Fire - Betrayal (34 page)

Within five minutes the house was bustling with furniture being moved in. 
I helped where I could, but I was fascinated by the way that Cate took control of all of the men.  She had them wrapped around her little finger, and there wasn’t anything that they wouldn’t do for her. They were spellbound.

As the last of the furniture was put into place,
Cate turned to me, her face suddenly serious.

“Nic, please come to lunch with me at my parent’s.”  Her eyes were almost sad.  How could I say no?

“I’d like that Cate,” I answered.

As Cate was about to walk out the front d
oor, I caught her around the waist and pulled her back to me, and kissed her sweetly.

“I love you
Cate,” I whispered.  She traced her finger over my bottom lip, and smiled slightly.  But her eyes were sad. I wanted to make the sadness go away.  But I did not know how.

The journey to lunch was silent, my anxiety about her building.

Cate pulled me into her parent’s house by the hand.  But she stopped abruptly when we were greeted by the whole family – not only her parents, but her brothers and sister, sisters in law, brother in law, nephews and nieces.  They introduced themselves to me and welcomed me warmly.

After lunch, Cate went and helped her mum clean up.  She left me with her brothers.  It was like feeding me to the lions.  I decided that, it was probably a good thing. Not only would they ask me probing questions, I wanted to ask them some probing questions about Cate.

I also knew that this was the test of brotherhood.  I would not fail.

“So Nic, we already know all about you from mum and dad.  You know that they, and we for that matter are extremely protective of our sister Cate don’t you? We are always looking out for her.  If we think for a moment that you are no good for her, we will let you know directly, in no uncertain terms.  But on the other hand, if we know that you are treating her as she should be treated, we will be there to support you all the way,” said Cate’s eldest brother Lachlan, and then he held out his hand to shake mine.

So direct.  So confronting, dominant.  And I felt the severity of the threat behind the words. It was like making a deal to a certain degree. I looked Lachlan in the eye as he spoke.

I took his hand and shook it firmly, returning my strength of being, letting him know that I was not intimidated easily. He nodding his head at me and then backed off.

“Hey Nic, What do you wanna know about Cate, before you fall too heavily for her. Now is your chance to find out some stuff about her and get out if you don’t like what you hear!” added Luke, light heartedly, breaking the tension.

I smiled, raised my eyebrows and tilted my head to the side.  Hmmmm, very tempting.
I wanted to ask them about Cate’s ex-boyfriend, but I decided against it. It would be better not to know, because then I would dwell on the information and compare myself to him all the time.  I want Cate to love me for who I am.

I took a deep breath.

“Well…..I am sure that you are going to spill the beans on lots of things about her.  That’s what brothers are for, right?” I said. They broke out in laughter. It was like giving them permission to talk about her.

Luke leaned forward and rubbed his hands together, ready to speak in hushed tones.

“About the ex….he” And then Luke stopped speaking.  Lachlan had grabbed his shoulder in a threatening way.

“Forget it Luke.  He is not coming back.  Cate is over him.”

And then there was complete silence.

I suddenly felt totally frustrated.  What was Luke going to say about him?  I needed to know. But then Cate bounded into the room and grabbed my hand, pulling me off the sofa, smiling at my brothers.

“Later,” she said to them acidly, with warning in her eyes.

She dragged me up to her
room and closed the door.

I
looked around the room for that photograph of
him,
it was nowhere to be found.

Good.

But, then I felt the impact of a pillow on my back. She totally took me by surprise, and whacked me again.

Retaliation.

I picked up the other pillow and hit her back gently.  But she was far from gentle.  She was assertive and aggressive in her attack.  Again I was totally surprised by her vivacity.

I
decided to barrel into her with my head, keeping low for protection from the attack.  I grabbed her around the waist and pushed her towards the bed.  She landed on her back. I was on top of her.

As she looked into my eyes, she
stopped attacking me with the pillow.So serious now.  So beautiful.

I
moved my lips to hers and kissed her gently, and pulled away.  I loved her so deeply.

I rolled off her
onto my back.

“I’m sorry Nic.  I got a little carried away,”
she apologized.

“I like it when you get carried away
Cate,” I said, looking up at the ceiling, waiting for my high of emotions to descend.

I
rolled onto my side and looked into her eyes.

“Thank-you for putting away
that photo of
him
.”

“Nic, you are far more important than an old photo of
him
,” she said seriously, and kissed me lightly, before she got off the bed and gathered her boxes and left to load them into the car.

***

Cate’s house was complete, beautiful.  Just like Cate.  I breathed out my regret of having to leave her for an early training schedule tomorrow.

“I have to go
Cate.  I have to be up early in the morning.”  I really didn’t want to leave her.  I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her against me all night.

I
bent down and kissed her, then began walking to the car.  I turned around and walked backwards, looking at her. She was leaning on the front door frame.

“I love you
Cate Boswell,” I called.

“And I love you Nic
holas Walker,” she said. And then all of a sudden, she was in front of me.  She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed into me, making me melt.

Defeated,
I put my arms around her and held her closely.

I
breathed in deeply.  My body truly ached for her.

