The Fire of the Fated (The Chosen Series Book 3)

by K. C. Hamby

  So tired of bein’ your shielder, lettin’ my soul break.

  N-n-n-no give, A-a-a-all ache.”

  Eddie growls into the microphone, her lip lifting in anger as she sings some of the words, eyes roaming over the crowd, distaste evident in the action as she plays her part in the song. She strums away flawlessly as she powers through the lyrics. She’s in her element, that’s for sure.

  “You see now you’ve done it,

  And now I’m cold-hearted.

  I’m doin’ my damndest,

  But I just can’t stand this.”

  Ash slams away at the drums with his brows furrowed in concentration. When he hits one of the cymbals, Lilith jumps in the air with a loud “Whoop.”

  “I won’t stand for this over and again,

  Your burden is drivin’ me insane.

  You’ll never fix this; you’ll just cause more pain.

  Your burden is drivin’ me insane.”

  I’m jumping up and down to the beat. It’s so catchy and Eddie’s anger rings in every single word she sings, pulling on something deep within her; no doubt it’s a hurtful event from her past. She backs away from the mic and strums at her guitar, smiling a little demonically, but it fits with the song.

  They go on like this, mesmerizing me and impressing Fal with each original song. Ash eventually settles into the environment and begins acting like his goofy self. Eddie hits some impressive high notes and sings her self-written songs with everything in her soul.

  “They all say…

  It makes you stronger,

  But what doesn’t kill you,

  Disappoints me.”

  The crowd goes wild at these lyrics and Eddie raises her brows, sticking out her tongue a little with a venomous smile. Fal chuckles beside me and shakes her head.

  “God, they are awesome,” I tell her, leaning back into her chest. She wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek.

  “Hell yeah, they are.”

  Chapter 14

  Edelina

  As I jump off the stage, I’m smiling like a fool. That was fucking fantastic. Everything I dreamt playing live would be and the adrenaline high from the pulse of the crowd is beyond satisfying.

  I flex my fingers and rub out the ache in the tips from my guitar. Ash could heal them, but I’m fond of this particular ache. It’s a reminder of how hard we’ve all worked, me definitely. It took a lot for me to write those songs from such a deep place of pain, but working up the gall to sing them? Fucking hard.

  People come running up and crowd me like some celebrity. They touch my arms, my hair, ask me a million things at once. Their words become droning white noise as they blend together. I sign a few napkins and some lass pushes me to sign the swells of her tits with a strong-scented marker.

  She says something I think is a pass at me with cherry red lips and forest-colored eyes, but everyone around us is screaming all at once and I lose her words in the abundant noise.

  Not like I really care for what she had to say. I have a Mannie. I don’t want anyone else. Maybe once I would have flirted back, maybe even had a night with the lass. But not anymore.

  Not ever again.

  “A’rite, you dobbers. Gimme a minute to hydrate myself,” I growl, but I make it playful; even when I hate being crowded. Hands brush across my arms again and I suppress a snarl.

  “Move it, people,” I hear from behind me and smirk.

  “Ashy,” I murmur as he strides up and grabs my hand, rescuing me from the onslaught.

  “Come on, babe,” he whispers before kissing me gently on my temple.

  I follow as he pulls me through the people trying to get our attention. Some glare at Ash. Some glare at me. I ‘spose they thought to try their hand with us. I catch the eyes of the red-lipped lassie and she seems saddened.

  Ach, this is dafty. I’m not a fan of this many people so close. Breathing my air and all that. Definitely not a fan of so many others wanting me or my Mannie.

  My wolf isn’t in favor of that aspect, for sure.

  When we get to the bar, Ashy hands me a shot and I take it without a second thought. I wipe my mouth of the hard tequila and hand him back the glass.

  “Ima need another one of those,” I tell him, but he already has another glass ready for me. “You ken me well, laddie.” I wink before I take the other shot.

  He does nothing but wiggle those brows while taking a sip of his own drink.

  “Move,” is growled in the crowd behind me almost loud enough to shake the walls, and I can’t help but snort.

  “Aye, let the wench and her wummun through,” I tell the people and they part as I wave Falen and Nina forward.

