Free Reverence by Shelly Crane Page A

help you with her?"
    "Because this sucks, bro." I rubbed my neck. "The withdrawals ain't no joke."
    "Boo hoo. Cry me a freaking river."
    "Maggie's hurting as bad as me, or worse." He stiffened. "Come on, help me."
    He stayed still and silent, but then exhaled and rolled over again. "Fine."
    He spouted the street address and before he was even done, I was gone. I could feel her heartbeat, and it was getting stronger in my chest, and I knew that it would lead me to her if she was distressed anyway. So after brushing my teeth and swiping my hair back with my fingers, I hit the pavement without saying another word to anyone.
    As I walked, I passed the stoplight where she saved me last night, right as her heartbeat kicked into high gear right next to mine. My feet took off before my brain even understood what was going on.
    It was strange how I knew right where to go; no guessing, no tripping feet, no veering. I went right into the front door of a house that I'd never seen, went up the stairs to a bathroom door, opened it and took the girl in my arms.
    Immediately a sigh escaped us both and I could feel again. Breathe again. Gah, she smelled so good. I ran my hand up her arm to fill her with my touch. "I'm sorry," I whispered to her. "I got here as fast as I could."
    I didn't want to rush her or scare her, and she needed my touch whether she wanted it or not, but she leaned into me and accepted everything I had to offer. I felt everything inside of me relax.
    I actually sniffed her hair as I continued to hold her to me. I had to figure out what that smell was, but it could wait. As she leaned back to look at me, anything I might have been thinking was lost to me.
    Holy….she was absolutely gorgeous, even more so than last night. Her freckles were spackles of cuteness across her nose. And the blue shirt she was wearing was soft and see-through across her shoulders. I gulped to keep from saying something stupid. Like how much my body was screaming to kiss her, throw her over my shoulder and take her away from everyone and everything, never ever stop touching her.
    "Hi," she said, her voice breathy and sweet from toothpaste.
    "Hi," I answered back and my cheeks hurt. I realized I was grinning like a frigging idiot and started doing something else to distract myself. I pushed her hair back to inspect the wound…that I had inflicted on her. Man, that hurt to think about.
    "How's the head?" I asked.
    "It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."
    "Did you sleep ok?"
    "Yeah. I slept great, actually."
    I realized that I still had her in my arms, all cave man like, and promptly stepped back to give her a little space. I wanted her to be comfortable, even if that meant that I wasn't touching her.
    “And I was fine, I mean I felt a little weird, like I had the flu,” she said and I nodded to confirm, “but it wasn’t until I started to think about things- um, you, that I freaked.”
    “I know. It happens, especially the first few days after an imprinting.”
    “Why?”
    I shrugged and tried to speak clearly. “Doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I have no intentions of going very far.”
    “Good,” she answered, her green eyes locked on mine. I grinned, couldn't be helped. She swallowed delicately, her throat working down her neck. Ah…gah….
    I asked her about going out with Kyle. Then all hell broke loose in my body. I saw the offense mark, in my mind it was like I gripped her and slung her around I was so angry, but I didn't. My touch was gentle and she was calming me down. Some. But it was then that I realized she was just as strong and capable as I was of being there. Of being kind and gentle and just…there when you needed them. I didn't know if she understood what her touch was doing for me or not, but she was like a band-aid to my pissy mood.
    Then I seemed to come back into myself as I heard the name of the Watson who'd always wanted to kick my teeth in. "Marcus touched you?" I asked softly, running my finger along her smooth