by Alexis Davie
“Where will you go?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t stay here, Luce.”
“And you’re not even going to talk to Dax about it?” Lucinda asked and crossed her arms.
“Why should I? You just said that he’s a playboy and will never commit to anything.”
“That was before you said you’re his True Mate. You Bonded, Becca. You’re supposed to be mates forever.”
“At the possible cost of my life? No. I don’t think that is right at all. I’m not going to put myself and my child in danger just because we’re supposed to be together. Plus, I’m not even sure how he’ll react if I tell him! He’d probably tell me to get rid of it,” Becca said and stood from the couch.
“He’s an asshole, but he’s surely not that heartless, Becca.”
She didn’t believe he was. A small part of her wanted to believe he was a good man.
“I can’t risk it, you know?” Becca said anyway. She really couldn’t.
“I get it.”
“About the fundraiser. I need to you take over for me. Just tell him that I have some family business to take care of, or tell him that I opened my file and I needed to get away for a while. You can literally tell him anything you want.” Becca turned and made her way to the bedroom.
“Becca, wait a minute,” Lucinda called to her, following her.
Becca opened her closet and slid her large suitcase out from the bottom shelf. She placed it on the bed and started to grab her clothes, shoving them into the suitcase.
“Becca, about the fundraiser—”
“I am sure that you will be able to handle it on your own,” Becca said encouragingly. “I know it’s not in your job description, but I could really use your help on this. You can even get someone else to help you if you’re not up to the task. I really don’t mind.”
“Actually,” Lucinda said. “A woman came to the offices this morning who wanted to do some volunteer work.”
“Was she from another organization, or just someone who wants to help?”
“She said she heard about the charity ball from a friend, and she wanted to help out. Apparently, she loves kids, and she’s also an orphan.”
Becca’s eyebrows raised slightly, and she smiled. “That’s so nice of her. Maybe she can sit in with your meetings with Dax and help in any way she can.”
“That’s a good idea. I will do that.”
“She does know that we’re all Gifted, right?”
“Yes,” Lucinda chuckled. “She’s a dragon herself.”
“Really? Do we know her?”
“No, I’ve never heard of her before, but she gives off a nice and easy vibe. She’s really nice, too. She brought me a chai tea when she came in, so she’s already off to a great start.” Lucinda smiled. “Her name is Mira.”
“Mira?” Becca repeated, feeling uneasy all of a sudden, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the thought of not being able to be involved in her organization any longer and having to entrust someone else with the place she had spent nearly six years building from the ground.
And for what? Nothing?
“You’re right, she does sound nice,” Becca forced herself to say. She didn’t want Lucinda to feel that she had made a bad call to allow Mira to volunteer and help out. Lucinda was now in charge, and she knew the vision Becca had for New Horizons.
Lucinda’s smile didn’t last long when she noticed the shallow tears in Becca’s eyes. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“I’m sorry.” Becca wiped under her eyes. “I just feel sad leaving everything behind. I’ve built a life here in Vancouver. A life I love, and now I have to leave. But I guess it’s better that way. I have a new chapter of my life to start now, and I know that everything is going to be okay. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I know that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, right?”
“Right.” Lucinda put her arms around Becca’s shoulders and hugged her. “Do you want me to help you pack?”
“No,” Becca sniffed. “I’ll be okay.”
“If you need anything, you can always call me,” Lucinda said.
“I know.”
“And if you decide to settle somewhere, let me know if you’re safe.”
Becca tried to muster a smile as another tear ran down her cheek and she hugged her friend again. “I will. Thank you for everything.”
“Love you, Becca.”
“Love you, too,” Becca whispered. She walked Lucinda to the door and said goodbye.
Loneliness crept up inside her as she went back to her bedroom and continued to pack her belongings. It felt surreal to see her whole life, the life she had built for herself in Vancouver, contained in her suitcase on her bed. Was that all it ever was? Just a bunch of clothes and memories that she could pack up and move on with?
Becca stared at the suitcase for a moment before she zipped it up and dragged it off the bed.
Her phone rang as she placed it upright beside the front door, and she checked the screen. It was Dax. She took a deep breath and answered it.
“Hey, Dax.”
“Becca! I am so glad you answered,” he greeted her in relief. “I need to talk to you. Can I see you, please?”
“I don’t think that is such a good idea.”
“Please, I need to see you. That conversation we had… I am so sorry about that. I really didn’t mean to hurt you. I tend to be a real jackass sometimes. I was a jerk to you, and I am sorry. Can we just please get together?”
“I can’t. I’m really busy today.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I don’t know, Dax. Things are just a little upside down right now,” Becca said, running her fingers through her hair and trying with all her might not to let him read her thoughts. She attempted to clear her mind and not think of anything but the pain she was feeling inside her.
“Don’t you think that it’s in times like these that you actually need to be with someone?”
“I do, but we both know that us being together is not safe.”
“I would never let anything bad happen to you, Becca.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” she pointed out.