  “That was so great!” Nina squeals as she runs up to the bar. Her arms wrap around me and squeeze.

  I cough when some of the air is shoved out of my mouth. “Nina, you’re a wee stronger than you used to be.” I whisper, a bit strained as my ribs attempt to expand for my lungs.

  “Oh, god,” she breathes and lets me go, horror twisting her lips down. “I’m sorry!”

  I take a deep breath and right myself as Falen laughs.

  “That was pretty amazing,” she relays and reaches around Nina to bump her wrist to mine.

  “A compliment!” I exclaim. “I dinnae ken you had it in you.”

  She elegantly flips me her middle finger before turning to her brother. “Ash!” She punches his arm, instigating their strange little flinching game.

  But he punches her right back and Falen’s eye twitches.

  “Yes, Flinchy?”

  “Bastard,” she growls and rubs the hurt spot. “I was going to say you did fucking awesome, but now, you can just kiss my ass.”

  Ash’s head tilts back and forth a few times as his smugness deepens. “Thanks, Fal Pal.”

  I chuckle and lean up against him while Falen and Nina push by to grab drinks of their own from the bar. Ash hands me a drink over my shoulder before wrapping his arms around my waist. His lips move to my neck and I lean into them as condensation drips over my fingers from the drink.

  “You’re gonnae get yourself in trouble, lad,” I growl as his breath tickles my ear, tapping my fingernail on the glass of my cold drink.

  “Oh, no. Whatever will I do? I guess I’ll just have to let you punish me,” he whispers so low, no one else is the wiser.

  “Ash,” I scold and turn around to his smirk. “You’re gantin’ for it.”

  He smirks evilly and it has my heart doing flips in my ribcage. It’s a frantic bird, thumping soft yet insistent wings against my insides. My eyes dilate, my wolf ready to take what’s hers to the back storage room of the bar…

  “Ed!”

  My smile drops, my lips heavy concrete. Cold spreads from my chest to the rest of my body. I almost drop the glass from my shaking fingers. The old nickname is like a shower of freezing rain pelting at my skin. My bottom lip shakes as a stuttered breath falls from my mouth.

  No. I dinnae hear that.

  Ash’s brows furrow as he stares down at me.

  “Ed!”

  No. You’ve gottae be fuckin’ kiddin’ me. This is some cruel, fuckin’ joke.

  “Eddie?” Ash asks and I push my lips into a thin line, closing my eyes, willing the voice away.

  “Come on, Ed. I ken you hear me!”

  I take a burning breath and turn around, facing my demon with a mask of cold annoyance expertly in place. I’m not ready for this encounter. Not in the slightest, but...

  “Raven.”

  She’s…here. And so is Raven’s latest plaything, I’m assuming. A tall lad with golden blonde hair and muscles popping out of his too tight shirt. He looks like a bawbag. Just her type.

  I want to groan. I want to run. I want to beat her fucking face in.

  “Long time no see, pal,” Raven chides, pushing her short, blonde hair out of her venomous eyes.

  Her voice is just as grating and seductive as I remember. She’s got a platinum pixie under-cut now. Can’t say it doesn�
�t fit her. It makes her fox features look even more devious. Which, I didn’t think was possible. She’s always been a fox in a hen house, looking for anything that will prove an advantage for her eventual strike.

  Her blue eyes glow under her lashes as she watches me with the same hunger I remember. Her lips, the bottom one pierced with a hoop to the side, turn up as she shoves her hair out of her face.

  The alcohol sours in my stomach. Nausea rolls in my throat and down to the very tips of my toes.

  “Aye, it’s been aboot four or five years you said?” the man beside her adds, putting muscled hands on his hips and flipping his blonde hair with a flick of his head. His accent is…odd. A wee forced and hardly Scottish.

  Pretentious fucking pecker-head.

  “Six,” I growl, wondering why it’s any of his goddamn business. Heat licks through my body quickly, unlocking long forgotten rage.

  My growl makes Falen and Nina look over to us. Falen’s eyes squint between Raven and I, and Nina watches with calculating wariness while asking Falen what’s going on under her breath.

