“She’s a goddamn Hunter, Sam!” I explode, flinging my arms out in frustration. “Every situation could kill her! You don’t think that hangs over my head every damned day?! You don’t think it hurts my heart that she and the others have had to do things no normal teenager should have to do?! I trained them to be assassins for chrissake! Do you not think I hate myself every damned day for that and for what it has done to them? To you?” I swipe angrily at the tear that escapes down my cheek.
Sam’s eyes soften, and I want to fight him when he steps closer and wraps his arms around me, but I honestly can’t. As weak as you may think it makes me, I let myself be held and comforted. It’s much better than the alternative, which is losing Sam, risking his humanity, risking our love. We have enough enemies. We shouldn’t be that way to each other when we’re the only ones who can offer this comfort to the other.
“You gave all of us a choice, Anala. You didn’t force us to do this,” he murmurs softly.
“That doesn’t make it better for me, Sam. It just means you’ve all trusted me with your lives willingly, and I could make a huge mistake at any given moment to fatally break that trust.”
“We knew the risks. And, yes, I realize how hypocritical I’m being right now.” Sam sighs, gently blowing his warm breath over the top of my head where his stubbled chin is resting. “Losing Amanda is one of my greatest fears.”
“Mine, too,” I confess, my voice muffled from my face being buried in his chest. “Not just because I’m her Leader. Sam, she is my family, too. You all are. I lost my parents and have spent centuries alone. You can’t seriously think I want to go through that again.”
He lifts my chin until I’m looking him in the eye. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t have disrespected you. Especially in front of everyone. It belittles your authority, and demeans our relationship. Forgive me?”
I reach up and brush my lips lightly over his. “If you forgive me for the things I said.”
“You said only the truth.”
“Sam, I said I didn’t care. I do. I realize that we can’t always say what we’re thinking in front of others, but for you to walk away causes more damage than if you stayed and laid it out for me.”
“I know. One thing I have noticed that is different about being Cursed; my emotions are way more intense. Unfortunately, that includes my short temper.”
“Yes, but it includes other emotions, as well, so I’m not going to complain,” I grin.
Sam laughs softly, then becomes serious again. “I don’t like fighting with you. It literally hurts.”
“You felt that, too?”
He takes my hand and lays it over his heart. A steady, strong beat welcomes me, and speeds up a little at my touch.
“It was excruciating. I wonder if that’s what it feels like to be staked,” he says innocently. It takes me a moment to figure out that he really doesn’t grasp what he just said.
“It’s close,” I deadpan.
He snaps his eyes shut, cursing under his breath. “Baby, I’m…”
I effectively cut off any and all apologies as I cover his mouth with mine. Enough talking for now. It’s time to make up, and then we can talk again.
Good plan.
Here’s another. Drink from me.
Sam groans before letting himself make the change, and sinking his teeth into my neck.
After making up - and then making up again - Sam and I finally discussed plans for the next day. Turns out, even as angry as Sam was, he ‘listened’ in, so he was much more caught up than I expected. He agrees with my tentative plan, which we’re about to go over with the gang again. What we’re having a difference of opinion on is whether he stays with me, or goes to the hideout with the other half of our group. Even though I want nothing more than for him to stay with me, my ‘grown-up, responsible’ self thinks he should be with the others.
“I’m not going to let you go in that house by yourself, Anala.” Sam is pacing. Again. At least he’s not leaving. He shoots me an annoyed glance at that thought.
Sorry. I know we worked that out last night. That was completely petty, I apologize silently, sighing in relief when he nods his forgiveness.
“Give me an alternative that is acceptable, Sam,” I say aloud.
“Liam,” he answers simply. Which surprises me, actually. I wouldn’t have figured he would trust Liam enough to protect any of our group, particularly his sister. “He can be with the group at the hideaway, along with a few of his group. The others can stay back here.”
