When Fate Prevails

by A. K. Koonce

  “It’s all right, it’s all right,” Declan tells the woman who’s been stumbling through her training for the last few days. She looks at him with a captivated blush as he touches her shoulder. “There are always weapons to help us,” he tells her with a wink.

  As they pass by me on their way to the weaponry shed, Declan gives me an almost friendly nod. A beat passes in confusion before I slowly return the gesture, a short moment of fumbling cordial kindness passing between us.

  This has become our normal now. A strange sense of coexistence somehow crept into our lives.

  We’re on the same side. He and I should be more like brothers instead of enemies. Maybe someday after he stops calling my wife pet names, we’ll be frien – not enemies.

  The sun dips down past the gently swaying Emerald Ocean, and I’m painfully reminded that Fallon hasn’t been seen since the mortals arrived. She’s safely hidden herself away. People have asked about her daily. She’s like an unseen savior in their eyes. This mystical hero who will lead them to freedom.

  She will.

  Gabriel wipes the sweat from his brow as he wanders over to me, pulling my attention from the setting sun. Mud speckles his white shirt, and sweat clings to the front defining the lean muscle tone of his chest. He’s been out here since dawn but doesn’t look ready to quit yet.

  “Are you ever not thinking about her?”

  I bite back a smirk as I look at my friend. “I think of other things.”

  He cocks a doubtful brow at me, his hands resting on his hips.

  “Well … sometimes I’m asleep.”

  His laughter carries, a chuckling and freeing sound that only Gabriel can make. A few of the mortals stop their training for a few seconds, probably intrigued by what two recently liberated hybrids could possibly have to laugh about.

  “If you’re going to walk around with this angst filled, love-struck, worried look on your face, you might as well just leave,” Gabriel tells me, pushing my shoulder gently, his bionic fingers scratching my arm a little.

  “That seems like a lot of emotions for me to portray.”

  “You’ve always been an emotional mess. Usually it was anger though, not this sappy love stuff … I almost like the love look better on you.”

  My eyes narrow on him, a smile tugging at my lips again. “Thanks. I think …”

  “You should probably go before I say anything weirder.”

  I nod and begin jogging away before he professes his love for me, or worse, hugs me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Denial

  Fallon

  The predator that lives inside me comes to life as I watch them train. From several yards away I hide within the trees, the branches almost tangling into my thick hair as I stand with a stillness I wasn’t aware I possessed. The darkness is heavy now, the moon shining beautifully on the hundreds of people who are working so desperately for change.

  The distance I keep between us is just enough. The wind doesn’t pull their scent my way; it throws it in the opposite direction, allowing me to find pride in the mortals who were once my people.

  We can do this.

  I hear soundless footsteps behind me, and I know it’s him even before he presses a light kiss to the side of my neck. Warm hands wrap around my waist, brushing over my hips as he aligns his chest with my back. My breath catches, mostly as a precaution, but also an uncontrollable gasp that he always seems to pull from me.

  My eyes flutter closed as he presses soft kisses to my collar bone.

  “They’re so dedicated,” I whisper, trying to hold on to the situation at hand even as I shift to grant him more access.

  He hums a quiet response before kissing slowly up my neck, his warm tongue flicking across my skin.

  “Kenzent told me what you said.”

  Finally he stills, his hot breath fanning across my shoulder. A little part of me feels triumphant to have the upper hand again.

  I turn slightly in his arms until I’m looking up at him, and his beautiful silver eyes shine down on me.

  “They trust us,” he whispers before slowly licking his lips. “But more so, they believe in you. It’s like they’re finding strength in your actions. It’s amazing.” His hand leaves my side and pushes my hair back, tucking it behind my ear.

  “I think we can do this,” I tell him with just a hint of uncertainty lacing my words.

  “I know we can.”

  “Set up a meeting tomorrow night. We need to be ready.”

  His dimple appears as he smiles down at me; a look of pride touches his perfect smile. His happiness is his only reply.

  “I think you like being ordered around.” With my attention narrowed on him, I try my best not to smirk.

  Laughter rumbles though him and into me. “Hmm, I’ve been ordered around my whole life but it’s never felt this good.”

  I shove his chest lightly, unable to suppress the smile against my lips.

  ***

  When I was in school, I couldn’t give a simple English presentation without stuttering and turning red. Today, dozens of mystics follow my every move, waiting for my next order. Confidence clings to each step I make and each breath I take. Nervousness isn’t even a strain in my voice.

  The table I’ve sat at countless times is entirely full, and the standing room in the back is overcrowded. Carefully, I pace the ground at the head of the table.

  My attention lands on a glaring werewolf, his dark eyes holding hate as he scowls up at me from the back, letting plenty of mystics separate me from him.

  “In the past there has been some discord between the mystics and the hybrids in this community.” The wolf’s eyes turn to slits as he stares daggers at me. My gaze never wavers from his, and my message for him doesn’t falter. “That’s something that will be left in the past. I’m a vampire. Not by choice and hopefully not by anything more than a curse. There will not be a divide among our people. A divide among ourselves only encourages weakness, and it isn’t an example we will be setting for the mortals.”