  “Too long, dinnae you ken, Ed?” Raven asks, taking a step closer and smiling wider; a spider who is creeping up on her dinner trapped in her web.

  “Not long enough, if you ask me,” I mutter, and retreat a step into Ash’s chest.

  “Oh, goddess, there are more of you,” Lilith complains as she and Corin walk up to the bar. “I’m going to need to carry a goddamn Scottish dictionary in my pocket.”

  Raven’s lips curl in a condescending smirk as she glares at Lilith. Lilith’s brows raise and her emerald eyes flash with hope of violence.

  “The fuck are you looking at, emo Tinkerbell?” Lilith growls, taking a shot of some colored alcohol and wiping her lips, purposefully showing her sharpened canines in a threat. Her black lipstick stays, the formula surely made of industrial paint.

  Corin snorts before taking a sip of his fruity drink and places his other hand on the small of Lilith’s back.

  But Raven chooses not to respond, acting as if Lil didn’t speak.

  This pisses Lilith off. Her brows raise and she glances to Corin and Fal like ‘did you see what this bitch just did?’ But she holds in her wrath, the lass ever patient waiting for the perfect time for her target to make a mistake.

  “Who is this bonnie lad?” Raven asks, letting her greedy eyes land behind me. On Ash.

  My wolf roars in my chest, begging me to end this fucking twat.

  “Ash. My Mannie. And if you value your eyes, you best be gettin’ them off him before I rip them out your napper,” I snap, heat radiating up my neck and behind my eyes.

  “Oh, your Mannie?” The guy beside her asks, something akin to rage lighting in his swirling blue eyes.

  Still not sure why it’s his goddamn business. The shite eyes I give him conveys as much.

  “That’s what I fuckin’ said, you laggin’ donkey. Need me to say it slower?” I sneer at the bastart, showing my teeth.

  Raven seems annoyed at his question and my reply, but her mouth turns smug.

  She’s pulling a hidden card out of her sleeve.

  “Hmm, so no more sleepin’ around, then? No more gettin’ plowed with me in the club lavvy by a lad we met a mere minute ago?”

  Ash growls behind me.

  This drags a full smile from Raven, venomous and striking. “That’s too bad. We had fun together.” She looks me up and down.

  Ice slides through my veins, mixing with the fire of rage. I just want to get the hell out of here. But now she’s trying to smear my name to my Mate.

  I tense to pounce and rip her fucking face off.

  “Excuse me,” Nina yells from her spot at the bar, making me pause. “Why are you here if you’re just going to be a jerk?”

  Again, Raven ignores the question, only paying attention to me and Ash. This is all just a game to her; she loves to piss people off.

  Falen’s eyes glow at the slight to her Mate, but she stays quiet, watching carefully and picking Raven apart with her glare.

  “Yeah, listen, trashcan Barbie. If I throw a stick, will you get lost like a good dog?” Lilith asks, turning her head sideways as she watches Raven. She’s goading Raven into taking a shot, stepping closer.

  Can’t say I wouldn’t appreciate watching Lil kick Raven’s ass.

  Raven pans her look up at Ash, ignoring Lilith again, but I can tell what Lil said pissed her off, her fists clenching at her sides.

  By the smirk on Lilith’s face, she can tell too.

  But now, Raven’s eyes are steady enough on my Mate I want to pull her eyes from her skull and feed them to sharks.

  “She’s good in bed, huh?”

  I swallow hard as my cheeks heat. I didn’t think that would come from her dirty mouth. I’ve never told Ash any specifics of who I have slept with in the past because I respect him. If he asked, of course I would. But he hasn’t and now Raven is basically spitting in his face, telling him twice now she’s been with me.

  Wrath flows to me from Ash as he shifts around, grabbing my waist and pulling me to him.

  “Good? Nah. She’s great.” He pauses, thoughtful before kissing my temple. “Makes a difference when she’s actually enjoying herself.”

  Falen chokes on her drink and Nina covers her mouth with her hand. Lilith laughs out loud, obnoxious as always. My smile widens as Ash pinches my arse.

  Cheeky bastart.

  This enrages Raven, but her face quickly smooths to impassivity. She glances over at her boy toy with a shrug to hide the embarrassment in her cheeks, no doubt.

