Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) (20 page)

I don’t think she’s really into PDA,
Alexa sent.

Yeah, I know; but she’ll have to get used to it. I can’t keep my hands off of her.

“Ugh; too much information, Jared,” Alexa joked, finally hugging him and Cami. To her surprise, Cami returned the hug easily.
 

“I’m really happy you’re back,” Cami said.

As she stepped back from them, Alexa suddenly felt unsteady on her feet and wobbled back slightly as an overwhelming thirst came over her. Elijah was immediately behind her, helping her to stay upright. She reached for her throat and struggled to swallow against the sudden burn.
 

“I need some water,” she croaked out.

“No, you need blood,” Elijah responded as Josephine appeared with the two chilled bags of O-negative that Elijah had brought in anticipation of Alexa’s revival.
 

“No; I can’t drink that,” Alexa protested, repulsed by the thought of drinking a stranger’s blood. Mentally she may not have wanted it, but her body had other ideas as her mouth began to water and her fangs punched sharply through her gums.

“Just think of it like one of those juice pouches kids drink. Trust me; you’ll like it when you try it,” Jared encouraged.
 

Josephine offered one of the bags to Alexa, who began to turn away; but then she caught the scent through the heavy plastic. Just like that, raw instinct and need took over as she grabbed the offered blood and plunged her fangs through the soft barrier. The taste was like nothing she had ever eaten before; not even the blood she had sampled as part of the bonding ceremony with Ethan. This was sweeter and oh, so satisfying, though there was a hint of something that could only be likened to the staleness of a cracker from a box which had been left open too long.
 

As she reached greedily for the second bag, her thoughts again turned to Ethan. She focused on the pull of their bond and took comfort in its strength; knowing with certainty that Ethan was alive and believing with everything she had that she would be able to reach him and bring him back from anything Lucias had done to him.

✧

Jared tugged on Cami’s arm, gesturing towards the door. She didn’t budge as she watched Alexa feeding, with a variety of questions burning in her mind.

There has to be more she remembers,
Cami thought as Jared stepped in front of her and took her face in his hands.

“There will be time for that,” he whispered.

Reluctantly, Cami backed into the hallway with him as Elijah began to speak.

“Alexa, you should rest. Your body has been through an unimaginable amount of stress and the transition itself takes quite a toll. As quickly as your body is changing, you are going to feel very tired for a while.”

“Yes; he’s right,” Rebecca added. “Chloe and I can show you to your room; we’ve kept it ready for you,” she said fondly, taking Alexa’s hand.

Still standing in the hallway, Jared squeezed Cami’s hand. “You seem exhausted; why don’t you let me show you my room,” he whispered against her ear. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight so just let me take care of you.”
 

Not wanting to give her a chance to fight him, Jared nudged her a little further down the hall and kissed her lips softly.
 

“No one wants Ethan back more than my sister, Cami. Not even you; he is her bonded mate. She will think of nothing else until he is returned to her. I hear it in her thoughts and I know that, if it was you out there, I would stop at nothing to get you back; and we’re not even bonded yet,” he said in all seriousness.
 

Speechless at the implication of his words, Cami simply nodded and let him lead her away.
 

“I feel fine, better than fine; maybe there’s more I can do,” Alexa said as her mother pulled her towards the door. “What about the bond? Is it affected by distance?” she asked, her eyes darting to the three mated vampires still there.
 

“Yes; it grows stronger as mates draw nearer to one another,” Elijah responded.

“Then I should go out. If I drive around—,”

“Alexa,” Elijah interrupted, “you know I want to find my son as badly as you do, but it is too dangerous right now. Even if we found where Ethan is being held, Lucias’s numbers are far too great. We need time to devise a plan as I’m sure your father and Commander Claesson are already doing,” he said stepping closer to her. “And there is the matter of his infection. Lucias will force him to fight against us and—”

“But if he sees me; when he sees I’m still alive, he’ll fight it. He’ll come back to me,” Alexa said with desperation.
 

“And if he can’t?” Elijah asked. “Would you risk him killing one of us, or being killed himself, if you’re wrong?”

