The Dying Fate (The Umbra Chronicles Book 1)

by Willow Ravenheart

  A knock on the door awakens me and I realize that I don't even remember falling asleep. Elliot has his arms wrapped around me like a steel vice and refuses to budge as single inch as I fight against him to open the door.

  "Open this fucking door right now Elliot Harvey!" Louis screams, her voice thick with venom.

  I turn in Elliot's arms and gently pat his face, but he's still completely comatose. I hope he's alright, but he was fine before falling asleep so he's probably just worn out from the ordeal earlier. I don't blame Louis for being pissed with him...I would want to kill him myself if I wasn't so worried.

  "The door is locked and I can't get up to unlock it for you!" I call as I press against his chest in another attempt to break free.

  A growl vibrates in Elliot's chest and he wraps his arms around me tighter, crushing me into his torso. He lifts his leg, trapping my legs between his before burying his face in my neck.

  "Don't go...." he whines, his voice thick and groggy.

  "Louis needs in the room though," I tell him as I hug him tight.

  "All she wants in here for is to yell at me...." he groans, breaking his hold on me. I jump from the bed and look at him.

  "You deserve it though!" I remind him, remembering the unresponsive state he was in earlier.

  "I would do it again if it meant protecting you...." he informs me as I twist the lock on the doorknob.

  The door swings open and Louis storms into the room, her eyes trained on Elliot. The way she's looking at him it sort of makes me feel bad for the guy. Only a little though...he deserves everything she has to dish out on him.

  "What the hell were you thinking? I was off doing your fucking job and you pull this shit on me?" she snarls as she approaches the bed.

  Elliot sits up on his elbows and I notice that his arms are shaking. I don't know whether it's from fear or exhaustion, but I'm not a fan of it. The functioning part of my brain decides to leave them alone to work through their problems and I tiptoe out of the room.

  There's a dim light turned on in the living room and I walk into the room, spotting Hank lounging across one of the large couches. He looks away from the book in his hands and sits it on the table to the side before sitting up straight.

  "How's he doing?" he asks, looking past me to the hallway at my back.

  "A lot better...." I tell him while plopping on the couch beside him, "He's still weak, but awake. We talked for a while earlier...he told me about his past."

  "Did he?" he asks, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, "He usually doesn't open up about what happened easily. I mean, it took him years to tell me the entire story."

  "I don't know if he told me the entire story...." I admit, grabbing for the television remote. I turn it on so we can have some background noise as we talk, "He told me enough and if there's more to it...he will tell me when he's ready."

  "This is true," Hank agrees before sitting straight and plopping his sock covered feet on the coffee table before us. "How are you doing?"

  "I could be better...." I say honestly, "From what I gather, I should be dead by now. But, I'm not and I just have to keep fighting. I only have this stage to finish until I shift for the first time and that will be the moment that decides my fate. That's all I have to look forward to right now...life or death."

  "That's all any of us have to look forward to, Baby Girl...." Hank says, reaching out to pat my leg, "What you do in the meantime makes all the difference in the world."

  "And what would that be?" I ask, turning to look into his slate-grey gaze.

  "Give into something," he says with a shrug, "Fall in love. Start a fight. Watch the sunset or the sunrise. Do something that you wouldn't have done before. That's all we can strive for...some difference in our lives to keep it interesting. What's life if it's just a repetition of the same thing?"

  "Boring...." I sigh before leaning into the couch cushions and rubbing my temples. There's a tightness behind my eyes that just doesn't want to go away.

  "That's right," he says with a chuckle, "And a boring life is no life to lead. Do something with the time you have left. Who knows, you might like it."

  I give him a brisk nod before climbing off the couch and walking back down the hall until I'm at the doorway to my room. I pull some clothes to sleep in out of my dresser and change quickly, adjusting the sleeping shirt until it falls past my knees. I tiptoe to the bathroom and brush my teeth, trying to buy some time until Louis is done tearing into Elliot.

