Bound by Destiny

by Stephanie Yarns

  “Uh oh,” she said with a slight laugh.

  He could do nothing about the smile that crossed his face. “Were you crying because Micah almost died, because the feeding scared the fuck out of you, or because you saved him?”

  “Can I choose all of the above?” She sat up and brushed his hair back again. “I wish you wouldn’t hide. I like to see who I’m talking to.”

  “What makes you think I’m hiding?” There was a playful yet dangerous glint in his brown eyes.

  “It feels like it. Like you don’t want people to see you.”

  Her hand cupped the scarred side of his face and there was that warmth again. He took a breath to say something mean when she continued.

  “I couldn’t lose him. Just the thought of him not being here tore something inside me. That was when I did that to Gabe and while I didn’t mean for it to happen to Micah or Sebastian, I didn’t care that I did it to Gabe. He was a means to an end.” Her eyes had gone distant while she spoke to him, but they focused on him with a suddenness that startled him. “I can’t lose any of you,” she said softly.

  His stupid heart swelled with her words. She included him in her declaration. Why? They hadn’t even done the deed, and they wouldn’t, if he had anything to say about it. But she still cared for him. It was a stunning feeling.

  “So, yes, I was crying about that. And yes, I was crying because I can heal. I kept him alive. I did that. It’s an almost frightening feeling.” She took a deep breath and looked away from him.

  “And now the scary part.” he said and while she didn’t look at him, her lips twitched.

  “It is, and partially for the reason you believe. Seeing that was a bit on the terrifying side. I won’t lie. But…” she trailed off, unwilling to give voice to the real reason it freaked her out. Trust Fallon to not let her take the easy way out.

  “But?” he prompted. “Backbone, princess.”

  Her eyes met his and she took another deep breath. “I wanted to be the one that fed him.”

  Once again, she lived up to his expectations of not doing or acting or feeling what he thought she would.

  In a blink, she found herself sitting on the chaise by herself as Fallon paced by the piano.

  “Don’t say that,” He almost growled at her. “Don’t ever say that.”

  She could feel his agitation beating at her. “What’s wrong? What’s bad about that? Doesn’t that mean that I accept you all?”

  His laughter was short and broken. “What’s wrong with it? Only everything.” He spun and stalked the other way. “Jesus, Eve.”

  “Talk to me, Fallon. You asked me the question. I answered. Now you’re angry.”

  “I need Gideon in here. He could explain it better.” His glance was quick before looking away again. “I could show you.” He growled. “No, I can’t.” A hand through his hair. “Eve, I’m not angry. Well, I am, but not at you.” A grimace. “Can’t lie to you, can I?”

  She shook her head.

  In an instant, he was on his knees in front of her, her hand in his. He took a deep breath as he held her wrist up to his nose and closed his eyes. Opening his mouth, she could see his teeth. His fangs. He ran them over the soft flesh, and she stopped breathing. He looked at her and she could see the red warring with the brown.

  “You don’t scare me, Fallon,” she said softly. “I know you won’t hurt me.”

  His fingers tightened on her wrist, the pressure almost giving lie to her words.

  “But it wouldn’t have to hurt. I can choose. I can make you scream in agony or groan in ecstasy from my bite. It could feel amazing. Until you stop feeling, because you’re dead.” He let go of her arm like she burnt him.

  She looked at him as he sat sideways on the stool of the piano, head lowered and hands in his hair. The clearing of her throat was loud in the silent room. “Don’t ask question you don’t want the answers to,” she said at last. He gave a low laugh and looked back up at her. Before his hair fell back over his eyes, she could see the red was gone.

  “You’ve got me there.”

  Gideon walked into the room and Eve jumped to her feet. “How is Micah?”

  He gave her an unreadable look before speaking. “He’ll be fine. Just needs… He’ll be fine.”

  Fallon shot her a look before speaking to Gideon. “Don’t tell her what he needs more of, Gideon.”

  “I’m not going to throw myself on him, Fallon. Calm down,” she said, anger and embarrassment getting the better of her. “See if you ever get an honest answer to anything again! I mean, what the hell?”

  “Eve, are you okay?” Gideon asked softly.

  “If Micah will be, then I’m good.” She took a steadying breath.

  Fallon stood. “Keep her away from him.” He told Gideon before stalking from the room.

  “Asshole!” she shouted and was rewarded with a laugh.

  “What was that about?” Gideon asked.

  “He asked me a question. I answered it. He didn’t like the answer.” She flung her hands up. “Just because I said I wanted to do something doesn’t make it a done deal.”

  Gideon’s face went from confused to granite in a heartbeat.

  “You wanted to feed Micah.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I said there was a part of me that wanted to. But I’m not an idiot. It was part of me being caught up in the ‘I have to save Micah’ moment. But that dick took it as me wanting to pour myself down his throat.”

  Gideon was silent for a long moment. Long enough for her to start worrying. What was he going to tell her that she didn’t already know?

  Sebastian appeared in the door.

  Gideon glanced at him. “Anything?”

  “Not much. We could tell where he was, but he was gone when we got there. How’s Micah?”