Alexa shook her head, a fresh set of tears welling up in her eyes. “I can’t just sit by and do nothing while he suffers,” she whispered.

“Give me time; I will not rest until I find a cure,” Elijah promised.

Sensing that her mother would continue to argue, Chloe sent an image into Alexa’s mind. Alexa’s eyes slid closed as a vision of Ethan standing in a room, which was obviously part of the compound, ignited her hope.

He will come back to us,
Chloe reassured; careful to keep the rest of the vision shielded from Alexa’s view. As much as she wished she could tell her mother what was coming, she knew the truth would drive her crazy with worry over something she could not change. It was her choice and her burden; no one else’s.

“Okay,” Alexa finally acquiesced as she took Chloe’s hand.

✧

“Show me again,” Alexa said anxiously as she closed the door to her new room, after she’d convinced her reluctant mother that she needed some time alone with Chloe.

Wordlessly, Chloe pushed the image of her father into her mother’s mind as Alexa closed her eyes and sighed.
 

“How long have you been having visions?” Alexa inquired after reveling in the brief glimpse of her husband.
 

“They started right after we came here,” Chloe said climbing on to the bed, “but I haven’t seen very much. Just flashes of you and Dad coming back,” she lied.

“My darling girl, I’m so sorry; for all of this, for everything that’s happened to you,” Alexa said joining Chloe on the firm mattress. “It’s so strange seeing you like this; so grown up. It’s easy to forget how young you truly are,” Alexa said placing her hands on the sides of Chloe’s face.

“I wish everyone would forget. They all treat me like a child, but I don’t feel young; not anymore,” Chloe replied flopping back on to a pillow.

“No; I imagine you wouldn’t. I can understand some of what you’re going through. Even though I was much older when my gift developed, it changed me very quickly. I practically grew up overnight. Hearing the deepest, darkest thoughts of those around you has a way of doing that,” Alexa replied, her voice wistful as she wished that things could be different for her child.

“It’s not just my telepathy, Mom. Before I could talk, I understood so much more than anyone gave me credit for and, even when I was able to speak, I couldn’t make my words keep up with my thoughts; with what was in my heart. I have been growing so fast physically, but what no one seems to understand is that, inside I have been growing even faster,” Chloe responded, her voice almost pleading as she hoped her mother would understand; that she could see her for who she truly was and not for what everyone hoped she would be.
 

Looking into her daughter’s eyes, seeing the old soul behind them; for the first time Alexa recognized just how wise Chloe had become.

“As hard as it is for me to accept, I think I understand, and I promise you I will do my best to treat you like the young woman you are. As for everyone else, they will come around. Elijah tells me it won’t be long before you’re fully mature, physically,” Alexa corrected quickly, “then I’m sure it will be easier for us all.”

“I’ve really missed you,” Chloe said quickly moving into Alexa’s arms.

“Oh, Chloe; I don’t think there are words to describe how much I’ve missed you,” Alexa replied feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. “I’m afraid to ever let you go again.”

“We’re safe here, and you’ll have Daddy back soon,” Chloe said attempting to ease Alexa’s fear.

“We’ll both have him back,” Alexa responded laying them back as she started to feel the pull of exhaustion Elijah had warned her of.

“Yes; of course,” Chloe replied trying to cover the sadness in her voice. While she wanted her father back more than anything, to see his handsome face again, and feel his strong arms around her, she knew that the next time she saw him could very well be the last.

“I feel so tired,” Alexa said groggily, her lids growing impossibly heavy as she fought to stay awake, having hoped to spend hours talking with Chloe. She had missed so much in the past weeks and she wanted to hear every detail, but her transitioning body had other ideas.
 

“Don’t fight it, Mom. Here,” Chloe said flashing across the room to retrieve two bags of blood from the refrigerator and immediately returning to Alexa’s side, “drink this, and then sleep. Grandpa Elijah said you’re going to need to feed often for the next few days, just like I do.”