  I hold his cowering eyes for a few seconds longer before he finally concedes, his attention drifting over the worn wooden table. A slight smirk pulls at my lips as I address the rest of the room like a teacher ready to announce an exciting exam.

  “One week from today I want our weaponry shed empty. Every mortal and mystic who has had training needs to be well prepared!” My attention shifts to Kaino at the head of the table. Shane glances at him for less than a second, his gaze minor but noted, possibly by more than just myself. “How many ships do we have exactly?”

  “A hundred.”

  My features remain smooth and impassive despite the impressive number. Where could the mystics hide one hundred ships? His words about having a use for naval ships flutter through my mind. Maybe the Wanderers were always prepared for a war with the mortals.

  “Perfect. We need training on those as well. Everyone should get accustomed to manning the ships.”

  The beige tent is too humid, my breaths are too short, and there are a few dozen too many blood supplies surrounding me. I need to make this meeting as short and to the point as possible. More dust clings to the laces of my dark boots as I begin to pace the length of the tent once more.

  Luca catches my attention from her spot at the back of the room, her arms folded across her chest. I haven’t seen her since I attacked her. My confidence free falls into the pit of my stomach when our eyes meet.

  A slight smile tilts her lips, and she nods to me.

  A long sigh releases from my anxious lungs, relieving some of the weight that was building in my chest. I clear my throat, my posture straightening as I think about what I’m about to say.

  “We leave for the Capitol at the end of the month.”

  Lord Raske’s large arms fold in front of him as he nods at me, his features set in stern lines. He’s a man ready for war.

  One-by-one I assess the assortment of mystics, the ever-changing Infinity witch who holds the strong image
of my mother, the dozens of wolves crowding around the table with their overpowering muscle and unyielding dedication, the fae whose lean bodies won’t bow to an unjust authority, and the few beautiful hybrids who I know will never accept imprisonment ever again.

  We’re all different, and the mortals who are safely asleep in their beds are definitely different. But we’re all here for the same reason.

  To see our government disintegrate in just a few short days.

  The group disperses, probably to go back to bed before the sun rises shortly. I slip out, carefully avoiding Asher while he speaks quietly with Kaino. Their eyes follow me until I’m in the free night air.

  My lungs heave in the pure smell of the warm wind, and in a flash I’m standing at the edge of the cliff, the ocean crashing wildly below me. My eyes drift closed as I take long, slow, and deliberate breaths, attempting to wash away the scent of the others from my mind.

  Trembling hands catch my attention at my sides, and I fist them in an instant, not allowing the uncontrollable feeling to bloom within me.

  It’s hard to watch yourself fall apart. My days are spent in denial, but I know it’s only a matter of time. I’ll seal the curse and be stuck in this form for the rest of eternity.

  How many wars will pass in my lifetime? Is this just a small insignificant blip in the long life that I will come to live?

  Why even fight at all?

  “It’s getting harder, isn’t it?” Declan’s calm voice carries over the thrashing wind to me.

  “I just need to catch my breath.” I don’t turn from the salty wind or even open my eyes.

  The weather shifts from bearable to humid, and I can feel the rising sun threatening the horizon.

  In just a few short strides, Declan is at my side. Silence settles between us, an almost comfortable feeling between him and me.

  Thoughts circle my mind, building the longer we allow this quiet into our lives. It’s as if I’ve been given a free moment to think, and I finally have the courage to ask what’s been on my mind for weeks.

  “Why did you do it, Declan?”

  My eyes open to the beautiful, serene sky with its white washed hues of pink and gold, a look of innocence in the pure heavens.

  For an instant his warm arm brushes against mine, reminding me of his closeness.

  “I – I didn’t know you well when they asked me to bring you to them.”

  His words are quiet, and the stillness of my heart almost drives me mad as my emotions begin to tumble through my tight chest.

  “All my life I’ve been pushed out. I thought it was only a matter of time here. It isn’t safe alone in the wild. For years I went to the Red Hills, mostly for isolation and peace, a moment of silence to think. One day during the silence, a voice spoke to me.”

  A chill crawls down my spine as I recall Atticus’ cryptic voice.

  “He said it could be me who broke the curse to release them.” He heaves a shaky breath, his hands pushing into his pockets. “He said we could change the world. He said you were the one; the one he could see in his dreams. The one who would change it all”

  Slowly, I look at him, his silver eyes catching the fiery colors of the sky he’s so focused on. It’s as if he’s lost in a memory … or he doesn’t have the nerve to look me in the eye.

  “When I got to know you, the real you, I told him I wouldn’t do it. But it didn’t matter. You wanted to go. It’s as if everything fell imperfectly into place.”

  My chests rises and falls rapidly as my fists clench at my sides. “It didn’t fall into place; you forced it. They forced it into place. None of this is by chance, Declan.”

  “It is, love.”

  “No, you had a choice. I had a choice.” His eyes drift closed as my voice grows louder. “We’re friends. You were supposed to be my friend.”

  His jaw tightens before he opens his eyes to me. Iron-like posture fills his frame.

  “They would have gotten to you with or without me. Their voices would have crawled inside your mind without my help.” My lips part as I recall the way Atticus’ voice slithered through my thoughts. “That’s what fate means, love. You can’t force destiny. Acceptance will only make you stronger.”

