He glanced up just ever so slightly. “Yes, thank you.” He picked up a spoon, examining it, and then put it in his coffee mug, stirring slowly, making clinking sounds. “Morrígan.” He breathed in deeply. “She is a fantastic creature.” He chuckled. “She was the love of my life. My first life. She was hungry for power—mine. And eternal life—hers. She had many lovers, but only one love. And that was herself. Even when she was with her children. She only cared about the powers that they could give her. So what she wants now is for the female mac tires to die so that she can live.”
I shook my head. “So everything that she is doing is to kill off her own bloodlines to be more powerful? None of her story is the truth?”
He finally took a sip of his coffee. “None of it.”
I lifted my coffee cup. “How can I trust you are telling the truth?”
He started to stir his coffee again. “Because I do not want to kill you.” I scoffed. “And your brother trusted me.”
“Yeah?”
He shook his head. “You were born to lead, not to follow. You would have been born into the Callamore bloodline had your mother chose her mate and not her love.”
My mouth dropped. “What?”
He smirked just a bit with one corner of his mouth, realizing that I had not known. I figured that there was something they weren’t telling me.
“Yes, your mother was destined to bond with Julius Callamore. They were childhood sweethearts destined in the stars to meet and bond with each other; however, your father fell in love with her and made his claim. Your mother not wanting to see him hurt chose to be with him instead of really following her bond. I tell you this so that you understand what happens when you don’t follow your natural instincts. Do you understand what I am saying?”
I just watched him as he spoke. He just dropped some huge truth that explains a lot of my childhood. My mother’s need to keep Tommy and me away from the Callamores as if they were poison. “Are you saying that I should be with Declan right now?”
He leaned backward in the booth “No,” he said without hesitation.
“Then I should be with Duncan?”
“No.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “No? Then I don’t understand what you’re telling me.”
He leaned forward. “Even with your future written in the stars, you have free will—free will to become whoever you want to be. With whom you want to be. Your mother chose your father, Hellena chose Declan, and you have chosen to not choose. This makes you more powerful than you could ever know.”
I know I rolled my eyes. “So I can be alone for the rest of my life?”
He reached forward and picked up his coffee cup. “No, you will never be alone.”
What the hell did that mean? He spoke in such a way that made me have more questions after he answered my questions. I shook my head. “What does the Morrígan have to do with this?”
He smirked again. “Good question. Morrígan is hunting for you, Sophia Gahlonaghan, and Emily Braiden. Your mother was from the O’Donovan bloodlines—one of the most historical bloodlines dating back to medieval times of a semi-royal family. My bloodline. The bloodline passed great abilities, the same abilities that you possess. Morrígan wants those abilities. Also, you have the abilities from the other families. Unfortunately, you have more desired abilities than those before you. Morrígan will not stop until she sees that she has them.”
I knew the Morrígan wasn’t going to stop until she had what she wanted. “I’ve given up so much already, how can you expect me to give up more?”
He sat up in the booth. “Sacrifice is life. You will sacrifice much more to live than to surrender and die at her hands.”
He smiled at me. “Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you?”
He picked up his coffee. “There is a particular satisfaction that I will get from seeing my descendant live the life she is supposed to. Our family isn’t the grandest. We die young, and it is normally with pain, either physical or emotional. Your destiny is to live, and I want you to live an unforgettable life.”
I tapped my pointer finger on the booth table and sat quietly just thinking about what he had to say. He looked down at the table where I was tapping. “Yes?”
I looked up at his face. “What am I supposed to do to survive her?” He reached for my hand that was tapping on the table. I was shocked how warm his hand was, considering the chill he brought.
“You already know it, and the rest will come in time. There will be a war of sides. I will offer you a guard to travel with you and to train you. He will be there for you when you need him.”
I was looking at his hand on mine until he finished speaking. “A guard?”
He looked out the window at a blackbird that was sitting on the handicap parking sign. It flew off into the air, and as it circled around it came back down to the ground as a man dressed in dark denim jeans, black button up collar shirt, and a black leather jacket. He walked through the door of the diner and stood by our booth.
Aodhan O’Dorcha lifted his hand in presentation of this guard. “This is Alexander, a fallen soul, and he will escort you on your entire journey.”
He sat next to me in the booth, reaching out his hand to offer a handshake. “Alex.”
I looked him in the eye. He had beautiful greenish-brown eyes that sparked almost like lightning.
“Shay.” I reached out my hand to shake his. He smiled at me with a little chuckle of assurance. I looked back at Aodhan O’Dorcha. “How is he supposed to help me?”
He looked at Alex. “He will help you in more ways than you know. Have trust in me that I would never bring harm to you, nor would I bestow a gift that did not serve a purpose.”
I looked over to Alex, then back to Aodhan O’Dorcha and he was gone. The only thing that was left of him was a hint of cinnamon left in the air.
I turned back to Alex. “Are you hungry?”
He looked at me and smiled. “Quite.” He stood and moved to the other side of the booth just where Aodhan O’Dorcha was sitting.
The waitress came up.
