Choices of Fate (Fate Series) (20 page)

Alexa’s cheeks flushed slightly at the implication of Josephine’s words.

“Oh my, look at me, being so rude and pouncing on you before you have even gotten through the door, please come inside.” Jo closed the doors and turned to her son. “Mi hijo, you know that I am happy to see you, as always and I know we have much to discuss but you will have to wait. So kindly hand over my beautiful granddaughter.”

Ethan chuckled as he passed Chloe to his mother. Chloe practically jumped from his arms to get to her. Ethan watched his mother carefully, concerned that she might have a vision when she touched Chloe since she didn’t have a charm to block her yet. But several minutes passed, the two just staring, assessing and absorbing one another.

Elijah stepped up behind his wife, surprising Alexa with his sudden appearance. She still hadn’t adjusted to the supernatural speed. “Dearest, how do you feel?” He said, the concern in his voice evident.

“I am filled with a joy that is beyond words, but that is not what you are asking. There is no vision, I do not see anything of Chloe’s future now, even when I try to focus on it. Perhaps her future is still too uncertain to form in a vision. Or, it could be…” her voice trailed off as if she was suddenly lost in thought.

“What is it, my love?” Elijah inquired.

“She is very strong, I can feel it in her, it is possible that she shields her own future, though that should be impossible without the aid of magic.”

“There is no way for us to know the bounds of her power yet, but we cannot take any chances,” he said as he pulled something from his pocket. He moved around behind Chloe and lifted the delicate silver chain up over her head and brought it together behind her neck to clasp it.
 

Ethan looked at his father, a question in his eyes. Elijah responded aloud, “Barb made it right after they left my office. Said there was no point in waiting for the blood, she already knew Chloe was the one.”

Alexa leaned around to get a better look at the necklace. She gently picked up the little four-point star the rested against Chloe’s chest. “What does it mean?”
 

“It is the mark, your mark. The birthmark that identified my soulmate,” Ethan said smiling, no hint of the resentment that he once felt about the prophecy remained as he placed his hand against the small of her back.

“This is what my birthmark looks like?” Alexa asked, having never actually seen it because of its placement and the thickness of her hair.

“Well, I see everyone is acquainted now,” Barb said stepping out from a door a little way down the long hallway that led into the house. “Jo, I think it is high time you had a little chat with, Alexa, alone,” she said pointedly looking at Ethan.

“I do not see why I should not stay with her. There is nothing mother need say that I should not hear,” Ethan responded through gritted teeth.

“That’s not for you to decide, boy. You can take your things to your room and join me and your father in the kitchen and let these two have a little, girl-time, or if you prefer I can stick you right where you stand for the rest of the night, and it will happen anyway,” Barb said standing up as tall as her short frame would allow.

Alexa couldn’t help but admire the old woman’s strength. Witch or not, she was still human and she was thoroughly putting one of the most powerful vampires in existence in his place.
 

“My son, just allow us a few moments,” Jo said softly, resting her hand against Ethan’s forearm. “Chloe needs to eat, and you should spend a little time with her and your father. Do not worry, you will have Alexa all to yourself soon enough. Elijah and I have a great deal of grandparent time to catch up on,” she whispered winking at him playfully.

“Mama, please,” Ethan huffed trying to sound exasperated. The truth was, that while he was eager to spend some time getting to know his daughter, he needed to be alone with Alexa. Since the moment she walked into his father’s office, his body had been practically vibrating with need for her. The draw to her was like a call from his soul, and now that he had her back in his life, the thought of letting her out of his sight, even for a few moments, ached all the way down to his marrow.

Alexa was just as reluctant to leave his side, but when Josephine held out her manicured hand, she took it without protest and followed her down the long hallway, away from the two loves of her life.

✧

Ethan watched Alexa’s back longingly as she followed his mother down the hallway to her private parlor which he already knew to be soundproof. There would be no listening in, even with preternatural vampire hearing. He was suddenly gripped by fear as he worried what would be revealed when the two were alone. Would his mother tell Alexa the entire prophecy? While he had been honest with her, there was one particular detail that he had omitted. How could Alexa love him once she knew?