“But I can try. I want to try, Becca. You are important to me. You might think that this sounds crazy, but you turned my world upside down when I saw you for the first time. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and not being with you felt like there was a great big hole in my chest. My entire life, I felt like something was missing inside me, and even though I tried to deny it or cover it up with alcohol and women and drugs and violence, nothing could fill that void. Nothing and no one. That all changed when I met you. I felt complete, like I was meant for something great. Now, not being with you, I feel the emptiness again.”
Me too, Becca thought.
“Please, just give me a chance to prove to you that I can be everything you want me to be. I’m not that guy anymore.”
Tears were streaming down Becca’s cheeks, but she had to stay strong. “I’m sorry, Dax. I can’t.”
“Becca, please. Can’t we talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m just doing what’s best for me right now. I can’t take the chance with the curse. There is too much at stake now. I don’t want to risk it. You can go back to your life before you met me.”
“That’s just the thing, Becca. I can’t. We’re Bonded, for the rest of our lives, and it’s not something that I can just forget. Neither can you.”
“I’m sorry, Dax. I have to go.”
“Becca, please. Don’t hang up the phone—”
“Goodbye, Dax.” Becca disconnected the call, despite Dax’s pleads on the other end of the line, and she threw her phone on the couch. Her knees gave way from under her, and she sunk down onto the couch. She grabbed a light blue pillow and cried into it. Her chest burned as she gasped a few times in-between her sobs and buried her face in the pillow again.
It was difficult for her, pretending the entire convers
ation with Dax that she didn’t feel anything for him. It was the worst pain in the world, and it felt as though her insides were being shredded apart. She loved him, as crazy as it sounded to her to think it, let alone say it out loud. She loved Dax with everything she had inside her, but she also loved this baby. As tiny as it was, she loved it, and she would do anything in her power to keep it, and herself, safe.
Her eye caught the file that still rested unopened on the coffee table, and she approached it. She picked it up, scowled at it, and dropped it down into the trash can. She didn’t care what it said any longer. Nothing mattered.
She needed to leave, because if she stayed in that apartment for a moment longer, she’d be forced to stay.
It was now or never.
After shoving her phone into the front pocket of her jeans, Becca grabbed the handle of her suitcase, opened the door, and took one last look before she left the apartment.
She struggled with the suitcase: going down the hall to the elevator, getting it into and out of the elevator, and then down the back exit towards the parking garage. The wheels at the bottom of the suitcase scraped against the concrete, and the sound echoed through the parking garage. As soon as she reached her car, she opened the trunk and lugged the suitcase inside before slamming it shut. She caught her breath and climbed into her car, her eyes still teary and her throat raw from all the crying. She caught her reflection in the rearview mirror and scowled at herself.
“Pull yourself together, Becca. It’s better this way,” she told her reflection, trying her hardest to keep herself positive and motivated. She started her car and drove out of the parking garage.
The sun was starting to set in the sky, and the lights of the city were already flickering cheerfully. Becca drove towards the large motorway, but there was a bit of traffic, so it took a little longer than she would’ve liked. She wanted to leave the city as fast as possible, but she simply had to be patient. The other drivers on the road wanted to get somewhere just as badly as she did, so she turned on the radio and listened to some music. When she recognized a song that played in the cocktail lounge the night she and Dax were there, she huffed and turned the radio off.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Becca made no effort to check who it could be, for she already knew. Dax was clearly desperate to get a hold of her, but she wasn’t going to answer. He would probably have ways to track her phone and find out exactly where she was, so the moment it stopped vibrating, she slipped it out of her pocket and switched it off.
Once she was on the motorway, the cars started to decrease. Becca stepped on the gas pedal and rode along the motorway, watching the city pass her by. She felt partly freed, but for the most part, she felt lost.
Lost in love. Lost in sadness. Lost in loneliness.
Becca glanced in her rearview mirror and noticed a black sports car coming up behind her. It was going rather fast, and she changed lanes so that it could go past her. She was cruising at a nice speed and had no reason to go faster. Only, it didn’t pass her. It drove dangerously close to the back of her car, which made Becca nervous. She didn’t like it when others drove so close to her, since she always kept the proper following distance.
The black car changed lanes and slowed down so their cars were perfectly parallel with one another. Becca narrowed her eyes as she recognized the doors, and she shook her head. Was this some kind of joke to Dax?
She slowed down slightly, and the Lamborghini sped away. A shiver ran down her spine as she watched the car disappear out in front of her and sighed.
“What a jackass,” she muttered.
To her shock and surprise, the black Lamborghini swerved into her lane, turning itself so that the front of the car was facing hers, and Becca slammed on the brakes. Luckily, her car stopped in time, only a few inches from the Lamborghini.
She sat motionless for a few seconds, catching her breath.
What the fuck, Dax? She took a deep breath, looking at the Lamborghini in front of her, in the middle of the motorway. Had no one else seen that happening?
“Holy shit,” Becca panted and unfastened her seatbelt. She opened the door and climbed out. “What the hell, Dax? You nearly killed me, again!” she called out.