“Coffee, black,” he said. “Two scrambled eggs and four sausage links. Thank you.” He never looked up at her. He had only looked straight ahead at me while he spoke. I found him to be arrogant and egotistical. I was quiet as the waitress walked off to place his order.
“Well, that was rude.” I turned my head a little as I said it, almost to question him as a person.
“I don’t think I would consider it rude,” he said. “She came to take my order, I gave it to her, said thank you, and then she went to put my order into the cook. It sounds like she is doing her job.”
I knew the waitress could hear him. After he finished speaking she smiled as if it didn’t bother her anymore that he was a pompous ass. I rolled my eyes. He looked at me.
“Hmmm,” he said. “I think we need to get a couple of things clea—”
I cut him off. “I think it’s all pretty clear.”
He joined his hands together on the table. “Yes, as a matter of fact it seems pretty clear. I am here to protect you. I do not need to be your best friend; however, this will be easier if you at least trust me.” He paused when the waitress came to put his coffee on the table. “Thank you.” Then he paused taking a sip of coffee. “You will trust me because Aodhan O’Dorcha trusts me. I am not here to be your babysitter.” I was shocked he had just said that as if I need a babysitter. Who does he think he is?
The waitress came and set down his food. “Two scrambled eggs and four sausage links.”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you so much.”
She gave a flirty smile back. I made a gagging sound as if I could vomit. He turned to me. “Your dramatics are not necessary. Unfortunately, I will not be leaving you until I am dismissed, and I do believe that we can learn something from each other.” He picked up his fork and stabbed his scrambled eggs then taking a bite. I sat disgusted by his demeanor. He continued to eat and
drink his coffee while staring at me.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “What?”
He shook his head just slightly. “You are angry.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Really? What gave you that idea?”
He wiped his face with his napkin and looked out the window. “Could it be because you are driving a vehicle that in no way fits your personality? Or maybe because you just didn’t get your way?”
I got angry really quick at this jerk. “What the hell is your problem? I never did anything to you, and I don’t even want you here.”
He put money on the table. “Well, that is not up to you or me.”
I pushed his money away. “I don’t need for you to pay my way.”
He chuckled. “Don’t be so presumptuous, little bird. I leave good tips. You may pay for yourself.” He smiled, pushed the money back to the bill, and walked outside.
I put my money on the table and started to get out of the booth when the waitress walked up to the table. “Your boyfriend is very assertive.”
I laughed. “That? That is not my boyfriend.”
I laughed again as she spoke. “He is very handsome. You should snag him.”
I laughed more. “No, I’m good. Thanks for the laugh. Have a great night.”
She looked out into Alex’s direction. “You too.”
I walked out the door, heading to Tommy’s truck. Alex was standing there leaning up against the truck. “Get off my truck!” I yelled at him in anger and realized at the same time that I had called it my truck. That was the first time I had said it. I had to say that it was mine now. I looked him directly in the eyes as he stood straight and put his hands up in surrender.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you cared so much about your truck.”
I turned away from him, heading to the driver’s door. I opened it with the key so that I didn’t have to unlock the passenger’s side.
“Come on, Shay. Let me in.”
I hopped in the truck and looked at him with his hand on the door handle. I put the key in the ignition then turned it on.
“Unlock the door!” he yelled in a deep, demanding voice that made me jump.
I put the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking space. Then I drove off leaving him in the parking lot. I wasn’t far down the road before I heard a thud in the back of the truck. I slammed on the brakes and got out of the truck to see what had made the thud. I left the door open with the truck on as I reached for Tommy’s lacrosse stick behind the driver’s seat. I walked to the bed of the truck slowly and looked over the side. I jumped when I heard a loud bang and then I saw him. A magnificent black wolf stood slowly with the sharpest blue eyes I could imagine. He bared his teeth at me with saliva dripping from his aggressive opened mouth as I backed up holding the lacrosse stick. He stood taller and taller as I watched him jump over the side of the truck to the pavement. He watched me as I stood there motionless then he walked past me transitioning as he walked by.
“We need to get this straight.” He paused as he walked over to me putting his muscular hands on the lacrosse stick I held. “You don’t want to be on my bad side. Get in the truck.”
I looked past him to the truck. “Fine.” I didn’t want to give in, but I felt a little intimidated by him.
“No, I think I will drive for a bit.” He spoke as he waved his hand from left shoulder to right shoulder turning toward the truck fully clothed. He stepped into the truck and pushed the seat back to sit comfortably. “Seatbelts, children.” I was very uncomfortable by him driving Tommy’s truck and the way he spoke to me. We sat silent for the rest of the night as I watched out the window into the dark sky until I fell asleep.
➢23 The Farm
Morning came. As I woke I looked over and saw Alex still driving, I tried to stay quiet but I didn’t even know where he was taking me. I finally got the courage to ask. “Where are we going?”
He didn’t look at me but he answered. “You need training. You have no muscle tone, you don’t know how to fight, you can’t transition on command, you have no control over your abilities, and you can’t take simple orders.”
I looked at him with attitude. “So?”
He kept driving. “We are almost there.”
I looked out the window. “There where?”
