Fate Fixed (19 page)

She wore long robes woven of unusual fabrics with

multicolored beads draped around her waist made from

polished stones, sea shel s, and bits of pottery. Her

mannerisms were eccentric, but behind her unusual attire and long, wiry hair were the brightest eyes Timothy had ever seen. Although she had lost her sight through them, she could see more than a man with three eyes.

Both Timothy and Sarah joked she was a Daoine Sidhe,

one of the greatest fairy tribes, because her voice in song was so beautiful. One would pause simply to listen to each note as it passed her lips. She also had the ability to gentle the fiercest of creatures, wild animals and livestock alike.

So unusual was her ways that Timothy could not help but seek any wisdom she thought to share in regards to the boys.

“She told him that the vampires had left women with swol en bel ies along the coastline a dire long time. The boys would be fine until their change sometime in their eighteenth year when their second heart came to life within their chests, sending a thirst for living blood so strong through them that they would forsake their souls for it. Once their human heart
stopped beating, kil ed by the consumption of another’s spirit fil ed blood, they would forever be cursed to darkness.

Many kinfolk had been consumed by their newly changed

demon and found dead in their beds; the death dealer

disappearing into the darkness, becoming like the cruel ones who sired him. That was unless the sons were slain first.”

Torin always dreaded hearing how those like him could

have hurt their families. He knew he had already begun the change and only awaited the final piece when the immobile heart awakened and completed the transformation – more power and strength, but also a thirst for living blood. He would rather kil

himself first than hurt his loved ones, especial y now that he had something to lose.

“Poor Sarah was said to have cried out in anguish at the unfortunate news, for she dearly loved her precious Cormac with al of the tenderness a mother could hold. But al was not lost, because the wise old woman knew of a Scottish lad determined not to end up cursed, for he was passionate about a bonny lassie in town he wanted to marry. When he felt the final phase of the change upon him, he chained himself within his uncle’s stable.

As the painful transformation overtook him and evil tried to devour his humanity, it was a lamb he drank from and when the sun rose, he did not perish.”

Lexie glanced up at Torin, her fingers tugging on the cross she wore around her neck. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. She was smiling, the turn in the story giving her hope. She did not know that the young lad from Scotland did not fare wel . Torin knew the ful story, once the townspeople learned what happened, they stil thought he was an abomination and slaughtered him and his uncle

after accusing them of sorcery. It was their fear that drove them to destroy what they could not understand – the same reason he and his family guarded their secret so tightly.

“Now Timothy took hope from the old woman’s story,”

Donovan continued. “He asked her as many questions as

possible about preferred animals for blood and signs of the change approaching. The boys were a bit over sixteen and he wanted to be prepared for the time when they

transformed.

Timothy gave thanks in prayer to the Lord for sending him the pishogue. It was his great hope that if the boys could hold on to their faith without giving in to the evil and could
receive sustenance from animals rather than humans, perhaps they could keep from becoming as lost as Lucifer.

“After three nights without sleep or nourishment, Timothy final y col apsed from exhaustion and drifted into the deepest of sleep. As he dreamed, he saw his four beloved adopted sons taking four young women as wives. The wise old lady was in the dream as wel , but years faded from her form before his very eyes, leaving her young and lovely – this he realized was her true form he was seeing. She held her smooth hand out to him, no longer heavily cal oused and wrinkled with age. Her white gown glittered in the sunlight; her once wiry hair now looked like molten gold.

She pointed at the four couples and spoke into his mind without even opening her mouth. ‘Your prayers have been heard and your heart has been found commendable. Each

of your sons shal be soul bound to their fate-partner. They need a strong love to live a righteous life, a reason to maintain their humanity. After dreaming of their one love, fate wil bring them to forward.

After exchanging vows that bind their souls, she wil be by his side until the end of his life, no longer aging like a mere human.

She wil not become what he is, but a gifted being untouched by the chaos of time, worthy of immortality. She wil not be forced, for al humans have free wil , but chose the love she receives. So this shal be for al time as long as their human heart beats.’

Timothy wanted clarification, but when he tried to speak to the mystical being, his own voice awakened him from his sleep. Without haste, he ran to her sleeping quarters, too impatient to wait until morning for fear he would forget what he was shown, but when he entered her chambers she was nowhere to be found.

Lexie sat frozen at Torin’s side. He could sense her

bewilderment and wonder at the story. He wanted to be

alone with her and run his hands through her soft hair. How he could find words to describe how he felt when she left him speechless?

He knew his father’s tale was coming to an end
. Just a
little
longer.

“For two years Timothy prepared the young men the best he could for the final phase. He had them practice self-control of the flesh, as wel as the spirit. Like the wise one prophesized, they showed abilities that foretold their transformation. They could run and jump at great speeds, lift piles of rocks and lumber grown men couldn’t hoist.

Their

hearing and sense of smel grew strong and their bodies healed when injured. As Timothy’s own body began slowing with the ravages of time and il ness, he found their gifts miraculous.

“Then one night Timothy awoke to an earsplitting scream.

Cormac was suffering from an acute stabbing pain in his chest that spread to his gut and around his back. His throat burned and his teeth sharpened, digging into the flesh of his lower lip. Timothy summoned the boys and together

they carried his twisting and shuddering form to the barn.

Once shackled, a loud reverberation erupted from

Cormac’s throat.

The boy wailed as he grabbed a goat and gave in to the burning need to drink. Timothy could not bear to leave the side of the boy, for they were al his adopted sons, growing together unrelated by blood but bonded through

circumstances. When the sun appeared on the horizon,

Timothy held my grandfather and wept, but the sun did not burn, it only warmed Cormac’s skin.