“Okay.” It’s my turn to surprise Sam by not arguing further. I can’t. It really is a good plan, and if I’m offering him a chance at staying alive for his loyalty, I might as well let him prove that loyalty once again.
“Okay? Just like that?” Sam asks suspiciously.
“Do you want me to argue more?”
“Can we make up again if you do?” he smirks sexily.
“Ha, ha. And, we can do that without having to fight first.” I smile. “Seriously, Liam is a good alternative. The guns won’t affect him or anyone in his group, so he’ll be able to keep the others safe.”
Sam runs his fingertips across my cheek, then lifts my chin to give me a kiss.
“Do you two ever stop?” Jenna bustles into the room carrying a sandwich and soda.
“Do you?” I ask, looking pointedly at the food.
“Hey, I need food to stay alive, what’s your excuse?” She looks at me, then at Sam and back at me. “Never mind.” She shakes her head, sitting down and stuffing her face.
“So, where are we?” Amanda asks, walking in with the others in tow, and plopping down in a chair next to Jenna. “Geez, Jenna, didn’t you just eat like twenty minutes ago?”
“No, that wa ju a nack,” Jenna mumbles around a mouth full. “Need full today.”
“Say what?”
“She says what she ate earlier was just a snack and she needs fuel. For later today,” Jeremy answers lightly.
“Well, what do you know?” I grin. “Jeremy speaks Jenna.”
Jeremy blushes furiously, as does Jenna who decides to stuff more food in her mouth.
Sam clears his throat, and though I don’t see a smile on his face, I know he’s finding this little episode quite amusing. “Would you all like to go over the plan, or should we keep talking about Jenna’s eating habits, and Jeremy’s uncanny ability to know all things Jenna?”
Okay, there is no way I can keep from laughing. Sam is usually a straight-laced kind of guy. When we’re alone, he’s more relaxed, but with others, he feels it’s necessary to be serious. He’s the ‘adult’ of the group, so he thinks it’s his responsibility to act like it. So, for him to say what he said, with a straight face, it’s extremely comical.
“Plan,” Jenna mumbles grumpily.
“Abby, have you learned anything new?” I stifle my laugh and turn to Abby who has been sitting there taking all of this camaraderie in with a smile. This is how my parents led the Society. With laughter, friendship and trust. I wonder if that’s what Abby is thinking about when she sees us.
“According to my sources, no one is going to the hideout until the Rulers have had their meeting.”
“How reliable are your sources?” Sam asks.
“Reliable enough to want to still have some of our people go to the hideout.”
“Hmm. So, Tania?” Yes, I have a mean streak. You would too if some tramp wanted your boyfriend.
“Pretty much. But she doesn’t know for sure, which is why I would stick to your original plan. However, I don’t like that we’ll be up against guns no matter where we are.”
“I don’t either,” I acknowledge. “That’s why we’re sending Liam and a few others with the group to the hideout. The rest will stay here. They will be instructed to protect the humans at all costs.”
“So, who’s going where?” Amanda asks.
“Would you like to decide that on your own, or would you like me to decide?” I ask Amanda sincerely.
I could make the decision for them, but I want them to rely on each other. They’ve done this before, but this could potentially be a much more dangerous situation. I really would like to know who they choose to pair together.
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to decide.” Amanda turns to the others. “What do you guys think? I mean, each site could be a possible death trap. How do we choose who goes where?”
“Amanda.”
“It’s true, Sam. You even got pissed at Ana for suggesting we be involved in this at all.” Amanda glares at Sam, letting him know she was not happy with his behavior last night.
“We worked that all out, Amanda.” I glance at Sam apologetically. “And, you’re right. There are no guarantees that either place will be safe at all. If you choose to stay behind, I won’t hold that against you.”
“We want to help,” Sara assures me. “The guns scare us, but I think that will make us more, um, cauteloso?”
“Cautious,” I interpret.
“Si. Cautious. There will be Cursed Ones on our side, no?”