  Footsteps vibrate down the hall and I take it as my cue to jog to Elliot's room. He's sitting up against the headboard, his hands in his lap as he stares intently at the ceiling fan above his bed.

  His entire body is tense and I take a few steps closer, noticing the crazed look in his eyes...his silver eyes.

  "Olcan?" I whisper, halting my steps once he looks at me.

  "Hello, Macy...." he whispers before returning his attention to the rotating blades.

  "I thought you were-"

  "He tried to kill me...." he says, cutting me off. I stare at him open mouthed, unable to say anything. His gaze returns to me, unnerving my to my core as I stare into his unnaturally metallic eyes.

  "I'm sure he didn't try to do that...." I argue, taking another step closer to him. He seems fairly calm at the moment and I think I can trust him right now.

  "Macy," he sighs, closing his eyes, "Elliot took those pills with one thought on his mind. He wanted me gone...for good. Do you know how that feels? To know that the one being responsible for your existence would wipe you from the world that easily. I did nothing wrong, yet he tried to end me."

  "He thought you were going to try to hurt me," I say, sitting on the edge of the bed at his feet.

  "I would never hurt you!" he groans, sitting straight.

  His chest is only a few feet away from me and I can't control my erratic heartbeat. He scares me...but I need to stay calm. Freaking out at a moment when he's being open with me would be detrimental to any progress that I could even begin to make.

  "You make it seem as if you would...." I tell him as I reach out to lay a hand on his knee. He flinches at my touch and pulls away from me to tuck his legs underneath him.

  "It may seem that way because I am not like you or Elliot!" he growls, "I am an animal. We don't socialize like your kind does, but I have tried for years to learn your ways. He fights me though...so much. I know that he doesn't want me, but I had no choice...."

  "You're stuck with him whether he likes it or not," I add, reaching out for him yet again.

  He doesn't move this time and allows me to rub my hand up and down his leg. He reaches out slowly to trace his fingers along my arm. He seems scared, like a caged animal that's never seen love in his entire life and it breaks my heart.

  "If I talk to Elliot, do you promise to not take over as much?" I ask, scooting closer to him, "I would love to see the two of you getting along and working together."

  "I can try, but I refuse to make a promise until he accepts me...." he argues, his eyes serious as he stares at me.

  I give him a small nod before crawling closer to him and into his lap. He freezes beneath me, but his hands finally move and he wraps his arms around me. I try to hide my smile as he nuzzles his face into my hair, a low content sound vibrating in his chest.

  "How about I ask Elliot to let you surface for a while each night so we can talk? That way, you get out and you can spend some time with me, " I suggest, thinking of a way to make things work out for them.

  "I would like that...." he says, his voice a deep rumble, "Could I hold you like this when we talk?"

  "Of course," I say, leaning my head into his chest, "but I don't know if I'll be here much longer...."

  "What do you mean?" he growls, pulling my face to look at him. I lower my eyes and chew on my bottom lip as I contemplate my words.

  "Olcan," I sigh, looking away from his eyes to the open window beside us, "I don't think I'm going to survive this. The Change...it's taken ove
r much too fast and I have a feeling deep in my gut that I'm not going to make it through the first shift. My body hasn't had enough time to adjust to this and I...I don't want you to look forward to our meetings too much when I can't promise you how long they'll last."

  "You aren't allowed to die!" he snarls, grabbing me and flipping us until I'm wedged between him and the mattress.

  "I can't control what happens to me...." I reply, sliding my hands up his chest. He burrows his face into my neck.

  "I said you aren't allowed to...." he growls before nuzzling my face, "We will do everything we can to save you."

  "Why?" I ask, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

  "Can I kiss you?" he whispers, completely ignoring my question.

  I trace my hands across the planes of his handsome face, my fingers barely grazing over his eyelids as I stare at him. Olcan...he's not so bad. He's sweet.

  "Yes," I whisper, sliding my hand down to press against his heart.