He nodded and smiled as Barb and Elijah talked and fawned over Chloe, who seemed to be eating up all of the attention, but his focus was trained directly on Alexa and his mother as he strained to hear anything that passed between them before they entered the parlor.

Nothing was spoken between the two women until they reached the door, when Josephine turned to Alexa holding out her hand. “Please remove your necklace, Alexa,” she requested softly.

Alexa instinctively grabbed the large diamond, as she often did when she was nervous or anxious. “I can’t, I promised Ethan I would never take it off.” She declared, determined not to break her promise.

“It is to block your future from the enemy, but this home is protected by one of Barb’s spells. You will be safe within these walls without it. I wish to look at your future and I cannot so long as you wear it. I am sure Ethan will consent to its removal for this, and since he is listening intently, you need only look at him for confirmation,” she explained smiling slightly. She knew her son well.

Alexa turned back to see Ethan whose eyes were fixed on her hand over the necklace he had given her. He quickly looked up at her eyes and nodded, reluctantly giving his consent.

She reached back to unclasp the chain, but before her hands reached it, Ethan’s were there. He quickly undid the necklace and tucked it into his pocket while he kissed her neck in the same way he had done when he gave it to her.

“I will keep this for you, and I will put it back on when you are finished with your discussion,” he breathed against her neck, ignoring that his mother was watching the exchange.

He just hoped she would want it, that she would want him, by the time they were done.

Alexa thought to turn and wrap her arms around Ethan, feeling his anxiety and wanting to comfort him. Before she had the chance she felt the swift breeze that signaled his departure back to the company of those who were now in the kitchen. So she took a clarifying breath and passed through the door that Josephine was holding open.

CHAPTER 17 -
AB Negative

Ethan waited for what seemed like ten lifetimes while his mother spoke privately with Alexa. Barb and Elijah chatted lightly while she made some eggs and grits for Chloe. After Chloe scarfed those down, Barb let her take some blood from her wrist, while Ethan stepped outside. It had been far too long since he had blood and he feared his response to the smell of fresh blood in the air.

Elijah joined him. “My son, how long since you last fed?” He had eaten some human food just that afternoon, a grilled cheese and tomato soup, but he knew that wasn’t what his father was asking. “I can see it has been too long in the color of your face. You have grown pale.”

Ethan looked at his father. “It has been quite a while, I have only fed a handful of times since I first met Alexa. It just feels so wrong. I do not understand how you can do it, loving mother, but feeding on another with all the feelings it evokes. I never considered it before since my heart was free and I could do as I pleased. But now, the thought of drinking from another woman turns my stomach far more than my hunger.”

Elijah clasped his shoulder firmly as he chuckled. “There are ways around that feeling. Have you never thought of feeding from a man?”
 

Ethan considered for a moment. No, honestly, it had never crossed his mind, the instinct of the hunt always focused him on females.

“No, I suppose not,” he admitted.

“Well, never mind that now. You will be able to feed from your love tonight, and I have a large supply of stored blood available. While it does not offer the same thrill from the bag as it does from the vein, it will sustain you. Perhaps you should have some now, before you are alone with Alexa. You do not want your hunger to override your judgment and cause you to take too much from her.”

While the thought of cold blood from a bag was not at all appealing, the thought of hurting Alexa in any way was unbearable.
 

Ethan followed his father to the basement and into the walk-in refrigeration unit

✧

They entered the cold room and Ethan looked around, seeing a variety of bags lining the shelves of the cold room.
 

“We have all blood types, I would recommend the AB negative, it is the least bitter in the cold state. It is also the rarest type and was quite difficult to come by, but I believe there is enough to temper your thirst for now, my son,” Elijah said.