“Yes, Liam and his group will help out.” I haven’t asked Liam yet, but I’m hoping he won’t have an issue since he wants the same thing we do. Peace in the land. “We will send Liam and a few of his group to the hideout with a group, and the rest will stay here.”
“Okay, so choose for us,” Jenna suggests. “Who stays here?”
Sigh. Obviously I want to keep Emily and Eric together. And, since I’ve recently became aware that Jeremy knows Jenna very well, I think they’ll work well together. Now for Sara and Amanda. Will Sam be too distracted with Amanda here, or far away from him? I glance over at Sam, and see him give me a little shrug.
“We’ll make that decision later. Whichever group we choose to go to the hideout, you’ll take Liam and whomever he chooses to go with him. The others, obviously, will stay here. Abby, choose Cursed Ones you trust and that I would trust my Hunters with. I will leave your group up to you, as long as you trust whomever you bring to the party.”
“Got it. I know Cursed Ones who are sympathetic to our cause. Meaning, they want no part of what Malcolm wants to bring to this land.”
“Good. Go and get that set up. Do we have a time frame for the meeting?”
“They will be meeting in two hours.”
“And, is that from a reliable source?”
Abby chuckles. “Yes, that is actually good information. I’ve had people watching the Rulers, keeping a ‘bionic’ ear out so to speak. They’ll be ready to move out within the next hour and half to get to Malcolm’s.”
“Good. Given the knowledge you have of the way things run around here, if we do convince Malcolm to back off, do you think his subordinates will follow?”
“Yes. They’re really nothing more than puppets. It has to come from Malcolm and the other Heads, though. You’ll have to get them to tell everyone that they have changed their minds. Can you do that?”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll convince them of the error of their ways.”
As confident as I was when telling Abby we’d convince Malcolm, standing in the woods now so close to the house, that confidence wanes. What if I can’t convince them? What if it comes down to having to forcefully make them stand down?
Then we’ll deal with that together. Sam declares silently.
I’m grateful, not only for his unfailing support, but also that he doesn’t disclose my trepidation aloud. No need to have the others realize that, while I’m sure of their plan of action, my own is still completely obscure.
“All right, does everyone have their assignments?” I make sure my mic is open so that the others going to the hideout can hear me as well. After some deep discussion, including a private discussion with Sam, we sent Amanda and her team to the hideaway. It was probably one of the hardest decisions Sam and I have had to make so far. On one hand, having Amanda stay here meant she was close to us, but also close to what could possibly be a war zone. On the other hand, having Amanda go to the hideout means she is too far away from me to help if something should happen to her. We’re hoping with everything in us that no one will actually show up at the hideaway, and that we’ll be able to stop this war before it even gets out the front door of Malcolm’s place.
“We got it, Selene.” Amanda’s voice comes through as positive and chipper, but I hear the subtle fear underneath. Good. As I’ve always said, fear will make them that much more careful.
“Liam?”
“Here. I’m sorry, who is Selene?”
Amanda’s chuckle comes through my earphone.
“I’ll explain later,” I hear Amanda tell him.
“We’re in the woods now,” I inform everyone. “Sam and I will make our way to the house in a minute. Everything quiet out there?”
Eric, Emily and Sara are spread out with other members of Liam’s group. They all check in with an all clear, as do Jenna, Jeremy and Amanda.
“Nothing going on over here, Ana,” Amanda’s voice comes through clearly. “A few confused people who didn’t know that the Priestess’s reign was over, but we’re letting Abby’s people take care of that.”
I frown. “Hunters?”
“A bit of everything, actually. Hunters, Cursed, innocents. The owners from the little motel we stayed at were out here asking what was going on. It seems your namesake’s reach went pretty far.”
“And, we’re sure that they’re not Malcolm’s people trying to get information?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. We’ll keep an eye on them, but most of them were pretty shaken up by everything, wondering who was going to keep them safe from Malcolm.”
“So they know what’s going on?”
