Fate Fixed (20 page)

“You have your own place back here?”

“It used to be a carriage house. It once stored horse drawn carriages and tack.” He opened the door, and gestured for her to enter. “My parents renovated it a while back for company

– but I moved out here last spring.”

As Lexie glanced around the large room, she realized there was so much about Torin that she didn’t know. As she

examined the stacks of books covering every surface, she learned he had a variety of interests. Some authors were familiar to her, like George Orwel and Jon Krakauer.

Others were unfamiliar but she saw a range of topics from global warming to poetry.

Dirt biking gear was neatly folded in one corner and a
canvas propped in the other sat on an easel. She walked over to it and studied his work. She was astonished to see he had painted her, capturing her likeness ful y with oil paints. She was sitting

on the dock by the lake – even the delicate strands of her hair were detailed perfectly. “You’re a renaissance man.”

He caressed the smal of her back, making her skin tingle under his fingertips. “I have trouble sleeping at night. I find thinking of you helps me relax.”

Lexie looked up into his intense blue eyes framed with heavy lashes; she didn’t know how she could have found them frightening. They had so much power over her. She touched the side of his face, his skin quivered in response to her caress. His hand slid up her back, pressing her body to his. She melted against him, enjoying the sensation his touch sent through her.

Torin’s lips brushed across her skin, over her eye lids and then settled on her mouth. As she explored his kisses, she was overcome with the pleasure of being so close to him.

Her senses purred as his wonderful scent fil ed her.

Her heart raced as she slid her hand under the bottom of his shirt, finding the smooth skin of his back. His own hands ran through her hair as his mouth pressed harder against
hers.

Feeling braver, she edged the soft cotton of his shirt up further so she could run her fingers over his shoulders, tracing the smooth skin around to his muscled stomach. His breath quickened at her touch. Every cel in her body felt alive next to him.

Shyly, she touched Torin’s chest. She knew beneath her fingers lay his other heart. She didn’t fear it though. He was everything to her just the way he was. It was at that moment she realized she would always be with him, always desiring him, always craving him completely. Drawing her lips from his, Lexie lead him over to the bed in the center of the room.

He gently brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her slowly. Recognizing the yearning in his eyes because it matched her own, she guided his hands across her waist.

With trembling fingers, she opened the front of her blouse, exposing her untouched skin to him. She let her top drop from her shoulders to the floor, as his eyes bathed her in appreciation.

“You are perfect,” he whispered. He ran his fingertips over the soft lace of her bra, making her shiver with pleasure.

His beautiful eyes connected with hers. “Lexie, I need to tel you…” He paused, his expression radiated with honesty. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She meant it completely. “I have for a while.

I just didn’t believe I could be in love so soon after finding you. But, I am.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, trailing his hands down her spine. “You understand, when we fal in love, it’s forever…”

She heard Donovan say it when he explained fate-partners – but she already knew. It was already alive inside her.

He grasped both of her hands and pressed them against

his chest. She could feel his heart beating against his skin.

“I bind my soul to yours – forever,” he murmured.

A pleasurable ripple coursed from where her hands

touched his heart, shooting up her arms and through her body.

She gasped in surprise, realizing what was happening. “I bind my soul to yours, for forever and always.” With a great
rush, al of her feelings for Torin arose within her and spil ed forth, flooding him with al of her love. Her entire body and soul felt as though it was engulfed with his love and

passion.

He pul ed her to him, kissing her excitedly. She was

overcome with how powerful his emotions were. Like

looking through his eyes, she could see and experience exactly what he felt. Now that their spirits were one, she didn’t want to ever be separated from him. She kissed him back, matching his intensity with her own.

She couldn’t be close enough to him. Her hands explored the hardness of his body, even though he was bigger than she was, she fit against him perfectly. She could feel herself redden as he finished undressing, but was impatient to feel al of his skin against hers.

