Fate Fixed (9 page)

After the fal out in the living room, Lexie fol owed her mother into the kitchen to describe what happened but Ruby
surprised her by taking Maxim’s side. While brewing hot water for tea, her mother informed Lexie that this was a new beginning for them. As the oldest daughter, she was expected to behave like a responsible young lady. When Lexie insisted Maxim was verbal y aggressive, Ruby

slammed the kitchen cupboard shut and twirled on her

incensed. She demanded that Lexie be respectful and

obedient to her brothers and her new father. They were the men of the house and she was expected to treat them as such.

Ruby’s unexpected response left Lexie shattered. She

knew her mom wanted them to al get along, but demanding that she obey and respect her brothers was a blow.

Respect was earned and her step brothers would never

have authority over her,
ever.
Was that why the family al moved far from home, so

Dragos and Ruby could institute some backwoods

oppression on her and El a?

No wonder she had insomnia al night. Everything was

changing too fast and not for the better. The whole reason she moved without complaint was to see her mom happy,

not to make her crazy. And then there was the terrible way she left Torin.

Will I see him again? What did he think of the way I just
left him standing there?

Her heart ached with sadness. When he asked her to stay, she yearned to. What else could she have done? She had to protect Alik. Besides, Maxim would have discovered

where she was, maybe even turning his anger on Torin in the process. She recal ed Torin’s expression as she turned her back on him. He didn’t understand.

Lexie’s burning tears streamed down her cheeks.

Meeting Torin was the most amazing thing to happen to her since her dad died and her entire life was rewritten. He was more than just some sweet boy she kissed – there was

something right about the way she felt inside just being near him. It was more than a crush, but she couldn’t define what it was. She longed for him even now, wishing he could just hold her while she figured it al out.

I will be lucky if he ever looks at me again.

Regret squeezed her chest. She and Alik would be avoided like the plague, maybe El a and Nick too once the news spread that they were a nasty family.

Lexie rol ed over and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes so she could cal Liz. It was early, but she hoped her friend would answer the phone. The cal went straight to

voicemail, and Lexie’s disappointment sounded in her

voice. “Lizzie….I real y need to talk to you. I don’t think I can do this… I can’t live here with them. Cal me when you can.

Miss you.”

Lexie climbed from her bed and stood before the window that opened to her second story balcony. The sun was

streaming through the trees and would appear above them momentarily. As she placed her hand on the windows latch, she realized it wasn’t locked. Just yesterday after talking to El a about the animals in the woods, she made sure it was.

Confused, she tested the lock a couple of times but it was solid. She stepped out onto the balcony and sat down – she couldn’t stand being within the same four wal s as her family a moment longer.

Torin found himself heading north on Route in an

attempt to put distance behind him. With the windows down and the T tops off the car, the brisk morning air washed over him.

His senses were alive. He pushed his car’s ability on the winding turns of the road, but he didn’t care. He needed to clear his head – which was even more conflicted than

usual.

He stil couldn’t believe she was there last night, in the woods of al places. He had been dreaming of her for

months, but he didn’t expect to see her just yet. She stood there with that same innocence that she always had when he dreamed of her.

Her long hair, her smooth shape, even her eyes – it was al the same.

What was happening between them? She wasn’t supposed

to be in his life already. He hadn’t finished the change yet and they were both so young. None of the coven’s elders ever mentioned finding their fate-partners in their teens. His father didn’t dream of his mother until he was at least thirty and found her when he was older than that. Torin was

already confused about dreaming of Lexie, but assumed it was just strange timing. When he drew near her last night, there was no doubt that they were meant to be together.

No one could have prepared him for the emotions he felt towards her. It was more than physical attraction – it was an
immense
need
to be with her. When she looked up at him with her evocative green eyes, he felt as if their souls wanted to be linked and she was the half of his whole.

Desire wasn’t a strong enough word for what he felt with every fiber of his being.

But when Lexie turned and ran from him last night, it was a little too surreal. Torin wouldn’t have wasted two seconds putting that ox in his place if he hadn’t feared causing more of a scene.
If he had hurt her, I would have torn his limbs
off…

He observed the familial argument, but readied himself to intervene if the meathead even moved a quarter of an inch closer to her.

How could they be related? She was nothing like them – and he knew it was more than just a lack of family

resemblance.

The males smel ed…different. They weren’t like most

humans – their scent was stronger than usual, almost fishy.

It didn’t make sense to him, but he was able to smel the younger brother as soon as he and Braden arrived in the clearing. The older brother smel ed even more pungent –
clearing. The older brother smel ed even more pungent – like the sea market at the end of a long hot day.

Why is she with them?

From a safe distance, he fol owed them back to the old Delaney house. He stayed back far enough so he wouldn’t be spotted, but close enough to slip into the darkness and listen to the commotion once they arrived at the house. He was enraged as he listened to the derogatory way in which Lexie was spoken to. She was treated like a possession with no free wil .

Does she have any more freedom being fated to me?

Torin stayed long enough to ensure her safety but had to leave once the brothers came out into the yard. He had been driving ever since.

He never wanted this life for himself and now that he met Lexie, he wouldn’t have chosen it for her either. She should be able to go to school and fal in love with a normal guy, grow old and be happy. Instead, she wouldn’t have a

normal existence.

She would be forever connected to him.

She deserves better, she deserves everything.

TORIN

He turned up the music pumping from his car speakers in an attempt to drown out his thoughts. He planned on leaving for a while, wanting to do it before his body completely transformed. He wanted distance from his family until he knew whether or not he would become the monster his

blood curse created him to be. Maybe go to Ireland where his ancestors were or even Iceland – someplace he could disappear.