The lights of the Lamborghini flashed a few times, like it was taunting her. Their shapes looked menacing.
“Seriously, can you just get out of the way, or get out of the car? You’re behaving like a damn child!”
The front door of the Lamborghini opened, and much to Becca’s surprise, a young woman climbed out. She wore a skintight pair of leather pants, accentuating her curves, and a black leather jacket, with a dark red t-shirt sticking out from under the jacket. She had dark hair which glistened in the moonlight, and her eyes were fixed on Becca.
“Could you please get the hell off the road?” Becca called out again.
“Going somewhere, Rebecca?”
Becca’s brow furrowed, and she took a step towards the woman. “How do you know who I am?”
“That doesn’t really matter, does it?”
Becca shifted her weight. “Dax sent you to find me, right? He can’t stand it that I’m not answering his calls or his messages. Is that it? Well, I’ve got news for you. I’m not going with you, and you can tell Dax exactly that.”
“I’m not your messenger, nor am I his,” the woman hissed.
“Then who the hell are you?” Becca questioned, fear filling up inside her.
“Your worst nightmare,” the woman growled. Her eyes flashed a deep red.
A sharp and intense shooting pain erupted inside Becca’s skull, and she cried out, hunching down. Another explosion of pain shook her to her core, and she collapsed on the ground, the world whirling around her until it went completely black.
7
The scent of sulfur and smoke filled Dax’s nostrils, and he found himself in a long hallway. The roars and screeches of dragons could be heard in the distance, and Dax turned to the large window to his left. Stepping closer, he recognized the scene before him only from the stories that his mother had told him when he was a young boy. Fires were blazing through the palace and the town below, illuminating everything in an ominous red and orange glow. Smoke spilled from the fires, and screams of terror filled the air, muffled by the screeches of the dragons overhead.
“Dax!”
Dax whirled around, and his eyes widened when he saw Becca, dressed in a long, flowing gown reminiscent ancient times, her hair piled on top of her head, being dragged off through the hallway by a hooded figure.
“Becca!”
He started to run after them. The faster he ran, the longer the hallway became, and he was convinced that he would never reach Becca. He shrugged his shoulders, feeling the dragon blood inside him take over, and he transformed into a glorious, magnificent blue-scaled beast. His wings unfolded gracefully, and he let out a powerful and earsplitting roar. The sheer size of him caused the roof of the hallway to break apart, and large pieces of granite and stone fell to the floor.
The dark figure stopped and turned around. The silver eyes of the witch glowed in the darkness. She removed the hood, and her silver hair blew in the wind. She grabbed Becca by the neck, and the blade of a dagger gleamed in the light.
Dax let out a deep, throaty growl. The fire rose up on his throat, but he resisted the urge to spew it. Becca was in danger, and he would hurt her if he did.
The witch did not seem at all fazed by his roar and pressed the dagger against Becca’s neck.
“Dax!” Becca’s eyes were filled with terror, pleading with him to help her.
Dax took a step forward. The witch called out to him, “You’re too late, Daxard.”
Dax’s blood ran cold in his veins, and he was frozen on the spot. He watched powerlessly as the witch slid the sharp edge of the dagger across Becca’s neck, blood seeping from the cut.
Becca held her hand out to him, and the witch dropped her onto the ground and disappeared into the darkness.
“B
ecca!” Dax rushed towards Becca, slowly transforming into his human form. He grew frustrated at moving so slowly, but when he finally reached her body, drenched in blood, he fell down by her side and held her. He said her name over and over again. “Becca, can you hear me?”
It was useless. She was gone.
“Becca!”
Dax sat upright in his bed, drenched in sweat and panting. Even though it had been only a nightmare, it had felt incredibly real, and it should not be taken lightly. This was a warning; a warning of something terrible happening. He just didn’t know what.
Luckily, he had a meeting today at New Horizons, and he would finally be able to see Becca, even if it was in a professional setting. There were so many things Dax wanted to say to her, but he knew that she wouldn’t want to hear them, especially not coming from him. He had to prove to her that he would do whatever it took to not only keep her safe, but to be the man she deserved to be with.
It was time to buck up: no more messing around, no more being aloof and reckless.
Dax took a long shower, allowing the hot water to become one with his body. His muscles relaxed under the pressure, and his stress ran down him and down the drain. He got dressed, picking clothes a little nicer than he usually wore, and was out the door within the hour.
Arriving at New Horizons, he didn’t see Becca’s car parked in the small lot across the street. Her car was usually very visible, but today, it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she had parked in a different place, or she had decided to take a taxi, or whatever. There could be a million reasons why her car wasn’t parked in its usual space.
Dax opened the front door of the building, and as he stepped inside, he noticed it was more than a little chaotic. There were a lot more people inside than he had ever seen, and he wondered what was going on. They all carried stacks of files, looking very busy, almost frantic, and scurrying around into different offices. Some even collected packages and sealed envelopes and walked past him to leave.