He looked over toward me. “The Farm.”
As the sun came up more he turned onto a dirt road that took us down to a large warehouse looking farm building. He stopped the truck as we saw a group of people approaching. He got out, greeting his friends and talking to them about ‘the girl in the truck’. I got sick of just sitting in the truck listening to them after about thirty seconds. I opened the door and hopped out. We watched each other as I walked over to them.
“This is the powerful mac tire everyone has been talking about?” the girl in the group sarcastically asked.
Alex looked over to her then to me. “Everyone, meet Shay. Be nice, Fancy.” I looked over to the girl he called Fancy.
“I was being nice,” she said, smiling at him.
I was confused. “I’m sorry, what am I doing here?”
One of the guys chuckled at me. “Sweetheart, you are here because you aren’t ready to defend yourself.”
I looked at him, shocked. “Excuse me?”
Alex cut in. “You are here to train. You can’t defend yourself yet, and we are here to train you for what’s to come.”
I looked around to see exactly what was here. “So what is this place?”
Alex looked at the rest of his friends and then at me. “You are in a hunters’ training camp.”
My eyes widened. I immediately thought I wasn’t safe. Panicked, I had to run. I looked back and forth at everyone as Alex realized what was happening.
“No, Shay, it’s not that kind of hunter.” His hands went up to show me there was nothing to worry about but it was too late. I had no trust for him or this place he called The Farm. I shook my head in disbelief. He started to get anxious that I was backing up.
“Shay. I promise you it’s not like that. You won’t be hurt here.”
I couldn’t believe him.
The girl spoke up. “I didn’t promise that.” She laughed. It wasn’t funny.
I continued to back up, and I looked at Alex. “You want me to trust you? Really?” I started to turn, and as I was turning I transitioned almost midair away from him and Tommy’s truck. I could go back for it later when it was safe. I continued to back up in my mac tire form step by step. All of Alex’s friends looked mystified as I backed up. Then the most unreal thing started to happen they all lowered their heads and bowed. I stopped for a moment not knowing what was happening.
Alex lifted his head slightly. “You are the one we’ve been looking for. You have our unconditional loyalty.” He bowed his head, then he looked back up at me as the standoff continued. He stared at me and never broke eye contact after several minutes. “Shay, please.” This was the first thing he had ever said that sounded as if he had emotions in his stone heart. I decided to stop, since they were right either way; I did need training. Even Duncan said I need training. I started to calm and transitioned back as I walked forward a couple of steps.
“I am trusting you.” I turned to the truck and grabbed my bag out of the back seat, I was able to grab a T-shirt and jeans out of my bag and quickly put them on before coming around the truck to them. “Where can I get changed and put my stuff?”
Alex stood staring at me for a moment then answered. “Follow me. I’ll show you to the dorms.”
I looked at him. “Dorms?”
He turned and smiled. “Dorms.”
I started to follow him, and he grabbed my duffle bag from my hand to carry. He seemed mad as he jerked it away from me. “Thank you.” He didn’t turn around to me to say anything. We walked in silence toward a room in the back of the open warehouse filled with punching bags and weight training equipment. He opened a door and walked inside. I looked around hearing people
walking behind us at a distance. It must be his friends. They confused me; first they wanted to make fun of me, and then they bowed to me. Why did they bow?
Alex walked over to one of the metal bunk beds and put his hand on the post. “This one is yours.” He motioned to the lower bed and I looked at him as he set my duffle bag on the end of the bed. I walked over and sat down putting my book bag by my duffle bag he had just set down. I remained quiet. I didn’t have anything to say to him, and honestly I didn’t really want to say anything to him. He pointed toward an open door off to the left. “Showers over there.” He looked at me when I didn’t say anything back to him. “Are you good?” I looked up at him and nodded my head yes. He scoffed at me then stomped off out through the door as it slammed behind him. I could hear him yelling outside the door with his friends. “She is so ungrateful. I can’t believe that I got stuck with this assignment.”
I heard Fancy speak in defense of me. “She seemed sad. You don’t really know what has happened to her. You should give her a break.”
I smiled while I was going through my bag. I found clean clothes to go shower. I could hear him walk off and then heard the door open. I looked up and saw Fancy walking toward me. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
She slowed and kind of paced back and forth a couple of steps. “Are you getting settled?”
“You don’t have to try to be nice to me. I know Alex doesn’t want to help me so I don’t know why you would want to either.”
She came closer. “Nobody thought that you actually existed.”
“What does that mean?”
She walked closer and closer. “Your eyes.”
I waited. “Yeah?”
She paused and took another step. “They are red like the Morrígan’s. You are a true royal. Didn’t you know?” She looked confused that I didn’t know much about the mac tire history.
I shook my head. “I only found out about all of this recently. My parents hid everything from me, even my brother hid it.”
She looked surprised. “Brother?”
I almost wished I hadn’t said it, but I did. “Yeah, Tommy, my twin brother. He was killed two days ago by the Morrígan’s hunters. My parents knew it was going to happen and let it.” She instantly turned sad to hear what I had spoken.
Crimson Secrets Page 24