I exhaled through my lips.

Cate, what are you doing to me?

Releasing her slightly, I
brushed my fingers over her cheek and then traced her bottom lip.  She moved her fingers gently to my face, and I kissed her slowly, deliciously.

I
pulled away from her, and looked into her eyes.

“
Cate, I have to go – I love you.”

And then
turned and left.

Deceit

Life is full of twists and turns.  The path is hard and winding, interspersed with challenges along the way.  Hope comes in bounds and dwindles away with disappointments.

Hope.

One must never give up hope, and dreams.

Placing his hand on the black boulder, for the final time, or so he thought,
the blue glow surrounded his hand.  The wooden platform appeared next to the trunk of the tree, and Ben stood on it, while it smoothly rose up beside the tree, stopping midway, revealing the familiar stone door.

He placed his hand on the stone door, and it slowly slid sideways allowing Ben to enter the room of the Council of Elders.

He bowed as he approached the Council Elders, the Twelve Men and Women who sat around an oval polished granite table, as was custom.

“Your Highest, my mission is complete.  I am no longer the Warrior.  I have fulfilled the prophecy in The Book, and Une Autre Terre has been saved from the likelihood of intrusion from the
Earth dwellers. I come here requesting your permission to enter the earth to find my love, Cate, to seal my love with her, to marry her. I ask your permission not for your approval, because it is the correct thing to do,”
Ben mind communicated humbly, bowing his head.

“Ben, we respectfully give you our permission. 
Cate is an honorary Terrean, and is welcome here any time and for as long as she wants, and as your partner. We do however request that you stay in Une Autre Terre for another seven days, seven nights and seven hours, to fulfill The Prophecy in The Book, as it is written.

We cannot thank-you enough for what you have done for us.  There is no other Terrean held
as highly as you.  We will never forget you, our Warrior, who saved us from total destruction and death. We all bow our heads to you, and give praise to our Maker for your creation.  Thank-you Ben,”
said the Highest Elder, a tear in his eye.

Ben nodded his head in acknowledgement of their praise, and their demand that he stay for seven days, seven nights and seven hours before he finally leaves, and then calmly left the meeting place of the Council of Elders.

He did not take the smooth platform to the ground.  He jumped down, not caring about the damage that he may cause himself.  He was furious.  He was frustrated.  And his heart was aching for Cate.

He ran at great speed through the rainforest to his place of solace again.  He had let himself get his hopes up at returning to the earth immediately and finding his one and only true love.  But he had been sorely disappointed.  He yelled out in utter frustration, and smashed his fists into the floor of the forest.

Then he walked the forest floor aimlessly with a sadness that filled his mind. He let the tears stream down his face.  He crossed his arms over his chest where his heart ached for her, and then he found himself lying naked in the stream of cool running water. It soothed his mind and body, and gave him the strength to continue on for another seven days, seven nights, and seven hours.

And then, as h
e sat naked by the stream, letting his body dry before putting his clothes back on, he sensed that he was being watched.  He sat as still as he could, and listened.

He sensed that the person watching him was a woman.  Had it been a man, he would have made himself known, of that he was sure.

He quickly stood and clothed himself, and then with his back to her, he mind communicated with her.

“
How long have you been watching me Jacinta
?” Ben questioned her.

“
I don’t know if I should tell you that Ben,”
she replied.

“
Then you did see me naked in the stream
,” Ben communicated to her, turning to face her now.

“
Male beauty so incredible that I have not seen it here before in the other men
,” Jacinta added.

“
Why have you come here, what do you want?”
Ben asked.

“
I just happened to be walking through the rainforest, and I caught a glimpse of you out of the corner of my eye.  You were too irresistible to ignore Ben.  I was making my way back to the village.  I did not intend to run into you at all
, “Jacinta explained.

Ben looked into her eyes searching for the truth.  Then he closed the pupils of his eyes. Jacinta was trying to burn her eyes into his
, making him hers. He knew exactly what she was trying to do, and he could see right through her.

Jacinta looked away, her feathers ruffled.  No-one ever turned her down from anything.  She always got what she wanted, and she wanted Ben.  She had wanted him since she first laid her eyes upon him, when he arrived as the Messenger.

Ben commenced walking briskly through the rainforest towards the village, hoping that Jacinta would leave him alone.

But, she matched his briskness, to his disappointment.

“
Now that you have finished you mission Ben, what is it that you will do
?” asked Jacinta.

“
I am leaving Une Autre Terre to return to the earth to be with Cate,
” Ben answered her.

“
But, you cannot depart yet Ben.  You must stay for seven more days, nights and hours
,” commented Jacinta.

Ben looked at her suspiciously.

“
You have been communicating with the Council Elders haven’t you Jacinta?  What you have just told me is not common knowledge
,“ Ben accused.

“
That is true Ben.  I was simply enquiring about you, and they gave me that information
,” added Jacinta nervously.

“
So be it.  It will be common knowledge now, what with our abilities to mind communicate and all
,” Ben said with sarcasm.

“
Please sit with my family tonight for the evening meal Ben
,” asked Jacinta, keen to spend as much time as she could with him.