Page 23 of Destined to Fight

Kade nodded at him and stood, pacing the plane as he made calls through the satellite phone. It took multiple calls, offers of insanely high salaries, and a bit of bargaining, but he had three potential mentors set up to meet Kelly the day after they arrived in Scotland. He did not want to pair her with someone until she had the chance to meet them first. This way, she could choose the one she liked best.

When everything was arranged, he turned back to Fabian. “Ye ken, we’re arranging all of this and she hasnae even accepted yer Guardianship, much less the help of a mentor.”

“Patience, Kade. You cannot win the war without fighting the individual battles. She needs to know her options.”

“Oh aye, it’s that simple, is it?”

“Yes, it is,” Fabian said, very matter-of-fact. “You have so much to learn when it comes to strong women. They will not follow you for your looks and your money. You are going to have to be smart with this one.”

He furrowed his brows at Fabian. “What do ye mean? I dinnae plan to seduce her.”

Fabian chuckled and stood. “You will find out for yourself. I am here to protect her, not to guide you. I will give you a couple of tips, but that is all.” With that, he made his way to the galley to get something to eat, kindly refusing Brodric’s offer of service.

Kade let him be, not wanting to push the issue. Fabian seemed to be hinting at something more developing between him and Kelly, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for it. He much preferred the company of women who would not even see him again, let alone get attached. Relationships were not something he had time for, and he had enough people he needed to make happy without a woman to consider as well.

Resigning himself to the fact that his businesses were not going to run themselves and remembering that he had given Asta the night off, Kade pulled out his computer and buried himself in work.

Kelly

Waking up to the white noise of the plane had Kelly wanting to roll over and go back to sleep. But she believed too much of a good thing could turn bad, so she forced herself to shed the grogginess of sleep and wake up. As she tried to stretch, she realized Clyde was curled up behind her knees, and she stopped herself to avoid disturbing him.

Light came from the front of the plane, telling her it was daytime wherever they were. She must have slept quite a while.

She rubbed her face and winced when she touched her forehead. It was still tender but getting a little better, and her mind felt clearer each time she woke from sleep.

Kelly stood, trying not to disturb Clyde, and stretched. It was one of those full-body stretches a person does when no one is watching, and her arms went up and out wide. She even groaned as her muscles strained.

Just as the stars started to take over her vision, a voice came from the front of the plane. “Feeling better, Warrior?”

She turned to face Fabian, who was wearing an amused smile. “Sure, but I’m not a warrior.”

He just shrugged at her.

His sense of humor was starting to grow on her. He was like that grandparent in kids’ movies that always knew more about the fate of others than they did and got a kick out of playing jokes on them; he just looked like he was thirty at most instead of eighty.

She straightened, slightly embarrassed to be caught. She’d somehow forgotten there were other people on the plane.

“Come, let us talk of your future,” Fabian said, a smile still on his face.

She couldn’t resist petting Clyde before she walked up to them. She almost bent down to kiss him, but stopped herself. This was not her cat, and she shouldn’t get attached.

Kade had taken her seat, so she sat opposite Asmund, crossing her legs and leaning back to get comfortable. “What about my future? I thought I had time to make my decisions.”

“Well, yes, you have three days. You are halfway through that time, though.”

“That’s just for your Guardianship, though, right?”

He seemed to flinch at that. “They really do go hand in hand.”

“My future depends on your Guardianship, is that what you mean?”

He looked at her, thinking for a moment. “Honestly, I am not sure. It is possible, though.”

“Great,” she said, not liking the idea of depending on someone else.

“You must understand, Kelly, you will not come into your power for some time. Until then, you are a human in an immortal world. Everyone else will be stronger, faster, and more powerful than you, by far. What you experienced with the vampire in the gym is nothing compared to what others can do. She underestimated you.”

Now she was offended. “I can handle myself! I’ve been doing just fine for years.”

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