“And so it went for the other three as wel . Braden, Teagan, and Cian’s ancestors had to face the painful alteration of shifting into a being that was not confined to only human limitations. Over time, just like Timothy’s prediction, they found their fate-partners after dreaming of them first. They
had children at a slow rate, for they did not age like normal men and women. Many of whom are alive stil and whom you shal meet in time.”

Donovan’s expression was serene as he concluded his

thoughts. “What you need to understand Lexie, is we did not choose to become this way. We did not sel our souls or get bitten by a bat or any of the other things found in books and on television. We are often cal ed damphyrs – a Balkan term for half-vampires. For that area also had some of our kind. If we were to feed on people, our human side would die and we would become no better than the draugr that kil ed Cormac McGregor or the one that raped Sarah. Our families choose life, we do not kil the animals we hunt, we only take what we need to survive – the older we get the less we need.”

Torin watched as Endel ion leaned forward and gave his girlfriend a purposeful smile. “I don’t know why we were chosen for this extraordinary existence at the sides of our partners. Perhaps at the end of our lives we wil have it explained to us. Until then, revel in the beauty of the magic.”

She patted Lexie’s knee. His mother had always been so encouraging, seeing her administer to Lexie now made him
appreciate her even more. “And remember what I told you earlier. You just need to look closely at your heart.”

Endel ion stood up and stretched her lean body,

“Donovan, after sitting here for so long, I would real y enjoy a nice strol along the lake. I’m sure the kids could use some time alone to talk as wel .” She smiled coyly at her husband.

With a gracious expression, his father leaped to his feet and swept her up into his arms. “Perhaps a little time upstairs is in order first my love.” He kissed her

enthusiastical y causing her cheeks to redden. Torin’s eyebrows raised, he was used to his parents’ amorous

affection, but the display felt awkward with Lexie by his side. Donovan gave him a wink, “You two take your time here at the house. I’m sure there wil be many more

questions asked before the end of this night.” As Donovan whisked out the door, Endel ion’s musical laughter could be heard as they headed towards the stairway at the back of the house.

“I like your parents,” she sighed. “You are the perfect blend of them both.”

His gaze searched her steadily. She reached out and touched the side of his face. He turned towards her hand and kissed her palm. He hoped she could be happy with

him, even if they could never understand everything. His family secret was now hers and he imagined the two of

them tel ing it together, like his parents did today. It would be a part of their own legacy, detailing how his soul bound to hers, fixed by fate for eternity.

Rage was his. It boiled through his veins until it colored everything he could see and touch red.

The ful moon was final y upon them, the one night each month when they transformed into more than just hulking tundra wolves, but the true beast legends were written about – the Pricolici, the werewolves. Under the moons ful power, they were at their ful strength, their true potential, unleashing the ultimate predator into a society that

misunderstood and disrespected his kind from the time

they originated back in Romania. Nothing could stop them – wel except for sterling silver. There was always a bit of truth in legends.

He hadn’t planned on acting so soon, but neither did he
expect her to go to another. When she came home distraught without her freak, he thought she was coming around. But no –

he fol owed her across town to
his
doorstep. Did she think she could sneak off without his notice?

Now she was in his lair. The entire grounds reeked of the freak’s stink – making it difficult to pace around the property without feeling sick. He wasn’t sure what they were, but they weren’t imposing like him, they couldn’t match his superiority, his breeding. They were nothing but diseased parasites contaminating his property.

Glaring at the sky, he could smel the scent of rain. He focused on the house, listening past the chatter until he could hear her familiar heartbeat. The way it raced, he knew she was going to give herself away.

Disgust fueled him as he turned away and headed back to the den. Torn between the desire to punish her and his lust, no longer would he sit back and wait for her to want him. No longer would he be submissive and fal in line.

Tonight he would bring them to their knees.

Tonight was the ful moon.

Lexie nestled her face into Torin’s chest and listened for the double heartbeat. Al she heard was the same steady

rhythm she always found soothing.

He ran his hand through her long hair. “I haven’t gone through the final phase of the transformation. It wil be soon, but not yet,” he whispered.

“Are you scared of changing?” she asked tentatively.

“Only of failing everyone and losing you,” he replied, his voice certain.

She wanted to ask him so many questions, yet at the

moment, she knew she had to put them aside and embrace her feelings instead of analyzing them to death. She didn’t need

Torin to explain everything in order for her to be happy with him and true to herself –things would fal in place,

eventual y.

Endel ion encouraged her to search her heart and if she loved Torin, then what he was would not change that. She did love him; more than she ever thought possible. The bril iant woman was right – it didn’t change her feelings for him.

His lips brushed over hers, she could feel his longing for her with each breath. It was this connection to him that she basked in. With each moment spent near each other, she could feel their connection solidify. She wanted to recal Donovan’s words about fate-partners, but could only think of being close to Torin in that moment. Her body warmed under his touch and she could feel his hands tremble as they traced across her col arbone and over her necklace.

“Can I show you something?” The huskiness in his voice made her shiver.

Pul ing away slightly, she answered, “Of course.” She

wasn’t sure if she wanted to move, she was so content

snuggling with him on the couch. But when he reached

down to her, she couldn’t resist fol owing him anywhere.

As they stepped out on the back porch, Lexie could feel the temperature cooling. She looked to the sky as she felt the negative ions in the air give her skin goose bumps. Torin

wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “A thunderstorm is approaching. You aren’t afraid are you?” He smiled.

“I love storms,” she exhaled. “Besides, I’m with you. I couldn’t feel safer.”

After scanning the area with a suspicious expression, he led her across the yard to a smal outbuilding that had the same siding and roofing as the main house.