Torn in Two by Ryanne Hawk

Prologue
     
    I woke startled, with the pounding need to hurt something and expend the rush of darkness heating my blood. My fist through a wall or the crack of a glass vase strewn about the room. Maybe I’d hurl rocks at the trees outside. I wanted to run, maim, claw, and cry.
    Long buried fears resurfaced in my dream and caused me to bolt awake, trembling and in pain. My heart knocked against my ribs, and my hands were curled into little balls of fury. I frantically tried to brain bleach my thoughts and purge the rolling emotional tide that assaulted my psyche. I scrubbed my palms over my face and untwisted my legs from the soaking wet sheets.
    I sat up on the side of the bed and tried to will my racing heart to slow down. The room spun in dizzying circles, and I fought back the waves of disorientation threatening to drown me. It took a few seconds or minutes, could have been an hour with the level of fog holding me hostage, to remember I wasn’t at home in my own cozy bed.
    I shook my head to clear the lingering cobwebs, and the realization of my situation slapped me in the face. Some pissed-off and jealous werewolves had trashed my home and forced me to leave my sanctuary. Thanks to them, I was sleeping in a strange hotel. No wonder I had a nightmare; all the scents were different, and there was no white noise. Nothing familiar, except the snoring.
    Beside me, Sol slept with an arm thrown over his head. I stared at his relaxed face to gain composure. A semblance of reality. A break from the fear. Sol was my twin-flame, and I depended on him to quiet the demons that haunted my memories and to love me…for me. Only, the longer I stared at him, the more I noticed the frown lines adorning his face. His breathing changed, and I looked deeper.
    I touched his arm and tilted my head to focus on him, checking his aura for further signs of distress, just as his eyes snapped open and locked on my face.
    He rolled over in a fluid motion and effortlessly gathered me into his arms. “Talk to me, Cordelia. You were thrashing in your sleep. I tried to wake you, but you were locked up tighter than a chastity belt.”
    I froze with his rapid movement. He reminded me so much of a tiger with a quick strike. His majestic charm and smile would lull you into comfort, and then, bam, he’d tear you apart. I shook my head once then got angry at myself for freezing. Sol wouldn’t hurt me.
    “I didn't think you were awake,” I whispered as I coiled myself into him, relaxing a minutia with my back to his chest, and my ass nestled in the crook of his waist. There was a chuckle lodged in my throat from his remark, but for some reason, I couldn’t force it out. I shivered instead.
    He sighed softly. A whisper across my neck making goosebumps spread over my left side and I covered us with the blankets.
    “I wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t awake either. I think I was caught in the backwash of your emotional state. You yelled and punched the air quite a bit. Are you okay?” He pressed his body against mine and rubbed my legs with the arch of his foot before tucking his legs up to rest, spooning me.
    I shook my head.
    “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”
    I sighed and shrugged. “Not really.”
    He chuckled, and the sound eased the clang in my chest as he lightly ran his fingertips over my arms before settling his hands over my heart. He interlaced our fingers, and his energy seeped into my skin, a calmness that told me I was safe. The light blue color of peace, warmth, and love wound around my body. His chest rose and fell against my back in perfect harmony with my ragged breathing as he synchronized his heartbeat with mine, and then he slowly absorbed some of the rushing emotional turmoil inside me, replacing the crushing loss with a stroke of freedom.
    “Tell me please, Cordelia. I want to know. I want to help ease your burdens.” He banded his arms tighter around me, holding me together.
    I took a deep breath and let the air out