  “Get me a drink, would you?” is all Raven can come up with to say in the silence.

  Boy toy spends a moment too long staring at Nina and not acknowledging Raven’s command.

  When Falen catches the look, her snarl at his unwanted attention on her Mate could rip the whole bar in half. It makes a few people close to us back away.

  The guy tries to go to the bar behind Raven after giving Falen a grin of contempt, but trips as a human walks by and runs into Raven. Raven pitches forward and runs into me, almost making me spill my drink.

  “Ach, get off me, you twit,” I growl and shove her backward with more force than needed.

  “Angus, you fuckin’ numpty scrote!” Raven yells, fixing her tattered leather jacket and recovering from her near fall from my shove. “Sorry, Ed. He’s …you know.” She flicks her nose, telling me Angus is high on cocaine. “Speakin’ of that,” she pulls a wee vile out of her pocket and sprinkles the white contents onto the back of her hand. “Wannae dab?”

  I stiffen at the question and shrink into Ash’s chest. This wench knows I don’t want her fucking drugs. “No, I’ll stick to my dram, thanks,” I snap and punctuate it with a long drag of the jack and coke Ashy gave me.

  Raven shrugs with a smirk. “Suit yourself. More for me.” She snorts the coke into her nose and wipes it off, smudging the rest into her gums before walking off without even the slightest parting glance.

  Chapter 15

  Ash

  “Who were they?” I ask when Raven and Angus finally fuck off somewhere.

  “They...” Eddie swallows and squints as she turns to me. “Um, I dinnae ken the lad. Probably Raven’s latest toy. But when I was into partyin’ and smack, she is who I did all those things with. Who got me into the scene in the first place.”

  “Oh, I see,” I nod and bite the inside of my cheek. I think I know the answer to this because Raven was so…boisterous about it, but “So, Raven...”

  “Unfortunately, lad,” she mumbles and grits her teeth, shame dropping her eyes to the floor.

  I’ve never asked about the who factor of her past sex life. It’s never mattered to me, really. And I know there is more to this story, but tonight should be fun for all of us. Especially for Eddie. She’s worked hard to bring the band together, to make us good enough to play in front of people. We can talk about Raven later.

  “Hey,” I murmur, putting a finger under her chin an
d tilting her face to look at me. “You’re okay. We’re okay. Don’t worry about them.”

  She smiles and nods after staring at me for a few moments, taking another sip of her drink. She frowns after she downs the rest and licks her teeth.

  “I think they need to change their machines. That was awful flat.” She smacks her tongue against the top of her mouth and places her empty glass on the bar.

  “Oh,” I look down at my own drink and my brows furrow. “Want me to get you something else?”

  “No, I think I’ve had enough,” she announces and laughs with a cute hiccup, twirling in a circle.

  “Wow, when did you become such a lightweight?”

  She got drunk very quickly and I’ve never even seen her tipsy before.

  “I take defense to that,” she states, straight-faced, plopping her hands on her hips.

  “Offense,” I correct when she just stares with glazed eyes.

  “Bless you!” she yells and giggles like a child. “Come dance with me!” She yanks me in the direction of the dance floor before I can agree.

  When we get to the middle of the electric crowd, Eddie pulls me close and dances. I grab her hips and smile down at her when she angles her head in my direction.

  She’s having such a good time now. That was a quick change of direction with her mood, but I’m glad she pulled herself out of the anger and shame that girl put her in.

  Eddie moves against me so seductively, rolling her hips and grabbing the back of my neck while biting her lip…I almost want to leave right now and take her home.

  She stumbles forward suddenly, and I catch her by the waist.

  “Whoa. You okay?”

  She blinks several times like she’s trying to clear her vision when she spins around to face me. “Aye, I just havetae take a pish,” she mutters and can’t hold in her giggles.

  My brows furrow, but she’s so cute, I’m not too concerned. I guess. “Want me to walk with you?”

  “No, Ashy. I’m no Jessie. I can do it all by myself.” She winks and takes off, weaving through the bodies around us in the direction of the restrooms before she disappears.

  “Oh, okay...”