  He closes his eyes and makes a sound deep in his throat that rumbles throughout his chest. His large, calloused hands trace up my sides, gently caressing every inch of skin he touches. A sigh passes my lips as he lips press down against my collarbone, slowly moving higher. I hiss when his canine's skim over my throat, my nails digging into his shoulders.

  His touch is feather-soft as he moves further up my body, his hand reaching to trace the shape of my cheek. I burrow my face into his touch, my eyes staring into his molten silver gaze as his lips finally touch mine.

  My back arches the moment we touch, a snap of electricity traveling all the way to my bones. A deep, vibrating growl of approval builds in his chest as he begins to kiss me deeper, more possessively.

  I become lost in his touch for an eternity, completely satisfied with his lips on mine and his fingers swirling through my hair. After some time, he pulls away and settles down my body until his head lays between my breasts. I raise my hand, my fingers playing with his hair as we both fall into a deep, satisfying slumber....

  Chapter Twenty

  I wake up in the middle of the night, Elliot's body pressed down against mine. I slide out from beneath him, making sure to not disturb the sleeping giant. On my way out the front door, I grab my thin jacket and walk through the door gently, making sure to not make the floorboards squeak.

  The sound of waves lapping against the pebbled shore reaches my ears and I walk to the place where Elliot and I kissed. The log that he sat on to pull his boots on looks rather inviting and I decide to sit down for a while and stare out at the reflection of the moonlight against the water.

  It's weird to think that Elliot kissed me for the second time this morning. The feeling of everything I've learned and experienced today is nearly overwhelming. This has to be the longest day of my life and the most enlightening.... This morning, I woke up wanting to know why he was avoiding me and so far, I've found out everything that happened to him and Adam. I can't believe someone would do that to them....

  My eyelids grow heavy and I eye the patch of grass at my right. It looks comfortable enough and I can take a nap while listening to the waves crashing against the shore. It sounds like a great idea so I stand up and walk to the patch of thick, soft grass and remove my shoes. I roll the sleeves of the jacket down and lay on my side, my hands beneath my head and simply close my eyes. The sounds of the waves and the ambience of the night lulling me into an easy slumber.

  ∞∞∞

  I wake up with a startled gasp. The light is blinding me and I attempt to raise an arm to shield my eyes, but something is weighing me down. I glance down and my body stiffens when I see an unfamiliar arm wrapped around my waist. It takes a few moments for me to gather my surroundings and I sigh when I realize that I'm back in my room at Elliot's house. But, who's in bed with me?

  Slowly, I turn around and come face to face with Elliot. I smile and trace my fingers down his face. He must have come for me and brought me to bed. I didn't mean to really fall asleep out there....

  "Staring at someone while they're sleeping is kind of creepy...." he mumbles before opening his frozen eyes.

  "Waking up where you didn't fall asleep and with a strange man in your bed is even creepier," I tell him, a wide smile on my face. I can't help it, for some reason...I'm truly happy.

  "Well, I couldn't let you sleep on the ground.... I may be a beast, but I'm no barbarian," he says with a light chuckle before leaning in to press his lips to mine.

  I press my palm against his chest, relishing in the electric shocks that run up and down the length of my arm.

  "We need to talk...." I tell him and notice the smile faltering on his face. "Don't worry. I'm not going to freak out or tell you to leave. We just have some things that need to be put out into the open."

  "Okay," he agrees, "but can I go pee first? I've been awake for about an hour now and my bladder feels like it's going to explode."

  "You creeper!" I laugh before smacking his chest, "And you were making fun of me for it."

  "I didn't say I was staring at you," he says as he rolls off the mattress, "I just simply told you that I've been awake for a while. I could have been doing calculus in my mind for all you know!"

  "Whatever...." I mumble before tossing a pillow at him and missing as he closes the door behind him.

  I toss the sheets off and notice that I'm still in my jacket from last night. Like lightning, I jump from the bed and run into my closet to grab some clothes to change into. I decide on a simple pair of denim shorts and a baggy t-shirt since I don't plan on doing much today. My entire body aches, probably a huge side effect from such a crazy day I had yesterday.