  “She saved his life.” Gideon’s eyes were as unreadable as his emotions.

  “It was only fair.”

  Gideon glanced back at Sebastian. “Could you talk to Gabe? He’s a bit… traumatized.”

  Sebastian looked at Eve. “Don’t tell me.”

  She flushed and he gave a slight smile. “It wasn’t deliberate, but his mark was what I needed, and it worked,” she said quietly. Maybe she should have sought out Gabe. Explained that she could break the mark when her mom returned. “Besides, we can get rid of it.”

  “I’ll talk to him.” He left them alone.

  “We need have a chat,” Gideon said, and she swallowed at the tone in his voice before sitting back down.

  “I swear, if this is about the feeding Micah thing, I’m going to hit someone.”

  He gave her that half-smile. “I think I can take it.”

  Eve rolled her eyes. “Fallon lectured me. I don’t need another one.”

  “That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about, but not all of it. What you did for him, healing him, that is a debt that we can never repay.”

  She frowned. “He saved me first. It was only fair.”

  “It’s more than that, Eve. You…care… for him.”

  “Well, yeah. Gideon, I care for all of you. Well, maybe not so much Gabe, but I don’t know him, and he scares me a little. I…” How honest did she want to be at this point? “I have feelings… I mean, I care, but that comes with the territory. I already told you and Sebastian how I felt. But that goes for the others as well. Even the asshole.”

  Gideon smiled a little at that.

  “This entire situation is new to us. None of us are used to having someone be concerned. Someone outside of the family we have built here.” He knelt at her feet. “You said before that you cared, but it was easy to see it as just words. But you stood by what you said.”

  “I don’t say things that I don’t mean, Gideon,” she said, running a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t lose him. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose any of you. Especially due to something that was meant for me. It would destroy me.”

  His eyes closed as her fingers traced the face that yes, by God, sh
e loved. Maybe one day, she would have the backbone to say the words.

  “Even knowing what we are. What we do. And you saw it tonight.” His hand covered hers as he opened his eyes. “I would give anything to take that from you.”

  “Well, you know what I told Fallon.” Her smile was only slightly bitter. “And then he blew it all out of proportion.”

  “There is a reason for that, beautiful.”

  “I can’t wait to hear it.”

  “We can’t lose you either.”

  “Why would you have to lose me?” The question just popped out and she wished she could take it back as Gideon’s jaw tightened.

  “Had you offered yourself to Micah tonight, he would have killed you. Filled himself with what keeps you alive and not realized what he had done until later.”

  Well, that put a damper on the whole ‘let him feed from me’ idea she had had.

  “Okay. No heroics from me. I stop the bleeding, you start bleeding. Got it.”

  His laughter took her by surprise. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Somehow, she stopped herself from telling him to love her.

  How much longer could she keep that to herself?

  And should she?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Gideon took her hand and led her upstairs.

  “What are we doing?” she asked, confused.

  “I’m taking you to your room so I can get you some clothes. You’ll stay in the hallway, away from the windows. I doubt he’ll try anything else again tonight, but why chance it? I’m going to be in a hurry, so, you won’t see me. Then, I’m going to take you to my room so you can shower and change clothes.”

  Eve glanced down at her blood-covered sweater. Micah’s blood.

  “Is he asleep?” she asked.

  “Not yet. He’s…”

  “Hunting. You can say it, Gideon.”

  He glanced at her with a smile. “I wish you could understand how shocking it is for us that you still want to be here.”

  “I wish I knew why you all still wanted me here.”

  “Most of us like you. A lot.”

  Her heart stuttered at what that could mean. He wasn’t looking at her so she could get nothing from his face, and he was pulling a Sebastian with the closed-off emotion thing. “Huh.” She finally made some noise. His fingers squeezed hers briefly and her heart swelled to the bursting point. True to his word, when he stopped, he vanished. But he wasn’t gone long before he was back.

  With a smile, he turned her and opened his bedroom door. “After you, beautiful. I’ll wait out here,” he said, turning away and putting her things in drawers.

  She was grateful for the space. Her soul was still bruised by the thought of losing someone she cared deeply about. Was it just last night that they were together? And someone tried to take him from her? Logically, she knew it was the other way around. She was meant to die in the attack. But emotionally, she wanted revenge.

  She peeled the sticky sweater off her body and looked at herself in the mirror. The red was startling against the white of her skin.

  It was Micah’s life that painted her.

  The life he almost lost.

  She sat on the edge of Gideon’s tub and broke down again. This time she wouldn’t blame herself or beat herself up. She was wearing him, for fuck’s sake.

  At some point, Gideon must have heard her. He came in and the sadness in his eyes renewed her tears. “He’s fine, Eve.”

  She nodded. She trusted him when he said that. Only… it didn’t matter. Eve ran her fingers over her skin before staring at the strands of tacky drying blood on her trembling hand. After starting the shower, he helped her as she undressed, legs trembling. The water was hot and while she didn’t see him undress, he was there with her, holding her under the steaming water.

  “I should have realized, my soft-hearted Eve. I’m sorry.”

  She couldn’t speak as fresh sobs racked her.