Now that he found Lexie, he couldn’t go. He couldn’t leave her as much as he knew he should. Even if he left, they would both keep dreaming of each other until he went mad and had to come back to her anyway. What worried him

was if he hurt her. What if they were alone when his blood thirst awoke for the first time?

Maybe they weren’t going to be together for centuries like his parents or the elders with their partners. Maybe the reason she was here and they were together so soon was because they were destined to have a short life together.

Torin pul ed over and parked the car. He placed his left hand on his chest, feeling the thundering rhythm of his racing heart. Soon the dormant one that slept beside it would awaken and start beating as wel . He would become the half-vampire his elders were and if he couldn’t refuse human blood, he would become a ful draugr like the

monsters that infected his family so long ago.

He thought of Lexie and hoped that she wouldn’t turn from him when she learned what he was.

Frustrated, he fired up the Camaro’s V and turned it

around. Torin knew he could no longer run away, because he couldn’t exist without her now.

The smal school yard was alive with excitement. Once

Maxim found a shady parking spot under a sweeping pine, Lexie tried to find the courage to climb out of the Jeep and meet her new school. She hoped El a and Nicolai would

have an enjoyable first day at Erris Junior High.

Since the heated tension of Friday night, she and Alik hadn’t found their way back to the easy conversation.

Despite that, she was thankful he was with her and that he rode shot gun with Maxim so she wouldn’t have to. She had nothing to say to Max. His stony presence didn’t provide
any comfort. His company only served as a reminder of the humiliation she and Alik experienced at his hand in front of their new classmates.

Taking a deep breath and touching the cross necklace from Liz, she gathered enough courage to face everyone.

The school building was smal compared to her high school at home. Ruby had registered them in advance and her

schedule was committed to memory. What surprised her

was that al of her classes were grouped together within the same hal way. She was used to having to walk up and

down three flights of stairs in three connecting buildings.

She looked down at her outfit, it wasn’t anything

extraordinary. She was wearing her favorite sundress and sandals. As she glanced around her, she was relieved that many of the girls were wearing similar styles. She already felt self-conscious, if everyone was dressed formal, she would have wanted to go home.

Alik and Maxim walked stiffly beside her as they headed to the entrance. A flash of color to her right caught her attention and she couldn’t help but smile when she realized it was an enthusiastic Theo waving like a maniac. With his rainbow studded belt twisted around his narrow hips, he
was dressed in a bright Cookie Monster t-shirt with white skinny jeans.

“Get over here woman and give me a hug!” he said with an impish grin.

Relieved to spot his friendly face, she could hear Maxim muttering under his breath as she left to embrace him.

“Why haven’t I been able to cal you? Brooke and I wanted to take you to breakfast this morning.” Theo’s tone

resounded with excitement.

Lexie was confused and pul ed her cel from her purse.

She hadn’t used it since she cal ed Liz Saturday morning. “I don’t understand, it says that I no longer have service.” Her face reddened with the realization that Ruby must have cancel ed her phone plan.

No wonder Liz didn’t call me back...she couldn’t.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he squealed. “I was afraid your big brother ate you or something.”

Her stomach clenched, “I am so embarrassed about Friday
night.”
Here it comes, the humiliation I’ve been
expecting.

“Are you kidding? Everyone thinks you’re kick ass!” his expression was humorous. “Until you came, the only

interesting thing around here was the occasional alien abduction. It’s about time this place livened up.”

Brooke swung around from Lexie’s other side, “Oh no,

don’t let him get started with his UFO talk.”

“What?” he snapped. “The Al agash Abductions is a

famous case, even psychiatrists said those guys were

tel ing the truth,” Theo was emphatic. “It’s on Wikipedia for goodness sake, look it up.”

Brooke’s expression made Lexie laugh. “Try to ignore him – maybe he won’t get on a tangent.” She looked adorable with her golden hair French braided and in her teal blouse and denim shorts.

The morning was a blur. Theo and Brooke were in al of her classes, Julie too. Lexie was grateful she didn’t have one class with Maxim. When she saw him in the hal way he

looked unapproachable standing against his locker with his usual grimace.

By the time lunch rol ed around, Lexie spotted Alik sitting with Courtney. The blonde was dressed in a spandex skirt and pink halter top. Even from across the cafeteria, Lexie could see that Courtney was trying hard to show everyone that Alik would be her latest conquest. Maxim sat at the end of their table with a heaping tray ful of food. The few times Courtney tried to divert his attention – he would scowl. She seemed oblivious to the fact that he didn’t like her.
She’ll
learn like the
rest of us that Maxim doesn’t play well with
others.

Lexie scanned the room – everyone she had met that day was quite friendly. No one mentioned Friday’s episode

other than Theo. If she could erase the incident from her memory, she would be grateful. Although that would mean she would have to forget Torin.
Impossible…that would be
like forgetting how to
breathe.

Theo concentrated on her every move, anxious to give his opinion. “Anyone here you want to know better?” his

eyebrow arched as he asked.

“No, I was just thinking of Torin,” she spoke quietly so the others at the packed table wouldn’t overhear.

“I was wondering when you would mention him. Did he go to your house Friday night?” Theo barely kept his voice at a control ed whisper. “He left right after you did. I thought for sure he went after you.”

Lexie wondered why he left. She hoped it wasn’t because he was embarrassed by her. “Have you seen him since

Friday?”

Theo dunked his spongy fry in ketchup, “No, but that’s not unusual. He doesn’t hangout much.” He munched for a few seconds, thinking. “He’s seriously good looking. I was kind of hoping he was into guys because I’ve never seen him take an interest in girls before – but that boy was fixated on you like he was afraid you would evaporate or something.”