“They have an idea, probably put there by the Priestess. She instilled fear in them, telling them she’s the only one they could trust. The only one that could keep them safe.”
“Gaining their trust,” I mumble to myself.
“That’s what we’re thinking, too. But, like I said, we’re letting Abby’s people take care of that since they’ll be the ones sticking around here.”
“Good job. Keep the line open, but don’t use it unless you absolutely need to. I need to be able to concentrate with Malcolm.”
“Got it. Good luck. And, Ana?”
“Yes?”
“Stop this before it starts.”
Great. No pressure.
“Compel them if you have to,” Amanda continues, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “You’ve compelled large groups before. If Malcolm is as big of an ass as we know he is, it may be your only option. No more killing if that’s possible.”
The concern in Amanda’s voice is loud and clear. She’s still worried about my humanity. I understand her anxiety, but I’m in a much better place now than I was then. The man that I love was dying, taking my heart with him. Still. Having to kill innocents, no matter how despicable they are, is soul-crushing.
“I’ll do what I can.”
Once again, I find myself standing at the front door of Malcolm’s hideous house, with its hideously ridiculous lion’s head door knocker. Yes, I am going in through the front door. I am essentially coming to Malcolm with a peace treaty. Sam and I figured it would be better received if we asked to come in rather than just barging our way in. So, as I did before, I dutifully take the ring of the door knocker, and knock three times. And what do you know? There’s my old friend, Meathead, looking a little worse for the wear. Both of his eyes are black, and he sports a bandaged, black and blue, slightly crooked nose.
“Bitch!”
He takes an angry step towards me, only to be confronted by Sam.
“I don’t think so.”
Gunner sneers at Sam, obviously thinking he can easily take him. Little does he know.
“Brought a bodyguard this time, didja? Too bad for you he won’t be able to stop me from doing what I want to you.” Gunner finishes that sentence with a leer at me. Bad move there, Meathead.
I feel the jealous rage build up in Sam, and if I don’
t nip this in the bud right now, our peace treaty visit will turn into a ‘my boyfriend is about to rip your face off’ visit.
Baby. Remember why we’re here. He can’t do anything to me. He can’t hurt me. Just let it go.
Sam growls, and the feral sound has Gunner stepping back. “We’re here to see your keeper.”
Gunner scowls at Sam’s taunt. “You’re not welcome here.”
“Perhaps you should let Malcolm know we’re here,” I suggest. Gunner spares me a quick glance before returning his glare to Sam. Perfect. A testosterone stand-off. I so don’t have time for this. “Let Malcolm know we’re here. Now.”
Gunner’s eyes jerk to me, conveying confusion before clouding over. He nods, then motions us to come inside.
As we wait for Gunner to fulfill my request, I take Sam’s hand and squeeze it gently.
Are you okay?
Mmm hmm. I think I just felt what you did with Tania. Damn, baby, that was tough.
I know, my love. Let’s just get through this and then we can get away from all of these…
Weirdos? He supplies when I can’t come up with a word to describe some of the people we’ve met in the past few days.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Ella.” Speaking of weirdos. Malcolm walks in with all the confidence in the world, a small smirk gracing his not-so-good-looking face. He’s in what I’m assuming is his usual ‘I’m the boss’ attire of black leather, guns strapped to each side. His stringy, dyed black hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and I can’t help but find him even less appealing than I did the first time I met him. “To what do I owe this,” his eyes roam over my body, resting on my cleavage far longer than I’m comfortable with, “pleasure.”
I run my hand discreetly across Sam’s back, hoping to calm him from the fury building inside him.
“First of all, my name isn’t Ella.” I step towards him, with Sam right behind me. Gunner also steps closer from his position behind Malcolm. “It’s Anala.”
“Impossible. There is only one Anala, the Priestess,” he chokes out the moniker as though it hurts him to call her that. He casually places his right hand on the butt of his gun. “What are you trying to pull?”
Destined to Meet: A Destined Novel (Destined Novels Book 3) Page 16