She rested back on the bed, her hair fanning across the pil ow, and gave him an enticing smile. As Torin joined her, Lexie’s heart beat wildly in response to the sensuality they shared. Using his lips and tongue, he trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck until they reached the sensitive skin of her untouched breast. She pressed herself against him, urging him closer. She gasped with satisfaction as he
fil ed her, the two of them final y one. His taste, his touch, his love – it al swept over her, carrying her further than she ever dreamed.

Lexie didn’t know how long she had been napping, but

when she awoke she stil felt the intensity of her

supernatural bond with Torin. Her back was pressed

against his chest and she could feel his soft breath tickle her ear. His hand rubbed slow circles across her bare bel y, leaving her tingly with pleasure.

The love that flowed from him blanketed her; she would be content to never move from the intimate embrace the two shared.

“I hope you don’t mind, but while you slept I painted you naked,” he whispered seductively in her hear.

“What – you wouldn’t.” Lexie’s arms whirled, trying to get untangled from the covers so she could see his face.

“I’m playing,” Torin chuckled, his eyes smoldering.

“You haven’t been sleeping for long.” He lifted her over him so she could straddle him. She could feel his devotion as he studied her. “Do you know what is amazing? Even while you slept, I

was able to feel what you feel... I could feel how much you love me.”

Lexie leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. “You’re lucky you’re immortal or I would give you a slow death for scaring me like that,” she teased.

His hands roamed over her hips. “Then you’l be happy to know that I can be kil ed.”

She sat back, giving him a worried look. “But, I thought because of being a damphyr, you couldn’t be hurt.” She traced his arm where the wound had been. “You heal…”

“I do, but I can stil die Lexie – fire, decapitation, blood draining…”

Shaking her head, she put her fingers over his mouth so he couldn’t say any more. “Stop, you’re scaring me.” She

brought her face back down to his and pressed her cheek to his.

“I couldn’t handle it if anything ever happened to you.”

“Nothing wil happen,” he reassured as he rubbed her back.

Torin found her mouth and gave her a fiery kiss. Once

again, his touch enticed her senses and his own outpouring of emotions from their bond flowed through her, dismissing al worries. Al she could focus on was the flaming desire he stoked in her.

As the sun began to set, the rain sounded like the sky had opened and unleashed one of the Maine’s largest lakes upon the

town of Erris. Lexie didn’t mind the relentless drive of the rain; she just snuggled closer to Torin. Her body felt spent in the most wonderful way. He made her feel beautiful for the first time in her life.

He propped himself up on his elbows, listening intently.

Turning to her, he gave her one more adoring kiss. “I would like to hold you here like this al night, but we have company.”

Lexie bolted from the bed and gathered her clothing.

Torin pretended to help but used the awkward situation as an opportunity to tickle her when she reached for her

blouse.

After pul ing on his own things, he made sure she was put together before opening the door. Braden strode in with a serious expression. Looking past his shoulder, she could see Teagan and Cian on the smal porch. Seeing Teagan’s big grin, she blushed and turned away. She imagined with their senses, they knew what she and Torin had been up to.

Braden’s eyebrows rose as he looked from Lexie to Torin.

“You’ve soul bound,” he said in amazement. “I can feel it – she’s one of us now.” His big arms encircled her in a brotherly squeeze. “I knew you would because of the

dreams, but it’s cool seeing it happen for the first time.”

Lexie smiled, feeling Torin’s love and pride as she hugged his cousin. “You can feel it?” She was so short, that she

could hear Braden’s double beat resounding through his muscular chest as he towered over her
. He’s already
changed.

“Yeah,” he grinned, “as soon as I walked in here. Al of us wil .”

She stepped back from the friendly embrace and slid her hand back in Torin’s.

Torin studied his cousin, “Is the scent stil out there?”

“It’s al around the perimeter of your yard,” Braden

answered. “We haven’t smel ed it in town before, but it’s definitely taken notice of your family.”

“It’s just one this time,” Torin said with understanding.

Lexie could feel Torin’s growing unease. “What are you talking about?” she questioned.