  Declan turns from me, walking away, leaving me alone once again. When he’s only a few feet away, his shoulders fall; his normally confident demeanor slips. “For the record, you are my friend, Fallon.” My breath shudders out before I bite my lip, biting the emotions back. “Possibly the only one I have.”

  The tension shatters within me. When he’s finally gone, I can’t stop the tears from slipping down my cheeks.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Surviving Isn’t Living

  Asher

  “We need to be careful.”

  My jaw tics as I stare at the hybrid. “She’s fine.”

  “I hear she almost killed Luca.”

  With annoyance I close my eyes before settling my anger on Declan. “That’s an exaggeration.”

  “Gabriel exaggerated?”

  Gabriel said Fallon almost killed Luca?

  For a few seconds he’s caught me off guard, and his annoying smirk returns as I gape at him.

  Safely, I put my hands on my hips and look away from him. The camp is a hum of busy lives, everyone moving about with their daily training while I stand here arguing with the one person I would gladly avoid for the rest of my life.

  “She’s fine.”

  His jaw tenses, and he takes a step closer to me as a few of the mortals begin to take notice of our little yelling match. “It’s only a matter of time and you know it. The question is, how do you want it to happen?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We brought these humans here because there’s a dangerous vampire out there. Guess what? There’s one here, too,” he says. I hiss out a breath at the way he’s describing her. “Do you want her to lose control and tear through these people like a rabid dog or …?”

  “Or what?” I raise my voice to his conspiratorial tone.

  “You could help her.”

  My heart starts to sink as I consider what he’s saying.

  “Help her how?”

  “She’ll be stronger if she feeds. You wouldn’t have to worry about Atticus harming her; no one could touch her if she fed the hunger.”

  Anger shakes through my limbs as I fist my hands at my sides. I can’t hit him. Fallon’s warning from just last night echoes through my mind. The mortals need to see our alliance.

  But what the hell is his angle?

  “Get out of my face, Declan.” He opens his mouth once more, but I cut him off. “Now!” My voice shakes in anger, and I finally have to force myself to walk away from him.

  On anxious steps I storm through the forest and burst through the witch’s home without even knocking. I force an uneven breath down my lungs before I carefully open her door.

  Darkness shrouds the room, and a hint of sunlight falls through the thick curtains behind her bed. Without a sound I shut the door behind me, pressing my back flat against it, keeping plenty of space between us.

  “You can’t bear for me to sleep, can you?” Her voice drips with sarcasm, but I can’t bring myself to join in her easy banter.

  “Do you want to feed?” I blurt it out in one quick breath, no lead up, no second guessing, just an unfiltered question.

  She sits up in bed, her hair a wild outline against the soft orange hue of the curtain behind her. A mound of blankets falls around her waist as she stares at me. A beat of silence is all she allows.

  “What?”

  I try to think rationally, but all I can picture is her ripping the throat out of one of the mortals.

  “If you … if you wanted to feed, you could. On me.”

  “What?”

  “It’d be safe with no threat of changing anyone or losing control. It’d be contained. My blood would make you stronger. It isn’t like mortal blood, it’s –”

  “Asher, shut up.”

&nb
sp; My heart pounds in my chest. I’ve never felt this weak before. I’ve never felt so lost in my life. What’s the right choice? What does she want? Whatever she wants, I’ll do it.

  I lick my lips, my attention falling to the floor as I try to figure out the right thing to say. “I just thought –”

  “I’m not going to hurt those people.”

  The blankets tumble from the bed as she stands and walks toward me, her small feet padding across the hard wood floor. A white shirt hangs to her smooth thighs.

  My shirt.

  My fingers trace the hem, unable to stop myself from touching her warm body.

  “I hate that I’m hurting you,” she tells me as she wraps her arms around my shoulders, her chest flush against mine, my heartbeat thrashing against her.

  My fingers trail up her thighs, holding her hips tightly to me as I seal my lips to hers. She tastes warm and sweet as my tongue slips against her. Her fingers tangle through my hair, pulling lightly at it as she arches into me, her breath faltering with a moan as I deepen the kiss.

  Disregarded caution prickles through my mind as her hands trail down my chest, pushing at my shirt. She breaks the kiss for an instant before kissing up my jaw, her soft lips feathering over my skin as her tongue sweeps across my neck.

  “I hate that I’m hurting you,” she whispers again, triggering something in my mind just before her fangs sink painfully into my flesh.

  My eyes fling open, my heart threatening to tear through my chest as I sit up in bed. My fingers trail over my neck franticly, but only sweat clings to my palm from the smooth skin.

  It was just a dream.

  ***

  The following day my glaring eyes never leave Declan, as if he’s the one responsible for my irrational unconscious mind. I considered running right to Fallon the moment I woke up, toddling over to her like a child waking from a bad dream. I didn’t of course, but I wanted to.

  Instead, I stayed awake, picking apart every awful moment of the nightmare. Maybe sealing the curse is the right move. She could control herself, I think. Probably more than I can. The image of my hands on her soft skin flashes through my mind.