like I’m supposed to know about you...about us. And I can’t remember any of them. The specialists tell me I might get those memories back but then again I might not. I want you to tell me what I can’t seem to remember.”
    “ I suppose I can do that.”
    “ I know I’m supposed to love you but when I look at you I feel very frightened.”
    Xarrid’s heart fell to the floor and cracked into a million pieces again. His throat tightened up and burned and he was unable to swallow. That huge lump that had been lodged there for so long, but had eventually left, had suddenly reappeared. His eyes filled with tears that he knew would be drizzling down his cheeks any second. He wanted anything but this. He didn’t want to upset her. Deity, that was the last thing he wanted, but try as he might, his emotions were not listening to reason.
    He squeezed his eyes shut, commanding his tears to go away when suddenly he felt a soft hand on his face wiping the moisture away.
    “ I’m sorry for I didn’t mean to make you sad.” She moved to take her hand away, but he stopped it with his and held it tightly to his face.
    “ I’m the one who is sorry Saylan for I don’t mean to frighten you,” he whispered brokenly. “I stopped caring about my appearance when you disappeared and perhaps that’s why I scare you and that’s the last thing I want to do. I would never ever do anything to harm you. I would only strive to keep you safe and protect you.”
    They looked into each other’s eyes and she nodded slightly. He felt her relax a bit and then he released her hand.
    “ Did you always have long untamed hair?”
    He slowly shook his head. “No sweetheart, I didn’t. I wasn’t this rough looking. Would you like for me to cut my hair off?”
    She scrunched up her eyes and stared at him. Then she asked, “May I touch it?”
    “ Of course. You can touch me anywhere. Well, within reason,” he chuckled.
    She tentatively reached out her hand and picked up a chunk of his hair. Rubbing it between her fingers and thumb, she looked at it thoughtfully for a moment. Then she stepped in closer to him and threaded both of her hands into his hair. She brought it forward and put her face in it as she inhaled. Xarrid held his breath, for he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he didn’t dare.
    “ It’s so soft and you smell really nice. I think I want you to keep it the way it is,” she said as she lifted her head to look at him. “When I’m close to you like this, I don’t feel frightened.”
    He smiled. “Good, because I may look scary but I’m not. I promise.”
    “ May I touch your lips?”
    Xarrid swallowed as his eyes widened in surprise. This was the last thing he expected. “Please,” he whispered.
    She reached up with two fingers and traced the curve of his upper lip. Then she