He plucked a bag from a nearby shelf and handed it to Ethan. “I will give you a moment alone and go enjoy some time with my granddaughter,” he stated before ducking out of the room and pulling the door just short of closing to give him some privacy, but not wanting to trap Ethan in the air-tight room.

Ethan sniffed the thick liquid through the plastic, even with the barrier, the smell was quite pungent and caused his fangs to erupt from his gums. He considered trying to procure a pair of scissors to pierce the thick bag, but instinct overrode conscious thought, and he bit down on it roughly, his sharp teeth easily penetrating the barrier.

The taste was cold and bitter, evoking no emotion or excitement like fresh blood. Still, as the thick coppery liquid slid down his parched throat, Ethan felt his hunger begin to dissipate. The stored blood satisfied his physical need for blood, but it did nothing to quench the burning desire in his heart, the deep need to feel the pulse of his love as her warm essence coated and soothed him from the inside out.

As he removed a second bag from the shelf, he said a silent prayer, hoping that no matter what his mother revealed, Alexa would return to him. That she would still love and accept him as he was. That he would again feel her skin against his, taste the sweet liquid that pulsed in her veins and make her his in every way possible.

He had suffered greatly these many months, struggling with the truths of the prophecy that had already come to pass, and hoping beyond all things that he could still change what he knew in his heart was beyond his control. While he had accepted part of his role in the prophecy, that he would love Alexa, that he would father the child that led his people into the future, not knowing what that future would be, he refused to believe it in its entirety. He would never hurt Alexa, he would die first.

Having finished two bags of the AB negative, Ethan felt full. However wanting to be certain he was in control when and if Alexa returned to him, he grabbed the nearest bag, not paying attention to the type, and gulped it down.

✧

Ethan emerged from the basement, feeling far more in control than when he first entered, and rejoined Elijah, Barb, and Chloe in the kitchen.
 

Alexa and Josephine remained in the soundproof study down the hall and Ethan tried to keep his focus on the conversation around him.

“I’ll return to the clinic, explain the sale to the other staff and gather up Chloe’s records,” Barb stated. “Now you know you’ll need to come back and say goodbye to everyone soon if you expect them to believe you’ve decided to retire. It won’t do for you to just disappear into thin air all of a sudden.”

“Yes, I know, but we need to close down for a few days first. If Lucias has discovered our location we cannot risk the employees being there when his men come looking. I need you to call everyone before we are scheduled to open, tell them that I am ill, that they can take the next few days off until I am well again. That will give us some time to come up with a reason for my sudden retirement.”

“We could say it’s cancer, that is a common affliction among humans these days and they will understand your needing to focus on your own health for a while.”

“What would I do without you, Barb?” Elijah said, his eyes full of affection and admiration.

She chuckled before responding, “I surely don’t know. Let’s not find out just yet, but you know the time is coming soon, don’t ya? I have been clinging on to this life for far too long, my old friend. My soul is weary and I am ready to move on.”

An expression of pure sadness covered Elijah face, and Barb’s last words even pulled Ethan’s attention from the door he had been singularly focused on for the last few minutes.

“Now, now, don’t you boys fret.” She said gently patting each of them on the sides of their faces. “I have lingered in this world with you far too long and you know it. I’ll stay until the job is done, but you’ve gotten spoiled having me around to fuss over you all these years. Humans aren’t meant to stay here like this and you know I’m so very tired. I feel like one of those rubber bands that’s been stretched a little too far for just a little too long so it can’t bounce back again. Of course I’ll miss ya’ll too, but we’ll see each other again someday. You know you boys have plenty left to do on this side first.”
 

She looked at both of them sternly. “I expect you both to see this thing through, ya hear? You be strong for these three girls here, understand?” she said gesturing to Chloe and then down the hall where Josephine and Alexa were still shut away.

Both men nodded and Ethan felt a chill spread over him. So much was still uncertain. Alexa could come out of that room hating him. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to face everything that lay ahead without her. But he would try, he would do everything he could to fulfill his promise and to protect Alexa and his daughter, even if that meant forfeiting his own life.