Talia observed the strange mechanism of the shower and noticed that there was one more chain. "What about the one in the back?"
"That one will drain the reservoir. We will drain it before we leave so that it stays dry until the next rain."
Damon hugged Talia from behind. "Shower and wear something comfortable. I will be back in no time and then we will work on the dinner."
Talia wanted him to stay, or at least to take her with him, but his choice of words made it obvious that he wanted her to wait for him. Well, the day was long, and the humidity made her sweat. She would need to shower anyway.
"Be back soon.", she said softly. "Go, before I change my mind."
Damon chuckled and kissed the back of her head.
Talia closed her eyes when his arms loosened around her and she released a slow breath, missing him from the moment his warmth started disappearing.
Maya told her that after marking their connection will intensify, and the absence will hit them harder. Talia didn't want to think about anything harder than what she was experiencing right now.
Talia entered the bathroom with a towel around herself while clutching her change of clothes.
Damon's absence was unsettling, and she decided to shower quickly. He said that he will be back by the time she was done, so if he breaks his word, she will give him a hard time. But she really hoped that he will be back sooner, and maybe join her in the shower.
Talia observed the showerhead that was actually a wide pipe coming straight from the ceiling, and Talia guessed that the other side was attached to the water reservoir on the roof.
After keeping her things on the side, Talia stood under the showerhead, tugged on one chain, and… nothing. She tried the other one, gradually increasing the pull, and after a small screech that sounded like a groan, the water started dripping. It was warm. She gave the chain a stronger tug and the water flowed.
"Ahh…", a long sigh escaped Talia's lips when warm water hit her head and glided down her body, soaking in the tension she built up during the last few days, and washing it away until it disappeared in the pebbles that could be seen through the planks on the floor.
Talia reminded herself that there was a limited water supply, so she tugged the chain to stop the water in order to soap herself. After a strained creak, the water stopped, and Talia reached for the shampoo.
She was distracted.
What was Damon up to? Why did he leave like there was an important mission?
She was nervous.
Talia told him that he can mark her, and she knew that's why they came here, and that was already nerve-wracking, but then he left. She needed his proximity and assurance that things will be alright.
What if her wolf comes out and objects or… worse?
And how could Gideon say that her wolf was fine? How can it be fine if she is not responding when Talia calls for her? Or is her wolf ignoring her on purpose? Aren't wolves and humans supposed to work together?
"Crap!", Talia cursed under her breath when shampoo entered her eyes, fierce sting blinded her.
Now what!?
Talia frantically waved to reached for the chains. She tugged one, nothing happened. She reached for the other one and nothing.
How can both of those be nothing? She pulled with a lot of force this time.
Is the system broken?
She grabbed the other chain and put her weight behind it. The pipe above her head creaked and then…
'SPLAAAAAAASH!'
Talia lost footing under the force of water that hit her suddenly, and she fell on her butt, blinking rapidly as the water slammed into the floor planks and splattered everywhere.
Talia pushed her hair back to see that the pipe above her head was completely open, water pouring out, and she had no idea how to stop it. After a moment of hesitation, Talia she quickly stuck her head under the stream to wash away the remaining shampoo because she had a feeling that water will run out within seconds.
The water stopped and Talia dejectedly looked up, wondering if she broke it. But then she understood that she probably pulled the third chain, the one that drained the reservoir.
Will Damon be mad at her?
Well, at least the lake was close. They can go swimming and laugh about this shower incident. Maybe.
She heard about rain-summoning rituals. Should she try to perform it? If it rains heavily, Damon won't notice that she used the whole reservoir for one shower. Will he believe it was an accident?
Talia exhaled helplessly. What was done was done.
She walked out of the shower to grab a towel and she looked in the mirror dejectedly.
This three days-long vacation didn't start well. Actually, the last few days were kind of horrible, and it felt like a dam was about to break, yet they were patching it up with bandages.
Talia exited the bathroom while rubbing her hair with a towel and she froze when she heard noise from the kitchen.
Slowly, very slowly, she turned toward the source of the noise and released the breath she was holding when she realized it was Damon.
Relief replaced her anxiety with every inhale that brought her his addictive scent.
He was rummaging through the kitchen and Talia paused at the sight of his muscular back as he stretched his arm to reach something from the top shelf. Damon was wearing only a pair of black shorts and his form was mesmerizing.
"Done with shower?", he asked before turning to meet her gaze. "I told you I won't take long."
Talia was about to respond, but she ended up frowning when she saw that his cheek was red.
She swiftly moved toward him and reached for his face. "You are hurt."
Damon shook his head. "I'm fine."
"That's blood."
"Not mine."
Talia followed his eyes that moved to the side and her brows furrowed at the sight of two dead rabbits that were in a metallic bowl on the kitchen counter.
She blinked while wondering if he bit them to death. Or did he shift in his wolf form? That would explain where his pants and shirt went.
Damon picked up a few spices and a knife, put them in the bowl next to the rabbits, and tilted his head toward the main door.
"Come with me."
Talia had no idea what to expect, but she followed him gingerly.
She paused at the sight of the campfire that was burning not far from the cabin. It was in a small clearing that was obviously made for such activities because there was no grass growing there, and three logs that formed a triangle were perfect for sitting around the campfire.