  His hands bathed her, much like Micah did only a few hours ago. The water ran red as it poured over her hair and it was only then that she realized how much blood there was.

  “It’s okay.” She was finally able to say after the water ran clear. “I’ll be okay.”

  A few minutes later and she was sitting on his bed, dried and dressed. He finished buttoning his shirt and held out a hand. “Up to seeing the others?” he asked then tilted his head, a slight smile on his face.

  Smothering a yawn, she took his outstretched hand. “Not really, but it’ll be alright. I suppose I owe Gabe an explanation.”

  Gideon grinned. “He might be asleep. You took a bit out of him.”

  She could feel the look of horror on her face. She had completely forgotten that part. Jesus, he was going to hate her.

  “I’m sure Sebastian explained things,” he said then opened the door. “Come on.”

  Stepping out into the hall, she was stunned to find herself locked in tight arms. Looking up, she found dark green staring down at her.

  “Micah!” she shouted, trying to wrap her arms around him, but they were pinned at her sides.

  “I meant to stay away from you,” he said, shifting and hers wound around his back. “Until I was sure you could look at me without disgust, I meant to stay away.”

  “I’ll never look at you like that, silly.” She pulled him closer, listening to his heart beating. “Damn it. I am not going to cry again.”

  He looked down at her and she got a better look at him. He was still ghost white and gaunt, but he was alive. “You saved my life, Eve. What could you possibly be crying about?”

  “Well, I just washed you off me.” Her laugher was watery, but she kept her eyes mostly dry.

  “Just now? What have you been doing?”

  “Traumatizing Fallon.”

  “Oh, well, that was worth it.” He dipped his head and slid his mouth across hers. “I’m going to sleep. I’ll probably be out for a couple of days.” He kissed her again and she clung to him. “I don’t want you to worry, okay?”

  “I’m going to anyway, but less now.” She rose on tiptoes and pressed another kiss to his smiling lips. “Sweet dreams, Micah.”

  “Miss me,” he said, pulling away from her greedy arms.

  “Already do.” She smiled, blinking back the new tears.

  He laughed and turned away, walking down the hall.

  “You knew he would be here. You timed it.” She accused Gideon with a smile, and he nodded.

  “Guilty as charged.”

  She stepped up to him and hugged him close. “Thank you.”

  “You needed it,” he said, brushing her damp hair off her forehead. He dropped a soft kiss to the skin and tightened his arms around her. “Better?”

  She nodded.

  He was spellbound by her smile. After the sadness and tears, it was dazzling and he realized there was very little he wouldn’t do to see it more often.

  What had she done to him?

  #

  It was an almost cozy scene in the kitchen. Almost. It needed Micah and not the unknown Gabe. Even Fallon was there, staring out at the night from the window.

  The window.

  “Fallon, could you do my heart a favor?” she asked softly.

  “Only if you return it.” He turned and she couldn’t help but smile at his hair brushed back away from his eyes.

  “Deal. Now, please, don’t stand by the window?”

  His lips twitched but he moved. “There’s no trace of him.”

  She shrugged and he laughed. “So, what’s your favor?” Eve asked.

  “Forgive me for being an ass?”

  The laughter burst out of her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. “You were just being yourself.” She finally managed to get out.

  “That doesn’t mean you forgive me.”

  She let go of Gideon’s hand before walking up to him. Her hands cupped his face and she rose on tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. “Of course I do. Though that doesn’t mean you’r
e not going to piss me off in the future.”

  “Ditto,” he said, gripping her arms and pulling her closer.

  His kiss was quick but searing. Similar to the one he gave her the night they revealed their secret. He let her go at her soft moan and she turned away, blushing to the roots of her hair. There were no accusing looks directed at her and that eased her breathing a bit. Sebastian glanced over her head, giving Fallon searching look. His smile was soft at whatever it was that he found. He patted the seat in between him and Alex and she grinned, easing up onto it.

  Gabe was frowning, the gray of his eyes cool, but calm. “I’m sorry,” she said. The words were hardly adequate for what she did to him, but they were all she had. Just like with Sebastian.

  “Sebastian told me a bit about you and your situation,” he said before shrugging. “I guess I can’t be too angry that you did this,” -he lifted his palm- “to save the kid.”

  “Things didn’t exactly go as planned,” Gideon said, moving around the island.

  “No kidding.” Gabe’s expression relaxed a little and so did her breath.

  Eve stuck her hand out. “Hi. I’m Eve.” He looked at it for a long moment and just as she decided she made a terrible mistake, he finally took it.

  “Gabe.”

  Fallon spoke up. “A word to the wise, Gabe, don’t expect anything with this one. She never acts the way she needs to.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him.

  He gave her a wink before adding. “It’s going to bite her one day.”

  Her blush, which was almost gone, returned in full force and she groaned. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

  “Never.” The answer was quick and she sighed.

  “What was that about?” Sebastian asked in her ear.

  She just shook her head, not willing to go another round as to why bloodletting was a bad idea. “I’ll explain later.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  The tone in his voice was a promise and she groaned. What had she gotten herself into? After clearing her throat, she looked to Gabe. “When my mother gets back, she can break the mark.”