Torin squeezed her hand. “We’ve been tracking whatever it is that has been doing the kil ings – but it seems it found us.

I thought I could smel it when we were outside earlier, so while you slept, I cal ed Braden to check it out.”

Braden turned to the window. While staring into the

darkness, he muttered, “I think we have a bigger problem than we original y thought.” He turned back to Torin, “I fol owed the scent al the way back to Lexie’s house.”

Startled with his observation, she asked, “What does that mean?” She tried to swal ow the lump in her throat, but couldn’t.

Braden looked careful y at Torin, his blue eyes missing their usual good humor. “I think her stepfamily may be shifters.

That’s why they usual y smel bad, but not like the scent of the predators in the woods.”

“When they shift, their odor becomes sulfuric.” Torin’s forehead creased as the truth was becoming clear. “It’s a ful moon, so they would be stronger tonight?”

“Donovan’s on the phone with the old ones now. He’s trying to see what they know, but so far, he hasn’t discovered much.” Braden sounded as though he was as unsure as

Torin.

Lexie didn’t understand exactly what they were saying, but she could feel Torin’s concern and it scared her. “My

stepfamily may be responsible for al of the deaths?” she clarified. She tried to dismiss the thought, but the truth was so clear, she couldn’t. “Surely not al of them, I would have been able to tel .” Or would she? Maxim was obvious, but what about Dragos? He was the one who took his sons out into the woods at night.

Braden’s phone buzzed. “What’s up?” As he listened, his face turned to stone. “Be right there.” He reached behind him, swinging open the door. Teagan and Cian both stood waiting. He motioned for his cousins to listen. “That was Seamus, the trail is fresh outside of your place Cian – and there’s human blood.”

Lexie watched as Cian’s expression hardened, his dark

eyes transforming into the same defying white Torin’s had.

“Brooke,” Cian turned so quickly, she only saw a blur as he
leaped from the porch. Teagan proceeded after him, both moving at speeds that defied physics.

Braden probed Torin. “Do you need to stay?”

Torin hurriedly pul ed on his black leather jacket. “No, you’l need me.”

Braden nodded before disappearing from the room.

Torin placed his hand on Lexie’s shoulder and gave her a steady look. “Listen to me Lexie. I need you to stay here tonight and not go home. I wil be back as soon as I can.

You can stay with Endel ion in the house, she’l keep you company.”

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “You forget. I can feel what you feel. I know you’re scared.” She began to shiver, her body coursing too much adrenaline through her system.

Torin wrapped his arms around her to stil her shaking form.

“I’m only scared of you getting hurt. We don’t know what they are, but hopeful y we wil by tonight.” As he hugged her, she buried her face into his chest, the leather making it hard to feel his warmth.

He slipped out of her arms and moved to the door.

“Everything wil be okay.” He gave her a heartening smile

although she could stil feel the unease he emitted. “I love you forever.”

“Forever and always,” she replied, but he was already

gone.

The frigid rain final y slowed. Even after the heat wave earlier in the week, Maine felt so much colder to Lexie than Connecticut ever did, and it was only early September. The large Victorian stood among the trees like it had always been there. Massive pines had grown around the base of the house, creating a maze of shadows. Although she’d

lived there a week, her home stil felt foreign to her, as if she was in a strange land rather than a place she should cal hers. It didn’t have the warmth of Torin’s parents’ home or the charm of the old house in the woods. But it was not the old foreboding house that she feared now, it was Maxim and Dragos.

Her jeans and blouse were completely saturated and her
long hair was now plastered to her head. She was so cold that

her lips and her fingers felt numb. Despite her discomfort, Lexie knew she needed to slip in through the front door unnoticed. If her step family was home, al hope would be gone of warning her mother and sister. With one hand

cradling the silver cross pendant Liz had given her, she silently whispered a short prayer for their safety.

Her heart was beating quickly and nausea spread through her midsection. She thought of last semester when Mr.