Page 17 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

“Good little huntress, always following orders.” He mocked with a sinister grin that peeled his lips back from his teeth. Suddenly his eyes shift to the stranger beside me, “and what have we here?” He asks, nostrils flaring as they sniff the air.

“Run both of you.” Dina hisses at us, almost as if she doesn’t want the man to hear, without taking her eyes from the vampire who’s drawing in another deep lungful of air.

The stranger next to me doesn’t need telling twice as she grabs my hand in her own and yanks me after her as she takes off running back towards the tall Aviva building. “My Master will put you all in your rightful places.” He snarls after us, forcing my head to whip around and ice freeze around my heart as Dina places herself between him and us. The last thing I see of her—before my sight is cut off by the ancient stones of Lendal bridge—is that damn sword of hers swinging as the vampire with dark hair lunged at her.

Chapter Seven

Can I protect the one who holds my heart, even if she hates me? -Dina.

Icursed Tilly in my head; her meddling had almost cost me Charleene. I'd barely made it to her in time, after finally shrugging Tilly's restraining hands off my shoulders.How dare she interfere, I thought, letting loose a vicious snarl, as I faced off against the vampire before me. His conversation with Charleene had made me see red, as I'd drawn closer, I knew exactly who he was. The damn rogue we'd been tracking.

I swung my sword, when the bastard lunged forward, forcing him to doge back again as he attempted to follow Charleene. “You're going nowhere near her!” I snarled at him.

“You want to bet Huntress?” he laughed back, an edge of mania making his eyes dart around.

He attempted to change direction and spun around, trying to reach the large stone steps on the other side of the bridge, but his shifty eyes had already clued me in on his thoughts. So I was already moving to block him. I grinned as my blade cut a neat line down his cheek and he flinched back towards the river off balance.

My feet moved faster and before he had the chance to recover his own footing. I grabbed his throat in my hand and shoved. He growled, leaning into my face but I just kept pushing him backwards, even as he gnashed his teeth at me and his foul breath spilled over my face.

“I'll have her!” He threatened as I shoved harder, pushing him to the river'sedge.

“You'll never have her!” I hissed back at him as rage rushed through me at his words and one thought kept repeating over and over.Protect her!

With a snarl I gathered all my strength and threw him back, my hand releasing as his head flew over the river and I knew he couldn't recover his balance. Watching him flounder almost as if in slow motion as his arms windmilled, I smiled as he fell into the fast flowing river, and the current washed him away.

Breathing heavily, I closed my eyes briefly and let my anger go as my panic receded. The threat was dealt with, at least temporarily.

Spinning on my heels I followed Charleene’s addictive scent, which was now mingled with roses and something that shouldn’t be there. Pushing my muscles to increase my speed, I felt my heart settle slightly as I saw them both running towards the Minster.At least the redhead didn’t waste any time in getting them both away, I thought as I drew closer and they slowed to a stop. The woman’s brown eyes widened as I sprint faster, using all of my enhanced speed to get back to Charleene. I’d left her side to cool down for a minute and she’d run straight into the damn rogue vampire me and Tilly had been tracking.

“What are you?” she gasped as I stopped in front of them, making me question if I’d identified her scent correctly.

“Thank you.” I managed to get out, with what I hope is a smile or some sort, before ignoring her question, I turned my attention to the only person I gave a damn about here. Charleene. She stood shaking even though she was dressed appropriately for the chill October weather and I knew it wasn’t the cold which was making her shake. “What happened?” I asked, making sure my voice was calm and low, not wanting to scare her anymore than she already had been.

“I…He…” Charleene stammered, staring at the ground as her arms wrapped around her stomach, making me ache to hold her.

“What are you?” the woman repeats her tone a lot more angry than before, “what was that man? How are you real?” Not needing to deal with a human finding out about us, I sigh deeply in frustration. It had been stupid to ignore her this long, I should have already dealt with her and sent her on her merry way.

Staring at her and quickly closing the few steps between us, my hand whipped out and pinched her small chin between my fingers in a hard grip. Before she could even start to squirm I stared deep into her eyes and in a hypnotic voice said, “You saw nothing. You walked home and nothing strange happened.” My voice was strong and commanding, just like Tilly had taught me. I could even see her pupils dilated and her face softened for a moment. Then the impossible happened. Pain made her face scrunch and her next words came out in a scream.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Confused, I kept my grip on her chin as her eyes closed and my other hand wrapped around her arm trying to keep her steady. She should have accepted my mental suggestion, I’d done everything correctly. Inhaling her peculiar scent of roses and something else, my brow furrowed over the old scent humans no longer used like they used too. I didn’t have long to ponder it when after a couple of minutes her eyes snapped back open and her lips peeled back from her teeth in a snarl. The wind around me grew steadily, making my eyes widen in disbelief, she couldn’t be another…

I didn’t get the chance to finish my thought before my feet left the ground and the wind flung me away from whoever she was. I barely managed to land on my feet in front of Charleene.

“What are you?” I snarl at her as she smiles in pride. I inhaled her scent once again trying to figure out what she was. She didn’t smell like a witch. No, she smelt of ancient things. Things that had long ago left this world, if my own coven’s legends were to be believed. Drawing in another deep lungfull of her scent, a shadow eclipsed her smaller frame, and my eyes widened in disbelief as a man stepped up behind her.

“I suggest you leave, while you still can Huntress.” His deep voice was cold and angry as it addressed me and his ice blue eyes narrowed into a scowl. The woman before him shivered and her face relaxed slightly like she knew and trusted him, as he finished his sentence, “and take your pet with you.”

Terror raced through me, as I took in his sharp cheekbones, pale face and pointed ears.Fae!My mind screams at me as I take a small step backwards. I’d been told the tales of the cruel Fae who’d made our race, just to torture us and use us as slaves. I’d also been told the tales of the Fae leaving this world.

“Impossible,” I threw at them both, “you’re kind don’t…”

“Leave now.” He snarls at me, cutting off my words before I can even utter them and takes a step closer, his chest brushing up against the redhead’s back. His menacing glare made a shiver run from my head to my toes and I watched, unable to move, as one of his arms closed tightly around her back. While the other slipped beneath her knees and without taking his gaze from me he bent slightly, lifting the woman into his arms. His narrowed eyes almost seemed to scream,Mine, at me as he lifted her from the ground and her face screwed up in pain, as it fell to rest against his shoulder.

“Lysais,” she whispered hesitantly as her gaze went distant, but she didn't take her eyes off of the man holding her. She smiled dreamily up at him— almost as though she cared for the Fae male— before her eyes closed and her body slumped in his arms.

“You’re safe now Princess,” he whispered, down at her as his whole face softened and without even a backward glance he stole her away into the night.

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