  I finish changing clothes only a few moments before Elliot walks back through the door. He pauses, watching me as I brush my hair, getting all the little bits of grass out of the long, thick midnight black strands. It's weird, but I feel...calm. It's like nothing could go wrong and I'm completely satisfied with life at the moment. They never told me that I would feel this way once everything was over with, but I'm not complaining. It's a pleasant change and I plan on it staying this way. Hopefully, this is a stage that will stick with me forever.... Well, maybe not. I am a bit hormonal and I don't think anyone would appreciate me in a state of constant PMS.

  "What did you want to talk about?" Elliot asks as I set my brush down and turn around to look at him. His long, chestnut colored hair hangs down, nearly brushing against his nipples. The long strands look like something has crawled among them and set up camp. I motion for him to sit down at the vanity and he simply raises an eyebrow.

  "Sit," I tell him, "I want to brush your hair. It looks like a rat has made a home in there somewhere."

  He complies and my poor vanity bench protests at his weight, but I ignore it. I pick up the brush and begin the task of untangling all of his long hair that makes me jealous. How is it that men don't have to do anything to their hair and it's perfect? Women on the other hand. We spend hundreds of dollars on hair products to make our hair pretty and it doesn't compare to men who simply wash and air dry.

  "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to move on...." I say, finally breaking the silence. Elliot looks up at me through the reflection in the mirror, his eyes wide. "Before you say anything, just hear me out."

  "Fine...." he sighs, closing his eyes.

  "Like I said. I don't know if I'll ever be ready, but I know I need to move on. The problem is...I don't want to forget him."

  "Macy-" he says.

  "Hush, I'm not done." I say cutting him off, "I want you to know, just in case we do develop into something.... You'll never replace Henry. He was a once in a lifetime kind of love and I still don't know what to do without him. Nine years of my life were spent at his side and I can't simply walk away from that. But, with that being said. It doesn't mean that there will never be any room left in my heart to love again. I just don't think I'm ready for anything...."

  "Can I speak?" Elliot asks, his voice low and husky.

  "Yes," I say, sitting down
the hairbrush. His hair fans around his face as he stands, towering over me.

  "Macy," he sighs, reaching out to trace his knuckles along my cheek, "I don't want to replace him. He was the man you loved first and I respect that. I just want the opportunity to love you and for you to possibly love me back one day. If it's not what you want...I'll back off. I won't bother you ever again and you can always call me a friend. There's no pressure. I just want to be part of your life."

  "I don't know what I want right now...." I whisper, my eyes locked onto his.

  "And that's fine," he coos before leading me to the bed. We both sit down on the mattress and he takes my hand into his. "Things are crazy now. So, if you want me to back off...I will. If not...I would really like to kiss you right now."

  I don't give him a chance to answer before I press my lips to his. They're so soft against mine and I can't hold back a deep moan that builds in my throat as his hand grasps the base of my neck. His fingers dance across my skin as his other hand runs up and down my neck, his touch so sweet. I press against him until he's on his back and I'm across his chest. My breath catches in my throat when his fingers inch down until they're at the hem of my shirt, touching the bare flesh at the base of my spine.

  "Elliot," I whimper against his lips as his hands travel up my back and to my side, cradling my rib cage. If he moves a few inches further...no, that would be moving way too fast.

  He picks up on my hesitation and simply slides his hand up and down my side, cradling my hip. Our tongues fight for dominance, but I give in, wanting him to take control. It's like being in a dream, the combination of his touch and the shocks that accompany it completely euphoric.

  "Knock. Knock!" Denny, his voice a loud shout from my closed, yet unlocked bedroom door.

  "Oh, shit!" I squeal, shoving Elliot off me hard enough that he falls off the bed. The shocked look on his face as he flies over the edge would make me laugh if it wasn't for the fact that my rather judgmental best friend was on the other side of a rather thin door.