Chloe willed her fangs to drop from her gums and bit into the plastic as she had done many times before. The scent of blood hit the air and called Alexa’s own fangs to appear as she sat up. She took the other bag from Chloe’s outstretched hand and drank it down.

Chloe took both empty containers and walked them to the trashcan as she licked a stray drop of blood from her lip.
 

Walking back to the bed, she couldn’t help but smile. In the short time it took her to throw the bags away, Alexa had already fallen fast asleep.

Quietly, Chloe slid onto the bed next to her mother. She cuddled into the warmth of Alexa’s body, savoring the comfort of having her mother near once again, though she knew it wouldn’t last for long. Pushing back the dread over what was yet to come, Chloe closed her eyes and let the slow beat of her mother’s heart and steady sound of her breathing comfort her to sleep.

CHAPTER 17 -
Love Expressed

Jared secured the door to his room and turned to let his eyes roam hungrily over Cami’s lithe body, following her as she slowly walked around pretending to take in her surroundings.
 

Her eyes scanned the room, but none of what saw registered over the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.

Jared breezed across the space, stopping mere inches behind Cami as she stared through one of the many paintings which adorned the walls.
 

“Are you nervous?” Jared asked leaning in close to inhale the sweet scent of her hair. A wicked grin spread across his face as the fragrance of her arousal filled the surrounding air.

“You know that I am,” she replied sharply. “I don’t like you digging around in my head all the time.”

“Then keep me out,” he challenged, knowing that Cami had learned how to shield her thoughts like most of their kind; it was just something many grew lazy about because they weren’t often in the presence of telepaths. There were those, like William, whose ability was too powerful to be blocked by most, but Jared’s talent wasn’t nearly as strong.
 

“Do you like art?” she asked with a shaky voice as she focused on building her mental shields. “This is a lovely painting,” she continued, still staring straight ahead at the pastoral image, trying to use the vibrant colors of the wildflowers portrayed in the rolling landscape to anchor the wall in her mind.

“Did you know that a lot of the pieces here are the originals and the famous exhibits on display for the public are actually replicas?” she continued, anxiously tugging at the leather strap at her shoulder.

“Very good; I only heard the words you said,” he praised. “But I’m not particularly interested in art at the moment,” he continued against her ear, sending a delicious chill skittering down her spine.

“What
are
you interested in?” she asked closing her eyes as she let herself lean back into his warmth.

“Turn around and I’ll show you,” he replied, his lips so close to her neck she could feel a whisper of their soft touch against her skin.

Trying to relax, Cami took her first deep breath since entering the room. The moment the mixture of Jared’s spicy masculine scent and her potent arousal filled her lungs, her anxiety was shoved to the background by an intense, almost painful, hunger.

Before Jared could even register the movement, she spun around and pushed her hands into his hair; fisting it roughly as she yanked him down to her mouth. Jared growled in response as her soft tongue plunged demandingly into his mouth. Without warning, she swung them around, pushing him against the wall, barely missing the painting she’d been admiring, and practically knocking the wind out of him.

Without breaking their frenzied kiss, Cami released Jared’s hair and with both hands began tugging up on his shirt but, realizing that she would be forced to give up the spicy sweetness of his mouth to get it off, she grabbed it at the neckline and cleanly ripped it apart and off with one pull.
 

“God; I want you,” Jared groaned into her mouth as her hands slid across the bare skin of his chest and perfectly-chiseled abs, causing his already-hard cock to lengthen even further.
 

Her hands continued on their journey south and she reached for the front of his frayed jeans, her fingertips grazing his erection through the thick fabric as it strained for release. Impatient to get closer to him, she started to rip those off as well, but he grabbed her wrists, forcing her back ever so slightly as he flicked his tongue wickedly across her top lip, catching the tip of one of her fangs as he did.

The taste of his own blood hit his tongue and Cami’s eyes snapped open as the scent hit the air. Jared eyed her carefully as they both panted and she strained to get back to what she was doing.

“Fuck, Cami; when was the last time you fed?” he asked, his hooded eyes trained on her elongated fangs, the sight of which kicked his arousal to a new level and caused his own to slide down from his gums.